C2241 Birds and Beasts Scatter
Moon Succubus Queen and Mu Xiao dared not defy the order.
The formidable Demon God Bertain, alongside Lin Daoke of the Sword Sect, had ensured their compliance.
Both Yuan Le and the Dark Phoenix possessed the power to end them, and in their eyes, Bertain, the Demon God of the Origin Realm, was an even mightier presence.
They wouldn't dare make a reckless move.
Thus, they dedicated themselves to absorbing the Cosmic Order they could perceive, using plant essence and the essence of the moon to fortify their physiques and bloodlines.
Green Willow, the Blazing Sun Toad, and the Tectonic Ripper were no longer their concern.
Their gazes towards Bertain were filled with reverence and admiration. They even believed that he was the true slayer of Yuan Le, the venerable elder of the Star-Spawned Terror from the Origin Realm.
Their disdain for Yuan Le fostered a longing for the mightiest of the Origin Realm.
While evading capture in the Wasteland, they had aspired to reach the Origin Realm, but without Yuan Le to shatter the realm's barrier, they lacked the means to traverse it.
"That's more like it," Bertain said with a smile, drifting out from the forest where Mu Xiao resided. "With Yuan Le gone, once you ascend to supremacy, I won't interfere with whichever Beast God you wish to slay after you exit the All Spirits Ban. My only stipulation is that you do not strike within the confines of the seal. Understood?"
"Understood!" Moon Succubus Queen and Mu Xiao responded with elation.
They had grasped the concept.
Bertain wasn't safeguarding the Beast Gods; he required them to transcend the All Spirits Ban just as they had. Once free from its constraints, they could act as they pleased.
From that point on, Bertain would wash his hands of the matter.
"The Beast Gods of the Wasteland must pay for their disturbances in the Origin Realm," Bertain said with a sly grin, casting a sidelong glance at the Dark Phoenix within the Wellspring of Creation. "This purple phoenix may not even survive."
Joy surged within Mu Xiao and Moon Succubus Queen.
...
Outside the realm, Yuan Lianyao, perched atop the Book of Time, suddenly turned her gaze to Yu Yuan.
Beside the ethereal shadow representing the Primal Soul, a cluster of consciousness shrouded in blazing fire remained obscure.
The Blazing Fire had not fully withdrawn from the All Spirits Ban, leaving behind a spiritual sense that still wielded control over the flames within.
As long as its presence lingered, the flames remained under its dominion, unshakable by others.
In the Abyss of Truth, the laws and secrets left by the eight great Primal Animas were being unraveled by Beast Gods and other unique entities—except for the element of fire, which had yet to be claimed or understood by any.
"Don't come in."
Within the All Spirits Ban, Yu Yuan perceived Yuan Lianyao's intent gaze and the depth of her thoughts, signaling her with a shake of his head not to proceed.
Yu Yuan refrained from summoning the Beast Gods who bore the essence of fire in their bloodlines because the consciousness of the Earthfire remained active.
For any Beast God or the alien beings of the Wasteland, it was unrealistic to assimilate the fire magic and energy under the vigilant watch of the Blazing Fire to ascend to the Supreme Being status.
Only Yuan Lianyao, who had achieved supremacy, stood a chance of wresting control of the fire magic from the Blazing Fire within the All Spirits Ban.
Yet the endeavor was fraught with peril.
A single misstep could result in Yuan Lianyao's spiritual defenses being shattered by the concentrated spiritual sense of the Blazing Fire, leaving her vulnerable to complete possession.
Moreover, the Primal Soul of the Abyss was also on the prowl, seeking its moment to strike.
"Alright."
Heeding Yu Yuan's cautionary gesture, Yuan Lianyao let out a soft sigh, abandoning her bold plan.
Having refined a strand of the Blazing Fire's spiritual sense in the Creitecesh Domain, using the technique imparted by Yu Yuan, her confidence soared, and her fear of the Blazing Fire dissipated.
She had reaped immense benefits and now sought to challenge the spiritual sense of the Blazing Fire within the All Spirits Ban.
"There's no need to rush. Once the All Spirits Ban crumbles, the true essence of the Fire Spirit's power from the Abyss will emerge," Zhong Chichen reassured, "Then, you'll have the opportunity to collect it and gain even greater strength."
He had long discerned Yu Yuan's intentions.
He understood that Yu Yuan was biding his time for the All Spirits Ban to break apart, to then harness the ultimate cosmic order of the eight Primal Animas through the Soul Altar.
Since Yu Yuan had come with Yuan Lianyao, it was clear he intended to share the secrets of the flame with her.
She didn't need to rush; all she had to do was patiently observe from the sidelines.
"Alright, I've got it."
Yuan Lianyao nodded with a smile.
Time flew by.
The Beast Gods, Loong Jie and Ballo, who had entered the All Spirits Ban, respected each other's space, each engrossed in harnessing the power they could sense to draw upon the Cosmic Order that matched their essence.
As the All Spirits Ban revealed the various powers and rules, the halos that encircled him and linked to another realm shattered one by one, absorbed by those seeking a supreme breakthrough.
Green Willow, the Tectonic Ripper, and even the less gifted Ballo, after much perseverance, managed to shift the halos.
Soon, there were only four layers of halos remaining behind him.
A single ring of Soul Power, a fiery halo, and the ultimate truths of lightning and ice that had peeled away from Yu Yuan's Soul Altar were all that were left.
"Those that originated from me, absorbed by my Soul Altar, I can shatter on my own."
Yu Yuan smiled suddenly. Under the overwhelming pressure of his Soul Power, the Soul Altar floating above his head, corresponding to ice and lightning, erupted with a fierce suction force.
Crack!
The halos of lightning and ice at the back of his head abruptly fractured, transforming into streams of electricity and intense cold light, merging into Yu Yuan's Soul Altar.
The lightning and ice that entered were merely pure energy, not the profound meaning of the rules.
Since these two forces originated from the Cosmic Order of the All Spirits Ban, there was no need for them to be captured and imprinted.
Through his own Soul Altar, Yu Yuan was convinced that even though the two halos had disintegrated, the essence of lightning and ice remained within the All Spirits Ban.
Once imprinted, it would exist eternally, never to fade away.
He had not allowed Yu Zhu, the Astral Tiger, and others to infuse their bloodlines with the essence of lightning and ice into his body.
His confidence in these two forces was strong; he could resolve them with his Soul Altar, directly assimilating them.
After some quiet contemplation and verification, he discovered that by fully encompassing the rule of the All Spirits Ban within his Soul Altar, he could tap into its power.
He had corresponding platforms for both plants and earth in his Soul Altar, but unfortunately, the rules of plants and earth within the All Spirits Ban were far more mysterious and complex, rendering him unable to absorb them.
He still had to depend on Mu Xiao and the Tectonic Ripper God.
"Haha, why so silent?"
Bertain, the Demon God with time on his hands, approached Yu Yuan and looked up at the phantom image he had conjured. "You're quite formidable, but not invincible. Battling an extraordinary being like you is infinitely more thrilling than clashing with the Titan Spinosaurus or the Evil Gods of the Abyss."
Fear was absent from Bertain's eyes!
In response to Bertain's challenging stare and words, both he and the Blazing Fire beside him remained cool and silent.
They quietly observed as the creatures within the All Spirits Ban ascended to the status of Beast Gods.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the Dark Phoenix Zhiya in the deepest recesses of the Wellspring of Creation.
After a brutal fight, Zhiya was once again riddled with wounds.
Her fair hands bore deep gashes oozing blue-green venom, which prevented her from healing swiftly. Her icy phoenix eyes roamed over the Beast Gods within the All Spirits Ban, seemingly wishing for their demise.
If a Beast God perished, she could harvest its vital energy and regain her strength.
When Mu Xiao and the Moon Succubus Queen entered, she was brimming with anticipation for a bloodbath.
Yet, due to Bertain and Lin Daoke's presence, the anticipated carnage never erupted.
Her expression darkened as she watched the Abyss Overlord she had slain be reborn from the peculiar amalgam of five-colored flesh.
Despair finally took hold in her heart.
Each new Abyss Overlord that emerged was stronger than the last, and they seemed endless and unkillable.
Throughout this time, Yu Yuan remained stoic, not uttering a single word.
Clearly, she was waiting for someone to call for help.
"Prepare yourselves."
Yu Zhu, stationed in front of the Phoenix Shrine, had kept a watchful eye on her. Noticing signs of fatigue, Yu Zhu's icy gaze shifted to the Beast Gods emerging from the Beast God Temple.
The Beast Gods under her scrutiny shivered uncontrollably.
"Pay no mind, everyone. The Dark Phoenix will perish within, and the Beast God Temple will be left without a master!"
One of the Bloodstorm Beast Gods, as if having made a decision, suddenly proclaimed, "With Master Yuan Le gone, the Dark Phoenix will meet her end too! There won't be a new ruler in the Wasteland for some time. Don't fear her!"
"The Dark Phoenix is trapped and can't control the Beast God Temple. Let's each make our escape!"
"If the Dark Phoenix dies, there'll be no one to resurrect us with the lifeblood we've left in the Beast God Temple. Dying within that seal would be a meaningless death!"
"I don't want to die, nor am I willing to gamble on her survival!"
The Beast Gods echoed in agreement, roaring and deliberating in front of the temple.
Those Beast Gods who had pledged loyalty to Zhiya after the Beast God Temple was consecrated now turned against her, rebelling as they faced Yu Zhu's command to march to their deaths.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Beast Gods that had previously emerged, along with those who had remained within the Beast God Temple, scattered in all directions.
Before fleeing, the Beast Gods took with them the lifeblood they had left behind in the temple.
Many others carried blood-stained jars from the temple, along with the Dark Tower, and a host of Divine Weapons collected by Yuan Le.
They didn't just evacuate the Beast God Temple; they also absconded with its treasures.
Neither the Astral Tiger nor Yu Zhu had anticipated that the Beast Gods, driven to desperation, would make such a choice.
The Death Viper and the smilodon exchanged glances and tactically split up to escape.
Only the black goat, transformed into a striking woman in a black gown, remained motionless as the other Beast Gods fled.
She was acutely aware that her situation was unlike that of the fleeing Beast Gods. The formidable Way of Heaven she sought could now only be found through Yu Zhu.
Yuan Le couldn't provide it, nor could the Dark Phoenix. But Yu Zhu could.
That's why she remained.
Whoosh!
The Phoenix Shrine vibrated, emitting waves of iridescent light. Yu Zhu suddenly vanished within the grand hall, commanding the Phoenix Shrine to pursue the escaping Beast Gods.
The Iron-winged Bird and the golden deer Beast God turned to the Astral Tiger, seeking guidance: "Lord Astral Tiger, what's our next move?"
These Beast Gods had pledged allegiance to Shadow's Keep before Yuan Le's demise, yet not one had deserted. Even when Zhiya faced peril, they steadfastly stood by her.
"The Hall Master is not so easily defeated," declared the Astral Tiger with authority. "All of you stay put. I'll go after His Highness and ensure she doesn't act impulsively."
"The Beast Gods are the bedrock of the Wasteland. If they've fled, so be it. Once the Hall Master emerges and retakes the reins of the Beast God Temple, we can reclaim everything the Beast Gods took."
With those words, Astral Tiger set off in pursuit of the Phoenix Shrine.
