C2136 The Audacious Thoughts

"Is he still around?"

Upon Yu Yuan's return, those who had been anxiously waiting immediately gathered to inquire.

Primal Blood and Extreme Coldness, the two mighty Primal Animas, were also attuned to his every move and hung on his every word within the blood-red continent.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Shimmers of blood-red light and icy ripples emerged in the void surrounding Yu Yuan.

He instantly realized that Primal Blood and Extreme Coldness were both probing his physical and spiritual state to determine if he had been subjected to possession.

Clearly, Primal Blood and Extreme Coldness harbored deep apprehension towards their most formidable peer.

"The darkness holds no trace of him; even the Dark Anima seems to have recoiled," Yu Yuan remarked with a calm demeanor.

"Impossible!"

Tan Xiaotian, the Demon Lord, shook his head, his piercing gaze as if trying to penetrate Yu Yuan's very soul. "The World of Darkness is an Otherworld meticulously crafted by those two extraordinary beings. Any one of them would detect your presence the moment you stepped into the darkness. The Primal Soul... it might depart, but the darkness is eternal."

Tan Xiaotian, forged from darkness, was privy to its secrets and was utterly convinced.

"They indeed did not reveal themselves," Yu Yuan reiterated.

"The one who bestowed upon me the dark magic might be preoccupied with other matters, or perhaps he knows he can't contend with you. Alternatively, the Primal Soul might be absent, so even though he's aware of your return, he's powerless against you."

Tan Xiaotian voiced his judgment with unwavering confidence: "Regardless, once you return, the Darkness will certainly take notice."

"It's a relief that you've returned unscathed," the Abyssal Leviathan expressed with a sigh of relief.

Yu Yuan contemplated for a moment, uncertain of the exact situation, and decided not to dwell on it further. Instead, he offered, "I will employ the Soul Altar to purge the residual soul entanglements related to the Primal Soul from the depths of your souls."

"Hold on a moment."

Tan Xiaotian, who longed for absolute freedom, abruptly halted him, advising against haste.

A look of suspicion crossed Yu Yuan's face.

"Have you considered that if this extraordinary Soul Altar of yours can expunge the Primal Soul's influence from me, it should be equally effective on the Demon God Bertain?" Tan Xiaotian spoke earnestly, "Both of us are well aware of the extent of Bertain's formidable combat prowess and his profound dominion over the Origin Realm."

Taishi, Taixu, and the Abyssal Leviathan were all taken aback upon hearing the news. It became clear to them that Tan Xiaotian had conceived a daring plan—to save Bertain!

"There are only two ideal vessels for possession: one is your real body, and the other is Bertain, Cao Jiaze," the Demon Lord said, casting a glance at the Ebon Star's prodigy who had become a Lunar Spirit. "Forgive my frankness, but while you are indeed an option, you are not the optimal one."

Cao Jiaze responded with a hint of bitterness, "I would much prefer not to be that choice."

"Bertain is incredibly powerful. With just one look, he allowed me to retain a sliver of spiritual wisdom. If he can regain his sense of self, he will become a formidable force capable of challenging that entity."

"Without such a prime vessel for possession, and unable to claim your real body, that entity will be deprived of a significant source of strength."

"I'd rather you conserve your power and take the risk of purifying Bertain's soul first. If Bertain can awaken and reclaim his identity, the inhabitants of the Origin Realm might stand a chance once more."

"The Sky Fiends revere Bertain as a deity; he... might just bring us an unexpected boon. After all, he was once your mentor."

In that moment, Tan Xiaotian put forth a bold and perilous proposal: he wanted Yu Yuan to venture into the Ashlands in his real body.

His plan was for Yu Yuan to journey to the Everlands, rescue Bertain from the Evil Temple where he might still be, and assist in Bertain's awakening.

Bertain, capable of single-handedly standing against all Evil Gods, rendering the guardians powerless, was indeed worth the risk and effort to save.

Previously, there was no way to assist Bertain, but now, Yu Yuan's seventh-tier Soul Altar, with its icy surface fused with thunder and light magic, created the Soul Cleansing Brilliance that could awaken Tan Xiaotian.

Taishi could be purged of the Primal Soul's corruption.

Following Bertain's example, Taishi, who had not ascended through reliance on the original source, was a true Demon God. His primordial spirit, though intangible, was in its essence identical to Bertain's devil soul.

Since Taishi could achieve it, Bertain might also have a chance.

"It's too risky, too radical! He could be in the Heart of the Everlands! With his power, he's capable of separating different spiritual senses. The moment Bertain is completely overtaken, he could instantly project a spiritual sense from the Heart of the Everlands into Bertain's body," Taishi exclaimed.

Simultaneously, the Primal Blood conveyed its thoughts, informing Yu Yuan that the true Primal Soul was indeed within the Heart of the Everlands, making it the most perilous place in existence.

His sway and dominion were unmatched in the Everlands, far surpassing the darkness from which Yu Yuan had departed.

The foundation of his spiritual wisdom and Mind Magic had taken root in the Heart of the Everlands. Once Bertain was fully corrupted, his will would be imposed.

Should he be present in the Heart of the Everlands, he would be unstoppable.

"We must approach this with the utmost caution.

"We need to verify that Bertain hasn't been fully compromised and that he has not yet been possessed."

"Ideally, he's not currently in the Ashlands."

The group shared their perspectives, aiming to devise an appropriate strategy.

Tan Xiaotian's proposal to use Bertain as a point of entry sparked a glimmer of hope among them, though they recognized the immense danger and slim chances of success.

Failure could mean the loss of Yu Yuan's real body.

...

Ashlands.

Amidst a shattered celestial realm, the Crucible of Evil loomed ominously in the heavens.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The cauldron's maw, reminiscent of a gateway to the abyss, devoured the souls within the carcasses, dragging them into its depths.

Yu Yiyi sat atop the inverted cauldron wall, her demeanor icy, her dark eyes brimming with a chilling, lethal aura.

The Frost Queen floated behind her, observing the remains of the Starborn, enchantresses, and the Dawnbringers' warriors who had pledged allegiance to the Paladin of Radiance.

These formidable Otherkin warriors had fallen to the Evil God and human cultivators, their souls now ensnared and absorbed by the Crucible of Evil.

Yu Yiyi had ascended to supreme power.

The entity that had heavily influenced her and taken residence within her as the "Undead Sovereign" was now her master.

The visage of her former master had fully merged with that of her current one.

Many deep imprints that had once belonged to her were ruthlessly erased during the fusion with the primal source, plunging her memories into disarray. The Bane within the cauldron, such as the Frost Queen, were originally forged from the souls of Sky Fiends, human cultivators, or the vast Terra Fiends of the Everlands. Now, all the Bane could be categorized as puppets under the dominion of the Path of the Soul. Yu Yiyi could no longer recall who her true master was. In the minds of the formidable Bane like the Frost Queen and Chebus, the master of the cauldron had become Yu Yiyi. Another figure, who had once wielded control over them, had long since become obscured.

"Yu Yiyi."

"Yu Yiyi."

A distant and ethereal voice echoed in Yu Yiyi's mind, as if originating from a far-off world, evoking a sense of familiarity and warmth. Amidst these calls, Yu Yiyi's consciousness grew muddled, and she began to remember many suppressed memories. The greenish-black hue in her eyes danced like a flickering candle, alternately dimming and brightening.

After some time had passed, she ceased using the Crucible of Evil to collect the souls of the deceased and allowed the Frost Queen to return to the cauldron's inner sanctum. The Crucible of Evil righted itself from its inverted position, and she stood barefoot on its rim, her presence echoing through the Ashlands. As she passed by the Eiwrone, she observed Jihui's space magic entering the deep caverns that linked to different worlds within the Origin Realm, as though he was gauging the state of the various realms.

Jihui, upon seeing her standing atop the Crucible of Evil and making her presence known, cast a surprised glance her way but refrained from inquiring further. As a supreme being herself, Yu Yiyi had endured intense training recently. With the Crucible of Evil, she had absorbed and refined numerous souls, becoming an enigma even to Jihui. With many matters still unclear to him, Jihui chose not to interfere with the affairs of others.

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