C2099 The Spring

In the Dark Realm, on the main planet of Tyria, it had taken over the body of Yu Yuan, the God of Ghosts, and now hovered in the depths of the void, deep in thought.

Thirty-six massive energy vortexes lay silently scattered around Tyria, no longer spewing forth the mysterious cosmic energy of unknown origin. The creator of these enigmatic vortexes remained unknown to all.

Yu Yuan had been unable to determine where the cosmic energy flowing into the Ashlands was being siphoned off to, and Zhong Chichen was equally clueless about its origins.

Invisible soul threads emerged silently from Yu Yuan's possessed body, each one slipping into a different energy vortex. Yet, not one thread managed to return, as if it were casting lines of Soul Power into the void, fishing without success, losing even the lines themselves.

With a frown, it communicated a silent command, instructing another to act.

Moments later, whoosh! Two figures materialized behind it. One was the Demon Lord, Tan Xiaotian. The other was Arthurs, who had once proclaimed himself the Origin Deity. Now reduced to a residual soul after a severe defeat by Bertain, Arthurs stood behind it, just like Tan Xiaotian, devoid of the Evil God's skeletal form.

Arthurs gazed at the figure that had taken over Yu Yuan's body, his face awash with reverence. In a hushed tone, he asked, "Master? Was it you who summoned me?"

Arthurs had been granted clemency. Following its orders, the Guardian of the Holy Temple had allowed Arthurs to depart from the sacred confines.

Now, Arthurs, a master of space and Mind Magic, had been given a new lease on life and the opportunity to stand alongside Tan Xiaotian before it.

Within Arthurs' evil soul, thoughts flickered, and his phantom stirred. He peered at the thirty-six still energy vortexes and spoke, "Master, I've explored them before to no avail. During my time in this realm, I uncovered a truth. It is said that these energy vortexes, known as the springs, existed before the Ashlands came into being."

Tan Xiaotian's face twitched uncontrollably at Arthurs' words. Standing behind the Demonic Vessel of Yu Yuan, he felt a pervasive discomfort.

Yet, having reestablished a soul connection with the Dark Anima, he was occasionally beset by unusual thoughts that urged him towards compliance.

It turned around indifferently, casting a glance at Arthurs' evil soul.

In Arthurs' evil soul, not a single secret remained.

Every detail related to this place transformed into specks of memory's light, instantly ensnared by it.

It was akin to a more intricate and mysterious form of Spirit Magic.

Arthurs ceased speaking, his evil soul growing indistinct, quivering faintly under its scrutiny.

Arthurs had uncovered the secrets of the Ashlands through another lineage of the Titan Spinosaurus—the Titans. They referred to the thirty-six energy vortexes as "springs," which seemed to have emerged abruptly at a certain moment.

Once the springs emerged, they gushed cosmic energy, drawing the attention of the supreme Titan Spinosaurus. Thus, the former sovereign of the Origin Realm sought it out.

The Titan Spinosaurus, intrigued by the springs, transformed this once inconspicuous Astral Domain into his exclusive Starry Sky Forbidden Zone.

Subsequently, it became his "Dragon Cave."

He collected numerous treasures and young cosmic giant beasts from across the Star Rivers of the Origin Realm, all of which he housed within the Ashlands.

The emergence and wonders of the Ashlands were all due to these "springs."

Yet, the Titan's ancient records did not reveal the origin of the thirty-six springs, nor did they clarify whether the supreme Titan Spinosaurus ever unraveled the secrets of the springs.

With a whoosh, he flung the flag toward Arthurs.

The flag, a melding of the Banner of Duality and the Wraithbanner, held within it the essence of Mind Magic and the hidden intricacies of space, forming its own realm.

Without a physical form, Arthurs was powerless to resist as the flag approached. The Evil God, once self-proclaimed as the Origin Deity, was drawn directly into the flag.

The flag became his provisional vessel. The world within the banner, vast and infinite, had been re-forged, now gleaming with a rainbow's sheen.

Tan Xiaotian, taken aback, noted the flag and its inner world bore a striking resemblance to the Dragon Slaying Stage, with exceedingly similar foundational rules.

With another whoosh, the flag enveloping Arthurs, carrying a strand of his spiritual sense, issued a definitive command.

It instructed Arthurs to wield the flag and delve into one of the "springs."

Arthurs immediately knew he would be pardoned because, in addition to his proficiency in various forms of Mind Magic, he also wielded the power of space magic. He was the sole being who had traversed the Abyssal Gate with his soul and was able to step into the Origin Realm from the Abyss, moving freely as an Evil God within it. Clearly, his unique ability was valued, which is why he was permitted to leave the Holy Temple.

"Yes, Master."

Arthurs dared not disobey. He seamlessly integrated the Evil God into the flagpole, treating the flag as a temporary vessel, and flew toward one of the 'fountains.' After that, all was silent.

He was in no rush, pausing at the brink of the 'fountain.' With a strand of his consciousness within the flag, he continued to perceive the unusual visions within the fountain. Time passed.

Eventually, he turned his gaze to the Demon Lord, Tan Xiaotian, with a vacant stare. At that moment, Tan Xiaotian also sensed the call of the Dark Anima from the Abyss, aware that Yu Yuan's real body had become a brilliant beacon, resisting the surge of dark energy.

"You go first," he commanded Yu Yuan through the Demonic Vessel.

Tan Xiaotian's brow furrowed.

"From the Heart of the Everlands," he instructed once more.

For some inexplicable reason, the resistance in Tan Xiaotian's heart faded away. He remained silent, descending toward the core of the Everlands without protest.

Passing by the Evil Temple, Tan Xiaotian noticed the absence of all the Evil Gods within the open hall, save for the Great Demon God, Bertain. Bertain's devil soul, within his armor, was represented by two orbs of blue-black demonic flames that neither flickered nor danced, as if frozen in time, hollow and numb.

Looking into Bertain's demonic eyes, Tan Xiaotian experienced a fleeting pang between his brows. Nevertheless, he proceeded obediently into the depths, toward the Heart of the Everlands, overseen by the blazing fire and the presence of the Heart itself, en route to the Genesis Continent.

Unbeknownst to him, as he departed the hall, a glimmer of life briefly sparked within Bertain's otherwise vacant and wooden demonic eyes. Regrettably, that spark of vitality vanished as swiftly as it had appeared, as though it had never been.

...

Elsewhere, at the edge of the cosmos, the Phoenix Shrine stood.

Numerous high-ranking alien beasts from the Origin Realm, pursued by the Sky Fiend and targeted by the Evil God, heeded the call of Dark Phoenix Zhiya and converged from all corners of the cosmos.

Zhiya welcomed all the alien beasts that arrived, granting them passage through the Phoenix Shrine to the Wasteland.

She did not require these alien beasts to pledge their loyalty to her upon their arrival in the Wasteland.

One day, a fiery "solar nucleus" streaked across the void, spanning millions of miles to reach the Phoenix Shrine.

The Moonfang Tiger and Yu Zhu, upon witnessing the "solar nucleus," were visibly shaken.

The Astral Tiger stood like a bulwark in front of the Holy Temple, declaring, "There's the scent of the fire phoenix's vitality!"

"And that... frog," Yu Zhu murmured softly.

A massive "solar nucleus" had been refined into a prism-shaped firestone, upon which a solitary figure sat.

Amidst the billowing divine flames, she was the epitome of serenity, her beauty beyond compare. The life force pulsating through her was as potent as the most ferocious volcano across the realms.

Beneath her statuesque chest, her acupoints appeared to have transformed into numerous fiery worlds.

Her name was Yuan Lianyao.

With a crackle, the scarlet lightning, embodying cosmic order, warped the space around her, leaving even the Astral Tiger apprehensive that she might unleash the Solar Spirit's Divine Flame uncontrollably, threatening the open shrine.

At the entrance of the shrine, and along the path, various Emberfiends knelt and wailed with reverence, as if worshiping a Flame Deity.

Upon witnessing her arrival, Zhiya's heart ached, for the essence of the fire phoenix she considered a sister lingered on this woman.

And this woman, Yuan Lianyao, had significant ties to Yu Yuan.

"Lord Dark Phoenix," Yuan Lianyao addressed from atop the solar nucleus, rising and bowing with due respect. "I wish to travel to the Wasteland and seek passage through the Phoenix Shrine."

"I sense the blazing fire constantly beckoning me towards the Ashlands. I wish to escape its call by traversing the Wasteland," Yuan Lianyao entreated.

As she spoke, flames and bolts of lightning danced back to her statuesque, alluring form, and the "solar nucleus" she perched upon cooled from its scorching heat.

She gazed intently at the Dark Phoenix Zhiya, regarding her as an equal, without a hint of fear.

The strikingly beautiful Dark Phoenix stood before the Holy Temple in human form, her expression fluctuating, as if she harbored a thousand unspoken words. Yet ultimately, she revealed nothing.

"Agreed."

Zhiya nodded gently.

Behind her, the shrine teemed with alien beasts that now rushed toward the Wasteland, no longer daring to linger within its halls.

It seemed they feared Yuan Lianyao's presence, anxious that this woman, with her terrifying aura, might reduce the Holy Temple to ashes.

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