C1955 Provoke the Wasteland

Everlands.

The three continents, the vast seas, and the myriad of islands were steeped in an unprecedented desolation. The imperial city, once teeming with life, now stood deserted, its streets hauntingly empty as if transformed into a realm of death. The surrounding towns and fields were similarly abandoned.

In the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea, only the elite sects still harbored powerful cultivators. These were the Solar Spirits and the Unbound, the highest echelons of cultivation.

The world seemed to have flipped upside down. Mortals and lesser cultivators had all departed from the Everlands. Meanwhile, the Solar Spirits and the Unbound, who once conquered the Star River, chose to remain.

The day foretold by Taishi drew ever closer. Now, the mortals of the Everlands, including those once allied with Boulderdawn, were permitted to leave. Only the mightiest remained, awaiting the prophesied day, ready to confront Boulderdawn's retaliation.

"Yet another return of the primal source," Zu Ann remarked upon his arrival at the Moonfall Sanctuary. Observing the Banner of Duality that veiled the Domain Channel, he sensed a fresh surge of primal energy and spoke with a tinge of melancholy, "It has ultimately perished."

He detected the essence of the Untamed within this energy and concluded that the Ape had died of old age.

Standing with him were Geng Tian'ao of the Abyssal Dawn Sect, Xu Mingze of the Cloudwater Sect, Cao Ji of the Ethereal Void Sect, and Tang Dongjun of the Taintborn Sect—all formidable figures in the late stages of the Unbound realm.

The source of the Everlands had never been as plentiful as it was now. These venerable beings, having traveled great distances from the extraterrestrial realms, had been waiting with anticipation.

Initially resentful of Han Miaoyuan's orders to remain, the old monsters were now filled with renewed eagerness. The abundance of the Everlands' source was too great to ignore.

Each possessed the strength and potential to ascend to the realm of the primordial spirit. They were ready to merge with the Origin and ascend to the status of Supreme God at a moment's notice—all they awaited was Han Miaoyuan's command.

Yet, Han Miaoyuan's approval was not forthcoming, and so they waited, patient for the miracle that might unfold.

These individuals were well aware that the faction led by Han Miaoyuan had irreconcilably parted ways with Boulderdawn. Eager for a seat among the Supreme Gods, they had repeatedly pledged their allegiance to Han Miaoyuan.

Whoosh!

Above the Banner of Duality, Han Miaoyuan materialized. He cast a glance at Cao Ji and, after a brief contemplation, instructed, "Return to the Ethereal Void Sect and commence the fusion with the Origin. Aim for the breakthrough to Supreme Godhood."

"And you two," he directed his attention to Geng Tian'ao and Xu Mingze.

The chosen few couldn't contain their elation. With deep bows of gratitude, they soared into the heavens.

For thousands of years, they had been amassing the necessary materials to ascend to the level of the primordial spirit. These venerable Unbound elders never lacked in realm or resources.

What they needed was the Origin!

Cao Ji, Geng Tian'ao, Xu Mingze—once luminaries in the Everlands—had been awaiting this moment.

Those not selected, like Tang Dongjun, could only gaze longingly at Han Miaoyuan.

"Mr. Han!" they pleaded desperately.

"Those chosen stand at least a fifty percent chance of success. You, however, are merely squandering time," Han Miaoyuan declared with a dismissive snort. "It's not that I'm unwilling to offer opportunities. But for you to rashly seek advancement to the Supreme level is tantamount to courting death."

"Reaching the late Unbound period and possessing an Origin doesn't guarantee ascension to the Supreme Godhood."

"The high success rates of those who've achieved Supreme status in the Everlands over the years are the result of my careful selection! If every late Unbound attempted to merge with their Origin and forge a path to Supreme Godhood, the casualties would be unimaginable!"

With a stern face, Han Miaoyuan rebuked those not permitted to merge with their Origin.

From the depths of the Serpent Spine Mountains, a shadowy figure emerged, questioning from a distance, "Mr. Han, I'm curious why you've allowed all those deeply entangled with Boulderdawn to depart. This seems out of character for you."

The Skyreach Consortium, Forgeroses Sect, Boulderdawn Sect, and the Starmoon Sect were permitted to evacuate from the Everlands.

Out of the blue, Han Miaoyuan lifted all constraints, allowing the deeply involved cultivators of these sects to depart the Everlands aboard the Voidfarer without coercion.

This left Tan Xiaotian baffled.

"Demon Lord!"

"Tan Xiaotian!"

Tang Dongjun, along with other cultivators in the late Unbound stage who aspired to reach the source, all showed a hint of concern.

They hadn't anticipated the return of the Demon Lord.

At the Serpent Spine Mountains, the Sacred Hands and the Yu family searched the area, including the Heavenly Medicine Sect, but found no trace of life. Tan Xiaotian, who noticed that even the pillars used to construct the consortium's palace had been dismantled and removed, arrived at the Moonfall Sanctuary in an instant.

The Soulforge Matrix had lost its power.

"After all, they are part of our human race. As long as they are human and part of us, despite current disagreements and conflicts, a day will come when the clouds will part." Han Miaoyuan offered a vague explanation.

So far, only Jihui and he could truly perceive the intentions of the earth's core.

At this juncture, he was inching ever closer to the truth.

If all humans born in the Everlands originated from deep within the earth, and the Primal Soul merged with entities from the Abyss, then what would become of those who fled to the Ashlands once the mystery is unraveled in the future?

There might well be those who would reconsider their path!

Once the human cultivators allied with Boulderdawn learn the truth—that humans arose from the Abyss—how many will reevaluate their choices?

"Most High, stay; all others, leave the Moonfall Sanctuary," Tan Xiaotian ordered dismissively.

An Unbound cultivator like Tang Dongjun, upon seeing Tan Xiaotian's stern look, hesitated briefly before compliantly departing.

Before long, only Han Miaoyuan, Zu Ann, and Qin Luo remained.

"What happened with the Ape?"

Once the others had left, Tan Xiaotian, with a furrowed brow, inquired, "He moved against Loong Jie and Zhong Chichen on your command. He always followed your orders without fail, so how did he end up dead?"

"If we must assign blame, let it fall on Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit for not returning," Han Miaoyuan sighed with a sense of helplessness. "That Ape is not of our kind, after all. His quest for eternal life could only be resolved once Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit descended into the earth."

"Furthermore," Han Miaoyuan turned to address the other Supreme beings of human origin with a grave tone, "a peculiar thing has occurred. After the Ape lost his primal source, not only did he avoid death by aging, but he also achieved the eternal life he sought."

The crowd was taken aback.

"Our creator glimpsed something novel through the resurgence of its primal source," Han Miaoyuan continued, his voice heavy with hesitation. "I am still searching for answers and it's not yet time to share them with you."

"Let's not forget that we are all humans of the Everlands, and this world... it may eventually come to ruin."

"The Everlands might face destruction, but as long as it endures, our positions as the Most High and our powers will remain unaffected."

"Our duty is to safeguard it, ensuring it remains untouched by outside forces."

"It won't be long now; I can sense their return is imminent."

...

On the fringes of the cosmos, statues of Beast Gods lay shattered, their fragments strewn across the desolation.

The tenth-level frog god, the golden deer, the Iron-winged Bird, and the stone figures were all damaged and incomplete.

The purple phoenix, emblematic of the Dark Phoenix's supremacy, had its expansive wings severed. Its head bowed as if in shame, a gesture of extreme humiliation and mockery.

"The third Dark Tower is not here."

Kaiya, possessed by the flamingo, surveyed the barren stars from above. Detecting no life, she proceeded to the threshold between two worlds.

Like the Boulderdawn headquarters, there was a barrier here leading to the Wasteland.

The flamingo's eyes subtly shifted, casting reflective light into the void.

Suddenly, images flashed before her: the Hawk God Soderis falling to her assault, the Tectonic Ripper God and White Ape meeting their ends, and the burning souls of alien beasts from the Monsa Nebula—all displayed across the barrier separating the worlds.

She employed this method in hopes that the alien beasts of the Wasteland would witness and react.

"If a Beast God truly resides there, it should be within my sight."

Having spent years in the Stellar Oblivion, Kaiya had considerable experience in these matters. She laughed lightly and said, "My soul can't cross over because there's a natural barrier between the two realms. But if the Beast God could come here, he should be able to see this."

With great patience, she replayed the scenes depicting the deaths of numerous alien beasts and Beast Gods over and over again, unwavering in her resolve.

"I refuse to believe that the Beast Gods who witness this spectacle can remain unprovoked!"

In this way, Kaiya sought to challenge the Beast Gods of the Wasteland on the other side, aiming to draw their attention here and compel them to dispatch more formidable beings.

"The Lord of Ruin is at the eleventh level, and yet you don't seem to be afraid."

Yu Yuan, who had accompanied her, noticed the lack of response from the other side. Using his vital energy and remnant soul to detect any signs of life, he couldn't help but express his curiosity, "Your father isn't in the Origin Realm at the moment. If the Lord of Ruin were to suddenly arrive, who do you think could withstand him?"

"Don't we have you and your bloodline mysteries?" Kaiya responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Without waiting for Yu Yuan to reply, she continued, "If it comes down to it, we'll just let the Abyssal Gate shatter. You can integrate the bloodline mysteries inherited from the giant beast, taking on the most powerful form of the Titan Spinosaurus. In that form, you'd be elevated to the eleventh level, a match for the Lord of Ruin."

"This is the Origin Realm, our domain. Should we really fear it?"

Kaiya declared with unwavering conviction.

"Ha!"

She suddenly threw her arms up in a cheer, pointing at the desolate void between the realms. As the light began to shimmer like the aurora, she exclaimed with joy, "All my efforts have paid off. Look, there's indeed a reaction from the other side!"

Yu Yuan narrowed his eyes and observed a towering beastly silhouette taking shape within the barrier separating the realms.

"Let's hope it's the second wave."

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