C2268 Each of Them Sublimated!
"I had intended to tell you about the method I used to devour the souls of Lin Daoke and the others," Beilstein sighed, his smile tinged with bitterness. "Yet, I inadvertently fell into His trap."
Shaken but quickly regaining composure, the Great Demon God stated, "The Devil Soul only dissipates once it separates from the demonic body. This indicates that His corrupting influence has reached the depths of my Devil Soul."
"I'll see if my power is sufficient to extract it!" Beilstein declared, immediately setting to work.
Donning the Golden Dragon Armor, he plunged once more into the tumultuous vortex of lightning. Shedding the gleaming armor, he exposed his body, as purple and crystalline as amethyst, to the depths of the storm.
"My body no longer fears the lightning's tempering strikes. Let's see if you truly are unshakable!"
Crack! Boom!
The Great Demon God drew out thick lightning bolts and exploding orbs of electricity from the vortex with sheer force.
Opening his mouth, he consumed the blinding lightning and orbs, one by one, into his body.
Beilstein's crystalline form endured an ordeal akin to a thunderous apocalypse!
The fearsome presence of the lightning was potent enough to severely wound the Undead Sovereign, reminiscent of Youyu!
Yu Zhu, a master of Soul Arts, would not have withstood such explosive thunder without the protection of the Phoenix Shrine.
Beilstein, towering in his golden armor, stood unyielding like an eternal demonic progenitor, unfazed by the relentless assault of countless lightning strikes, as immovable as a mountain.
His body continued to expand, resembling an ancient ancestor of the Djinn Clan, born amidst the thunder.
"Who is that?"
"Is he undergoing a lightning tribulation?"
"He's not one of our esteemed alien beast kin, nor does he need to undergo a lightning tribulation to seek a breakthrough to the Tenth Level!"
Many Raymon Beasts, Lightning Eagles, and Lightning Ferrets gazed in astonishment at Beilstein, who now stood unveiled and unhidden.
The alien beasts howled and roared.
The manifestation and swift growth of Beilstein's body turned their life-sustaining lightning vortexes into a frenzy, instilling fear and unease.
They were utterly unaware of Beilstein's origins or his current endeavors within the vortex.
"Previously, without a true demonic body of my own, I would never have dared such recklessness."
Beilstein chuckled wickedly, having moved past the demise of the Devil Soul, his fighting spirit rekindled. His demonic form, reminiscent of a purple prism, stretched taller and leaner as he endured the relentless pummeling of thunder and lightning. Wisps of purple smoke wafted from his body, signaling his resilience.
Standing a colossal thousand feet, his devilish body bore fine cracks across its mirror-smooth chest. From these fissures, a greenish-black smoke began to seep—this color, a signature trait, was his means of corrupting others.
As the purple crystalline form of Beilstein weathered the internal and external assault of thunderbolts, the escape of greenish-black smoke indicated the presence of his infectious power within. It had eluded Beilstein's perception entirely, leaving him oblivious.
With a hiss, the greenish-black smoke dissipated, reduced to ash in the tempest of lightning.
"You see," Beilstein exclaimed with a surge of excitement, "even He can be disintegrated by lightning!"
"Still, you might be onto something," he conceded.
"The flash of insight I had—it came from Him! He showed me how to harness soul energy, how to forge a new arm for myself, and how to imbue Lin with a surge of soul energy."
"If that's the case, then Lin is in danger too!"
The onslaught of lightning continued to ravage Beilstein's form, deepening the fissures in the Great Demon God's meticulously crafted and magical body. His Devil Soul's essence rapidly diminished.
"Why not take a breather and let me have a go?" Yu Yuan suggested, noticing Beilstein's dire state. He watched as new greenish-black soul strands emerged within his body and feared Beilstein might not endure. "I can wield the Soul Cleansing Brilliance—allow me."
Yu Yuan had journeyed here with a purpose: to deploy the Soul Altar's divine light, eradicating the remnants of contamination left within Beilstein. The efficacy of the Soul Cleansing Brilliance had already been established in the Origin Realm.
"I wish to erase His taint with my own strength!" Beilstein refused.
Having risen to the pinnacle of power through the Grand Path of the Soul, he was well aware of the ultimate might of lightning, his destined bane. Thus, he had long since chosen to temper his soul with its purifying strikes.
He had acclimated over a considerable period and had gleaned valuable insights.
In his belief, the Desolate Realm was impervious to the Origin Soul's influence from other realms, making it an ideal setting for him to unleash his power amid the rampant forces of lightning.
With determination, he sought to eradicate the taint left by that individual using his own might.
Crack! Sizzle!
He channeled even more lightning into his body, transforming his unique demonic form into an unconventional arena of thunder. Astonishingly, he began to manifest aspects of the profound truths of lightning.
"If I weren't a Devaputra, but rather someone like Qi Yunhong with a flesh and blood body, and could grasp the Lightning Mysteries that resonate with your Soul Altar within the Myriad Spirit Restriction, I would have already ascended to supremacy by integrating it swiftly into my bloodline after enlightenment," he declared.
The Great Demon God spoke with an air of superiority, "Lvliu, Barol, and those other youngsters, not to mention that old lascivious dragon—how could they hold a candle to me?"
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod, agreeing, "Had you been human, you would have already unraveled the profound secrets of the Earth Fire Great Dao and ascended to supremacy with the mysteries of fire."
The intricate flame patterns atop the pill furnace's Flowing Flames harbored the essence of Earth Fire, crafted by the hands of Beilstein.
A figure like Beilstein, choosing any divine path, would undoubtedly capture the Source Spirit's favor and inevitably rise to supremacy.
"Thunder? Ha, I shall temper my soul with thunder and penetrate the very essence of its truths!"
Beilstein's laughter boomed within the lightning maelstrom, as blinding white bolts erratically lashed out, instantly slaying numerous lightning-affiliated alien beasts.
A Ninth Level Raymon Beast prostrated repeatedly toward the heavens, as if begging for divine mercy.
"Raymon Beast..."
Yu Yuan's thoughts drifted back to the time in the Gray Domain when Beilstein had ingeniously concealed the Devil Soul within the Raymon Beast's mind, emerging against all odds and thwarting Arthurs' schemes.
It was inconceivable that the Devil Soul, which should have been most cautious of lightning's might, had infiltrated the Raymon Beast's psyche.
Arthurs, too, suffered grievous harm from this unexpected turn, even managing to penetrate into the Chaos Abyss. There, he roamed the seven layers of the Abyss, entangling the Abyss Evil Gods without restraint.
"Don't let me perish. As long as a single Devil Soul remains within me, I can be restored to my former self once I've purged its corrupting influence."
Beilstein implored Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod and called out, "Mr. Lin."
Lin Daoke, who had been re-refining the Yang God Sword in the secluded space within the Dragon Slash Platform, emerged with a furrowed brow.
Lin Daoke, looking much better, observed Beilstein being relentlessly struck by lightning at the heart of a thunderous vortex. His eyes showed surprise. "What's he up to?"
Yu Yuan laid out the details of the situation.
After hearing the explanation, Lin Daoke paused, then shared, "In the Myriad Spirit Restriction, I too acquired a strand of soul essence."
Yu Yuan spoke candidly, "It may also be problematic."
Lin Daoke's frown deepened.
"Both you and the Great Demon God are at risk of being overtaken by him at any moment. Oh, I misspoke. He intends to possess your master, using your body and the Divine Sword as his vessels." Yu Yuan shared his speculation.
He continued to monitor Beilstein's condition.
As Beilstein endured the relentless pounding of thunder and lightning, he grew increasingly weaker with the escape of each wisp of black and green soul energy.
Yet, black and green mists still seeped from his demonic form.
It seemed that only when his Devil Soul was utterly dispersed would he be thoroughly drained.
"I can't resolve this."
Beilstein finally conceded, ceasing his attempts to eradicate the traces of the invader within him using the lightning and thunder.
"His contaminating power has become even more insidious, indistinguishable from my own soul. Furthermore, it continues to proliferate within my soul, as though it's impossible to eradicate."
Even the formidable Great Demon God Beilstein found himself at a loss.
After ceasing his efforts, he looked at Yu Yuan with his deep Demonic Pupil and said, "I suspect your Soul Cleansing Brilliance might also become ineffective."
Yu Yuan immediately attempted to summon the towering "Soul Altar," consolidating his command over his powers.
Whoosh!
The Soul Cleansing Brilliance, a fusion of lightning, frost, and light, bathed the Great Demon God Beilstein, endeavoring to erase the invasive presence within him.
The body of the Demon God, now showing signs of cracking, was shrouded in the light of the Soul Cleansing Brilliance, yet no corruption seeped out. Within the Demon God's form, Beilstein sensed no dissolution of the corrupting force. The Soul Cleansing Brilliance, which harnessed the powers of lightning, light, and ice, and was highly effective at erasing soul impurities, seemed to have lost its potency.
"It's persistent, and it's also enhancing its invasive capabilities," Beilstein said, shaking his head with a look of concern.
Yu Yuan reflected briefly before responding, "It's due to the Myriad Spirit Restriction." Previously, the Myriad Spirit Restriction encompassed only the origin spirits of the eight true Abyssal realms: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and the celestial bodies of the sun, moon, and stars. The principles of lightning and ice had not been imprinted within the Myriad Spirit Restriction, indicating they were foreign to it and beyond its dominion.
However, when Yu Yuan's true form was cast from the Gray Domain into the real Abyss by the entity, he was forced to attempt a breakthrough of the Myriad Spirit Restriction in a desperate moment. In that instant of entry, the principles related to ice and lightning on the two tiers of the Soul Altar were imprinted by the Myriad Spirit Restriction. From that point on, the Myriad Spirit Restriction included the true essence of ice and lightning.
The Light Origin Spirit, too, had delved into the Myriad Spirit Restriction, exchanging the truths of light and leaving its mark within. It maintained control over the Myriad Spirit Restriction, comprehending and perceiving all the truths of the Origin Spirits within, grasping their depths and marvels.
Once it learned of the profound mysteries of light, lightning, and ice that constituted the Soul Cleansing Brilliance, its invasive power evolved. Consequently, the Soul Cleansing Brilliance was rendered ineffective.
When Yu Yuan forged the platforms of gold, water, and fire through the Myriad Spirit Restriction, incorporating the sun, moon, and stars into the light platform and enhancing the essence of flora and earth, he also augmented the Myriad Spirit Restriction with the power from his Soul Altar, thus elevating his own divine prowess.
It seemed that Yu Yuan and the Great Demon God had engaged in a fair exchange.
They were able to share insights into the mysteries of the Source Spirit almost in real-time.
A chilling thought suddenly struck Yu Yuan.
Given that the Source Spirit truths within the Myriad Spirit Restriction were astonishingly consistent with Yu Yuan's Soul Altar, if the Great Demon God ever had the power to possess him, it could easily take over his Soul Altar and fully unleash the potential of his true form!
"Come with me to the Gal Starfield. The Death God from the Nether Domain was the first to sense that something was amiss with you. She might have a solution."
