C2175 Under the Darkness There Were Nine Layers of Seals
The abyss was a realm of death and desolation.
A luminous stone platform howled through these foreign lands, aimlessly seeking signs of life.
Barol and Brie conversed in hushed tones, employing their blood power and heightened awareness to explore this novel world, marveling at its past splendor with occasional clicks of their tongues and sighs.
Yu Yiyi was set free, gripping the Evil Cauldron, her soul's consciousness rippling outward.
"What a formidable world. Even the fearsome Chaos Djinn has perished in the endless march of time," she mused with a sigh.
Fragments of suns and moons floated in the sky above, casting faint glimmers of light.
Yet, with their combat prowess and spiritual cultivation, they could perceive the contours of this world through their consciousness and blood energy, even in the absence of light.
"Master, aren't you concerned about leaving?" Yu Yiyi asked, her gaze filled with concern as she noted the flickering green and black spots on Yu Yuan's neck and face.
The Abyss Origin Soul's relentless corrosion continued to sap Yu Yuan's strength. They were all aware that his battle with the adversary had not ceased for a moment.
"For the time being, I'm alright," Yu Yuan replied, gazing into the ink-black firmament, contemplating a bold dash into the darkness above.
There, amidst the shadows, he could locate the route to the Cold Domain. He anticipated resistance from the Origin Soul and the dark, but at least he had a clear direction. In contrast, the silent abyss before him offered no guidance, leaving him to be drained by his unseen foe.
"Let's look around a bit longer. The World Tree might be here, and Beilstein could be somewhere in this world as well."
The Dragon Slash Platform resonated through the void as they dispersed their souls, consciousness, and life force in search of the true Abyss World.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Yu Yiyi even released a portion of the Evil Demons from the cauldron, transforming the weaker ones into her scouts to aid in detecting the peculiarities of this realm.
They encountered Chaos Djinns fused with stellar fragments, each discovery profoundly shaking their spirits.
"It's incredible that such formidable beings exist in this lifeless world," Brie exclaimed in awe.
They had just emerged from within a Chaos Djinn resembling a colossal fish, where a hidden universe lay within its belly.
In that realm, there were numerous skeletal remains resembling those of the Sea Clan from the Origin Realm, indicating that an intelligent race had once thrived in the world within the belly of the giant fish.
The territory inside the giant fish was comparable in size to the Plover Realm, featuring a multitude of desiccated lakes and seas.
Devoid of water, the lakebeds and seafloors were adorned with opulent palaces constructed from corals and various shells, while the dome of this world was studded with innumerable unlit gems and pearls.
However, shortly after their arrival, the once-intact world began to rapidly disintegrate due to their external influence and interference.
The once-luminous gems and pearls, along with the energy-depleted palaces and castles, disintegrated into dust amidst the world's collapse.
Having encountered similar worlds and scenes multiple times, they had grown desensitized to such destruction.
"I sense the Creation Wood!"
Yu Yuan, after what felt like an eternity of searching, finally detected a strong presence of plant life through the Soul Altar within his sea of consciousness, his face lighting up with excitement.
As he attempted to forge a connection, the Origin Spirits of the Creation Wood and Thunder seemed even more thrilled than he was.
"Why have you come?"
"Have you been exiled to this place as well?"
"Have you made peace with him, or do you still stand in opposition?"
...
The two Origin Spirits, now emotional, were frantically transmitting messages to the Soul Altar from a great distance. They chattered away, their tones cautious and wary, as if terrified of further offending him and incurring his wrath.
"We'll discuss this when we meet!"
Time passed, and eventually, Yu Yuan once again laid eyes on the vast Creation Wood in the true Silence of the Abyss. Many of its leaves had withered to a yellow hue, seemingly having absorbed an excessive amount of plant vitality without receiving timely nourishment.
"Yu Yuan!"
Qi Yunhong emerged from the scaly tree bark, the Thunder Divine Pool cinched at his waist, his exposed limbs etched with veins that shone like brilliant streaks of lightning.
His presence was formidable, and his voice boomed with the thunderous power within him, as if he were a deity wielding the mighty thunder path.
His pupils, akin to spheres of lightning, appeared capable of annihilating any soul or specter with a mere glance.
"Hehe, I've surpassed Wai Zhuo and now possess the credentials to vie for the title of Supreme Thunder!"
Qi Yunhong was brimming with vigor, his every gesture sparking lightning that crackled and shot from his body. He still hadn't mastered his newfound power completely.
Yu Yuan recognized Qi Yunhong's formidable strength at once. The wood and lightning Origin Souls had expended much energy, but this Abyss World lacked the means to replenish them, causing the leaves of the Tree of God to wither and turn yellow.
"We're trapped! Above us, in the dark canopy, there are nine layers of enigmatic barriers. Without breaking these seals, we can't return to the Alien Realm."
The consciousness of the wood Origin Soul manifested in Yu Yuan's mind, conveying a sense of helplessness.
It informed Yu Yuan of its attempts. After the lightning Origin Soul had bestowed the Law of Thunder upon Qi Yunhong, and Yu Yuan had restructured his flesh and sinew, the Tree of God ascended towards the heavens.
But as it neared the apex, the nine layers of barriers emerged out of nowhere.
A fearsome pressure was unleashed, and a blinding divine radiance erupted, forming an intricate pattern of the Great Dao mysteries that eluded both Yu Yuan and the lightning Origin Soul.
Their path to freedom was thwarted by these barriers. Despite repeated efforts, neither Yu Yuan nor the lightning Origin Soul could make the slightest dent in the enchantments.
Not even the first layer of the barrier could be breached by them.
"Nine layers of seals beneath the shroud of darkness," Yu Yuan mused with a heavy heart.
He had been severed from his Yang God for quite some time and was unaware that his divine counterpart had reached the Desolate Realm with the Creation Pool and the mass of flesh and blood.
Yet, the memory of losing an arm while exploring the Creation Pool was still fresh in his mind. He vividly recalled the nine-layered barrier that had contained the mass of flesh and blood, and the divine light that had flared upon impact.
"We are ensnared by the same nine layers of seals. To leave this world, we must shatter them," Yu Yuan realized with clarity.
Suddenly, in the Abyss's high skies, three spiritual beast souls materialized.
A colossal blood-boned elephant, a leopard with golden patterns, and a fierce hyena appeared. These were the revered Beast Gods of the Desolate Realm!
They didn't prioritize the refinement of their beast souls. As soon as their beast souls manifested in the Abyss, they began to disintegrate.
They appeared out of nowhere, right above Yu Yuan's head in the dark void, and the beast souls were luminous enough for him to immediately notice them.
"Why would the souls of the Beast Gods from the Desolate Realm suddenly be here?"
Puzzled, he quickly manifested the Soul Altar on his forehead as the three beast souls dissipated, using it to search their memories with its illuminating power.
The beast souls disintegrated rapidly in the Abyss, turning into soul smoke.
Their soul energy, drawn by the dark canopy, vanished into the darkness above without triggering the nine-layered barrier, becoming a thick concentration of soul energy within the darkness.
Yu Yuan wore a perplexed look.
Before the three beast souls vanished, he used the Soul Altar's soul-searching technique to capture their most recent memories.
He saw himself standing by the Creation Pool, and the White Divine Tiger, fervently trying to break through a blood-red barrier to enter the Creation Pool.
That was an alien world, one familiar to the three Beast Gods—it was the Desolate Realm!
His Yang God had taken the Creation Pool to the Desolate Realm, where the three Beast Gods of that realm were absorbed by the flesh within the pool while in pursuit of the White Divine Tiger.
And yet, their beast souls had somehow arrived in the Abyss!
"Master, have you discovered something?"
Yu Yiyi, noticing his odd expression, inquired softly.
"The Creation Pool reaps the flesh and blood of the mightiest beings, and their souls are fragmented, appearing here. Once the souls of these mighty beings perish, their soul energy ascends to the dark realm above. It's no wonder that such immense soul energy exists in that boundless darkness, becoming part of its power," Yu Yuan murmured.
The Origin Spirits of plants and lightning, aware of the peculiar nature of the flesh and blood in the Creation Pool, began to chatter excitedly.
Barol exclaimed in astonishment, "I'm not familiar with the Creation Pool, but the Beast Gods of the Desolate Realm should have returned there. If what you're saying is true, then the place where these three Beast Gods perished must be the Desolate Realm!"
"Yes, they perished in the Desolate Realm," Yu Yuan confirmed with a nod.
Barol was thunderstruck. "How can this be? How is this possible?"
"We're in the true Abyss, which isn't connected to the Origin Realm. If the Beast Gods of the Desolate Realm died, why would their beast souls manifest here?" Brie scratched his head in disbelief, struggling to accept this reality.
Yu Yuan offered a succinct explanation regarding the Creation Pool and the peculiar energy emanating from the flesh and blood. He stated, "I have a sense that the nine layers of sealing barriers are interconnected."
