C2038 He Still Came
In the Dark Realm, Ji Ningshuang's vitality was vast and mighty, akin to the deep sea. She had reached the pinnacle of the Otherkin, much like Ballo.
Her soul had not yet transformed into a primordial spirit, and her body bore the imprint of numerous ice magic rules, as if she were constantly drawing in the ice energy of the universe.
The sword qi naturally emanating from her also contained the profound cold of the stars and the sharp essence of the Shura, as if the Primal Blood had intentionally endowed her with this power.
The Primal Blood, deeply appreciative of the millennia of protection it had received, bestowed upon Ji Ningshuang a power while crafting her with its icy might.
It seemed to be a way to enable Ji Ningshuang to take on the duty of safeguarding the Dark Realm.
Thus, despite being in different Starry Sky Forbidden Zones, she and Yu Yuan could sense each other's presence.
Yu Yuan could clearly track Ji Ningshuang's movements within the Dark Realm and, through her, glimpse various scenes from that shadowy world.
The darkness of the Dark Realm had no effect on her; she shone like a radiant ice star, illuminating the darkness around her.
Having shed a portion of her origin and fortified by the extreme cold and the gifts of the Primal Blood, Ji Ningshuang had grown more formidable than before.
She now surpassed the strength of the fire phoenix from the Wasteland and had ascended to the stature of Cardo.
She possessed the credentials to break through to the eleventh level!
Favored by the extreme cold and granted the ultimate ice magic of the cosmos, she became the embodiment of the extreme cold.
However, Yu Yuan couldn't help but worry about her being sent to the perilous Dark Realm during such a critical time.
The Dark Realm was home to Yuan Le, the Ape, and the purple phoenix.
According to the Uxthar Tree, the Tree of Life rooted in the Abyss was poised to strike at the Dark Realm, and it was home to the Thunder Spirit.
Tan Xiaotian might also join forces.
With these formidable beings frequently appearing in the Dark Realm, Yu Yuan had to proceed with caution.
"If you encounter something you can't handle, notify me immediately. With you in the Dark Realm, I should be able to cross realms and join the fight by tapping into our Blood Call." After a moment of careful sensing, Yu Yuan discovered that his Solar Spirit shared an exceptionally tight blood bond with Ji Ningshuang.
This bolstered his confidence.
If Ningshuang was indeed in the Dark Realm and encountered an insurmountable problem, he was certain he could reach her in time.
With this in mind, he focused on the two strands of black and green Origin in his palm, contemplating the fusion of their power with his Demonic Vessel through the might of the Undead Lord.
At that moment, his gaze was fixed on the Everlands' real body, which continued to soar.
The connection between the Everlands and the Ashlands remained unbroken.
He had sealed off all passages between the Ashlands and the outside world. The numerous shadowy caverns of Eiwrone were obscured by a crimson glow, ensuring the Ashlands' complete isolation from the Origin Realm.
The denizens of the Origin Realm shouldn't be able to detect the Ashlands.
Yet, the trajectory of the Everlands' flight and the composure of Han Miaoyuan and his companions indicated that the blazing Everlands remained unaffected.
"Could it be necessary to obliterate all the Origins and extinguish the spiritual sense within the blazing fire?"
Yu Yuan was indecisive, knowing that such an action would instantly end Zu Ann's life.
"My lord, the original source is precious and not easily refined. Please think twice before destroying it," Jihui implored. "The original source can forge a primordial spirit, its potency directly influencing its strength. The stronger it is, the stronger you become. Slaying Cao Ji and Wuran had little impact, but please, do not destroy the original source."
"To destroy the original source is to dissolve a portion of your future strength. I urge you to consider this carefully!"
Jihui's plea was both frantic and earnest.
As Jihui was making his appeal, the Everlands' blaze abruptly ceased, an eerie stillness taking hold.
It had become a colossal fireball in an alien star sea, consuming all sources of fire, amassing the world's flame energy into itself.
Crackling fiercely, the Everlands' surface blazed with such intense flame energy that any living creature would be reduced to ashes in mere moments.
Cosmic giant beasts, the Wasteland's Beast Gods, and the mightiest warriors of the Otherkin would all meet their demise if they dared to approach the Everlands in its current state.
The abrupt halt caught Yu Yuan off guard.
With a whoosh, two silhouettes emerged from the still-burning Everlands, a master and disciple pair.
Cao Jiaze and Han Qi.
Han Qi, now in the Defiled World, had ascended to a God of Ghosts using his original power. One would expect him to be brimming with pride, yet in the presence of Cao Jiaze, he was the epitome of restraint and caution.
His demeanor towards Cao Jiaze was far from the casual nature of a master with his disciple; all semblance of ease had vanished.
He wouldn't even allow himself to gaze upon Cao Jiaze's back, instead perpetually bowing his head in deference.
His humility knew no bounds.
Yu Yuan, who had intended to wield the shadowforce to annihilate two primal forces within the Ashlands, ceased his efforts the moment Cao Jiaze made his appearance.
Seated upon the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan's real body was seized by an eerie sensation, as if a formidable adversary loomed before him.
Cao Jiaze, with the Origin within and the Soul Pillar within his sea of consciousness, hovered amidst the tumultuous flames, observing with a serene gaze.
Yu Yuan inhaled deeply.
The Dragon Slaying Stage and his Solar Spirit Body were in utmost sync with his Demonic Vessel, primed for an all-out confrontation.
It dawned on Yu Yuan that Han Qi's profound humility and caution were not in deference to Cao Jiaze of the Ebon Star, nor to his disciple.
Rather, Han Qi's respect was reserved for the deep-seated creator of the Human Race within the Heart of the Everlands.
The Primal Soul that emerged from the Abyss.
It had infused a thread of spiritual sense into the Soul Pillar within Cao Jiaze's mind, manifesting through Cao Jiaze's form and divine station, as if it had stepped forth from the Heart of the Everlands itself.
The Primal Soul from the Abyss had infiltrated the Everlands, allowing humanity to establish its roots in the Origin Realm, gradually eroding it from within. Now, it had finally made its presence known.
Apparently, it was Yu Yuan's intent to destroy the two refined primal forces that had roused it.
Through Cao Jiaze's eyes, it observed Yu Yuan silently.
Crack!
In Yu Yuan's mind, the memory locks bound by numerous green and black soul threads seemed on the verge of splitting under its piercing gaze.
Yu Yuan was left in a daze.
The disturbance in his real body reverberated, affecting both his Solar Spirit and his Demonic Vessel in the Ashlands.
Deep within the Ashlands, the two figures appeared as if struck by an unknown force, suddenly becoming as lifeless as their real bodies. Their eyes were vacant, their expressions frozen, as though their thoughts were being constrained from afar.
Jihui, who had been earnestly trying to persuade Yu Yuan, let out a sigh of relief upon witnessing this state. "Sir, it's time for you to return," he called out respectfully, his demeanor towards Yu Yuan reminiscent of Han Qi's towards Cao Jiaze.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the Ashlands, the two sources of power that had been under Yu Yuan's control were suddenly freed. Before Tianqi and Xuanli could even register what was happening, the sources darted into their foreheads like streaks of green and black lightning. In a flash, the sources began to assimilate with the two God-Kings.
A distant will from another Astral Domain, exuding an air of irrefutable majesty, commanded Tianqi and Xuanli to submit. The barriers they had created, akin to a fragile sandbank against a torrential river, were swiftly breached, and they soon lost control over their own souls.
"Tianqi!"
"Xuanli!"
Taishi and Taixu, the God-Kings, were still unaware of Yu Yuan's peculiar condition when they were startled by the plight of Tianqi and Xuanli.
"Has it... emerged?" Han Miaoyuan inquired cautiously.
Jihui nodded slowly.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the midst of resplendent sword light, the five stars that Yu Yuan had refined with his Solar Spirit burst apart, transforming into a vast meteor sea. Lin Daoke, seizing the moment Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit faltered, sensed the halt in the operation of the Five Elements Great Forbidden and with a single sword strike, shattered the seal and broke free.
From the sealed depths of "Eiwrone," intense flames surged forth, dissolving the barrier Yu Yuan had erected.
Rip! Rip!
"Eiwrone" itself was pried open by a force, and the space magic that permeated the star converged into a beam of light that streaked across the starry sky.
The fabric of space in the Ashlands was rent by this beam, revealing a colossal rift. Through it, a star ablaze with fire hurtled closer, wrapped in a radiant halo as if weaving through layers of the void.
"Everlands!"
"It has finally arrived!"
All the mighty beings of the Ashlands exclaimed in astonishment upon witnessing the emergence of this familiar celestial body.
Yet, both Yu Yuans remained motionless, seemingly oblivious to the Everlands soaring through the skies.
...
Before May Day, I decided to take my wife and kids to my mother-in-law's house early to have some fun and celebrate the holiday.
But luck was not on my side. A neighboring town suddenly reported a positive case, and then I was stuck in a small rural town, subjected to daily COVID tests.
I had hoped it would only last a few days, but now it's the tenth day, effectively putting me in quarantine for ten days with no clue when I can return to Yangzhou.
Feeling quite down today, since I'm unsure when I'll be able to go home, I couldn't bring myself to write anything this morning.
