C1829 A Strange Thought
"Lin Daoke!"
Observers from all around peered through the numerous openings, their eyes fixed on Lin Daoke, clad in a green robe, with an astonishing sword's will emanating from his being. The unassuming master of the Sword Sect stood his ground, exuding tranquility as if untouched by the chaos around him. It was as though he had never moved an inch from the start.
Centered on him, dazzling beams of sword light radiated outward, resembling thousands of luminous rivers streaking across the sky.
Before long, the Observers realized that the sword light escaping the bloody world was drawing ever nearer to them. In a panic, those who had not attained the highest level hastily sought refuge, fearing the repercussions of the piercing sword light.
Amidst the evasion, no one caught sight of Yu Yuan, nor did they have the chance to search for any trace of him.
Could he be dead?
The thought involuntarily crossed their minds. Most had witnessed Lin Daoke's invincible presence in the Annihilation Nebula and Loong Jie's ignominious retreat. Many others had learned from their elders about the formidable stature of Lin Daoke.
How could Yu Yuan possibly measure up to Lin Daoke?
...
Taishi, Tianqi, and Taixu, the trio of God-Kings, along with the Abyssal Leviathan, the Abyssal Greater Basilisk, and peak warriors like Rebecca, were among the few who dared to scrutinize the scene closely.
They quickly discerned that the sword light scattering outward was composed of brilliant crystal shards, each no larger than a fingernail. Yet, it was these minuscule crystals that had shattered Yu Yuan's blood-colored Otherworld, reducing his wondrous realm to tatters in an instant.
"Divine seat? Origin?"
Rebecca, the enchantress matriarch, cautiously sidestepped a tiny crystal shard, sensing the pure spiritual energy and sword's will within. "That can't be right," she murmured.
With a mix of suspicion and awe, Rebecca sought answers from the Abyssal Leviathan.
"It's a fragment of the Solar Spirit!"
The Abyssal Leviathan rolled its eyes and gestured for her to keep her distance, clearly uninterested in her queries.
"So, he possesses two swords. This Lin Daoke..."
Taishi, visibly moved, couldn't help but recall Han Qi's words, the promise that one day he would uncover the real body of Kaiya.
Taishi was initially skeptical.
To prove his point, Lin Daoke infused an additional sword into his first strike against Yu Yuan.
Suddenly, the tiny crystals that had burst forth snapped back into place.
These crystals, imbued with Lin Daoke's sword's will and spiritual energy, blanketed Yu Yuan's bloody Otherworld, swiftly slaughtering the Dark Deities, alien beasts, and the mightiest of the Otherkin.
The crystals then reconvened before Lin Daoke.
Crack crack!
The crystals assembled in a mesmerizing display, first forming Lin Daoke's crystalline Solar Spirit within the bloody Otherworld.
Then, the Solar Spirit transformed into another sword, which he effortlessly retracted into his lower elixir field.
The sword drawn from his brow, crafted from the Divine Throne, shone like a brilliant torch within his consciousness.
Peering through the largest gap, Lin Daoke regarded the contemplative Taishi, "What do you think?"
Taishi's expression was dark.
Yu Yuan was frowning as well.
The sword that had shattered the Heaven-Opening Sword Array was the one Lin Daoke had created from the Divine Throne.
But as the Array burst apart, Lin Daoke's body produced yet another sword.
This sword, erupting with sword light, pierced through the bloody Otherworld he had erected.
Forged from Lin Daoke's Solar Spirit, this sword could shatter into countless crystals and then reassemble in an instant, its versatility boundless.
To Yu Yuan's astonishment, the sword born from the shattered Solar Spirit pursued the scattered sword's will and remnant souls within the bloody world.
All three thousand remnant souls were pinpointed by the crystals, and despite his attempts to evade, he was inevitably located.
He was fortunate to have retracted his spiritual sense in time, or he would have faced severe consequences.
"This was intended for the Soul-Capturing."
Lin Daoke stood with empty hands, having stored both swords in his sea of consciousness and lower elixir field for nurturing. Although he was addressing Yu Yuan, his gaze was fixed on Taishi.
With a huff, Taishi retorted, "It's not that simple!"
"Eventually, I'll find her. If a single devil soul emerges, I'll extinguish it. If thousands appear, I'll eradicate them all. As long as one devil soul survives, capable of resisting my sword light, then even if it's not her, it represents a significant portion of her strength."
"I just need to infuse that sword light with more power. If she increases her strength, I'll match it with more of my own."
"When she's concentrated all her devil souls and is forced to reveal her real body, that's when my sword will strike."
Lin Daoke laid out his strategy to Taishi with patience, detailing the approach he had originally devised to confront Soul-Capturing.
"Your chances of success are there, but I can't quite grasp the methods of Soul-Capturing. She's not as straightforward as you might think," Taishi responded.
"I'm aware of that."
Lin Daoke offered no further justification.
After a moment of serious contemplation, he finally addressed Yu Yuan, "You possess more arcane knowledge. I sense it's akin to that of the Dark Phoenix."
"Similar?"
Yu Yuan let out a wry chuckle as the blood-red chaos of the sky converged upon him.
No longer concealing anything, the Dragon Slaying Stage he wielded transformed into a blood-colored inkstone at his feet.
Or rather, it became a miraculous Altar of Rebirth!
Whoosh!
A torrent of blood burst forth from the Dragon Slaying Stage, bathing in blinding radiance, while countless blood crystals shimmered within the expansive Bloody River.
At the dawn of this chaotic world, at the edge of the Astral Domain, the Root of the Solar Meridian was manifested by Yu Yuan with vital energy.
In that instant, he envisioned the secrets of the blood crystals, imagining himself as the Solar Meridian, silently sowing the Life Seeds of alien beasts into this world.
The blood crystals floating in the river transformed, rapidly advancing into a host of alien beasts.
Time was accelerated a millionfold!
Mighty alien beasts and the vast, ancient archdemons of the Everlands rose up like towering trees, emerging along the wide Bloody River.
This crimson Bloody River, brimming with the marvels of life, was now bringing forth countless miracles!
All who beheld the Bloody River, initially stunned, gradually awakened to its significance.
This was the fabled subterranean marvel that gave rise to the Blood Fiend — the Root of the Solar Meridian!
The multitude of blood crystals carried by the Bloody River had become alien beasts and ancient archdemons from the Everlands. What did this signify?
Yu Yuan's move against Lin Daoke was clearly a message intended for the outside world.
What was Yu Yuan trying to convey?
Could it be that all the alien beasts of the Star River and the Everlands, including the formidable Untamed and even the Dark Phoenix, originated from the seeding of the Solar Meridian?
Roar!
Deep within the expanse of the Bloody River, ear-splitting roars heralded the emergence of the Sky-Shaking Ape, Kylin, Black Serpent, silver wolf, peacock, and other Dark Deities once seen in the Everlands.
When a densely furred giant ape surfaced from the Bloody River, both Yu Yuan and Lin Daoke's expressions subtly shifted.
Yu Yuan, the originator of the blood magic, felt a connection with the giant ape the moment it appeared, and to his surprise, he sensed the Untamed, who had departed the Dark Star, now lurking in the Ashlands.
The other Dark Deities, like the Sky-Shaking Ape, Kylin, and Black Serpent, were once alive but had since perished.
These Dark Deities were crafted from his own vital energy and the intricate bloodline mysteries of ancient evilkind, with his vital energy and remnant soul at their core.
The apparitions of the deceased Dark Deities were merely blood puppets he had conjured, manifestations of his own vital energy.
However, the Untamed was the sole exception.
The Untamed was still alive!
When Yu Yuan, drawing upon the blood magic he had garnered from the Solar Meridian and learned from the Dark Phoenix, transformed the old ape, it unexpectedly resonated with the Untamed's power!
The ancient Dark Deity's immense and overwhelming demon energy managed to transmit a portion of itself across the void!
Thus, the giant ape within the Bloody River became akin to an avatar of the Untamed!
The very next moment, a massive white tiger and the Green Willow, as if refining countless rivers, followed in the wake of the Untamed, materializing within the Bloody River that Yu Yuan had crafted with his vital energy.
The White Tiger and Green Willow appeared restless, seemingly unaware of what had transpired, as they gazed around the Bloody River in confusion.
"The original life seeds, born from the Root of the Solar Meridian, these great archdemons and alien beasts, can be slightly influenced by the Bloody River!" Yu Yuan realized.
He suddenly experienced a wondrous sensation that he could, despite the vast distance, harness a fraction of their demon energy.
In that moment, he remembered the Untamed's words, mentioning that the Dark Phoenix also possessed such a divine ability.
The Dark Phoenix, enshrined by the 'blood' of the Everlands, could, when necessary, forcefully draw upon the vital energy of any creature born of the Everlands' abundant life force.
The Untamed could only resist the pull of the Dark Phoenix's vital energy by remaining secluded in the marsh throughout the year.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Astral Tiger and Green Willow also contributed a portion of their demon energy, resulting in the emergence of two additional Dark Deity avatars within the Bloody River.
It was only after laying eyes on the Untamed that the pair felt reassured enough to willingly divide a share of their power.
Slowly, in the deepest reaches of the Bloody River, a dark purple silhouette of a phoenix began to emerge.
"No, this isn't right!"
Yu Yuan's mind became alert. He had no intention of creating the Dark Phoenix, nor did he wish to draw its power into the river.
The Dark Phoenix herself had sensed the anomaly!
From her distant location in the Star River, the Dark Phoenix detected the disturbance and instinctively infused her supreme demon energy into the flow!
The broad, crimson expanse of the Bloody River appeared as though it had been stained with purple, the dark purple shadow of the phoenix spreading through it.
The red seemed on the verge of being completely overtaken by the purple demon energy!
Every alien beast and archdemon that Yu Yuan had transformed felt a primal fear, and Yu Yuan himself sensed an eerie threat of the Dark Phoenix seizing his blood magic and extracting the mysteries of the Bloody River.
At that precise moment, the Bloody River surged towards Lin Daoke.
"Incredible."
Lin Daoke expressed his admiration wholeheartedly, utterly captivated by Yu Yuan's remarkable technique.
