C2069 The Direbear(2)
The Wasteland was thus able to give rise to even more Beast Gods.
Yuan Le's actions, the havoc he wreaked upon the Star Rivers of the Origin Realm, were in fact harming the realm itself and diminishing the ranks of its mightiest cultivators.
The Primal Soul, Primal Blood, and Primal Vitality of this realm draw sustenance and evolve from this world, which is why Yuan Le must not be allowed to act without restraint.
"I've ventured into the Abyss and realized it's far more enigmatic than anything we've encountered. It filled me with dread, prompting me to muster all my strength to step into the Origin Realm, so as not to be left behind."
"Otherwise, we'll eventually be consumed by the Abyss."
Yuan Le seemed to sense Yu Yuan's thoughts and suddenly expressed such a sentiment. His demeanor turned gravely serious at the mention of the Abyss.
To him, the Abyss appeared as a world-ending vortex, once immensely vast and now rapidly expanding.
He was consumed by fear of the Abyss!
"The Abyss!"
Tan Xiaotian, as if triggered by the word, his face darkened and he let out a cold huff.
Whoosh!
A violet-gold blade stretched forth before the mountain, imbued with life power by Yu Yuan, transforming into a keen Divine Artifact known as the Life Blade.
The demonic clouds obstructing the crimson light rivers were cleaved by the edge of the Dragon Slaying Stage, allowing his assault to surge forward unimpeded.
In that moment, he noticed the stars encircling the mountain were meticulously ranked by their hierarchy.
Yuan Le stood at the summit.
There were but four stars nearest to the peak, seemingly at equal height, yet with subtle differences between them.
Below, among the four stars with their minute disparities, the closest to the peak was the black goat, now a beautiful woman in a black gown.
She appeared to be the second most powerful Beast God in the Wasteland, just after Yuan Le, and was the bearer of the Life Keychain.
On the star just slightly beneath hers rested a bear, massive as a mountain and round as a boulder.
Throughout the conflict, he had yet to demonstrate his might.
The Beast Gods who faced Yu Yuan had launched several assaults, but the colossal bear had abstained from the fray.
When Yu Yuan's gaze fell upon him, he returned the look with astonishment.
For some reason, upon seeing this enormous bear, Yu Yuan sensed that the primal bloodline of the Dire Bear in the Origin Realm was identical to that of this bear. The Dire Bear had successfully advanced to the tenth level, thanks to the "Life Keychain" Yu Yuan had bestowed upon it and its favor with the extreme cold.
Yet, at the sight of this massive bear, Yu Yuan was certain that the Dire Bear from the Origin Realm was no match for it—even though this bear had not yet shown its power.
This bear was a formidable Beast God, ranking just below the black goat in Yuan Le's forces.
Next in line was a smilodon, its fur as sharp as steel needles, followed by the Death Viper.
A new star, born of the Origin Realm's power, rose from below and settled on this tier, beneath the Death Viper, which had taken human form and crafted many exquisite ornaments from Cardo's bones.
This star was the sole domain not yet claimed by a revived Beast God.
It was destined for the Ape, who Yu Yuan had just sent tumbling into the Abyss and who had not yet managed to emerge and claim the starry realm Yuan Le had specifically refined for him.
The black goat, the giant bear, the smilodon, the Death Viper, and the Untamed—these were the five mighty Beast Gods nearest the summit.
Each possessed a Life Keychain, making them eternal beings of awe-inspiring might.
"The Ashlands are truly wondrous. I can't make heads or tails of the energy vortexes created by the deceased Titan Spinosaurus," Yuan Le said, his face etched with bewilderment.
The mountain had ceased its quaking, and the Beast God Temple was silent, with no new Beast God stirring to life.
Yu Yuan was taken aback.
Surrounding Tyria, there were thirty-six energy vortexes, each spewing forth violent cosmic energy.
Yu Yuan had observed these vortexes before but had not discerned their secrets.
He was unclear about the source of the power that fed the whirlpools, which poured into the Ashlands and concentrated the Origin Realm's energy there.
He had speculated that it might originate from the fringes of the Origin Realm's Star River.
Yet even Yuan Le, who had ventured into the Ashlands and encountered the Secular Bird Queen, admitted he was puzzled.
"It's not anywhere in the Origin Realm."
Yuan Le actually had the leisure to converse amidst the chaos. He flashed a grin, shook his head, and said, "There are some mysteries that even you and I need time to unravel."
Boom!
The mountain shook violently once again.
The Dragon Slaying Stage transformed into a violet gold blade that sliced through the demonic clouds and blood mist surrounding the mountain, causing the void to explode and cracks to form on the distant stars.
The lower-ranked Beast Gods let out furious roars, seemingly accusing Yu Yuan of seizing the opportunity to attack while Yuan Le was speaking.
The black goat, now a beautiful woman in a black dress, frowned at the lazy bear that refused to exert any effort and said with displeasure, "Sekou!"
The bear appeared not to hear her, napping in its territory, unconcerned with the turmoil unfolding before it.
Suddenly, Yuan Le's gaze fell upon him.
Startled, the bear sprang into action, shaking its head and growling.
The star it rested upon sank, expanding in size as a surge of vital energy burst forth. This energy collided with the river of light emerging from Yu Yuan, which held the essence of the Origin Realm's vital energy, and the radiance from the Dragon Slaying Stage, causing both to shatter.
Sekou, the bear, seemed to merge with the star, his immense and wild strength churning the void and grinding the rivers of light and violet gold blood rays to dust.
Yu Yuan's initial probing attack had been effortlessly nullified by the bear.
Yu Yuan couldn't discern the bear's core lineage, only sensing its overwhelming heaviness and boundless strength.
"Could it be that the bear, like Taishi, is adept in the power of the earth?" Yu Yuan pondered.
"In our Wasteland, Sekou is known as the Direbear. He can move stars and alter the positions of entire worlds," Yuan Le explained with a smile, as if sensing and promptly clarifying Yu Yuan's confusion.
Sekou gave a simple smile, remaining in his form as a shaggy brown bear.
Once he had thwarted Yu Yuan's initial assault, he and the star he was associated with flew back to their original position.
He growled low at the black goat, speaking in the ancient tongue of the beast clans.
He made no mention of Yuan Le and the others studying the language of the Everlands.
"The one who eats and drinks the most, it's time for you to pull your weight!" the black goat barked, glaring. "Have you forgotten the zeal and bravery you showed when you first entered the Origin Realm? Sekou, we need your strength. Please take a hard look at yourself!"
The Dire Bear merely smirked, clearly unconcerned, showing no regard for the black goat despite its higher status.
