C2224 The Otherworld's Response(1)
The Wraith Tree, writhing in madness, turned to ash at the command of Yu Yuan's shout. Visible waves of energy cascaded from the heavens, targeting only the region where the Wraith Tree stood. Every creature, magic plant, and all tangible and intangible objects within this area would be pulverized by this force.
With a puff, the cold, unyielding earth that had anchored the Wraith Tree was pierced, leaving a vast chasm. The tree's existence, with all its traces, was thoroughly eradicated by that fearsome might.
The Wraith Tree, which had aided Chen Qinghuang's ascension to supremacy, was reduced to dust, as though it had never existed. Its seed had originated from the still Spring of Death nearby—a boon from the enigmatic entities of the Otherworld.
As the seed flourished alongside Qinghuang, it harnessed the Star River's energy within the Creitecesh, converting it into the death force she could absorb while also imparting a fragment of Death Magic.
Unexpectedly, her path to elevation had barely begun when the tree was rendered to ash. Yet, since Yu Yuan was the perpetrator, Qinghuang maintained her silence in the wake of the Wraith Tree's demise.
With a hiss, the once-stagnant Spring of Death began to whirl, drawing in the death force that had emanated from the Wraith Tree. A will that Qinghuang could distinctly perceive, exuding an aura of absolute mortality, emanated from the spring's depths.
The Otherworld's mysterious presence had clearly registered the Wraith Tree's annihilation. Deep within Qinghuang's soul, where she contemplated the symbols of death, she felt the influence of this will.
Her spiritual wisdom was thrown into disarray, and she was drawn by the death symbols in her mind, propelling her toward the Spring of Death. To her, the spring's depths beckoned as a sacred destination, promising her the mantle of the Death God of that realm.
Just as she neared the Spring, a blinding light from beyond the stars pierced her soul. This radiant beam brought with it thunder and lightning, ice crystals capable of freezing all in their path, a force to vanquish evil souls, and the purifying light of sanctity.
"Soul Cleansing Brilliance!"
Her soul quivered lightly, and she abruptly awoke from a profound dream as if drenched in sudden enlightenment. Within her Mindscape, numerous symbols of death, resonating with the Spring of Death, transformed into ghostly avian wraiths. These skeletal death spirits bore a striking resemblance to her own manifestation as a cosmic giant beast in the form of a secular bird, save for the absence of flesh.
The ashen skeletal birds, with wings of bone, beat the air in a futile attempt to break free from her mind and enter the Spring of Death. The radiant Soul Cleansing Brilliance bathed them, and they flapped their bony wings like ice sculptures engulfed in flames. The death spirits rapidly dissipated into nothingness.
When the final death spirit evaporated, Chen Qinghuang realized her connection to the Spring of Death had vanished, and she could no longer discern the intentions from the Otherworld. It was then that she beheld a fiery chariot, drawn by four immense Golden Crows, approaching her. The Golden Crows shone with extraordinary splendor in the solar flames.
The chariot, forged in gold, resembled the divine abode of gods from beyond our world, rolling forward amidst a trail of fiery meteoric streams, with a fierce sun trailing overhead.
"Yu Yuan!" she called out once more.
Above Yu Yuan's head, she observed a Heaven's Dais, towering eight stories high with a crystalline surface that varied in hue from one level to the next. The Heaven's Dais appeared to be an assembly of the most treasured god crystals from all realms, masterfully crafted by the creator of the three realms.
Gazing upon the red crystal at the pinnacle, she experienced a profound sense of peering into the wellspring of all life. It seemed as though the beings from the Abyss, the Wasteland, and the Origin Realm all originated from this place. The overwhelming and intense breath of life exerted a natural oppression on her, causing discomfort at every turn.
Merely focusing on the highest level brought a twinge of pain to her eyes and halted her heartbeat. She found herself unable to endure a prolonged gaze at the topmost surface, the one aligned with the Secrets of Life.
"Life and death are opposing forces, inherently clashing with one another," she mused, compelled to avert her eyes.
In a sudden revelation, she understood why Yu Yuan had so effortlessly eradicated the Wraith Tree and the deathly birds.
Death holds sway over life, and the source of life that reigns supreme over all creatures also has dominion over death itself.
"Are you alright?"
Yu Yuan arrived from his flaming chariot, halting amidst the Star River between her and the Spring of Death, looking at her with concern.
Before she could respond, Yu Yuan smiled and said, "I've cleared it all out. The foreign aura and the powers unrelated to your soul have all been swept away by me!"
From the emerald table on the seventh level of the Soul Altar, Yu Yuan could detect any evil thoughts or spiritual senses in the depths of Chen Qinghuang's mind that were not her own.
Yu Yuan had the remedy, pinpointing the strange power that had taken hold of Chen Qinghuang and was covertly corrupting her with death force.
The Soul Cleansing Brilliance could also be swiftly removed.
Now that the Wraith Tree had been destroyed, Chen Qinghuang had ascended to the Supreme Realm using the death force as she desired. The only thing remaining was the Spring of Death, which had yet to be wiped away.
Yu Yuan's smile was radiant.
"I feel like..."
After carefully assessing her state of full consciousness, Chen Qinghuang was confident there was no foreign power within her soul or flesh, and she finally said, "I seem to be alright now."
"That's good to hear."
Yu Yuan nodded with a smile, "You've gained what you sought. The tree, and this spring, have no reason to exist anymore."
With that, his gaze fell upon the Spring of Death, contemplating whether to destroy it immediately or to make contact first.
"There's an entity from the Otherworld that has given me a command to..."
"Don't worry about it."
Yu Yuan cut off Chen Qinghuang with a smile and a dismissive gesture, "After I refined the Primal Blood of the Wasteland into my Solar Spirit Body, I had a hunch about the current state of the one who aided your rise to supremacy."
Yuan Lianyao, who stood on the flaming chariot, suddenly perked up at his words.
The four Golden Crows, their wings ablaze with fierce flames, also turned their gaze.
The wings of the four Golden Crows fluttered intensely.
They clearly grasped the significance of Yu Yuan's statement.
The Primal Blood of the Wasteland was the divine being behind Yuan Le's creation, recognized by all beings of the Wasteland as their creator!
The individual in question resided deep within the Peak of Creation, and it was Yuan Le who disseminated his will.
Could it be that this person had been sacrificed and refined by another?
"You're lying!"
A Golden Crow spoke with the voice of a human and transformed into a little girl with braided pigtails, glaring furiously at Yu Yuan. "Our gods are eternal! The Beast Gods of the Wasteland are far superior to those of your Origin Realm. We were the aggressors in the past, and we were always the victors!"
The other three Golden Crows were equally incensed, vehemently accusing Yu Yuan of talking nonsense.
Yu Yuan offered a smile, gazing at the little Golden Crow whose face was flushed with anger. "The Wasteland's king has been reduced to bones by a dire beast raised by Zhiya. It seems you haven't received the news yet."
"That's impossible! We refuse to believe that Lord Yuan Le could die; he is immortal! The Beast Gods are endlessly resurrected by the shrine, so how could Lord Yuan Le not be? And who is Zhiya, anyway?" the little girl inquired.
"The purple phoenix from the Everlands," Yu Yuan clarified.
The little girl paused, taken aback. "The Dark Phoenix?"
"Zhiya, a name you utter with such endearment."
