C1858 It Was Forbidden to Enter the Everlands

A subtle Blood Red Phantom, formed from Ann Ziqing's vital energy, slowly materialized before the Ape. Yu Yuan's will traversed the void to the Ashlands, and upon merging with the Blood Red Phantom, it transformed into his avatar. This avatar lacked bones and flesh, created solely from vital energy and consciousness. It had no eyes; instead, deep in its sockets burned two deep red flames, a shade darker than its dark red form.

"Having refined the Bloody River in the Dark Star, you've made such remarkable progress. Ann, along with the Great Demon God Grec, have both become your followers?" Untamed mused with a hint of awe.

Behind the Blood Red Phantom, Ann Ziqing, now ascended to a Great Demon God through the Solar Spirit, pursed her lips in discontent after Ape's remark, "Lord Untamed, I don't regard him as my master."

Clad in a deep purple gown, Ann's skin glowed translucently, her hair and eyes a striking shade of red. Her tall, graceful figure was enveloped by rings of red light, which from a distance resembled a series of interconnected streams.

Numerous tiny blood sparks, infused with the exquisite truths of the Root of the Solar Meridian and the Secrets of Life imparted by Yu Yuan, surrounded her. She enjoyed Yu Yuan's trust and favor far more than the Great Demon God Grec. As Yu Yuan's stature grew, her reputation for being cold-blooded and fierce echoed through the Everlands. Though she hadn't received the Everlands Divine Throne's origin's blessing, she had become more formidable than the likes of Ji Tianyu and Zhu Zhenlin.

"What you think, or what he thinks, doesn't matter," Ape said with a dry chuckle. "The reality is as it stands. You, and the Great Demon God Grec, can no longer separate yourselves from him."

"I have no desire to be apart from him," Ann Ziqing whispered, her luminous eyes shimmering enchantingly. In her heart, she silently added, "Ever since he rescued me in the Dark Star Domain, fighting the Dark Phoenix without reservation, I've wanted to be by his side forever."

Ahead, Yu Yuan's Blood Red Phantom flickered gently, like a flame buffeted by the wind. Ann Ziqing paused, her cheeks flushing with a warm glow.

Her eyes betrayed a rare hint of shyness as she stood behind the Blood Red Phantom. Ann Ziqing bit her lip and shot a glare at the phantom before stomping her foot and gracefully soaring to the other side.

She came to a sudden realization that Yu Yuan could clearly sense her every thought and unguarded emotion.

As the originator of her bloodline, Yu Yuan had not only granted her new life and countless mysteries but also the ability to listen to her innermost thoughts.

Embarrassed by her heart's secrets being known to Yu Yuan, she had no choice but to distance herself.

"I remember this girl used to oppose you at every turn. When did her attitude undergo such a drastic change?" Ape asked, astonished.

"You're not wrong about one thing. She has been serving me since my birth in Asvetaesi," Yu Yuan replied with a smile.

He fondly recollected the time before his heaven soul and earthly soul had returned, when Ann Ziqing, concealing her true power and identity, had served him as a maidservant.

Little could Ann Ziqing have imagined that, even after ascending to the status of a Demon God and becoming a supreme being, her role would remain unchanged.

"Lord Untamed," Yu Yuan began, his demeanor turning serious. "I apologize, but I'm afraid my Solar Spirit cannot leave its current duties to return to the Everlands for some time. I cannot disclose the specifics now, but I promise to explain later."

Ape furrowed his brow in concern.

"Additionally, I must ask that you refrain from appearing in the Ashlands for now. This request extends to the Astral Tiger and Lord Green Willow as well," Yu Yuan continued.

"Heh, kid, are you trying to cut ties after getting what you needed? I'm aware of your distrust towards Dark Phoenix, but what now? Because Green Willow and I accepted her invitation to the Dark Star, you're excluding us too? Don't forget, I've protected you in secret several times before those God-Kings entered the Everlands!"

"When you were at odds with the five great forces, it was I who assisted you at the Moonfall Sanctuary!"

"Now that you've grown strong, having refined the Root of the Solar Meridian in the Dark Star and won the favor of Primal Blood, and with Soul-Capturing stripping the Lunar Meridian of its soul arts in the Everlands, not to mention the support of Taishi, Tianqi, Taixu, and many Otherkin, do you feel you have the right to sever ties with us?"

The Ape was clearly furious, feeling that Yu Yuan had lumped him and Green Willow together with the faction of Shadow's Keep in the Everlands.

His progeny, the evilkind that had relied on him, had all perished in the Marsh. After much contemplation, an idea struck him: he could have Yu Yuan return as a Solar Spirit to completely neutralize the Dark Phoenix's blood threat to the Everlands.

It would have been one thing if Yu Yuan had simply refused, but he went further, making it clear that he did not welcome the Ape and Green Willow to the Ashlands for exploration.

This left the Ape feeling a profound sense of injustice, his teeth bared and the ferocious blood-red light in his Demonic Eyes intensifying.

At that moment.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Led by the God-King Taishi, followed by Tianqi, Taixu, the enchantress Rebecca, the Starborn Ballo, the Dawnbringers' Cardo, the High Priest of the Sky Fiend Tribe Reid, Youqian, the formidable Jessica of the Silverscale Tribe, and other powerful figures like Jun Chen, Zhou You, Feng Zhong, and Shi Jing'er, emerged from the deep cavern below.

They appeared beside Yu Yuan's Blood Red Phantom and the Ape in the Eiwrone.

"The Ashlands!"

"So this is the Ashlands!"

The extraterrestrial cultivators and the Unbound from the Everlands were initially more captivated by the thirty-six swirling energy vortexes and the massive pale golden star within them than by the Ape and Yu Yuan's blood shadow.

"Tyria!"

"Is this the mysterious star that the Boulderdawn Sect aims to transform into the New Everlands?"

The crowd buzzed with speculation.

"Yu... Yu Yuan!"

Taixu, possessing the physique of a Demon God, started to address him as 'Lord' but quickly corrected himself upon realizing his mistake, and instead greeted Yu Yuan's Blood Red Phantom.

"Yu Yuan? A blood clone?"

The realization dawned on everyone that he now controlled the Ashlands, and they had also heard about the recent upheavals in the Everlands. They quickly gathered around him.

"I've brought them to the Ashlands to select domains suitable for their respective races to inhabit."

Taishi said with a casual smile. Upon noticing the sullen and displeased Untamed, he inquired with a hint of surprise, "Untamed, why the long face? Ah, I've heard about your loss. My condolences."

He assumed it was because the Dark Phoenix had stripped the vital energy from the evilkind in the Marsh who revered the Ape as their leader, leading to their demise.

"They all get to come, but not me! Fine, Boulderdawn Sect, very impressive!"

Upon seeing Taishi guiding the warriors from the extraterrestrial realms into the Ashlands, the Ape's anger flared. "You don't welcome me? Then I'll just leave."

With that, he took flight from the Eiwrone.

The Eiwrone housed a cave that led directly to the depths of the Everlands, but only Yu Yuan, Zhong Chichen, and the little spinosaurus could facilitate a smooth passage. The incensed Ape, however, did not resort to this method. Instead, he chose to leave the Ashlands the same way he had entered, through the main entrance.

"What's the matter?" Taishi inquired, his brow furrowed.

"This Ape has been a thorn in my side since our encounter in the Dark Star Region," Reid, manifesting in his demonform, remarked as he cast a glance at Cardo, who appeared as a little girl, and at the Starborn Ballo.

The two chieftains remained silent, but their eyes, filled with malice, followed the Untamed.

"Ensure his safe departure."

Yu Yuan, now in the guise of the Blood Red Phantom, materialized before High Priest Reid. He took a moment to observe Cardo, radiant and gleaming, and Ballo, whose stern and icy demeanor exuded an aura of stability and authority. "Do not ambush him in the Ashlands."

"As you wish," Reid responded with a nonchalant smile, as if the incident was of no consequence.

"You are the lord of the Ashlands, another Titan Spinosaurus. Naturally, I respect you," Reid continued.

Cardo, resembling an exquisite porcelain doll with her platinum curls, clutched a jewel-encrusted rule. Her smile was disarmingly innocent. "We're inclined to show leniency, seeing as the Ape and the Dark Phoenix haven't fully joined forces yet."

Ballo, adorned in a robe that seemed to twinkle with countless miniature stars, added with a smile, "I'll heed your advice. But once the Starpierced Armor reaches maturity and its shell's star chart emerges, might I have a glimpse?"

"Just one glance was all it took."

Ballo's gaze seemed to effortlessly cut through the layers of space, settling on the Starpierced Armor and the floating meteorite where Liu Ying was located.

Unlike Leo and Beru, the patriarch of the Starborn had pinpointed the exact location of the Starpierced upon his arrival in the Ashlands.

"I'll seek its opinion once it reaches maturity," Yu Yuan stated subtly.

"Very well. You've done so much for the Starborn, and with your unique strength, I have no objections," Ballo conceded.

"What exactly is happening?" Taishi inquired, puzzled.

"Everlands, all those who have attained the Supreme God seat and have become one with the Origin God, are to stay away from the Ashlands for the time being," Yu Yuan disclosed his true intentions.

It wasn't just Untamed and Green Willow!

Mo Baichuan, Zu Ann, and even Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie were prohibited from entering the Ashlands following this decision.

"Including the ice sword, I will make sure to communicate with her!"

Yu Yuan made his feelings clear with this statement.

Upon hearing this, even the Ape, who hadn't gone far, momentarily hesitated in his flight.

Ji Ningshuang was involved as well?

Untamed stroked his furry chin, his brown Demonic Eyes brimming with surprise and bewilderment.

His discontent and burgeoning power seemed to diminish considerably.

Zu Ann, Mo Baichuan, Ji Ningshuang, Zhong Chichen, and Loong Jie—these formidable individuals were more closely associated with him than Boulderdawn, and Yu Yuan had requested their exclusion from the Ashlands.

This indicated that the situation was more complex than he had thought and that Yu Yuan wasn't singling out him and Green Willow but had barred all the Supreme beings. There had to be a mysterious reason behind it.

Was Yu Yuan planning to create a New Everlands, separate from the Old Everlands, similar to the Dark Phoenix?

The Ape murmured to himself while fiddling with a bloodstone slab with numerous secret compartments from his sleeve. He gazed at the droplets of lifeblood within the compartments as if seeing a host of newborn apes.

With these droplets of lifeblood, his perished descendants could be resurrected. He harbored a personal desire for his kin to establish themselves in the Ashlands and the so-called New Everlands.

...