C2157 The Biased Teacher
"The Wasteland? An excellent choice."
The chill in Bertain's expression noticeably softened as she nodded in agreement. "Those stubborn beasts are nothing but crude, lowly creatures. Their fate is of no concern to me."
Yu Yuan, standing atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, felt a weight lift from his heart.
"That's wonderful. It couldn't be better."
Zhong Chichen, with a bright sleeve, pretended to wipe non-existent sweat from his brow and offered a beaming smile in an attempt to keep the peace. "We should all be united against a common enemy. There are far too many pressing matters to attend to. Let's not create disorder within our own ranks."
Beneath the murky, teal-black sea, Bertain frowned and cast a cold glance his way.
Zhong Chichen, caught mid-chuckle, suddenly tensed.
Loong Jie and Green Willow looked on in astonishment, sensing Zhong Chichen's blood run heavy as lead under Bertain's scrutiny, his demeanor turning awkward and anxious.
"Cough, cough. He... is also my teacher," Zhong Chichen murmured by way of explanation.
Loong Jie and Green Willow had an epiphany, finally understanding why the normally suave Seven-Colored Dragon was so exceedingly cautious and fearful in the presence of the Demon God, Bertain.
It was not only due to Bertain's limitless magical power but also because he had once been the master of the Order of Healing!
Both Hong Qi and Zhong Chichen were disciples mentored by Bertain centuries ago.
"Teacher..."
A wry smile played upon Yu Yuan's lips as he suddenly remembered the days when he was with Hong Qi, and the times before Zhong Chichen had awakened, the memories of their brotherhood vivid in his mind.
"You must leave at once."
Bertain withdrew his gaze from Zhong Chichen, bowing his head to issue a stern admonition to Chen Qinghuang. "You are forbidden from recklessly unleashing death force in the Origin Realm again. This applies not only to our Sky Fiend territory but also to other Astral Domains."
"Oh."
Bowing to Bertain's imposing presence, Chen Qinghuang stepped back, her response cool and detached.
With a whoosh, the ashen Divine Bird seamlessly integrated into her real body. Seizing the moment of clarity, she contemplated briefly before speaking with a bite of her lip, "I would like to have a word with you in private."
Her gaze, icy and haughty, settled solely on Yu Yuan.
"Very well."
Bertain gave a nod of assent. The asteroids, once widely dispersed, began to converge toward the center, swiftly assembling into a fragmented landmass.
This fragmented expanse of land could be seen as the "remnant limb" of Saca. Amidst the shattered terrain, numerous grayish-yellow glimmers, harvested by the Soul Power of the Demon God Bertain, coalesced into a gleaming ball of mud. Within this orb, the lights intertwined like weeds, each harboring the exquisite arcane power of the earth.
"Take this," Bertain said, his smile broadening as the newly formed mud ball soared towards Yu Yuan. "Taishi has a mastery of earth's powers. This gift within the mud ball is for him."
Bertain's demeanor was icy when addressing Zhong Chichen and no warmer towards the Secular Bird Queen. Yet with Yu Yuan, he was all warmth and laughter, as if he wore two different faces for two different people.
"The favoritism is consistent," Zhong Chichen muttered inwardly, his complaint silent.
As if Bertain could hear his silent rebuke, his gaze suddenly swept over Zhong Chichen, causing him to shiver and cease even his internal gripes. He struck up a trivial conversation with Green Willow, hoping to distract himself and avoid drawing Bertain's attention to the turmoil within.
Even the poised Chronowyrm, with memories spanning two lifetimes, felt a rare unease in the presence of the golden dragon god.
"This is indeed a fine treasure; Taishi will surely treasure it," Yu Yuan mused with a smile, arriving upon the Dragon Slaying Stage. Deep within his consciousness, the Soul Altar continued to assimilate the memories from two soul fragments. Landing on the celestial body crafted from meteoric debris, he grasped the mud ball refined by Bertain and instantly sensed the arcane power it concealed—a remnant of Mother Earth, whom he had slain, her essence now scattered across the seven layers of the Abyss.
Recently, before the mountain had made its way back to the Wasteland, it had awaited this very object. Should this item merge with the mountain, Mother Earth could swiftly ascend to a high-level Primal Anima once more.
"Where might Taishi be at this moment?" Yu Yuan pondered. "Many of Boulderdawn's plans were forged through our collaboration. Had he been born in the Abyss years ago, and had Mother Earth not perished, he would undoubtedly have been her most cherished champion."
Bertain held Taishi in high regard, and it was clear he had a great deal of admiration for him.
Having explored the Abyss with his devil soul for an extended period, Bertain had unraveled its many enigmas. He understood how Mother Earth died at the hands of the Lord of the Abyss and how the Light Spirit was dragged into the darkness, including the mysteries of the Tree of Life and the Thunder Spirit within it.
Some secrets, perhaps unknown to Jihui and Arthurs, were already laid bare to him.
"He's in the Frostlands."
Yu Yuan, holding the "mud ball," nonchalantly tossed it onto the Dragon Slaying Stage, triggering the space magic.
At the other end, standing before the glacier, the Solar Spirit's palm suddenly held the "mud ball."
In the presence of astonished looks from Ji Ningshuang, Ann Ziqing, and the Abyssal Leviathan, the Solar Spirit declared, "Demon God Bertain, having been awakened by me, used his own strength to withstand the corruption. Moreover, he has fully purified the residual traces of that entity's invasion."
The Abyssal Leviathan, appearing as a gaunt old man, was the first to applaud, exclaiming, "Bertain is truly formidable!"
The little spinosaurus seemed somewhat downcast upon learning of Bertain's awakening.
"The end of the Cosmic Giant Beast Clan came at Bertain's hand. Why are you so thrilled?" he challenged the Abyssal Leviathan.
"Hey, without Bertain, the age of the giant beasts would have ended at the hands of your own ancestor. Do you really think your ancestor was any better? Do you have any idea how many of his contemporaries he slaughtered, ripping out their hearts?" the Abyssal Leviathan retorted with a cold laugh.
The young Starpierced shrank back a bit upon hearing their exchange.
"Enough bickering," Yu Yuan interjected, putting an end to their dispute. "This item was a gift from Bertain to Taishi."
With the situation in the Zagreus stabilizing due to Bertain's return and awakening, Yu Yuan's mood lightened considerably.
"What is it?" inquired the little spinosaurus with curiosity.
"The arcane power of the earth."
Holding the "mud ball," Yu Yuan addressed them, "There's no longer a need to stay here. The Zagreus requires no further assistance. You may all return to the Frostlands."
After finishing his statement, he stepped inside first.
Elsewhere, Bertain suddenly spoke up, "Youqian, Kaiya, both of you come with me. We're heading to the Frostlands. Yu Yuan mentioned that from there, you can directly access the depths of the Abyss. Ah, I'm quite familiar with that place."
Having crafted an amethyst demonform, he was confident that his will would no longer be susceptible to corruption by that entity. Reflecting on his discoveries during his exploration of the endless darkness, he pondered some ideas.
"Zhong, you'll be the one to transport us!"
Bertain gestured to the ninth level Demon Gods and commanded, "All of you, along with the rest, head to the Book of Time and join us in the Frostlands."
Not a single Sky Fiend who had survived dared to defy his command. Even those ninth level Demon Gods, who had not undergone purification by the Soul Cleansing Brilliance and still believed in their original soul source, did not dare to ignore Bertain's orders.
With Saca annihilated and Sable possibly meeting the same fate, their deep-seated awe of Bertain now overshadowed the twisted will of that being within their souls.
Before long, all the Sky Fiends had gathered on Zhong Chichen's Book of Time. Loong Jie and Green Willow, also present within the Book, were visibly uncomfortable.
Youqian, Kaiya, and the numerous ninth level Demon Gods took up most of the space in the Book of Time. As Bertain approached from a distance, all the Sky Fiends on the Book made room for him.
Beneath the stars, Bertain's demonform, clear as amethyst, was once again encased in armor. The vast, murky black sea also blended into the crystalline purple demonform. The armor became true armor, enveloping his extraordinary demonform.
With a resounding boom, the hefty Book of Time began to shake violently, seemingly unable to bear the weight.
"Enlarge this book or open the Time Gate to let us inside," Bertain demanded, clearly displeased.
Zhong Chichen, with a mournful expression, faced immense pressure in front of his former mentor. He hastily explained, "The world inside the book is in ruins. I haven't finished repairing it, so it's not suitable for entry right now." He adamantly refused to open the Book of Time to the Sky Fiends.
"Please understand, teacher," Zhong Chichen said, bowing respectfully and speaking softly.
"There's no need to call me teacher. Taking you on as a disciple was incidental; I never seriously taught you anything," Bertain dismissed, waving off Zhong Chichen's bow. "I did kill your ancestor, but your Nagas owe me thanks. Without my slaying that old dragon, you wouldn't have come into being in the Everlands. Let's leave it at that; it's trivial and hardly worth mentioning."
He pressed Zhong Chichen not to waste any more time and to quickly transport them to the Straikepera, then make their way to the Frostlands. Zhong Chichen complied without hesitation.
Yet, as he looked at Bertain, his gaze was filled with complexity. The carefree Bertain, who didn't sweat the small stuff, began to merge with the image of the master he held in his memory. He couldn't easily forget the time he spent learning the art of leechcraft and heeding the guidance of his mentor.
He suspected that his teacher from the Order of Healing might have been nothing more than a puppet inhabited by a devil soul of the Demon God. But Bertain's manner of speaking and his demeanor were so reminiscent of his old teacher.
"I'll take you to the Frostlands now," Zhong Chichen declared, pushing aside his distracting thoughts and inhaling deeply before setting off with the Book of Time.
As they traveled, he detailed the current state of the Frostlands, including the circumstances of Tan Xiaotian, Taishi, Cao Jiaze, and the others, sparing no detail.
Bertain nodded occasionally, interjecting with questions whenever he encountered something unclear.
A warmth spread through Zhong Chichen's heart; it felt as though he had traveled back hundreds of years to when his master would test his memory of pill refining. A radiant smile spread across his face.
