C2140 Spring of Death
"It's planning to leave, intending to use the soul stone I've refined to take all the souls from the Wraithlands with it."
Youyu, without any unnecessary words, confirmed it was indeed Yu Yuan and promptly divulged the intentions of the Primal Vitality.
"Where does it intend to go?" Yu Yuan inquired.
Among the many Primal Animas, Primal Vitality, though a high-level one, emitted a weaker spirituality, resembling a more primitive and rigid Primal Anima.
It was exceedingly pure, devoid of convoluted thoughts, a veritable clear stream among Primal Animas.
"The Wasteland."
The response came not from Youyu, but from the spirituality of the Primal Vitality within the ancient tree.
In a mere moment, Yu Yuan and the Primal Vitality exchanged thoughts countless times.
His real body, deep in the endless darkness, was locked in battle with the Primal Soul of the Abyss, contending with the darkness that had overtaken Tan Xiaotian, and was compelled to retreat to the Frostlands.
He shared these truths.
The Primal Vitality, too, confided that it felt weakened due to the Otherkin's experts being besieged by the combined forces of the Gods, Evil God, and Sky Fiend, leaving it without hope.
It harbored the same desire as the Primal Blood to depart the Origin Realm and seek fortunes in the Wasteland.
The soul stone, consecrated by Youyu and the Primal Vitality, transformed into a vessel capable of carrying all ghosts.
Yu Yuan's exchange with the Primal Vitality wasn't through spoken words but through the Soul Altar.
Its thoughts and consciousness were projected onto the surface crafted by its own powers in the Ashlands.
Yu Yuan could perceive it instantly and convey his own thoughts in response, and the Primal Vitality could likewise receive them in due time.
This mode of communication was exponentially faster than verbal or soulful exchanges.
Yu Yuan experienced a sense of unity between his mind and spirit, freely communicating with his Solar Spirit and Demonic Vessel.
Throughout this, Yu Yuan cast an odd glance at the ancient tree, rustling with leaves.
His gaze detected numerous gray, brown, and pale spots drifting among the branches and leaves, seemingly the wandering thoughts of the Primal Vitality.
Yu Yuan sensed that his interactions with the Primal Vitality, the collision of their spirits, and the repeated manifestation of its consciousness on his Soul Altar had sparked the growth and metamorphosis of the Primal Vitality's spirit.
The Primal Vitality seemed to be contaminated by his presence, taking on qualities akin to light, vegetation, and the Thunder Spirit, along with emotions it was never meant to possess.
Yu Yuan took a brief pause, allowing the Primal Vitality to process the extensive information he had disclosed.
After a short while, he resumed speaking.
"I can resolve Bertain's soul contamination. If Bertain departs from the Everlands, I should be able to cleanse and purify him in another star system. Bertain might awaken and revert to the Demon God we know. As long as neither Bertain nor my real body fall into that individual's hands, there's still hope."
Yu Yuan began to coax the Primal Vitality.
"Extract Bertain? Perhaps, I can make an attempt," the Primal Vitality replied.
Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled. "What do you have in mind?"
"First, describe Bertain's current condition to me," requested the Primal Vitality.
Yu Yuan recounted everything he had recently learned from Yu Yiyi's discoveries in the Ashlands.
"Thirty-six energy vortices? A spring's eye, and a flagpole that took flight?"
"An unknown... death symbol?"
The Primal Vitality showed a keen interest, seeking confirmation repeatedly.
"What does this death symbol look like? Since you've seen it within the secular bird's soul, can you visualize it using your consciousness?"
"That won't be difficult."
Yu Yuan's thoughts shifted, and he began to visualize the eerie symbols he had seen in the Secular Bird Queen's mind within the Soul Altar, at the level corresponding to the Primal Vitality.
The symbols, heavy with the essence of death, materialized instantly on the corresponding layer of his Soul Altar.
Suddenly, the death symbol he had envisioned radiated a ghostly white light from the depths of his Soul Altar, as if a cluster of death's flames had been lit.
At that very moment, he sensed a disturbance in the far reaches of the Ashlands.
"These symbols!"
The ancient tree trembled violently, its leaves swirling in a frenzy.
It seemed to recognize them!
...
In the Ashlands, the Sky Fiend High Priest Reid fixed his gaze on the gently swirling "spring's eye," vigilant and unblinking.
Abruptly, a thick death aura emanated from the depths of the "spring's eye."
On the opposite side, it was as if an entity had been startled, releasing its power and probing the Ashlands for something.
The demonic flames flickering deep within Reid's eyes seemed on the verge of being snuffed out by the dissipating death aura.
A powerful longing for death surged within the depths of Reid's devil soul, compelling him to dash toward the "fountain" in pursuit of his own demise.
Yet, as a tenth-level Demon God, he had long braced himself for such moments. With resolve, Reid swiftly retreated.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Reid had put several hundred meters between himself and the "pond."
Shaken, Reid's devil soul quivered as he employed six mystiques taught by Bertain to anchor his spirit and quell the intrusive thoughts. Only then did he regain his composure.
However, as he withdrew, members of the Fragrance Miasma and Blood Fang Clans from the Abyss, along with a few eighth-level Sky Fiends, were lured by the death aura emanating from the "pond."
They directed their gaze toward the "pond," using their souls and vitality to probe deeper, seeking clarity.
Suddenly, the Fragrance Miasma and Blood Fang Clan members, their faces twisted in madness, hurtled toward the "pond."
A light of yearning for death swirled in their eyes, as if under the influence of a sinister spell, eager to sacrifice themselves fervently.
It was as though the "fountain's" depths held the treasures of their dreams, the aspirations of a lifetime, the people they longed for the most.
They were shrouded in the intent to die, oblivious to the fact that their souls and every drop of blood were in a state of frenzied excitement.
Excited because they were on the brink of death!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Fragrance Miasma and Blood Fang Clan members burst into a shower of flesh and blood upon entering the "fountain," their remains sucked into its depths.
Several Sky Fiends, recently returned from the Stellar Oblivion, followed suit, silently transforming into wisps of demonic smoke.
They met their gruesome end in the very moment of their entry.
Reid, horrified, let out a piercing cry: "All Gods, Sky Fiends, and Abyssal clans, do not dare come closer to this place!"
His devil soul trembled as he pointed toward the "fountain" pulsating with death energy, declaring, "Especially here!"
Little did Reid expect that as he fled in terror, more Fragrance Miasma and Blood Fang Clan members, as well as Sky Fiends, would be drawn in, their mental defenses shattered by the seductive call of death.
He didn't have time to intervene, struggling mightily with his own inner desire for death.
"What's going on?"
Youqian, the Great Demon God, Yu Yiyi, and the Sky Fiend, Indigo Wraith, had just returned from Eiwrone. As soon as they emerged, they noticed the anomalies here.
Indigo Wraith remained at a distance, his eyes shimmering with a profound demonic light. He didn't rush to approach.
He intentionally stayed back, observing from afar, as if wary of something.
Reid summoned Youqian and pointed to the "spring," explaining, "Something strange occurred not long ago..."
Reid and Youqian, both being great Demon Gods of the Sky Fiend Clan, shared an extraordinary bond. Reid was candid with Youqian, sharing the details of the events.
Meanwhile, Indigo Wraith, still at a distance, suddenly turned his gaze toward the Everlands.
...
In the Everlands, a figure exuding a chilling aura emerged from a fissure in the Moonfall Sanctuary and instantly appeared in the Evil Temple.
Assuming the form of Yu Yuan's "Undead Sovereign," he approached the Guardian's station and observed the empty pole wrapped in a cloak.
"You've finally returned."
The Guardian, devoid of a fleshly body, bowed deeply within the black jade pillar, his demeanor one of piety and humility.
He nodded slightly, his gaze, indifferent to mortal concerns, first settling on the spirited body of Bertain encased within the armor.
He meticulously inspected Bertain's devil soul.
Only after confirming there were no abnormalities and that Bertain's thought contamination would soon conclude did he nod in satisfaction.
He had been briefed by the Guardian prior to his arrival and was well-informed about the incident.
He was fully aware of the "spring" that had expelled the empty pole, the mysterious runes on the flagpole, and their impact on Reid.
After examining the Demon God Bertain, he turned his attention to the cloaked flagpole and extended a hand.
The cloak suddenly took flight, heading towards Reid in the extraterrestrial realm.
The flagpole, once situated within the Holy Temple, now rested firmly in his grasp.
The runes atop the flagpole grew increasingly distinct and profound.
The death aura emanated from the pole, threatening to infiltrate the Evil Temple and permeate the entire hall.
Even the Guardian sensed a disturbance in his soul consciousness, as whispers of a desire for death surfaced from deep within his soul.
