C1806 They All Had to Die
"Ancestor!"
The current chieftain of the Blood Fiend clan, Grec, made a decisive move, bursting forth as the massive purple Divine Throne began its slow descent toward the canyon's depths.
Grec's dense red beard obscured half of his face, yet he remained composed even as Munch perished. However, the realization that the Solar Meridian—his bloodline's source—was not intended to cultivate Yu Yuan but was likely to be consumed by him, shattered Grec's composure.
Whoosh!
Transforming into a streak of scarlet lightning, Grec outpaced even the Divine Throne upon which the exalted Dark Phoenix sat, racing directly toward Yu Yuan's towering Solar Spirit.
His intent was not to thwart the Dark Phoenix but to rouse the Solar Meridian!
Blood crystals cascaded like a deluge alongside Grec, each one housing a tiny Bloodwraith that seemed to embody Grec's essence.
His vital energy, his soul consciousness, and his innate Altar of Rebirth were all encapsulated within the blood crystals.
All this, solely to awaken the Solar Meridian!
"What a faithfully devoted servant," the Dark Phoenix mused, momentarily taken aback. The descent of her purple Divine Throne paused mid-way.
Her icy demonic gaze followed Grec's crimson trail, contemplating the downpour of blood crystals and the profound significance they held. She nodded in approval, remarking, "Truly a faithful hound. To rouse it, you willingly exhaust all that you are, knowing full well that its existence ensures your eventual resurrection, doesn't it?"
Grec ignored her words.
Deep underground, another Yu Yuan stood immobile within the increasingly desiccated Bloody River, his nearly hundred-meter stature radiating with the brilliant glow of blood crystals.
His magnificent physique, reminiscent of the clearest blood-red gemstone, had veins that pulsed like red lightning.
Any living creature that drew near could sense a resonance with the Bloodline Revelation that mirrored their own.
The soul consciousness within Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit, coursing through his limbs and sinews, coalesced suddenly with Grec's descent.
Strands of scarlet lightning surged into his mind, and Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit opened its eyes.
In the depths of his dark red pupils lay two vast, blood-colored oceans, each with countless tiny blood crystals ebbing and flowing like myriad crimson stars, forming two extraordinary seas of blood.
He offered Grec a slight smile.
The blood crystals that Grec had separated from the Altar of Rebirth came to an abrupt halt in the void.
Within the blood crystals, Grec's Bloodwraith eerily coalesced into a delicate, blood-colored stream.
Grec's mind was momentarily befuddled as his will and memories seemed to be forcibly rewritten, compelling him to contort his thoughts.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The blood crystals, destined for the Bloody River to kindle the sparse spiritual wisdom of the Solar Meridian, miraculously sought each other out and rapidly assembled.
They formed the very Altar of Rebirth that had been present at Grec's birth.
Grec, with a vacant expression, watched as the Altar of Rebirth flew back to his side and then burrowed into his chest, becoming part of his heart.
His mighty demonform trembled slightly.
Then, as if possessed by a new devil soul, Grec offered Yu Yuan, who was watching him with a smile, a gesture of deep respect.
It was as though he were humbling himself before his progenitor, the Solar Meridian that had given rise to the entire Blood Fiend Clan.
"This..."
High Priest Reid, who had merged with countless devil souls, Flekke, the patriarch of the Nightfiend Clan clad in a Dark Robe, and other ninth level Demon Gods like Adler and Mitts, were stunned by the bizarre spectacle unfolding below.
They were at a loss as to what had transpired, puzzled by the drastic shift in Grec's demeanor in such a short span of time.
"Has he really accomplished this?"
The Dark Phoenix, seated serenely upon her violet Divine Throne and having observed every change, stroked her delicate jawline, her eyes brimming with lively interest. "Impressive. I'm suddenly quite eager to see what you'll do next. Blood Fiend Grec, you've even gravely wounded the Astral Tiger and stirred up trouble in the Everlands during my absence."
The violet-gold spear, transformed from the little spinosaurus, was wielded by her as she thrust it toward Grec, who had reassembled the Altar of Rebirth and was bowing reverently to Yu Yuan.
Rip!
The razor-sharp violet-gold lightning burst forth from the Altar of Rebirth within Grec's chest.
Before he could even steady his emotions or prepare to switch his target, Grec was impaled by her spear, which remained embedded within him.
The thirty-six threadlike crystalline patterns on the spear began to shine brightly, emanating her signature purple mist.
The spear writhed as if sentient, and the bloodline mysteries it harbored surged toward the Altar of Rebirth, now pierced by its tip.
"Hmm?"
Yu Yuan's body, suspended in midair, quivered subtly.
Reid and Flekke exclaimed in unison.
Within Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit and the Bloody River, thirty-six serpent-like dragons began their invasion of both the Solar Meridian and Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit.
This was all happening through the Altar of Rebirth within Grec's body!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Echoing the supreme powers of the Dark Phoenix, thirty-six ancient archdemons roared within the wall of the Primal Blood Continent, now a dreamy purple and blood-colored Otherworld.
"Flekke!"
High Priest Reid bellowed, as millions of souls he had refined from the little devil, guided by the wand, swarmed towards the purple Divine Throne on the wings of the Dark Phoenix.
"Devil soul, huh?"
The Dark Phoenix, still perched upon the Divine Throne, stirred its massive wings, unleashing a hurricane capable of obliterating all life.
Piercing shrieks mingled with the swift rush of wind and thunder, turning countless souls under High Priest Reid's command to ash miles away.
Some of the purple feathers took on a jade-like hue, revealing apocalyptic visions of a world's end.
Many of the more powerful souls and devil souls merely glimpsed the worlds within the feathers before vanishing like mist.
Flekke, the current chieftain of the Nightfiend, channeled the devil soul into his Dark Robe, transforming it into a dark strand of law that coiled around the phoenix shadow within the Divine Throne.
As darkness fell, hidden creatures and spirits seized the moment to assail the head of the Dark Phoenix.
"Flekke, chieftain of the Nightfiend, how intriguing."
The supreme Dark Phoenix, leisurely straightening up, patiently awaited the approach of the dark tether before suddenly seizing it in a swift grip.
It was as though she had caught a venomous snake by its neck.
"It seems I've slain more than one patriarch of the Nightfiend, each a mighty Demon God like yourself."
She furrowed her brow in thought, her certainty wavering, "It's been so long. Your Star-Spawned Terror seems to produce a new batch of Great Demon Gods every so often. They're all quite similar, much like you, and their levels of power are not significantly different from one another."
She exerted pressure slowly, and the dark band she was clutching began to disintegrate, Flekke's devil soul crumbling within it under the relentless assault of thick purple beams of light. They crushed his dark will, leaving him in excruciating pain and utterly powerless to resist.
The words of the Dark Phoenix shattered his confidence, making it clear to him that he, as the patriarch of the Nightfiend, was no different from his ancestors. Ultimately, death awaited them all.
"We are all destined to die," the Dark Phoenix mocked, her voice dripping with scorn. She observed the Great Demon God Grec, impaled by a spear, High Priest Reid, helpless, and Flekke, inching closer to death. "You speak of immortality, of endless life, but throughout the history of the extraterrestrial Sky Fiends, aside from Bertain, who has achieved true immortality?"
"Having an infinite lifespan doesn't guarantee eternal life. Without the necessary power, in this unpredictable and brutal world, won't you still fall to a being like me?"
"Don't even mention yourselves. The humans of the Everlands also possess infinite lifespans, yet who among them is everlasting?"
"After the fall of Boulderdawn, only Han Miaoyuan remains. And even he may not survive this ordeal."
The Dark Phoenix turned abruptly, her gaze piercing through the ethereal purple barrier to rest upon Untamed, the Moonfang Tiger, and Green Willow. Despite their breakthrough to the tenth level, they were still bound by the limits of life. "Unless no one in the cosmos can kill you, the notion of immortality is utterly pointless."
"An unlimited life span doesn't equate to eternal existence. Only those without adversaries, who possess eternal life, can claim true immortality."
With a resounding boom, the dark band, Flekke, and the Dark Robe burst into a shower of sparks and soul smoke under her grip.
An Eternal Demon God was annihilated by her hand, along with a Dark Cursed Artifact.
"Tan Xiaotian!" she declared, turning back to where the black cloak had vanished, her lips curling into a chilling gleam. "You dared to strike at the Dark Deity? You must be weary of life. Once I've subdued the Dark Star Domain and claimed what I desire, you and the Devil Palace will be obliterated!"
It was clear that Tan Xiaotian and Jihui had earned the enmity of someone for their joint effort in toppling the Shadow's Keep.
"Release!"
Seated within the gradually desiccating Bloody River, Yu Yuan, as unyielding as a boulder of millennia, called out into the subterranean depths.
Gurgle!
The Bloody River began to flow once more, and the spiritual wisdom that had been frozen within the Solar Meridian was no longer constrained. The piercing cold no longer needed to suppress the Solar Meridian, granting everyone liberation.
Swoosh!
Countless thoughts burst forth from Yu Yuan's limbs, bones, and meridians, as well as from within the river itself.
This was the will flowing from the Root of the Solar Meridian.
Once its consciousness and spiritual wisdom were restored, it immediately grasped the situation. It realized that nearly ninety percent of its vital energy and extensive knowledge had permeated Yu Yuan's body.
Its decision was straightforward... to take possession!
Deprived of its vast reserves of vital energy, it concentrated its will and spiritual wisdom into another dark red Bloody River. This new stream followed the link between Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit and his physical soul, surging directly toward Yu Yuan's Mindscape.
Above the Dragon Slaying Stage, a slender river of blood abruptly materialized in the depths of Yu Yuan's brow.
Yet, it stirred no waves or ripples.
Lacking vital energy, the Solar Meridian pooled its will and spiritual wisdom, attempting to seize control of Yu Yuan's dominant soul through possession—a tactic it was ill-suited for.
Thus, it effortlessly penetrated Yu Yuan's dominant soul.
And then, there was silence.
