C2031 The Tree of Life

Samantha's hand descended steadily toward the pool charged with lightning and thunder.

Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, as though she were glimpsing her own advancement.

"Once I break through to the eleventh level and become a transcendent being like Bertain, how could I fear your Solar Spirit?" Samantha mused.

In the Everlands, she had been ensnared by Yu Yuan's sword, born from the Dragon Slaying Stage, and surrounded by the Heaven-Opening Sword Array. Had it not been for Jihui's timely rescue, she might not have escaped.

Regardless of Jihui's reverence for Yu Yuan and his efforts to protect him, Samantha's thoughts were consumed by vengeance.

She had taken refuge within the Wraithbanner, heeding Jihui's advice that the flag would manifest in the Ashlands, where the cultivator Qi Yunhong was likely to be found.

She had just experienced Jihui's astute wisdom.

Indeed, he had left nothing to chance!

If she could assimilate the residual power in the pool refined by Qi Yunhong, she stood a great chance of shattering her current limits and becoming one of the mightiest beings under the heavens.

A smile of delight played upon her lips as her hand drew ever closer to the pool, the key to the eleventh level seemingly within her grasp.

Meanwhile, Qi Yunhong stood tall, overwhelmed by the symphony of lightning and thunder within the Thunder Pool, feeling utterly powerless.

The consciousness within the pool jubilantly welcomed Samantha, eager for their union.

He could sense it vividly.

This consciousness, long oppressed by the Demon God Bertain in the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone, sensed a call from Samantha of the Abyss.

It was as if an eye, in the pitch-black depths, gazed through Samantha.

Their impending union promised a return, an end to the eons of waiting in that distant starry expanse, as if this moment was its destiny!

Qi Yunhong had been cast aside, deemed worthless by this entity!

"Yu Yuan!"

In his despair, Qi Yunhong bellowed.

Here in the Ashlands, Yu Yuan's domain, the Solar Spirit of the eleventh level was present. Qi Yunhong pinned all his hopes on Yu Yuan.

He was convinced that if anyone could rescue him and thwart Samantha, it would undoubtedly be Yu Yuan.

The power of thunder emanating from Samantha's being was the nemesis of the Star-Spawned Terror. Kaiya, who lacked a human form, found herself wavering in indecision.

It was clear that Kaiya understood that even if she mustered the strength of the devil soul, she would be no match for Samantha.

The Sky Fiend's devil soul had no advantage against Samantha, who had fully harnessed the power of thunder; in fact, it was likely to be suppressed at every turn.

"Don't worry, you're not going to die."

Yu Yuan emerged from a heap of shattered Fire Crystals. Beneath him, the Cosmic Crucible was busy shaping Yuan Lianyao's flesh and blood, along with the flame blade and the altered Yu Yiyi, whom he momentarily set aside.

Upon departing the hidden place of flames, he cast a glance at Qi Yunhong and sensed the eager anticipation of a spiritual sense within the Thunder Pool.

"I didn't give my consent."

Yu Yuan opened his palm.

Dense Void Rules materialized in the starry sky surrounding the Thunder Pool, enveloping it slowly like the dark red veins across his palm.

Qi Yunhong instantly felt a sense of ease.

The gap between the pool and Samantha's hand, which should have been mere inches, was suddenly stretched to an immeasurable distance.

Samantha's hand was poised to touch the lightning-infused pool, to draw out the missing fragment of the Thunder Spirit and integrate it deep within her soul.

Yet, the space stretched and elongated, frustratingly out of reach.

Despite her efforts, Samantha's withered arm remained unable to make contact with the Thunder Pool.

Crackle!

Inside the pool, a cluster of lightning surged upward, yearning to break free and unite with Samantha, to enter her soul.

Regrettably, the Void Rules encasing the pool formed an impenetrable barrier.

The lightning clashed against the net of interwoven Void Rules, struggling in vain to escape.

Driven to exasperation, Samantha let out a piercing cry, "Lord Jihui!"

"Alas."

Jihui sighed lightly as the Wraithbanner's flagpole thrust toward the pool.

Zhong Chichen, poised for action, chuckled as the flagpole stirred. "Remember, I've always been in the Ashlands, the birthplace of the Naga bloodline," he reminded.

He flung the Book of Time into the fray, transforming the ancient, weighty tome into a colossal shield amidst the void.

The Wraithbanner, resembling a spear, struck a massive golden brick as it descended. Sparks scattered in all directions, yet the brick remained unscathed.

"Loong Jie!" Jihui let out a cold snort, then placed the Book of Time beneath him. Loong Jie, with his dragon claw, seemed to be holding up the heavens.

Ssss! Ssss!

The Uxthar Tree, teeming with verdant foliage, along with the Phoenix Ashes, soared towards the six wings of the Secular Bird Queen. Its leaves, a lustrous jade-green, shimmered with a dazzling glow.

The divine tree was summoning the Secular Bird Queen.

Whoosh!

Chen Qinghuang, with her three heads and six arms, emerged from the world within the six wings, her bare feet stepping onto a verdant leaf.

In the instant her feet touched the leaf, she gleaned all the information from the Uxthar Tree.

"Yu Yuan!"

Her gaze sharp as a blade, she spoke with an icy chill, "This Samantha was nurtured by an ancient tree known as the Tree of Life in the Abyss. The Thunder Spirit resides within the Tree of Life. Uxthar, once deceived by Arthurs, had encountered the Tree of Life in the illusory Origin Realm."

"Uxthar's downfall wasn't due to Arthurs, but from his contact with the Tree of Life."

A fierce expression crossed Chen Qinghuang's brow.

"Tree of Life..."

Upon hearing these words, Yu Yuan, whose real body was in a distant realm, felt an inexplicable familiarity, as though he recognized the tree's origins.

"Don't let Samantha obtain what's inside the Thunder Pool; she might advance further with it. Moreover, the Thunder Spirit, associated with the Tree of Life, could potentially obliterate Bertain's soul with its return."

Chen Qinghuang unselfishly shared the wealth of information she had received from the Uxthar Tree.

Kaiya let out a startled cry.

Nearby, on Tyria, her spirited physical form stepped out from the Space-Time Archway crafted by Zhong Chichen.

"Senior Brother!"

Kaiya's voice echoed deep within Yu Yuan's soul, laden with urgency, "Let Samantha perish! Ensure that what lies within the Thunder Pool remains in the Origin Realm forever!"

From the moment Kaiya became aware of Yu Yuan, she harbored a desire to challenge him. It was with earnest intent that she called out "Senior Brother" within the depths of Yu Yuan's soul, making her plea for the first time.

She had a strong sense that the words of the Secular Bird Queen were indeed truthful.

The power of thunder that her father had sealed within the Origin Realm, if refined by Samantha through the Tree of Life, could potentially elevate her to the eleventh level.

Furthermore, the Thunder Spirit that had remained in the Abyss alongside the Tree of Life, by replenishing what was missing, might just be able to join forces with the guardian of the Evil Temple to dissolve her father's devil soul.

Should Samantha ascend to the eleventh level, she and all the Sky Fiends of the Origin Realm would find themselves at a significant disadvantage.

And her father might well be on the brink of death.

"I agree to your terms."

Yu Yuan gave an imperceptible nod. In an instant, he materialized above Samantha's head.

Gazing down at the shocked visitor from the Abyss, he declared, "You have yet to reach the eleventh level, and yet you dare to show yourself in the Ashlands. You are neither the spiritual sense of Blazing Fire nor a primal source. Do you truly believe you can forge the path to the eleventh level right under my nose?"

"Ridiculous!"

He stomped down upon Samantha.

Boom!

Beneath his feet, the crimson heavens unfolded. The bloodline of the alien beast he had deciphered, the bloodline rules refined from the Root of the Solar Meridian, and the Secrets of Life granted by the Primal Blood were all seared into the bloody firmament.

In Samantha's eyes, a world capable of subjugating all life came crashing down upon her.

As if the infinite might of the Ashlands surged into this bloody realm in an instant, she was left utterly powerless, her wooden form splintering into fragments.

Amidst the scattering wood chips, Samantha realized her body had been reduced to ash, and her soul was now grasped within a sphere of lightning.

"You seek to advance to the eleventh level, to reclaim the lost fragments of the Thunder Spirit, but the Ashlands is no place for such ambitions."

Surrounded by a cloud of ash, Yu Yuan clutched the sphere of lightning, poised to cast it into the Thunder Pool to aid Qi Yunhong's ascension.

Qi Yunhong awaited with bated breath, exhilarated.

He believed that once this sphere of lightning descended, he would become as mighty as Samantha, perhaps even surpassing her in time, to reach the coveted eleventh level she so ardently sought.

"No," Chen Qinghuang spoke with a detached air. "When it falls into the Thunder Pool, the Thunder Spirit, deep within the Abyss, can still exert its influence despite the shattered Abyssal Gate. All it takes is for the essence of thunder magic to merge with the spiritual sense it left in the Thunder Pool, and it will be whole, even in the Abyss."

Yu Yuan was taken aback.

Qi Yunhong's spirits plummeted. With a dismissive gesture, he said, "Forget it, just handle it yourself."

He was reluctant to take on the lightning's power, fearing that the so-called Thunder Spirit would warp his mind and turn him into a puppet like Samantha, standing against Yu Yuan.

"Leave it to me. My father has a special place for sealing away its power," Kaiya offered gracefully. She arrived beside Yu Yuan atop the Soulforge Pool from the Moonfall Sanctuary. Gazing at the orb of lightning extracted from Samantha post-mortem, she explained, "The Soulforge Pool, combined with Taishi's coffin, can contain it temporarily. We'll ensure it's taken care of."

She was referring to the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone, where the Demon God Bertain once sealed such thunderous forces.

"Alright."

As Yu Yuan cast Samantha's "Heart of Thunder" into the Soulforge Pool, Taishi's bronze coffin timely revealed itself at the bottom.

"I'll handle this immediately."

Kaiya wasted no time. She effortlessly pulled Qi Yunhong from the air, "Come with me! The power within your Thunder Pool has become perilous. We can't let it roam freely with you!"

Determined to prevent any mishaps befalling her father in the Abyss, Kaiya left no room for error.

"Be careful," Taishi advised as the bronze coffin and Soulforge Pool ascended together.

"Don't worry, I'll return shortly."

The Soulforge Pool and the bronze coffin accelerated towards Tyria.

"Senior Brother, thank you," Kaiya's voice echoed once more within Yu Yuan's soul, now tinged with relief. "Honestly, since learning that your people originated from the Abyss, I've been wary of you. I've always feared you'd drift away from us, perhaps even align with Jihui."

"I never imagined you'd be able to stay true to yourself and your principles even now."

...