C1858 The Restriction of the Vast Expanse Supreme Being

A subtle dark red silhouette, formed from the essence of Ann Ziqing's blood and flesh, slowly took shape before Old Ape.

Yu Yuan's will traversed the expanse and settled within the Gray Domain, infusing the dark red figure and transforming it into his avatar.

An avatar sculpted from blood and consciousness, without bones.

This avatar lacked eyes, with only two deep red flames flickering in the hollows where eyes should be. These flames were a shade darker than the figure's crimson hue.

"Having refined the blood-red river in the Dim Starfield, you've made such remarkable progress. Ann Ziqing and the Great Demon God Grec, have they both become your followers?" Desolate God remarked, his voice tinged with awe.

Behind the dark red figure, Ann Ziqing, who had ascended to Great Demon God status through the Yang God, pursed her lips and responded with dissatisfaction, "Desolate Lord, I do not regard him as my master."

Clad in a deep purple gown, Ann Ziqing's skin glowed, her eyes and hair tinted a reddish hue.

Her statuesque and graceful form was encircled by bands of red light, which from a distance resembled a series of interconnected streams.

Numerous minute blood sparks carried the intricate truths gleaned from the Yang Meridian's source, as well as a portion of the life mysteries bestowed by Yu Yuan.

Favored and trusted by Yu Yuan far more than the Great Demon God Grec, her stature rose with Yu Yuan's advancements. Known for her cold-blooded ferocity, this Goddess, though not blessed with the origin of a divine position, now surpassed the likes of Ji Tianyu and Zhu Zhen.

"What you think, or what Yu Yuan thinks, is irrelevant," Old Ape said with a dry chuckle. "The fact remains. You, along with the Great Demon God Grec, cannot break free from him."

"I have no desire to break free from him."

Ann Ziqing's voice softened, her eyes shimmering with an enchanting light. Silently, she added to herself, 'Ever since he rescued me in the Dim Starfield, fighting the Demon Phoenix without holding back, I've wanted to be by his side forever.'

Ahead, Yu Yuan's dark red figure trembled gently, as if buffeted by a breeze.

Caught off guard, Ann Ziqing's cheeks flushed with warmth.

A rare shyness flickered in her eyes. Behind the dark red figure, Ann Ziqing bit her lip and shot a glare at the blood figure before flitting away with a petulant stomp of her foot.

She had an epiphany; Yu Yuan could clearly sense her thoughts and the subtle ripples of her mind, especially when she made no attempt to conceal them. As the originator of her bloodline, Yu Yuan had bestowed upon her a new life and numerous secrets, which in turn allowed him to hear her innermost thoughts. Embarrassed after her revelations were known to Yu Yuan, she had no choice but to distance herself.

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

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

He fondly reminisced about the time before his celestial and terrestrial souls had returned, when Ann Ziqing, concealing her power and identity, served him in the guise of a maidservant. Little did Ann Ziqing know that, even after ascending to the status of Great Demon God and becoming supremely powerful, her role remained unchanged.

"Desolate Lord," Yu Yuan began, his expression turning serious as he carefully selected his words. "I apologize, but I'm afraid I won't be able to leave the Yang God and return to the Vast Expanse for some time. I'm not at liberty to disclose the specific reasons now, but I promise to explain in detail later."

Old Ape's brow furrowed in concern.

"Furthermore, I must ask you to refrain from visiting the Gray Domain for the time being. This applies to you, Sky Tiger, and Lord Lvliu," Yu Yuan continued.

"Heh, kid, are you trying to burn your bridges? I'm aware of your distrust of the Demon Phoenix, but what now? Just because Lvliu and I accepted her invitation to the Dim Starfield, you're going to shut us out? Don't forget, I've protected you in secret numerous times before the Divine Kings entered the Vast Expanse!"

"It was also me who assisted your Divine Soul Sect during your conflict with the five major powers in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area!"

"Now that you've grown stronger, having refined the Yang Meridian's source in the Dim Starfield and won the favor of the Origin Blood, and with Shehun stripping the Yin Meridian of its Soul Arts, you have the backing of Taishi, Tianqi, Taixu, and the support of numerous other races. Do you feel you have enough support to sever ties with us?"

Old Ape was visibly upset, feeling as though Yu Yuan had lumped him and Lvliu together with the Demon Palace faction.

His descendants and those of the Demon Clan who had relied on him were all dead in the Great Swamp. After much deliberation, a sudden insight led him to the idea of having Yu Yuan return as the Yang God to finally put an end to the Demon Phoenix's bloody menace to the Vast Expanse.

It was one thing for Yu Yuan to disagree, but he also made it clear that he and Lvliu were not welcome in the Gray Domain.

This left Old Ape feeling deeply aggrieved. He bared his teeth as the savage bloodlight in his Demonic Eye intensified.

Just then...

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Led by Divine King Taishi, Tianqi, Taixu, Rebecca from the Banshee Clan, Barol of the Star Race, Reid, the High Priest of the Devaputra Race, Yuv Qian of the Silver Scale Clan, and other formidable figures like Jun Chen, the Traveling Jewel, Feng Zhong, and Shi Jing'er, emerged from the cavernous depths below.

They materialized on the Heaven Opening Flare Star where Yu Yuan and Old Ape stood.

"The Gray Domain!"

"So this is the Gray Domain!"

The Unrestrained Stage cultivators from various races were initially too captivated by the thirty-six swirling energy vortexes and the massive pale golden star at their center to notice Old Ape and Yu Yuan's blood shadows.

"The Tia Main Planet!"

"Is this the mysterious star that the Divine Soul Sect aims to transform into a new Vast Expanse?"

The crowd buzzed with speculation.

"Yu... Yu Yuan!"

Taixu, with the stature of a Great Demon God, hesitated before addressing Yu Yuan, opting instead to greet the dark red blood shadow directly.

"Yu Yuan? A blood avatar?"

The group quickly pieced together that he now controlled the Gray Domain and had also heard about the recent upheavals in the Vast Expanse. They immediately gathered around him.

"I've brought them here to the Gray Domain to select Domain Boundaries suitable for their respective races," Taishi explained with a nonchalant smile. Upon noticing the Desolate God's sour expression, he inquired, "Desolate, why the long face? Oh, I see. Condolences for your loss."

He assumed the Desolate God's mood was due to the demise of those in the Great Swamp who had revered Old Ape as their leader, now fallen to the Demon Phoenix's power stripping.

"They're all allowed in, but not me! Fine, the Divine Soul Sect sure plays favorites!"

Old Ape's frustration boiled over as he watched Taishi ushering the foreign race warriors into the Gray Domain. "You don't welcome me? Then I'll just leave."

After finishing his statement, he soared away from the Heaven Opening Flare Star. The star harbored a cave that led directly to the vast underground, but only individuals like Yu Yuan and Zhong Chichen, along with the spinosaurus, could guide others through it successfully. The irate Old Ape, however, didn't opt for this route. He chose to retrace his steps, exiting the Gray Domain through the same entrance he had used to enter.

"What's the matter?" Taishi asked, furrowing his brow.

"That Old Ape has been a thorn in my side recently in the Dim Starfield," Reid, embodying his demon form, remarked with a flare of purple demonic fire in his eyes. He cast a glance at Cadorath, who appeared as a little girl, and at Barol from the Star Race.

The two chieftains remained silent, yet their eyes, brimming with malice, tracked the Desolate God.

"Ensure his safe departure."

Yu Yuan, manifesting as a dark red shadowy figure, suddenly appeared before High Priest Reid. He took a moment to observe Cadorath, radiant with bright eyes and gleaming teeth, and Barol, whose stern and resolute face exuded an air of composed authority. "Do not ambush him in the Gray Domain."

"I will heed your advice."

High Priest Reid offered a nonchalant smile as if the exchange had never occurred.

"You are the ruler of the Gray Domain, another Titan spinosaurus. Naturally, I will respect your wishes."

Cadorath, resembling a delicate porcelain doll with platinum curls, clutched a staff adorned with an array of precious stones and jade. Her smile was disarming, innocent. "We're inclined to show leniency, as the Old Ape and the Demon Phoenix haven't fully joined forces yet."

Barol, his robe adorned with intricate constellations, responded with a smile, "I'll take your word for it. But once the ground beetle reaches maturity and its shell displays the Galaxy Map, may I have a glimpse?"

"One look will suffice."

Barol's gaze seemed to penetrate multiple dimensions, settling on the ground beetle and Lau Ying on their floating meteorite.

Unlike Leo and Beru, the Star Race patriarch had pinpointed the ground beetle's precise location upon his arrival in the Gray Domain.

"When it comes of age, I will seek its consent," Yu Yuan stated with subtlety.

"Fine. You've been a tremendous help to the Star Race, and with your unique and formidable power, I really have nothing more to say." Barol found himself in agreement.

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

"Hao Yun, all those who have ascended to the highest seats and have become one with the Origin Sealed Gods are hereby forbidden from entering the Gray Domain for the foreseeable future," Yu Yuan disclosed his true intentions.

It wasn't just the Desolate God and Lvliu!

Mo Baichuan, Zu Ann, and even Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie were to be barred from the Gray Domain following this resolution.

"Even the Sword of Frost; I will speak with her," Yu Yuan declared, making his stance clear.

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

Was Ji Yaya involved too?

The Desolate God stroked his fuzzy chin, his brown Demonic Eye betraying his surprise and bewilderment.

His resentment and burgeoning power seemed to ebb significantly.

Zu Ann, Mo Baichuan, Ji Ningshuang, Zhong Chichen, and Loong Jie – these formidable individuals were even more closely tied to him than the Divine Soul Sect, and Yu Yuan had requested their exclusion from the Gray Domain as well.

This indicated that the situation was more complex than he had thought, and it also suggested that Yu Yuan wasn't singling out him and Lvliu but was instead imposing restrictions on all the supreme beings. There had to be a deeper mystery at play.

Could it be that Yu Yuan was crafting a New Hao Yun, intending to part ways with the Old Hao Yun, much like the Demon Phoenix?

The Old Ape grumbled to himself as he fiddled with a blood stone slab with several hidden compartments in his sleeve. He gazed at the droplets of blood within these compartments as if they were newborn apes.

With these blood drops, his deceased offspring could be resurrected. He harbored a personal desire for his kin to establish themselves in the Gray Domain and what was referred to as the New Hao Yun.

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