C2276 The Dark Phoenix's Ambush
Deep within the Wellspring of Creation, Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body sat atop a mound of vibrant flesh and blood. Suddenly, a peculiar transformation began to take place. Strands of vivid blood-colored lightning refined themselves within his Solar Spirit Body. The rich and pure vital energy, as if stirred, began to converge towards his form, aiding the formation of the blood-colored lightning. Yu Yuan looked in astonishment at the flesh and blood beneath him.
Laws of blood magic, deeply connected to the Chaos Titan and the mightiest beings birthed by the Abyss of Truth, surged forth from the rapidly forming blood-colored lightning. His Solar Spirit Body shone resplendently, emitting a commanding presence that could dominate the bloodlines of all creatures. Mother Earth, Light Spirit, Tree of Life, and Youyu turned their gaze towards his Solar Spirit, their expressions contemplative.
What did Yu Yuan's transformation signify? The Secrets of Life his real body had grasped in the Origin Realm were now resonating with his Solar Spirit!
"Ah!" Yu Yuan's Undead Sovereign form left the edge of the Wellspring of Creation and gazed toward the Wasteland, murmuring, "The connection is indeed established." He could faintly sense his true form in the Frostlands! The icy barrier that enveloped the Frostlands was nowhere near as impenetrable as the walls between the Origin Realm and the Wasteland. Once the barrier was broken, both his Undead Sovereign form and Solar Spirit detected the presence of his main body. Likewise, his real body could sense them.
...
On the Primal Blood Continent, Yu Yuan's real body watched Ji Ningshuang, who resembled a stunning ice sculpture, draw in the power of the extreme cold. He whispered, "That was swift."
The two shadows, embodiments of Primal Blood and the bitter cold, were astounded by the news. But as Taishi also arrived, the two Primal Anima manifestations chose to vanish discreetly. Before fading away, streams of blood essence traveled through the ice rock into Taishi's body, accelerating his advancement to the tenth level of bloodline as a member of the Blood Fiend race.
Taishi, freshly arrived, blanched and exclaimed, "Who's responsible for this?"
"Dark Phoenix."
Yu Yuan furrowed his brow, unable to discern Zhiya's thoughts. Stroking his chin, he said, "Once the realms are connected, there's bound to be more trouble. When you go up there, tell everyone to stay in the Frostlands for the time being."
"My bloodline level still needs to..." Taishi began.
"Alright, I'll discuss it with Taixu," Yu Yuan replied, nodding in agreement.
...
At the location of the wall.
Innumerable streams of spatial light converged on the Phoenix Shrine, under Yu Zhu's control, and she seized the opportunity to absorb them.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and a thrilled smile played at the corners of her mouth.
The barrier that divided the two worlds shattered like an immense mirror, creating unimaginable spatial ripples and unleashing a boundless tide of space magic.
She harnessed the Phoenix Shrine to greedily draw in the energy, feeling as if the butterfly etched on the hall's outer wall might spring to life at any moment.
Inside the hall, the image of a divine dragon, branded with a rainbow of light, also drank in the space magic, seemingly ready to reveal even more intricate and profound space mystiques.
With the wall's collapse, she emerged as the greatest beneficiary.
"Hall Master," called out Astral Tiger in a hushed tone.
He, along with the black goat, the golden deer, and other Beast Gods, stood before the familiar Phoenix Shrine, not the Beast God Temple.
With a reverent gaze, he looked upon the enigmatic entity shrouded in purple demon energy, its true form still concealed.
"After the wall has fallen, what path should we take?" Astral Tiger asked, his brow creased with worry as he fixed his eyes on the colossal entity, his mind swirling with uncertainty.
It was vast, its size rivaling that of an actual world, yet it was cloaked in layers of purple demon energy.
Yet it subtly took on the shape of a firebird, with distinct wings—it was those very wings that had sliced through the barriers between worlds.
The terrifying might it exuded, capable of rending all things, was unlike anything Astral Tiger, the black goat, the golden deer, the Iron-winged Bird, or any of the Beast Gods had ever felt in any other being.
Yuan Le, the former Lord of Ruin, paled in comparison to the strength of this entity.
It had shattered the wall without revealing its true form, as if... it hadn't even shown its full strength. But the mere hint of its presence left Astral Tiger and all the Beast Gods profoundly shaken.
For its power was beyond belief!
"What are you all worried about?"
Zhiya stood atop a mysterious entity shrouded in a purple sea, her gaze shifting from the Stellar Oblivion to coldly survey the Astral Tiger and the other Beast Gods.
"Should we proceed or return to the Wasteland?" the Astral Tiger inquired.
The Wasteland and the Origin Realm were now seamlessly connected, a strategy whose purpose they did not fully grasp.
The wall separating the two realms exerted a formidable isolating force on those with powerful souls.
The Great Demon God Bertain, all of the Star-Spawned Terrors, and the very source of souls themselves were constrained by this barrier, unable to traverse the realms with ease.
Before the wall's destruction, venturing into the Wasteland was no simple feat for them.
Initially, only Yuan Le, Yu Yuan, and the Dark Phoenix, masters of vital energy, could come and go as they pleased.
Now, however, any powerhouse from the Origin Realm could make their way to the Wasteland.
The cosmic energies of the Wasteland and the Origin Realm began to intermingle with a series of whooshing sounds.
The foundational rules of both worlds clashed, stirring up a bizarre energy tide at their juncture, unleashing terrifying fluctuations that compelled the Astral Tiger and the other Beast Gods to withdraw.
"At first, the energies of the two realms need to blend for some time. Once things settle down, there won't be any issues," Zhiya remarked indifferently.
"Mother, what about us?" Yu Zhu asked outside the Phoenix Shrine.
"Remain in the Wasteland and avoid showing yourselves in the Origin Realm for now. My intention in shattering the wall is to draw the Origin Realm's elites to explore the Wasteland," Zhiya instructed with a softened expression. She then directed Yu Zhu to escort the Astral Tiger and the rest away from the Phoenix Shrine.
Zhiya, along with the enigmatic creature within the purple sea, quietly vanished from sight.
Days later, Lin Yue from the Ebon Star Sect was dispatched to inspect the Stellar Oblivion. On his return journey, he was fatally ambushed, and his essence failed to return to the Everlands.
The death of Lin Yue sent shockwaves through the factions of the Ashlands, and the news of the two realms' newfound passage spread far and wide.
Han Miaoyuan issued an order for all the mightiest among the Gods of the Everlands to return to the Ashlands as quickly as possible, no matter their location in the Origin Realm. Lingering in the outside world was no longer permitted.
Lu Hongpeng of the Sword Sect had long since departed from the Genesisverse. He was ambushed while traversing the Star River within the Origin Realm, and his primal essence has yet to return to the Everlands.
Van Heqing, known as "Shatterblade," was also assaulted. His status plummeted from that of a primordial spirit to the Unbound state, and his primal essence was stripped away. Yet, he survived.
In the Ashlands, at Eiwrone, a weakened Van Heqing emerged from a passage connected to the heavens of the Origin Realm. Bathed in blood and under the astonished eyes of Han Miaoyuan, Zu Ann, Qin Luo, and others, the Grand Sword Immortal from the Sword Sect spoke with a bitter tone, "It was the Dark Phoenix. She has returned from the Wasteland. My survival is due to her showing mercy."
Both Lin Yue from the Ebon Star Sect and Lu Hongpeng from the Sword Sect met their ends, their lives and paths extinguished. Only Van Heqing had his cultivation level reduced and a portion of his primal essence taken from him.
"She is hunting the most exalted beings, gathering their primal essence," Van Heqing revealed.
Upon learning of the Dark Phoenix's return and her intent to attack the most exalted of the Everlands to collect their primal essence, Qin Luo, Zu Ann, Tan Junshan, and other Grand Sword Immortals felt a heavy sense of foreboding.
Upon discovering that the barrier between the two realms had unexpectedly collapsed, Han Miaoyuan convened a meeting to strategize and dispatched Lin Yue to investigate. The moment Lin Yue perished, Han Miaoyuan sensed trouble, but he hadn't anticipated the subsequent complications that arose.
Han Miaoyuan nodded in acknowledgment, "I had my suspicions."
"The affairs of the external realms will be managed by the Star-Spawned Terror, Reid, and the remaining Evil Gods. As for us, the Most High among the Gods..." Han Miaoyuan said with a furrowed brow, "should refrain from leaving the Ashlands. It would be best to remain within the Everlands."
He had already communicated the situation.
He was aware that someone was in the critical phase of assimilating the Primal Vitality of the Wraithlands. However, it was uncertain whether the spiritual sense that had twice ventured to the Otherworld could return. Nor was it known that this individual had recently encountered a setback in the Wasteland.
The directive he had received was clear: ensure that the Most High remained in the Ashlands, preferably within the Everlands.
"Damn Tan Xiaotian and Lin Daoke, those two turncoats!" Han Miaoyuan muttered under his breath.
Both were natives of the Everlands, born amongst the Gods. Despite knowing the true origin of the Gods was linked to that individual, they had both defected, swayed by Yu Yuan's deception.
Had they remained loyal, the Dark Phoenix would never have been so bold.
"Xiaofan, there's no need to worry. Once he assimilates the Primal Vitality, his understanding of the soul's cycle of reincarnation will deepen. If I've been given a second chance at life, then Lin Yue and Lu Hongpeng can be reborn as well."
Han Miaoyuan offered these words of comfort to the concerned.
