C1880 It Was Nothing More than That!

"Very good."

Han Miaoyuan offered a faint smile and, with a swift motion, raised the Profound Dao Flag. Three streams of pure spiritual energy cascaded toward the Old Ape, who had made his choice, like a shimmering waterfall.

Within the depths of the radiant spiritual energy lay a miraculous power that nurtured life, winding into the Old Ape's chest like a slender python.

Caught in his agitation, the Old Ape paused, his Demonic Eye suddenly ablaze with an unusual brilliance. He spoke with uncertainty, "Have I just had my life extended?"

"Extended my life?"

Zu Ann, Mo Baichuan, and the others wore puzzled looks.

The Demon Race did not possess eternal life. Even the likes of the Qilin Demon God would one day meet their end.

This was a longstanding pain point for the Demon Race!

Han Miaoyuan nodded gently and explained, "The will of the Vast Expanse has always been in pursuit of the essence of life and blood energy. The Demon Phoenix was one of its exploratory endeavors. Unfortunately, the Demon Phoenix chose poorly, opting to forge her own domain in the Outland Star River and to marshal the alien beasts in opposition to us."

He paused briefly before the human leader added, "The humans of the Vast Expanse can achieve immortality. Apart from the Demon Phoenix, all of you are bound to the destiny of old age and death."

"But..."

Suddenly, Han Miaoyuan's face glowed with fervor as he passionately rallied the Old Ape, "If Yu Yuan's Yang God form is willing to venture into the depths of the Vast Expanse and make contact with its essence, everything can change, and many challenges can be fundamentally resolved!"

"This includes the immortality of the Demon Race!"

He had employed a strategy of intimidation followed by enticement.

Wielding the banner of the Vast Expanse's will, Han Miaoyuan swayed the Old Ape, who harbored deep grievances against the Divine Soul Sect, to switch allegiances.

"After the demise of the Demon Phoenix, you will lead all the surviving demons of the Vast Expanse. And for those lost in the Great Swamp, your kin, it can assist in nurturing a new generation."

Han Miaoyuan presented an offer the Old Ape couldn't possibly reject.

Eternal life, leadership of the Vast Expanse's Demon Race, and the rebirth of his lineage!

How could he possibly say no?

"Alright!"

With no further hesitation, Old Ape's lips curled into a sinister grin as he nodded and declared, "I don't trust you, Han Miaoyuan, but I trust my own instincts, and I trust... the intelligent will of the Vast Water!"

"That's more like it."

Having settled matters with Old Ape, Han Miaoyuan turned his attention to Zu Ann, offering a smile as he said, "Your situation is similar to his. Without your original source, you'll die, so consider your next move carefully."

Zu Ann was suddenly mute.

"And you," Han Miaoyuan said, fixing his gaze on Mo Baichuan with a light chuckle. "At the last Supreme Assembly, I had no intention of sacrificing Yuwen Hao. My target was Qilin. But as you're aware, the Demon Phoenix unexpectedly struck the Primordial Yang Sect. Subsequently, I had no choice..."

"The Geocentric Fire that resonates with you is also a fragment of the Vast Water's will. You can sense that, can't you?"

"What we need to address now is the deranged Demon Phoenix. She's a threat to the very foundation of all living creatures. You know which side you ought to be on, right?"

Mo Baichuan fell silent as well.

He was indeed aware, recognizing that the Geocentric Fire would always align with the will of all living creatures. As this will began to stir, the Geocentric Fire was also gradually responding.

Mo Baichuan even believed that his fortunate fusion with the Hellfire Mountain and the Geocentric Fire's favor were due to his desire for the Demon Phoenix's demise. His deep-seated loathing for the Demon Phoenix was also the driving force behind his ascension to a divine seat.

Han Miaoyuan's gaze then shifted to the two Dragon Gods. "And what about you two? The Nagas have ascended to Dragon Gods, but there's no difference between you and the Demon Gods of all living creatures. Ultimately, you're fated to perish."

The Colorful Divine Dragon, Zhong Chichen, wore a grim expression as he suddenly interjected, "Was there any hidden influence behind the downfall of our Nagas?"

Caught off guard, Han Miaoyuan paused for a moment before realizing what Zhong Chichen was implying—whether the will of all living creatures had played a role in the Nagas' fall from grace.

"You should be asking him, not me," Han Miaoyuan said, turning his gaze toward Yu Yuan.

The two Dragon Gods immediately shifted their attention to Yu Yuan.

Whoosh!

The Dragon Slash Platform, now enlarged to twice its original size, caught the shattered remnants of Ji Ningshuang and separated her from the supreme beings among all living creatures.

At the entrance of the Gray Domain, in the presence of many supreme beings, Yu Yuan grasped Ji Ningshuang's icy left hand. His eyes were as sharp as a blade as he declared, "Since the truth has been laid bare by you, Han Miaoyuan, and everything has been made clear, there's no need for me to conceal anything any longer."

"Anyone who disregards my prohibition and steps into the Gray Domain will face the consequences."

His gaze swept over Zhong Chichen, Loong Jie, and the silent figures of Zu Ann and Mo Baichuan, finally resting on Old Ape. "Don't come in, don't push me!" With that, he intended to take Ji Ningshuang back into the Gray Domain.

Zu Ann and Mo Baichuan remained silent, likely overwhelmed by Han Miaoyuan's revelation, unable to quickly sort through their thoughts and make a decision.

Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie seemed hesitant to speak.

Meanwhile, the Desolate God chuckled ominously.

"Yu Yuan, I'll still address you as such, since you haven't fully awakened. The Gray Domain cannot protect her," Han Miaoyuan said earnestly. "No matter where in the world, when the subterranean will seeks to reclaim its essence, no one can stand against it."

"Wasn't the Demon Phoenix successful?" Yu Yuan retorted coldly.

Han Miaoyuan's expression grew grim. "She was an anomaly! But in the end, she too will perish completely."

"We'll see about that!"

*Crack!*

A heart-wrenching snap suddenly emanated from Ji Ningshuang's forehead, startling everyone present.

All eyes were instantly riveted on her, watching her every move.

Han Miaoyuan himself was taken aback, frowning and shaking his head. "This isn't right. I haven't received any directives; I've received no signals whatsoever!"

Waving the Profound Dao Flag, he attempted to establish some form of communication, seeking confirmation.

"You!"

Han Miaoyuan's body trembled slightly. At a loss for words, he gazed once more at Ji Ningshuang.

With a melancholic smile, Ji Ningshuang touched her forehead and addressed the visibly shaken Han Miaoyuan, "Senior Han, from this day forward, I owe you nothing, nor do I owe anything to the sect master."

A surge of energy, brimming with the essence of the Origin, burst forth from the crown of her head and vanished in an instant.

Yet another Origin returned to the vast expanse!

"The exalted seat of divinity that you and the sect master secured for me, I now return to you."

Ji Ningshuang's cultivation level began to plummet wildly, from the Unrestrained Stage to the Yang God.

With the Yang God shattered, she fell from the heights of the Primordial Spirit all the way to the Soul Wandering Stage, where she barely managed to stabilize.

Like Andrea, she chose to shatter her divine seat, freeing herself from the Vast Ocean's will and relieving Yu Yuan of the burden of her safety, ensuring he wouldn't be threatened by Han Miaoyuan on her account.

"Foolish girl, why must you do this?!" Yu Yuan, overwhelmed by emotion, pulled her into his embrace and, with eyes reddened, exclaimed, "You shouldn't have shattered your divine seat. I wanted to challenge the will of the Vast Ocean within my domain in the Gray Domain! If the Demon Phoenix can withstand it, surely I can as well. You might have been able to retain your divinity!"

"Don't grieve. I am still here; I haven't perished."

Ji Ningshuang's hand, pale as moonlit jade, tenderly caressed his cheek. Witnessing his anguished expression, her heart fluttered with an unexpected sweetness, devoid of the despair and loss one would expect from relinquishing her divine seat.

It had been years since her last smile, but now, a faint smile graced the "Sword of Frost's" stunning visage.

"I've savored the essence of the supreme Primordial Spirit, but it pales in comparison to the depth of your affection, and even more so to the way you look right now."

She gently pushed Yu Yuan away, standing aloof and resplendent like a frost flower sculpted from the sheer cliffs of a snow-capped mountain, her demeanor one of icy pride, as if she were above all the world's rare and precious treasures.

She had resolutely forsaken the supreme seat that countless people yearned for in their dreams, the ultimate destination of the Dao. She had simply walked away from it.

"The Primordial Spirit, even at its highest, is just this."

She laughed with an easy grace, even as her divine seat shattered and her origin was lost. Her realm plummeted from the Primordial Spirit to the Soul Wandering Stage, yet her appearance remained unchanged, still as beautiful and as disdainful of the world as ever.

She had merely lost a great deal of power in a short span of time. It was only that she had lost the Yang God, that over half of the spiritual energy in the Yellow Court Little World had dissipated, and that the cold crystal pillar in her sea of consciousness was no more.

But she was still young, and her lifespan was nowhere near its end, so she remained alive.

At that very moment, in the distant Outland Star River, the Origin Blood Continent's sudden cold indifference towards her seemed to be stirred, and it once again extended an olive branch to her.

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