C1986 Wasteland Yuan Le

A Shadowkin man gazed at the Uxthar Tree in astonishment and exclaimed, "This is indeed a living being naturally inscribed with the rule of flora."

"It's quite wondrous that a vegetative being like you possesses intelligence and has grown to such an extent."

With a swift gesture, he plucked a leaf.

The tender green leaf glowed brightly as it settled between his fingertips.

The leaf, reminiscent of exquisite green jade, sprang to life as its inherent truths and mysteries were revealed. They transformed into a soft luminescence that fused into his palm.

The Uxthar Tree cried out once more, "Who are you?"

The rule of flora it was born with, along with the profound meanings it had cultivated, permeated its roots, branches, and leaves.

This enigmatic Shadowkin man had managed to grasp the essence of the vegetative way that the tree had pondered for years through just one of its leaves.

"He comes from the Wasteland."

The imperial crown concealing Chen Qinghuang's unparalleled beauty vanished abruptly. She regarded the stranger with a grave demeanor, intent on uncovering the secrets veiled within his form.

Her face, capable of captivating any intelligent life with its perfection, was now exposed.

The Shadowkin man was briefly spellbound by her visage, which no amount of lavish praise could overstate.

"It's no wonder Zhiya envies your beauty."

The Shadowkin man mused, watching the tender green leaf in his hand turn to ash. He spoke with refined courtesy, "Like you, Zhiya, and the other intelligent life forms, I should not be referred to as 'it' in your world."

"I have a name."

"My name is Yuan Le."

He produced a jade box and offered it to Chen Qinghuang. "Inside is one of my bones. Once you leave the Ashlands and open this box under the stars of the outer world, you can communicate with me by touching my bone."

"Should you and Zhiya clash again, I will come to your aid the instant you lift the lid of this box."

"After Zhiya and Yu Yuan have perished, I am prepared to cede this realm to you. That is my pledge."

He awaited Chen Qinghuang's response.

Yet, Chen Qinghuang did not reach for the box, instead challenging him, "You dare to appear in the Ashlands?"

"The Ashlands were meticulously crafted by the Titan Spinosaurus after it discovered this realm in your world," the visitor said calmly, with a smile. "Since you're aware of my identity, you've likely heard about me from Zhiya or received recent updates from Boulderdawn."

"I am akin to the Titan Spinosaurus in nature. What concerns could there be when I wield my power in a world it created?"

Chen Qinghuang didn't get a chance to respond before he set a jade box containing a bone fragment on the ground, his brow furrowed. "Nevertheless, lingering too long here could indeed draw the attention of Yu Yuan."

"I'll leave the item here for you. Please give it some thought."

With that, he transformed into a beam of green luminescence, effortlessly crossing the wall and exiting the Wasteland.

Outside, in the extraterrestrial realm, he gave the massive Uxthar Tree one last glance before vanishing into thin air.

"Wasteland, Yuan Le."

After a while, Chen Qinghuang gazed at the box at her feet and let out a cold huff. "Inform the Boulderdawn folks that the Lord of Ruin has been spotted in the Ashlands, and he has sought me out. His name is Yuan Le."

The Uxthar Tree, its branches sprawling across the sky, quivered with excitement, yet not a leaf fell.

In that moment, the Uxthar Tree understood the identity of the mysterious man – the Lord of Ruin.

Yuan Le, the self-proclaimed Lord of Ruin, was an entity of eleventh-level terror. He had left a fragment of his own beast bone, offering to assist the Secular Bird Queen in vanquishing the Dark Phoenix and to relinquish control of this realm.

The Uxthar Tree, moved by the offer, trembled as it spoke, "You... won't you consider it?"

"The matter I will consider is how to refine this beast bone once Yu Yuan returns," Chen Qinghuang retorted sharply.

...

The fragmented Secret Realm of Time.

A multitude of unidentified lights hung suspended like a frozen tapestry of brilliant rainbows, slicing the once unified Starry Sky Forbidden Zone into a myriad of fragments.

Sands of various hues, imbued with the essence of time, lay scattered throughout the Secret Realm.

Living creatures that encountered these sands or the rainbow-like lights often became entranced, helplessly lost in the depths of their own past memories.

Some individuals, caught in the arc light, aged rapidly, while others found themselves trapped within the light, seemingly frozen in time by its eternal grasp.

A temple, bathed in a multitude of rainbows and shimmering lights, was encircled by Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie.

Before the temple, a ninth-level black goat stood watch.

Its icy gaze fixed on Zhong Chichen, who held the Book of Time as if he were the master of the Secret Realm of Time. "I knew you would come looking for me," it said.

Since the breaking of Yu Zhu's bloodline shackles, the black goat had acquired the ability to transform into an intelligent life form. Yet, she chose not to.

"They say you can communicate with the black goat god of the Wasteland?"

Zhong Chichen, adorned in a flamboyant attire, his wide sleeves fluttering, seemed to command the mysterious lights near the Spirit Temple and the scattered grains of sand, drawing them toward him with each gesture.

As they neared, he flipped open a page of the Book of Time, unveiling a microcosm within.

The myriad streams of light and the innumerable grains of sand cascaded into a page of the Book of Time, crafting a miniature cosmos within its leaves.

"Do you know why I'm still waiting here for you, even though I knew you would come?" inquired the ninth-level black goat.

"I do," Zhong Chichen replied, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "I've sensed two Dark Towers speeding this way. Ah, and there must be a host of Beast Gods from your Wasteland as well. Hehe."

His gaze shifted to Loong Jie.

With a thunderous roar, Loong Jie transformed from his human shape into a golden dragon god, as vast as a mountain range. Having achieved the Ultimate Golden Body, each of his scales gleamed with the refined essence of gold, silver, copper, and iron.

Now, Loong Jie was virtually indistinguishable from the golden dragon god that once reigned supreme over the Everlands.

In Zhong Chichen's eyes, aside from the Great Demon God Bertain, Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit, and the Dark Phoenix, Loong Jie feared no other in this realm.

He was a match for Cardo, the Abyssal Greater Basilisk, and Lin Daoke.

With a flash, a radiant spatial blade cleaved through the mist, unveiling a Dark Tower.

A tenth-level Bloodscale Beast, resembling an armored pangolin, shot out like an arrow. Its form stirred up a maelstrom and a barrage of icy spikes as it hurtled toward Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie.

Loong Jie let out a sinister laugh. Despite clearly seeing another Bloodstorm Beast God and a nine-tailed black fox within the Dark Tower, he was utterly fearless.

His golden dragon form shrugged off all attacks from the Bloodscale Beast God, charging through the hurricane and barrage of ice spikes.

Then, he clamped his jaws around the Bloodscale Beast God's neck.

With a sickening crunch, the Bloodscale Beast God's neck was severed. Its body was coiled within the golden dragon's form and quickly torn into segments.

Loong Jie made the kill look effortless.

...

In the Everlands, amidst the Fireheart Mountains.

Zhou Cangmin and Yuan Lianyao did not venture into the Ruby Hand's domain but instead arrived at the former site of the Order of Healing.

Upon landing, Zhou Cangmin sensed something amiss. "Sect Master, were you waiting for me?"

Qin Luo affirmed with a nod.

"And us as well."

Tan Xiaotian, Zu Ann, and the newly elevated Cao Jiaze stood by Qin Luo's side.

"You played a part in Mo Baichuan's death, didn't you?"

While Cao Jiaze was speaking, a thought emerged in his mind. He was determined to ensure Yuan Lianyao's safety and, if possible, to preserve Zhou Cangmin's Solar Spirit Body.

At the very least, he wanted to safeguard Zhou Cangmin's soul.

He had no close ties with Zhou Cangmin and was hardly acquainted with Yuan Lianyao, yet the recurring thoughts made him feel as though they had been friends for years.

Cao Jiaze found it all quite perplexing.

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