C2264 The Third All Spirits Ban

"Heh, Wasteland! I've finally made it to the Wasteland!"

Bertain burst forth from the Dragon Slaying Stage, and upon his arrival just outside the Wellspring of Creation, he let out a hearty laugh.

His laughter sent waves of panic through the Beast Gods, their faces etched with fear.

"Time and again, I've approached the barrier separating the two realms, relentlessly battering against it. Alas, the barriers of the Origin Realm and the Wasteland are particularly hostile to one as versed in Soul Power as I am!"

Bertain's face grew stern as he spoke icily, "That's precisely why Yuan Le could move freely, daring to command the Beast Gods to invade the Origin Realm in my absence or while I was in a healing slumber!"

His words sent a shiver of anxiety through the golden deer, the Iron-winged Birds, and the other Beast Gods gathered in front of the Beast God Temple.

These were the native Beast Gods of the Wasteland, well aware of the realm's long history, including two invasions of the Origin Realm.

The first was when Bertain slew the Titan Spinosaurus in the Everlands, sustaining grave injuries himself and resorting to the profound Sky Fiend technique for a restorative slumber.

The second was when Yuan Le was convinced that Bertain had plummeted into the Abyss.

Yuan Le, wary of Bertain and knowing he couldn't reach the Wasteland, had taken bold actions.

Years later, with the Lord of Ruin, Yuan Le, deceased, the vengeful Overlord of the Origin Realm had traversed the wall between the worlds via the Wellspring of Creation and at last made his presence known in the Wasteland.

The Beast Gods feared the wrath of the mighty Demon God.

"All that is history now, with Yuan Le dead and gone."

Zhiya let out a contemptuous snort in front of the Beast God Temple, frowning as she declared, "You dare to slay a Beast God who pledged allegiance to me in the Wasteland? This will be a fight to the death between us."

Roar!

Deep within the purple sea, the hidden alien beast answered Zhiya's low growl.

Its roar surged towards Bertain with unbridled ferocity.

Bertain, now in his amethyst demonform, had successfully extricated himself from the All Spirits Ban. Upon hearing a ferocious roar, his expression turned grave. "What on earth have you been raising?" he asked, frowning at Yu Yuan beside him. "It doesn't seem fully grown, yet the savagery in its roar surpasses even that of the Old Titan Spinosaurus. If this alien beast reaches maturity, I doubt even the purple phoenix could contain it," he said, voicing his concerns to Yu Yuan.

In Bertain's view, the immature alien beast lurking in the purple sea was far more fearsome than Yuan Le, the Old Titan Spinosaurus, or even Zhiya.

"It's alright. If she can't handle it, I will," Yu Yuan replied with an unconcerned smile.

"Your Undead Sovereign form has returned and awakened," Bertain informed Yu Yuan as he left the All Spirits Ban, having reconnected with the devil soul. After a moment of reflection, Bertain slapped his forehead in realization. "I forgot, if I can sense the devil soul, then certainly, you can too."

"Indeed," Yu Yuan affirmed. He then called forth Lin Daoke, Ballo, and Green Willow. Addressing Lin Daoke, who seemed hesitant to part ways, he said, "I require the Dragon Slaying Stage. There will be time for you to craft the Solar Spirit Sword later." Lin Daoke nodded in understanding.

"You?" Bertain began to inquire, but before he could finish—

Whoosh! Yu Yuan slipped back into the All Spirits Ban. Under the intense gaze of Bertain, Zhiya, Lin Daoke, and the others, he vanished along with the Dragon Slaying Stage. He didn't reappear beside his Solar Spirit; instead, he was gone without a trace, leaving the Beast Gods in stunned silence.

"Where has he gone?" Zhiya asked after a brief pause, "Is there another passage within this seal that connects to different places? Besides that person, can he now travel through it as well?"

"I suspect he's headed to the Abyss of Truth," Bertain said, his Devil Eyes reflecting a profound depth. "Lin and I were transported here from another All Spirits Ban above the Abyss of Truth."

"The Abyss of Truth, or above it?"

Zhiya pondered thoughtfully.

...

Whoosh!

Yu Yuan, gripping the Dragon Slaying Stage, appeared above the Abyss of Truth just as Bertain had predicted.

"Genesis Continent!"

He exclaimed softly, catching sight of the Genesis Continent, now reduced to a mere fragment.

A quarter of the vast Genesis Continent had inexplicably vanished, as though it had been thrust into another dimension.

The lingering aura felt familiar to Yu Yuan. After a brief moment of sensing, he understood where the missing land had gone—

The Wraithlands!

The land that had materialized where the All Spirits Ban was in effect bore the cold, soulful energy of ghosts that had been refined.

The Wraithlands had suffered an invasion, and the ghosts wiped out there had transformed into chilling streams of Soul Power that seeped into the All Spirits Ban and further into the seal at the Wellspring of Creation.

"Yu Yuan!"

"Master!"

From the eternally desolate world below, Qi Yunhong and Yu Yiyi shouted in astonishment upon seeing him.

"I'm relieved you're both safe."

Yu Yuan's smile was radiant as he descended into the Abyss of Truth through the seal above.

"I've come to take you away."

He set the Dragon Slaying Stage down, spreading it across the energy-devoid void, gesturing for Qi Yunhong and Yu Yiyi to step on.

Next, he turned his gaze to the Tree of Life, which blotted out the sky, and murmured, "You can reduce your size, right?"

The Tree of Life, upon seeing Yu Yuan again, trembled with excitement, its branches and leaves shaking fervently.

The Tree of Life was aware that Yu Yuan's breakthrough at the Soul Altar had revealed another kindred ultimate truth here, benefiting it immensely.

As its leaves fluttered, the colossal divine tree began to shrink gradually.

"It's good that you can shrink."

Before long, the Tree of Life, Qi Yunhong, Yu Yiyi, and the others had all settled onto the Dragon Slaying Stage.

"Let's go!"

With a commanding shout, Yu Yuan reappeared in the darkness, once more above the All Spirits Ban in the Abyss of Truth.

He quietly reached out with his senses and astonishingly discovered that he could now detect a third All Spirits Ban!

In addition to the one sealing the blood and flesh at the Wellspring of Creation, there was another All Spirits Ban present.

The All Spirits Ban was still in the process of being refined!

The location of the third All Spirits Ban was in the Wraithlands of the Origin Realm!

Specifically, it was situated in the pit on the Genesis Continent where the Evil Temple should have stood, the original resting place of the Wellspring of Creation.

Suddenly, a blurry vision filled his view.

In the Wraithlands of the Origin Realm, vast swathes of land that had vanished from the Genesis Continent sliced through the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone like blades, severing the Levi River and resulting in the deaths of billions of ghosts.

The Genesis Continent had become his Divine Weapon, aiding him in carving out the Wraithlands and subjugating a whole world!

Like a razor-sharp blade, it cleaved through the Wraithlands, and after piercing it, reemerged on the outside.

The entrance, once home to the Evil Temple, had consumed the funnel-shaped Crucible of Rebirth, a symbol of Primal Vitality.

Covering this entrance was the third All Spirits Ban!

Beneath this All Spirits Ban lay the position he should have occupied before leaving the Abyss with the Titan Spinosaurus.

When the seven levels of the Abyss still existed, he and the Dark Anima concealed themselves within the heart of the Genesis Continent.

After the departure of the Wellspring of Creation, the Evil Temple had also been located there.

The entrance was the sole conduit to reach him and the Dark Anima.

Now sealed by the new All Spirits Ban, he continued to consume the Primal Vitality below, while Han Miaoyuan, Han Qi, Tan Junshan, and several Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect stood by the entrance, each exuding an awe-inspiring presence.

Beneath the entrance, he became even more enigmatic and unpredictable.

He had returned, or at least a part of him had, to where he originally belonged.

Yu Yuan fell silent for a while, then his consciousness echoed on the Dragon Slaying Stage, asking the Tree of Life, "Choose a destination: the Wasteland or the Frostlands of the Origin Realm?"

"The Wasteland!"

"Let's head to the Wasteland!"

Both the Tree of Life and the Thunder Spirit responded in unison.

Yu Yuan, having deciphered the All Spirits Ban and capable of traversing the boundless darkness above to reach the Frostlands, nodded and declared, "Very well, I shall take you to the Wasteland."

A moment later, Yu Yuan reemerged from the Wellspring of Creation, the Dragon Slaying Stage in hand, as he flew out with ease. With a gentle sway of the Dragon Slaying Stage, a divine tree as vast as the Peak of Creation materialized before him. This divine tree dwarfed the Uxthar Tree that had once taken root at the summit of the Peak of Creation by an immeasurable scale.

"Mother Earth! Mother Earth!" The Tree of Life revealed itself within the Star River, and as its withered yellow leaves rustled, absorbing the cosmic energy, Yu Yuan, present in the Creitecesh, instantly felt the presence of Mother Earth of the Creitecesh.

The Tree of Life was overwhelmed with excitement. "She has awakened! She has been brought back to life!" Long ago, the Tree of Life and Mother Earth were steadfast allies, their bond deeper than that with the Thunder Spirit. Mother Earth's refusal to yield led to her demise at the hands of the Lord of the Abyss, Yu Yuan.

The land, once as expansive as the Genesis Continent and brimming with vitality, was fractured into seven pieces, becoming part of the Abyss. Before its fragmentation, the Tree of Life had been rooted there, ever by Mother Earth's side.

"I must go to her!"

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