C1689 It Was a Mistake

As long as one head of the Chaos Serpent remained, the other would inevitably regenerate.

She possessed dual spirits. Even if one was consumed and assimilated by the other, it would reemerge at a certain moment.

This means that as long as the Chaos Serpent retains a head, regardless of whether it embodies extreme evil or tranquil harmony, the alternate aspect will eventually resurface.

The Asa mentioned by Taixu could either triumph and survive or, after being devoured, return in the future.

Hence, Taixu was thrown into disarray upon witnessing the Secular Bird Queen allowing the Chaos Serpent's self-destruction, eagerly anticipating her emergence in her mightiest form, and contemplating how many heads to sever based on her mood.

Left with no other option, he suggested that keeping just one head would suffice, regardless of which one it was.

Chen Qinghuang, whose beauty was extraordinary, remained indifferent to his entreaties, seemingly oblivious to his words.

"Do you wish to witness her at her most powerful? Are you so certain of your victory?"

The slender phantom of the Origin Deity gracefully descended onto the Phoenix Ashes, staying close to the thriving Uxthar Tree.

As he touched down, Qinghuang's icy gaze followed.

"Rest assured, I'm not overly eager."

The Origin Deity lifted the hands of his spirited body, distancing himself from the Uxthar Tree.

His soul-like form was partially submerged in the Phoenix Ashes, as though savoring the marvels of this Hallowed Ground.

"My strength, along with that of the Abyss, will not permeate these Phoenix Ashes. I made that promise from the start. It lingered in the Everlands, lured by the dense plant essence, and failed to leave in time, leading to its demise by Taishi and Han Miaoyuan."

"Yet, I persist in fulfilling my promise. And it? It will soon return to my embrace. With the Phoenix Ashes, it will be whole, better equipped to serve me and further my grand vision."

"..."

The verdant Uxthar Tree soared skyward, tens of thousands of feet tall, its branches shimmering with a radiant green glow, exuding a fragrance that breathed new life into all things.

The untouched leaves of the divine tree trembled with a soft rustling sound.

The newly sprouted Uthar Tree was consumed by fear and unease.

"Don't be afraid of me. Once you can feel my power again, once you accept me again, you'll realize that only I can forge a better version of you. With these Phoenix Ashes and the Eiwrone I've refined, your new growth will surpass that of the Spirit World!" the Origin Deity's magnetic voice resonated through the cosmos.

"It's not afraid of you," the Secular Bird Queen remarked, her mouth twisting into a mocking smile.

"Not afraid of me?" the Origin Deity responded, taken aback.

Hovering above the Phoenix Ashes, Yu Yuan, wielding the Titanblade, felt a stirring in the depths of his soul.

He sensed a fledgling consciousness shyly observing him.

Looking down, he saw the Uthar Tree, now of considerable size, quietly watching the Dragon Slaying Stage, trying to discern his identity.

As the Uthar Tree matured, its spirit and consciousness reawakened, and memories buried in its roots surged forth.

It slowly remembered being shattered by the Dragon Slaying Stage, its branches broken, being pursued across the Star River by its first life, and its desperate flight into the Maw of Oblivion.

Memories of the Origin Deity emerged from its late period, still unformed.

Thus, the empress was correct; the tree's trembling leaves and the fear it exhibited were not due to the Origin Deity.

"Step back, don't frighten it," Chen Qinghuang said, turning her head with a touch of reproach in her eyes. "Knowing full well it's terrified of you, and it has only just formed its soul, why do you persist in this descent?"

"Isn't it because I fear the Origin Deity might harm it?" Yu Yuan replied, his face a picture of innocence.

"As long as I don't take it from the Ashlands, that vile creature won't be eager to infuse its corrupt, malevolent energy into its roots and leaves."

The empress saw clearly, her reference to the Origin Deity as a "vile creature" laced with loathing in her expression.

A dragon's roar sounded again, echoing only within Yu Yuan's heart and chest.

The Titan Spinosaurus's youngling realized that the Chaos Serpent was merely battling itself, prompting Yu Yuan, Taixu, the Secular Bird Queen, and the Origin Deity to halt their combat. Unable to contain its anxiety, the creature let out a thunderous roar. It was deeply concerned as the Eiwrone, with the combined efforts of the Abyssal Greater Basilisk and the Origin Deity, was drawing vast amounts of cosmic energy from the Ashlands.

The cosmic power being siphoned by the Eiwrone was immeasurably greater than that of the Phoenix Ashes. The youngling feared the expanding void within this realm and the potential loss of its dominion over this world.

"I heard it," the Origin Deity murmured with a low chuckle.

With a whoosh, he transformed into the Maw of Oblivion, darting toward a specific point beneath the Phoenix Ashes. The inky mire offered no resistance to the descent of his soul.

"Under the Hallowed Ground!" Taixu exclaimed, puzzled by what the Origin Deity had heard and uncertain of its intentions.

Yu Yuan's pupils constricted as a burst of violet-gold radiance emerged beneath the dark soil, right under the sprawling roots of the Uxthar Tree. The violet-gold halo, nestled beneath the roots, was also consuming the plant essence. The tree's thick, serpent-like roots quivered above the halo, vying for the plant essence.

In the guise of the Maw of Oblivion, the Origin Deity abruptly materialized beneath the divine tree's roots and began to engulf the sphere of violet-gold light.

"With the Eiwrone's extraction of energy from the Ashlands, my understanding of this world deepens. You wish to conceal this from everyone, to use the existing Cosmic Order of the Ashlands for a private communion, but it won't be so simple," the Origin Deity's eerie laughter echoed from within the hole.

The churning Maw of Oblivion at its rim spat out the power of the Abyss, seemingly drawn into the fray by the Eiwrone.

A violent roar erupted from within the violet-gold halo, and a colossal pillar of violet-gold light, matching the hue of the heavens, burst forth. It seemed as if it were from the dawn of creation, one end supporting the heavens and the other plunging into the abyssal depths. Dense Cosmic Order and Divine Thunder wove around the violet-gold pillar, resembling the totem-pole of the Everlands.

Within the violet-gold sphere of light, the silhouette of the little spinosaurus, complete with dragon wings, was barely visible. The sphere seemed to be the physical manifestation of its dragon's breath, forming a natural armor and shield around it.

With a thunderous roar, it unleashed a violet-gold beam of light that shot straight into the Maw of Oblivion.

Puchi!

The Maw of Oblivion, transformed by the Origin Deity, was impaled by the enigmatic violet-gold totem pole, severing the connection to the deity's remnant soul.

The agitated little spinosaurus, still within the violet-gold light, managed to momentarily restrain the Origin Deity.

It then made a move to bite off the roots of the Uxthar Tree, as if it intended to swallow the nascent divine tree whole.

"Calm it down, or face the consequences yourself!" declared the Secular Bird Queen, who had descended and now stood upon the Phoenix Ashes. The battle initiated by the Origin Deity and the forced emergence of the young beast allowed her to clearly see the underground scene.

She was also aware that the young beast, which had burst from the Dragon Slaying Stage, had been continuously drawing in plant essence.

Additionally, it was still digesting the flesh and blood of the Voidweaver.

And now, it was plotting to consume the newly grown Uxthar Tree.

This provoked the Queen's ire. "If it cannot control its own voracious desires and dares to swallow the sapling, I will not hold back. I would even consider allying with the Origin Deity to obliterate the Ashlands and flay that creature alive."

The little spinosaurus, on the verge of gnawing at the divine tree's roots, abruptly halted.

Clearly, it had heard the Queen's warning.

The lineage in its blood and the messages it had received from Yu Yuan at the Dragon Slaying Stage had long since made it aware of the secular bird's formidable might.

At its zenith, the secular bird was a force to be reckoned with, a being that even its ancestors approached with caution and one that ranked among the top three of the giant beasts.

Faced with such a fearsome entity, known for its recklessness, and the possibility of it joining forces with the Origin Deity, what could it do?

The little spinosaurus suppressed its innate greed. With the roots of the Uxthar Tree just within reach, it held back with great effort.

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