C1691 The Second!
The blood connection between Yu Yuan and the young Titan Spinosaurus was abruptly severed.
He furrowed his brow, sensing that the young creature had plummeted into a hidden place within the Ashlands just moments before.
This secret location might contain treasures left by the Old Titan Spinosaurus, possessing the power to sever all connections of blood and soul, rendering communication with the young beast impossible.
"What a stingy creature."
Yu Yuan muttered under his breath, then abruptly realized that, through the Dragon Slaying Stage, he could see the events unfolding on Eiwrone.
Before the young beast entered the hidden place, it seemed to have relinquished some control of the Ashlands to him.
"What's there to see?"
While he spoke, with a mere thought, the image of Eiwrone materialized on the Dragon Slaying Stage beneath him.
He allowed both Taixu and the Secular Bird Queen to witness it.
On Eiwrone, the Origin Deity of the pale realm stood flanked by Jessica of the Silverscale Tribe and the Shadowkin's aged crone.
The colossal Abyssal Greater Basilisk slowly drew back into itself, reemerging in the guise of a Silverscale Tribe elder.
At this juncture, he no longer needed to exert his power; the influx of Abyssal energy ensured that the enigmatic Eiwrone continued to strip various psionic powers from both the external world and the Ashlands.
Centered around Eiwrone, an expanse of starless void emerged.
This desolate, Abyss-tainted void seemed to have become the personal dominion of the Origin Deity, and it was expanding wildly.
The Abyssal Leviathan, Youyu, and even Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian found themselves at a loss.
This assembly of individuals was temporarily dispersed across the star-rich ocean refined by the Abyssal Leviathan. As the void expanded, the star retreated incessantly.
The void, voraciously consuming the energy of the Ashlands and infused with an unfamiliar Abyssal force, was something they dared not disturb.
"My plans with the secular bird were thwarted by Yu Yuan's intervention."
The soul form of the Origin Deity, undeterred by the setback with the Soul Booster, openly acknowledged the failure.
The onlookers, who had been keeping a close eye on him and the shadowy caves by his side, had a general understanding of the events that had unfolded, despite the murky images.
"This is inconsequential. Once all the cosmic energy in the Ashlands has been redirected to my body in the Abyss, the world will succumb to the influence of the Abyss. The treasures of the Eiwrone, such as the Soul Booster and the Phoenix Ashes, will be effortlessly mine."
His soul form addressed the excited Shadowkin elder and Jessica, who possessed a tenth-level bloodline, saying, "Whatever I promised you, if it truly exists within the Ashlands, it shall be yours."
Upon hearing this, the Shadowkin elder and Jessica quickly bowed in gratitude for his magnanimity.
At that moment, the five-colored soul stone on Youyu's forehead bulged from beneath his skin, as if triggered by some fearsome presence.
The Hex Stone burst into dazzling light, unleashing a force that drew the souls of all beings into the Mindscape.
The robust Stormwraith, bewildered, let out mournful cries. Its lengthy fur appeared to be charged with ethereal lightning.
It thumped its chest and, to the astonishment of Youyu, Tan Xiaotian, and the Abyssal Leviathan, transformed into a blinding bolt of lightning despite the protesting roars of the Duskjaw and the Three-legged Golden Crow.
In an instant, it materialized in the starry void now suffused with the enigmatic power of the Abyss.
Transformed into a massive thunder ball, it clutched its head, wailing in agony.
The cause of its sudden madness was unknown, prompting an irrational act that left onlookers utterly perplexed.
The next instant, a deep purple phantom emerged from the Stormwraith's brain, akin to the Thunder Pool, and burst forth from its skull into the starry void.
As the purple phantom materialized, the Eiwrone's absorption of the Ashlands' psionic power came to an abrupt halt.
Billions of miles away, the Secular Bird Queen, witnessing the spectacle from the Dragon Slaying Stage beneath Yu Yuan's feet, emitted a low cry of sorrow and frustration.
Taixu let out a muffled grunt, his lips quivering, unable to articulate a single word.
Yu Yuan was momentarily stunned before he realized that the young beast wasn't being petty or intentionally severing their blood connection. It was actually hiding from the dark purple phantom!
The first to sense the anomaly was the current ruler of the Ashlands. On high alert, he immediately took refuge in a secret location within the Ashlands, too afraid to even let out a breath. He had relinquished some of his power so he could observe Eiwrone from the Dragon Slaying Stage, knowing full well what was about to unfold.
He was aware that the phantom was fermenting within the Stormwraith's beast soul, steadily taking shape.
"Ugh!"
The moment the Ashlands' void was halted from being consumed by the Maw of Oblivion, the emaciated old man in human form, known as the Abyssal Leviathan, understood what had transpired. His eyes, one crimson and one luminescent white, brimmed with sycophantic light as he bowed to the purple phantom, employing an ancient and obscure Sky Fiend ritual.
Tan Xiaotian's playful grin vanished in an instant with the emergence of the purple phantom.
He let out a cold huff and turned to the Abyssal Leviathan, remarking, "The fact that you've managed to survive until now, even during his hunt for the giant beast, truly speaks to your exceptional abilities."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," the Abyssal Leviathan responded, his smile not reaching his eyes.
"He, he..."
Yin Tiehua began to stutter, attempting to utter the name of the individual, instinctively gesturing towards the phantom. But halfway through, she realized the impropriety of pointing at such a being. With that, Yin Tiehua withdrew her finger and refrained from speaking the name.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A boundless surge of magic power and remnant souls rapidly filled the once void territory as the devil soul materialized. Within seconds, it dispelled the void, erased the Origin Deity's soul, and purged the Abyss's influence.
Boom!
A colossal specter, unimaginable even in their wildest dreams, towered over the skies of Eiwrone. Its appearance made the surrounding cosmos feel cramped, as if the specter's presence alone could fill the void and cause it to burst at any moment.
A devilish hand with three fingers extended slowly, delicately clasping Eiwrone. The planet, larger than both the Spirit World and Ionodios, seemed no bigger than a mud pellet between its fingers.
A specter's eyes, beyond anyone's wildest imagination, suddenly blazed with dark fire.
The flames were a deep purple.
As soon as the purple dark fire ignited, fueled by his magic power and thoughts, it broke free from the Origin Deity's grasp and surged into the shadowy caverns.
Each cavern connected to various Domains and little worlds, siphoning the energy of this realm.
Yet now, not a single trace of cosmic energy from this world was being drawn into the caverns.
Only the magic power and thoughts from the specter remained.
"I've waited many years for you to make the first move and open a portal."
The wild and rough voice echoed throughout the Ashlands and the many worlds linked to Eiwrone.
"The Great Demon God, Bertain!"
"It's Bertain!"
"Good heavens! What's going on?"
The mighty beings from dozens of worlds could sense their Astral Domain's energy draining away frantically, yet they were clueless about the source of the problem.
Then, they heard this familiar voice and were instantly stirred.
"In truth, I've always wanted to venture into the Abyss, but I lacked a way in."
The fearsome purple devil soul seemed to gaze at the Origin Deity, as if awaiting a response.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
An immense tide of demonic power and remnant soul flowed into the caverns. Through the Maw of Oblivion concealed within Eiwrone, it reached the base of the Abyssal Gate.
Following the Titan Spinosaurus, the Great Demon God Bertain's force now manifested in the Abyss.
He was the second to arrive!
Awoooo!
The Origin Deity's anguished cry did not emanate from his spirited body but rose from the caverns.
His real body, which had never managed to pass through the Abyssal Gate into this world, now writhed in agony under the influence of Demon God Bertain's power.
Moments later, more soul-piercing screams erupted from the numerous caverns.
On the other side, in the Abyss, it seemed more beings were struck down by the Great Demon God Bertain, with several perishing swiftly.
"For years, you've only been able to move through our world as a soul. Now, I shall use my devil soul to pay a visit to your Abyss. I've heard you're quite welcoming? Then naturally, I must experience it for myself. I look forward to your guidance."
...
