C2231 Mad Phoenix
"Then?"
Within the heavy armor, the spiritual body of Blazing Fire began to take on a more distinct shape.
His spiritual sense had amassed substantially from the Heart of the Everlands.
He had completed the integration of the profound meaning of fire from a fellow Abyssal being and had successfully fused the refined fire magic with his spiritual sense.
"You should know that I've been doing everything in my power to assist your advancement and fulfill all your needs."
Yu Yuan, his form shaped from the Primal Soul, no longer gazed into the deepest recesses of the seal. Instead, he fixed a stern look upon Blazing Fire, who was amassing power.
"Yes, you've taken great care of me," Blazing Fire responded.
"Keep ascending. Once you reach the apex, you'll possess the strength to reduce all flesh to ashes. You are the contingency I've been preparing for the future."
He spoke candidly, "The mightiest flame can incinerate all flesh, Primal Blood included."
Blazing Fire let out a knowing chuckle, "I understand."
...
Within the little world of the Wellspring of Creation.
The vast expanse of flesh, like a sprawling land of myriad hues, undulated at Yu Yuan's approach.
Titans who once reigned supreme in the Abyss appeared briefly before swiftly blending into the flesh.
Deep within, energies as vast as the sea collided endlessly, their distinct auras clashing, and various bloodline chains shattering.
This flesh was, in truth, an eternal battlefield.
Yu Yuan, observing from above, could sense the vicious species born in the Abyss locked in ceaseless combat, their forms miniaturized a millionfold.
Though long dead and now part of the flesh, the essence of their bloodline mysteries and powers had not been fully dissolved.
The residual impurities, fueled by the vital energy, had taken on this bizarre and chaotic form.
Any mighty being of flesh that dared to enter would uncontrollably become one with this mass, adding to its complexity.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The skin of Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit shimmered with a crimson glow, like clouds of blood, with flutters resembling blood-colored butterflies.
Meanwhile, his real body in the external realm continued to unravel and decode the Secrets of Life left by the Primal Blood of the Abyss.
He understood that this peculiar mass of flesh had formed from the accumulation of blood and flesh of beings from the Abyss of Truth. Without the purifying force of spiritual sense, it had been unable to cleanse and refine itself, ultimately descending into this state of chaos over time.
At its core, the entity's heart, buried deep within a massive expanse of flesh and blood, was actually the same heart Yu Yuan had previously revealed!
The heart was the true core and original form. The flesh and blood that had built up around the heart had grown immensely because it was connected to it.
When the flesh and blood of all living beings in the world are mixed together, the result is bound to be incredibly chaotic.
Yu Yuan simply needed to fully grasp the profound Secrets of Life left by the Primal Blood of the Abyss. By doing so, Yu Yuan would fill the void of the missing spiritual sense.
With that achieved, he could take the lead in purifying and refining the impurities within the flesh and blood.
What he needed was time.
...
"Even if he has refined the Primal Blood of the Wasteland and grasped the profound essence of the Origin Blood from the Origin Realm, controlling this mass of twisted, frenzied flesh and blood will take a considerable amount of time."
"And I will not afford him the luxury of time to gather his strength."
The Primal Soul, taking the form of Yu Yuan, spoke again within the confines of the wall to the Blazing Fire.
His gaze, devoid of emotion, returned to the Demon God Bertain, stating, "He's trapped inside at the moment. A key feature of the All Spirits Ban I've devised is that while entry is easy, exit is exceedingly difficult."
He referred to the seals shrouding the Wellspring of Creation and masking the Abyss of Truth as the All Spirits Ban!
It signified the entrapment of countless Primal Animas!
"Now that he cannot escape, I can proceed to eradicate your self-awareness and claim your body."
Upon hearing this, Bertain protested loudly, "Kid, why didn't you get me, Lin Daoke, and the Dark Phoenix out before you delved deeper?"
Amidst his protest, the Demon God exchanged meaningful glances with Lin Daoke and Zhiya. The devil soul's voice echoed in the minds of Lin Daoke and Zhiya: "Let's join forces to break the seal and escape!"
Lin Daoke subtly nodded in agreement.
The Dark Phoenix, her expression stern, offered no reply.
"Teacher, there's no need to worry; you'll be safe," Yu Yuan assured, smiling faintly through the wall, urging the Demon God to stay calm.
"I'm extremely worried!" Bertain retorted, visibly agitated.
His thoughts stirring, his eyes, emitting a purple glow, suddenly fixed on the armor enveloped by the Blazing Fire.
On the armor's surface, glyphs emerged one after another, intertwining to form an awe-inspiring Circle of Damnation.
This Circle, teeming with countless demons, managed to suppress the spiritual sense of the Blazing Fire. Both the armor and the Blazing Fire within were drawn by the Circle of Damnation, moving inexorably towards Bertain.
With a tearing sound, amidst a shower of sparks, the fire magic etched into the armor was yanked by the Circle of Damnation, causing it to detonate.
Bertain's actions caused the Blazing Fire's spirit body to blur.
The blurriness indicated a diminishing of the Blazing Fire's spiritual sense.
He grunted, his voice cold from within the armor, "This is the All Spirits Ban. Your attempts at manipulating the Soul Nexus here are futile."
No sooner had he spoken than the piercing gaze of the Primal Soul settled on the armor.
The Way of Heaven was drawn together, and the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars burst forth, firmly targeting the armor!
With a soft pop, the secretly inscribed formation within the armor, which resonated with Bertain's soul, was instantly snuffed out.
Bertain's face turned sour as he called out, "Dark Phoenix, Lin, act quickly!"
With a swift motion, Lin Daoke drew the Solar Spirit Sword from his chest, holding his breath and concentrating as he struck a mighty blow towards the heavens.
Beneath the azure sky, a towering Gold Mountain seemed to point a finger at Lin Daoke's momentous strike.
The clash resonated!
Lin's face twitched as he watched the sword light shatter and burst. He then abruptly followed the sword's path, charging towards the now indistinct Blazing Fire.
He sensed that the seal behind the Blazing Fire was the most fragile, the easiest to breach.
"You all go outward, I'll head inward. No one is to command me!" he declared.
In this pivotal moment, Zhiya fiercely embraced her true nature, transforming once again into her phoenix form.
The purple phoenix she became did not venture outward as Bertain and Lin had hoped.
Instead, she dove towards the deeper recesses of the Wellspring of Creation, mirroring Yu Yuan's path with the Solar Spirit Sword, her speed almost beyond belief.
"Either perish within or I'll carve out a piece for myself!" Zhiya's phoenix eyes blazed with frenzy and resolve. She completely disregarded Bertain's plan, uninterested in joining forces, determined to follow her own chosen course.
She never considered the bigger picture.
"An irrational lunatic."
Inside her armor, as Zhiya watched Lin Daoke approach on his sword, she couldn't help but shake her head in dismay, "Is this what they call a madwoman? Having such an ally is truly bad luck."
Clang!
The armor and its spirited body suddenly parted ways, intercepting Lin Daoke's sword. Blazing fire retreated into the depths of a fiery inferno, declaring, "You won't be able to break the seal. You'll all be worn down to death. That's your destiny."
These final words were meant for Lin Daoke.
Lin Daoke's sword thrusts rang against the armor that had been consecrated by Mo Baichuan, Yuan Lianyao, Bertain, and himself. Sparks scattered everywhere, yet the armor remained intact.
"Madwoman, you're going to get us both killed! Yu Yuan will also be dragged into trouble because of you!"
Unable to contain his anger, Bertain lashed out, infuriated by Zhiya's actions, "If you want to die, do it on your own. Don't drag others down with you!"
Neither he nor Lin Daoke had anticipated that the Dark Phoenix, born in the Everlands, would not be trying to escape the All Spirits Ban but instead was heading straight into its heart!
It had been made clear that while it was easy to enter the All Spirits Ban, leaving was a different story.
The deeper one went, the more difficult the escape became.
Together, he, Zhiya, and Lin Daoke might have a sliver of hope to break the seal and escape.
If they all managed to leave, without a suitable vessel to possess, the Wellspring of Creation and the All Spirits Ban would be powerless in the Wasteland.
That individual was also clearly cautious of the flesh within the Wellspring of Creation, not daring to tread too close.
Once they escaped, Yu Yuan would have ample time to subdue the mass of vital energy within the Wellspring of Creation. Then, he could harness its power to shatter the seal.
This was a viable plan Bertain had quickly conceived, yet Zhiya had not embraced it.
Not only did she reject the plan, but she also plunged deeper, vying with Yu Yuan for the mass of vital energy.
Whoosh!
Amidst the Great Demon God's curses, Dark Phoenix Zhiya effortlessly crossed the barrier and entered the little world where the vibrant flesh and blood resided.
Her icy gaze fixed on the flesh and blood beneath Yu Yuan's feet, her broad wings, sharp as colossal blades, shimmered with a metallic sheen. "This flesh should be mine!"
"You've lost your mind."
Yu Yuan shook his head, convinced that the Supreme Being from Shadow's Keep who had intruded was even more volatile than the mass of flesh and blood at his feet.
"Without grasping the Secrets of Life it left behind, you stand no chance of possessing it. Your reckless intrusion brings me nothing but trouble."
"And to think, I had considered taking you away from the All Spirits Ban. Your death is truly regrettable."
Disappointment etched on Yu Yuan's face, he knew that Zhiya's arrival would inevitably stir up trouble.
Sure enough!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Monstrous tentacles, reminiscent of mighty dragons, burst forth from the mass, lunging at the purple phoenix that Zhiya had transformed into.
Gulp!
Deep within the flesh, it seemed as though a powerful Abyss Lord was salivating, eyeing the vital energy within the Dark Phoenix's body.
The towering Abyss Lords that Yu Yuan had witnessed dissolving into the flesh upon his arrival were now reemerging.
The scent that the deceased Supreme Beings had detected on Yu Yuan was emanating from this very mass of flesh.
Clearly, Dark Phoenix Zhiya was not the source.
Greedy eyes and fleshly orbs stealthily fixed on the purple phoenix, biding their time.
"Die, all of you!"
With a powerful flap of her wings, the purple phoenix caused the grotesque tentacles to burst apart before they could reach her.
Yu Yuan's form took on a violet-gold hue. In the depths of her piercing phoenix eyes, the Secrets of Life she had discerned transformed into a sea of blood and streaks of lightning, resonating with her Demon Heart.
A perilous aura emanated from the purple phoenix, deterring the tentacles from rashly advancing.
The life force and magnetic field surging within her at that moment were tumultuous and wild. Her state of mind was frenzied, causing even the weaker portions of flesh within the mass to feel unsettled.
Upon entering, she refrained from activating the life energy she had previously awakened by touching the wall with her palm.
This aspect of the Secrets of Life, rooted in the deep recesses of Yu Zhu's memory, required her to maintain a tranquil state and synchronize her heartbeat with the rhythm of the heart within her own flesh and blood.
In this harmonious state, not only would she be immune to the corrupting influence of the flesh and blood, but she would also be recognized as an integral part of it.
Only then could she access the coveted Secrets of Life from the now-submissive tendrils of flesh and blood.
However, this time she chose a different approach upon her intrusion.
Armed with the Secrets of Life she had harvested from the beings of the Origin Realm and the Wasteland, she was determined to seize them by brute force!
Regardless of her ability to assimilate them or the potential harm, she was resolved to carve out the flesh first and worry about the consequences later!
