C1752 Ballo's Request

Yu Yuan had barely stopped when he took a fleeting glance at the City of Light and immediately sensed the lurking darkness. Tan Xiaotian started shouting.

His voice was faint, warped by the dazzling light, yet Yu Yuan could hear him clearly.

Canli, Chen Liangquan, Liu Ying, and the others who had accompanied Yu Yuan, however, could not hear Tan Xiaotian's voice, nor could they perceive the darkness.

"I'm certainly not here for you," Yu Yuan responded with a nonchalant drawl.

"Isn't that stating the obvious?" Tan Xiaotian burst into laughter, showing none of the humility expected of a captive, his tone brimming with arrogance. "What's the matter? Cardo and Ballo can't handle me, so they turned to Boulderdawn for help, and you got roped in? Ha, the world's been a mess since Bertain left, and the best backup Cardo could muster is you?"

"Who else could it be? The Secular Bird Queen? Or perhaps the Nagas' twin Dragon Gods?"

"It's not the Abyssal Leviathan and Youyu as well, is it?"

Tan Xiaotian's voice came in rapid succession, like a barrage of cannon fire.

Apparently bored, and knowing that neither Cardo nor Ballo could kill him, he was more than eager to talk someone's ear off if they were willing to listen.

"Is that Tan Xiaotian talking to you?" Canli asked, surprised.

Yu Yuan grunted in confirmation.

"Be quiet!"

On the platinum Heaven's Dais in the City of Light's plaza, a tall, handsome Starborn man stood, his annoyance palpable as he bellowed furiously.

Boom!

Billions of starbursts coalesced from beneath him on the Heaven's Dais, hurtling toward the earth beneath the City of Light.

A fearsome force, capable of shattering Zekrica, detonated somewhere deep underground. As he activated his bloodline talent, the nearby stars began to release the glow from their cores, converging towards him.

In a moment, he seemed to have drawn in all the power, his vitality restored.

Deep underground, Tan Xiaotian let out a few muffled groans and finally fell silent.

Ballo rose from the Heaven's Dais and looked up at Yu Yuan, saying, "The Demon Lord is too talkative. He's really getting on my nerves."

He felt a bit sheepish but added, "The main issue is that I truly can't get rid of him. Having to put up with his endless chatter just makes it all the more irritating."

"Haha, I get it." Yu Yuan gave a respectful gesture, instantly warming up to Ballo.

The leader of the Starborn exuded a sense of simplicity and honesty, seemingly without any hidden agendas.

In comparison to the Shadowkin's Brie and the enchantress Rebecca, Ballo seemed far more agreeable to Yu Yuan.

Later, Yu Yuan surveyed the City of Light from a high vantage point and discovered it was even larger than Ionodios.

The City of Light appeared to be crafted from innumerable gems, divine crystals, and secret silver, blended with various types of fine gold. From a distance, it resembled an extraordinary altar, evoking a sense of déjà vu within him.

Canli's Altar of Rebirth!

Seen from afar, the City of Light resembled an Altar of Rebirth, magnified a billion times over!

The key difference was that this "Altar of Rebirth" was artificially constructed by the Dawnbringers, who had dedicated years and a wealth of resources to its creation.

The city, with its strategically placed palaces, hinted at hidden mysteries, resembling the shape of the Altar of Rebirth.

Yet, the streets and palaces were devoid of people.

Yu Yuan could tell that the City of Light must have once been home to the true elite of the Dawnbringers.

Whether they were of a lower bloodline or elite warriors, they were undoubtedly part of the upper echelon of the Dawnbringers' hierarchy.

Just like the Dawnbringers' warriors who had escorted Canli to the Everlands, their families would have resided in the City of Light while they battled in extraterrestrial realms.

The City of Light, a prized and sacred site for the Dawnbringers, seemed to facilitate breakthroughs in their bloodlines.

This was because it continuously drew in the light from the surrounding celestial bodies, and with the city's abundant light energy, every Dawnbringer there reaped the benefits.

"Yu Yuan, do you remember Denise?" Ballo suddenly inquired.

"Of course."

Yu Yuan was slightly taken aback, puzzled as to why the Starborn patriarch would bring up Denise out of the blue. "Oh, right!"

"Could it be that Denise appeared outside the Everlands because she practiced the arcane techniques taught by the Lunar Meridian?" he pondered, then added, "The traces of the Lunar Meridian in extraterrestrial realms have been forcibly seized by Soul-Capturing. As for Denise, her ties to the Lunar Meridian aren't very deep, and Boulderdawn won't hold her accountable."

"It's not as you imagine."

Ballo, unbothered by Tan Xiaotian's presence beneath the City of Light or by Cardo and the others overhearing, spoke without hesitation, revealing his knowledge, "It was Soul-Capturing who sent her to the Everlands."

"Why?"

"He seems to want her to make contact with the Lunar Meridian," Ballo explained.

The news came from the Starfallen Oracle, Beru. Overwhelmed with excitement upon learning that Denise might reach the tenth level, he eagerly communicated the news to Ballo, sharing his elation.

Beru also warned that Denise's journey would undoubtedly be fraught with danger, expressing his fear that she might perish in the Everlands, given the current unrest.

He also informed Ballo of the meteoric rise of the new generation's Yu Yuan, who not only had the favor of several God-Kings but also left Han Miaoyuan at a loss.

Ballo, unable to leave his post and being a pinnacle warrior among the Otherkin, found it unsuitable to venture to the Everlands himself.

Upon realizing that Yu Yuan had arrived in the Luminous Planet, Ballo was struck with the idea of enlisting Yu Yuan's help to look after Denise. Given their past interactions in Kuvrepros, where Yu Yuan and the Secular Bird Queen had visited Zekrica and formed some acquaintance with Denise, he believed it might be feasible.

"Lunar Meridian!"

With a soft exclamation, Yu Yuan grasped Ballo's true intent for summoning him and was taken aback by the news. Why was Soul-Capturing seeking something from the Lunar Meridian, and why not go personally instead of using Denise from the extraterrestrial?

"I'll keep an eye on the situation in the Everlands. Denise and I have history; I'll make sure to monitor the unrest there," Yu Yuan promptly declared.

"The Starborn will remember your kindness," Ballo said, his lips curving into a smile.

"Yu Yuan!"

Tan Xiaotian's voice echoed once more from beneath the City of Light, "Hey! If I wanted to connect with the Origin Realm using my soul, do you have any suitable methods to recommend?"

Ballo's expression soured. As he was about to silence Tan Xiaotian once again, Yu Yuan interjected, "Hold on!"

Ballo reluctantly ceased his efforts.

The nearby stars, which had only just begun to shine with a brilliant light, suddenly faded.

"What do you know?"

Yu Yuan's frown deepened as he gazed down at the City of Light, his expression growing more solemn. "Before you arrived in the Luminous Planet, did you come into contact with anyone? And are you looking to reach out to the Origin Realm or the Abyss?"

Cardo, Ballo, and the others looked alarmed at his question.

"Is there a difference?" Tan Xiaotian asked with a peculiar laugh.

"The Origin Realm is the Origin Realm, and the Abyss is the Abyss," Yu Yuan clarified after a pause. "I know who can access the Origin Realm, and I know how to send your soul there. But you need to tell me, what do you intend to do in the Origin Realm? What exactly have you learned about the Origin Realm and the Abyss? And who have you been dealing with?"

"Yu Yuan, oh Yu Yuan, you seem to know quite a bit," Tan Xiaotian remarked, a hint of awe in his voice. After a brief silence, and as everyone waited, he finally spoke, "It was only after I arrived at the Luminous Planet and ventured into the inner sanctum of the City of Light that I encountered something the Dawnbringers had sealed away for eons. That's when I realized I could potentially become the Dark Deity of the Abyss."

With that revelation, Yu Yuan instantly understood that Tan Xiaotian was aware of the situation in the Abyss.

Cardo and the others were increasingly horrified, seemingly overwhelmed by the mention of the Dark Deity, growing more wary of Tan Xiaotian.

"So, what is your purpose in the Origin Realm?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Haha, I'm inherently skeptical, afraid of being deceived. Therefore, I must personally make contact with the beings of the Abyss. The Origin Realm serves as a bridge between us. I need to ascertain whether its claims are true or false, to avoid being duped and reduced to someone else's pawn, a mere vessel for their dark power."

Tan Xiaotian made no attempt to conceal his wild ambition. He stated openly, "But imagine if the Abyss accepts everything, and I have the chance to become the strongest and sole Dark Deity. In that case, I'd like to follow in Bertain's footsteps and venture into the Abyss to commune with its dark creatures!"

"Hahaha! Cardo, you must be thrilled at the thought of me, Tan Xiaotian, causing chaos in the Abyss, aren't you?"

"Our powers are inherently opposed. My presence in this world will always pose the greatest threat to you!"

"Old witch, why not just let me go? Allow me to explore the Abyss."

Tan Xiaotian's laughter was unrestrained and wildly arrogant.

"You are not Bertain, and the Abyssal Gate is closed. Venturing into the Abyss as nothing but a soul, you might not find it as advantageous as you think," Yu Yuan retorted with a snort.

"That's a concern for later. My immediate plan is to journey to the Origin Realm in spirit to uncover the truth," Tan Xiaotian declared.

"When you're able to leave, come find me in the Ashlands or the Everlands."

Without further ado, Yu Yuan, along with Ballo and Cardo, nodded in farewell and departed with the Dragon Slaying Stage.

​