C2251 He Waited Bitterly for the Great Change
"Why did he suddenly leave?"
Zhiya's voice, filled with confusion, echoed once again from within the Dragon Slaying Stage.
Replenished by the pure and robust divine force, Zhiya's once injured arms, now flawless as white lotus stems, showed no trace of harm.
Having healed, Zhiya mused softly, "Have you noticed how many features of your Dragon Slaying Stage resemble those of the All Spirits Ban?"
She didn't wait for Yu Yuan to respond before she went on, "The Dragon Slaying Stage can absorb the psionic power of the Star River, purify it, and transform it into pure divine force. The All Spirits Ban can consume a broader range and convert it into the energies of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, as well as the sun, moon, stars, ice, and thunder."
"Spiritual energy is without attribute, allowing all beings to refine it within themselves and, depending on their individual differences, form a variety of energies."
"Your Soul Altar, with its tiered levels, and the All Spirits Ban's layered walls also share many similarities." Gazing up at the radiant crimson sky within the little world of the Dragon Slaying Stage, Zhiya added, "Your ties to him run deep, perhaps even deeper than you currently realize."
Yu Yuan remained silent.
He had come to the same realization; both the Dragon Slaying Stage he had crafted and the Soul Altar he had forged in his earlier years seemed to draw inspiration from the All Spirits Ban.
"That guy won't just let things be; there's bound to be more to come," Zhiya remarked.
Yu Yuan nodded in agreement.
At that moment, the All Spirits Ban ceased its voracious consumption of the Star River's energy, no longer extracting it without limit.
It was as if it had been sated.
The now resplendent All Spirits Ban, having ceased to emit the devouring presence of the Maw of Oblivion, settled into a quiet state, radiating a magnificent brilliance that could captivate the soul.
Gold Mountain, the lush forests, the landscape of mountains, lakes, and rivers, and the glittering starry heavens all shone brightly.
The intricate rule images on the wall became crystal clear in an instant.
Even those outside, both people and Beast Gods, seemed to be able to grasp the profound mysteries of the Primal Anima rules.
Bertain, with a grave expression, could no longer find any trace of his presence, nor could he feel his aura, yet he knew the All Spirits Ban had become saturated with energy and exceedingly robust.
"Alright, that's enough. Cease the attack."
The voice of the Demon God echoed simultaneously from within the seal and throughout the Beast God Temple.
Whoosh!
Utilizing the devil soul left by Loong Jie, he soared out of the Beast God Temple, proclaiming loudly, "There's no need for everyone to take refuge in the hall or with the Book of Time anymore. The seal has been re-energized, so it won't be seeking Cosmic Energy any further."
Loong Jie, Yuan Lianyao, Yu Zhu, and the Astral Tiger, along with the black goat and golden deer concealed within the Divine Artifact and rare treasures, all emerged.
The astounded powerhouses peered closely and noticed the walls radiating stunning auroras, with the rules appearing tantalizingly within reach, prompting them to scrutinize them intently.
"I bombarded the seal from the outside to process the residual power in the All Spirits Ban, seeking to verify my theory."
Bertain, standing before the Beast God Temple, spoke with an unfathomable depth in his Devil Eyes, "The evidence supports my hypothesis: it holds the power of the Maw of Oblivion, so it fears no depletion. Once the power siphoned by external forces reaches a certain threshold, or when the Primal Soul exerts itself, it can externally harvest energy for replenishment."
Meanwhile, the true form of the Demon God within the seal turned towards Yu Yuan at its deepest point, stating, "Ultimately, it's up to you to refine that piece of flesh and break the seal."
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
"Alright, everyone, just continue to wait."
One Bertain addressed Zhong Chichen, Yu Zhu, and the Astral Tiger, while another spoke to Green Willow and Ballo, "You two should also make haste."
Green Willow and Ballo responded with a wry smile.
They were among the first to enter the All Spirits Ban, yet their talents paled in comparison to those of Mu Xiao, the Blazing Sun Toad, and the Moon Succubus Queen.
Nevertheless, despite their modest abilities, they were still striving to ascend to supremacy.
Aside from Loong Jie, all others who had entered the seal had perished.
Even if the two of them succeeded, they would still face significant risks and crises in the future. They had to be constantly vigilant against being possessed and turned into his weapon by that entity.
"Loong Jie, if you're still in there, do you have any confidence that you can break out again?"
Bertain, standing before the Beast God Temple, gave Loong Jie a sidelong glance.
Loong Jie's pure golden dragon eyes surveyed the seal below, sensing the profound might and intricacies of the eleven types of Primal Anima's cosmic order layered together.
After a moment's hesitation, a streak of golden lightning shot from his dragon eyes, infiltrating the All Spirits Ban from the outside in.
This bolt of lightning entered the wall and vanished silently, without causing so much as a ripple.
The metal magic he had mastered, along with his golden dragon power, seemed to have been consumed by the seal, reinforcing the All Spirits Ban.
With a grimace, Loong Jie shook his head and stated plainly, "I have no confidence at all."
"Mm."
Bertain nodded and explained, "When you broke through the wall and left, it was indeed when the All Spirits Ban was at its most vulnerable. It attempted to invade your consciousness, but that was purified by the self-immolation of my devil soul and Yu Yuan's Soul Altar. Its grip on the All Spirits Ban was also weakened by Yu Yuan's Soul Altar."
"At that time, the All Spirits Ban was further weakened by your breakthrough and the considerable energy drawn by those who had ascended to the highest level."
"You seized a great opportunity, and so did I."
After a brief explanation, Bertain continued, "Let's just wait. We'll wait for Yu Yuan to grasp the profound truths of the Primal Blood from the Abyss. Once he controls that piece of flesh, he can break through the seal. To me, this seems like the most reliable method."
Meanwhile, Green Willow and Ballo pressed on with their breakthroughs.
The two Yu Yuans stood on the patch of multicolored flesh, delving into the Secrets of Life etched within the Soul Altar, intending to burst forth from inside, layer by layer, as Bertain had suggested.
Yet, their mysterious disappearance left everyone feeling uneasy.
Nobody was sure what they were plotting after vanishing.
...
In the Origin Realm, at the Heart of the Everlands.
The Heart of the Everlands, crafted with meticulous care by the Titan Spinosaurus, resembled a blood-red crystal sphere.
Enveloped in towering flames, the Heart of the Everlands was perpetually tempered, a process that had been ongoing for countless years.
The soul sea, a blend of green and black above the Soul Pond that symbolized him, was a fusion of his spiritual sense and the power of the Way of Heaven, currently protected by the Earthfire within the Heart of the Everlands.
An unusual soul mark, exuding an aura of blood and soul, wandered within the Heart of the Everlands like a heartbeat, integrating strands of bloodline lightning into itself.
Suddenly, the soul mark departed from the Heart of the Everlands and paused beside the pond.
The soul mark underwent a metamorphosis, and gradually, it took the form of Jihui, the God-King.
The once frail Jihui was transformed by the Heart of the Everlands through a thorough cleansing and refinement. The Secrets of Life and bloodline mysteries that had been extracted from Yu Yuan and the Solar Spirit were infused one by one into Jihui's body.
Jihui emerged anew, his spiritual wisdom eternally imprisoned.
Step by step, Jihui approached the pond. At that moment, the pond contained an abundance of refined pure black Origin Energy, enough to create over a dozen new supreme beings.
Hovering above the pond was the soul sea, where it, along with a sphere of flame and a sphere of pure darkness, observed the All Spirits Ban reflected in the soul sea.
Within the Heart of the Everlands, the three Primal Animas had a clear view of every action taken by Bertain.
"What do you plan to do next?"
The blazing fire seethed with anger. A plump phantom within the flames roared softly, expressing its discontent.
"There's no rush."
It drifted into Jihui's body.
This newly crafted body, made from Jihui's body and soul, moved slightly, indicating satisfaction. "First, I'll pay a visit to the Primal Vitality in the Wraithlands," it declared.
With those words, it departed from the Heart of the Everlands in the body that had possessed Jihui.
Above the pond's soul sea, Yu Yuan's phantom remained.
Separating a thread of spiritual sense, it continued to refine Jihui. For it, traversing the world was a trivial matter.
It was powerful, with ample spiritual sense at its disposal.
...
In the Origin Realm, at the entrance to the Wraithlands.
A diamond-shaped land from the Abyss had been silently moored there for quite some time.
On this stretch of land, the weaker Abyssal races had long perished, and the stronger ones had departed for other places. However, a Time Gate still stood here, and recently, a number of formidable beings had been emerging from it. Leading them was Han Miaoyuan, the chieftain of the Everlands.
Sporting a goatee and appearing much younger, Han Miaoyuan was accompanied by Han Qi, the God of Ghosts, as well as Qin Luo, Lu Hongpeng, Van Heqing, Lin Yue, and Tan Junshan, among others. This group wielded enough power to roam freely within the Origin Realm.
Tan Junshan broke the silence with a question, "Mr. Han, how much longer must we wait?"
"Just a little while longer," Han Miaoyuan responded, his smile conveying reassurance.
The others, upon hearing this, settled in to wait patiently.
Before long, the figure of Jihui materialized through the Time Gate. His profound black eyes and distinctive presence made it clear to the most exalted beings of the Origin Realm that this was indeed Jihui.
They all bowed respectfully in his presence.
Without a word, he led the way toward the entrance of the Wraithlands, and the exalted beings from the Everlands followed suit in silent accord.
Their destination was the Primal Vitality within the Wraithlands. With Youyu, the supreme being, gone, the Wraithlands' remaining forces stood no chance against him and the battle-hardened Gods. Moreover, Han Qi, the God of Ghosts, was intimately familiar with the Wraithlands' layout and defenses.
...
In the Wasteland, Youyu, the supreme being, sat with the Book of Time, awaiting the moment when the All Spirits Ban would be broken. Suddenly, he drew the soul stone from his sleeve and gazed at the turbulent, murky gray river symbolizing the Root of the Lunar Meridian.
He instantly realized that trouble had arisen in the Wraithlands.
"There's no point in returning now," he murmured to himself.
Yu Zhu, standing before the Phoenix Shrine, also seemed to detect the looming crisis. "The Primal Vitality had you bring the soul stone to the Wasteland, foreseeing this day might come. Here lies a Root of the Lunar Meridian, which may one day evolve into a new Primal Vitality," she said.
"If you return now, you risk losing everything."
