C2173 The Invasion of the Wasteland
On the other side of the wall lies the Wasteland.
The silent expanse of the starry sky is littered with the remains of alien beasts. These creatures, once loyal to Yuan Le, the Lord of Ruin, were stationed at the frontier, tasked with monitoring the Origin Realm's activities.
Yet now, every alien beast, regardless of their bloodline level, lay dead.
On some of the scorching, parched celestial surfaces, a death aura hung in the air, a sign of the Secular Bird Queen's fleeting presence.
The void of the Wasteland was filled with a mix of energies, abundant with flames and solar power.
It seemed that extreme heat was the Wasteland's perpetual state.
Hovering above the Wellspring of Creation, Yu Yuan took his time, surveying the Wasteland's landscape, discerning the differences between it, the Origin Realm, and the seven layers of the Abyss.
Suddenly, both he and Youyu spotted a dark green star exuding an eerie aura. Numerous large black goats lay dead beside a lake overgrown with ghost grass.
The murky lake, a confluence of thick blood and filth, bordered by the ghost grass, was a rare find in the Wasteland, known for its soul-nourishing properties.
This herd of black goats had been hunting creatures in this secluded spot, far from the Wasteland's heart, to cultivate the ghost grass.
Naturally, the black goats consumed the ghost grass to fortify their own souls.
Most of the goats' bloodline levels were merely at the sixth or seventh level, their spiritual wisdom not yet fully awakened.
Their demise came with the arrival of Chen Qinghuang.
"These are the descendants of the black goat god."
A flicker of intrigue sparked in Youyu's eyes. With a gentle sweep of his sleeve, he soared toward the dark green star.
Yu Yuan remained perched on the edge of the Wellspring of Creation, taking in this unfamiliar world that bore a resemblance to the Origin Realm. He sensed the cosmic energy of the Wasteland, rich with forces that could bolster physique and vitality.
His Solar Spirit Body, standing at the wellspring's brink, naturally absorbed the cosmic energy.
The vast and powerful cosmic energy of the Wasteland, drawn to his Solar Spirit Body, converged from all around.
Beyond the dark green star where the black goats met their end, there were four smaller stars and the scattered remains of Darkgold Beasts, fire lions, and Starbeasts.
The alien beasts of the Wasteland, with their unremarkable bloodline levels, were likely all slain by Chen Qinghuang upon her arrival. Their carcasses floated in the void, some decaying, others with bones splintered.
Yu Yuan extended his Solar Spirit senses, his aura radiating outward, but found no surviving alien beasts. As his perception reached further, he encountered denser cosmic energy, rich in vital energy. The Wasteland was distinct from the Origin Realm; here, the void's energy was readily absorbed by the corporeal body, bolstering bone and flesh. Yet, the force that sustains the soul was scarce.
In this curious world, the more robust the flesh and blood, the more prosperous the life, swiftly enhancing bloodlines. For Sky Fiends and ghosts, growth in the Wasteland was as arduous as ascending to the heavens.
That black goat, versed in some Soul Power and Primal Vitality secrets, was an anomaly among anomalies in the Wasteland. Her ascension to Beast God was undoubtedly aided by Yuan Le's influence.
"A skilled cook can't prepare a meal without rice. Thankfully, the Demon God of the Star-Spawned Terror didn't wreak havoc in the Wasteland," Yu Yuan mused, aware that beings reliant on soul power were ill-suited for a realm governed by primal blood. "The Wasteland is not an ideal place for relocation."
Youyu, upon reaching the dark green star, extracted the soul stone from her chest and cast it skyward, creating a dark green energy shield that enveloped the entire celestial body. Within the barrier, Wagner, the God of Ghosts, Matina, Razses, Luo Yue, and other ghosts emerged in succession.
A new Root of the Lunar Meridian, akin to the expansive Levi River, hovered above the star. Having completed these tasks, Youyu's expression darkened, perhaps contemplating a return to the Origin Realm.
The residual souls of the deceased black goat and nearby alien beasts converged toward the Root of the Lunar Meridian. This nascent source of the Lunar Meridian, freshly consecrated by Primal Vitality, was just beginning to awaken its power.
It was exerting great effort to decipher the imprints within the residual soul of the alien beast, gradually attuning to the state of affairs in the Wasteland.
"Yu Yuan!"
Luo Yue, now a God of Ghosts, along with Razses, emerged from the soul stone and called out to Yu Yuan from a distance.
"I released you not for a reunion with Yu Yuan," Youyu remarked, clearly in a foul mood.
The other Gods of Ghosts, holding Youyu in high regard, heeded his words and descended into the newly formed Root of the Lunar Meridian.
Together, the Gods of Ghosts lent their aid to the underpowered Root of the Lunar Meridian, collecting the Wasteland's alien beast residual souls. They extracted memories from these souls, delving into the intricacies of the beast souls and the Wasteland's unique power structure.
Yu Yuan offered them a smile and gestured for them to concentrate on the task at hand, indicating there was no rush to catch up on old times.
"The alien beasts scarcely concern themselves with the cultivation of the soul. Even among the Beast Gods, only the black goat is an exception," Youyu expressed, his voice tinged with disappointment. "A world needs beings with robust souls, for only in death do they yield ghosts of substantial soul power. Even in total obliteration, a rich essence of soul power infused with shadow energy disperses, becoming part of the cosmic energy."
"It's clear the Wasteland is not such a world. From what I've seen, it's entirely unsuitable for its migration."
Youyu had quickly determined that the Wasteland, under Yuan Le's dominion, was no haven for Primal Vitality. He contemplated his return.
Meanwhile, within the Wellspring of Creation, the bizarrely colored flesh quivered with sudden intensity.
Blood vessels burst forth from the pulsating mass, clashing in the air and striking against the nine-layered wall that contained them. Splendid divine radiance emerged within the barriers, forming an array that severed the connections with the world and time. The flesh tendrils vaporized into a mist of blood upon contact with the wall.
This bloody mist was then reabsorbed by the undulating mass of strange flesh, reforming into new tendrils. The mass of flesh, like a slumbering dire beast, had once again caught the scent of blood.
The entity quivered, its flesh warping powerfully, compelling creatures of great physical strength to hurl themselves at it, eager to assimilate with its might.
Thankfully, this region was on the fringes of the Wasteland, where the alien beasts had already been eradicated by Chen Qinghuang.
Youyu, along with the ghosts active within the star, lacked corporeal bodies and were thus immune to the bizarre flesh's corruption.
"This flesh..."
Yu Yuan's brow furrowed as he sensed a challenging situation ahead.
The flesh within the Wellspring of Creation was actually condensed by nine layers of the wall. In its true form, it was colossal, likely surpassing the size of the entire Everlands.
The Wasteland differed from the Origin Realm; its cosmic energy was suffused with a potent scent of flesh and blood.
It seemed to have been provoked by unique environmental factors, becoming ravenous and instinctively seeking vital energy, eager to reap the alien beasts of this world.
"Yu Yuan, we've decided against venturing further," Youyu declared, speaking from the star shrouded by the soul stone. "I've concluded that the current state of the Wasteland isn't conducive to its migration. Moreover, the Root of the Lunar Meridian it has refined will struggle to grow and evolve into another entity in a short span."
"Do you want me to take you back now?" Yu Yuan inquired, taken aback.
"Let's wait a little longer. I intend to imbue this new Root of the Lunar Meridian with additional spiritual wisdom. As a part of it, the Root can autonomously determine whether to stay or depart," Youyu explained.
"In that case, I'll scout ahead. Give it some thought—whether you wish to remain in the Wasteland."
Following their brief conversation, Yu Yuan and Youyu split up to attend to their respective tasks.
Beneath his feet, the Wellspring of Creation roared. The peculiar flesh writhing within emitted tremendous fluctuations, as if intent on consuming all life in the Wasteland.
Yu Yuan cast meteorites and Starshards aside as he progressed.
With a hand pressed against the surface of the Wellspring of Creation, he could distinctly feel the nine layers of the wall sealing it off, like nine temporal rings imprisoning the undulating flesh.
Strands of his vital energy escaped his body, racing through the Wasteland like numerous blood-red lanterns.
Whoosh!
The vital energy that burst forth was meant to scout the Wasteland's various conditions. It frantically absorbed the cosmic energy of the stars, morphing into massive bloody tempests.
Each tempest swirled, purging the impurities from the Solar Spirit and distilling the most pristine vital energy.
His eyes widened in astonishment.
In the burgeoning bloody tempests, a thick mist formed, with intertwining bloody lights giving rise to Bloody Rivers rich in vital energy.
He could harness this vital energy within himself, instantly restoring his combat prowess, regenerating flesh and bone with ease.
He reveled in the sensation, like a fish taking to water.
The Wasteland, inhospitable to Sky Fiends and a desolate place for ghosts, seemed to welcome his Solar Spirit as a fish embraces the vast ocean.
"As a spokesperson for Primal Blood, both my Solar Spirit and Yuan Le are indeed best suited for this realm," Yu Yuan realized, a light smile playing on his lips.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sinews within the Wellspring of Creation continued to violently collide with the nine-layered wall, eager to break free and feast upon the world's delights.
Yu Yuan, now missing an arm, was acutely aware that these seemingly slender sinews were more colossal than the Everlands' giant dragons.
Should these sinews escape the Wellspring of Creation and shed their restraints, their emergence in the Wasteland could unleash untold calamities.
"Yu Yuan!"
A Moonfang Tiger, mighty as a mountain, transformed the white clouds beneath its feet.
He trod upon the clouds, howling through the void, surrounded by a maelstrom of flesh and blood, the sound of snapping bones in the air.
He appeared to have just fought his way out of an encirclement, surviving a bloodbath. His snowy form bore wounds visible to the naked eye.
Some gashes reached deep into his pristine, jade-like bones, leaving the Moonfang Tiger scarred and battered.
Upon seeing Yu Yuan standing atop an enigmatic pool at the Wasteland's fringe, the Astral Tiger's Demonic Eyes dimmed, and its fearsome aura of slaughter slowly subsided. "Why have you come? The Supreme of our Shadow's Keep is locked in battle with Yuan Le in the Wasteland. Have you come to join the fight?"
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