C2192 It Was Looking at You and Me!
"I'll scout ahead."
Yuen Bu's blood clone didn't show any hesitation. He placed his full trust in Sekou, and as the passage materialized, he transformed into a streak of crimson light and vanished into it.
His caution was paramount.
He sent a blood clone into the inner reaches of Creation Peak, the true resting place of this world's Origin Blood within the Creation Pool. The clone was tasked with attempting to gather the life laws controlled by the Origin Blood.
Should it prove to be a trap, or if anything were amiss, all he would lose was a blood clone.
"I'll keep watch here."
Sekou, growing ever more imposing and robust, felt his heart pounding as the passage Yuen Bu had used sealed itself shut.
The mighty Earth Bear did not pursue Yuen Bu's clone. It wasn't in a rush to refine Mother Earth but instead fixed its gaze on Yu Yuan at the edge of the Creation Pool, faithfully standing guard for Yuen Bu.
The pit, deep within the mountain, was shrouded in a blood mist that enveloped the Creation Pool.
The sentient consciousness of the Origin Blood seemed to be draining into the Creation Pool with the blood mist, struggling to move forward within the nine layers of the resplendent sealing barrier.
Sekou observed the blood mist and the stones, imbued with the laws and energy of the earth, as they flew into the barrier of their own accord.
The stones morphed into peaks and crags resembling Creation Peak, with the rocks revealing the earth's laws.
Sekou gazed in awe at these laws, discovering changes within the earth's laws in the mountainous rocks—many were profound mysteries unfamiliar to him.
"That despicable Yuen Bu!"
After Yuen Bu's clone had vanished, the Light Origin Spirit exhaled in relief before resuming its clamor.
Boom!
Sekou, having amassed sufficient Qi and blood, suddenly manifested his true form as the Earth Bear. His massive form nearly filled the entire cavern as he swatted at the brilliant Light Star.
His colossal bear paw, shadowing the sky, drew upon the power of Creation Peak, summoning countless massive meteors that engulfed the star.
In the true form of the giant bear, the clear lines of the earth's veins were visible in the depths of its eyes.
He applied the newly witnessed, unfamiliar earth techniques, channeling them through the meteors in his paw to shatter the star, which had been possessed by the consciousness of the Light Origin Spirit.
Creak! Crack!
The star, disguised by the Light Origin Spirit's consciousness and taking the form of a youthful girl, was relentlessly bombarded and shattered by the meteors in a myriad of patterns.
The visage of the Light Origin Spirit, a young girl, was being torn asunder within the star, her spiritual essence becoming fragmented and erratic.
"I've had enough!" Sekou grumbled, his face twisted with brutality as he bellowed, "If you keep up this incessant babbling and dare to curse Yuen Bu one more time, I'll head into the mountain and smash you to pieces!"
In the star, the Light Origin Spirit morphed into a distorted figure of a young girl, shivering as she whispered, "I just helped you!"
Sekou, however, ignored her completely.
"Ugh!"
Yu Yuan, who was probing the ninth barrier of the Creation Pool, paid no mind to the vanishing of Yuen Bu's blood doppelgänger. He suddenly became aware of his true self.
More precisely, he sensed the Soul Altar and the corresponding blood platform within the sea of consciousness of his Primordial Spirit.
He couldn't pinpoint the exact location of his true self, but he was certain it was within the barrier, and he felt a resonance with the blood platform.
His Yang God began to communicate instantaneously with his true self.
Out of the blue, he noticed tiny specks of blood-colored light within the blood-colored lightning that clung to his bones, so minuscule they were invisible to the naked eye, mingling with the lightning that carried the profound essence of life.
Previously, his Yang God had been oblivious to these secrets hidden within the blood-colored lightning.
It was only because of the connection between the Yang God and his true self, and the miraculous nature of the seven-tiered Soul Altar that had emerged from his Primordial Spirit, that he could now perceive these tiny specks of blood-colored light with his keenly sensitive soul.
These specks were the fragmented consciousness of the origin blood of this realm.
A portion of its consciousness had split into billions of these blood-colored specks, blending with the blood-colored lightning he had absorbed, and silently rooting themselves within the body of Yang God Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan let out a cold snort, realizing that after its initial attempt to forcefully seize his body had failed, it had swiftly altered its tactics.
This second wave of consciousness had shattered into countless blood-colored specks, infusing into the blood-colored lightning he had drawn in, and stealthily infiltrating the body of Yang God Yu Yuan.
It lay in wait within the blood-colored lightning of Yu Yuan's bones, observing in the shadows, biding its time.
Its intentions were clearly malevolent.
"So it was all an act."
Yu Yuan swiftly came to the realization that the source blood of the Desolate Realm was unlike the Hannya Divine Tree and Mother Earth; its spiritual consciousness had not been fully submerged within the sealing barrier.
The celestial bodies, the elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, along with the eight ultimate mysteries within the barrier, did not encompass the force of life.
Its true craving was for the bizarre flesh and blood nestled within the innermost layer of the nine-tiered seal.
It and the other two primal spirits were not even searching in the same realm.
Ssssh!
In the midst of the resplendent sealing barrier, delicate Yang meridians seemed to weave through like streams, forcefully parting from the enigmatic flesh and blood.
It feigned being ensnared!
"There's no spiritual consciousness in control, after all!"
Atop the mountain, Yuen Bu's laughter echoed.
His blood avatar appeared to have secured what he sought deep within Creation Peak, at the true location of the Desolate Realm's source blood.
The Earth Bear, riddled with gaping holes, shared in his joy: "Has the refinement begun?"
"It has indeed!"
Unabashed excitement spread across Yuen Bu's face as he beamed, "My journey to the Origin Realm opened my eyes to hope, to another possibility! Yu Yuan was able to negotiate with his Founder in that world, making the descent of the source blood contingent upon his consent."
"The spiritual consciousness of the source blood within Yu Yuan isn't even the dominant force."
"This revelation has profoundly shaken me!"
Yuen Bu harbored a deep longing, yet he had kept it concealed until now.
Only within the sanctuary of the Beast Temple, which he commanded, did he dare to dream of emulating Yu Yuan, or even surpassing him by refining his Founder!
Once the seed of ambition is sown, it grows rapidly and becomes terrifyingly potent.
He had assumed that the right opportunity would be hard to come by, yet the Creation Pool's sudden emergence, along with the downfall of Mother Earth and the Hannya Divine Tree, did not escape his notice.
Even the Light Origin Spirit confided in him that the consciousness of the origin blood was hopelessly ensnared in the Creation Pool.
A rare and perfect opportunity had presented itself.
"If my avatars can converge, then naturally, so can I."
With a hearty laugh, Yuen Bu stepped forth from Creation Peak and made his way across the celestial river where the Beast Temple stood, intent on visiting Zhiya, the Demon Phoenix, "I shall not neglect either endeavor!"
The Beast Temple surged towards Zhiya once more.
Boom!
The heavens parted, allowing the Phoenix Shrine, consecrated by Zhiya, to emerge through the void's gateway.
Following the enchanting cry of a phoenix, Zhiya displayed her immense purple phoenix form, her expansive wings cradling the entirety of the Phoenix Shrine.
With a graceful motion, the phoenix's other wing swept through the deep purple Demon Energy Sea, absorbing it in an instant.
She and Yuen Bu clashed fiercely in combat.
Simultaneously.
Yu Yuan's hand, which had been extended toward the Creation Pool, abruptly withdrew. Under Sekou's watchful eyes, he gave a slight smile and murmured, "I'm going to have a look inside."
Without any visible passage, Yu Yuan's Yang God vanished into the dark red wall as if merging with the sea.
Moments later.
He found himself in a cavernous, dark red stone cave, akin to the heart of a vast ocean, where stalactites, all sharp blood-colored prismas, hung ominously.
Countless blood-colored prismas, each interlaced with blood-red lightning, housed massive Life Seeds.
This was the authentic manifestation of the Desolate Realm's source blood.
No passage should exist here, and Yuen Bu should not have been able to enter. As long as Mother Earth's consciousness was active, no physical form should have been able to breach the wall.
By chance, Mother Earth's consciousness had waned, but Sekou retained his own, carving an opening for Yuen Bu.
His blood avatar stood beneath a stalactite, entranced as he fondled the blood-colored prismas, drawing forth strands of blood-red lightning.
"You've indeed held back. You didn't give me everything; you possess a deeper understanding of our bloodline!" Yuen Bu exclaimed, channeling a strand of blood-red lightning into his blood avatar, and his external form instantly mastered a new life principle.
"You managed to enter as well!"
Yuen Bu, lost in his reverie, suddenly noticed an unexpected presence. With a grave tone, he declared, "You wish to contest the refinement with me? Yu Yuan, by entering this place, you've stepped into my domain, and you've sealed your fate."
"That remains to be seen." Yu Yuan regarded Yuen Bu's blood avatar as though he were a pitiful carcass, "I'll say this once, so listen carefully. Its spirit is still present. It dwells within this cave, observing both you and me."
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