C2036 The Number One Person in Origin Realm!

"Mr. Han!"

"Lord Jihui!"

Cao Ji and Wuran called out simultaneously, though they sought aid from different individuals.

Their strongest ally, Lin Daoke, was being overpowered by Yu Yuan, who had harnessed the power of five external stars. Sensing imminent danger, the two primordial spirits had no choice but to seek assistance from Han Miaoyuan and Jihui.

In Cao Ji's mind, Han Miaoyuan, whom they had brought with them, might offer the protective strength they needed.

Wuran believed Jihui was the answer.

Regrettably, as their pleas for help echoed, an unimaginable surge of cosmic energy descended upon them, heedless of their distress and flooding their corporeal bodies.

In a mere moment, the two exalted beings were like individuals attempting to swallow millions of tons of water at once.

Cao Ji and Wuran, having ascended to the highest echelons, found themselves unable to bear the overwhelming cosmic energy, powerless to halt the influx of this extraordinary force.

Their bodies and souls swelled uncontrollably, ballooning to grotesque proportions as if they were water bags being rapidly inflated.

Pop! Pop!

Upon reaching their breaking point, the two newly elevated primordial spirits from the Everlands burst into a cloud of blood and shattered bones, the energy that had merged with their bodies and souls scattering with their demise.

Han Miaoyuan and Jihui, the ones they had called to for help, were stunned, as Lin Daoke was ensnared by Yu Yuan.

The divine and magnificent form that Yu Yuan had manifested surpassed their wildest imaginations and seemed to throw their strategies and preparations into disarray.

Han Miaoyuan and Jihui were anxiously deliberating on how to extricate Lin Daoke from his dire straits.

It was only when Cao Ji and Wuran screamed that they abruptly realized that the two supreme beings who had accompanied them appeared to be in Yu Yuan's crosshairs.

However, by the time they contemplated action, it was tragically too late.

Cao Ji and Wuran perished in an instant.

Their magic arts and the arcane theurgy they had mastered were mere illusions before Yu Yuan, bursting at the slightest contact.

"Sir."

Jihui swiftly steadied his mind, unaffected by the deaths of Cao Ji and Wuran. He whispered, "Such a figure truly befits the Lord of the Abyss. Bertain, that accursed Titan Spinosaurus, and the Lord of Ruin ought to be subdued."

Jihui firmly believed that Yu Yuan would eventually return to lead them once more. Thus, the stronger Yu Yuan became, the more elated he felt.

"He has transcended his first life, surpassed his former self, yet he remains our leader."

Taixu gently bowed, stepping on a fragment of rock amidst the cosmos, and saluted Yu Yuan from a distance with awe in his expression. "I knew it would come to this!"

Tianqi's muscular form trembled, his eyes brimming with boundless admiration.

This was the Yu Yuan he revered: the invincible dragon slayer, the towering figure who established the golden era of the Boulderdawn's human clan, the exalted leader of the Divine Soul Sect!

The man he envisioned possessed such grace and awe-inspiring combat prowess.

Having been resurrected and reclaiming his place at the zenith of the cosmos, he was destined to outshine Demon God Bertain and Dark Phoenix, becoming the undisputed foremost being of the Origin Realm!

The Lizard and the Abyssal Leviathan exchanged glances, their hearts a mix of joy and resignation, sensing that the age of their cosmic giant beasts was truly drawing to a close.

Yu Yuan, with his human form and complete life sequence granted by Primal Blood, seemed to have eclipsed the Titan Spinosaurus.

With a whoosh, the Uxthar Tree beneath the Secular Bird Queen's feet shot out like lightning, its luminous green leaves cascading down onto the starry expanse where Cao Ji had perished.

The leaves gathered a wealth of plant essence and the magic arts Cao Ji had mastered.

As a divine spirit of vegetation born in the Everlands following Ji Tianyu, Cao Ji carried within him what the Uxthar Tree needed. Thus, after his spirited body shattered, the divine tree hastened to harvest its bounty.

Yu Yuan tacitly condoned this act.

Two streams of black and green essence, now visible as swirling clouds, darted through the Ashlands.

They sought a rift in the void, an escape route, tracing the connection back to the heart of the Everlands, eager to return and empower the supreme beings of the future.

Yet the Ashlands were now impenetrable, its sole portal to the outside world sealed shut by Yu Yuan.

The two essences flitted about in vain, unable to find an exit, their frantic movements betraying a sense of profound urgency.

It was as though they possessed a form of spiritual wisdom.

Yu Yuan, whose immense form could once pierce the heavens, abruptly contracted and resumed his normal stature.

Squinting, he perceived that after the deaths of Cao Ji and Wuran, the green and black ripples that had been spreading into the Ashlands ceased. Yet, under Yu Yuan's scrutiny, the surviving Most Highs—Zu Ann, Qin Luo, and Han Miaoyuan—continued to emanate these ripples, persistently corrupting the Ashlands.

This confirmed a fact: only when the Origins merged with the Most Highs could they wield the power to invade worlds. The weakest of the Most Highs' primordial spirits, those of Wuran and Cao Ji, had some connection to Yu Yuan, while Lu Hongpeng and Van Heqing were esteemed as Grand Sword Immortals within the Sword Sect.

The weakest Most Highs, those unrelated to him, became unwitting subjects for his investigation.

"Come," Yu Yuan beckoned softly.

The two fleeing strands of Origins, desperate to leave the Ashlands and retreat into the Everlands' core, found themselves confined within two Crimson Realms, no matter how they tried to escape. They soon realized that these realms were, in fact, the palms of Yu Yuan's hands.

Caught in Yu Yuan's grasp, the green and black Origins struggled in vain, just as the Dark Phoenix had once held them captive, unable to break free.

"Without merging with a Most High, your capacity to corrupt worlds has vanished," Yu Yuan remarked, his gaze settling on Han Miaoyuan with a smile. "It appears to be quite straightforward. If I eliminate all of you, your methods of infecting the Ashlands will be thwarted by me."

Han Miaoyuan scoffed, "Lin is still alive."

Yu Yuan was unfazed and turned his attention to Jihui.

With unruffled composure, Jihui spoke gravely, "I hadn't anticipated that even Mr. Lin would be so easily ensnared by you. When he emerged from the Abyss, I believed he could stand against you. But it seems I was mistaken..."

A hint of disappointment tinged Jihui's words, but his eyes sparkled with the light of wisdom as he sought alternative strategies.

"Mr. Lin's primordial spirit sword isn't the true source of the sword. Despite his attempts to evolve it with his power and insight, it falls short of the Primal Anima's stature. Perhaps, after eons, his primordial spirit sword might harbor a glimmer of hope."

"But definitely not now."

Yu Yuan addressed Lin Daoke as "Mr. Lin," just as Jihui did, because the Sword Sect Master deserved his respect and truly merited the title "Mr."

Jihui remained silent, offering no response.

"As for you two..."

Yu Yuan's gaze shifted to Zu Ann and Qin Luo, his expression tinged with hesitation.

Zu Ann seemed to understand his thoughts and bravely met his gaze, saying somberly, "If I detach my Origin, it won't corrupt the Ashlands, but my life will come to an end, and I will die as a result."

The master of Skyreach Peak, who had regained his youth through his Origin, appeared to age significantly as he spoke these words.

"Let it be."

Yu Yuan shook his head. To his friend from a past life, the master of Skyreach Peak, whom he had helped numerous times and who had reluctantly allied with Han Miaoyuan, he said, "Keep it for now."

He couldn't bear to watch Zu Ann die.

"And what about me? If I don't separate from my Origin, will I die?" Qin Luo asked with a wry smile.

"My lord, the cauldron spirit of the Crucible of Evil also possesses an Origin. Do you want them all to die, or should they be spared for now?" Jihui suddenly chuckled, presenting Yu Yuan with a dilemma, "You wish for Zu Ann to live, but you can't achieve that quickly. You'll need Kaiya's help."

Jihui clearly understood that Kaiya could enable Zu Ann to live without his Origin, just as she had done for Xuanli.

Yet, this would require exceedingly rare materials and a substantial number of Beast God souls.

This remark prompted many to glance at the two items hovering in the midst of the flaming meteorite: the Cosmic Crucible and the Crucible of Evil.

Yuan Lianyao, submerged in the blood fire at the base of the furnace, had yet to reveal herself, but everyone was aware of her profound transformation.

Inside the Crucible of Evil, Yu Yiyi was advancing to the next stage of becoming a Demon God in its internal little world, her devil soul merging with an Origin.

"You, along with the heart of the Everlands, are indifferent to who merges with the Origin. It simply needs to merge to ascend to the Most High, manifest in the Ashlands, and infiltrate the foundational laws of the Ashlands. It desires the barriers of the Ashlands to dissolve, allowing the Everlands to seamlessly converge."

When Yu Yuan spoke again, the two primal sources he held in his palms were actively seeking their nearest targets.

Tianqi and Xuanli appeared to have felt their presence, as the sources, brimming with eagerness, sought to enter their bodies and bestow upon the two God-Kings the gift of the primal source.

Both Tianqi and Xuanli were taken aback.

As the sources zeroed in on them, their primordial spirits resonated with the consciousness of the sources, which beckoned them to draw near and absorb the primal energies with their own primordial spirits.

"Yu Yuan!"

The Secular Bird Queen, her bare feet gracing a verdant leaf, called out sharply. She had absorbed the flesh and residual soul left behind by Cao Ji after the Uxthar Tree had brought about his demise.

Her face, of an otherworldly beauty, took on a grave expression. "There's an anomaly in the Dark Realm!"

"The Dark Realm?"

The group was visibly surprised, turning their attention in unison.

"Yuan Le is in the Dark Realm, and so is Dark Phoenix Zhiya," Jihui stated calmly.

Chen Qinghuang paused, seemingly unaware that Yuan Le and Zhiya were currently in the Dark Realm.

She brushed off Jihui and addressed Yu Yuan directly, "Cao Ji, the one hailed as the Most High, had once ventured into the Dark Realm and made a discovery there. After returning to the Everlands and ascending to the Most High through the power of plant magic, he learned something crucial."

"What might that be?" Yu Yuan inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"In the Dark Realm, there's a zone that connects to the Abyss. The Tree of Life that seduced Uxthar resides in the Abyss. Cao Ji had once sensed its presence from the Dark Realm."

"Cao Ji was uncertain before, but he has recently come to a realization," the Secular Bird Queen elaborated.

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