C2000 Farewell Master
The Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian and Cardo of the Dawnbringers, embodiments of darkness and light, were simultaneously undergoing their respective rites of inheritance within the Abyss.
Cardo stood at the summit of the Abyss,
While Tan Xiaotian was in the Genesis Continent.
Both the Light Spirit and the Dark Anima had made their presence known in the enigmatic Abyss, selecting their champions.
This raised the question: could Tan Xiaotian and Cardo, these paragons of strength, ascend to the eleventh level?
Would they join the ranks of the Titan Spinosaurus and Bertain, becoming new beings of the eleventh level?
Could the interconnectedness of the Abyss, Origin Realm, and Wasteland give rise to more eleventh-level beings like Yuan Le and myself?
"Neither of them are particularly promising. Tan Xiaotian has a sliver of hope, but Cardo, none at all."
As if responding to his inner musings, the guardian of the Evil Temple proactively offered enlightenment.
The guardians within the Gate of Bones remained unseen, their phantoms and traces hidden, as if they were the very soul of the palace, vigilantly overseeing their domain on behalf of their past masters.
"The Light Spirit is merely a nascent Primal Anima; it lacks the requisite power. Its chosen representative cannot ascend to the eleventh level simply by embracing the true essence of light."
"The Dark Anima, being a more advanced Primal Anima, has selected Tan Xiaotian, who consequently stands a chance of reaching the eleventh level."
"Should Tan Xiaotian journey to the Wasteland after his time in the Abyss and uncover the missing fragment of dark energy, his prospects of breaking into the eleventh level would greatly increase."
The Guardian paused, then added, "Of course, if Cardo possesses the formidable ability to assimilate the Light Spirit, integrating it into her very being, that would be an entirely different scenario."
"Regrettably, the continent that houses the Light Spirit, which serves as its impregnable natural armor, seems insurmountable. In my view, she will never accomplish such a feat."
"The Genesis Continent, home to the Dark Anima, is shrouded in even greater mystery, diminishing Tan Xiaotian's chances further."
As the Gate of Bones swung open, the Guardian's voice echoed forth, "The profound darkness of the Abyss, safeguarding that which has been protected for eons, has now been cast into the Everlands. And you..."
The Guardian fell silent, as though observing Yu Yuan from the shadows, his gaze piercing into the depths of Yu Yuan's soul.
Yu Yuan was rocked to his core.
Deep within the Genesis Continent, the surging dark energy did not appear to be the true ruler of this realm. It was not the core of the Genesis Continent!
The actual core had been seized by the almighty Titan Spinosaurus and plunged into the Heart of the Everlands, tainted by the so-called Abyssal Treasure.
The descent of the Abyss' human race from the highest echelon to the seventh level was also due to the loss of that object.
Like blazing fire encasing the Primal Soul or extreme cold shrouding the Primal Blood, this profound darkness had been enveloping that object all along!
It had to be a Primal Anima, and surely a high-tier one at that!
The extreme darkness was a mid-tier Primal Anima. It couldn't possibly protect anything less than itself. Given that this object had sunk into the Everlands and was now able to corrupt the Primal Soul, it indicated that it was at least on par with the Primal Soul.
"Please, come inside. Once you do, all will be revealed. After all, the deepest imprint of it lies within your soul," the Guardian coaxed with a gentle insistence. The gaping Gates of Bones creaked ominously.
It was as if they were hastening him, urging him to enter quickly and not to waste precious time.
Yu Yuan understood that if he chose to pass through this gate, he would face no hindrances like Tan Xiaotian had.
But what awaited him inside?
Upon entering, would the secrets buried within his Dominant Soul immediately awaken?
What would he be confronted with?
Jihui, perched at the pinnacle of the Abyss, seemed to hold some knowledge, always treating Yu Yuan with a degree of respect that Tan Xiaotian, Taishi, and others did not receive.
Jihui had also mentioned that once Yu Yuan reached the Heart of the Everlands and encountered the object of his longing, all truths would be unveiled.
And now, following the fragmentation of the Abyssal Gate, there stood Jihui, embodied and immensely powerful atop the highest continent, yet he had willingly let his real body descend into this place.
It appeared he had long anticipated Yu Yuan's arrival at the Genesis Continent, standing before the Evil Temple.
Jihui was the one who wanted him to enter!
Whoosh!
A blood-red brilliance erupted from the depths of the somber Gate of Bones. Almost instantly, a devil soul surged forth, revealing a colossal figure.
A towering old man with a red beard was bound to an enormous black jade pillar, facing him.
The Great Demon God, Bertain!
Chains, intricately woven from minuscule runes, ensnared his devil soul-formed body. Within the jade pillar, in the area where his body pressed close, numerous souls of Evil Gods swirled.
Arrayed around the massive black jade pillar were various Evil Gods of the Abyss.
The Dreadlord, the Realm Devourer, Grimes, and other Evil Gods that Yu Yuan had once encountered in the illusory Origin Realm, were all present in the hall, encircling the immense black jade pillar.
Numerous Evil Gods, whether standing on the dark stone floor or hovering in the air, towered at heights of tens of thousands of feet.
Yet, in this vast hall beyond Yu Yuan's wildest dreams, the assembly of so many colossal Evil Gods didn't seem crowded at all.
Moreover, they only occupied a small portion of the space within the Evil Temple.
These Evil Gods were no longer mere spirits; they were beings of flesh and blood, each pulsating with a terrifying abyssal aura, endowed with the power to devastate worlds.
Upon seeing them, Yu Yuan realized that Jihui had deceived him.
After the Abyssal Gate was shattered, Jihui informed High Priest Reid that the Evil Gods, once relentless assailants of the Abyssal Gate, had stealthily traveled to the vast starry expanses of the Origin Realm through the Mystic Gates across the layers of the Abyss.
But what Yu Yuan witnessed was all the Evil Gods converging in this Holy Temple, united in their effort to subdue Bertain.
He couldn't help but recall the last message Bertain had sent through the Abyssal Gate, telling him to keep watch a while longer before being pursued further away by the Evil Gods.
Since then, Bertain had vanished without a trace.
The current scene made it clear: the multitude of Evil Gods, along with the Evil Temple, had ultimately succeeded in capturing the Great Demon God, Bertain.
At this moment, some Evil Gods were chanting over Bertain's devil soul form, seemingly siphoning the essence from within his devil soul.
Others, with a mere gesture, drew forth tendrils of smoky mist that eroded spirits, infusing them deep into Bertain's devil soul.
Some Evil Gods unfurled chains that could tear apart the very rules themselves, imbuing the obsidian pillar with the power to rend souls asunder.
The combined might of the Abyss's Evil Gods and the Evil Temple had ensnared Bertain's devil soul, binding him to the stone pillar, unable to leave or step beyond the temple's confines.
Yet it was Demon God Bertain who had single-handedly confined all the Evil Gods within the Holy Temple.
Without defeating Bertain, the Evil Gods could not invade the Origin Realm or wreak havoc there.
He was never meant to witness any of this.
It was the result of Bertain's formidable display of power, his red beard prominent and his stature towering, matching the presence of any Evil God.
Within the temple, it seemed as though the many Abyssal Evil Gods could also see his form.
Curiously...
The Evil Gods he had previously encountered in the illusory Origin Realm now regarded him with a mix of reverence and fear.
Those who had previously sought to thwart and extinguish him now bowed humbly within the temple, as if pleading for his mercy.
Yu Yuan was taken aback, unable to fathom why they showed such deference to him even as they battled Bertain.
He was even more puzzled by the fear that filled their eyes when they looked at him.
What exactly were they afraid of?
In that instant!
Bertain's dark purple specter abruptly flared into a blood-red hue, casting a brief glow over the shadowy palace.
Like a swarm of countless mosquitoes, they filled his devil soul, swarming within and gnawing at the runes of his dark will, contorting his features into a grotesque snarl.
He flashed a grin at Yu Yuan.
It was reminiscent of their first encounter in the extraterrestrial galaxy, under Reid's guidance.
He had smiled, revealing to Yu Yuan that he was his mentor across two lifetimes, having taught him the methods to refine his primordial spirit and, during his second reincarnation as Hong Qi, the art of weapon forging.
He merely smiled.
But then, the blood-red luminescence he emitted was swallowed by the darkness of the temple. The Evil Gods' power obliterated his feeble attempt at resistance.
The Gate of Bones returned to its somber state, as if the entire episode had been nothing more than a figment of Yu Yuan's imagination, as though it had never truly existed.
Bertain flashed a grin and transmitted a message to Yu Yuan.
He urged Yu Yuan to leave the Abyss and avoid entering the hall, instead suggesting that he delve into the heart of the Everlands to uncover the truth beneath its surface. Only after the memories in his soul had fully awakened should he decide whether to enter the hall or not.
Otherwise, Yu Yuan would never be able to escape the clutches of the darkness that once enveloped the Genesis Continent.
"Bertain is an outsider, a Demon God from the Origin Realm. He has been deceiving you, seducing you with false directions," the guardian's voice echoed from the ajar Gate of Bones. "The truth lies within the hall, deep within your soul. Just step inside, and you will understand everything naturally."
"You are the true Lord of the Abyss. It is you who was chosen. Tan Xiaotian, who has received the legacy of the darkest depths, must also obey you as dictated by the ancient laws."
The guardian whispered like a devil, coaxing him, attempting to draw him into the hall.
Yet the image of the Demon God Bertain, laughing at him, remained etched in his mind, refusing to fade away.
It was like a demonic seal, deeply embedded, constantly reminding him of something crucial.
By all logic, since the human race originated from the Abyss and Bertain was aware of this, he should have been Yu Yuan's adversary.
But Yu Yuan's intuition told him otherwise.
The guardian of the Evil Temple appeared to have his best interests at heart, posing as if all mysteries would unravel once Yu Yuan entered the hall.
However, Yu Yuan couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, that it all seemed too easy, as if he were on the verge of stepping into a trap.
"Perhaps another time."
After much contemplation, he finally disregarded the guardian's counsel, suppressing the urge to dash into the Holy Temple. With a smile and a wave toward the Gate of Bones, he ascended skyward.
Boom!
The moment he took flight, the expansive Genesis Continent trembled beneath him.
Looking down once more, Yu Yuan was struck by an absurd realization: this land, vastly larger than the Everlands, seemed as though it had once been a living entity.
It was not merely a tract of land or a world, but rather a life form as terrifying as a cosmic giant beast.
The land below appeared to be merely a fragment of a larger world.
The multitude of mountains sprawled across the terrain, resembling the natural spines on its expansive back, akin to the spikes on the shoulders of the Shura or the fins of the Abyssal Leviathan.
As his dominant soul manifested in the profound darkness, it seemed to sense his departure, revealing a longing and reluctance to let go, even expressing a wish for him to stay.
Suddenly, he traversed the boundless void and arrived at the seventh level of the Abyss.
After brief indecision, he resolved to press on and ascended further.
Upon breaching the seventh level, his spiritual connection with the Solar Spirit was reestablished, and he was aware that the Solar Spirit remained aloft.
He soared higher, quickly reaching the sixth level, where he unexpectedly witnessed a Dark Tower stealthily assaulting an Abyssal creature, silently consuming its flesh and blood, transforming it into a Life Seed, and integrating it into the tower's blood shadow.
This was Yuan Le preying within the Abyss.
He targeted the lower echelons of Abyssal beings, seizing the Secrets of Life that were unfamiliar to him and beyond the control of the Primal Blood at his back, transmuting them into the blood magic he was mastering.
In that moment, Yu Yuan found himself hesitating once more.
To intervene or not?
