C1947 Summoning Companions
"We've lost our stronghold at the border."
At the base of the towering and majestic Phoenix Shrine in the Dark Wing Starfield, a Dark Gold Beast, transformed into a human, stood as a burly man clad in golden heavy armor.
He knelt before the shrine, his expression grave as he delivered his report.
Nearby, those loyal to the Supreme Demon Phoenix—alien beasts and Demon Kings of higher bloodline stature—had all assumed human forms.
This was at the behest of the Demon Phoenix, to distinguish her followers from the races hailing from the Desolate Realm.
The Demon Phoenix had opined that the beings from the Desolate Realm, despite their formidable combat prowess, lacked a sophisticated civilization, branding them as nothing more than uncultured savages.
She referred to them as mere wild beasts, while her loyal alien beasts were deemed the intelligent race.
Her followers were the ones she called "them."
For this reason, even the Tenth Level Beast Gods like the frog, the golden giant deer, and the iron-wing bird from the Desolate Realm had adopted human forms, just like the White Divine Tiger and Yu Zhu.
The art of transformation was a gift from the Demon Phoenix.
With the lifting of the mysterious seal, the Violent Bear could now take on human shape, and so could the Dark Gold Beasts, Giant Alligators, and Celestial Star Beasts of this world—all now had the power to transform.
Creak!
The heavy, solemn doors of the hall swung open, revealing the stunning Demon Phoenix, as if she had just emerged from a brief period of seclusion.
Standing behind her was the White Divine Tiger, whose wounds had healed, and who, after losing and regaining her original power, had rejoined the ranks of the Demon Gods.
The White Divine Tiger, no longer despondent, exuded an aura of inherent authority and a tangible sense of ferocious lethality.
Clearly, the Supreme Demon Phoenix's brief absence was spent restoring the White Tiger's strength.
"They should be arriving any moment now."
The Demon Phoenix spoke with a detached tone as she inquired about the current state of affairs, then reached out with her bloodline to sense the distant happenings.
The battlefield, leagues away at the edge of the Star River and far from the Dark Wing Starfield, seemed to fall under her watchful gaze, with past events unfolding before her as if being replayed.
"Fifteen Beast Gods have arrived in the first wave. It's somewhat surprising they didn't come from the Perish Starfield."
She whispered to herself, her chin propped in her hand as she sat deep in thought on the massive throne. The light danced restlessly in her phoenix eyes, as if she were traversing other starfields with her blood and soul.
"Fifteen? Are they planning a large-scale invasion?"
The Frog God, now resembling a plump woman in a green dress, sported a pearl necklace that hung heavily around her thick neck, giving her the appearance of a nouveau riche. Yet, upon closer inspection, one would realize that these so-called pearls were actually suns from the Desolate Realm, refined by her own hand.
"Nearby, there are only three starfields inhabited by intelligent races: the Silver Scale Clan's Silver Starfield, the Rock Clan's Mensah Starfield, and the more distant Banshee Clan's Yellow Moon Starfield."
The Ninth Level Dark Gold Beast, now capable of human speech, was on the cusp of evolving into a Beast God.
He sensed that the time was near.
"The remaining starfields are desolate wastelands, lifeless forbidden zones. They are not the hunting grounds they seek," the Dark Gold Beast recounted with pride.
"Fifteen Beast Gods. With our conventional tactics, we could invade two starfields," the frog, with her air of newfound wealth, said with reverence.
"The newcomers should ideally have a smooth arrival," the Demon Phoenix mused, her eyes gleaming with expectation. "Since the Origin Blood of this world has chosen Yu Yuan, I may have to turn to the Origin Blood of the Desolate Realm. If it comes to the Origin Realm, all I need to do is ensure it remains here and meets its end."
At these words, the frog, the golden giant deer, and the iron-wing bird, all loyal followers from the Desolate Realm, were visibly uplifted.
The Desolate Realm lacked a sophisticated civilization; it was a world where barbarism and slaughter reigned, with never-ending conflict.
Their allegiance to the Demon Phoenix was born from a desire to see her enter the Desolate Realm and bring about change.
"Let's not rush. I will seek vengeance for our kin who fell at the border outpost. We must wait for more Beast Gods to arrive, for the King's presence," the Demon Phoenix soothed them.
Finally, she turned her attention to the Dark Gold Beast, now in human form, and declared, "Come forward, it is time for you to ascend to the rank of Beast God."
The Dark Gold Beast, a Ninth Level creature, was ecstatic. Trembling with excitement, he made his way toward the Phoenix Shrine.
Nearby, the Demon Kings and Beast Kings eligible to challenge their bloodlines watched him with envy as he received favor.
"The strongest beings in a world are limited in number, yet this world, with its three sources, can accommodate far more than the Desolate Realm. You needn't worry; each of you will have your chance. When your bloodline is at its zenith, I will personally shatter the chains that bind it."
"I made you this promise."
The words of the Demon Phoenix sent a wave of exhilaration through the Ninth Level Demon Kings and Beast Kings.
...
On the far side of the Silver Starfield, the Shrouded Tower came to a silent halt.
Nors stood atop the black jade altar, his hands resting on his belt as he sneakily scanned his surroundings. A glint of hope sparked in his small, green eyes.
He appeared to have detected something, murmuring under his breath.
"Are you waiting for me?"
Yu Yuan, now in human form and roughly the same height as Nors, strolled through the void, a blood-colored inkstone in hand, smiling at him.
Yu Yuan's curiosity was piqued.
Nors's erratic escape was influenced by the presence of the Shrouded Tower.
Yet, he had chosen a region diametrically opposed to the one Zheng Luanjie and Qin Yun had arrived from, not fleeing toward the starry expanse where Nors had initially directed his followers.
Nors seemed to have a definite destination in mind, and just as Yu Yuan's blood energy reached its sensing limit, he abruptly stopped.
It was as if he was waiting for Yu Yuan to fall into a trap.
"What is so special about this place? You've suddenly stopped and deliberately revealed your position."
Yu Yuan contemplated, extending his soul consciousness and his enigmatic blood energy, eager to uncover Nors's schemes and any hidden resources that might aid his pursuit.
He had already ascertained that the Shrouded Tower could not impede the infusion of his Yang God blood energy.
His other ghostly form, deep within the enigmatic realm of spirits, was ready to replenish any loss to his soul.
His primary soul, having deployed a secret art, drew upon the soul power replenished by the Yin God within the ghostly domain.
While battling in the Silver Starfield, he could draw upon the power of his two extraordinary clones.
Yet, these clones seemed to have outpaced the main body itself. One was endowed with a complete life sequence by the Origin Blood, while the other received a measure of the Undead Ruler's divine powers from the Origin Soul.
Both were supreme!
In contrast, the main body lagged behind the clones, appearing to hold him back.
Were it not for the Dragon Slash Platform, a one-of-a-kind Artifact that compensated for his main body's shortcomings, along with the covert support from his clones, he wouldn't have dared to be so audacious.
"The place we came from doesn't have a precise name; it's part of the Starry Border. Surrounding this border area, several Starfields fan out, including the Silver Starfield and the Yellow Moon Starfield, which seem to be inhabited by various beings."
"Moreover, there's the Mensah Starfield!"
Nors let out a piercing scream.
This scream managed to travel to another Starfield through the Shrouded Tower where he stood.
The Shrouded Tower suddenly emanated a distinct spatial tremor, and the black jade altar beneath him seemingly transformed into a space teleportation array in the blink of an eye.
Yu Yuan looked on with a hint of intrigue.
From the spirits of the alien beasts in the Desolate Realm, he knew there were six Shrouded Towers, all forged by the King of the Desolate Realm for the purpose of invading the Origin Realm.
It appeared that the Shrouded Towers could facilitate space transfers between them, though a proper distance was necessary.
At this moment, Nors was clearly using this Shrouded Tower to reach out to another nearby tower, summoning powerful allies for battle.
"So, you've finally decided to call for your comrades."
Yu Yuan clapped and chuckled, his urgency fading as he adopted a posture of mock welcome.
"Lord Alex!"
Nors bellowed in the ancient tongue of the alien beasts, his normally sly face showing an unusual sign of reverence.
The responding Beast God, seemingly on the verge of arrival, must be a formidable figure, as Nors addressed him with such honor.
"At last, a contender of substance arrives."
Yu Yuan watched with amusement, in no rush to engage. The last Celestial Star Beast God and Wind Spirit Beast God of the Silver Starfield would soon follow in the footsteps of the Greyhound and Soderis.
Since Andrea had also arrived, there was no need to fear, even if a large-scale divine war were to erupt.
The one overseeing the "Abyss Gate" should be able to join the battle if necessary.
"Nors, your operation in the Silver Starfield has actually failed!"
"I was only gone for a moment!"
A bizarre voice emerged from the black jade altar engulfed in spatial light.
At times it was fiery, at other times icy cold.
At times it sounded male, at other times female.
Whoosh!
A phoenix, deliberately miniaturized for easier spatial transport, appeared on the black jade altar. In an instant, it broke free from the altar and soared through the cosmos.
The majestic phoenix first transformed into a fiery red phoenix, then abruptly shifted into an Ice Phoenix.
It could effortlessly switch between ice and fire, male and female.
Moreover, while displaying both phoenix forms, it seemed to be flaunting its abilities, first taking the shape of a stunning woman in a vibrant red dress, then morphing into a tall, slender man exuding a chilly aura.
Both the male and female forms were exceedingly beautiful, clad in ornate and opulent garments.
It was more fastidious than the Rat God, Nors.
It was the first Beast God Yu Yuan had encountered from the Desolate Realm who was willing to assume human form.
"Uh..."
Yu Yuan was momentarily taken aback.
Both the female and the male forms bore a striking resemblance to the Supreme Demon Phoenix.
Its transformation technique clearly used the Supreme Demon Phoenix as a reference.
"Do you know her?"
The Ice Phoenix sharply picked up on Yu Yuan's unusual expression. In its tall, handsome male form, it fixed a piercing gaze on Yu Yuan, "Oh, you're a human!"
"If I'm not mistaken, she is the one known as the Supreme Demon Phoenix, living among your human kind!"
