C2284 The Seed Planted
"Has anyone been here before?"
The Moonfang Tiger, in its original form, sprawled atop a massive greyish-white meteorite, with the towering Beast God Temple standing behind it. As it posed the question to Yu Zhu, it peered curiously through a crevice, searching the outside world, yet discovered nothing.
"There's an unusual spatial fluctuation."
Yu Zhu was forthright, explaining, "I used my soul thread to investigate, but I couldn't detect anything. It's possible that a powerful being caused a disturbance in the void while passing through the Stellar Phoenix."
Hearing this, the Astral Tiger, resembling a snow-white hillock, expressed his shock, pondering aloud, "At this critical time, if there's a powerful alien beast or some other special entity unaffected by the fearsome vital energy and still roaming the Wasteland freely, it must be of significant importance."
The Golden Deer and the other Beast Gods nodded in agreement.
They had learned from Yu Zhu that an extreme disturbance had emerged in the Wasteland outside, nearly enveloping the entire world.
Having seen that piece of flesh, they surmised it had likely escaped from its confinement.
Their conviction in the Hall Master's exceptional wisdom deepened.
Had they not been able to enter this sanctuary, they would have had no chance of escape, likely succumbing to the bizarre disturbance as if drawn to their own demise.
"After this event, at least ninety percent of the Beast Gods in the Wasteland have perished."
Yu Zhu cast a glance at the Golden Deer and the other Beast Gods who had been early adherents to Shadow's Keep, as well as those who had later achieved breakthroughs, including the well-behaved black goat. "Those Beast Gods who fled the Beast God Temple and did not unite with us are unlikely to have survived."
"They brought it upon themselves!" the golden deer declared coldly.
The black goat from the Wasteland felt an immense sense of relief, grateful for steadfastly regarding Yu Zhu, the new leader of the Phoenix Shrine, as her guide.
Reflecting on the demise of the Lord of Ruin, Yuan Le, the fall of the Direbear, Sekou, and the end of the smilodon, the Death Viper, and the venerable Ape of the Everlands, she felt increasingly fortunate.
Because she was still alive.
"It's all right."
The Astral Tiger turned to gaze at the Beast God Temple behind it and said, "The Life Seed of the Beast God race has imprinted itself within these walls. If the Hall Master chooses, she can resurrect all the extinct tribes. Naturally, the revived Beast Gods will be different from their predecessors."
The Life Seed of an alien beast clan, when activated by the majestic life essence, could bring forth the alien beast once more.
Yet the new Beast Gods, who ascended to the tenth level, were not the same as the deceased ones.
Only those Beast Gods revived with the life essence within the Beast God Temple could truly be considered resurrected.
Beast Gods emerging from the Life Seed were not resurrected, but newly born.
Thus, the Beast Gods that departed from the Beast God Temple and perished were indeed dead.
"They made their choice. No one else is to blame," Yu Zhu stated icily.
Creitecesh.
When the Spring of Death erupted and the massive flesh departed, all that remained in the dark void of the Star River was the Peak of Creation and the Wellspring of Creation.
With the All Spirits Ban gone, the Wellspring of Creation stood empty.
Yu Yuan's real body and his Undead Sovereign form were both at the pool's edge.
His Undead Sovereign form gazed towards the Embers Star, observing the crimson hue. Deep within the thick blood-colored clouds, a myriad of intertwining tentacles of flesh moved swiftly.
It wasn't long before he eradicated all life in the Embers Star and set off towards the next Astral Domain.
Yu Yuan knew there would be no surprises; the subsequent domains would succumb just like the Embers Star, with all their vibrant life facing extinction.
His premature arrival was a harbinger of an apocalyptic invasion upon the Wasteland, and only he could halt its advance.
With this in mind, Yu Yuan turned his gaze to his real body.
On his forehead, a scarlet bulge would occasionally emerge. The Soul Altar, suspended in his sea of consciousness, seemed eager to break free but was firmly suppressed within his mind.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Deep within his sea of consciousness, the ninth level of the Soul Altar vibrated wildly.
A kaleidoscope of soul lights—green, black, white, pale green—flickered on the Soulstone Pedestal, numbering in the billions.
An endless array of Spirit Magic, encompassing two Primal Souls, Primal Vitality, and the beings of all three realms, merged and melded, unleashing new profound mysteries.
The ninth Soulstone Pedestal was undergoing a transformation, having absorbed the Primal Vitality.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A surge of deep crimson light burst forth from the Blood Altar on the tenth level, permeating downward and fiercely suppressing the chaotic Soulstone Pedestal on the ninth level to prevent it from ascending.
Yu Yuan's thoughts became clearer.
The ninth Soulstone Pedestal, now a fusion of soul and spirit, could detect the presence of Youyu, the Great Demon God Bertain, and even the elusive Yu Zhu.
Yu Zhu was currently in the Void's Maelstrom within the Stellar Phoenix, making him more challenging to sense.
Once the Abyss's Primal Soul had completely devoured and assimilated the Primal Vitality of the Wraithlands, it became deeply connected to the ninth Soulstone Pedestal.
The Primal Soul had now become the most powerful source of spirit in existence, the Primal Anima!
It had consumed a kindred spirit from the vast Everlands and then the Primal Vitality, transforming into an unfathomable and terrifying entity.
Yu Yuan realized that all beings who had achieved supremacy through their souls only served to strengthen it further.
The Great Demon God Bertain, Youyu, his two Undead Sovereigns, and Yu Zhu—all these beings could amplify its power.
Their origins were either the Primal Vitality or the Primal Soul of the Everlands, both now under its dominion.
Before his real body had forged the Soul Altar, he too was a Soul Exalt, on par with Bertain, and directly linked to the true essence.
Empowered by numerous forces, it grew increasingly formidable, enabling it to influence his Soul Altar.
Yu Yuan even believed that he could share the profound truths of the eight Primal Animas below the ninth level of the Soulstone Pedestal with it!
The Soul Altar he wielded and the All Spirits Ban it controlled had too much in common.
The only thing it had yet to share with him was the complete understanding of the Secrets of Life from the Blood Altar, now ascended to the tenth level.
Its current endeavors were also aimed at reaching that tenth level, to command all from on high.
Suddenly, Yu Yuan spotted a massive green-black pupil, akin to a bizarre star, drifting toward the Wasteland from the depths of the Stellar Oblivion.
Within the green-black pupils, innumerable ghosts, specters, and demons bobbed, exuding the power of tormented souls. As the five-colored flesh receded from the Embers Star, hundreds of thousands of alien beasts vanished, their vital energy utterly depleted. Yet, an abnormally rich concentration of Soul Power remained.
After the alien beasts perished, their beast souls were not stripped away by the flesh but lingered within the Embers Star. Now, this Soul Power seemed influenced by some force. A new "Path of Undead" emerged within the Embers Star. As the beast souls were drawn into this path, complex Mind Magic began to take shape in the starry sea of the Wasteland—deep within the fractured cosmos, amidst the shattered remnants of suns, and inside the volcanoes.
In the future, any creature that thrived on flame would, upon consuming earthfire, absorbing meteor showers, and gathering Sunshards, experience an epiphany and grasp the techniques of soul cultivation. Regardless of the creature, as long as it possessed a soul, it would employ these techniques to fortify its spirit.
Yu Yuan suddenly realized that the soul vibrations previously emitted by the green-black eye, which had spread across the Wasteland, were likely probing the terrain. He had scoured the various domains of the Wasteland, preparing to unleash his influence and establish Mind Magic.
The five-colored flesh had brought devastation to the inhabitants of the Embers Star, giving rise to numerous beast souls within the Star River. He first laid out the "Path of Undead" with his might, then modified the cosmic order throughout the Star River, branding it with the arcane secrets of the soul he governed. It was akin to sowing the seeds of Spirit Magic.
For the next ten million years, any beings that arrived here and began cultivating their souls with the seeds he had left would ultimately align their spirits with him. They would either become his servants or his cherished wards. In any case, they would be under his dominion.
"This is going to be a tough one," murmured the Great Demon God, Bertain, as he drifted in and settled atop the Peak of Creation. With a heavy sigh, he added, "He has indeed come to the Wasteland, continuing to extend his corrupting influence throughout its vast Astral Domains."
"Due to the cataclysmic act committed by that piece of flesh, numerous souls of the alien beasts and beings from the Wasteland have perished without a place to belong."
"He's aiming to conquer it all in one decisive move."
Bertain rubbed his temples, feeling a headache brewing. He gazed intently at Yu Yuan's real body and asked, "How long will you need to gain control over that piece of flesh? And what assistance do you require?"
Yu Yuan shook his head and replied, "He's been interfering with my connection to the Soul Altar, sapping my energy and preventing me from fully grasping the Secrets of Life inherent in the Primal Blood of the Abyss. To strike at him, we must target the Genesis Continent or the Everlands. It's only when his true self faces external pressure that he won't be able to focus on thwarting me."
"So, he's split himself in two—one residing within the Genesis Continent and the other in the Everlands?" Bertain pondered, his Devil Eyes gleaming with an intelligent light. "Give me a moment to consider how we can ensnare him in his own web of troubles."
