C2312 The Hero Goes to the Meeting
In an alternate expanse of the void, the Snail Goddess Kuna's colossal human-faced centipede form dissolved into blood, which was then absorbed by Chen Qinghuang. Radiant beams of light unfurled behind Qinghuang, resplendent and dazzling like the feathers of a peacock in full display.
"Toxin, destruction, death."
Her magnificent form, with three heads and six arms, hovered amidst the depths of the vibrant miasma cloud, an image of unparalleled grace.
Hiss! Hiss!
The remains of the God of Destruction, Galuba, came into her possession after the big devil's departure. The God of Destruction, with his massive head, single eye, and eight limbs, had been slain by the combined efforts of many. Now, his body was being permeated by the new corrosive power she had mastered.
Galuba's corpse, too, gradually liquefied into blood, which she claimed as her own. Through Galuba's blood, she extracted the powers once wielded by the God of Destruction. Her presence surged; the battle had been greatly advantageous to her.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A dense darkness, as black as ink, advanced and soon shrouded the entire region. With the arrival of the darkness, the flames of destruction were snuffed out, and the destructive energies, sparked by Galuba, were rapidly assimilated by the encroaching gloom.
The toxic smog, the colorful miasma clouds, and the acidic rain were all drawn into Qinghuang, absorbed one after another. Even the toxic smog that had spread too far was consumed by the mysterious darkness.
This darkness spreading through the Wasteland was different from before; it brought with it not only Soul Power but also chaotic and violent fluctuations from the Abyss, seemingly stirring an innate desire for battle within those it touched.
As the darkness descended, Loong Jie, Ballo, Green Willow, and Yuan Lianyao all hastened to steady their spirits, guarding against the god's invasive might.
Yuan Lianyao and the other supreme beings, unlike the big devil Bertain, had weaker soul abilities. Once shrouded in darkness, they became insensible to their surroundings. However, this also meant they could more easily resist the god's influence.
Whoosh!
A massive greenish-gray Divine Bird contracted into Qinghuang's body, her bright eyes suddenly flashing with an unusual light.
"I have detected a new spring—a spring of death and destruction, leading to the murky realms of Xaplica!"
Chen Qinghuang's expression was one of utter astonishment.
Deep in the shadows, she could pinpoint the presence of the spring from afar.
The sudden opening of a new spring—could it be a sign that gods from the Otherworld were poised to invade?
Loong Jie, Ballo, Green Willow, and Yuan Lianyao tensed at her words.
They feared that the deities from the thirty-six Otherworlds might soon storm into their realm seeking vengeance for the fallen Galuba and Kuna.
"It's not what you're thinking. Let me take you there now."
Yu Yuan, remaining on the Dragon Slaying Stage, welcomed each of them in turn.
He maneuvered the stage towards the Solar Spirit and the mass of flesh without resorting to its spatial traversal capabilities.
En route, his form as the Undead Sovereign vanished within the confines of the stage.
The nearer he drew to the entity, the more acutely he could sense its formidable power.
To avoid another possession, he opted to seclude himself within the Dragon Slaying Stage.
...
In the Stellar Phoenix domain, Yu Zhu withdrew back into a space rift on the command of Yu Yuan's real body, careful not to expose herself.
"Don't stray. Make sure to conceal this last space rift as well."
Yu Yuan gestured dismissively.
"Mother, could she be in danger?" Yu Zhu's face was etched with concern as she peered out from the bright, elongated rift, "I can no longer sense her. Has something happened?"
The white tiger, golden deer, and Darkgold Beast God behind Yu Zhu stirred, wanting to emerge.
"Stay put!" Yu Zhu commanded, restraining the Beast Gods within the Phoenix Shrine and Beast God Temple, forbidding them to leave.
"Could something have happened to her?"
Yu Zhu repeated her anxious inquiry.
"She's in the Abyss of Truth, facing Lin Daoke in battle. Their fates are uncertain."
Yu Yuan did not conceal the reality but shared the stark truth.
"Lin Daoke?"
Yu Zhu nodded gently, visibly relieved as the slender space rift began to heal.
The Beast Gods, who had been fretting over Zhiya, also felt a wave of relief wash over them upon learning that her adversary was Lin Daoke, not a Primal Soul birthed from the Abyss.
Clearly, Yu Zhu and the other Beast Gods did not believe Lin Daoke had the capacity to harm Zhiya.
Moments later, the final space rift sealed itself, and all the Beast Gods within the Star River vanished from sight.
Atop the Peak of Creation.
Youyu and Yu Yiyi ventured into the heart of the mountain, while Qi Yunhong, Taishi, and Mother Earth remained outside, the massive Tree of Life rustling in their presence.
"There's an abnormal spatial disturbance."
Mother Earth, manifesting in human form, trembled slightly and frowned. "Numerous void passages have emerged in the Wasteland, akin to the Spring of Death."
The springs that had surfaced from the Maw of Oblivion had not eluded her perception.
She had consistently argued for the destruction of all springs connected to the Otherworld.
Following Chen Qinghuang's creation of the Spring of Death, she had repeatedly stated her wish for Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang to obliterate it.
She even proposed that Yu Yuan eradicate all thirty-six springs in the Ashlands that linked to the extraterrestrial realms.
Since learning that the Death God Kurkova had ascended to godhood by refining a Primal Anima that governed death, she harbored a deep-seated caution towards the deities of the Underworld.
The gods of the Otherworld had all ascended by refining a Primal Anima.
Yet, she was a Primal Anima herself. She feared that more potent entities from the Otherworld might exploit the springs to refine her and ascend to godhood using her essence.
"The entity from the Abyss, with his staggering divine might capable of moving stars, has translocated all thirty-six springs from the Ashlands to the Wasteland."
Yu Yuan provided a definitive response.
Mother Earth felt as though she had been dealt a heavy blow, her form atop the Peak of Creation gradually becoming rigid.
"What is he... What does he intend to do?"
Mother Earth whispered to herself, her expression awash with terror and bewilderment.
"There are thirty-six extraterrestrial passageways that have abruptly appeared in the Wasteland. What is his plan?"
Taishi, after his initial astonishment, quickly regained his composure and pondered aloud, "Is he planning to turn the Wasteland into a battleground? Could it be that he..."
After a moment of contemplation, Taishi's expression shifted dramatically as he exclaimed, "Has he already begun?"
Yu Yuan nodded in agreement.
His old friend was sharp as ever, discerning the intentions of the Primal Soul from just a few words.
"We must go as well!"
Taishi made a swift decision, addressing Mother Earth, "Some things are inevitable."
Mother Earth was still reeling from the revelation.
"There's a Space God capable of creating springs like the ones we've seen. And they're aware of the Origin Realm and the Wasteland—they've always known!"
Taishi inhaled deeply, his gaze stern as he spoke to Mother Earth, "Just because we've destroyed those springs doesn't mean they can't come back. The moment they're ready and the timing is right, they'll surely cross over!"
With his lucid persuasion, Mother Earth, a superior Primal Anima, began to regain her composure.
As a Primal Anima, and given that beings like Kurkova had ascended to godhood by hunting Primal Anima, she felt that creatures from the other side were the natural predators of her kind.
That was the source of her fear.
"The God of Destruction, Galuba, and the Snail Goddess, Kuna, have fallen by our hands."
Standing at the Wellspring of Creation, Yu Yuan maintained the same calm demeanor as Taishi, smiling as he spoke: "There are gods in the Otherworld who surpass Galuba and Kuna in strength. However, it wasn't my real body that defeated Galuba and Kuna, but rather Chen Qinghuang, Loong Jie, and Bertain."
Qi Yunhong's spirits lifted at these words, "So it seems they aren't as overwhelmingly powerful as we thought!"
"Indeed, they just have us outnumbered," Yu Yuan clarified.
"We need to make our move regardless of the outcome. Now that they've shifted the gateway to the extraterrestrial to the Wasteland, the choice is out of our hands," Taishi continued to encourage Mother Earth.
Suddenly, a rumble echoed from deep within the earth.
The Star of Light burst forth, transforming into a lithe young girl with eight pairs of pristine white wings unfurled behind her.
In the cosmos, she shone so brightly that all other stars and sources of light in the Stellar Phoenix dimmed in her presence.
He had always been timid and fearful of death, but now he appeared amidst the stars as a soul, smiling sweetly at Yu Yuan. "I have not disappointed you. Canli has successfully ascended to become a supreme being."
"The plan has changed," Yu Yuan declared, pointing to his forehead with a grin. "I've fully grasped the Primal Blood of the Abyss and the Secrets of Life that linger in this world. I've even managed to suppress the ninth level of the Soulstone Pedestal. Now, let's head to that dark place. Are you ready to proceed?"
"Why not?" He puffed out his chest, sharp as the tip of a budding lotus, and when he blinked, the peculiar gleam in his eyes was too intense to face directly.
"When did you become so courageous?" Mother Earth couldn't resist asking.
"I used to be indecisive, too scared to take any action, simply because I was too weak," he replied. The beautiful girl form of him smiled slightly, clenching her fists and swinging them through the air with conviction. "Now, I am brave because I am strong enough! Apart from the Primal Souls from the Abyss and the Wraithlands, I doubt there's anyone else out there who is more formidable than me."
"And besides, we have Yu Yuan to handle that character from the Abyss, don't we? My task is merely to dispel the darkness, ensuring that my sworn enemy, lurking within it, dares not act rashly."
His face radiated with self-assurance; he was brimming with pride and his courage was truly admirable. With Yu Yuan's assistance, he had unlocked the mysteries of the celestial bodies within the Abyss of Truth, and having merged them into a single force, his combat power ranked just below that of the Abyss's Primal Soul among the myriad Primal Animas.
Now, facing the Primal Animas in the darkness once more, he was supremely confident of an easy victory. Discovering that Yu Yuan could firmly control the ninth level of the Soul Altar with the tenth, while maintaining his spiritual wisdom free from any constraints, he felt emboldened to engage in a fierce battle.
Within the Peak of Creation, Canli, the supreme being, could unleash her power to its fullest extent.
He was curious to gauge his current strength.
"If you're bold enough to challenge, what do I have to fear?" he mused.
Mother Earth let out a huff and declared, "Let's do this. I'll activate the Peak of Creation right away, tune in to Yu Yuan's aura, and make my way to join this magnificent gathering!"