C2092 New Thoughts

In the Dark Nebula, a sinister Crimson Star sped through the void, drawing the attention of countless onlookers. Its brilliance was captivating, and the aura it emitted held the mysteries of the origins of life itself. It compelled every observer to want to bow in reverence, to draw near, and to heed its guidance.

As the star passed by, many Otherkin warriors caught sight of it and experienced a sudden, enlightening revelation.

"To the Dark Realm!"

"To the Dark Realm!"

"It's guiding us to the Dark Realm, providing us with the coordinates!"

Any ninth-level warrior who witnessed the star's radiant light felt their bloodline chain stir within their heart, tuning in to the divine will.

Consequently, innumerable Voidfarers roared to life across their Astral Domains, setting a course for the Dark Realm.

...

In a shattered world overrun with alien beasts, swarms of Sky Fiends, including formidable ninth-level Demon Gods, let out their battle cries.

An ancient Titan warrior, ensnared and transformed by the Demon God Sable, gazed upon a hill overgrown with weeds.

The immortal Demon God Sable commanded his legions of Demon Gods, Demon Generals, and Demon Kings to hunt the superior alien beasts in this fractured realm they had conquered.

Even ninth-level beast kings fought desperately, fleeing for their lives.

The ninth-level Iron-winged Birds, wraiths, and other creatures here had not heeded the Dark Phoenix Zhiya's call and did not journey to the Dark Star.

They had remained neutral, not engaging in the cosmic upheaval, never anticipating the calamity that would strike.

Led by Sable, the Sky Fiends, following orders from High Priest Reid, decimated the alien beast population.

"Elder!"

Mitts, of the inner demon kin, approached Sable. She was ethereal, like a celestial nymph, her vibrant sash billowing about her.

Pointing to the swiftly moving star, she exclaimed in astonishment, "That is the Primal Blood Continent!"

Having departed from Zionidall, Sable, who had been fixated on the Abyss, now observed a green-black demonic flame burning in the eye sockets of the Titan warrior's skeletal remains, resembling a jagged, broken mountain.

He had already seen the fleeting Crimson Star and understood its origin.

"Don't bother with it."

Sable stood at the stern of a colossal Voidfarer, his gaze profound as he watched the Primal Blood Continent pass by. "The High Priest made it clear that our task is to hunt down the alien beasts of this realm, particularly the beast kings that might break through their bloodlines and ascend to the tenth level."

As he spoke, a massive Iron-winged Bird, with a wingspan stretching thousands of kilometers, was besieged by the minds of numerous Sky Fiends.

The beast soul of the Iron-winged Bird was being consumed by the Sky Fiends, its flesh decaying.

"That star, and the extraordinary beings within it, are beyond our capacity to handle," Sable stated with composure.

Whoosh!

A dazzling, seven-colored boulder emerged on the surface of the Crimson Star, gazing towards them like a vibrant, multicolored eye.

Sable, along with Mitts from the inner demon race, and all the Demon Gods who had reached the ninth level, were jolted by the sight.

"It's the Dragon Slaying Stage!"

Mitts, recognizing the seven-colored Hex Stone, exclaimed in astonishment.

Sable, having assimilated the Titan form, trembled slightly and said, "I will inform the High Priest. As for the rest... it's out of our hands."

The Sky Fiends, upon hearing this, nodded with mixed feelings, saying nothing more.

Times had changed.

The humans of the Everlands, now revered as the Gods, had formed the most steadfast alliance with the Sky Fiend race.

Races like the Starborn, enchantresses, Stoneborn, and Shura, who once depended on the Sky Fiend, were now ostracized by both the Gods and the Sky Fiend.

In places like the Annihilation Nebula, Ashlands, and Zagreus, the Gods and Sky Fiends were united in their crusade against the Otherkin.

They had all accepted this new order.

...

Deep within the mist of the blood-colored wall, the Dragon Slaying Stage withdrew its spectrum of colors, transforming into a silvery white.

Within this realm of Heaven and Earth.

"The Sky Fiends are hunting the alien beasts."

Yu Yuan, who had reached the eleventh level of the Solar Spirit Body, had just witnessed the shattered terrain and the Sky Fiends slaying the alien beasts when he caught sight of the Dragon Slaying Stage.

Yu Yuan, possessing an eleventh-level Solar Spirit Body, had recently harnessed the power of the Dragon Slaying Stage to witness the shattered earth and the Sky Fiends hunting alien beasts. Sable, the formidable Demon General under Bertain, had left a lasting impression on him since his days as a dragon slayer.

"The devil souls of those Sky Fiends have undergone a change in color," Yu Yuan remarked, his expression grave.

He turned to Taishi, whose existence was now reduced to a deep purple primordial spirit, and explained, "When you entered the Dragon Slaying Stage, the Primal Soul of the Everlands had not yet been consumed and assimilated. The Stage severed your connection with the external world, sparing you from transformation."

Having moved beyond the grief of losing his physical form, Taishi responded calmly, "My primordial spirit's advancement was possible due to Bertain's assistance. At that time, I hadn't merged with any primal source. In truth, my primordial spirit is akin to that of a Great Demon God of the Sky Fiend race."

Taishi was well aware of the events that had transpired, including the consumption of the creator of the Sky Fiend race by the Primal Soul of the Abyss.

Within the crystalline realm of the Dragon Slaying Stage, besides Yu Yuan and Taishi, there were Chen Qinghuang's Lunar Spirit and Cao Jiaze.

Chen Qinghuang and Cao Jiaze examined Taishi's primordial spirit with curiosity, attentively following the dialogue between the two.

The quartet contemplated how to extricate themselves from the clutches of the most powerful Primal Anima in the Three Realms, rooted in the Heart of the Everlands. They deliberated, seeking a new path through their collective wisdom and insight.

"The stronger the soul, the more susceptible it is to corruption," Yu Yuan mused, still in contact with his real body within the Dragon Slaying Stage.

Drawing from the awakened memories of his real body, he shared his analysis: "It is the mightiest soul. Having devoured a being of the Everlands, its mystical powers have become unfathomably potent."

The Demon God, Demon Generals, Demon Guards, and many lesser demons have all succumbed due to the unique nature of their kind. Only Bertain remains, still in the throes of invasion, desperately fighting back.

As Yu Yuan spoke, Cao Jiaze, Taishi, and Chen Qinghuang listened intently, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Next are the humans."

"Even the most powerful humans who have cultivated their primordial spirits struggle to evade the Sky Fiend. If they lose their original essence, their situation becomes even more dire. Taishi, you're still on the Dragon Slaying Stage. If you were to leave, you'd be just as vulnerable as the Sky Fiend."

"Tan Xiaotian hasn't managed to completely break free, and Lin Daoke will eventually succumb as well. These powerful beings have all ascended through their primordial spirits, and since the Sky Fiend is the source of the soul, it's incredibly difficult for them to break away."

"Zu Ann, Qin Luo, Van Heqing, and others who have reached the Most High through the standard cultivation system are no different; they're just as trapped."

"Unless..."

Yu Yuan paused, then turned to Chen Qinghuang and continued, "Unless you're like yourself or Ann Ziqing, who have greatly fortified their Solar Spirit and ascended to the Most High through the Otherkin bloodline. That's the way to escape. The power of blood and flesh, influenced by Primal Blood, can lessen the soul's constraints. Those who haven't cultivated a primordial spirit find it easier to resist its corruption."

"After losing my primordial spirit and shattering my Solar Spirit, I no longer felt its presence," Cao Jiaze interjected.

He had come to terms with his fate and understood the caliber of the being that had taken possession of him.

Now, he looked to Yu Yuan for guidance, hoping to find a way to live on in peace.

The Secular Bird Queen gave a slight nod and added, "I've wiped its mark from my soul. By diminishing the power of the dominant soul, I've completely freed myself from its grasp."

As they conversed, Yu Yuan and his real body exchanged thoughts. He then continued, "I vaguely remember that the human race of the Abyss initially lacked both earthly souls and heaven souls. Back then, their cultivation method involved using the power of the Abyss to purify their sinews and flesh, thereby strengthening the dominant soul and inducing its ultimate transformation."

"Without earthly souls, there was no transformation into Lunar Spirits, and without heaven souls, there was no forging of Solar Spirits."

"The current cultivation system of the human race was initially conceived by me and later refined and improved by Bertain. This was due to new changes that emerged in the human race after the Everlands came into being."

"The Root of the Lunar Meridian carried only a third of the arcane's authority. After it descended into the Everlands and was assimilated, the human race gained access to earthly souls and Lunar Spirits. But it could only decipher a third of the arcane because the mysteries it brought were incomplete. Thus, when the cultivation of the earthly soul reached its zenith, it would only reach the Lunar Spirit Realm, with no further progression."

"The bloodline mysteries imprinted within the heart of the Titan Spinosaurus are also incomplete, but they contain more than those of the Root of the Lunar Meridian."

"Therefore, the heaven soul can still undergo transformation. However, when it reaches the stage of the Solar Spirit, it coalesces with spiritual energy rather than vital energy, which is a deviation from the original path."

Yu Yuan's analysis became increasingly focused and his thoughts crystallized.

"By bolstering vitality and achieving the boundless strength of the Solar Spirit Body, as long as the dominant soul has not ascended to become a primordial spirit, the corresponding part of the soul that is weakened can be cast off!"

"If you can do it, then Ann Ziqing should be able to as well, and Ji Ningshuang shouldn't have any issues. Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie, like the Dragon God with the Life Keychain within them, will find it even easier to break free."

"This is a viable strategy before the Primal Blood and Primal Vitality are consumed and refined by it."

"Future human cultivators, if they choose to follow the path of the Solar Spirit and fortify themselves with vitality, can avoid its control as long as they do not allow their dominant soul to undergo the transformation into a primordial spirit."

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