C2284 The Seed Was Planted
"Has anyone been here before?"
The White Divine Tiger, in its original form, was sprawled atop a massive greyish-white meteorite, with the imposing Beast Temple looming behind it. As it posed the question to Yu Zhu, it peered curiously through a crevice to the outside world, yet discovered nothing.
"There's been an unusual spatial disturbance."
Yu Zhu didn't conceal the truth, elaborating, "When I wove my soul thread to investigate, I found nothing. It's possible a powerful entity passed through the Phoenix Starfield and inadvertently triggered ripples in the void."
The Sky Tiger, as robust as a snow-white Dwarf Mountain, looked startled by the news and pondered, "At this critical moment, if there's a powerful alien beast or some unique entity unaffected by the dreadful blood energy and still roaming freely in the Desolate Realm, it's definitely no small matter."
The Golden Deer and other Beast Gods nodded in agreement.
They had learned from Yu Zhu that an extremely violent disturbance had nearly engulfed the entire Desolate Realm.
Having seen the flesh and blood themselves, they surmised it had likely escaped its confinement.
They increasingly recognized the Hall Master's profound wisdom.
Had they not been able to enter this sanctuary, they would have perished, drawn to their deaths by that bizarre disturbance as if on a pilgrimage.
"After this event, at least ninety percent of the Beast Gods in the Desolate Realm have perished."
Yu Zhu cast a glance at the Golden Deer and the other Beast Gods, who had long been loyal to the Demon Palace, as well as those who had recently made breakthroughs, including the docile Black Goat. "The Beast Gods who fled the Beast Temple and didn't unite with us are unlikely to have survived."
"They brought it upon themselves!" the Golden Deer declared coldly.
The black goat from the Desolate Realm felt an immense sense of relief. She was grateful for steadfastly recognizing Yu Zhu, the new leader of the Phoenix Shrine, as her guide.
Reflecting on the demise of the King of Desolate Realm, Yuan Li, the fall of the Earth Bear, Sekou, and the end of the smilodon, bone snake, and the venerable Old Ape in this world, she felt incredibly lucky.
Because she was still alive.
"It's alright."
The Sky Tiger turned to gaze at the Beast Temple behind it and said, "The Life Seeds of the Beast God race have imprinted themselves within these walls. If the Hall Master wishes, she can resurrect all the extinct tribes. Of course, the reborn Beast Gods will differ from their predecessors."
A Life Seed from an alien beast clan, when activated by the overwhelming essence of life, can reproduce the alien beast clans.
However, the newly emerged alien beast clans, including those that have ascended to the Tenth Level of bloodline, are not the same as the Beast Gods that have perished.
Only those Beast Gods that are birthed from the blood essence within the Beast Temple can truly be considered resurrected.
Beast Gods that emerge from the Life Seed are not resurrected; they are newly born.
Thus, the Beast Gods who departed from the Beast Temple and died are indeed dead.
"They made their own wrong choices; no one else is to blame," Yu Zhu stated indifferently.
...
In the Gal Starfield, when the Death Spring detonated and the massive flesh receded, only the Creation Peak and the Creation Pool remained in the energy-depleted, dark expanse of the starfield.
With the Myriad Spirit Restriction gone, the Creation Pool was left utterly void.
Yu Yuan's true form and his incarnation as the Undead Sovereign were situated at the edge of the pool.
The body of the Undead Sovereign gazed towards the Ashes Starfield, observing the crimson expanse. Deep within the thick, blood-colored clouds, innumerable tendrils of flesh were rapidly squirming.
It wasn't long before it eradicated all life in the Ashes Starfield and set its sights on the next Starfield.
Yu Yuan was certain there would be no surprises; the subsequent Starfields would succumb just like the Ashes Starfield, with all their vibrant creatures facing extinction.
Its premature arrival was destined to bring a cataclysmic invasion to the Desolate Realm, and the only one capable of stopping it was Yu Yuan himself.
With this realization, Yu Yuan turned his attention to his true form.
On his forehead, a scarlet bulge would occasionally form, indicating the Soul Altar, suspended within his sea of consciousness, straining to break free, yet he kept it firmly suppressed.
The ninth level of the Soul Altar within the depths of his consciousness was shaking violently.
A myriad of soul lights—green, black, gleaming white, and pale green—flickered on the Soul Platform, numbering in the billions.
The boundless and infinite secret arts of the soul, encompassing two Origin Souls and the beings of all three realms, were interwoven and refined, bursting forth with new, profound secrets.
The ninth level of the Soul Platform was undergoing a transformation, evolving as it absorbed the Origin Soul.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A deep crimson tide of bloodlight burst forth from the tenth level of the Blood Platform, seeping downward, striving to suppress the ninth level of the Soul Platform to prevent it from ascending.
Yu Yuan's thoughts began to crystallize.
The ninth Soul Platform, now a fusion of soul and spirit, could sense the presence of Youyu, the Great Demon God Beilstein, and even the elusive Yu Zhu.
Yu Zhu's presence was harder to detect, as she was currently navigating the tumultuous voids of the Phoenix Starfield.
Once the Abyss's Origin Soul completely consumed and assimilated the Origin Soul of the Demon Realm, it became the entity most deeply connected to his ninth Soul Platform.
Now, the Origin Soul had become the mightiest Soul Source Spirit in existence!
It had first devoured a being of its kind from the vast expanses, then the Origin Soul, transforming into an unfathomable and terrifying entity.
Yu Yuan realized that all beings who achieved supremacy through their souls only served to strengthen it further.
The Great Demon God Beilstein, Youyu, his two "Undead Sovereigns," and Yu Zhu—all these beings could amplify its power.
The source of these supreme beings was either the Origin Soul or the vast Origin Soul of old.
Now, both sources were under its dominion.
Before his true self had forged the Soul Altar, he too was a Soul Sovereign, on par with Beilstein, and in direct correspondence with the true entity.
Bolstered by a multitude of powers, it grew increasingly formidable, which is why it could influence his own Soul Altar.
Yu Yuan even believed that he could share the profound truths of the other eight Source Spirits beneath the ninth level of the Soul Platform!
The Soul Altar he controlled and the Myriad Spirit Restriction it commanded had too much in common.
The only thing it had yet to share with him was the Blood Platform that had ascended to the tenth level—it had not yet grasped the full essence of life.
Its current endeavors were also aimed at reaching the tenth level, to oversee and control all from above.
Suddenly, Yu Yuan glimpsed a colossal green-black pupil, akin to a sinister star, drifting towards the Desolate Realm from the Perish Starfield.
Within the green-black pupil, innumerable lost souls, specters, and spirits swirled, exuding the power of warped souls.
In the distant Ashes Starfield, once vibrant with Five-Colored Flesh, hundreds of thousands of alien beasts vanished, their blood energy completely drained. Yet, amidst the desolation, an exceptionally dense presence of soul energy lingered. The souls of the alien beasts, rather than being stripped away by the flesh, remained scattered throughout the starfield.
This soul energy now appeared to be influenced by an unseen force. A new "Path of the Undead" emerged within the Ashes Starfield, drawing in the beast souls as they were pulled into its embrace. Within the star-studded expanse of the Desolate Realm, complex soul laws began to take shape—deep within the fractured earth, amidst the remnants of shattered suns, and inside the bellies of erupting volcanoes.
In times to come, any flame-born creatures reaching this place would consume the earth fire, draw from the meteoric firestorms, and gather the fragments of suns. In doing so, they would experience a flash of insight, unlocking the mysteries of the Soul Arts.
Regardless of the creature, any being with a soul would employ these Soul Arts to fortify their spirit. Yu Yuan realized that the green-black pupil's release of soul vibrations, which had spread across the Desolate Realm, was likely a reconnaissance effort. It had scoured various domains within the realm, laying the groundwork to exert its influence and establish new soul laws.
The five-colored flesh had brought suffering to the inhabitants of the Ashes Starfield, but it also gave rise to numerous beast souls. It began by extending the "Path of the Undead" with its power, then went on to modify the cosmic laws throughout the galaxy, branding them with the arcane secrets of the soul it wielded. This act was akin to sowing the seeds of Soul Arts.
For the next ten million years, any creature that came to this place and cultivated their soul with these seeds would ultimately find their spirit aligned with it. They would either become its minions or its cherished wards. In essence, they would all fall under its dominion.
"This won't be easy," remarked the Great Demon God Beilstein as he materialized atop Creation Peak. With a heavy sigh, he added, "He has indeed come to the Desolate Realm, continuing to extend his corrupting influence across its many Starfields."
"The annihilation of that flesh has led to the death of many souls from the alien beasts and the creatures of the Desolate Realm."
"He's planning to take it all down in one fell swoop this time."
Beilstein was plagued by a throbbing headache as he gazed intently at Yu Yuan's true form. "How long will you need to gain control over that piece of flesh? And what assistance do you require?"
Yu Yuan shook his head, replying, "He has been continuously interfering with my Soul Altar, sapping my energy and preventing me from fully grasping the life essence within the Abyss Origin Blood. To strike at him, I must confront him either on the Creation Continent or in the vast expanse of the ocean. He can only be distracted from me when he faces external pressures in his true form."
"So, he's split himself in two? One residing within the Creation Continent and the other in the vast ocean?" Beilstein mused, the light of wisdom flickering in his Demonic Pupil. "Give me a moment to consider how we might ensnare him in his own troubles."
