C2300 The Natural Enemy
Zionidall.
Beneath the gloomy skies, this world was enveloped by swirling demonic clouds. Billions of little devils frolicked within the clouds or darted through the swamps, seas, and mountain ranges of the world below, thoroughly at ease.
The Star-Spawned Terrors, once the dominant force in the Origin Realm, held sway over numerous Domains and lands. Yet, the continent below was always considered sacred by all Sky Fiends.
The patriarchs of the Sky Fiends and all the Demon Gods were subject to the constraints of Zionidall.
This was because Bertain's dominant soul was perennially stationed there.
At this moment, a deep blue Blood Altar, under the command of the Demon God Youqian, descended towards Zionidall.
In the swamps and seas below, countless little devils, Demon Guards, and Demon Generals gazed in awe at the altar known as the Tears of the Azurefiend, and at the legendary figures above.
Kaiya, with her striking and gallant presence, stepped down from Youqian's Blood Altar. After a brief hesitation, she issued a command: "All Sky Fiends of Zionidall must leave this world immediately."
Having instructed Youqian, she withdrew a purple jade token shaped like an arrow and plunged it towards the Dread Mount below.
Youqian was taken aback.
Boom! Boom!
Moments later, the grand and towering Dread Mount in Zionidall erupted with violent thunder.
The spirited bodies of the Sky Fiends below the rank of Demon God were so shaken by the thunderous roar that they were seized by a profound terror.
Simultaneously, the very substance of the Dread Mount underwent a startling transformation.
Innumerable thick bolts of lightning, like serpentine dragons, emerged within the crystalline mountain. The annihilating force, capable of destroying Sky Fiends and ghosts alike, struck fear into the hearts of all Sky Fiends!
No one could have imagined that the Dread Mount, where Bertain lay in eternal slumber and pursued his cultivation, harbored a fearsome tempest of lightning powerful enough to obliterate the entire Sky Fiend race!
The Dread Mount trembled, and the spectacle within the crystalline structure sent the resident demons of Zionidall scattering in terror.
Youqian didn't need to utter another word.
He activated the Blood Altar and, with murky energy, shielded both himself and the equally petrified Jiaze, ensuring they were spared from the stray bolts of lightning.
To ensure safety, Youqian, now a Demon God, had the Blood Altar removed from Dread Mount.
"What's going on with Dread Mount, Youqian?"
Taixu and Tianqi, who had hurried over, were taken aback by the violent storm of lightning and thunder spilling from the mountain and couldn't resist asking Youqian for an explanation.
Whoosh!
The massive Starpierced Armor, bearing the Starborn Clan, reached the Star River just outside Zionidall and was equally stunned by the spectacle.
"Bertain, who controls the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone, has transferred the treasures of thunder, crystals, and Hex Stones into the mountain. It's possible he's included ores from secret lightning locations throughout the entire Origin Realm!"
The Abyssal Leviathan, in its gaunt elder form, stood atop the Starpierced Armor, sensing the remarkable disturbances within Dread Mount.
Taking a deep breath, he exclaimed, "I believe that not even the so-called Thunder Spirit lurking in that darkness could produce such an abundance of thunder treasures!"
His words left the others in awe.
Demon God Bertain, who should fear the power of thunder the most, paradoxically ruled over the mysterious Stormwracked Wastes of the Origin Realm.
In his resting place, he hoarded a vast collection of thunder treasures.
Undoubtedly, he had also created a unique array of thunder.
What could his endgame be?
The surge of lightning from Dread Mount had the potential to obliterate all the Star-Spawned Terrors of Zionidall or the ghostly souls born in the Wraithlands in an instant!
Was he planning to erase an entire race?
"My father was preparing for the day he might face... the vast Primal Soul of the Everlands."
Kaiya's ethereal voice emerged from within Dread Mount, "He feared that upon awakening, that entity would try to seize control of him, so he was always preparing. Here in Zionidall, within Dread Mount, he could obliterate the spiritual sense that had seeped in."
"Regrettably, the very Primal Soul of the Abyss that my father had guarded against all his life has now consumed him."
Kaiya clarified for the group.
Demon God Bertain had been refining his devil soul with the power of thunder in secrecy, wielding control over the Stormwracked Wastes, and secretly amassing thunder treasures from across the Origin Realm. He stockpiled these treasures within Dread Mount, which he also considered his sanctuary for healing.
Everything he did was in preparation to guard against his creator, to ensure he had the upper hand and a few aces up his sleeve when the crucial moment arrived.
"It's all about the Primal Soul. Even if it's much stronger, coming to Zionidall could spell disaster," Kaiya declared, her face aglow with confidence. "What I fear most is that my father, myself, and Youqian could have our minds forcibly twisted! As long as my father is safe, as long as we can maintain our sense of self, we'll find a way to contend with him!"
Soon after, Taixu, Tianqi, Xuanli, and Ann Ziqing, all of God-King stature, descended upon Zionidall, immediately sensing the ominous presence emanating from Dread Mount.
Every primordial spirit was seized by a sense of dread, aware of the oppressive power of thunder reigning within Dread Mount.
With a whoosh, the prismatic ice crystal, under Ji Ningshuang's command, hovered in the Star River adjacent to Zionidall.
The Primal Blood and the intense cold within sensed the sudden surge of violent thunderous energy from Dread Mount.
He communicated secretly with Yu Yuan, who was far off in the Wasteland, revealing that he had never encountered such pure and ferocious power of thunder in any place or person before. Should the mightiest Primal Soul dare to enter, it would likely face dire consequences.
...
In the Stellar Phoenix domain, at the Peak of Creation, the Tree of Life, whose scaly trunk pierced the heavens, crackled with faint lightning.
The Thunder Spirit, concealed within, detected an exceptionally wild surge of thunder energy and made itself known.
The magnitude of this thunderous force was so immense, it dwarfed the might of the Primal Anima who governed the thunder magic, instantly drawing its focus.
The Thunder Spirit had always remained in the shadows alongside the Tree of Life, unable to amass such a formidable power of thunder.
Its lack of thunderous energy meant it had to wait until it could escape the darkness and enter the Wasteland before it could elevate Qi Yunhong to the highest echelon.
This ascension was made possible by tapping into the energy of the thunder vortex within the Wasteland.
The conflict between the power of the Tree of Life and the Primal Soul of the Abyss meant the Thunder Spirit was effectively confined within the Tree of Life, forbidden from leaving.
The Primal Soul of the Abyss was deliberately weakening it, preventing it from ascending to a higher tier of Primal Anima and denying it the opportunity to fully harness the power of thunder.
"It's emanating from the Origin Realm!"
It communicated excitedly with Yu Yuan within the Tree of Life.
Yu Yuan cast a glance at the Tree of Life atop the Peak of Creation and said, "It's the work of Demon God Bertain, who's preparing for a future confrontation with the Creator by crafting a magical Dread Mount. He's triggered his contingency plan. This wildly raging thunder power seems to have exceeded yours."
"If I could get there..."
The Thunder Spirit stated its position.
"Or if Qi Yunhong could take control of that power, he could severely wound the Primal Soul, even in the event of an invasion!"
Yu Yuan nodded, "Should it truly emerge, I'll take this into consideration."
...
In the uncharted territories of the Wasteland.
Yu Yuan, holding the Solar Spirit on the Dragon Slaying Stage, gave the big devil an astonished look, not expecting him to have a backup plan in Zionidall.
The big devil winked and said cheerfully, "It was inspired by you."
While speaking, he swung his golden spear, causing Galuba's massive arm to bleed profusely.
The God of Destruction, Galuba, was powerless to twist the Disk of Destruction under his onslaught, unable to continue dealing heavy blows to the big devil.
Crack!
In that instant, the statue built from the Coal of Annihilation suddenly fell apart.
The one-eyed statue had been fixated on Chen Qinghuang's gaze for a long time, and now, the one-eyed effigy was emitting a grayish-white smoke, as if the wick had burned down completely.
After a long period of stillness, Chen Qinghuang's alabaster neck moved, and her bright eyes regained their clarity.
There was no longer any trace of Galuba, the God of Destruction, warping her soul.
"You dare deceive me?"
Galuba, who was barely holding his own against Demon God Bertain with his eight bloodied and blurred arms, could no longer concentrate on turning the Disk of Destruction and glared at Chen Qinghuang.
"It's not deception; it's an exchange."
As Chen Qinghuang flexed her limbs, the shattered statue dissipated into nothingness.
The destructive aura within her, the miasma and smoke she had emitted, vanished, supplanted by the death force that had elevated her to supreme status.
Whoosh!
She charged directly towards the Snail Goddess, Kuna, planning to unite with Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit to eliminate the Snail Goddess first. Galuba was someone Bertain would handle.
"You need not intervene."
Yu Yuan bellowed, hurling the Dragon Slaying Stage forward to seal the still-active Fountain of Destruction. As the stage plugged the fountain, Loong Jie let out a thunderous roar and sprang forth, lunging at the Snail Goddess. Unaffected by the miasma and smoke, his golden dragon claws tore into Kuna's flesh with ferocity.
The Snail Goddess wielded the toxic source power, yet Loong Jie was immune to it. His metal force, the sharpest in the world, inflicted wounds across the Snail Goddess's body with every strike.
Empowered by the Golden Spirit Rule and having ascended to the eleventh level of supremacy, Loong Jie's combat prowess likely surpassed that of the Old Titan Spinosaurus of yore. Save for the Primal Soul, a natural nemesis to him, Loong Jie had no significant predators or rivals in the Origin Realm or the Wasteland.
"Teacher, we must make swift work of this. He and that mass of flesh are already upon us."
Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body hovered above the miasma, his eyes flashing with blood-colored lightning as he focused on Kuna's wounds. With Yu Yuan's scrutiny, the gashes Loong Jie had inflicted refused to close, and strands of vital energy, influenced by Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit, escaped from within.
She suffered relentless injuries, yet her recovery was thwarted. Amidst the miasma, Loong Jie soared, his maw tearing at her, inflicting continuous pain and leaving her utterly powerless.
