C2226 The Response of the Otherworld
Hovering above the sea of purple demon energy, the towering structures of the Beast God Temple and the Phoenix Shrine stood proudly.
Beast Gods lacking a Life Keychain and the privilege of immortality dared not reveal themselves outside the temples.
Yu Zhu, the Moonfang Tiger, and several other Beast Gods from the Wasteland intently watched the Star River, as if preparing for battle, their gaze fixed on the motionless Wellspring of Creation.
Nearby, Zhong Chichen, Loong Jie, and Green Willow also watched the Wellspring of Creation with bated breath.
With Mother Earth having taken the Peak of Creation away, they were left wondering what to do if the Wellspring of Creation stirred once more, causing the bizarre, multicolored flesh to continue emitting its corrupting waves.
"Rainbow Sage, perhaps we should consider retreating as well?" suggested the golden dragon god, feeling uncertain. He thought it would be best to either witness Yu Yuan's true form or retreat to the safety of the Origin Realm, lest he become assimilated into that mass of flesh and blood.
Green Willow sighed, "He's already begun the sealing of the projection. Once He possesses Bertain, the Wasteland's disaster will be upon us."
"Let me think this through," Zhong Chichen said, furrowing his brow, his resolve wavering.
The departure of Mother Earth and the Peak of Creation had left him with an ominous feeling, and he realized that once that being truly possessed Bertain and stepped out of the seal with Bertain's demonform, a disaster would be unleashed upon the Wasteland.
At this moment, with Yu Yuan trapped by the Solar Spirit, the Dark Phoenix fallen, and Lin Daoke's soul numbed, one had to wonder—who could possibly withstand Him once He possessed Bertain?
"Mr. Zhong," Yu Zhu began, hesitating slightly as her soulful eyes rested on the Seven-Colored Dragon.
"What is it?" Zhong Chichen asked, not taking any chances, especially since he knew of the deep connection between Yu Yuan and this young woman. "The space-time power I've mastered isn't enough to bring your mother out from the seal."
Dressed in vibrant attire, his handsome and refined demeanor was overshadowed by his concern. "If I had that level of confidence," he lamented, "I would have already rescued my dear junior brother and the master who no longer acknowledges me."
When he spoke of Bertain, a pang of sadness touched his heart, for the Great Demon God had never publicly acknowledged him as a disciple.
"I didn't tell you to go in."
Realizing that Zhong Chichen had misunderstood, Yu Zhu clarified, "His..."
Her gaze settled on the Wellspring of Creation, where Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit resided, and she continued, "His real body is in the Wasteland right now. I believe that only his real body can break the seal, so I'm hoping Mr. Zhong can help locate him."
Yu Zhu, at a loss for solutions, instinctively pinned her hopes on Yu Yuan.
If the Solar Spirit is trapped, surely your real body can find a way!
Her faith in Yu Yuan had never wavered.
"I can't find him either," Zhong Chichen admitted with a bitter smile, shaking his head. "The Dragon Slaying Stage is within the wall. He used to sense the Life Keychain within us through his Solar Spirit. We likely don't have that kind of connection with his real body, so..."
Zhong Chichen sighed, feeling helpless.
"Well, if that's the case, I'll just have to try myself," Yu Zhu said, and without another glance at the Wellspring of Creation, she turned and entered the Phoenix Shrine.
The Phoenix Shrine, perched above the purple sea, suddenly burst forth with beams of green soul light that soared into the sky, exploding like fireworks high above the Star River.
Crack!
The tremors from the Phoenix Shrine tore open numerous narrow, luminous space rifts. The countless tiny soul sparks, born from the extinguished green soul light, seized the chance to slip into various space rifts.
Zhong Chichen's face twitched ever so slightly.
As a master of spatial intricacies and the keeper of the Book of Time, he observed the different space rifts that connected to the Star River in the Wasteland.
Within one of the rifts, he caught a glimpse of Youyu.
The Phoenix Shrine, crafted by the Dark Phoenix over countless eons, had the ability to move freely between the Origin Realm and the Wasteland, clearly endowed with the power of time travel.
The hidden spatial mysteries of the Phoenix Shrine were just one of its many profound rules, yet to Zhong Chichen, this aspect alone seemed nearly as powerful as his Book of Time.
The Phoenix Shrine harbored even more wondrous mysteries, representing the very core of the Way of Heaven. It was a marvel how Yu Zhu, an enigma in her own right, managed to infuse the arcane laws of the Primal Soul and Primal Vitality into the fabric of the shrine.
Even a spiritual sense that dared to probe into Yu Zhu's mind failed to gain the upper hand.
"Thankfully, it's only the truths related to space that are present. The power of time remains a mystery to her and the Dark Phoenix; it hasn't been imprinted on the Phoenix Shrine, so I still hold an advantage," Zhong Chichen reassured himself.
...
In the Creitecesh.
Yu Yuan, enlightening others about the origins of a mysterious being, noticed that Mother Earth had let go of her fixation and intended to obliterate the Spring of Death.
"Hmm?"
He raised an eyebrow and, through the Solar Spirit and the Dragon Slaying Stage, caught sight of Yu Zhu's movements.
"Is she worried about me, or is it Zhiya she's concerned for?" he wondered silently, narrowing his eyes.
Deep within his consciousness, the sixth level of the Soul Altar suddenly revealed the soul arcane gifted by the Primal Vitality.
His real body instantly took on an eerie aspect, as if billions of ghosts had transformed into currents of the Levi River encircling him.
The emanating aura of the Undead Sovereign pervaded the Astral Domain, making the formidable entities within the Star River sense that Creitecesh had become a haven for wandering souls.
Yu Zhu, versed in the soul arcane of the Primal Soul, found her sensing abilities significantly amplified by the Phoenix Shrine.
With a whisper, a space rift stealthily opened, and a faint glimmer of Yu Zhu's soul light emerged.
Yu Yuan extended his hand, capturing the soul light, and effortlessly established a connection with the distant Yu Zhu.
He infused a thought into the soul light and cast it back into the rift.
The space rift gradually healed.
...
"Miss Yu?"
"Your Highness?"
Zhong Chichen and the Astral Tiger exchanged surprised glances as they addressed Yu Zhu.
The void crack, rent by the power of the Phoenix Shrine, swiftly sealed itself. The soul light Yu Zhu had sent out to explore also returned to her body just before the rift mended.
Subsequently, Yu Zhu gazed tranquilly at the Wellspring of Creation, lost in thought.
She stopped bringing up the search for Yu Yuan.
"We'll just watch."
Yu Zhu's expression remained serene, seemingly unaffected by the four mightiest beings trapped in the Wellspring of Creation or the Primal Soul of the Abyss currently targeting Bertain.
It was speculated that she might have successfully communicated with Yu Yuan's real body using her own methods.
Everyone was naturally curious about what Yu Yuan had said to her to instill such tranquility.
"Don't ask so many questions. Don't be overly curious. Whether you choose to leave or stay, it's entirely your decision," Yu Zhu said with a casual air.
...
Once the void crack had fully healed.
Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled with interest as he gazed at the Spring of Death before him. "So, you're interested in the mysteries of the soul that you've mastered?"
Both Mother Earth and the Light Spirit fixated their attention on the Spring of Death.
"Who are you talking to? Yu Yuan, cut out the theatrics!"
The Light Spirit couldn't help but squawk.
"I'm speaking to the entity on the other side."
Yu Yuan felt an aura brimming with the essence of death, which had been stirred into activity by his release of Primal Vitality. It was as if an eye lay at the deepest part of the Spring of Death, silently observing from another world.
He observed himself, now manifesting the power of Primal Vitality, surrounded by an eerie aura.
The forces of life and death have always been diametrically opposed.
The Primal Vitality had previously elucidated to Yu Yuan the overlap between the cycle of souls it governed and the force of death.
The Death Magic received by the Secular Bird Queen pertained to the physical demise of living beings, whereas the Primal Vitality's domain was the soul after a being's death.
His deliberate awakening of Yu Zhu with the power of Primal Vitality had piqued the interest of the entity on the other side.
"If you truly are interested, feel free to come over from your world for a discussion. I'm also curious to know if our Primal Souls have ever battled with you in your realm."
"I'll reserve this Spring of Death for you for the time being; I won't obliterate it just yet."
Yu Yuan addressed the Spring of Death, which was slowly swirling, continuously harvesting the death force of the Creitecesh.
To everyone's amazement, the Spring of Death, which had been in constant motion, suddenly came to a halt after Yu Yuan's pronouncement.
At the other end, there was undoubtedly a being of superior intelligence that had heard Yu Yuan's speech.
And it responded immediately!
The cessation of the Spring of Death was intentional on its part.
It was a signal to Yu Yuan, letting him know that he was being heard.
The next moment, a complex and enigmatic wave of energy emanated from the now-still Spring of Death.
Mother Earth, the Light Spirit, Yuan Lianyao, and the four Golden Crows all sensed the mysterious wave imbued with a sense of death.
Regrettably, they were unable to decipher its meaning.
At that moment, Yu Yuan and the Secular Bird Queen exchanged glances.
Chen Qinghuang's brow was furrowed.
Yu Yuan then declared, "No, I refuse to let her go in exchange for information from you."
Both he and Chen Qinghuang had understood the message.
The entity required Chen Qinghuang to enter before it would reveal to Yu Yuan the situation with Arthurs on the other side, who had taken possession of the body of Yu Yuan's Undead Sovereign, as well as the body that had assimilated the Evil Temple.
After Yu Yuan's explicit refusal, there was silence from the other side.
He waited a moment and, seeing no further response, Yu Yuan spoke again with a frown, "You must not have been victorious!"
"You haven't obtained what you desired because I know it too well! I can sense that the Primal Anima you've merged with was not of a particularly high rank, certainly not having ascended to a higher level! And it, being the most powerful Primal Anima in our world, could not have been easily overcome by you!"
Yu Yuan paused abruptly, a new thought dawning on him, and he let out a cold laugh.
"If you had truly won, you wouldn't be interested in the mysteries of my body. If you could actually defeat it and sacrifice my body, you would have gained what you seek!"
He had ascended to the Undead Sovereign using the Lunar Spirit and kept the secrets of the Primal Vitality hidden deep within. That body was on the other side!
