C2053 The Punishment of the Strongest Primal Anima
When a high-level Primal Anima secures a suitable fleshly vessel to manifest its power, it becomes virtually invincible.
This was particularly evident when it took over Cao Jiaze, as it inherently suppressed those of the highest order.
The Sky Fiend, entities like Reid and Youqian, were born of its influence, bearing the mark of its imprint deep within their devil souls.
Ann Ziqing and Youyu also bore its traces within the depths of their souls, unable to escape its grasp.
They all struggled, wielding their own powers in an attempt to break free from the clutches of the Soul Altar.
Yet, they found that the Mind Magic they wielded, along with all forms of intricate blood magic, proved futile against the Soul Altar.
As Yu Yuan's Demonic Vessel began to merge with the Soul Altar, he realized that his understanding of the Path into Shadow, the Shadow Moon Essence coursing through his veins, and the Path of Undead resonating with his meridians were all ineffective.
He instantly grasped that the Will of the Deep had thoroughly mastered the various Mind Magic techniques he had once wielded at the Root of the Lunar Meridian.
Confronting a high-level Primal Anima that knew him inside out, his powers were naturally constrained.
The Primal Vitality in the Wraithlands had not granted him full authority. The Mind Magic belonging to the other two Undead Lords had to be fully imprinted on his Demonic Vessel for him to break through to the eleventh level.
Only by ascending to the eleventh level and assaulting the Soul Altar in a manner unfamiliar to the high-level Primal Anima could he stand a chance of success.
The Primal Anima, channeling a spiritual sense through Cao Jiaze's body, turned its attention to Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie, the two Dragon Gods.
With a hand pointed at each, it beckoned them towards the vacant Soul Altar.
A dense web of lightning rules materialized in the minds of Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie, enveloping the Dragon Gods' Dragon Souls and dragging them toward the Soul Altar.
Loong Jie, with his golden form revealed, let out a monstrous roar. The brilliance bursting from his golden dragon scales tore fissures in the surrounding earth.
Zhong Chichen, with the Book of Time in his palm, frantically turned the pages, unfolding the peculiar dimensions contained within the paper.
Unfortunately, it was all in vain.
Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie's Dragon Souls, having originated in the Everlands, bore its mark and could not escape its spiritual imprisonment. Their Dragon Souls were encased within cages of lightning forged by the rules.
As they were pulled, the eyes of Loong Jie and Zhong Chichen bled.
Ultimately, the physical forms of the two Dragon Gods could do nothing but follow their Dragon Souls into the Soul Altar created by the Mark of the Celestials.
Upon their arrival, the vital energy of the two Dragon Gods began to drain away rapidly.
The peculiar Soul Altar seemed capable of effortlessly switching between the "Blood Altar" and the "Soul Altar." Reid, Youqian, and Youyu had their Soul Power siphoned away.
Ann Ziqing, Zhong Chichen, and Loong Jie, on the other hand, were consumed by their vital energy.
Cao Jiaze stood suspended in the skies of Tyria, his power swelling boundlessly. His vitality surged like an ocean, his Soul Power reaching its zenith.
Without uttering a word, he released nine Soul Altars shaped by the Mark of the Celestials, altering the tide of battle.
The mightiest beings of the Everlands, devoid of their primal source, were still no match for him.
Suddenly, a crisp bird call pierced the air.
The Secular Bird Queen, with wings outstretched beyond the wall, transformed the forces of death and destruction into two stark, frigid worlds, seeking to latch onto the Soul Altars and extract them from Tyria.
Her gaze fell upon Chen Qinghuang, whose azure-black eyes, deep within the Divine Visage, flickered with a chilling intent.
She seemed to be anticipating something.
"Don't!"
"Your phoenix-like rebirth was also chosen by the Everlands! Thus, a trace of it lingers within your soul!"
Youqian, now ascended to a Great Demon God, spotted Chen Qinghuang's Divine Visage slowly emerging beyond the wall and urgently cautioned, "Those below the eleventh level, if born in the Everlands or as a Sky Fiend, cannot resist its pull!"
At his words, Chen Qinghuang hesitated.
"Youqian speaks the truth."
The Abyssal Leviathan and the Starpierced, along with the Titan Turtle, materialized behind the Secular Bird Queen, joining in the effort to dissuade her.
Surrounding the Time Gate, a multitude of powerful beings were locked in fierce combat.
Those of lesser cultivation and inferior bloodline levels had retreated to a safe distance, no longer daring to linger near the gate.
The vast surface of the Everlands lay deserted, not a soul in sight.
The activities deep within the Everlands were hidden from view, known only because of the presence of the Blazing Fire within its depths. This knowledge alone was enough to deter anyone from venturing too close.
The fear of being consumed by the intense flames was one reason; the knowledge of their own inferior strength was another.
In the completely sealed Ashlands, not even a fly could escape. Those scattered across other stars could do nothing but await the verdict of fate.
They believed they had been lured into the Ashlands by the scheming of Han Miaoyuan and the Boulderdawn, a trap set to ensnare them all.
As a result, the Otherkin from various stars cursed the members of the Boulderdawn.
"I hope Lin Daoke's sword can pry open the Time Gate and bring us a pleasant surprise."
The Abyssal Leviathan persuaded Chen Qinghuang, "Lin Daoke's sword light has already engulfed the door, and he has withstood the repeated assaults on his psyche."
After a brief hesitation, Chen Qinghuang declared, "I have another method to join the battle."
The Azure Bird, along with the chaotic sea of death, destruction, and toxic waves behind her, descended upon Tyria, arriving at the location of the Time Gate.
Within the chaotic sea, the Azure Bird, in its cosmic giant beast form, was unaffected by its own will.
...
In the Dark Realm.
A primal essence, ripped from the mind of the Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian, transformed into a cloud of black and green mist, drifting towards the Tree of Life.
At that moment, the Tree of Life's branches, like sharp swords and spears, were entwined with crackling lightning.
It harnessed a portion of the Thunder Spirit's power from within its trunk, using its branches as weapons to battle Ji Ningshuang, wielder of the Stardust Blade.
The Stardust Blade had become a colossal blade of ice, and with every strike, a dazzling river of sword light cascaded forth, a sword's will that filled the vast expanse of the Astral Domain.
Within the River of Swords, golden stars twinkled amidst a multitude of ice crystals adrift in the flow. Ji Ningshuang had infused her sword light with the essence of metal magic, the mysteries of ice, and the power of stars.
The barriers of the Dark Realm, once pierced and torn asunder, transformed into a myriad of sharp ice mirrors, continuing their relentless assault on the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life, steeped in the legends of the Abyss, wielded its vast leaves as shields and its pointed branches as weapons, yet it struggled to mount an effective defense.
Suddenly, it perceived an essence approaching—a source resembling a dark cloud that paused upon the Tree of Life's branches before settling on a leaf.
Instantly, the Tree of Life understood that Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian had extracted his primal essence, defying the mightiest Primal Anima that had long forged an alliance with the Dark Anima.
A chill and a sense of foreboding enveloped both the Tree of Life in the Abyss and the Thunder Spirit within it. These ancient entities, along with the Primal Anima, had dwelled in the endless darkness of the Abyss for eons, long ago subdued by the Primal Soul of the Abyss and bound to its will.
They had ventured into the Dark Realm alongside Tan Xiaotian, tacitly consenting to his declarations because deep within Tan Xiaotian's soul, the primal essence had always been present. Its integration signified Tan Xiaotian's compliance.
Moreover, it implied that from any corner of the Origin Realm, the primal essence could perceive Tan Xiaotian's thoughts, be aware of his actions, and, at pivotal moments, erode and warp his psyche.
The primal essence served as a fetter, a declaration of fealty, and a token of subjugation, imbued with profound significance.
As long as the primal essence remained within Tan Xiaotian's consciousness, his unconventional actions, not resulting in its extraction, indicated that it remained unconcerned—that, in its view, Tan Xiaotian's conduct was acceptable.
But now, Tan Xiaotian had willingly detached from the primal essence.
Both the Tree of Life and the Thunder Spirit grasped the gravity of the situation: even as Tan Xiaotian ascended to the eleventh level, his act of separating from the primal essence had incited its wrath.
Without daring to contemplate further, the Tree of Life and the Thunder Spirit swiftly resolved to heed the commands of the most powerful Primal Anima.
The dark energy that had once saturated the leaves of the primal source was meticulously cleansed, restoring their vibrant jade hue. The leaves' natural patterns were suddenly imbued with the power of lightning, causing them to shimmer brilliantly.
One by one, the transformation occurred. Suddenly, dozens of leaves were purged of dark energy by the Tree of Life, converting it into a different force that made them resemble vast mirrors.
These colossal 'mirrors' floated high in the Dark Realm's sky, gradually moving toward Tan Xiaotian's location. Moments later, the leaves burst forth with a blinding light!
At the pinnacle of the Abyss, the land unleashed a light so intense it seemed to defy gravity, piercing the heavens and striking the majestic Evil Temple, only to be devoured by its insatiable maw.
The power then coursed through the enigmatic pillars of the Holy Temple, flowing back to the Tree of Life in the Dark Realm. These pillars, part of the temple's foundation, were conduits to the Tree of Life, capable of channeling energy.
With a surge, blinding beams erupted from the leaves, obliterating the dark domain above Tan Xiaotian's head, along with the Darklands, ancient halls, and the dark deities spawned by Tan Xiaotian himself. The onslaught left the praying mat riddled with holes.
Tan Xiaotian's eleventh-level Divine Visage was instantly perforated, leaving him grievously wounded. This was the Tree of Life's stern retribution—a direct consequence of his hubris and his attempt to sever his own origin, which had weakened its power. It was a celestial admonition, a stark reminder of the price of defiance.
Tan Xiaotian gazed skyward, his expression and soul contorted as he beheld the radiant beams that should never have been. "You are foolish, yet your bravery is noteworthy," Zhiya, the Dark Phoenix, remarked with a cold laugh. She watched as Tan Xiaotian, now in a pitiable state, was pierced by the intense light, an event she had seemingly anticipated.
With a mocking tone, she continued, "The Light Spirit will emerge in the Abyss, its radiance revealing each layer, using light to counterbalance the darkness. Tan Xiaotian, you are no Yu Yuan; you lack the strength to escape its grasp."
"I suggest you resign yourself to your fate and dutifully serve as its hound. You might find a bit more comfort that way."
...
