C2246 Soul Ignition to Remove the Restriction

"I am not of flesh and blood. Your sword light and swordsmanship can't harm me."

He wielded the spear with a spirited body.

His manifestation, a soul shadow, was merely for communicating with Loong Jie's inner self, harnessing solely the power of the golden dragon.

Unmoved by the torrential downpour of sword strikes, he even found the leisure to taunt Lin Daoke.

"Hmm!"

"What is happening?"

"And what in the world is that person?"

The All Spirits Ban, obscured by his dark green Soul Power, was amidst a breakthrough on the Supreme Path. The Moon Succubus Queen, the Tectonic Ripper, the Blazing Sun Toad, and Ballo were compelled to shift their focus to observe.

Green Willow and Ballo, privy to the secret, had already begun to stealthily distance themselves from his position.

The Blazing Sun Toad, Tectonic Ripper, Mu Xiao, and the Moon Succubus Queen, newly arrived, were unaware that he was the ruler of the All Spirits Ban, the Primal Anima that had annihilated the Abyss of Truth and now tyrannized the Origin Realm.

Yet, his transformation of Loong Jie into a golden spear sent shockwaves through the Wasteland's mighty, instilling a tremor in their hearts.

"Lin, watch out!"

Bertain, the Demon God, bellowed from midair, astonished that Lin Daoke's Solar Spirit Sword had shattered upon impact, unable to withstand even a single blow from the golden spear.

Was an eleventh-level golden dragon truly that formidable?

Bertain clicked his tongue in dismay, sensing trouble.

"Attempt to sever his grip on the Dragon Soul!"

Yu Yuan, amidst the boundless crush of the soul sea and the groaning of the eight-tiered Soul Altar, didn't forget to alert Bertain and Lin Daoke.

He pinned his hopes on Bertain, trusting the Demon God to find a way to end the confinement of Loong Jie's soul.

The might unveiled by the eleventh-level golden dragon left even Yu Yuan in awe.

Such a Loong Jie, possessed by him, was indeed an invincible weapon of doom!

"I'll give it my all!"

Bertain himself was uncertain, as a myriad of Spirit Magic and mystiques flickered through his Devil Eyes.

He was wracking his brain, searching for a method to counterbalance the Primal Soul, to free Loong Jie from its dominion, and prevent him from becoming the Divine Weapon of the Primal Soul.

"It's no use even if you take my place."

The Primal Soul gently shook its head as the brilliance of the golden spear paused briefly before thrusting toward Lin Daoke's forehead.

Whoosh!

Lin Daoke's most powerful Primordial Spirit Sword swiftly emerged from his brow, the sword radiating an emerald glow as it met the golden divine light head-on.

The Divine Sword, forged from the primordial spirit, transformed into a streak of emerald light and, following the Solar Spirit Sword, clashed with the divine radiance emanating from the golden spear.

Crack!

The Primordial Spirit Sword instantly displayed numerous fractures. Lin Daoke grunted, blood streaming from his seven orifices, as he swiftly retreated millions of miles.

The Primordial Spirit Sword, which had cracked upon contact, turned into a strand of green light and retreated into his forehead.

Having blocked two strikes, Lin Daoke's Solar Spirit shattered, and his Primordial Spirit Sword was riddled with cracks. He no longer had the strength to fend off subsequent attacks and was forced to flee.

Any further defense would result in the complete destruction of his Primordial Spirit Sword, and Lin Daoke would perish.

"Leave. It's my turn now."

The Demon God Bertain descended from the heavens, his amethyst-like demonform clad in the Golden Dragon Armor.

Accompanying Bertain's descent were thousands of clusters of purple dark fire.

These clusters of dark fire flickered like purple lanterns or the watchful eyes of celestial beings, emitting bizarre flames that dazzled and disoriented onlookers.

Any intelligent life with a soul seemed susceptible to the allure of the dark fire, drawn to gaze upon it for just a moment longer.

"That's Bertain's devil soul!"

"Indeed."

Youyu and Yu Zhu, observing from outside, spotted specks of purple flame within the greenish-black expanse of the All Spirits Ban.

They scrutinized the scene, confirming that these were indeed the devil souls of the Demon God Bertain. Beyond the edge of the golden spear's sharpness, they also witnessed Bertain's devil souls.

The next instant, Youyu and Yu Zhu's expressions shifted.

Zhong Chichen, Yuan Lianyao, the Astral Tiger, the black goat, the golden deer, and the Darkgold Beast all stared blankly toward the All Spirits Ban.

Judging by their demeanor, they were all drawn in by the enigmatic allure of the All Spirits Ban, seemingly eager to ensnare themselves within its grasp.

This time, what drew their attention was not the odd, multicolored flesh, but the dark green soul sea that had manifested within the All Spirits Ban.

With a whoosh, the Phoenix Shrine, floating on the purple sea, soared into the sky, guided by Yu Zhu's command. Mysterious patterns of souls, too profound for words, emerged on the shrine's rocky walls. These patterns, emanating a strange power that stabilized the soul, pressed down upon the mightiest of beings, their consciousness blurred and unclear.

Deep affection, pale green, dark red, and a spectrum of colorful lights radiated from the shrine, bathing the people below as if cleansing their souls and aiding their return to clarity.

"I'll lend a hand as well," Youyu declared, casting the soul stone. It was as if he was bridging another Wraithlands with this realm through an arcane mystique.

The fabric of space and time within the Star River appeared to warp, with a chilling, spectral light first enveloping Zhong Chichen and Yuan Lianyao, then rapidly spreading to the Astral Tiger and the black goat.

Within the soul stone, the Root of the Lunar Meridian and the myriad ghostly spirits floating in the Levi River were rallied by Youyu. He arranged them into a Gloom Raider formation to counter the dreadful surges emanating from the All Spirits Ban.

Only with the combined efforts of Yu Zhu, the soul stone, and the Phoenix Shrine were they able to help the others reclaim their sense of self.

Zhong Chichen was the first to regain consciousness, gasping in relief, "Thank goodness you're here!"

Whoosh! The sound of rushing air filled the space as five layers of shimmering Void Walls emerged from the Book of Time. He swiftly erected them around himself for protection, letting out a breath of relief, "What's with the dark fire? Is the Demon God self-immolating?"

Upon hearing this, Youyu and Yu Zhu took another look and noticed deep within the burning purple flames of the All Spirits Ban, the specter of Bertain was dissolving.

It was as if a candle had burned itself out within a lantern.

Yet, when they sought to delve deeper, they found that both the golden radiance and the clusters of purple flames had vanished without a trace.

"Bertain is likely in grave danger," Youyu said, his brow furrowed with a sudden sense of foreboding. "Lin Daoke has already been dealt a heavy blow and couldn't withstand even a few of his strikes. Bertain, having ascended to supremacy through the Primal Soul of the Everlands, finds himself completely overpowered. His fate will be even more dire than Lin Daoke's."

"Teacher..."

Zhong Chichen's countenance fell as he quietly murmured to himself.

Upon noticing Yuan Lianyao stirring awake, the Seven-Colored Dragon paused briefly before clearing his throat, "Miss Yuan, it seems the Wasteland might be beyond saving. You mentioned a Spring of Death in the Creitecesh that connects to the Extraterrestrial. Perhaps we should head to the Creitecesh and use the Spring of Death to reach the Extraterrestrial?"

As he spoke, Youyu and Yu Zhu gave him icy stares.

Unfazed, Zhong Chichen continued, "If there's no hope in sight, we must consider our options. The big devil doesn't acknowledge me as his disciple, and Yu Yuan doesn't see me as a senior brother. As for Loong Jie... I believe he will survive. For the sake of the Everlands' lineage, I'm intent on venturing into the Extraterrestrial."

Since learning that the Spring of Death might connect to the Extraterrestrial and could have been crafted by a being greater than himself, he had been eager to depart.

Youyu's voice was frosty, "Perhaps I shouldn't have saved you."

Yu Zhu huffed, "I've summoned the Phoenix Shrine. You should withdraw the power of the soul stone and shatter its outer space-time ring. Then we can banish him to the All Spirits Ban!"

"No! Please, no!" Zhong Chichen exclaimed in protest.

"The guardians of the Spring of Death include the Secular Bird Queen, who ascended to supremacy with the death force, and the entities known as the Peak of Creation and Mother Earth," Yuan Lianyao said with a cold laugh, eyeing the Seven-Colored Dragon who seemed ready to flee at the first sign of trouble. "Both are staunch allies of Yu Yuan. Are you truly prepared to venture into the Extraterrestrial alone?"

"Well then? Fine, let's pretend I never said anything!"

Zhong Chichen retorted in frustration.

Amidst the cascade of purple flames, Bertain plummeted.

"You might be able to extinguish the golden dragon's Dragon Soul, but what if I've already enveloped it in my power?" he taunted.

After inflicting grave injuries on Lin Daoke, he held aloft the golden spear that Loong Jie had become, looking up at the shower of purple flames with a scornful grin. "To think you can play with Mind Magic in my domain, within the All Spirits Ban I command—you truly have no idea of the vastness of the heavens or the depths of the earth!"

He thrust his spear forward.

With a tearing sound, another brilliant burst of golden radiance shot towards the plummeting Demon God. This ultimate expression of metal magic emitted a shriek so piercing it seemed capable of shattering the cosmos itself.

The screech and the golden light appeared to penetrate the All Spirits Ban, reaching directly into the Phoenix Shrine and the soul stone.

Yu Zhu and Youyu bore the brunt of the sonic assault, blood suddenly appearing at the corners of their eyes and from their noses, as if they had been sliced open by an invisible blade.

Inside the Phoenix Shrine and the soul stone, countless Soul Nexus and ghosts sprang into action, desperately trying to ward off the external corruption.

"I just want to block it!" Bertain bellowed as he removed his Golden Dragon Armor, transforming it into a vast shield of golden light, in an attempt to ward off the Divine Weapon that Loong Jie had become.

His eyes brimmed with contempt: "You can't stop it."

Puff!

The Golden Dragon Armor was instantly punctured, the spilling golden divine light tearing through Bertain's crystalline demonic hand, causing his arm to shatter.

With a single blow, the meticulously crafted armor was breached by the Divine Weapon.

Bertain didn't even grunt. Abandoning the Golden Dragon Armor, he abruptly soared upwards.

His descent was swift, but his escape was even swifter!

Accompanying his fall, a multitude of dark fire lanterns swirled around him.

Billions of dark fires raged fiercely, some with greenish flames, others deep blue like the sea, and still others filled with the wails and terror of dying souls.

A bizarre soul aura silently enveloped him, forming a kind of mystical sanctuary.

Within each cluster of dark fire, a peculiar essence began to emerge, one that seemed to be consuming itself. On closer inspection, Bertain's image was present, as if he were conducting a malevolent soul-sacrificing ritual.

Having grievously wounded Lin Daoke and now Bertain, he held the golden spear with a hint of surprise.

He gradually sensed that the connection between his Soul Power and that of Loong Jie was becoming sporadic.

"I will burn my own soul to sever your soul's link," declared the Great Demon God Bertain, devoid of his usual smile and with half an arm missing. Gazing up at him, he spoke solemnly, "When you first tainted my soul and confined me in the Evil Temple, unable to find a way out for so long and unwilling to be possessed and enslaved by you, I considered burning my soul to death more than once."

"Burning my own soul was the only option I could think of to prevent you from taking possession of me."

"When I attempted the soul burn, I discovered that with my abundance of devil souls, I could perform a complete split, which in turn could produce an extraordinary effect."

"Since you've devoured the very thing that created me, you have the ability to influence my soul. But once I divide my devil souls and establish the Soul-Igniting Array, I'll be able to indirectly influence you as well!"

High above, Bertain severed all connections with the self-immolating devil souls, choosing to discard them.

The clusters of devil souls that fell beside him amounted to merely a tenth of his total.

As this tenth of the devil souls descended, he instinctively tried to infuse them with his power, attempting to seize control and assimilate them into his own strength.

He crafted a bond using the soul thread.

The instant the bond was formed, Bertain's devil souls triggered the Soul-Igniting Sorcery, causing both the invasive force and the Soul Power within to combust.

This formidable will of the Soul-Igniting Intent even backlashed through the soul sea, affecting the Soul Power that had surged into Loong Jie, rendering him unable to maintain his grip on Loong Jie and to manipulate him at will.

Confronted with such a being, Bertain realized that conventional tactics were futile, so he had to innovate.

Thus, Bertain devised this strategy and decided to test it.

Unexpectedly, it proved to be remarkably effective.

With a furious howl, Loong Jie broke free, transforming back into a majestic golden dragon, and hurled himself against the barrier of the All Spirits Ban, determined to shatter the confines and escape from this realm.

​