C2006 He Landed
A look of surprise crossed Yu Yuan's face.
During the time of the Vast Expanse World Wall, it served to purify the starry sky's energies, refining them into pure spiritual energy for humans, demons, and all beings born of flesh and blood in the Vast Expanse. This pristine spiritual energy nurtured human cultivators and gave rise to countless formidable demons.
The Nagas, Earth Demons, and spectral entities all reaped the benefits of this pure spiritual energy.
Due to Han Miaoyuan's decision, the World Wall that had perennially encircled the Vast Expanse vanished, allowing the impure starry sky energies to flood in unchecked.
Unexpectedly, the omnipresent energies of the Origin Realm began to subtly transform within the current Vast Expanse, drawing closer to the powers of the Abyss World.
The Vast Expanse seemed to be inhaling, influenced by the abyssal oddities buried deep within the earth's core, silently altering the Vast Expanse to resemble the Abyss World.
Before long, the human experts remaining in the Vast Expanse might detect the peculiar energy erupting from the earth's fissures, energy they could directly assimilate.
This energy could fully integrate into their bodies, fortifying their bones and flesh, endowing them with the robustness of foreign races.
The energy from the Abyss World wouldn't enter their Yellow Court Little World within the dantian, as it didn't align with the circulation of their Spiritual Spells. Instead, it would directly enhance their physical bodies, akin to the methods of outsiders and demons.
Amidst Yu Yuan's quiet astonishment, he suddenly became aware of Cao Jiaze.
Cao Jiaze, who had integrated the revered Great Dao of Soul aspired to by Han Miaoyuan and now bore a soul pillar within his sea of consciousness, was not at the Profound Sky Sect but rather at the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area.
He was stationed at the pit linked to the Delude Devil Abyss, vigilant for the potential arrival of an outsider at any moment.
Cao Jiaze was attempting to connect with the subterranean consciousness using his Primordial Spirit.
As he did so, Yu Yuan, positioned beyond the Vast Expanse, was unexpectedly stirred and became aware of Cao Jiaze's actions.
"Do you truly possess wisdom and consciousness?"
"The Divine King is exceedingly wise. Between him and our Sect Master Han, whom should I believe?"
"Why do I sometimes feel that you are within the heart of the vast ocean, and at other times, somewhere beyond the sky?"
The voice of Cao Jiaze's soul caused ripples within Yu Yuan's sea of consciousness and his primary soul.
Cao Jiaze, who communicated with the will of the Earth, resonated with Yu Yuan's soul.
Yu Yuan felt as though he was being questioned by Zhong Chichen, Taixu, and Ann Ziqing.
This anomaly made Yu Yuan even more convinced of something.
Deep within his self-sealed primary soul, there had to be profound traces of an abyssal entity!
It was because the Origin Soul had been tainted or consumed that Cao Jiaze's communications could partially resonate with him.
Suddenly, a will from beneath the earth began to ascend.
As this will infused into Cao Jiaze's soul, it took the form of a vague but familiar soul shadow within Cao Jiaze's mind.
In that instant, the spiritual link between Yu Yuan and Cao Jiaze was abruptly severed.
He could no longer sense Cao Jiaze's presence.
The indistinct figure within Cao Jiaze's soul pillar was a manifestation of the current will of the vast Earth Core.
It had heard Cao Jiaze's call of the mind and responded, likely detecting its own existence.
It had the power to sever the spiritual connection between itself and Cao Jiaze!
...
"Senior Hong."
The Great Sword Immortal from the Sword Sect, known as the Heavenly Water Sword, arrived from the chill of the moon. He refrained from approaching Yu Yuan and the Dragon Slash Platform, pausing instead in the outer space, offering a respectful bow. "There are still about ten days until the agreed time. Have you come to take a look ahead of time, Senior Hong?" Yue Mu asked, his tone courteous yet distant.
"I am here, and they can come over at any time."
Beneath Yu Yuan's feet, the Dragon Slash Platform radiated a spectrum of colors, with spatial ripples undulating around the resplendent divine stage, transforming it in an instant into the most wondrous Galaxy Crossing.
The Gray Domain, Oblivion Starfield, Delude Devil Abyss, and Serene Starfield.
In regions where the Divine Soul Sect and the "Galaxy Crossing" of the Merchant Union were located, practitioners of the Divine Soul Sect could instantly materialize atop the Dragon Slash Platform. At this moment, Yu Yuan was certain that no one in the current Origin Realm could dismantle the Galaxy Crossing he had established using the Dragon Slash Platform. Even if the Void Spirit Succubus and Rovi were resurrected, and Arthurs had broken away from the Evil God Temple, they would lack the spatial power to disrupt his Crossing.
"It's like this," Yue Mu began, hesitating briefly before explaining, "The appointed time hasn't arrived yet, so Senior Han, our Sect Master, Zu Ann, and others have left through a spatial secret door in the Ascension Mountain Range at the invitation of the Supreme Wisdom."
"At present, the exalted beings of the vast expanse have not returned." Facing Yu Yuan, Yue Mu refrained from concealing anything, even though they were on opposing sides. Perhaps he realized that concealment would be futile.
"The invitation of the Supreme Wisdom? I have an idea of where they might have gone," Yu Yuan said with a slight nod and a smile. "Let's do this: accompany me for a walk in the vast expanse. Since Taishi has not arrived, this wondrous continent won't just crumble away."
"Oh, and even if Taishi were here, he couldn't easily shatter this realm," Yu Yuan mused with a sense of wonder, noting how the vast expanse had transformed, becoming unlike its former self, with many foundational laws now behaving anomalously.
"We're going now?" Yue Mu asked, taken aback.
"Don't worry, I'll wait for Han Miaoyuan and the rest to return before proceeding," Yu Yuan reassured, gesturing for Yue Mu to show the way. "I didn't traverse here through the Delude Devil Abyss, nor did I use a direct Void Crossing. I made my way openly and deliberately from the outside in as a gesture of my intentions."
After a moment of silence, Yue Mu steeled himself and replied, "Very well."
Thus, the Great Sword Immortal, who had advanced to the late Unrestrained Stage and was soon to challenge for a supreme seat, took on the role of guide for Yu Yuan. As they passed the moon, they did not pause for even an instant.
Many cultivators at the Unrestrained Stage and of the Yang God level watched Yue Mu and Yu Yuan proceed one after the other toward the vast expanse, their hearts heavy with concern.
They gazed into the distance, sensing that Taishi, Taixu, and the legendary Shehun would soon make their presence known.
"Is it just Yu Yuan?"
"If I'm not mistaken, that's Yu Yuan's true form. Is he, like us, only at the Unrestrained Stage?"
"That guy's got some nerve!"
"He's come in his Unrestrained Stage form. What's Yue Mu so worried about?"
After the pair departed, practitioners from the Cold Yin Sect, Spirit Void Sect, and Taiyuan Sect began to speculate.
These individuals weren't the most informed. They were only aware of Yu Yuan's Yang God's remarkable abilities, capable of contending with the Demon Phoenix.
Han Miaoyuan had consistently extended an olive branch, insisting that Yu Yuan return in his Yang God form.
As a result, Yu Yuan's Yang God was regarded by many as a formidable weapon.
However, since Yu Yuan's actual form was merely at the Unrestrained Stage, it didn't seem significant to them.
Yue Mu's visible tension and gravity upon witnessing Yu Yuan and the Dragon Slash Platform emerge in the distance seemed to them an overreaction.
...
"Medicine God Sect, Hellfire Mountain."
Yu Yuan, floating midair, looked at the reddish-brown expanse below and spoke with a hint of reminiscence, "This place holds many memories for me. I'll make my way down there first."
"Understood."
Yue Mu dutifully led the way.
"Yu Yuan!"
"Yu Yuan!"
Across the vast Hao Ran, numerous people craned their necks skyward, catching sight of Yue Mu and the Dragon Slash Platform materializing together.
And there was a figure atop the Dragon Slash Platform!
Only the seasoned veterans from various sects who had battled across the Outer Star River, along with a few ancient beings who had returned from the stars due to their ample origins, remained in Hao Ran.
These individuals, just a step below the Primordial Spirit level, were aware of the imminent earth-shattering conflict and were actively preparing.
Yet, the appointed time had not arrived, and there was no sign of the Divine Soul Sect's mass arrival. Moreover, Han Miaoyuan and his group had only just departed.
Why then had Yu Yuan suddenly appeared?
A multitude of questioning gazes trailed Yu Yuan's silhouette through the void, watching as he and Yue Mu made their way toward Hellfire Mountain.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, a flurry of messages crisscrossed, converging towards the Profound Sky Sect, the Sword Sect, and the Devil Palace.
"Why have you... suddenly shown up?"
Yuan Lianyao, at Hellfire Mountain, had just retrieved her Red Demon Bell from the core of a bubbling volcano.
She was taken aback to see Yue Mu and Yu Yuan drop from the sky. With a mix of charm and surprise on her face, she inquired, "Is it just you?"
"Are you attempting to harness the Geocentric Fire to seek the supreme path?" Yu Yuan inquired.
A ripple of panic washed over Yuan Lianyao as she hurriedly explained, "The Imperial Advisor told me that my ultimate path lies right beneath my feet. I have to give it a try, no matter what."
She feared Yu Yuan might be displeased.
Not long ago, she and Zhou Cangmin were in the Gray Domain, on the enigmatic Tia Main Planet.
After Taishi declared his intention to settle scores with Han Miaoyuan in the vast expanse, she and Zhou Cangmin left the Gray Domain and headed back to the vast expanse, a decision that now seemed somewhat improper.
"There's no harm in trying."
Yu Yuan nodded slightly, aware of the many watchful eyes hidden from view.
Confronted with the beauty who had traveled from the Gray Domain due to Mo Baichuan's demise, he refrained from further comment and instead queried, "Was there a sighting of a fire phoenix?"
"A fire phoenix, born of a flame blood soul, attached itself to the Imperial Advisor and was drawn underground," Yuan Lianyao responded.
"Underground?" Yu Yuan's brow quirked. He descended from the Dragon Slash Platform, crouched down, and pressed a hand to the earth, saying, "Let's have a look."
