C1839 The Eyes of the Strongest

Whoosh!

The vivid image of Jihui, the God-King, materialized within the Origin Gate. His stature was tall and imposing, his gaze imbued with wisdom, and his long hair was a striking silver.

The Origin Gate hovered above the vibrant ripples, with Jihui standing at its threshold.

He gazed in astonishment at the young Titan Spinosaurus crawling on the "sea" below and exclaimed, "You little thing, why are you so intent on courting death?" The remnants of power from the Maw of Oblivion lingered in the void, and Jihui, adept in space magic, immediately surmised that Yu Yuan and the others had only recently arrived.

The vital energy of the little spinosaurus had been significantly drained by the Abyssal Gate, indicating it had been ensnared for some time.

Clearly, Yu Yuan and the two cosmic giant beasts had traversed great distances to come here because the little spinosaurus was trapped—coincidentally aligning with his own plans.

Jihui, his face weathered, rubbed his forehead in irritation, contemplating whether to say nothing and simply withdraw.

"I'm quite curious. What brings you here so suddenly?"

As Jihui made his presence known, Yu Yuan's guard went up. He flashed a wry smile and scrutinized the newly formed Origin Gate, assessing whether it could be destroyed on the spot.

This was no longer the Everlands; there was no concern about destroying the Origin Gate and upsetting the foundational rules of the Everlands.

Moreover, his instincts suggested that Jihui was involved in this affair.

The God-King Jihui, a master of manipulation and strategy, wouldn't show up without cause.

Especially since Jihui had clearly laid plans within the Darkpinion, intending to collaborate with Tan Xiaotian and the Secular Bird Queen to annihilate the Dark Phoenix seeking vengeance.

The Dark Phoenix!

The thought of the Dark Phoenix and its incomparable power, coupled with the sight of the bound little spinosaurus, brought to mind the Lizard's earlier words...

"Are you planning to use the Abyssal Gate to confront the Dark Phoenix?" Yu Yuan demanded.

"Dark Phoenix!"

The Lizard and the Abyssal Leviathan cried out, their excitement palpable. The two cosmic giant beasts looked eagerly at the colorful ripples below and the little spinosaurus ensnared within the depths.

"Why didn't I think of that?" lamented the Abyssal Leviathan.

"His name is Jihui, notorious for his sly and deceitful ways. You, while not exactly a saint yourself, seem to be a bit lacking upstairs compared to him," the Lizard taunted.

"Uh, you figured that out?"

Jihui, who was debating whether to leave, paid no mind to the two behemoths. Once Yu Yuan uncovered the crucial point, Jihui abandoned the thought of an immediate retreat.

He said, without a hint of embarrassment, "Considering it's the Dark Phoenix, it's only prudent that I take extra precautions. If I fail to kill her and she sets her sights on me, then I'll just draw her out."

As he spoke, a chilling aura seemed to emanate from Jihui's spirited body. "She did the same to me back in the day!"

Even after tens of thousands of years, Jihui harbored a grudge for being sealed in the Everlands by Han Miaoyuan and the Dark Phoenix, and pursued by the highest powers. He had sensed an anomaly in the spatial waves of a secluded valley in Skyreach Peak.

Thinking he had found a way out of the Everlands, he charged in only to discover it was a trap.

He planned to turn the Dark Phoenix's own tactics against her!

"Yu Yuan, if you're considering taking on the Dark Phoenix, maybe..."

The Abyssal Leviathan stroked its chin, its eyes gleaming with malice. "Maybe we could lend a hand! I'm all for any effort to take down the Dark Phoenix."

"Is the disturbance at the Abyssal Gate related to you?" Yu Yuan demanded.

"Me? I'm not really connected to this incident. But if you're interested, I can certainly shed some light on the matter. It's come to this point, and it's unstoppable now, so I might as well fill you in."

"The Abyssal Gate, crafted by the Old Titan Spinosaurus, was bound to rupture without a constant supply of vital energy."

Jihui let out a soft chuckle. His spirited body, along with the Origin Gate, shifted, materializing before Yu Yuan.

"After capturing and refining the remnants of the Origin Deity's soul from the depths of the Everlands, I stumbled upon yet another astonishing secret."

"What?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Do you understand why the Origin Deity chose to sow discord in the Ashlands? Are you aware of his reasons for wanting to destroy and plunder the cosmic energy of the Ashlands first?"

"The reason is that, from the moment the Abyssal Gate came into existence, the Ashlands have been continuously infusing it with vital energy!"

"Every alien beast, Otherkin, and human archdemon that entered the Ashlands, whenever they engaged in battle there, a portion of the vital energy released was channeled into the Abyssal Gate!"

"This is why, even after the fall of the Old Titan and the Titan Spinosaurus in the Everlands, the Abyssal Gate remained as solid as iron, unbreakable."

"The Origin Deity caused turmoil in the Ashlands, targeting it as the starting point to consume its cosmic energy, all in an effort to destroy the Ashlands that supplied vital energy to the Abyssal Gate!"

"This was the only effective method he had discovered over countless years to destroy the Abyssal Gate."

"Regrettably, he still failed."

Jihui's thorough recounting gave Yu Yuan, the Lizard, and the Abyssal Leviathan much to ponder before they spoke again.

"What's astonishing is that I don't know what you did in the Ashlands, but you became perfectly attuned to them. From the moment you harmonized with the Ashlands, something miraculous occurred."

"No more vital energy from the Ashlands flowed into the Abyssal Gate, in a manner so subtle that even I couldn't detect it."

"From that moment on, the Abyssal Gate, deprived of new vital energy, led me to the sudden realization that this gate, which had stood for millions of years, was destined to break."

Jihui gazed thoughtfully at the ground and continued, "I've pondered this for a long time and I believe I've come to understand. The Old Titan Spinosaurus must have foreseen a day when another individual, favored by the Primal Blood as he was, would be granted the complete Secrets of Life."

"Such a being, if lucky enough to enter the Ashlands, would naturally resonate with them."

"Now that another being like him has emerged, the existence of the Abyssal Gate, which once served to protect this world, has become irrelevant."

"He firmly believes that another being like himself can also suppress all the formidable entities of the Abyss just as he does!" Jihui gazed intently at Yu Yuan.

The Abyssal Leviathan, the Lizard, and the little spinosaurus, still being sapped of its vital energy, all turned their attention to Yu Yuan upon hearing Jihui's words.

"One Bertain, one him... They really hold me in high regard."

Yu Yuan was taken aback, then turned his gaze to the massive object below the surface, which was continuously colliding with the colorful ripples. "I have a query. Would you be inclined to enlighten me?"

"I will do my utmost," Jihui replied with a hint of reservation.

"Demon God Bertain hasn't met with misfortune in the Abyss, has he?" Yu Yuan called out.

At his words, the Abyssal Greater Basilisk and the old Lizard were visibly taken aback.

They began to wonder if something had befallen Bertain since he ventured into the Abyss alone.

Otherwise, why would so many Evil Gods dare to assault the Abyssal Gate?

"No..."

The Origin Gate surrounding Jihui shimmered with a faint light, making his spirited body flicker. "The Abyss has not yet seen the rise of an absolute sovereign, nor is there an Evil God who can truly rival him. The five Evil Gods, each injured to different extents, have indeed wounded him, but it was merely a stalemate."

"What's peculiar is that he seems to be searching for something in the Abyss, rather than aiming to exterminate all the Evil Gods there."

"Not long ago, he vanished without a trace. Despite their combined efforts, the Evil Gods could not locate him."

"For some reason, I have the impression... it might have been intentional."

"He seems to have wanted the Evil Gods of the Abyss to first breach one gate, only to let another, forged by the old spinosaurus, shatter. He... appears to have long yearned for a connection between the two realms."

The little spinosaurus, sprawled on the sea's surface, had a vacant look in its eyes, seemingly frightened by Jihui's revelation.

Bertain actually intends to break open the Abyssal Gate to enable communication between the two worlds?

"I truly can't fathom your thoughts," the old Lizard said gravely.

"I grasp your implication. You're suggesting that once the Abyssal Gate shatters, the ones to suffer... may not necessarily be the beings of this world, correct? You believe that I intend to send all the Evil Gods of the Abyss to their doom, right?" Jihui's lips curled into a smile. "At this moment, I am harnessing my power to forge a supreme ruler of the Abyss. He will be pivotal in the battle against Bertain."

Boom!

The Origin Gate shuddered suddenly, and the overbearing voice of Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian echoed forth: "Jihui, are you done on your end? The Phoenix Shrine, where the Dark Phoenix is concealed, has at last entered the Darkpinion Star Domain! Wrap things up quickly and return; it's time for us to hunt down the Dark Phoenix!"

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