C1947 Summoning Companions
"We've lost our stronghold at the border."
At the foot of the towering Phoenix Shrine in the Darkpinion Astral Domain, a Darkgold Beast, transformed into a human form and clad in golden heavy armor, knelt solemnly before the temple, delivering his report in a grave tone.
Nearby, those alien beasts and Monster Lords with high bloodline levels, loyal to the supreme Dark Phoenix, had mostly assumed human forms. This was at the behest of the Dark Phoenix, to distinguish themselves from the beings of the Wasteland.
The Dark Phoenix had often remarked that the creatures from the Wasteland, despite their formidable combat abilities, lacked a sophisticated civilization and were nothing more than uncultured brutes.
She referred to them as mere beasts, while her loyal alien beasts were considered part of the intelligent life. They were the ones who could truly be called her followers.
For this reason, even the tenth level Beast Gods such as the frog, the golden deer, and the Iron-winged Bird from the Wasteland, along with the Moonfang Tiger and Yu Zhu, all presented themselves in human form. The art of transformation had been imparted by the Dark Phoenix herself.
With the lifting of the mysterious seal, the Dire Bear and others, including the Darkgold Beasts, giant crocodiles, and Starbeasts, had all gained the ability to transform into human shapes.
The heavy, august doors of the temple swung open with a creak, revealing the Dark Phoenix, her beauty undiminished, as if she had just emerged from a brief period of meditation.
Standing behind her was the Moonfang Tiger, now fully recovered and reinstated among the ranks of the Dark Deities after healing from its injuries and regaining its essence.
The Moonfang Tiger, once despondent, now exuded an intimidating presence, its aura of savage ferocity almost tangible.
Clearly, the Dark Phoenix's brief absence had been spent aiding the Moonfang Tiger in regaining its strength.
"They should be arriving shortly."
With an air of detachment, the Dark Phoenix briefly inquired about the current state of affairs before extending her bloodline's reach to sense the distant events.
The battlefield, far beyond the Darkpinion at the edge of the Star River, seemed to fall under her watchful gaze, the past events unfolding anew in her mind's eye.
"Fifteen Beast Gods have arrived in the first wave. Surprisingly, they did not come from the Stellar Oblivion, which is somewhat unexpected."
She whispered to herself, her chin propped on her hand as she sat on the grand throne. The light danced restlessly in her phoenix eyes, as if she were traversing other Astral Domains with her blood and soul.
"Fifteen? Is this a sign of a large-scale invasion?"
The Frog God, transformed into a corpulent woman draped in a green gown, sported a string of pearls around her thick neck, giving off the air of a nouveau riche. Yet, upon closer inspection, one would discover that the so-called pearls were actually suns from the Wasteland, refined by her own hand.
"Nearby, there are only three Astral Domains with intelligent life: the Silverscale Tribe's Aihoyari, the Stoneborn's Monsa Nebula, and the more distant Enchantress's Yellow Moon."
The Darkgold Beast, now capable of human speech and at the ninth bloodline level, was on the cusp of evolving into a Beast God.
He sensed his time was near.
"The rest of the Astral Domains are desolate, lifeless forbidden zones, not likely targets for their hunts," the Darkgold Beast recounted with pride.
"With fifteen Beast Gods, according to our standard combat strategy, we could invade two Astral Domains," the frog, resembling an upstart, said with reverence.
"The newcomers should ideally have a smooth arrival," the Dark Phoenix mused, her eyes gleaming with expectation as she spoke coolly. "Since the Primal Blood of this world has chosen Yu Yuan, I may have to target the Primal Blood of the Wasteland. If it arrives in the Origin Realm, all I need to do is ensure it remains here and meets its end."
Her words instantly invigorated the frog, golden deer, and Iron-winged Bird who had followed her from the Wasteland. The Wasteland lacked any advanced civil order; savagery and slaughter were the norm, with endless wars raging on.
They followed the Dark Phoenix with the hope that she would enter the Wasteland and bring about change.
"Let's not rush. I will seek vengeance for our kin who perished at the border outpost. We must wait for more Beast Gods to arrive, for the Monster Lord's descent," the Dark Phoenix assured them.
Finally, she turned her attention to the Darkgold Beast, now in human form, and declared, "It is time for you to ascend to the rank of Beast God."
The ninth-level Darkgold Beast was ecstatic, trembling as he made his way toward the Phoenix Shrine.
Nearby, the Beast Kings eligible to enhance their bloodlines watched him with envious eyes.
"The number of supreme beings in any given world is limited, but this world, with its three sources, can accommodate far more than the Wasteland. There's no need for haste, as each of you will have your chance. When your bloodlines reach their boiling point, I will personally lift the constraints on each of them," the Dark Phoenix assured.
"This is the promise I made to you all."
Her words sent a wave of exhilaration through the ninth-level Beast Kings and Monster Lords.
...
On the other side of the Aihoyari Astral Domain, the Dark Tower came to a stealthy halt.
Panot stood on the Onyx Altar, hands resting on his belt, as he surreptitiously scanned the area. A hopeful glint emerged in his small, green eyes.
He seemed to have detected something, murmuring to himself.
"Are you waiting for me?"
Yu Yuan, now in a form resembling Panot's stature, strolled through the void with a blood-colored inkstone in hand, smiling at him.
Yu Yuan was intrigued.
Panot's flight had become unpredictable with the presence of the Dark Tower.
Yet, he had chosen a region diametrically opposed to the one Zheng Luanjie and Qin Yun had come from, not fleeing toward the starry expanse Panot had initially directed his followers to.
It appeared Panot had a specific destination in mind, and he had abruptly stopped just as Yu Yuan's vital energy reached its sensing threshold.
It was as if Panot was waiting for Yu Yuan to fall into his trap.
"What is so special about this place? You've suddenly stopped and even deliberately revealed your position," Yu Yuan pondered, extending his remnant soul and enigmatic vital energy.
He was eager to uncover Panot's schemes, to see what hidden strategies he might employ, and to identify any potential allies that could help him reach his goal.
Yu Yuan had already ascertained that the Dark Tower could not prevent the infusion of his vital energy into the Solar Spirit.
His other Demonic Vessel, deep within the Wraithlands, was also capable of replenishing the loss to his soul.
As his dominant soul wielded the mystique, the Soul Power expended by the God of Ghosts could indeed be refilled.
His real body, while engaging in battle across the Aihoyari, could draw upon the strength of his two other unique incarnations.
Ironically, the two extraordinary clones seemed to have outpaced the original. One was endowed with a complete life sequence by the Primal Blood, while the other received a portion of the Undead Lord's divine powers from the Primal Vitality.
Both stood at the pinnacle of power!
In contrast, the real body lagged behind the clones, appearing somewhat like a drag.
Were it not for the Dragon Slaying Stage, a one-of-a-kind Divine Artifact that compensated for his real body's shortcomings, along with the covert support of the two clones, he wouldn't have dared such audacious acts.
"The place we originated from lacks a definitive name; it's part of the starry frontier. Surrounding this border region, numerous Astral Domains fan out, including Aihoyari and Yellow Moon, both teeming with life."
"Additionally, there's the Monsa Nebula!"
Panot suddenly let out a piercing screech.
This cry managed to traverse the Dark Tower, reaching across to another Astral Domain.
A marked spatial tremor emanated from the Dark Tower, and the Onyx Altar upon which he stood seemed to transform into a teleportation circle in the blink of an eye.
Yu Yuan's eyes betrayed his astonishment.
From the spirits of alien beasts in the Wasteland, he knew there were six Dark Towers, all forged by the Lord of Ruin for the invasion of the Origin Realm.
The Dark Towers could facilitate teleportation between them, albeit within a certain range.
At this moment, Panot was clearly using the Dark Tower to connect with another nearby, summoning reinforcements for battle.
"So you finally know how to call for your allies."
Yu Yuan clapped and laughed, his urgency dissipating as he adopted a welcoming stance.
"Lord Alex!"
Panot bellowed in the ancient tongue of the alien beasts, his usually sly face now showing a rare sign of reverence.
The responding Beast God, seemingly on the verge of appearing, must be a formidable entity.
After all, Panot addressed him as 'Lord.'
"At last, a worthy opponent arrives."
Yu Yuan's interest was piqued, and he was in no rush to make his move. The remaining Starbeast God and Galehound God of Aihoyari were soon to follow in the footsteps of the dark hound and Soderis.
Since Kaiya had arrived, he felt no fear at the prospect of a large-scale Divine War breaking out.
He who guarded the "Abyssal Gate" could join the battle from afar if necessary.
"Panot, your operation in the Aihoyari has actually failed!"
"I was only gone for a moment!"
A bizarre voice emanated from the Onyx Altar, engulfed in the strange light of space.
At times it blazed fiercely, at others it was icy cold.
It shifted between male and female tones.
Whoosh!
A phoenix, deliberately minimized for easier teleportation, materialized on the Onyx Altar. It instantly broke free from the altar, gracefully soaring through the cosmos.
The majestic phoenix first transformed into a vibrant fire phoenix, then abruptly morphed into an ice phoenix.
Alternating between ice and fire, male and female, it changed effortlessly.
Moreover, as if flaunting its prowess, it assumed the form of a stunning woman in a fiery red dress, then a tall, slender man exuding an aura of icy detachment.
Both forms were of exceptional beauty, clad in intricately patterned, opulent garments.
It was even more fastidious than the Rat God, Panot.
Among the six Beast Gods from the Wasteland that Yu Yuan had encountered, it was the first willing to adopt a human guise.
"Uh..."
Yu Yuan's expression became blank with surprise.
Both the female and the male forms bore a striking resemblance to the Dark Phoenix of the Everlands.
The Icefire Phoenix's transformations were clearly modeled after the supreme Dark Phoenix.
"You recognize her?"
The Icefire Phoenix, perceptive of Yu Yuan's altered demeanor, regarded him with a piercing, cold gaze. "Oh, you're a human!"
"If I'm not mistaken, she is the Everlands, residing within the human realm!"
