C2266 The Secret of the Dark Phoenix
"The Demon God is currently healing," Ballo remarked, his handsome features composed as he watched the formidable figure depart. "Our Lord exerted considerable effort in the sealing. Contending with that entity's divine powers must have been challenging."
Ballo held Bertain in high esteem. The Starborn, during their time in the Origin Realm, were staunch allies of the Sky Fiend. Familiar with the Sky Fiend, Ballo had gleaned from Reid and other formidable beings that after intense battles, the Demon God Bertain would often disperse his devil soul across various Star Rivers to recuperate his strength.
"Indeed, he faces no easy task," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a slight nod. Once Bertain's specter had vanished, he elaborated, "By burning his own devil soul, he dragged that individual's spiritual sense into mutual destruction, thereby liberating Loong Jie. Given the scarcity of Soul Power in the Wasteland's Star Rivers, he must separate his devil souls to amass Soul Power across different Star Rivers."
Loong Jie remained silent, the old dragon's gaze lingering on the place where Bertain had disappeared, tinged with complexity.
"Yu Yuan..." Ballo began, pausing momentarily before confessing, "For some reason, I sense a connection to you."
No sooner had he spoken than Green Willow, the Dark Deity, echoed the sentiment, "I feel it too."
Loong Jie, after a brief hesitation, added, "It seems I do as well."
The Blood Call that once linked him to Yu Yuan through the Life Keychain had dissolved, freeing him from the involuntary exposure to Yu Yuan's prying and commands. Yet now, as Ballo and Green Willow voiced their feelings, he too perceived a renewed, peculiar connection with Yu Yuan—a connection not through the Life Keychain, but akin to the Golden Spirit that resonated with him.
"What you're sensing is my Soul Altar," Yu Yuan said with an easy smile, offering them clarity. "All three of you have ascended to supreme status. You are meant to align with the Golden Spirit, Water Spirit, and Star Spirit. However, the consciousness and spirituality of these three mighty spirits were extinguished by the All Spirits Ban. Now that my Soul Altar contains the Gold Astral Plane and the Water Astral Plane, and I've integrated the essence of the stars into the Astral Plane, I can be considered an embodiment of the three Primal Animas."
With a mere thought, the energy within him shifted, subtly releasing the power of the Golden Spirit and Water Spirit from his Soul Altar. His form suddenly gleamed with a golden radiance akin to Loong Jie, exuding an unbreakable cold hardness.
Upon another thought, the golden light faded, and the energy coursed through his meridians and blood, echoing like a tumultuous river. Loong Jie and Green Willow witnessed his transformation and sighed in resignation.
Their suspicions were confirmed: with the addition of the ultimate truths corresponding to the Golden Spirit and Water Spirit within Yu Yuan's Soul Altar, they were no longer the sole and ultimate manifestations of these two Ways of Heaven.
At that moment, Yu Yuan cast a glance at Zhiya. Standing before the Beast God Temple, her brows were furrowed in deep contemplation. Catching Yu Yuan's gaze, she spoke with an icy tone, "Aren't you leaving yet?"
"We're headed to Creitecesh," he replied, paying her no further attention. He maneuvered the Dragon Slaying Stage, which supported the Wellspring of Creation, casting a prismatic swath of light across the Astral Domain.
Yu Yuan wasn't rushing to rip through the void crack to reach Creitecesh directly. The Dragon Slaying Stage had expended considerable energy and required a surge of cosmic energy to recharge. Similarly, the Tree of Life, after languishing in the Abyss of Truth, needed to transform cosmic energy into plant essence. As it sought to regain its former power, it also aimed to ascend in rank within the Primal Anima.
Moreover, the region where the Wellspring of Creation had been anchored was now energy-depleted, having been consumed by the All Spirits Ban. He sought a location rich in cosmic energy to expedite the recovery and efficiency of both the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Tree of Life.
Additionally, the Creitecesh had been drained of cosmic energy due to the overgrowth of the Wraith Tree and Chen Qinghuang's rise to the supreme realm. Thus, an immediate journey through the void would leave both the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Tree of Life starved for a swift energy replenishment.
As the Dragon Slaying Stage bore the Wellspring of Creation aloft, Qi Yunhong, Ballo, Yu Yiyi, and Green Willow curiously observed the celestial patterns of the Wasteland's starry sky. Meanwhile, Yu Yuan continued to use the Soul Altar for his perceptions.
The Soul Altar had become his divine instrument for seeking out the Supreme Beings and the Primal Animas.
Through the Soul Altar, he could clearly perceive Ballo, Loong Jie, Green Willow, and the others.
He could also discern the Light Spirit and Mother Earth from the Peak of Creation within the Creitecesh.
Whether it was the amethyst demonform or the separate devil soul, Yu Yuan could scrutinize every detail through the ninth tier of the Soul Altar.
This meant that if he wished to annihilate the Demon God Bertain, regardless of how many devil souls Bertain had divided into or how widely they were dispersed across the Star Rivers, Yu Yuan could find each one.
On the ninth tier of the Soul Altar, Bertain, who had ascended to the Supreme Realm via the Path of the Soul, had no place to conceal himself.
At that moment, Yu Yuan pondered whether his perception of Bertain, Tan Xiaotian, and others born in the Everlands, marked by the Primal Soul, was akin to this sensation.
Could he gaze upon them with clarity, no matter their location in the world, once he reached that level of power?
As the Dragon Slaying Stage, carrying the Wellspring of Creation, gradually receded, leaving the Beast God Temple far behind, Yu Yuan still sensed a presence through the tenth tier of the Soul Altar.
Another newly ascended Supreme Being.
Zhiya, the Supreme Being of Shadow's Keep, was suddenly within Yu Yuan's gaze through the tenth tier of the Soul Altar.
Zhiya, who had ascended to the Supreme Being through the Secrets of Life, had harnessed the mysteries of that segment of flesh to assimilate the Primal Blood of both the Wasteland and the Origin Realm, along with the diverse blood magics of various tribes.
Yu Yuan was able to detect her through the Soul Altar's eclectic method.
Moreover, on the tenth tier of the Soul Altar, Yu Yuan sensed not one, but two Zhiyas!
One Zhiya stood before the doors of the Beast God Temple, flanked by the Moonfang Tiger, Golden Deer, Iron-winged Bird, and Darkgold Beast, all gazing into the distance as the Dragon Slaying Stage faded from view.
Deep within the churning purple sea, another entity lurked!
Hidden in the sea of purple demon energy, was a young chaos giant beast, mysteriously conjured by Zhiya. Even Bertain was concerned that Zhiya might not be able to control it.
Yet, through the lens of Yu Yuan's Soul Altar, it was clear that the creature was none other than another Dark Phoenix, Zhiya herself!
She had crafted another body for her own use!
The life force it radiated was consistent with the one emanating from Zhiya.
This indicated that it had been brought to life using Zhiya's own lifeblood. Should it grow and transform into a human form in the future, it would likely mirror Zhiya's current appearance and stature.
It's no surprise then that Zhiya never fretted over controlling it.
Because it was, in essence, her.
...
The Dragon Slaying Stage vanished without a trace.
Above the purple sea, the imposing Beast God Temple stood firm, with Zhiya's overwhelming power nearly spilling out from within its walls.
She was not only healed but had also attained her most powerful state.
As the Dragon Slaying Stage disappeared, her perfect visage betrayed a hint of astonishment.
"How peculiar," she whispered to herself.
Somehow, despite Yu Yuan being out of sight and beyond her senses, she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that he was still observing her from high above in the Astral Domain.
She gazed upward at the darkened sky, devoid of stars, with no sign of Yu Yuan's presence.
Yet, she felt as though he was still there.
Yu Yuan was not just present; he seemed to have unraveled the deep secret she harbored, understanding the exact nature of her connection to the young beast within the purple sea.
Boom!
Her demon energy burst forth, radiating from the Beast God Temple in all directions.
She scoured the entire Star River for any sign of Yu Yuan, her demon energy infused with the essence of her Bloodline Revelation, sweeping through the cosmos like a colossal tidal wave.
Her formidable demon energy shattered meteors, reducing the remnants of the battlefield to dust.
Alas, her search was fruitless.
"No, I can't be mistaken. He must have devised some way to watch me!" Zhiya's composure began to wane.
The golden deer and the Iron-winged Bird Beast God, puzzled by her rage, quickly exchanged glances with the Astral Tiger.
Her demon energy, endlessly spreading outward, shattered all material things. She wielded her power recklessly, risking the destruction of the Star River.
Moreover, aside from squandering her power, there seemed to be no visible benefit.
"Hall Master."
Mounted on a Moonfang Tiger amidst a cluster of Heavenly Tribulation Clouds, she was roused by its gentle roar. As she turned her gaze, the Astral Tiger spoke with gravity, "Princess Yu Zhu is currently in the Creitecesh as well."
"That girl will be alright."
With those words, Zhiya quickly regained her composure, no longer fixated on searching for any sign of Yu Yuan.
The wildly expanding demon energy abruptly contracted towards the Beast God Temple, vanishing into the hall's rocky walls.
The gathered Beast Gods collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"We should return to the Stellar Phoenix domain."
Zhiya pursed her lips, sensing the cosmic energy of the Star River with a furrowed brow. "Without the Peak of Creation's blessing, this place is no longer the fertile sanctuary it once was. It's pointless to remain."
Following several cataclysmic battles, the Astral Domain saw many of its stars shattered.
As the Peak of Creation made its escape, it siphoned off numerous valuable meteorite fragments, greedily capturing a surge of cosmic energy.
Subsequently, the All Spirits Ban devoured energy voraciously, and as the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Tree of Life departed, they too drained the cosmic energy, stripping the domain Yuan Le once treasured of its former glory.
"Are you sure we shouldn't be concerned about the princess?" the white tiger inquired once more.
"She'll be fine."
With a gentle wave of her hand, Zhiya indicated a direction, and the Purple Sea led the Beast God Temple into the distance.
...
In the Creitecesh, the Undead Sovereign's form was in no rush to depart, descending instead upon the summit of the Peak of Creation from the Phoenix Shrine.
Youyu, Yuan Lianyao, and a devil soul of Bertain had also settled atop the mountain.
Yu Zhu remained above the Phoenix Shrine.
The Secular Bird Queen, too, did not linger at the summit of the Peak of Creation. She stood beside the Spring of Death, watching the grey shadows within.
The grey figure, a manifestation of the Death God from the Underworld, was aiding her ascent to Sovereignty.
After Yu Yuan declined the Death God Kurkova's proposal, prompting her to consider alternative terms, the Death God's real body in the Underworld remained silent.
Her silence was met with indifference from the others.
The transformation of Yu Yuan's real body had led to a significant breakthrough for the Light Spirit, leaving everyone in awe.
All eyes were on Yu Yuan's real body and the All Spirits Ban within the Wellspring of Creation, leaving the Death God momentarily unnoticed.
"I sense the Tree of Life!"
Mother Earth, inhabiting a human form, caused the Peak of Creation to tremble as she herself quivered.
Biting back her anger, she exclaimed, "It has the audacity to come to the Wasteland, to face me!"
"Why wouldn't it dare?"
Yu Yuan, in his Undead Sovereign form, maintained constant communication with his real body. He asked with a smile, "Haven't you chosen the same path? Was it truly a mistake that it didn't join your rebellion against me, that it didn't die alongside you?"
Mother Earth paused, her brow furrowing. "Had the Tree of Life joined forces with me back then, we might not have been defeated. I believe we could have escaped the seven layers of the Abyss and returned to the true Origin Realm."
"At that time, the Titan Spinosaurus hadn't yet entered the Abyss; there was no Abyssal Gate."
It was clear that Mother Earth was not ready to forgive the Tree of Life.
"Yu Yuan."
Chen Qinghuang spoke up, her frown deepening as she stood by the spring.
"What is it?" Yu Yuan inquired, his tone light.
"She said..." Chen Qinghuang gestured towards the Death God's apparition within the spring's depths, "She claimed that Bertain is on the brink of death."
"I'm about to die?" Bertain, with his devil soul present, narrowed his eyes and coldly smirked at the grey figure in the spring, "You bear the title of Death God in the distant Underworld. Do you really think your divine moniker can dictate my fate in this world?"
Bertain was clearly skeptical.
"Let's wait and see," Chen Qinghuang suggested.
The Death God Kurkova had infuriated Bertain with the news conveyed by Chen Qinghuang, but Yu Yuan discreetly took note, keeping a watchful eye through the Soul Altar within his real body.
After a considerable pause, Yu Yuan's expression in the Creitecesh Astral Domain suddenly grew grave. He fixed his gaze on Bertain and said, "Teacher, haven't you noticed that your devil soul is vanishing?"
"No," Bertain replied, shaking his head with a growing sense of unease. "You haven't discovered something, have you?"
"Well," Yu Yuan continued, "the devil soul that separated from your demonform has been drawing Soul Power from various Astral Domains within the Wasteland to regenerate. But it seems that those parts of your devil soul have completely vanished."
