C2239 The Strange People of the Wasteland
Within the All Spirits Ban.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, waves of green and black light began to ripple from the phantom at the Soul Altar, pressing down on the Soul Altar that embodied the supreme will of the All Spirits Ban.
The heavens abruptly underwent a transformation!
Countless soul phantoms surged within the green and black waves, with the souls of all living beings from the Origin Realm, the Abyss, and the Wasteland seemingly concealed within these phantoms, emitting piercing screams that reverberated through the heavens and earth.
After observing in silence for an extended period, he finally took action.
"Hmm!"
The pressure on Yu Yuan skyrocketed tenfold!
The red crystal at the pinnacle of the Soul Altar burst into a deep, blood-red glow. It continued to harness the strange powers of the seven layers beneath it to forge a formidable defense.
Bertain and Lin Daoke, the two powerhouses ensnared within the All Spirits Ban, immediately looked up towards the sky.
They witnessed the Soul Altar above Yu Yuan's head emanating a dazzling divine light from top to bottom, spreading endlessly to the altar's edges like an overflowing sea.
Within this expanding divine glow thrived intricate patterns of grass, thunder, ice, light, earth, and the principles of life and soul.
As the divine light spread, it wove an immense web that cut off everyone from his divine powers, preventing him from meddling with the souls of those below.
At that moment, Bertain and Lin Daoke suddenly realized that the intermittent nature of the cosmic order left by the Primal Anima deep within the All Spirits Ban was solely due to Yu Yuan's resilience.
Without Yu Yuan bearing the brunt, the omnipotent Soul Power could infiltrate and warp the thoughts and consciousness of all ascendants, including Lin Daoke and Bertain!
"So, you can freely move the Soul Power you've amassed!"
Yu Yuan's face took on a new expression.
He quickly grasped that the Primal Soul could call upon Soul Power endlessly from the pitch-black depths above the Abyss of Truth for its own purposes.
It could squander Soul Power within the All Spirits Ban without fear of depletion or exhaustion!
In that most terrifying darkness, darkness and pure Soul Power existed side by side, a reserve it had amassed over eons.
The most fearsome aspect of the All Spirits Ban is the Spirit Magic it wields!
Enshrouding the Wellspring of Creation, the All Spirits Ban is also linked to the barrier above the Abyss of Truth. Despite being under the influence of the Soul Altar, which prevents the use of other Primal Anima powers and truths, its own Soul Power remains utterly unrestricted!
Currently, it is depleting itself with its vast and inexhaustible Soul Power.
"You've been put on the defensive."
It regarded Yu Yuan with a detached air, its voice laced with mockery as it observed his disquiet. "To sever my connection with these rules, you've expended too much energy. Surely you've noticed that the analysis and understanding of the Life Seed at the pinnacle of your Soul Altar has long since come to a halt."
Yu Yuan kept silent, yet he acknowledged the truth in those words.
"If you can't decipher the Secrets of Life left behind, you won't be able to control that mass of flesh and blood. Without control, you can't harness its power to break through the barrier."
"The already unstable flesh and blood, further agitated by the Dark Phoenix, becomes even more tumultuous and unruly."
"You're hoping that during this time, someone can endure the ultimate truths of the Fallen Primal Anima. With the energy contained within the All Spirits Ban, they could ascend to supremacy swiftly."
"Because with each new supreme being, the All Spirits Ban weakens. As for Loong Jie..."
Its gaze settled on the golden dragon, likely the quickest to achieve supremacy. "Loong Jie's metal magic is unstoppable, no barrier can withstand it. You're counting on him to breach the All Spirits Ban upon reaching supremacy, shattering this seal I've held for many years."
"Then, you plan to claim for yourself all the ultimate truths of the All Spirits Ban stored within, integrating them into your Soul Altar."
It had pierced through the veil of Yu Yuan's thoughts and strategies.
Metal, wood, water, fire, earth, sun, moon, and stars—these eight Fallen Primal Animas infused into the Cosmic Order of the All Spirits Ban won't just vanish.
Loong Jie, Green Willow, Blazing Sun Toad, and Tectonic Ripper, even if they grasp these Cosmic Orders, can only inscribe them into their bloodlines.
It wasn't erased.
What vanished was merely a type of energy that aided them in becoming Supreme Beings, not the profound mysteries of the Way of Heaven.
Yu Yuan intended to use them to drain all the attributes of the All Spirits Ban's energy as they ascended to supremacy, thereby depriving the All Spirits Ban of its power to sustain the wall's existence.
At the instant the All Spirits Ban shattered, he seized the opportunity with the Soul Altar, absorbing all the ultimate laws left by the eight Primal Animas.
He could compensate for the deficiencies in the wood and earth, bringing forth greater intricacies. It would also reinforce the earth's foundation, and with metal, water, and fire, he could craft an entirely new surface.
This was Yu Yuan's true objective.
"The Beast Gods of the Wasteland are mostly of poor caliber, which is quite disappointing."
Yu Yuan sighed. While within the All Spirits Ban, he spoke to Zhong Chichen outside, "Senior Brother, since you're the most skilled in space magic here, could you consider a way to penetrate the Origin Realm's seal and lead more powerful beings here, to aid their pursuit of the supreme path?"
Zhong Chichen gave a wry smile, "I'm afraid that's beyond my reach."
To arrive at the barrier between the two realms with the Book of Time, break through it, and then disseminate the news across the Star River of the Origin Realm, all to invite those proficient in plant essence and lunar power—it was no small feat.
Each step would consume a tremendous amount of energy from both him and the Book of Time!
Moreover, Zhong Chichen realized that in the Origin Realm, no one surpassed Brie in the mastery of plant essence, and Tan Junshan was a marginal case.
But after Tan Junshan's ascension and fusion with an origin, he had become one of His people.
If he came, he would inevitably side with Him.
"Do you need someone skilled in plant essence and lunar power to seek the approval of these forces within the seal?" Yu Zhu suddenly inquired in front of the Phoenix Shrine.
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod.
"Not restricted to Beast Gods?"
"Not at all."
"Then give me a moment."
Yu Zhu withdrew into the Phoenix Shrine behind her.
The Phoenix Shrine, bestowed upon her by the Dark Phoenix, cast a spectrum of iridescent light above the Purple Sea, stirring ripples through the void.
Within the shrine, a magnificent spatial array had been activated by Yu Zhu.
"Not confined to the Beast God..."
The black goat from the Wasteland, transformed into a striking woman in a black dress, mulled over these words. A peculiar light flickered in her obsidian eyes.
It seemed she had recalled something.
After a brief wait, Yu Zhu reemerged from the wide-open gates of the Phoenix Shrine.
She appeared to have traveled through several Astral Domains of the Wasteland in a remarkably short time, looking both weary and frail.
Behind her emerged two... anomalies.
One was an Otherkin with features partly resembling those of the Abyss Thunder Wood Clan. His body was akin to the gnarled, cracked roots of an ancient tree, yet he possessed a head, face, and remarkably, limbs.
But his limbs were like vampiric tendrils.
Within his tree-root-like body pulsed conspicuous veins of flesh and blood. He had a heart, within which thrived a sinister plant vitality.
The scent of his flesh was a blend of the many alien beasts of the Wasteland!
Clearly, he preyed upon these alien beasts.
"Mu Xiao!"
The arrival of this Otherkin caused the black goat, the Death Viper, and the smilodon to look on in stark terror.
They were involuntarily reminded of the horrifying sight of Mu Xiao controlling a star blanketed by forests, where he lurked, using the trees to ensnare and feed on alien beasts.
Mu Xiao was a fearsome entity in the Wasteland, not belonging to any alien beast tribe.
His own tribe had been vanquished in their struggles against the alien beasts, and Mu Xiao was of an extinct lineage.
He was the sole survivor, having spent years evading the relentless hunt of Yuan Le, whose whereabouts were unknown even to Yuan Le himself.
Upon spotting Mu Xiao, the Death Viper, the black goat, and the smilodon immediately realized that only with Zhiya's assistance had Mu Xiao managed to elude Yuan Le's detection and remain undiscovered.
"Moon Succubus Queen!"
A ghostly, translucent figure materialized behind Yu Zhu, as ethereal as a wraith.
This individual belonged to an Otherkin group with pointed ears, bearing a resemblance to the Moonlit Wanderers from the Origin Realm, and shared their reverence for the moon. The Moon Succubus race, decimated by Yuan Le, had long since vanished from the Wasteland.
The ethereal and strikingly slender woman was none other than the Moon Succubus Queen.
Upon her appearance, the black goat and the Beast God, once loyal to Yuan Le, immediately realized that the Moon Succubus Queen had managed to survive with the Dark Phoenix's aid.
Both Mu Xiao and the Moon Succubus Queen's races had been eradicated with the involvement of various alien beast races from the Wasteland, including the golden deer and the Iron-winged Bird race, as well as the Phoenix race, which had pledged allegiance to Zhiya.
As outcasts of the Wasteland, they were shunned by the mainstream alien beast races. Zhiya, concerned about potential schemes from the alien beasts, kept their existence a secret.
"Even I was unaware. It appears that my own daughter is the most reliable," the Astral Tiger mused to himself upon encountering the two formidable Otherkin leaders Zhiya had never mentioned.
"Mu Xiao, Moon Succubus Queen, within that seal lies the hidden Primal Anima of flora and the moon. As I've mentioned before, the Blazing Sun Toad and Tectonic Ripper, along with the Lunarphite, are all striving to grasp their respective Ways of Heaven to ascend toward the Supreme Path. Similar to you, those with akin bloodlines, like the Lunarphite and Silver Fox, have perished due to insufficient talent and gifts."
"Do you wish to enter? You..." Yu Zhu laid out the benefits and risks involved.
"Lunarphite, Silver Fox, how do they measure up to my devout worship of the moon?" The Moon Succubus Queen spoke with a chilling scorn. "Had it not been for that bloodthirsty tyrant achieving supremacy and shielding those two, I would have shredded them long ago!"
The Moon Succubus race had been nearly wiped out, with the Lunarphite and Silver Fox contributing significantly to their demise, earning her deep-seated hatred.
Following the Moon Succubus' extinction, their moon-rich lands were swiftly claimed by the Lunarphite and Silver Fox, who also sought the moon's power to fortify their Heir of Blood lineage.
She harbored no fondness for either of the two tribes.
"Yuan Le's death was a blessing! Such a good death! Only with his demise can we emerge."
Mu Xiao's icy gaze swept across the front of the Beast God Temple, looking down on the Death Viper, the Smilodon, and the black goat with contempt, especially the Astral Tiger. "Once I ascend to supremacy..."
He murmured to himself before abruptly charging into the All Spirits Ban.
The Death Viper and the Smilodon felt a chill envelop their bodies. These top-ranked Beast Gods of the Wasteland were well aware of Mu Xiao's fearsome nature.
Should Mu Xiao achieve supremacy, he would surely seek vengeance on the clans of alien beasts. None who had joined in the hunt for Mu Xiao would escape his wrath!
As the All Spirits Ban materialized, Yu Yuan instantly sensed the plant essence from within the seal flooding into his body, invigorating his malevolent vitality.
Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled with anticipation, realizing that Mu Xiao's allure to the cosmic order of the sun was even stronger than that of the Blazing Sun Toad.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Mu Xiao would be able to dissolve a portion of that power.
"If we had the Moonborn Spirit in our Wasteland earlier, Yuan Le wouldn't have had the chance to reign supreme!"
The Moon Succubus Queen alternated between tears and laughter as she followed Mu Xiao into the All Spirits Ban.
As soon as the Moon Succubus Queen entered, a radiant silver moonlight halo behind her burst into fragments, and all the moon's essence converged towards her.
Yu Yuan was ecstatic, silently praising his good fortune.
It became clear that the Wasteland was not devoid of remarkable individuals; rather, Yuan Le had slain too many, and many had fled, remaining hidden, too fearful to reveal themselves in this world.
