C1748 An Apology

In the celestial realm of the Moonlit Wanderers, within the Heavenly Charm Kingdom, a baby of the tribe was born as the sky began to lighten. The tribe's elders had meticulously prepared a ceremony to cleanse the infant and offer prayers to the Moon God they worshipped.

Amidst the echoing cries of the newborn in the crescent-shaped pool, a shadowy figure emerged, a faint glimmer of blood-red light flickering at their fingertip before briefly touching the baby's chest. As quickly as they appeared, the figure vanished into thin air.

Some time later, Yu Yuan materialized beneath a chilly moon in the extraterrestrial realm. Not far from him, Ji Ningshuang sat serenely on a floating stone, unperturbed by Yu Yuan's mysterious behavior. It seemed she was gradually becoming accustomed to it.

Since departing the Dark Realm, Yu Yuan had led Ningshuang through the Eiwrone of the Ashlands, traveling from one cavernous depth to another. Briefly lingering in the Ashlands, they used its Eiwrone as a waypoint, drifting through various Star Rivers inhabited by the Otherkin.

They often found themselves in secluded areas devoid of renown, places even the inhabitants of the Everlands and the evilkind deemed unworthy of their time. These territories were home to lesser-known Otherkin races, lacking warriors of the seventh level or higher, and thus, they rarely caught the attention of human cultivators.

Yu Yuan frequented these regions, observing the alien beasts, witnessing the breakthroughs of the Moonlit Wanderers and the Crypt Clan, and marveling at the wonders of their hearts.

Ji Ningshuang, disinterested in these pursuits, refrained from questioning him, simply savoring the leisurely moments of their nomadic existence.

"The heart of a newborn is imbued with potent life power," Yu Yuan murmured, a sense of clarity dawning on him as he pondered the once nebulous aspects of life.

His recent activities, both with his real body and his Solar Spirit, spanned the Ashlands and beyond. From the intelligent lifeforms of the Moonlit Wanderers, Silverscale Tribe, and Shadowkin, he gleaned profound insights.

He came to understand that every living creature, whether alien beast or Otherkin, possessed an innate life power at birth, centered within their hearts.

From their very inception, the life power of alien beasts and Otherkin has been in a state of gradual decline.

An Otherkin child who leads a life of insignificance will find their life power ebbing away with every passing day and night.

The moment their life power is fully depleted marks the end of their life, the moment they succumb to old age.

The innate life power among ordinary Otherkin varies, though not significantly.

Much like humans, where some may live for several decades and others a century or more, there are differences, but they are not vast.

After extensive observation, he discovered that life power only changed at the pivotal moment of a bloodline breakthrough!

For alien beasts and those from the extraterrestrial realms, life power surged anew during these breakthroughs, granting them extended lifespans.

Other than that, life power would only diminish, never increase.

There are, of course, exceptions.

Take the snow bear from the Frostlands, for instance. When it arrived on the Primal Blood Continent and consumed ice energy to fortify its bloodline, it also integrated specks of life power into its heart.

Moreover, with each bloodline breakthrough, it managed to generate additional life power.

Before it had depleted much of its reserves, it repeatedly broke through its bloodline, amassing more life power and drawing even greater amounts from the ice energy.

This is the secret to its longevity.

Other Otherkin and alien beasts weren't as fortunate. If their bloodlines failed to advance, they would face death from old age as their life power ran out.

Creatures like the Duskjaw, Stormwraith, and Three-legged Golden Crow, despite possessing ninth-level bloodlines, were merely descendants of its descendants.

If these alien beasts had a bloodline chain capable of regenerating life power, akin to the Abyssal Leviathan, would they too possess extended lifespans?

This thought led him to an epiphany: within the Dark Phoenix of the Everlands, such a bloodline chain must undoubtedly exist.

The Dark Phoenix's longevity and immortality were a result of mastering the Secrets of Life and forming an internal bloodline chain.

Hence, the Kylin would perish, the Untamed would fade, and the ancient Dark Deities had all passed away, yet she remained alive.

"One of life's great wonders is a bloodline chain that can continuously regenerate life power. If it can be established, capable of recreating life power, then the prospect of eternal life becomes possible!"

Yu Yuan experienced a moment of enlightenment. In an instant, his Solar Spirit in the Ashlands morphed into the shape of a stalactite, illuminating several Secrets of Life with a mysterious glow. Yet, this enigmatic aspect of life was only tied to extending longevity, not related to the tenth-level bloodline of alien beasts.

He mulled over his thoughts and resolved to first return to Eiwrone to check on the Abyssal Leviathan and the heart of the Abyssal Greater Basilisk, as well as to revisit the young beast.

Ji Ningshuang, as the exalted primordial spirit of humanity, possessed infinite life. Yu Yuan sought to uncover answers within the Ashlands from Ji Ningshuang, to understand why the primordial spirit of humanity could achieve immortality after accessing its origin.

"Someone is approaching," Ji Ningshuang announced quietly.

"Who?" Yu Yuan, poised to depart, scanned the surroundings in astonishment. "In the Moonlit Wanderers' starry sky, not a single seventh-level Otherkin can be found. Who could breach the barrier to meet us?"

"It's not an Otherkin," Ji Ningshuang murmured.

With a whoosh, brilliant moonlight streamed from another little world of the Moonlit Wanderers, swiftly reaching Yu Yuan and Ji Ningshuang. It transformed into a man with a rugged, stubbled face, clutching a hefty wine jug and drinking sorrowfully.

Tan Junshan, once a prominent figure in the Starmoon Sect and a contender for divinity second only to Lee Sha, now exuded an overwhelming scent of alcohol. Ji Ningshuang's brow furrowed at the odor, and Yu Yuan paused, sensing a profound despondency in Tan Junshan's demeanor. The once carefree peak Unbound cultivator had inexplicably fallen into despair.

"Mr. Tan!" Yu Yuan called out, noticing Tan's gaze fixated on Ji Ningshuang. His eyes sharpened, but his expression darkened further, seemingly disinterested in everything else.

"Mr. Tan, what brings you to the Moonlit Wanderers' domain? This place is so secluded; what business do you have here?" Yu Yuan inquired with curiosity.

"I'm healing," Tan Junshan stated with an icy detachment.

"But you don't have any physical injuries."

"It's my heart that's wounded."

With a bitter smile, Tan Junshan pointed to his chest and said, "The wound is inside! Lin Daoke's sword thrust through it, and it refuses to heal."

Ji Ningshuang looked on, confused.

Yu Yuan was about to point out the lack of visible injuries but suddenly remembered something and fell silent.

"My Senior Sister, Lee Sha, aimed to secure a divine seat for the Starmoon Sect. She silently returned to the Everlands, hoping to influence the succession of the divine seat."

"With a single stroke of his sword, just one! My Senior Sister was utterly destroyed, both body and soul."

"Her death caused the Moonlit Wanderers to plummet to the status of the lowest clans. The Moon Sect lost a sect master, and I lost a cherished Senior Sister."

"And you, Ji Ningshuang, thanks to that very sword strike, you ascended to divinity and dashed Jun Chen's hopes in the process."

"Haha!"

"The Sword Sect truly is domineering, and Lin Daoke's swordsmanship is unmatched! I am well aware that I will never best Lin Daoke, that I will never have the chance for revenge!"

"Yu Yuan, take a moment to reflect. Have I, Tan Junshan, ever wronged you? In the Everlands, I supported you openly and in secret, and in the extraterrestrial realms, I aided you and Chen Qinghuang in obtaining Grec's blood crystal."

"What has my Starmoon Sect gained? My Senior Sister is dead, the Starborn Sect Master is locked away in the extraterrestrial Sword Prison, and Liu Ying's whereabouts are a mystery. What can I, Tan Junshan, do now? Even if I were to secure a divine seat, I couldn't kill Lin Daoke! Moreover, I lack even the standing to challenge him!"

"What's left for me but to drown my sorrows in drink and lose myself in endless revelry?"

As Tan Junshan laughed, he tilted his head back and guzzled the wine, which flowed like a crimson fountain into his throat, causing him to choke and tears and mucus to stream down his face.

Yet, he made no move to cleanse himself with spiritual energy or to wipe his face with his clothing, looking every bit the disheveled beggar amidst the Star River.

"I'm sorry," Yu Yuan apologized with a hint of embarrassment. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Yu Yuan felt a surge of confidence from her touch. "Indeed, we have the life power of our real bodies and the protection of the Solar Spirit. The Crypt Clan and the Silverscale Tribe have nothing on us."