C2054

The Demon Phoenix's words were cutting and merciless.

Tan Xiaotian's face was clouded with gloom. The Supreme Darkness Law he had conjured was pierced by intense beams of light, forcing it back into its original form. His "Darkness Robe," meticulously crafted in Creation Land, was riddled with holes, failing to conceal his form. His lean frame, once sustained by the Abyssal power coursing through his bones and veins, now suffered as that very power turned toxic, devouring his flesh.

Whispers seemed to echo in his soul, bringing on an excruciating headache. The meditation mat he had dubbed "Darkness Sky" had sustained serious damage, its internal laws of darkness shattered by the overwhelming force of light.

His Artifact, his body, his spirit—all had endured varying degrees of trauma. In this moment, as Tan Xiaotian absorbed the Demon Phoenix's biting mockery and gazed upon the sky's reflective leaves, he realized that the Abyss Wood, along with its resident Origin Soul of lightning, had been violated. He had extracted its essence, breaching the recent pact.

The formation of that agreement had hinged on a condition he had overlooked—he was to submit fully to the Abyss Origin Soul. Should he defy this, he, the Demon Lord, the epitome of darkness, would forfeit the Abyss Origin Soul's backing and be cast out by the Abyss itself.

"You..."

He attempted to summon the Darkness Origin Spirit within the Dark Domain, seeking its counsel. Yet, to his dismay, he was met with silence; the Darkness Origin Spirit offered no reply.

Tan Xiaotian was engulfed by a sense of utter abandonment. Light and Darkness, two forces intertwined in an eternal dance, each bound to the will of the other. Should Darkness rebel, the Light Origin Spirit's might would surge, quelling the darkness with its brilliance—and vice versa. Neither the Light Origin Spirit nor the Darkness Origin Spirit dared to defy this will, both compelled to heed its command. Tan Xiaotian, a being wrought by the Darkness Origin Spirit, was no exception.

In a flash of insight, Tan Xiaotian understood the Darkness Origin Spirit and grasped the reason behind its lament when he had severed his own essence.

"Do you regret it?" The Demon Phoenix taunted with a cold laugh, yet she withdrew the torrent of demonic energy she had unleashed, choosing not to strike him down at that moment.

She allowed Tan Xiaotian a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "If your Eleventh Level sustains further damage, you'll be demoted. Once that happens, you, Tan Xiaotian, will lose your Origin Soul and your life as well."

"The so-called Darkness Paragons, if they can create one, they can create another."

"Any disobedient Darkness Paragons can simply be destroyed and replaced."

Zhiya delivered the chilling facts.

"Regrets?"

Tan Xiaotian paused, then smiled and shook his head. "I considered the consequences when I severed my origin. It can't come into the Dark Domain, and it lacks a physical body. What's there to regret?"

"Who's to say I'm bound to fall and perish?"

As he said this, he sent a silent message to the Darkness Origin Spirit in Creation Land.

"I know you're scared, aware of your fear of it, afraid to defy its will. Don't worry. Since I, Tan Xiaotian, ascended to the Eleventh Level with your aid, I'll help you grow stronger as long as you don't try to possess me."

"I'll keep expanding the Dark Domain for you! Don't concern yourself with me. I have the strength to defend myself. I refuse to believe it can rule over every creature and anomaly across the Three Realms!"

Dark demonic energy, too thick to dissipate, surged from within him, repairing his ragged cape.

Whoosh!

The immense Dark Domain expanded from Tan Xiaotian's position, merging with the dark energies of the Dark Domain to weave new Laws of Darkness.

The cushion he dubbed "Heaven of Darkness" swelled with his power, integrating with his divine domain.

"Yu Yuan is truly formidable."

Yuen Bu stroked his fluffy cheeks, casting a sidelong glance at the Demon Phoenix that had withdrawn its power, and said with a smile, "The Gray Domain is sealed. The entity in the heart of the vast ocean has begun its ambitious enterprise. Zhiya, do you still intend to squander time in the Dark Domain for the sake of my blood avatar?"

Zhiya replied with an icy tone, "My Phoenix Shrine stands ready at the Gray Domain's entrance. The moment the door opens, I can pass through."

Yuen Bu nodded and responded, "Ah, that explains it."

At that moment, the ice plains had fractured, leaving numerous colossal ice boulders adrift in every direction. Within the Shrouded Tower, the Desolate God stood alongside the Rat God, Nors.

The Desolate God's eyelids began to twitch uncontrollably, with veins bulging on his forehead.

"Who is it?"

Yuen Bu furrowed his brow.

"Yu Yuan."

The Desolate God seemed disoriented as he murmured, "Or perhaps... it. I saw multiple images of Yu Yuan converging deep beneath the vast ocean."

"It, along with Yu Yuan, is attempting to take over my soul!"

The Desolate God's forehead contorted as he tore open new wounds with his fingernails.

He was on the verge of descending into madness once more.

Yuen Bu commanded firmly, "Extract the Demon Soul and let it descend into the Life Keychain to counter its will."

The Desolate God hastened to comply.

His Demon Soul, along with his spiritual memories, flowed from his brain to his heart.

Once the Demon Soul entered the heart, woven by the Bloodline Crystal Chain, it surged into the tree-like Life Keychain. It was then that the Old Ape began to find tranquility, ceasing to self-harm.

"The Life Keychain, bestowed by Yuen Li, harnesses the power of the Desolate Realm's primal blood, and both the Dark Domain and Gray Domain are sufficiently distant."

Without an Origin Soul in his mind, the Desolate God could slowly rid himself of the corrupting influence.

"Now, describe the vision you just witnessed," Yuen Li requested.

"Yu Yuan appeared to be encased within a crystal sphere, with a fiery pool below and a dark sea suspended above. In the ocean's depths, there was a soul shadow of Yu Yuan, and on either side of the pool, two more figures of Yu Yuan," the Old Ape recounted with effort, his voice dreamlike, "They all seemed to be trying to sway me."

Yuen Bu listened intently, nodding frequently, encouraging him to go on.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A potent light source began to coalesce among the leaves above, as if a new power of light was amassing through the foliage to shine upon Tan Xiaotian.

Tan Xiaotian gazed up with an icy stare, observing the leaves as they captured the light.

Though he had not received a response from the Darkness Origin Spirit, he could hear the rustling of the Abyss Wood's other leaves, prompting him, Tan Xiaotian, to proactively assimilate the primal source into his being.

As long as he reintegrated with the primal source and continued to comply obediently, he would be able to maintain his status as an Eleventh Level Darkness Supreme.

This was a well-intentioned piece of advice from the Abyss Wood.

Tan Xiaotian looked up, his mouth twisting into a sinister smile. "What I've expelled, I will not reclaim."

The Dark Domain he inhabited had become one with the "Heaven of Darkness," with a third of all the dark energy in existence converging there.

He decided to temporarily set aside the establishment of the Darkness God Kingdom and the expansion of his territories.

He concentrated most of the dark energy within himself, preparing to withstand the onslaught of the light power and to confront the second wave of punishment from the most potent Origin Spirit.

More intense light and power surged from the highest reaches of the Abyss into the Holy Hall, where it was absorbed by the pillars and channeled toward the Abyss Wood.

At that moment, Beilstein, the Great Demon God from the Origin Realm, cackled within the obsidian pillar.

"This way is closed!"

Beilstein burst out in exclamation.

The light that had been emitted from the land below and swallowed by the Holy Hall failed to reach the Abyss Wood within the Dark Domain.

The luminous leaves remained suspended, yet no strong light shone down.

Tan Xiaotian braced for the worst, ready to sacrifice the Dark Domain, but the anticipated blast of light never came.

...

The Heart of Vast Waters.

Yu Yuan's Eleventh Level Yang God abruptly transformed into a series of dangling Crimson Prisma, with blood-colored lightning etched within the Prisma flickering incessantly.

Within the crystal ball, some new bloodline laws appeared to be wiped clean.

Yu Yuan's true form watched his Yang God with a ripple of amusement in his eyes.

Extreme Flame, possessing Yuan Lianyao, sensed an anomaly and stared in astonishment at the crystal ball capable of imprinting bloodlines and the essence of life, which it perceived as the Heart of Vast Waters.

"Can you truly resist?"

Extreme Flame was in disbelief.

Since entering the Heart of Vast Waters, Yu Yuan's Eleventh Level Yang God had been immobilized like a fly trapped in amber, unable to move or even think.

The crystal ball branded the secrets of his bloodline and integrated the evolutionary truths of the Starry Behemoth within him.

Suddenly, the Yang God's form shifted, showing an unexpected ability to resist the engulfing laws of the Heart of Vast Waters, much to Extreme Flame's surprise.

What he was unaware of was the profound transformation occurring within Yu Yuan's primary soul. As it metamorphosed, previously sealed soul energy was released, triggering the awakening of dormant memories and allowing Yu Yuan to recall numerous events.

These hidden memories contained strategies he had devised in the past to counter the Abyss Origin Soul. He had anticipated a day like today might come.

In his predicament, the most potent Origin Soul was confined deep within his own soul, forcing him to endure endless cycles of reincarnation. Each time, he faced the grim fate of being exploited by the formidable Origin Soul.

Yet with every awakening, despite being dominated by the Origin Soul, Yu Yuan managed to amass invaluable experience.

Fsssh!

Streams of crimson energy burst forth from the body of Yang God Yu, transforming into Starry Behemoths that vanished into the Time River. Within the crystal ball, they sought out the corresponding bloodline laws.

The Yang God Yu, with his pendant prismatic form, underwent a physical transformation, gradually resembling a colossal dragon. His back sprouted purple-golden scales and sharp ridges, while broad and lethal wings unfurled, and his claws gleamed with an indestructible frosty light.

He had become a Titan Spinosaurus, a transformation induced by his Yang God essence.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The heart of the Titan Spinosaurus, forged from the enigmatic soul crystal and the Heart of Vastness, resonated with Yu Yuan's current form. This resonance sent ripples through the foundational laws of the Gray Domain, intertwining them with the Vast Sea.

Wails and roars echoed as if numerous Starry Behemoths emerged within the crystal ball's depths, engaging in ferocious combat.

Boom! Rumble!

The entire Tia Main Planet quaked, and the Heaven Opening Flare Star trembled intensely, undergoing a miraculous transformation.

Atop the Soul Altar, within the dark sea of souls, Yu Yuan slowly shook his head, contemplating the unfolding events.

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