C1864 The Irritable Ape
In the Moonfall Sanctuary, Chronowyrm Zhong Chichen emerged from the Domain Channel with a furrowed brow. This portal connected to realms beyond, and as he landed before Ji Ningshuang and Loong Jie, his voice was grave. "We can no longer travel to the Ashlands."
Loong Jie, running his hands through his unkempt hair in frustration, complained, "My dragonkin are on Tyria, the main planet. Both eighth and ninth level giant dragons are eagerly awaiting my return."
"I'm at a loss about the whereabouts of the little spinosaurus myself," Zhong Chichen admitted, sharing in the concern.
Ji Ningshuang's face was a mask of ice as she turned to Hei Xun, who was attending to her with great care. "What's happening?" she demanded.
A pained expression crossed Hei Xun's face. "I'm just as in the dark," he confessed.
He knew only that Yu Yuan, before departing with Zhou Cangmin and Yuan Lianyao, had mentioned a hiatus from the Everlands. He had spoken of the persistent connection between the Domain Channel and the Hellmouth, but had made it clear that passage to the Ashlands was off-limits.
Without knowledge of the underlying secrets, Hei Xun was unable to provide any answers.
"It appears he truly doesn't intend for us to return," Zhong Chichen concluded, his frustration evident.
"According to Mo Baichuan, his Solar Spirit's return should enable him to nullify the Dark Phoenix's curse upon the blood of the living. With the aid of Earthfire, especially deep within the Everlands, there should be no threat. Why then is he avoiding us?" Zhong Chichen pondered aloud.
The Dark Phoenix's frenzy had sent shockwaves of fear throughout the sects and powerhouses of the Everlands, all dreading the potential ruin of their world's very foundation.
Mo Baichuan's message had sparked a glimmer of hope, prompting the gathering of supreme beings who sought to resolve this existential threat through Yu Yuan.
Yet, with the Untamed's explicit directive, it was clear: Yu Yuan had barred the highest echelons of the Everlands from venturing to the Ashlands.
After a moment of silence, Ji Ningshuang spoke, "My agreement to journey to the Ashlands wasn't to coax him back. It was merely to inform him of the Primal Blood Continent's shift in attitude towards me."
Loong Jie, consumed with worry, sensed that something was amiss. "I have a feeling that something has happened."
"Since I can't make it to the Ashlands and can't speak to him face-to-face, then…" Zhong Chichen's thoughts stirred, and his entire being radiated a prismatic glow. He traversed the expanse of the forbidden area and materialized within the Colddeath sect on the Land of Quiescence.
He halted before Xueyin and said, "Inform Yu Yuan that I'm seeking him."
"Mr. Zhong!"
Xueyin was startled, then hesitantly replied, "He has always manifested his will through me, but I'm uncertain how to reach out to him."
Zhong Chichen scratched his head. "Try conveying your thoughts to him using your Solar Spirit Body."
"Understood."
After a brief pause, Xueyin shook his head, "No success."
...
The Marsh.
The Ape, an infrequent visitor from beyond the stars, stood next to the now mundane Nest of Perdition, gazing upon the lifeless branches devoid of any mystical essence of destruction, death, and rebirth.
This nest, once linked to the Darkpinion realm, had been stripped of its marvels by the Secular Bird Queen, who had seized all its power.
Fury filled the Ape's eyes as he bellowed, "First Yu Yuan, now you. What are you concealing from me?"
He had concealed the Nest of Perdition and safeguarded the Rebirth Nest, extending considerable support to the Boulderdawn sect, yet he had not been reciprocated with significant rewards. Now, even his kin and offspring had perished.
His resentment was palpable!
Nearby, the merchants from the Chamber of Commerce watched him with trepidation, dreading the wrath of this notoriously volatile Ape.
"If the Ashlands are off-limits and this nest is worthless, not to mention I'm barred from Darkpinion," the Ape snarled, his expression darkening, "was my child's death in vain? He who has received the Primal Blood possesses the power to resurrect my child. If he refuses to assist..."
Suddenly, the Ape materialized amidst the brooding storm clouds hovering over the Marsh.
The clouds roiled, lightning streaked, and thunder boomed, signaling the onset of a fearsome tempest.
Those remaining in the Everlands felt the disturbance and instinctively turned their gaze toward the Marsh.
They knew that the volatile Ape could resort to madness once his resentment accumulated to a certain point.
Roar!
The Ape unleashed a low roar, and with that sound, a colossal beastly shadow emerged in the sky above the Moonfall Sanctuary.
The Soulforge Matrix within the forbidden area was instantly triggered, creating a green-black light shield.
Loong Jie and Ji Ningshuang looked up to see the manifestation of a Dark Deity and realized that the Ape was not pleased with the Boulderdawn sect.
Hei Xun, who was attentively attending to both of them, grasped the Untamed's intent upon hearing the roar.
"I'll relay your message without delay!" Hei Xun assured.
...
Tyria.
The vast landscape, once marred by pits and hollows, had been smoothed over by Taishi's influence. The world was now infused with a potent and intense cosmic energy, bringing forth a myriad of strange flora and robust trees.
Extraterrestrial gems, crystals, divine gold, and exotic plants could all be found on Tyria, all of exceptional quality.
"Except for the lack of a wall and pure spiritual energy, this place has it all!"
Accompanied by Feng Zhong and Shi Jing'er, Shi Jing'er from the Skyreach Consortium soared through the skies, her face alight with wonder. "There are many rare metals and magic items here, treasures that the Everlands could never yield."
"It's indeed a land of treasures," Feng Zhong agreed, nodding repeatedly.
Zhongli Dapan added, "Before my confinement in the Sword Prison, I visited the worlds of the Otherkin and have never encountered anywhere as miraculous as Tyria!"
"It appears that the Boulderdawn sect had long ago planned for the New Everlands here. I've heard it was the dragon slayer who propelled the New Everlands Project. Could he have chosen Tyria long before?" After exploring, Shi Jing'er and her consortium colleagues paused at the foot of a steep mountain peak.
Above them, they could clearly see a massive energy vortex, and they could feel the cosmic energy pouring forth from it.
"Where is this rich cosmic energy coming from?" Zhongli Dapan marveled.
"It seems that even Yu Yuan doesn't have the full picture."
Zhou Cangmin, after his journey through the Ashlands, had scarcely replied when the Dragon Slaying Stage materialized before him.
Hovering above the enlarged platform were the demon souls of the Greylag and the Songbird, alongside a nest pulsating with a subtle vitality.
"The Rebirth Nest!"
"How did the Secular Bird Queen's Rebirth Nest suddenly come to the Ashlands?"
Tianqi, Taixu, Ann Ziqing, and others from across Tyria had converged due to the Dragon Slaying Stage's reappearance.
Zhou Cangmin and Yuan Lianyao were among them.
They quickly noticed the Greylag and Songbird's demon souls carrying the Rebirth Nest away from the Dragon Slaying Stage, seemingly in search of a suitable location.
Before long, an unnamed forest on Tyria became the chosen spot, as they settled there with the nest.
With a thunderous impact, the nest, radiating with verdant luminescence, touched down, and the forest's ancient wood and flora appeared to fuse with it in an instant.
Streams of plant essence gradually seeped into the Rebirth Nest, imbuing the branches with an otherworldly aura.
The Secular Bird Queen's nests, crafted from Uxthar Tree branches, inherently possessed the tree's magical properties, enabling them to gather plant essence.
The cosmic energy of Tyria itself was drawn to the Rebirth Nest, seemingly eager to replenish its diminished power.
"The full array of the nest's wonders will take some time to manifest," remarked the Songbird, now in the guise of a demon soul. She transformed into a beautiful young woman clad in a cyan dress, her finely drawn eyebrows giving her the air of a well-bred lady. "This place is excellent, more wondrous than the Shadowkin's holy sites, and perfectly suited for the Rebirth Nest," she said with a clear, delicate voice.
Yu Yuan nodded in agreement, "If it pleases you, that's all that matters."
Suddenly, the Rebirth Nest began to voraciously draw in energy from every direction, its hunger even reaching the massive psionic energy whirlpools in the heavens, which were inexorably drawn to it.
It appeared to be ravenous.
