C2181 In the Depths of the Wasteland

In the enveloping darkness, Demon God Bertain stood clad in thick copper armor, his purple crystal-like demonform shimmering with light.

This sacred area held no sway over him. With his Devil Eyes, he could discern the landscape veiled in shadow.

The omnipresent pure Soul Power, drawn by his presence, coalesced within his body.

Having ascended to the eleventh level on the Supreme Way of Heaven, he had crafted a demonform through Yu Yuan's method of forging the "Soul Altar," and here he thrived as if he were in his natural element.

Should the Primal Soul of the Abyss be absent, he would be the de facto ruler of this realm, unthreatened by the Dark Anima.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Bertain's Devil Eyes gleamed, casting two beams of purple Soul Power that struck the dazzling seal below.

Across the surface of the wall, a cascade of starry sparks erupted, with stars and moons materializing out of nowhere.

"The seal's power has significantly weakened."

Bertain nodded, unsurprised, and remarked, "His power is now preoccupied with Yu Yuan's seven-tiered Soul Altar. This is the opportune moment for me to break through the barrier."

From the depths of darkness, he had glimpsed Yu Yuan's current plight.

He had also surmised that the Primal Soul of the Abyss aimed to strip Yu Yuan of his seven-tiered Soul Altar, prompting his return to intervene.

Lin Daoke, a man of few words, was garbed in plain green attire, his hands empty.

Not long ago, Lin Daoke had wandered through numerous Star Rivers in the Origin Realm, first witnessing the Evil God, Sky Fiend, and the Gods collectively hunting and slaughtering the Otherkin.

Then, as the Evil God vanished, lands from the Abyss intruded into the Origin Realm, inciting chaos.

By chance, he encountered Zhong Chichen, who led him to the Frostlands, where he met the familiar Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian and Bertain, who had returned from another dark domain.

Bertain extended an invitation to delve into the true Abyss, and after a moment's hesitation, Lin Daoke followed.

Now, hovering above the Genesis Continent, he frowned at the sight of grotesque dark creatures surging from the black crystal expanse, massacring the Abyssal races across sixty-four lands.

The feeble Abyssal races were being savagely torn and devoured by the dark creatures, their fate even more brutal than the Otherkin warriors slain by the Evil God.

Lin Daoke's face twisted with revulsion. Scenes of bullying the weak sickened him, regardless of where they occurred.

Bertain, however, seemed indifferent to the dark creatures' brutality, unaffected by their savage acts.

"In the vast starry expanses of the Origin Realm, our human race, along with the Sky Fiend and the denizens of the Abyss, continue to encroach upon the lands of the Otherkin," Lin Daoke stated icily. He pointed his finger skyward and, with a swift motion, brandished his sword over the Genesis Continent.

With a slash, the brilliant sword light cleaved through the darkness, its keen edge of swordsmanship coalescing into a sphere of light above the obsidian surface.

Dark creatures that emerged were instantly vanquished by the sword light, cut down the moment they materialized.

"The extraterrestrial Otherkin look to you as their leader, their spiritual pillar, and you have commanded them in countless battles across the Everlands. Yet now, you seem indifferent to their fate."

Lin Daoke's finger-sword struck out at the dark crystal surface, the blinding sword light flashing like a broad stroke of lightning.

Sensing danger, the crystal retreated into the depths of the Genesis Continent as the sword light approached.

The sword light pressed on, causing a tremendous upheaval deep underground.

"Without Tan Xiaotian entering, the Dark Anima lacks a vessel to inhabit and poses no threat," Lin Daoke declared.

After a few moments, tranquility returned to the underground, and the sword light Lin Daoke had unleashed subsided. He spoke again, his tone detached, "This continent's depths harbor wonders."

The sword light, once capable of slaying gods and demons, was now being worn away by the subterranean forces.

"There's no need to concern yourself with these dark creatures or their slaughter of the Abyss races. It's simply the natural evolution of the Abyssal beings. Lin, humans like you were evacuated from the seventh tier long ago by Jihui. The fate of those lowly, mindless Abyss races is irrelevant to you. Since when did you become so merciful?" Bertain inquired, puzzled.

Lin Daoke remained silent for a moment, then responded, "In the Astral Domains of the Origin Realm, even the Otherkin warriors who once pledged unwavering loyalty to you and worshipped you as a deity are being massacred."

Bertain's brow furrowed slightly, and he was reminded of Yu Yuan's warning to be vigilant after refining his demonform, to avoid becoming as desensitized as the Primal Anima, lest he lose touch with his emotions and humanity.

"I'll lead the way."

A Divine Sword, crystalline and radiant, materialized in Lin Daoke's grasp—his Solar Spirit Sword.

He afforded Bertain a moment to ponder, then with sword in hand, he breached the first layer of the wall. Where he encountered mountains, he cleaved them; where he found stars, he shattered them; even the sun and the moon were not spared from his blade.

Wielding the Solar Spirit Sword, Lin Daoke swiftly penetrated the first layer, advanced to the second, and pressed on toward the third.

No obstacle stood a chance against the Divine Sword, not even the remnants of the Primal Anima that formed the celestial bodies.

Upon reaching the third layer's wall, a majestic golden mountain loomed before him.

Lin Daoke, undeterred, struck with his sword once more.

The smooth, golden facade of the mountain, adorned with the sun, moon, and stars, was reinforced by the residual Dao of the Golden Spirit, rendering the golden edifice immovable.

The blade of the Divine Sword unleashed its fury, sword rainbows bursting upon the mountain's surface, as sword light cascaded like rain.

Lin Daoke found his path forward obstructed.

He furrowed his brow, deep in thought, recognizing the challenge ahead.

It was then that the Demon God Bertain arrived, declaring, "Young Lin, the seal's strength has greatly diminished since my initial encounter. Yu Yuan is bound by the majority of the nine layers' power on the other side, which is why you've found it so effortless."

Lin Daoke's displeasure was evident as he raised an eyebrow. "What are you implying?"

"Had Yu Yuan not been detained, you would have barely made it to the second layer, let alone the third."

Unconcerned with Lin Daoke's reaction, Bertain spoke candidly, a smile on his face. "Leave the Golden Mountain, now merging with the Primal Anima, to me."

His amethyst demonform shrank slightly before being completely encased in the armor forged by the Cosmic Crucible.

Within the depths of the armor's glyphs, the wails of countless demons echoed. Bertain's myriad thoughts emerged within the demonform, unlocking realms of mystic sanctuaries.

With a resounding boom, the Gold Mountain—marked by the sun, moon, and stars—crumbled under the lament of the legions of demons.

"Let's head down to the next level."

Bertain confidently stepped into the fourth level.

...

In the Wasteland, at the Peak of Creation, enormous stars orbited an immensely large mountain. This peak stood alone in the Wasteland's void, creating a vast Astral Domain filled with endless wonders.

The lands near the mountain, teeming with hundreds of thousands of alien beasts, echoed with their ceaseless roars.

Atop the mountain's flat summit, the Beast God Temple, the symbol of supreme authority in the Wasteland, was a place all alien beasts aspired to reach.

Currently, the lush Uxthar Tree with its dense foliage took root on the peak. Its leaves, green as jade, shone with divine light and brimmed with vibrant energy.

The Uxthar Tree, having chosen to root itself in the Wasteland, exhibited astonishing growth, seemingly undergoing a transformation in this realm.

Beneath the shade of the divine tree, a myriad of flowers blossomed, their fragrance from numerous exotic spiritual herbs was utterly enchanting.

"Are you truly unable to sense the Secular Bird Queen's location?"

The beautiful woman, clad in a black dress crafted by the black goat god, gazed up at the Uxthar Tree, her eyes filled with a chilling coldness: "Back in the Origin Realm, you and she were united, allies for many years! I refuse to believe that, with her emergence in the Wasteland, you can't detect her movements and pinpoint her exact location!"

"You've grown much stronger than before!"

The black goat was nearly bellowing.

Her tribe, stationed at the edge of the starry sky, was tasked with watching over the Origin Realm and was the first to face the Secular Bird Queen's carnage.

The secular bird, synonymous with death and destruction, seemed to have mastered the art of Spacetime, becoming elusive and unpredictable.

Not only was Yuan Le unable to locate her, but even the Primal Blood within the Peak of Creation couldn't sense the secular bird's presence.

Driven by desperation, the black goat sought out the Uxthar Tree, hoping it could shed some light on the situation.

"She has changed; there's no life force within her. Yuan Le can't find her, and neither can I."

The divine tree's branches and leaves whispered as they delivered their response.

"What a conundrum."

Beneath the same divine tree, the guileless Direbear, Sekou, had transformed into a massive man with a wide and sturdy frame.

Harnessing the power of Mother Earth, the Direbear, now an eleventh-level supreme being, spoke with a deep, resonant voice, "If we can't locate that secular bird and she continues to sow death, the major Star Rivers of the Wasteland will be ruined."

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a Dark Tower sliced through the sky and hovered before the Beast God Temple, capturing the gaze of all the Beast Gods present.

"Yu Yuan from the Origin Realm!"

"Like our king, he has won the favor of Primal Blood from another realm and has been bestowed a complete life sequence!"

"What brings him here?"

The arrival of Yu Yuan sent ripples of disturbance not only across the Peak of Creation but also among the mighty Beast Gods perched upon the neighboring colossal stars.

Many Beast Gods regarded Yu Yuan with a mix of deep-seated hatred and well-concealed fear.

Some had fallen to Yu Yuan's hand, their final moments etched into their memories, leaving an indelible mark of Yu Yuan in their minds.

Even resurrected by Yuan Le, the Beast Gods struggled to erase the memory of their own demise.

Yu Yuan, stepping off the "Wellspring of Creation," fixed his gaze on the pond's surface, where he could clearly see the nine layers of the dazzling wall.

The nine layers, which should not have been visible without external force, remained persistently luminous.

Occasionally, tiny flickers of light would surface within the wall, resembling twinkling stars.

This defied logic.

Yu Yuan suspected that the nine-layered wall encasing the peculiar flesh and blood was under assault by some force, which was why the wall persisted.

Yet, despite repeated scrutiny, he found no evidence of any force attacking the nine-layered wall.

What surprised him even more was the behavior of the flesh and blood within the wall. Whenever it sensed the overwhelming vital energy from the outside, it would emit distorted waves of flesh and blood, yet it behaved quite submissively.

The Ape was unaffected by the vibrations of the flesh and blood. Now at the Peak of Creation, amidst the vast expanse of the blood-red sea, the enigmatic mass of flesh and blood remained tranquil.

"It's a relief there's no commotion. Tranquility is good."

Yu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. He truly feared that the mass of flesh and blood might suddenly act up, driving the Beast Gods into uncontrollable frenzy, potentially leading to their swift demise in the Wellspring of Creation. Such an event would make it exceedingly difficult for him and the Primal Blood to communicate.

"Yu Yuan!"

"Yu Yuan!"

"Yu Yuan!"

The Light Spirit, Mother Earth, and the Uxthar Tree simultaneously transmitted their messages through spiritual sense.

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