C2133 The Spit of the Spring

In the Ashlands, the once impenetrable barriers of the forbidden area could now be easily breached, stripping away much of its former mystique. The Everlands and Tyria Star, akin to a pair of twin stars, settled into the energy vortex known to the Titan Race as "the fountain," each existing in its unique way.

Within the Everlands, a wild and chaotic energy, typically found only in the Abyss, permeated the air. This energy, transformed by the core of the Everlands, erupted from the ground fissures, growing increasingly intense. The very cosmic order of the Everlands had been altered by the influence of the core, breathing new life into the once dormant mountains and rivers.

The volatile energy shift gave rise to menacing Abyssal flora across the Godsblight Marsh, Forgotten Ruins, Rainbow Ocean, and other enigmatic forbidden areas, where new and mysterious rare treasures began to emerge.

The Gods who had departed, along with the formidable members of various sects, whether returning from Tyria Star or the Abyss, were once again stirring within the Everlands. At this moment, above the Starmoon Sect on the Euwrea Continent, a crescent moon hung suspended in the sky. Its radiant moonlight cascaded down like a shimmering silver stream, embodying the laws of the moon.

Tan Junshan sat tranquilly atop the crescent moon, a stream of greenish-black essence flowing into his forehead as he pursued his Path to Godhood. Harnessing the Path of the Moon and the rich primal essence from the planet's core, Tan Junshan was on his ascent to the pinnacle of power.

Amidst the ruins of the Ebon Star, Lin Yue, a late-stage Unbound cultivator, embarked on his own journey to reach the ultimate height. The Everlands were now rich with condensed primal essence, providing ample opportunity for late-stage Unbound cultivators from all sects to attempt ascension, provided they possessed the necessary talent.

As a result, many of the mightiest cultivators among the Gods returned from various Star Rivers, eager to seize the chance for ascension.

In the Dark Nebula, the "fountain" into which Arthurs and the flag had ventured suddenly began to whirl in reverse. An empty pole, stripped of its flag, shot out from the "fountain." Carved upon the barren pole were enigmatic symbols, lacking any discernible pattern, their deeper meanings inscrutable to onlookers.

The High Priest of the Sky Fiend, Reid, had made his return from the Abyss and had been fixated on the "fountain" for quite some time, keeping a vigilant watch over it. His shock was palpable when he noticed the flag was missing, leaving only the pole behind.

"What is this?" Reid was profoundly shaken. The "fountain" was one of the Origin Realm's enigmatic secrets, a point of great significance to him.

The High Priest scrutinized the bare pole and its inscribed symbol, devilish light crackling in the depths of his eyes. Yet, despite his vast knowledge and eternal life, Reid, esteemed as a learned sage, could not decipher the deep meaning of the symbols, casting a shadow of gloom over his mood.

"Something's amiss! There must be an anomaly at the other end of the fountain!"

With a swift motion, Reid extracted the flagpole. Upon sensing it with his devil soul, he was overwhelmed by a sensation of his essence withering, a desire for self-destruction washing over him. Death appeared to be his true pursuit and inevitable fate.

Reid's devil soul flickered hesitantly. He refrained from touching it with his demonform or probing with his soul. Instead, he hastily wrapped the flagpole with his cloak, as if to shield it from further scrutiny.

His gaze shifted back to the "fountain," now devoid of the flagpole, his expression fluctuating between light and shadow, enveloped by a sense of encroaching silence.

For millennia, since its emergence, the "fountain" had been a constant source of cosmic energy, never once faltering.

But recently, the "fountain" had come to an abrupt halt, no longer expelling cosmic energy. Following the directives of a mysterious figure, Arthurs had ventured into one of these "fountains," which had since reversed its flow.

It now resembled the Maw of Oblivion, a cold and indifferent abyss, slowly rotating, drawing in the power of the Ashlands. Its rotation was deliberate, its absorption minimal, as if it were cautiously testing, discerning the hidden mysteries within the energy it siphoned.

A shiver coursed through the High Priest Reid, a premonition of something sinister lurking within the "fountain," watching him. Without hesitation, he took the flagpole to the sprawling Evil Temple in the Everlands and sought out its guardian.

"Old Patriarch."

Upon seeing Bertain, Reid knelt on one knee and reverently bowed to the dark spirited body within the armor, murmuring, "We've been awaiting your return."

After paying his respects, Reid unwrapped the cloak from around the flagpole, revealing the pole and the enigmatic symbol atop it.

The moment the symbol was exposed, a deadly hush pervaded the space, and the Evil Temple trembled mightily.

"In our Origin Realm, such symbols are nonexistent. The script used by the alien beasts of the Wasteland bears resemblance to the demonic script of the Everlands," Reid said, furrowing his brow. "I am certain that the script and symbols of the Wasteland are not like this. Could the Abyss contain such symbols?"

Reid intentionally averted his eyes from the bare pole, refusing to gaze upon the symbol above.

His focus was fixed on the Guardian.

He feared the resurgence of a self-destructive desire.

The Guardian's expression was even more grave. At that moment, he was intently observing the flagpole and the mysterious symbol it bore.

He was aware that the thirty-six enigmatic "fountains" were the Ashlands' greatest mysteries and the very source of its creation.

The exalted Titan Spinosaurus had chosen to transform the Ashlands into the Dragon Cave because of these "fountains."

Yet, even the Titan Spinosaurus had not unraveled the secrets of the "fountains."

He himself had previously explored them to no avail.

It was out of prudence that he had dispatched Arthurs, bestowing upon him the flag to aid in the exploration.

Now, Arthurs was missing, or perhaps... he was dead, and the flag that once adorned the pole was gone.

But the pole had been delivered.

"What lies within the fountain?"

The Guardian pondered this for a long while, his residual soul within the black stone pillar gradually dissipating, growing fainter and fainter.

Boom!

The Evil Temple quaked once more.

Jolted awake, the Guardian hastily instructed Reid to cover the flagpole with the cloak again, then spoke with trepidation, "We do not possess such symbols in the Abyss. Of that, I am certain!"

"Please convey a message to him, requesting his prompt return," Reid said.

"Understood."

The Guardian nodded and instructed Reid, "For now, this object shall remain within the Holy Temple, under my protection. You, continue to keep a vigilant watch over that peculiar spring!"

With Reid's agreement, he departed.

In the Frostlands, the Secular Bird Queen ceased her attempts to persuade Yu Yuan, instead observing as he communicated with the will of the Primal Blood Continent. Perched at the edge of the Wellspring of Creation, she gazed curiously at the flesh and blood within the pool.

A sudden chill crept up her spine. It was as though a gray-white eye, brimming with the intent of death, was watching her from afar, somewhere within the Origin Realm. Within the depths of that eye swirled numerous bizarre runes, exuding a pure death aura, as if they were a gateway to a realm of silence and demise.

The eye vanished in a flash, as if it had never been there. Yet the enigmatic runes from within the eye were now seared into her soul, merging with it in a way that seemed irreversible.

Chen Qinghuang shook her head, attributing the vision to the possibility that recent events had overwhelmed her senses, leading to hallucinations. Nonetheless, the peculiar rune within the depths of her soul was inescapable. To her astonishment, the presence of these symbols deepened her insight into the death force, despite her lack of understanding of their meaning or purpose.

"What's troubling you?" Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body, sensing an eerie aura within Chen Qinghuang that could drive one to seek death, inquired with concern.

Chen Qinghuang was oblivious to the aura she was emanating, an aura that could easily afflict others, driving them to their demise. Yu Yuan's thoughts drifted to a time 100,000 years ago when, in a state of uncontrolled power, she had spread the forces of destruction and death, rendering entire galaxies lifeless.

Concerned for Chen Qinghuang's well-being, Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body approached her for a closer examination. "It's nothing," she reassured him, shaking her head. "Perhaps I'm just exhausted, and my mind is conjuring illusions."

"Don't be hasty in venturing to the World of Darkness," Chen Qinghuang cautioned. "You're unaware of the conditions there."

Yu Yuan, with a furrowed brow, responded, "The Primal Blood is urging me to travel to the Wasteland to extract another fragment of the Secrets of Life from its Primal Blood. Only by doing so can I unravel the mysteries of these Life Seeds and refine this mass of flesh and blood."

"It will be quite challenging to confront Yuan Le on his own turf," Chen Qinghuang remarked.

"I'm still weighing my options."

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