C2064 The One Who Blocked the Way

At the edge of an immense mountain, a black goat materialized amidst a grayish-brown celestial body.

The world inhabited by the black goat teemed with innumerable evil spirits, and the land was strewn with bones, many of which belonged to creatures from the Origin Realm.

The black goat, steadfast in its loyalty to Yuan Le, fixed its icy stare upon the darkness that loomed behind Tan Xiaotian.

"Futile efforts."

Whoosh!

The black goat gradually transformed into an elegant and dignified woman clad in a black gown, embellished with an array of exquisite ornaments.

Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that each delicate ornament was intricately carved from various bones.

These bones glimmered, forming bone rings around her snow-white arms, necklaces, or earrings, lending her an air of regal opulence.

"I shall adapt to local customs, as per your directive."

She pivoted, bowing respectfully to Yuan Le, and when her gaze returned to Tan Xiaotian, she declared, "Do not presume that by harnessing the Dark Anima and ascending to the eleventh level, you are entitled to challenge our king."

She shook her head, her voice laced with frost, "You are not worthy!"

The stars encircling the mountain unveiled the true forms of the tenth level Beast Gods.

The mountain trembled subtly as the stars blazed with intensity, the ferocity of the Beast Gods reverberating through heaven and earth.

The Flame Lion, Rat God Panot, ice phoenix Alex, the Ape of the Godsblight Marsh, and numerous colossal Beast Gods emerged among the stars.

Some of these Beast Gods exuded auras rivaling that of the Lizard-like cosmic giant beasts.

Nearly a hundred Beast Gods unleashed a collective roar at Tan Xiaotian.

Behind Tan Xiaotian, the realm shaped by the "Shadowsky" had only just solidified, with dark deities emerging from his thoughts and adherence to the rule.

In the midst of cataclysmic roars, the Darklands shattered, and the dark deities and demons he had refined were obliterated by the sonic onslaught.

The 'Shadowsky,' manifested from the meditation mat, endured a force as formidable as the Tree of Life's cascading leaves.

The Divine Artifact that Tan Xiaotian had meticulously crafted, and for which he had altered his course to defend, was once again grievously damaged.

Boom!

A surge of dark clouds, expanding outward with ferocious energy, was abruptly halted by the bestial bellows.

Tan Xiaotian's remnant soul was also permeated by a malevolent force.

He was momentarily disoriented when he noticed a black goat strolling with an unhurried gait through his sea of consciousness.

Each time the black goat's hooves touched down, a Soul Lake materialized.

As soon as a Soul Lake appeared, Tan Xiaotian's will, intellect, and the dark magic he had mastered flowed toward it, as if the black goat was siphoning off his power.

Tan Xiaotian was instantly on guard.

This black goat from the Wasteland was unlike any other Beast God. She was a master of Mind Magic, deeply versed in the mysteries of the Primal Soul and Primal Vitality.

She might even surpass the newly born Cao Jiaze in matters of the soul, marking her as an anomaly among the Beast Gods.

"Dark Anima!"

Tan Xiaotian scoffed, his eleventh-level supreme soul transforming into a sphere of inky light.

This orb, brimming with unfathomable secrets and woven from strands of dark magic, suddenly expanded into a mountain of equal stature, encircled by stars.

The mountain was jet black, as were the stars that surrounded it.

As this mountain materialized and Tan Xiaotian envisioned it, the power of the Dark Overlord began to influence the actual world.

The mountain where Yuan Le stood, once as crimson as the Primal Blood Continent, abruptly turned black.

The stars that had once been a kaleidoscope of colors beside the mountain also shifted to black.

The multitude of Beast Gods, along with the Lord of Ruin, Yuan Le, felt as though they were dragged into Tan Xiaotian's World of Darkness in the blink of an eye. Many Beast Gods lost sight of one another, and their thoughts and consciousnesses came to a standstill.

Even the true black goat found itself adrift in its own stellar domain.

Yuan Le let out a wry smile and spoke to the Ape in the Great Marsh, "The Everlands truly are wondrous, capable of forging a formidable figure like Tan Xiaotian."

"Tan Xiaotian is indeed formidable."

The Ape, born of the Everlands, suddenly displayed his colossal giant ape form. Grasping the Heaven-Shattering Hammer, he swung it down through the void.

With a resounding clang, a deluge of blood light burst forth, shattering the dark magic Tan Xiaotian had erected and bathing the world in light once more.

The black goat and all the astonished Beast Gods realized that everything had reverted to its original state.

The Ape, held in high esteem by their king, harbored the Life Keychain within his being. With Yuan Le's spirit inhabiting him, his heart now possessed numerous extraordinary bloodlines.

His Heaven-Shattering Hammer shattered Tan Xiaotian's "Shadowsky," causing a heavy sense of dread to settle in Tan Xiaotian's heart.

Tan Xiaotian had never imagined that, even after ascending to the eleventh level and becoming a Dark Overlord, the Ape could still cause him such trouble.

"Tan Xiaotian, we have history between us. Our actions have nothing to do with you, so you might as well step back."

The Ape's menacing presence stirred the heavens and the earth. His massive eyes sparked with electricity, and deep above his head, his vital energy roared ceaselessly.

Upon reaching this mountain, the Ape seemed to undergo another transformation, growing even more powerful.

Now, he felt confident enough to challenge the Dark Phoenix, and Tan Xiaotian did not intimidate him in the slightest.

With a tear in the fabric of the sky, Yu Yuan's eleventh-level Solar Spirit emerged from the Ashlands.

"Yu Yuan!"

Tan Xiaotian's face fell, not with surprise but with dissatisfaction at Yu Yuan's arrival.

"The Evil God of the Abyss, the Lord of the Abyss, has granted me the full secrets of dark magic, demanding my loyalty. Yu Yuan, why does everyone think that I, Tan Xiaotian, am less than you?!"

"We'll address our issues later."

Yu Yuan frowned, casting a glance at Tan Xiaotian, instantly recognizing his dire straits.

Initially expelled from the Dark Realm by the Tree of Life, Tan Xiaotian was already depleted. Then, he single-handedly battled numerous Beast Gods of the Wasteland, which left him even more drained before Yuan Le could intervene, resulting in injuries.

The Dark Anima that could empower him was still in the Abyss, and fearing the Primal Soul there, it dared not lend assistance to Tan Xiaotian.

Yet, Tan Xiaotian had the audacity to confront this mountain and halt the advance of the Beast Gods, earning Yu Yuan's respect.

"At last, you've arrived."

Yuan Le, perched at the mountain's summit, seemed to have been anticipating the arrival of Yu Yuan's eleventh-level Solar Spirit.

He and the mountain, having wreaked havoc and death throughout the Origin Realm, eagerly awaited Yu Yuan's coming.

Yu Yuan and this eleventh-level Solar Spirit, both forged from the same Primal Blood, were destined to be archenemies.

"Jihui, ever faithful to you, orchestrated for the Dawnbringers' chieftain to enter our realm in search of light. Hehe, it seems he doesn't regard me, Yuan Le, at all! In the world I reign over, they seek the light right under my watchful eye. Do they truly think they can circumvent me?" Yuan Le chuckled softly.

With a casual clap of his hands, Cardo emerged from the Beast God Temple behind him. The delicate girl-like Cardo, entwined in a crimson glow, was emaciated to the point of being skin and bones. She floated before Yuan Le.

With one hand, Yuan Le grasped her swan-like, alabaster neck and forced her to kneel on the ground.

The essence of her own flesh and blood had vanished from the depths of Cardo's being. The energy coursing through her organs and meridians resembled countless leeches, draining her strength. Moreover, her heart was gone, as if it had been excised and placed elsewhere.

Yuan Le gripped Cardo's neck, compelling her to lift her head for Yu Yuan and Tan Xiaotian to witness.

"You fail to recognize a favor," Yuan Le said, his voice mild and his lips curled in a smile. "I sent someone to offer you life dew, which could have granted you immortality or allowed you to come to the Wasteland to assimilate with the light source. Yet, you spurned my generosity, choosing to trust Yu Yuan and relinquishing my offer."

"If you are determined to court death, you have only yourself to blame."

Yuan Le tightened his grip slightly.

Crack!

Cardo's delicate neck snapped in his grasp, yet not a drop of blood was shed.

Cardo, second only to Bertain among the extraterrestrial Otherkin and on the cusp of ascending to the eleventh level with the favor of the Light Spirit, met her end just like that.

​