C1873 Origin Realm

"Why aren't you going?"

After the Lunar Spirit followed Jihui through the Origin Gate, Yu Yuan, who remained above the vibrant sea, noticed Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian sitting motionless on his Ebon Meditation Mat. Curiosity piqued, he couldn't help but inquire.

The Wraithbanner, too, hovered midair.

"I've encountered the Darklord and witnessed some so-called Evil Gods," Tan Xiaotian said with a wide grin, chuckling eerily. "The Origin Realm is merely an illusion, not the true world. It's the Abyss I yearn to enter; that's where my true treasures lie!"

His gaze fervently swept over the sea beneath Yu Yuan's feet. "If you're truly capable, then break through it quickly!"

"Mr. Tan, don't assume I've completely departed," came Jihui's calm voice from the Wraithbanner, cautioning the Demon Lord against any hasty actions. "Believe me, the shattering of the Abyssal Gate at this time would be of no advantage to you."

Tan Xiaotian shrugged nonchalantly. "I was merely speaking in jest. Don't take it so seriously."

"I might take others at their word when they jest, but with Mr. Tan... I must exercise caution."

Jihui, having imbued his soul into the Wraithbanner, differed from Yu Yuan. His soul should be able to maintain communication with its counterpart in the Origin Realm.

When Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit entered the Origin Gate, neither his main body nor his Solar Spirit could detect any presence, akin to his spirit body's venture into the Mindscape.

Of course, for Yu Yuan, the loss of his Lunar Spirit was bearable, as he had the means to reforge it. His Lunar Spirit being the weakest and not having been meticulously cultivated like Han Qi's, should it truly perish in the Origin Realm, reconstituting it wouldn't pose much difficulty upon sensing its demise.

This confidence emboldened him to venture into the Origin Realm with his Lunar Spirit.

"Mr. Tan, I suggest you keep a vigilant eye on the Origin Gate here. It's possible that the Dark Phoenix, after ensuring the safety of the Astral Tiger and Yu Zhu within the Phoenix Shrine, might actually enter through the breach I've left," Jihui's voice continued to emanate from the Wraithbanner. "Should she enter, my soul will swiftly return to the Origin Realm."

"Our plan to ambush her can still proceed at the Abyssal Gate."

"Once her threat has been neutralized, and the issues in the Everlands are resolved, there's no harm in the Abyssal Gate shattering later."

Jihui, with Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit in tow, journeyed to the Origin Realm, all the while keeping a watchful eye on this place, ensuring that Tan Xiaotian didn't stir up any trouble.

Tan Xiaotian huffed a warning, "Just remember the deal you made with me. I want to see the Abyss for myself, to witness the true forms of the Evil Gods. Are they as vile as they appear in the Origin Realm? I'm curious."

...

Elsewhere.

In the vast, illusory world of the Origin Realm, there were no celestial bodies, no heaven or earth, nor any form of energy.

"Doesn't it remind you of the Mindscape?"

Jihui, in his pure spirited form, had his silver hair billowing as if caught in an invisible breeze. His imposing soul and the aura of wisdom and depth he exuded made him irresistibly charismatic.

Behind him and Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit was a small Origin Gate, open solely for the passage of souls.

Tan Xiaotian's devil soul had not entered.

At this moment, Yu Yuan's real body was with the Dragon Slaying Stage in the Ashlands, his Solar Spirit stood atop the Abyssal Gate, and his Lunar Spirit was accompanying Jihui in exploring the Origin Realm.

His three souls were thus situated in different realms and times.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Four enormous, shadowy phantoms approached swiftly from a distance.

They, too, were in their pure spirited forms.

These towering soul spirits, hundreds of feet tall and clad in thick, ancient armor, stood on massive, elephant-like hooves as if human.

Their visages were menacing, with protruding fangs and large, dark eyes that glinted with a savage lust for blood.

Clusters of formless evil spirits were bound by the armor's magnetic pull, in shades of green, black, light green, and dark red.

As they traveled, they would occasionally pluck these spirits from their armor and consume them with relish, as if snacking on rations during a march.

"Lord Jihui, where is our Demon Lord?" asked the leading soul spirit, its voice resonating with the flawless and pure tongue of the Everlands.

It was imbued with an ancient allure.

"You're the one who taught them?" Yu Yuan asked in surprise.

"No."

Jihui shook his head, gesturing toward the four towering creatures, and introduced them to Yu Yuan, "These are the four Darklords. They recently encountered Tan Xiaotian and have chosen to serve him as their master. Within the myriad races of the Abyss, they are known as Dark Demons."

"Dark Demons," Yu Yuan noted to himself.

"Oh, and remember, all beings that enter the Abyss are in the form of their souls, allowing them to alter their appearance to suit their preferences. The four Darklords you're seeing now, along with all the other guests you'll meet, may not be in their true forms."

Jihui explained, then addressed the leading Darklord, "Korkmaz, what's the current situation?"

"Who is this?" Korkmaz, the Darklord identified by Jihui, asked coldly, his gaze fixed on Yu Yuan.

"He's akin to Pei Yuling, Diggs, and the others who have come from the Origin Realm to broaden their horizons," Jihui replied nonchalantly.

Korkmaz didn't press further, apparently accustomed to the presence of powerful beings from other worlds, brought over by the Origin Deity and Jihui.

"The Mindscape that has longed for connection has finally reached out to the Origin Realm. You missed something, though. There's an Origin Gate remaining in the Wraithlands," Korkmaz informed him.

Jihui sighed, "I suspected as much. That world is complex. The Wraithlands are a Starry Sky Forbidden Zone, with no discernible entrance or exit. Since I've never been there, I was unaware of any remaining Origin Gate."

Pausing briefly, Jihui added, "I've only been in control of the Origin Realm for a short time."

"Let's go have a look," suggested Korkmaz.

"Indeed."

Jihui nodded in agreement.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A surge of spatial waves emanated from Jihui's spirited body, gradually enveloping Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit and the spirited bodies of the four Darklords.

Jihui, having taken the place of the Origin Deity, ruled this realm like a deity.

He wielded his Soul Power and space magic effortlessly.

The moment Yu Yuan was engulfed by the spatial undulations, he came to a realization. In the Origin Realm, if he, as a Lunar Spirit, were to oppose Jihui, victory would be an impossible dream. It wasn't just him; any soul that entered the Origin Realm would find themselves overpowered and at the mercy of Jihui's whims. It's no surprise that the devil soul of the great Demon God Bertain bypassed the Origin Realm entirely, descending directly into the Abyss. The Abyss is a tangible world where even the Evil Gods and formidable beings like Jihui lack such overwhelming influence.

Suddenly, the world around them transformed. They were now facing a dazzling, colorful dreamscape of an ocean, vast and overwhelming. This fantastical deep sea was familiar to Yu Yuan—it was the Mindscape he had once traversed with his soul, now under the control of Youyu. He had learned that the Mindscape's existence was thanks to his guidance of the Mirage of the Mind in his first life.

"Youyu has re-crafted the Mindscape to resemble the Origin Realm even more closely. He's exploiting the Origin Gate of the Wraithlands to erode the Origin Realm with the Mindscape," Yu Yuan mused.

Jihui's brow furrowed, and he let out a cold snort. "The Mindscape is merging with the Origin Realm. I can sense Youyu's presence. He aspires to be a ruler of this world, just like me."

"Eliminate him!" Jihui commanded. "The Origin Realm must remain under the dominion of the Abyss!"

Turning to Jihui, someone asked, "Between you and him, you're the one who's likely to prevail, right?"

In the silent expanse behind Yu Yuan and Jihui, the Origin Realm's depths began to stir as colossal figures materialized from the void. Towering tens of thousands of feet high, they resembled deities presiding over another realm. Their spirited bodies were bizarre and varied—some were hybrids of different giant beasts, others resembled vast leaves the size of continents, and some were nothing more than tumorous blobs oozing poison. These were the so-called Evil Gods of the Abyss.

The Abyss's Evil Gods were bellowing in the Origin Realm, their voices echoing in the human tongue of the Everlands.

In a massive prism, a faint shadow emerged, and beneath it, a figure was bent over as if absorbing the shadow's teachings. It was none other than Awkwafina of the Shadowkin. Sensing Yu Yuan's watchful eyes, the sinister and grotesque Awkwafina raised her head from beneath the prism, her gaze meeting Yu Yuan's, who stood among Jihui and the four Darklords.

Awkwafina couldn't suppress a scream of terror.

...