C2200 There Were Thorns on the Earth
A shard of red crystal was embedded in Sekou's chest, unleashing an extraordinary force of life within him and sparking the creation of a new bloodline chain in his heart. He had lost all memory of the earth's rules and profound meanings and lacked the corresponding earth crystal chain. Nevertheless, the new bloodline chain held the might of hundreds of Beast Gods from the Wasteland.
With the Primal Blood bestowing upon Sekou a deeper understanding of the cosmic order through a mere tree branch, he gained insights that, while not the pinnacle of Primal Anima's rules, were plentiful in number.
The moment the bloodline chains emerged from his chest, they transformed into the formidable Beast Gods that once reigned supreme. The golden lion, Thunderhawk, silver elephant, and the sky-soaring anaconda—all fearsome Beast Gods—were reinvigorated by the Tree of Life's vital energy as if brought back to life.
The Beast Gods hurtled towards Mother Earth, causing the ground to fracture and the cave's ceiling to burst open with a resounding crack. Sekou's ribcage shattered under the onslaught, his organs ruptured, and he spewed bright red blood from his eyes, mouth, and nose. He was like a flame on the verge of extinction, rapidly succumbing to death.
The Primal Blood, through the agency of a tree branch in his chest, was rapidly depleting his life force and potential, leaving him without even a sliver of hope for resurrection.
"Earth Spike!" Mother Earth called out, her expression stoic as the Beast Gods lunged at her. She extended her hand, revealing a world aglow with a seven-colored divine brilliance.
Sharp spikes erupted from the ground beneath the Beast Gods, gleaming with an icy glow as they impaled each Beast God, suspending their bodies in mid-air.
"Rock Suppression," she commanded once more.
The rock walls at her side converged like closing doors, and the Beast Gods, already skewered by the Earth Spikes, were crushed into a bloody pulp.
A hush fell as a dark red blood cloud materialized silently. The boundless vital energy from the Tree of Life morphed into rivers and lakes within the cloud. From these crimson waters, shadowy figures drenched in blood emerged, exuding a sinister vitality.
Amidst the blood cloud, ferocious bears took shape, each one a Life Seed, ready to burst forth with raw power.
With a resounding explosion, Sekou's bones and internal organs were completely shattered, his flesh and bones scattering into the blood cloud.
The Life Seeds within the blood cloud underwent an accelerated evolution, transforming into tiny blood bears that shrouded Mother Earth along with the cloud.
Blood bears emerged within Mother Earth's body, searching for something.
Her eyebrows twitched slightly as she sensed the vibrant life force within her being nibbled away by the blood bears.
The blood bears, born from the Life Seeds, detected a breath of life unlike any before. They sought to consume this breath of life, to revert her to her original form, stripping her of this novel body.
"You seem to know exactly how to weaken my power," she said with a cold snort.
The colorful earth veins hidden beneath her wheat-colored skin suddenly became visible and blazed brightly for an instant.
She and the Peak of Creation merged into one.
Boom!
An immense pressure descended from the top of the cave, engulfing the entire space.
All the blood bears, whether deep within the blood cloud or burrowed into her body, were instantly crushed into a mist of blood by the overwhelming force.
"That bear couldn't handle your power. He was meant to live, but you drained him dry."
"Indeed, within this cave, you truly had no other choice," Mother Earth said with a mocking tone, eyeing the Tree of Life that continued to wreak havoc. "You're trapped."
She harnessed the power of the Peak of Creation to press the deep red Tree of Life firmly against the rocky floor.
The ground split open, and as the Tree of Life settled, the fissure clamped around its roots.
It appeared as though the Tree of Life had chosen to root itself in the earth, rather than being confined by Mother Earth.
Crack!
More fissures emerged, radiating from the Tree of Life, forming an intricate and stunning pattern.
This pattern served as a secure bond, preventing the Tree of Life, formed from the Primal Blood of the Wasteland, from breaking free from the ground and soaring into the outside world.
Having completed these actions, Mother Earth turned her gaze to Yu Yuan and spoke softly, "You may proceed."
Her confidence was palpable.
Within the confines of the Peak of Creation, in this very cave, she was certain that the Primal Blood, now exposed in its initial form, could no longer escape.
"Why am I the one to refine it?" Yu Yuan asked with a grave tone.
"I can trap it, but I can't eliminate it. I'm not fond of that scoundrel Yuan Le, so he's your responsibility," declared Mother Earth.
"I've never attempted to refine a Primal Anima before. I'll give it a try." Yu Yuan paused briefly before continuing, "Seal off the Peak of Creation. Don't allow anyone in. I'm going to attempt to refine the Primal Blood."
Yu Yuan was inwardly thrilled.
In his memories, he had slain several Primal Animas and withstood the Abyss's Primal Soul's attempts at possession, proving himself equal to the mightiest Primal Animas.
Yet, he had no prior experience in refining a Primal Anima.
He was also unaware if anyone had ever successfully refined their creator in the ancient past.
"Rest assured, as long as I'm here, no one will get through," Mother Earth proclaimed with pride.
"Very well!"
Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body expanded a hundredfold as he gazed down at the Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life's branches thrashed wildly!
With a tearing sound, innumerable blood-colored lightning bolts raced along the crimson branches. The Primal Blood of the Wasteland, in its terror, desperately tried to flee the cave that had been its prison for eons.
"Don't do this. We are kin, both Primal Animas!"
Its thoughts echoed throughout the cave. "Mother Earth, light! We share a common foe. The being from the Origin Realm will eventually come for us. My actions against you were a last resort!"
The Light Spirit cast another glance at Mother Earth before the city.
Unmoved, Mother Earth simply nodded at Yu Yuan, signaling him to proceed.
"Here we go!"
Next to the Tree of Life, Yu Yuan engaged the Secrets of Life. Drawing upon his insight into the Way of Heaven, he sprouted blood-red arms from beneath his armpits.
Each arm was imbued with the profound ability to siphon bloodlines, embodying his wisdom's culmination.
As many branches as the Tree of Life had, that's how many blood-red arms he grew. He swiftly grasped each branch, allowing the scarlet vital energy to permeate.
This sensation was akin to the Wellspring of Creation's interior, where bizarre flesh and blood launched countless tentacles resembling colossal anacondas and dragons.
As his blood-red arms clutched the branches of the Tree of Life, he was assaulted by shrill screams.
It seemed as though the myriad spiritual senses of the Primal Blood were wailing from each branch, seeking to bewilder his mind and warp his spiritual wisdom.
The Primal Blood from the Wasteland desperately tried to shatter his mental defenses, eager to swiftly seize control of him.
He was, without a doubt, the ideal vessel for the Primal Blood's possession.
The spiritual senses now flooding into him were far more ferocious than those he had encountered at the Peak of Creation.
Before, it was merely a single spiritual sense of the Primal Blood attempting to possess him.
Now, the Primal Blood, teetering on the brink of extinction, had summoned nearly all its spiritual senses, transforming into hundreds of blood-red waterfalls within Yu Yuan's consciousness!
These cascading torrents writhed within Yu Yuan's mental realm, bursting forth with infinite divine radiance.
Previously, these spiritual senses could have obliterated all of Yuan Le's resistance and erased the memories he had amassed over millennia, along with his complete understanding of the Secrets of Life.
Suddenly, his consciousness shifted, and the hundreds of blood waterfalls morphed into an array of blood crystals, plunging down like lethal blades.
Yu Yuan was gripped by an excruciating headache.
His grip on the Tree of Life's myriad blood arms was shattered by the force of the vital energy, only to be regenerated by his White Bone power in a single breath.
The blood arms firmly pinned the Tree of Life's branches, preventing even the slightest tremor.
Where his arms met the branches, a myriad of bloody sparks erupted, his newly realized Secrets of Life and his indomitable soul and will clashed with the Primal Blood of the Wasteland.
Mother Earth's demeanor was stern, her eyes fixed on him and the Tree of Life. She refrained from intervening, merely restricting the Tree of Life's departure.
Likewise, she confined Yu Yuan, ensuring he could not escape the cavern.
"Are you going to assist him in refining the Primal Blood, or are you intent on watching him battle it out with the Primal Blood?"
Standing before the City of Light, the Light Spirit began to sense that something was amiss.
"You are the sovereign of the Peak of Creation. Your power is now immeasurable, and you possess a body. You... surely could offer him greater assistance, couldn't you? You could make this easier for him, right?"
The Light Spirit voiced her skepticism.
"When he reigned as the Lord of the Abyss, he took my life and left me in fragments. That memory is etched deeply within me; it's unforgettable, no matter how hard I try."
"My grievances with him won't simply be dismissed because of the favors he's done for me."
"And..."
Mother Earth's lovely visage betrayed a mix of shyness and irritation, "He managed to provoke my wrath once again, not long ago! I'm eager to watch him battle the Primal Blood in a fight to the end. Naturally, I won't let him off the hook that easily."
