C2157 The Biased Teacher

"The Desolate Realm? An excellent choice."

The chill on Beilstein's face noticeably softened as she nodded in agreement. "Those stubborn beasts are crude and primitive beings. Their fate is of no concern to me."

Yu Yuan, standing atop the Dragon Slash Platform, felt a significant weight lift from his heart.

"That's perfect. It couldn't be better."

Zhong Chichen, feigning to wipe non-existent sweat from his brow with his vibrant sleeve, offered a beaming smile in an attempt to defuse the tension. "We should all be united against a common foe. There are far too many pressing matters at hand. Let's not create disorder within our own ranks."

Beneath the murky, dark green sea, Beilstein's frown deepened as she cast a cold glance in his direction.

Caught in his forced mirth, Zhong Chichen's tall and imposing figure abruptly tensed.

Loong Jie and Lvliu looked on in astonishment, sensing that Zhong Chichen's blood might as well have been infused with lead, so constrained and anxious did he appear under Beilstein's scrutiny.

"Cough, cough. He... is also my mentor," Zhong Chichen murmured by way of explanation.

Loong Jie and Lvliu suddenly grasped why the normally suave Colorful Divine Dragon was so cautious and fearful in the presence of Beilstein.

It wasn't solely due to Beilstein's boundless magical power; it was also because Beilstein had once been the master of the Medicine God Sect!

Both Hong Qi and Zhong Chichen had been disciples trained by Beilstein centuries ago.

"Teacher..."

A smile crept onto Yu Yuan's face as he was reminded of the times he had spent with Hong Qi and Zhong Chichen before his awakening.

"You must leave at once."

Beilstein withdrew his gaze from Zhong Chichen, looked down, and issued a stern admonition to Chen Qinghuang, "Do not carelessly unleash the power of death in the Origin Realm again. This applies not just to our Devaputra territories but to all other Starfields as well."

"Oh."

Bowing to Beilstein's overwhelming presence, Chen Qinghuang took a step back and responded coolly.

Whoosh!

The ashen Divine Bird seamlessly integrated into her true form. Seizing the clarity of the moment, she contemplated briefly before speaking with a bite of determination, "I would like to have a word with you in private."

Her icy, haughty gaze locked solely onto Yu Yuan, as if he were the only one in her world.

"Very well."

Beilstein gave a nod of assent. The widely scattered asteroids in the vicinity began to converge towards the center, rapidly coalescing into a fragmented landmass.

This fragmented expanse of land could be seen as Saka's "remnant limb."

The numerous grayish-yellow glimmers, scavenged by the Great Demon God Beilstein's soul power from the broken "land," were selected and transformed into a lustrous ball of mud.

Within the mud ball, countless grayish-yellow lights, akin to wild weeds, harbored the exquisite secrets of the earth.

"Take this."

As soon as the mud ball materialized, it soared toward Yu Yuan. Beilstein, with a smile, said, "Taishi has a mastery of earth's power. You can pass on the contents of this mud ball to him as my gift."

His demeanor was icy when dealing with Zhong Chichen and equally so with the Secular Bird Queen.

Yet, in conversation with Yu Yuan, he burst into joyful laughter, as if he wore two different faces.

"The favoritism is consistent!"

Zhong Chichen dared only to complain inwardly.

As though Beilstein could hear his silent grievances, his gaze suddenly shifted toward him.

Zhong Chichen's heart skipped a beat, and he no longer dared to even inwardly grumble. He struck up idle chatter with Lvliu, hoping to distract himself from the inner turmoil that Beilstein might perceive.

This dashing Space-time Dragon, with memories spanning two lifetimes, never felt such disquiet even in the presence of the Golden Dragon God.

"Indeed, a treasure of great value. Taishi will surely treasure it."

Yu Yuan, arriving on the Dragon Slash Platform with a smile, was still assimilating the memories of two soul fragments at the Soul Altar within his mind.

He touched down on the celestial body formed from meteorites, seized the mud ball refined by Beilstein, and immediately sensed the profound essence of the earth hidden within. He recognized it as the profound laws scattered across the seven layers of the abyss after he had slain Mother Earth.

Not long before, the mountain that awaited its return to the Desolate Realm had been anticipating this very object.

Should this item merge with the mountain, Mother Earth could swiftly resurrect as a high-level primal spirit.

"Where is Taishi now? Many of Divine Soul Sect's plans were formulated in consultation with him. Had he been born earlier in the Abyss, and had Mother Earth not perished, he would undoubtedly have been her most cherished emissary."

Beilstein held Taishi in high regard, and it was evident that he admired him greatly.

Having explored the Abyss with his Devil Soul for an extended period, Beilstein had unraveled its various enigmas. He had thoroughly investigated how Mother Earth, the source spirit of light, and the lightning source spirit within the Abyss Lord had been ensnared.

There were secrets that even the Intellectual One and Arthurs might not be aware of, but Beilstein had meticulously uncovered them.

"He is in the Cold Domain."

Yu Yuan, clutching the "mud ball," nonchalantly tossed it onto the Dragon Slash Platform, instantly triggering spatial powers.

Elsewhere, Yang God, standing before the glacier, suddenly found the "mud ball" materializing in his palm.

Amidst the astonished looks from Chaos Roc, Jee Ningshuang, and Ann Ziqing, Yang God declared, "Great Demon God Beilstein, after awakening his own spirit, used his power to withstand the corruption of that entity. Moreover, he has completely purified the residual traces of that corruption."

The gaunt Chaos Roc was the first to applaud, exclaiming, "Beilstein is impressive indeed!"

The little spinosaurus seemed somewhat downcast upon learning of Beilstein's revival.

"The Starry Behemoths were brought to an end by Beilstein. Why are you so thrilled?" he challenged the Chaos Roc.

"Hey, even without Beilstein's intervention, the age of the giant beasts would have ceased due to your ancestor. Do you really think your ancestor was benevolent? You have no idea how many of his contemporaries he slaughtered," retorted the Chaos Roc with a cold laugh.

The young ground beetle shrank back a bit upon overhearing their exchange.

"Enough bickering," Yu Yuan interjected, halting their dispute. "This item was a gift from Beilstein to Taishi."

With the situation in the Serene Starfield now stabilized thanks to Beilstein's awakening, Yu Yuan's mood lightened considerably.

"What is it?" inquired the curious little spinosaurus.

"The mysteries and laws related to the earth."

Holding the "mud ball," Yu Yuan addressed them, "There's no longer a need to remain here. The Serene Starfield requires no further assistance. You all may return to the Cold Domain."

After finishing his statement, he was the first to step inside.

Elsewhere, Beilstein suddenly spoke up, "Yuv Qian, Andrea, you two will join me. We're heading to the Cold Domain. Yu Yuan mentioned that it leads directly to the darkness beneath the abyss. I'm quite familiar with that place."

Having constructed a body of purple crystal, he was confident that his will would no longer be susceptible to corruption. Recalling his discoveries in the endless darkness, he felt inspired.

"Zhong Chichen, you'll escort us part of the way!"

Beilstein gestured to the Ninth Level Demon Gods and commanded, "All of you, along with the rest, head to the Time Book and accompany us to the Cold Domain."

Not one of the surviving Devaputra dared to defy his command.

Even those Ninth Level Demon Gods, who had not been purified by the Soul Cleansing Brilliance and still believed in their original soul source, did not dare to ignore Beilstein's words.

With Saka annihilated and Sable potentially meeting the same fate, their deep-seated awe of Beilstein now overshadowed the twisted will of that entity within their souls.

Before long, all the Demon Gods had gathered on the Time Book.

Loong Jie and Lvliu, also present on the Time Book, were visibly uncomfortable.

Yuv Qian, Andrea, and the numerous Ninth Level Demon Gods took up most of the space. As Beilstein approached from a distance, every Devaputra on the Time Book made room.

Beneath the stars, Beilstein's body, clear as purple crystal, was once again encased in armor.

The vast, murky green-black sea merged with his crystalline form.

The armor became true armor, enveloping his wondrous demonic form.

With a thunderous boom, the Time Book trembled violently under the weight of the armor as if struggling to bear the force.

"Enlarge this book, or open the Space-time Gate so we can enter," Beilstein demanded, clearly displeased.

Zhong Chichen, with a look of distress, faced his former mentor with considerable pressure. He hurriedly explained, "The world inside the book is badly damaged; I haven't finished repairing it. It's not suitable for entry at this time." He adamantly refused to open the Time Book to the Devaputra.

"Teacher, I implore your understanding."

With a respectful bow, Zhong Chichen addressed him in a subdued tone.

"You don't need to call me teacher. Taking you on as a disciple was incidental; I never truly taught you anything."

Beilstein waved his hand dismissively and sidestepped Zhong Chichen's formal bow. "I was the one who killed your ancestor, but your Nagas owe me thanks. Without my slaying that old dragon, you wouldn't have come into existence in the Vast Ocean. But let's not dwell on such trifles; they're hardly worth mentioning."

He prompted Zhong Chichen to stop wasting time and quickly transport them to the Still Starfield before heading to the Cold Domain.

Zhong Chichen complied without protest.

Yet, as he gazed at Beilstein, his eyes betrayed a complex mix of emotions. Beilstein's easygoing nature and disregard for minor formalities began to remind him more and more of the master he remembered.

He found it hard to shake off the memories of learning the art of alchemy and heeding the guidance of his mentor.

In his heart, he speculated whether his teacher from the Medicine God Sect might have been nothing more than a puppet inhabited by a Devil Soul sent by Beilstein.

And yet, Beilstein's manner of speaking and certain behaviors bore an uncanny resemblance to that of his old teacher.

"I'll take you to the Cold Domain now."

Zhong Chichen pushed aside his distracting thoughts, inhaled deeply, and set off with the Time Book.

As they traveled, he detailed the current state of the Cold Domain to Beilstein, including the circumstances of Tan Xiaotian, Taishi, Cao Jiaze, and the others, not omitting a single detail.

Beilstein nodded occasionally and asked clarifying questions whenever he encountered something perplexing.

A warmth filled Zhong Chichen's heart, reminiscent of centuries past when his master would test his recollection of pill recipes.

A radiant smile spread across his face.

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