C2108 The Lightning's Dark Assistance

Yu Yuan's breaths came in rapid gasps, his blood flowing sluggishly as his eyes darted around, devoid of focus. Slowly, he recognized that the source of his agitation was the "Wellspring of Creation," which had emerged from the profound darkness. There, too, lay the remains of colossal beings that had been entombed in the abyss for eons, invisible to the eye.

Beneath the Primal Soul's feet, the enigmatic Wellspring of Creation writhed in a frenzy. Countless massive Life Seeds brimmed with overwhelming malice, destruction, and sinister energy. They seemed to be assaulting his heart, warping the essence of all powerful creatures and leading them into corruption.

A sudden, inexplicable sorrow washed over him. He couldn't pinpoint the source of his grief, only feeling that the behemoths, which he could almost perceive, deserved more than this tragic fate. The Genesis Continent, now overrun by the Primal Soul and darkness, shouldn't be reduced to mere bones.

A world had perished, and that lost world felt like his homeland—his true homeland.

"You destroyed my world?" Yu Yuan's gaze shifted to the Primal Soul inhabiting his Demonic Vessel and then to the darkness manifesting behind it in the form of Tan Xiaotian. His expression contorted with rage, "Was it you two?!"

His voice was fierce as he bellowed, "Was it you who laid waste to my former realm? Did you revive me only to use me in spreading your poison, to infect more worlds?"

He was on the brink of madness, on the verge of destruction, feeling the ominous grip of complete control. He had lost all sense of himself.

The Primal Soul and Dark Anima, the subjects of his interrogation, merely observed him in silence, offering no response this time.

Suddenly, a massive thunder ball burst forth in the dark firmament above, crackling with lightning.

Boom!

The thunderclap was so powerful it shattered Yu Yuan's manic state, snapping him back to clarity. The Primal Soul, Primal Vitality, and Primal Blood within his consciousness, along with the light and the layered crystalline platforms, radiated divine luminescence, steadying his mind.

To his horror, he noticed that his six-tiered Soul Altar seemed on the verge of splitting apart. The towering structure was poised to fracture, potentially flattening into six distinct levels.

His heart skipped a beat as he realized how close he had come to succumbing to the Primal Soul's influence, to an inexplicable downfall.

Then, he spotted Qi Yunhong and the Thunder Pool, now belonging to Qi Yunhong, which Wei Zhuo of the Thunder Sect had been refining.

Qi Yunhong's unexpected arrival inadvertently snapped him back to reality.

He couldn't help but turn his attention to the Tree of Life. Peering through scales and bark, he caught sight of the Thunder Spirit.

He had a hunch that the Thunder Spirit, which had not communicated with him, was secretly lending him aid.

At present, he couldn't confirm it, and it wasn't appropriate to seek proof.

"Yu Yuan."

Qi Yunhong greeted him with a nod, his demeanor icy, rendering him a stranger.

Qi Yunhong, who had been sent back to the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone by Kaiya due to Samantha's emergence and her role as the Thunder Spirit's emissary, seemed to have undergone a transformation.

"So that's it."

Yu Yuan saw through the situation. A careful glance was all it took to realize Qi Yunhong had made a breakthrough.

Prior to his arrival, Qi Yunhong had ascended to supreme status by harnessing his own essence.

His primordial spirit and a strand of black and green essence fused, forming a black and green thunder ball, within which the secrets of thunder and lightning were entwined.

This Qi family member, known for his defiance, seemed to follow Kaiya's lead, yet he did not intercept those fleeing the land, choosing instead to await news from above.

He was aware that his destination was not the world atop the Abyss, but rather the darkness below.

Like Tan Xiaotian and all the supreme beings of the Everlands, he had been tainted by that entity's power and had become a follower.

His arrival, however, was delicately timed.

The only force that could transcend the influence of the Primal Soul to beckon him, subtly altering his thoughts and actions, was the Primal Soul within the Tree of Life.

With a cool expression, he first surveyed the Tree of Life, then nodded gently, saying, "Proceed."

He was aware that Qi Yunhong's descent was not by his command, but rather the Tree of Life's summons.

Qi Yunhong, docile and compliant, soared alongside the Thunder Pool toward the Tree of Life's branches in search of the Thunder Spirit.

Within the Thunder Pool lay a Life Seed planted by the Thunder Spirit, tasked with gathering all the mystique and rules of thunder throughout the Origin Realm.

This Life Seed was akin to the Uxthar Tree crafted by the Tree of Life, the Hallowed Ground split from Mother Earth, the Root of the Solar Meridian distilled from the Primal Blood of the Wasteland, and the Lunar Meridian derived from the Primal Vitality.

The Life Seed was forged by the Primal Anima, expending its energy to place it within a world, where it was tasked with a special mission. Should the Primal Anima perish, there was a chance for resurrection through the Life Seed, akin to the Phoenix Ashes.

Most Life Seeds, in realms beyond the reach of the Primal Anima, would actively seek out related forces to assimilate. One such seed, belonging to the Thunder Spirit, was sealed by the great Demon God Bertain in a forbidden area.

Trapped deep within the Abyss, the Thunder Spirit dared not venture out. Thus, before the Abyssal Gate materialized, it cast a Life Seed into the world beyond. This seed, having gathered numerous thunder-related secrets in the Origin Realm, retained aspects of the Thunder Spirit's essence.

Upon its return and subsequent fusion with the Thunder Spirit, the seed would enhance the Thunder Spirit's integrity, aiding in its transcendence and evolution.

"After you merge with the seed, bestow upon it both the new insights and the ancient wisdom of thunder magic you've mastered," it was instructed.

"He will take Samantha's place, advancing alongside your own progression to the eleventh level. Eventually, he will become your vessel."

The Primal Soul, stationed at the Wellspring of Creation, seemed oblivious to the turmoil in the Dark Realm, where the Secular Bird Queen, Zhong Chichen, Loong Jie, and a host of cosmic giant beasts were desperately drawn to the pulsating life force.

Its sole purpose was to relay a message to the Thunder Spirit.

"Understood," came the reply.

The Thunder Spirit was simultaneously thrilled and apprehensive, yet had no choice but to comply.

As Qi Yunhong and the Thunder Pool arrived, the Tree of Life opened a small portal within its trunk, welcoming them to the Thunder Spirit's domain.

The thrill stemmed from the prospect of reclaiming the Life Seed and the potential to ascend to a higher tier of Primal Anima. The apprehension arose from Qi Yunhong being the chosen one of the Primal Soul, not Samantha, who was crafted by the Tree of Life itself.

Qi Yunhong, a human infused with the essence of the Primal Soul, was bound to heed its commands without question.

What did this imply?

Qi Yunhong was a devout follower of the Primal Soul, bearing its deepest soul mark.

Despite the Thunder Spirit having forged Qi Yunhong and elevated him to the eleventh level, it might still have to act in accordance with the whims of the Primal Soul after descending upon Qi Yunhong.

The Primal Soul had the power to shatter Qi Yunhong's soul in an instant, enabling him to commit suicide to escape its clutches.

It could also leverage Qi Yunhong's soul to fend off its possession.

This Primal Soul from the Abyss was like an overtly driven nail into his being, one that he was compelled to accept and to which he had to impart his knowledge of thunder magic.

He was well aware of the dire consequences of refusal.

"You've finally acquired the Life Seed that has always eluded you, and you've gained a vessel superior to Samantha's. You should be pleased," he stated impassively.

"Yes, I am indeed pleased."

The Thunder Spirit responded, retracting the Life Seed it had released into the Thunder Pool and infusing the essence of thunder magic it had mastered into Qi Yunhong's primordial spirit.

Within the greenish-black thunder ball, the deep imprints of the Primal Soul were evident, ready to assimilate all the thunder magic stamped upon it.

It resigned itself to this destiny, powerless to resist, and willing to comply obediently.

Yu Yuan felt a slight tremor course through his body.

In an instant, he became aware of the Dark Realm bordering this sealed world and the Ice Shard city wall on the verge of healing.

Beyond the wall were his Solar Spirit, the Secular Bird Queen, Zhong Chichen, Loong Jie, the Abyssal Leviathan, and Ann Ziqing.

His eleventh-level Solar Spirit was currently plugging a breach, transformed into an imposing blood-red Holy Mountain, bracing against the still-fluid fissure with its back.

Those who had followed him to the Dark Realm, beings of immense power, were now assaulting him.

All these supreme entities were attempting to breach the darkness through the gap, eager to meld with the Wellspring of Creation and become part of the undulating mass of flesh and blood.

The Primal Soul had sway over the vast human populations of the Everlands, the denizens of the Abyss, and the Sky Fiends of the Origin Realm.

Yet the pulsating flesh within the Wellspring of Creation proved irresistible to these mighty beings, who were driven to madness in their desire to surge forth into it.

The Primal Blood remained within the Dark Realm, yet it could not halt the actions of the mightiest beings. It was powerless to alter the Secrets of Life.

All he could do was seal the breach, keeping the frenzied crowd at bay.

He was not at liberty to kill indiscriminately.

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