C1901 You Used the Origin Realm as Bait
"Han Qi has made his move."
Amidst the dreamlike expanse of the Mindscape, with its tumultuous waves, the specter Kaiya emerged first at the Origin Gate, now transformed into the Maw of Oblivion.
Countless streaks of light gathered within the hole, swallowing all in their path and the power to warp souls slowly expanded outward.
The wailing ghosts, like iron filings irresistibly drawn to a massive magnet, helplessly vanished one after another into the depths of the Maw of Oblivion.
Matina, who had been preoccupied with the ghosts along the way, found herself lagging behind Kaiya. Yet, this enchantress, a God of Ghosts from the evilkind, remained unflustered.
Wagner, who had unleashed a murky river entwined with the dark green essence and Youyu's spirited body, was still clamoring for a way to awaken Youyu.
"Han Qi has his sights set on your physical forms back in the Wraithlands."
Kaiya waited until Matina drew near before speaking again with unruffled composure, "Han Qi is quite ambitious. He aspires to be the sole God of Ghosts in the Wraithlands and to wield the Crucible of Rebirth."
"Does he even qualify?"
Matina, slicing through the air like a ship through waves, scoffed from a distance. After surpassing several soul spirits, she came to a halt next to the Maw of Oblivion, the female God of Ghosts expressing some astonishment. "You're able to communicate with the devil souls of the Wraithlands? How did you manage that?"
As the mightiest in the Wraithlands, with the Origin Gate still present, Matina found it challenging to discern the shifts occurring within the Wraithlands, even from within the Mindscape.
Yu Yuan was equally taken aback.
His Lunar Spirit and the real body he had left in the Wraithlands were currently unable to connect.
"It's quite straightforward. If you're well-acquainted with the Wraithlands, grasp the intricacies of the Mindscape, comprehend the state of the Origin Realm, and understand how the Origin Gate evolved into the Maw of Oblivion, then naturally, soul communication is possible."
Kaiya explained with ease, and the eerie Maw of Oblivion seemed to diminish in intensity at her words.
A piercing shriek emanated from within the hole, sending shivers down one's spine.
Upon hearing Kaiya's revelation, even Wagner, who had been strenuously containing the essence, turned to look at her in amazement.
It sounds simple to say, but how difficult must it be to accomplish?
The Maw of Oblivion, Mindscape, Origin Realm, and even the Wraithlands!
The formation of these enigmatic entities, their interconnections—who in the world could truly grasp it all?
To comprehend even one would mark one as a magnate or Troll among the Star River.
And to understand them all?
Wagner was genuinely impressed, increasingly seeing the red-haired woman who dared to strip away her source as one of the foremost prodigies of the outer realms.
"You truly are remarkable."
Yu Yuan gave her a thumbs-up, thinking to himself that perhaps only Bertain's daughter, within the vast expanse of the Star River, could possess such profound insights into these mysterious realms.
After all, Bertain had nearly explored every corner of this world.
That included the Everlands.
Only the Primal Soul deep within the Everlands, the very essence that shaped him, had become alien to him, prompting his journey into the Abyss.
"If you still have a devil soul in the Wraithlands, then our physical bodies should be alright, shouldn't they?"
Upon hearing Han Qi's voice, Matina wasn't overly concerned because she knew that Kaiya was still there.
Her faith in Kaiya's strength was unwavering.
"Yu Yuan and Han Qi are in battle. He's safeguarding your bodies in the Wraithlands."
A pair of deep purple dark fires flickered in Kaiya's eyes as she let out a light chuckle, her voice steady, "I'm just an observer for now, curious to see if that old man Han Miaoyuan will seize the chance to return to the Wraithlands."
"Him?"
Matina's concern grew.
Even though she was aware that Yu Yuan was the fabled dragon slayer, the one who had ventured into the Wraithlands was merely his flesh and blood form.
Yu Yuan had not reclaimed his place among the highest ranks, and the memories and powers of his dominant soul remained dormant.
Could a Yu Yuan, who had also given rise to Han Qi, truly emerge victorious in the Wraithlands?
Matina voiced her doubts and instructed, "Kaiya, please prioritize looking after our bodies. Stay close to the ancient tree and avoid venturing to the Thornsnare to wait for Han Miaoyuan!"
"Everything should be alright, shouldn't it?"
Wagner, the Shura God of Ghosts, grasped the murky river with both hands, casting the disoriented souls into the greenish-black essence of the Soul Origin as if they were kindling.
He had already reached the primal source and was contemplating how to awaken Youyu.
Unlike Matina, who had known Yu Yuan in his first life, he always held Yu Yuan in high esteem, firmly believing that even in the Wraithlands, Yu Yuan, the overseer of the Dragon Slaying Stage, could safeguard their bodies from Han Qi's reach.
"I'm in the same boat as you. My Lunar Spirit and real body are also disconnected," Yu Yuan mused, then chuckled softly, "But I reckon there won't be any issues."
"Youyu!"
He called out abruptly to the cluster of black and green primal source.
The mere call seemed to penetrate the primal source, passing through the mass of black and green soul like a ray of enlightening light, striking at Youyu's soul.
Rip!
An invisible blade of order materialized in the Mindscape's expanse, as if an ancient sovereign from eons past had heeded Yu Yuan's summons.
His cry appeared to resonate with the role of the Mindscape's master, overpowering the primal source that bewildered Youyu.
In a transcendent moment, he envisioned the Mirage of the Mind, long since vanished, as it consecrated the soul stone, transforming it into this fantastical realm, guided by a colossal specter.
That specter seemed to be none other than himself!
Enveloping Youyu's black and green source, the divine blade cleaved it open, and the threads tainted by Youyu's spirited body dissipated into vapor.
"Bait, someone is fishing in the Origin Realm."
Within the split black soul mass, the phantom representing Youyu contorted, shifting forms, decisively severing itself from the Everlands' origin.
A solitary, haughty gray-white wraith materialized within the torn black soul mass.
"There's actually..."
Youyu's face darkened as he sensed an exceedingly covert presence within the green-black spirited body, prompting him to frown and grumble.
Whoosh!
Before he could finish speaking, before he could act, the primal source departed on its own, failing to draw him into the Maw of Oblivion upon his awakening.
Youyu was suddenly bereft of his primal source. Yet, unlike Yu Zhu and the Astral Tiger, his solitary God of Ghosts spirited body did not diminish in stature.
He retained his supreme status, though his soul felt somewhat hollow, as if a piece had gone missing—a piece he had once acquired from a dear friend's Mind Magic.
In his first life, Yu Yuan had exchanged profound Mind Magic originating from the Primal Soul, which was etched into the essence of a black tombstone.
That essence had been completely taken away.
"The Abyss!"
"It's actually flowing towards the Abyss!"
Kaiya and Matina watched in disbelief as the black essence didn't head towards the Everlands but instead converged towards the Maw of Oblivion.
Back in the Wraithlands, when Kaiya had voluntarily separated from the essence, it had departed through the Thornsnare and ultimately returned to the Everlands.
Why was this different?
Could it be that the illusory Mindscape lacked a path for the essence to return to the Everlands?
Or was it possible that the enigmatic Maw of Oblivion before them could also lead to the Everlands?
Whoosh!
Jihui reemerged at the Maw of Oblivion. He slowly extended his hand, grasping the green and black essence. A smile spread across his face as he declared, "Recovered at last."
The essence immediately integrated with his soul, becoming part of him and enhancing his power.
Within the depths of the essence lay the subtle soul insights pondered by Youyu, along with the steps he had taken to ascend to a God of Ghosts, including the mastery of the Mindscape.
Youyu's soul had once merged with the essence, leaving a spiritual imprint that Jihui now claimed.
"The Origin Realm is desolate and silent because, at the right moment, an Origin Gate can transform into a Maw of Oblivion," Jihui explained with a smile. "The previous plan was to entice beings from our world to settle their souls in the Origin Realm."
"And then, to engulf everything at once with the Maw of Oblivion."
"But that did not include the Everlands, its human inhabitants, nor those favored by the Will of Everlands."
"You."
Jihui looked at Yu Yuan, shaking his head, "You interfered with the grand scheme, causing the Origin Deity to suffer greatly. You nearly perished on your first visit."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One after another, Evil Gods stepped into the Origin Realm, their presences now many times mightier than what Yu Yuan had previously encountered.
Every ripple of the soul caused the void around them to dip, instilling a sense of oppression and weightiness in Yu Yuan.
Their resurgence served as the utmost support and affirmation for Jihui.
"Sir, have you ever considered that the Abyss and our Everlands might actually be able to join forces?" Jihui asked with a twinkle in his eye and a smile.
