C2255 Nether Domain
"Breaking the barrier between the two realms?"
Zhong Chichen's eyes, as radiant as jewels, suddenly burst with a spectrum of divine light. Contemplating briefly, he drifted to the edge of the Death Spring's swirling vortex.
Gazing into the depths at Arthurs, Zhong Chichen reached out with a hand as pale as white jade, touching the still waters of the spring.
The spring ceased to draw forth the power of death, nor did it emit even a sliver of energy.
With a hiss, Zhong Chichen's long, perfectly straight fingers ignited, stirring the fabric of time and space, tearing through the cosmos, and binding the intricate essence of the heavens. His fingers radiated with unleashed power.
The once-stagnant ring of light within the Death Spring began to shimmer with a rosy hue under the influence of Zhong Chichen's Dragon Breath Divine Power.
Behind Arthurs, in a land shrouded in mystery, a whiff of death's essence became sharply defined.
Chen Qinghuang felt a premonition. Her profound and icy gaze seemed to pierce through Arthurs's soul, spotting another silhouette lurking in his shadow.
"Arthurs, I have mastered the laws of both time and space. As for you, you're well-versed in the mysteries of space, just like me, and your insight into the soul is remarkably profound," Zhong Chichen noted.
As he spoke, slender divine dragons materialized within the spring's luminescent ring.
The multicolored dragons twisted and turned with ease, as if deciphering the spring's innermost secrets, eager to grasp the grand principles of the void.
"Given your understanding of spatial truths, why didn't they choose to elevate you first, making you supreme?" Zhong Chichen's smile was tinged with irony as he dissected the situation, "You've become their pawn... Oh, my mistake, their emissary. Shouldn't they have taken great care to nurture you?"
The sarcasm in Zhong Chichen's voice was unmistakable to all who listened.
Arthurs, with his gradually emerging gray-green soul shadow, remained composed in the face of Zhong Chichen's probing and mockery.
He observed Zhong Chichen, clearly seizing the moment to grasp the profound truths hidden within the Death Spring.
He appeared unfazed.
"As you've mentioned, I am also versed in the Great Dao of the soul."
When Arthurs spoke of this, his confidence seemed to waver. He glanced at Youyu, Yu Zhu, and the Great Demon God Beilstein, as if finding it somewhat absurd to claim a deep understanding of the soul's laws in the presence of these three.
He suddenly lifted the heart stone in his hand and declared, "I've forged an illusory 'Origin Realm' in the abyss to establish a soul connection with the real Origin Realm. I've long coveted this heart stone from the Gray Domain. My quest differs from yours."
"Because I seek to ascend through the Great Dao of the soul."
His gaze then settled on the Undead Sovereign Youyu, the Great Demon God Beilstein, and the slumbering Yu Yuan.
Continuing, he said, "I must choose one of the two paths. If I take the path of the Great Dao of the soul, I can never fully master the mysteries of Spatial Intent, so I'll have to concede that advantage to you."
A look of regret washed over Arthurs' face.
"In your new soul, there are no traces of him; you have truly freed yourself from his influence."
Beilstein chuckled and nodded, then interjected, "Arthurs, I sense a dense aura of death behind you. The one who aided the Secular Bird Queen's rise to supremacy is right there, observing us through you from another realm."
Unfazed, Arthurs acknowledged, "Indeed, Lady Kurkova is in the Nether Domain, and she is certainly watching over us."
Kurkova, Nether Domain.
Arthurs had disclosed two pieces of critical information.
The place known as the Nether Domain had assisted the Secular Bird Queen, Chen Qinghuang, in her ascension to supremacy. Her benefactor was named Kurkova.
It appeared she was a woman as well.
"That place is called the Nether Domain?" Beilstein inquired with a smile.
Surprise flickered in Chen Qinghuang's eyes; she hadn't anticipated her benefactor to be another woman.
"No, the Gray Domain contains thirty-six energy vortexes, also known as thirty-six Death Springs. They each correspond to one of the thirty-six realms of that world, with the Nether Domain being just one," Arthurs clarified with gravity.
It was evident from his solemn demeanor how significant these thirty-six realms were.
"Thirty-six?" Zhong Chichen blanched, stunned by the revelation. He demanded, "Does each realm host an entity akin to Kurkova?"
It wasn't just him; Beilstein shared the astonishment upon learning this.
Kurkova of the Nether Domain possessed the power to elevate the Secular Bird Queen to the Supreme Realm. She had also vanquished a fragment of the Abyss Origin Soul's spiritual consciousness and might still be engaged in battle with another Origin Soul's physical form.
Imagine if in another world, there were thirty-five other realms, each with a being like Kurkova. What magnitude of power would that represent?
Even if the mightiest from the Desolate Realm and the Origin Realm united, the combined force of the Supreme Realm might still fall short against the other world!
Suddenly, a surge of deathly aura rose behind Arthurs.
Arthurs, who was on the verge of speaking, prudently sealed his lips. It must have been Kurkova of the Nether Domain behind him, signaling him not to divulge any more information.
Arthurs became silent.
"Having refined the Evil God Temple and taken it as his new vessel to enter that world, is he still alive?" Beilstein inquired, echoing the same concern.
The Great Demon God placed significant emphasis on this individual's fate.
In the eyes of the Great Demon God, after the Evil God Temple was refined, there were no adversaries in the Desolate Realm or the Origin Realm that could match him. His experiences in that other world and his current state would likely indicate the true level of power present there.
Understanding the strength of the opponent, the Great Demon God could then strategize accordingly.
"She's curious about the events in the Desolate Realm. In the Nether Domain, she's only encountered me. She's eager to learn more about what Yu Yuan has done in both the Origin Realm and the Desolate Realm, as well as his current status. This is because his name has been mentioned repeatedly in the Nether Domain."
Arthurs regained his composure and said, "According to her, if she had to face Yu Yuan's true form, even in the Nether Domain, Lady Kurkova would not emerge victorious."
"It appears he's at a disadvantage in the Nether Domain," Beilstein noted gravely.
Though Arthurs did not specify his fate, his words implied that even with the Evil God Temple as his vessel, he did not secure a final victory in the Nether Domain.
Consider this: with thirty-six realms like the Nether Domain, and Kurkova being just one formidable entity among them, if only a few realms communicated with Kurkova, his chances of triumph would be slim.
"What a fearsome place!" exclaimed the Light Origin Spirit.
"The other side is fraught with peril. We must proceed with caution!" Yuan Lianyao said, furrowing her brow.
"I still believe we should destroy the Death Spring as soon as possible!" Mother Earth declared, sweeping her hand and causing countless small meteors to scatter around the spring. She advised with clear reason, "It's not just the springs in the Desolate Realm, but those in the Gray Domain as well. They should be destroyed as quickly as possible. I even suggest..."
Her gaze then shifted to Beilstein.
Beilstein, aware of her stature, did not posture. He listened with an open mind, "What do you recommend?"
"I've heard that your primary Devil Soul resides in the Creation Pool. My recommendation is to inform the Origin Souls there about the horrors on the other side, so they fully grasp the dangers." Mother Earth spoke with a grave tone, "He's lost in the vastness of the Gray Domain, unable to reach the consciousness left on the other side. Once he learns of the horrors there, he should eradicate all the springs within the Gray Domain!"
Mother Earth believed that all existing springs, not just those in the Gal Starfield, should be immediately destroyed!
The spring that had mysteriously coalesced in the Gray Domain over countless years was brimming with malice. It served as a gateway for the other world's planned invasion of the Origin Realm!
Zhong Chichen, Yuan Lianyao, the Light Origin Spirit, and Yu Zhu all fixed their eyes on Beilstein, eager to see if the Great Demon God would heed her advice.
With Yu Yuan still asleep, Beilstein had become the linchpin for everyone.
In one of the thirty-six realms, known as the Nether Domain, lay the power to elevate the Secular Bird Queen to Sovereign status, a prospect that weighed heavily on everyone's minds.
Beilstein furrowed his brow, contemplating the situation.
"Yu Yuan's condition is peculiar. He should have awakened by now, yet he remains dormant."
It was then that Youyu, who had ascended to the Undead Sovereign with the help of the Origin Soul, spoke out unexpectedly.
All eyes turned to him.
Youyu, despite having lost the heart stone, continued to assist Yu Yuan in untangling his soul's chaotic memories, striving to aid in his awakening.
The earth-shattering revelations brought by Arthurs seemed to leave him unfazed.
Even the loss of the heart stone did not deter him from his resolve to rescue Yu Yuan and expedite his awakening.
He had done everything within his power, yet Yu Yuan remained unconscious.
Feeling helpless and noticing the silence around him, he finally voiced the question that had been troubling him.
"Youyu..."
Yu Zhu, Yuan Lianyao, and Chen Qinghuang, all closely connected to Yu Yuan, were filled with a sense of shame upon realizing his actions.
They suddenly understood that Youyu was truly devoted to Yu Yuan.
"The section concerning the Origin Soul remains undeciphered. Since you haven't ascended to the Supreme Realm, you're unable to perceive it," Beilstein remarked after a brief glance at Yu Yuan's mind. "The spiritual consciousness left a riddle of the soul before it perished, which must also be solved."
Whoosh!
Beilstein's Devil Soul drifted towards Yu Yuan and merged with his body.
...
A profound silence enveloped the world, a desolation so intense it seemed as if not even death could occur.
"Brie is dead."
Within the vast tree, the soul consciousness of the Origin Spirit of vegetation swayed with the leaves.
It infused a trace of plant essence into the Dark Elfkind patriarch's body, not to bestow a blessing on Brie, but to discern his fate.
Elsewhere, the Myriad Spirit Restriction and its counterpart shrouding the abyss's dome were linked.
Yet, the connection only materialized when it moved in and out.
"Barol might not survive either."
Qi Yunhong spoke on behalf of the Tree and the Thunder Origin Spirit, casting a sorrowful glance at Yu Yiyi. "No one can help us. We need to consider our own contingency plans."
"A way out?"
Yu Yiyi's lips curled with a cold indifference. "Without my master, what future do you presume to have? Oh, I understand now. You think you have an escape because Jianmu and the Thunder Origin Spirit have bowed to him, right?"
"That's not what I meant," Qi Yunhong said, his brow furrowed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, they witnessed the land that had been resting atop the resplendent realm barrier, now mysteriously shattering in the sky above.
The fragmented landmasses transformed into colossal meteors, plummeting through the barrier.
Before long, the land that had sunk from the seventh layer of the abyss managed to breach the successive seals and crashed into the true abyss, within arm's reach.
"Devoid of energy, the fragments of land and the visible shards of stars scattered across our world are akin to lifeless husks, utterly drained of any power we might harness." Yu Yiyi unleashed her demonic senses and, after a thorough examination, was certain that the land fragments which had descended through the Myriad Spirit Restriction contained nothing of value.
It seemed as though they had been completely stripped of their essence during their passage through the Myriad Spirit Restriction.
"The Creation Continent is still intact!"
Qi Yunhong exclaimed suddenly, pointing towards the resplendent firmament above the abyss. "Look! That piece of land, once adrift in the darkest depths, is now gradually vanishing before our eyes!"
