C2236 Each of Them Had Their Own Destiny
Within the Myriad Spirit Restriction, all eyes were captivated by Loong Jie's performance. Yu Yuan, having severed his connection to the Laws through the eighth level of the Soul Altar, was now regarding Loong Jie with newfound respect. He was intently monitoring Loong Jie's actions while also keeping an eye on the transformations occurring within Loong Jie's body.
"This old lecherous dragon has faced no obstacles since his escape from the Sword Prison," Yu Yuan mused to himself.
"I knew it would turn out this way," Zhong Chichen, positioned above the Time Book, unclenched his fists and smiled broadly. "Loong Jie's talent was exceptional even tens of thousands of years ago. He's certainly not inferior to his ancestors, and what's more, he's attained immortality with a Life Keychain forming inside him!"
Zhong Chichen believed that Loong Jie had now surpassed the Golden Dragon God from the Nagas' golden age. It was only because Loong Jie had been oppressed for so long and so harshly that he had always lacked confidence in himself. His understanding of the power of gold, his dragon body refined through countless trials, and his bloodline and dragon foundation far exceeded that of Lvliu the Demon God.
If Lvliu could grasp the true essence of water and advance using the laws of the Myriad Spirit Restriction, how could Loong Jie be any less capable?
"The suppression of the Naga bloodline in Hao Ran has kept Loong Jie's bloodline stuck at the Ninth Level, unable to break through. Yet, this very oppression over the ages has made his bloodline one of the rarest in the world. This old dragon was always meant to soar to the heavens, and now, with Yu Yuan's guidance, he's truly beginning to shine," remarked the Sky Tiger, gazing at the resplendent Golden Dragon within the Myriad Spirit Restriction from the front of the Beast Temple. "Once he ascends, there will be few in the Three Realms who can match him."
With that, the Sky Tiger gave Yu Zhu a meaningful glance, adding, "Thankfully, we still have you."
The White Divine Tiger even suspected that, should the Hall Master survive, she would struggle to contend with this Golden Dragon in the days to come.
Loong Jie, having ascended to the Supreme Being level through the Great Dao of Metal, was nearly impervious to most of the Demon Phoenix's bloodline divine abilities. Yet, it was Yu Zhu who had the potential to challenge Loong Jie after mastering the two ultimate Great Daos of the soul.
Yu Zhu would be the key to confronting Loong Jie in the future.
"I'm worried about my mother."
Yu Zhu was deeply concerned. She paid no mind to Loong Jie and Lvliu's advancements, nor to Barol and Brie's arrival. Her gaze remained fixed on the Phoenix, trapped in the deepest layer of the seal.
The purple phoenix, besieged by numerous Abyssal experts born from that mass of flesh, had its divine feathers riddled with holes stained with blood.
The holes, which should have healed instantly, were unable to recover swiftly due to the relentless erosion of the toxic acid.
Growing increasingly anxious, Yu Zhu attempted to reach out to Yu Yuan within the Myriad Spirit Restriction with her gaze and thoughts. However, Yu Yuan, preoccupied with his battle against the Origin Soul, did not respond.
"There's no need to worry, Hall Master..."
The Sky Tiger, as imposing as a mountain, gazed at the now tranquil sea of Demon Energy and spoke gently, "Even if the Hall Master vanishes within the seal, she can reemerge from the purple sea below. Rest assured, from what I know of the Hall Master, there's often rationality behind her apparent madness. You needn't be overly concerned."
The Sky Tiger's reassurance brought a glimmer of hope to Yu Zhu's eyes, and she quickly regained her composure.
With a mighty howl, Loong Jie's path to advancement seemed exceptionally smooth within the Myriad Spirit Restriction, his dragon eyes shining like twin golden suns.
Crack!
Most of the dragon scales covering his body shattered, only for new, more resilient and sharper scales to rapidly take their place. The brilliance of the golden light they emitted was so intense that onlookers could scarcely bear to gaze upon them, as if the light could pierce their very eyes.
This golden light was imbued with the world's inherent sharpness!
Loong Jie had not only tapped into the golden energy of the Myriad Spirit Restriction, but even the golden halo connected to the Origin Soul behind him felt the pull of his Qi and blood, causing it to fracture.
As the golden halo shattered, chunks of golden bricks tumbled from the heavens.
In the Boundless Great World, this Golden Dragon, constrained by the Dragon Slash Platform and the world's equilibrium, had perpetually remained at the Ninth Level. Yet, within the Myriad Spirit Restriction, it revealed its extraordinary talent.
The numerous Dao symbols integrated into its dragon form transformed the overwhelming golden energy into shimmering dragon scales.
Inside its dragon body, the sole heart not converted to gold metal had become malleable to Loong Jie's will, thanks to his absorption of the copious golden energy and the influx of the Metal Laws.
His newfound insight into the Metal Laws bestowed upon him the power to effortlessly shift his dragon form at will!
With a roar, his dragon body reverted to flesh and blood, the dragon's blood boiling as its bones and sinews returned to their primal state.
Another roar triggered a dramatic transformation; the Golden Dragon's flesh, blood, and bones abruptly morphed into the most durable and sharp gold known to the cosmos!
In his default state, he was of flesh and blood, but in combat, he became a formidable figure of gold metal.
Loong Jie's "Ultimate Golden Body" had shattered its previous limits, soaring to heights not even the Golden Dragon Ancestor or the venerable Spinosaurus had reached.
"Hehe! Colorful Patriarch, I've never felt such strength before!" Loong Jie bellowed within the Myriad Spirit Restriction. His serpentine body, as vast as mountains, writhed, and the golden scales flickered, casting a brilliant cascade of ripples through the void.
In that moment, Loong Jie seemed to cast aside any reverence for the void itself.
After Lvliu's attempt, he sought to assimilate the Golden Laws of the Myriad Spirit Restriction, and his mastery over the golden power and laws dwarfed that of Lvliu by immeasurable bounds.
The Dao Laws and energies left by the Gold Origin Spirit within the Myriad Spirit Restriction appeared to resonate profoundly with him.
Loong Jie was, it seemed, the long-awaited heir to these golden laws and energies!
"This Golden Dragon is destined for greatness!" Beilstein remarked, his face etched with solemnity. "Once he ascends to the Supreme Being with the golden laws of this place, he'll undoubtedly become one of the most formidable killing artifacts across the Three Realms! There won't be many who can contain him or whom he will fear in the future."
As he spoke these words, Beilstein cast a glance at Lin Daoke.
Lin Daoke's face remained impassive.
"Stargod!"
Barol, who Yu Yuan had brought from the depths of the true Abyss, watched as both Lvliu and Loong Jie embarked on their respective journeys of ascension. Unable to contain his eagerness, he too ignited the stellar bloodline within him.
Suspended in midair, he extracted droplets of his essence blood from his body.
These droplets coalesced into a dazzling stellar river before his chest, casting a mystical and enchanting glow.
"Stars fall!"
With his hands, he manipulated the radiant star river, murmuring incantations and harnessing the stellar power within him to invoke the arcane.
Barol guided the star river, immersing himself in the strength of the stars, his face etched with solemn reverence.
The stars scattered around the Abyss Origin Soul responded to his fervent devotion and entreaties.
Thus, the stars, no longer constrained by the Origin Soul since the emergence of Yu Yuan's Soul Altar, were drawn to the star river at Barol's chest, each making its way toward him.
The descent of the stars was noticeably less intense than the spectacle Loong Jie had recently triggered.
As Barol worshiped earnestly, imploring the stars to descend, they seemed to possess a sentience of their own, assessing Barol's innate talent and sincerity before they leisurely made their descent.
Loong Jie's experience was markedly different.
As soon as the Golden Dragon manifested, the manifold Daos and energies of the Gold Origin Spirit eagerly surged toward Loong Jie, without any hesitation.
It was as if the very laws and energies themselves were pleading to be integrated with Loong Jie, yearning for him to ascend to the pinnacle of supremacy.
"What about me?"
Brie, from the Dark Elfkind, quietly activated his clan's bloodline. His desiccated form began to exude a life-giving aura that seemed to rejuvenate all things.
As he tapped into the power of flora, the wrinkles on his face appeared to smooth out.
He struck a pose as if embracing the heavens and the earth, ready to receive the influx of the vegetative laws. He sought to absorb the abundant essence of wood to carve out his own sovereign path.
Beside him, the wood essence and the laws of plants and vegetation, branded within the Myriad Spirit Restriction, transformed into a lush and verdant forest.
Numerous towering ancient trees, broad as mountains, with every leaf vein deeply inscribed with the laws of plants and vegetation, first encircled Brie before drawing closer to the chieftain of the Dark Elfkind.
The ancient tree reached out to Brie's body, attempting to gauge the strength and potential within his frame.
Boom!
The Origin Spirit of the Abyssal Flora had only recently entered Brie's body when the Dark Elfkind patriarch's gaunt form was impaled by the razor-sharp branches.
Brie let out a terrified scream.
"No, this can't be happening! Yu Yuan, save me! I don't want to die!"
As he cried out, the branches that had penetrated his body swiftly drained all of his flesh and the innate wood essence within it.
In a mere moment, Brie of the Dark Elfkind vanished silently into the underbrush.
The dense forest, composed of majestic ancient trees, quickly dissipated as well.
Yu Yuan's face showed a flicker of concern. He had intended to reach out and help Brie as soon as he heard the scream.
But it was already too late.
Brie's death came too swiftly; his flesh and soul vanished without a trace, becoming one with the Myriad Spirit Restriction's wood essence.
"Just like that, he's gone?"
Lin Daoke from the Sword Sect watched Brie's rapid demise and couldn't help but comment.
Elsewhere, Zhong Chichen, Yuan Lianyao, Youyu, and other formidable beings were stunned by Brie's death, not expecting the Dark Elfkind patriarch to fall so easily.
In contrast, the Demon God Lvliu and Barol devoutly implored the Dao laws to descend upon them.
The Dao laws lingering in the Myriad Spirit Restriction slowly responded to their call, descending gradually and facilitating their ascension.
Loong Jie, an exceptional being, sought to assimilate with the golden laws and power forsaken within the Myriad Spirit Restriction.
But Brie of the Dark Elfkind was scorned by the Tree of God in the true abyss. The Tree was reluctant to expend its energy or to use its profound understanding of the wood mysteries to elevate Brie to supremacy.
In the eyes of the Tree of God, Brie simply didn't measure up.
Likewise, the wood essence and energy within the Myriad Spirit Restriction, upon contact, deemed Brie unworthy, insufficient to ascend to supremacy through the wood laws.
The plant laws and power instinctively stripped Brie of his strength.
This unfortunate patriarch of the Dark Elfkind, saved by Yu Yuan from the clutches of the Evil God of the Boundless Great World, met his end just as he was on the cusp of ascension.
"The intricate essence of flora within his veins originates from the Hannya Divine Tree. Yet, this divine tree itself is merely a seedling of the primordial Creation Wood. Brie's own talents are rather modest," Beilstein remarked, shaking his head. He was intimately familiar with Brie, understanding that the Dark Elfkind patriarch's rise to a Tenth Level Warrior was solely due to the absence of any stronger contenders within his tribe.
"He lacks self-awareness, believing that if Loong Jie, Lvliu, and Barol can ascend, so can he."
The Great Demon God let out a sigh before adding, "Merely understanding the art of flora doesn't guarantee ascension to supremacy upon entering the Myriad Spirit Restriction."
"I, too, have been negligent," Yu Yuan interjected from above. "Barol and Lvliu meet the minimum requirements. The corresponding powers within the Myriad Spirit Restriction are gradually infusing into them, making it possible for them to adapt. Their progression may be slow, but success remains within reach."
"Loong Jie, on the other hand, is an anomaly. He is the prime choice of the cosmos, yearned for by the power of metal."
"I failed to take Brie's limitations into account."
Having expressed this, Yu Yuan swiftly composed himself. Gazing through the barrier at the Beast Temple, he mused before stating, "The essences of the sun, moon, wood, and earth—the four fundamental origin spirits—still persist. Any Beast God in the Desolate Realm, whose lineage aligns with these elements and who possesses self-belief, is welcome to vie for ascension."
"Nevertheless, you have all witnessed the demise of the Dark Elfkind patriarch."
"Life and death are predestined. Ponder your decision thoroughly before you return."
With a thunderous roar, the Beast Gods who had once pledged allegiance to Yuen Bu surged out of the Beast Temple, spurred by his words. Over a dozen Beast Gods fixed their fervent gazes upon the Myriad Spirit Restriction, attuning their beastly instincts to perceive its essence.
