C1802 The Ape Was Confused
In the vast expanse of the Star River, the mightiest being of the cosmos had their full-powered strike thwarted!
Beyond the wall, entities such as the Untamed, the Moonfang Tiger, and Sky Fiend High Priest Reid, along with Demon Gods like Flekke and Grec, were utterly shaken by the spectacle.
They questioned themselves, realizing that had they been in the same position, facing the onslaught of the Dark Phoenix, they too would likely be forced into retreat, compelled to dodge her fierce assaults rather than confront them directly.
The towering totem-poles, akin to the Holy Mountain itself, were bathed in a divine glow. The vibrant script adorning them seemed to transform into the many ferocious Monster Lords and beast kings of old, as if they were bellowing in defiance.
Even the incarnations of the totems appeared unable to accept the outcome before them.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
A genuine roar of defiance erupted, causing the heavens to crackle, sending shivers through the weaker demons and beasts.
The Dark Phoenix's profound vital energy, along with the Secrets of Life she had mastered and integrated, suddenly breathed new life into those ancient beast kings and Monster Lords!
Throughout the long river of history, these once-renowned Monster Lords and ephemeral beast kings of the starry skies were resurrected from the totem-poles, menacingly lunging towards the blood-red clouds below.
Then...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Materialized by the immense demon energy, the Beast Kings, Monster Lords, and even the Lunarphite and Kylin-like horrors descended through the clouds.
Boom! Bang!
An earth-shattering blast, accompanied by blinding demonic lightning, erupted within the blood-red mists, leaving many Sky Fiends on the Primal Blood Continent reeling.
Looking skyward, Reid, Flekke, and other Sky Fiend overlords witnessed nearly a thousand fierce, bloodthirsty archdemons and beast kings. They employed their combat prowess in swarms, diving into the blood-red clouds within the wall for a more precise and targeted assault.
"Truly worthy of the supreme Dark Phoenix!"
Yu Yuan, with eyes slightly narrowed, gazed into the blood-red expanse of the sky. Deep within the crimson mists, each colossal Fellbeast and alien beast harbored the complete bloodline chains of their past lives, their hearts pulsing with the vital energy bestowed by the Dark Phoenix.
They were once alive!
A strand of their demon souls resided within their hearts, utilizing the techniques they had mastered in life, in concert with their innate bloodline chains, to manifest their former might.
It wasn't the Dark Phoenix wielding their demon souls to control their bodies and engage in battle with their blood magic.
Rather, the Dark Phoenix had gathered their lingering demon souls and reconstructed their bodies, leading them to believe they were still alive and embroiled in an unending, bloody conflict.
"In this altered realm, where I've seized control of the Solar Meridian and hold absolute power, you are no match for me."
Yu Yuan grinned malevolently, wielding the Titanblade in one hand and conjuring the Baneblade Bloodhell in the other. He stood upon the Dragon Slaying Stage, weaving through the crimson Otherworld, slaying the so-called Fellbeasts and alien beasts.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Encased within the ice rock and sealed by the blood-colored wall, his lightning-fast silhouette and the tracks of nearly a thousand Fellbeasts and alien beasts were strikingly evident.
The Sky Fiends, Dark Deities, and Beast Kings across the Primal Blood Continent could see it all too clearly.
"With a ruler presiding over the wall, it's quite different from when it's left unattended. And how can Yu Yuan so effortlessly wield the power of the Root of the Solar Meridian?" The Ape puffed on his pipe, scratching his head in bewilderment. "Well, regardless, I'm eager to witness the outcome!"
Since the Dark Phoenix hadn't requested his involvement, he had no intention of intervening.
If even the exalted one from Shadow's Keep couldn't breach the Primal Blood Continent's seal, then his efforts, alongside those of the Moonfang Tiger or Green Willow, would be futile.
They simply weren't adept at shattering such barriers.
With this in mind, the Ape's curious gaze shifted to a diminutive violet-gold dragon shadow behind the grand purple palace.
"Maybe she could give it a try."
The Ape mused quietly, considering that the little spinosaurus, cherished by the supreme Dark Phoenix and free to feast on flesh within the Dark Star, might lend her considerable support.
"Giggle!"
Sensing the Untamed's watchful eye, the human form of the little spinosaurus emerged from behind the purple palace.
She was a little girl who seemed to have been carved from the finest jade.
Chubby-cheeked, with two braids draped over her shoulders, she sported a pair of nascent, short purple-gold dragon horns above her large, round eyes.
Aside from her eyes, hair, and dragon horns, her skin was as white as snow, and her features were exquisitely crafted—a natural-born beauty.
Transformed into human form, she was a stark contrast to Yu Zhu; the difference between them was like night and day.
She appeared to embody all the world's beauty, like a sprite or fairy who had wandered into the mortal realm by chance. Her flowing purple gown accentuated her slender, elegant figure.
With a smirk playing on her translucent lips, she stepped out from behind the grand purple palace and addressed the venerable Ape of the Everlands with a smug tone, "I must say, you old timer, you do have some insight!"
Despite her youth, the legacy of the bloodline mysteries passed down from the little spinosaurus had bestowed upon her a precious inheritance.
Within her dragon heart lay a rudimentary form of metal magic.
The ancient spinosaurus had forged the cosmic order of the golden dragon god, and although she had yet to reach maturity and unveil the full extent of her profound secrets, her Titan Dragon Body still endowed her with formidable strength.
She took pride in the possibility that the exalted Dark Phoenix might soon rely on her to attempt a breach through the cosmic wall.
Being the darling of the Dark Phoenix, who held great expectations for her, allowed her the audacity to consume the remains of their deceased kin in the presence of the Ape and the Moonfang Tiger.
Both the Ape and the Astral Tiger had no choice but to swallow their rage, for this was the will of the Dark Phoenix.
She reveled in the favoritism, confident that she was the most cherished by the Dark Phoenix in the entire Dark Star domain.
Thus, when her gaze fell upon Yu Zhu, standing next to the Ape, the disdain in her eyes and on her face was palpable. She jeered loudly, "My, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."
Yu Zhu's demeanor chilled instantly, her eyes shimmering with a seven-colored mist. Ribbons infused with venom and the murky rule of filth burst forth from her sleeves.
"Poison? Hehe, I'm naturally impervious to all toxins. Your tricks won't work on me."
The chubby little spinosaurus raised a finger to Yu Zhu and gave it a slight wag, speaking with a hint of scorn, "You remind me a bit of the Chaos Serpent from my ancestral memories. No, not quite the same. Your power and lineage are more mixed, and it seems... you're concealing something."
Her words appeared nonsensical, yet her violet-gold eyes began to shimmer with an unusual brilliance.
"Something's off about you! The bloodline from that spider within you... it seems like it's been consumed and assimilated by you, not something you were born with."
The naturally beautiful little spinosaurus wanted to look more closely, to discern the truth with her innate abilities.
"Silence!"
The cold voice of the Supreme Dark Phoenix rang out, and from the terrifying visage of the purple phoenix, a hand emerged.
Wrapped in infinite purple lightning, the hand reached out and snatched at the little spinosaurus!
Caught mid-sentence, the little spinosaurus didn't have time to finish her thought before the overwhelming demon energy from the hand forced her to reveal her true form—a massive beast.
Like a mountain range, her violet-gold dragon body emerged in an instant.
The Dark Phoenix's hand clutched her thick neck, and her serpentine dragon body tensed up, becoming rigid.
No longer coiling, twisting, or swaying.
As the Dark Phoenix's hand descended and tightened around her neck, the Titan Spinosaurus, once a marvel to behold, was transformed into a rigid spear.
Her violet-gold eyes widened with terror and shock. She attempted to utter a few words to defuse the tension.
But no sound came out.
"Pathetic waste, you've yet to show more of your ultimate bloodline, squandering all that blood food!" The Dark Phoenix's voice, cold and cutting, emanated from the towering phoenix form, "I had planned to let you consume the Solar Meridian and wait until you matured before feasting on you. I can't wait any longer."
"But it doesn't matter. There's another one in the Ashlands. Even if you die, I can still find it!"
In the next moment, the Dark Phoenix grasped the neck of the little spinosaurus, transforming her into a Divine Weapon. With the dragon's head and body, she thrust towards the Primal Blood Continent.
The thousand-mile-long violet-gold dragon body was held in her grasp like a chick in the clutches of a hawk.
The violet-gold scales on the little spinosaurus' body were infused with her vital energy, rendering them even more lethal.
Within the heart of the little spinosaurus, the ancestral bloodline chain shone brighter than ever before.
All the supreme Dark Phoenix desired was this unbreakable metal magic!
Puff!
The little spinosaurus's horns and head, crackling with purple-golden lightning, first pierced the ice rock, then plunged into the depths of the blood-red canopy governed by Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan, who had slaughtered countless Fellbeasts and alien beasts, showed a flicker of emotion when the little spinosaurus's horns and body penetrated the blood-red Otherworld.
He promptly took to the Dragon Slaying Stage to repair the breach.
Beyond the realm.
The Ape, the Moonfang Tiger, Green Willow, and the beast kings were bewildered by the capricious Dark Phoenix.
The Dark Phoenix, who had once doted on the little spinosaurus, suddenly erupted in rage, smashing her head against the wall of the Primal Blood Continent.
She seemed utterly indifferent to the fate of the little spinosaurus.
The Dark Phoenix had once lavished praise on the young Titan Spinosaurus, claiming she was pivotal for the demons' breakthrough and immortality. How could her attitude have shifted so drastically?
The Ape set aside his smoke tube, massaging his forehead in bewilderment, and turned his gaze to the Dark Phoenix. With wings unfurled, she grasped the little spinosaurus in one colossal hand.
"I have this odd feeling."
The Ape was taken aback, suspecting that the Dark Phoenix's madness and her murderous assault on the little spinosaurus were solely because the self-proclaimed beauty had called Yu Zhu ugly.
Was it really just over a single insult?
The little spinosaurus, in agony, had its scales shattered and its forehead horn broken, with blood gushing from where the Dark Phoenix's grip tightened around its neck.
She truly seemed to disregard the little spinosaurus's life and death.
But why? Was it really because the little spinosaurus called Yu Zhu ugly that she sought its death?
Could it be because Yu Zhu resembled you?
The Ape's sense of oddity grew as he watched the enormous phoenix soar through the stars. He couldn't shake the feeling that the Dark Phoenix's cold, cruel eyes harbored a deep, hidden affection whenever they landed on Yu Zhu.
Compassion? The Ape was at a loss for words. He never imagined that such a term could ever be linked to the Dark Phoenix.
Was ugliness your Achilles' heel, or was it Yu Zhu who touched a nerve?
With this thought, the stooped Ape's body suddenly shuddered.
He couldn't help but recall how, since Yu Yuan had taken Yu Zhu from the Serpent Spine Mountains and she began to make her mark in the world, Shadow's Keep had extended the utmost care to her.
They meticulously offered Yu Zhu the Forgotten Ruins and invited her to the Shadow's Keep numerous times to receive the bloodline inheritance, which rapidly advanced her lineage.
Even after Yu Zhu rose to become a Monster Lord and discovered that the person behind the eight-legged spider's demise was none other than her, a permanent resident of Shadow's Keep, she did not waver from her original intention.
Despite her disdain for the Lunar Meridian, she surprisingly conspired with it for Yu Zhu's sake, securing a divine position for her.
When Han Miaoyuan attempted to meddle, it was her wrath from within the Shadow's Keep that terrified him into a hasty retreat, not daring to persist in his obstruction.
How deeply must she have cherished this dark, thin, and unattractive girl?
