C1963 It Was Time to Fight!
"No!"
In the nick of time, as the Old Ape was on the brink of plummeting into the Abyss Gate, Yu Yuan abruptly rose to his feet.
"If you value your life, do not touch this gate with your flesh and blood!"
Yu Yuan gestured towards the sea where the Desolate God was about to descend. The clusters of blood-red clouds that had been swirling around halted and drifted away to other regions.
"This gate is not as straightforward as you believe. Knowing that the Abyss lies below, teeming with innumerable Evil Gods, why would you still seek to descend and invite disaster?"
He feared that the Old Ape would be drained of all its vital energy by the Abyss Gate.
The Wisdom Divine King had intended to exploit the Abyss Gate as a means to ambush the Supreme Demon Phoenix.
Yu Yuan, well-informed about the mysteries of the Abyss Gate, was convinced that any creature from the Origin Realm, except for himself, would be stripped of their essence should they dare to touch the Abyss Gate.
Not even the juvenile Titan spinosaurus would be spared.
Feeling a sense of guilt towards the Old Ape, Yu Yuan warned him, despite knowing that the Old Ape had aligned with the Desolate Realm, "It's not just you at risk. Even the Demon Phoenix, should it land above, would likely struggle to break free."
Upon hearing Yu Yuan's words, the Old Ape, who was about to land, came to an abrupt halt.
Having lost its original power, the Old Ape, now with a restored sense of clarity, gazed down from dozens of meters above the vibrant sea at Yu Yuan, who had stood up so suddenly.
A look of astonishment crossed the Old Ape's face.
The white python within the Shrouded Tower also showed surprise at Yu Yuan's statement.
It seemed curious as to why Yu Yuan had issued such a grave warning.
"Actually, I was aware."
The previously enraged Old Ape suddenly grew calm, speaking with an odd look in his eyes, "Before coming here, I was aware of the special nature of this Abyss Gate. I was fully conscious of the consequences that would befall me upon stepping onto this gate."
"What I didn't expect was..."
He gazed intently at Yu Yuan and continued, "That you would actually take the trouble to warn me?"
In the Old Ape's mind, from the moment he gained eternal life through the King of Desolate Realm, he stood in opposition to everyone in this world.
He was ready to face this reality, prepared to be an adversary to this world.
He had also learned through the white python of Yu Yuan and Andrea's deeds in the Silver Starfield and the Mensah Starfield, where they had slain several Beast Gods.
Yu Yuan undoubtedly knows everything. He is aware that he now stands for the Desolate Realm and its King.
But why?
"I don't want you to die," Yu Yuan said with a furrowed brow.
"Your concern is appreciated, but I... simply cannot die!"
With a low roar, the Old Ape revealed his enormous demonic form to Yu Yuan's astonishment.
A towering ape with silver-grey fur emerged, beating its chest and stomping its feet.
The Old Ape's legs, as sturdy as colossal pillars, firmly stood upon the colorful sea surface, as a powerful suction from the Abyss Gate burst forth.
"Heh!"
The Old Ape, his face a mass of fur, grinned menacingly. He ceased pounding his chest to wield a massive hammer that appeared out of thin air.
The deep crimson hammer exuded a savage aura alien to this realm. Countless blood crystals, like stars imprisoned within, glowed with a sinister light.
With a malevolent laugh, the Old Ape swung the hammer down before Yu Yuan could react.
Clang!
The hammer, capable of shattering the heavens, splattered a thick cloud of blood into streaks of light.
The Starry Behemoth, long dead, seemed to perish once more under the Old Ape's strike, its innate bloodline mysteries shattered to fragments.
The splattered blood light converged upon the unmoved hammer, forming a new blood crystal within.
"Yu Yuan, oh Yu Yuan, from this day forward, remember that I am severed from this world!"
The hammer's impact on the Abyss Gate abruptly halted the extraction of the Old Ape's vital blood.
Unaffected, the Old Ape stood atop the Abyss Gate, as immovable as a mountain.
The white python atop the Shrouded Tower's eyes gleamed as it shrieked, "Our King is invincible!"
She was exalting the King of the Desolate Realm!
The Shrouded Tower, suspended in midair, manifested its power to seal the void, thwarting any supreme beings from the Starfield from crossing over.
Even for the likes of Zhong Chichen and Yu Yuan himself, breaching the seal to arrive here proved exceedingly challenging.
"Yu Yuan, I too am acting under orders. Surely you don't hold this against me, do you?"
The Old Ape, massive as a mountain of gleaming silver, laughed uproariously, his wild nature on full display. Beneath the thick fur on his chest, his flesh had been honed into a protective hide, a testament to the refined bloodlines of the Golden Rock Beast and Dark Gold Beast, as well as the mystical abilities of the Ice Armored Beast and the Thunder Eagle, now concentrated and transformed through his beast heart.
This venerable ape, hailing from the vast expanse, seemed to have undergone a profound metamorphosis, harnessing the magical powers of other alien beasts' bloodlines. The sophisticated essence of these foreign bloodlines rendered his demonic body impervious to harm, amplifying the ferocity of his power beyond its original scope.
Thump! Thump!
His robust beast heart erupted with an overwhelming surge of vital energy, akin to a multitude of crimson volcanoes erupting in unison.
"I see it now," Yu Yuan realized with sudden clarity.
As the Old Ape readied to swing his colossal hammer once more, Yu Yuan stretched his hands towards the heavens. In a flash, a blood-red canopy materialized overhead.
The Old Ape's hammer, laden with boundless savage strength and fueled by the blood energy of thirteen Desolate Realm Beast Gods, crashed into the blood-red canopy. The canopy, like a trampoline, bore the weight of a massive stone, plunging downwards dramatically.
It seemed as though the crimson firmament would give way, but the canopy held just shy of the Abyss Gate. Then, a tremendous force erupted, catapulting the indented blood-red expanse back into place.
Bang!
The hammer soared skyward, slipping from the Old Ape's grasp as he clumsily reached out to catch it.
"Shrouded Tower!" Yu Yuan called out, his head held high, hands coming together in a blade-like fashion, his face set in a steely expression.
A slender, blood-red rainbow took shape at the sweep of his hands, the life force of all beings from the Origin Realm coalescing into a tangible rule of life within the scarlet arc.
The Blade of Life!
Following a peculiar, crisp sound, the Shrouded Tower lifted the spatial lockdown. Before the Old Ape could swing his hammer again, Yu Yuan's gaze fixed upon him.
"Life Traction!"
A force far more intense than before burst forth from the Abyss Gate beneath the Old Ape's feet.
His legs, as towering as colossal pillars, appeared mired in a quagmire. Blood-red luminescence wound around his lower limbs like hemp ropes and iron chains.
In just a brief moment, nothing remained of Old Ape's thick and sturdy legs except for the bare animal bones.
All flesh, sinew, and blood were gone.
"Yu Yuan!"
In agony, Old Ape let out a wretched scream.
His two pale legs could scarcely support his massive form, as if they were on the verge of shattering.
He wobbled, barely managing to grasp the giant hammer.
"Let's go!"
The white python inside the Shrouded Tower felt a shiver of dread and urgently called out.
Hiss, hiss!
More streams of blood-red light traced up Old Ape's leg bones, creeping toward his thighs.
Old Ape howled in pain as he exerted all his strength, but found his legs were as if cemented into the rock crevices; no amount of effort could free them.
With a grimace, Old Ape swung the hammer in his hands and shattered his own leg bones.
Crack!
Discarding his two severed legs, the enormous Old Ape nearly collapsed onto the Abyss Gate.
He quickly used the hammer to steady himself, barely maintaining his balance, then transformed back into his human form.
Whoosh!
Like a shot, Old Ape surged forward and finally made it into the Shrouded Tower.
The white python looked ashen. She cast a meaningful glance at Yu Yuan, then piloted the Shrouded Tower, vanishing with Old Ape in tow.
Moments later.
A seven-colored divine rainbow burst from a split in the void, materializing as Zhong Chichen above Yu Yuan's head.
"Are you okay?"
Zhong Chichen asked, pressing a finger to his chest.
He had received Yu Yuan's message through the Life Keychain within his heart and had been summoned to the Abyss Gate.
"The third Shrouded Tower was just here."
Yu Yuan first shook his head, then squinted as he tuned into his senses. Suddenly, he smiled and said, "Hold on, let me get a feel for it. We'll see in which Starfield the third Shrouded Tower will appear next."
