C2326 The Body Could Not Help It

In the Otherworld, the big devil's expression shifted dramatically, his booming demonic voice breaking into erratic fragments as it traveled from another realm, losing its coherence.

"It's not what you think!"

The big devil pounded his chest and stomped his feet, watching in frustration as Kaiya transformed her fingers into blades within the secret chamber. With a resolute face, she struck at the mystic runes infused with space magic.

"Damn girl, at least wait for me to finish."

Powerlessly, the big devil witnessed each symbol shatter under Kaiya's force.

...

In Zionidall, Kaiya's hand rose and fell, her blade shattering one mystic rune after another, each a vessel of space magic.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you, Father, to lead the forces of the Otherworld into the Origin Realm."

Her light blade shone brilliantly, each stroke carrying the ultimate truths she had mastered in the Way of Heaven.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

One by one, the runes vanished beneath the light blade, and the nascent spring failed to materialize.

Kaiya possessed both the Sky Fiend Soul and the divine physique. Her cultivation system bore little difference from that of the Gods of the Everlands.

She converted spiritual energy into Divine Power with ease, her mastery of the rules of the Primal Soul and Primal Vitality making the unformed symbols trivial to dispatch.

In the Otherworld, Bertain's cries grew increasingly disjointed until they faded away entirely.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The remaining runes darted through the crystal, stubbornly attempting to reconstruct the channel to the spring by some mechanism and law.

But with less than half remaining, no matter the intensity of their will, they struggled to manifest the connection to the Otherworld's spring.

"You've disappointed me."

Having completed her task, Kaiya nearly collapsed on the chamber floor, her spirit deeply wounded, and it took her a long while to regain her composure.

She struggled to come to terms with her father's betrayal, his collusion with the extraterrestrial gods to conquer the Star River of the Origin Realm.

In her eyes, the big devil had always been the Origin Realm's great hero, a guardian of its people, refusing to let external evils taint their world.

Thanks to her father's vigilance, neither the seven layers of the Abyss nor the Wasteland had managed to penetrate their realm.

She had just witnessed a scene in the distant Otherworld void, where tens of thousands of Otherkin powerhouses were chanting her father's name in support.

She was certain that once the spring's portal opened, her father would lead the Otherworld experts to make their descent within Dread Mount.

In the Wasteland, Primal Soul, Yu Yuan, and others stood guard by the thirty-six springs, clashing with the deities of the Otherworld.

Already, three Otherworld gods had emerged from the springs, wreaking havoc in the Astral Domain of the Wasteland.

At such a critical and delicate juncture, if her father were to lead the Otherworld experts through the spring into the Origin Realm, would not both the Wasteland and Origin Realm descend into turmoil?

As the spring neared completion, she had no desire to listen to Bertain's explanations, fearing they were merely a stalling tactic. She resolutely wiped away the mystic runes.

"Kaiya."

From above Dread Mount, Youqian repeatedly called out her name with the voice of the Sky Fiend.

It took a while, but a composed Kaiya eventually stepped out of the chamber of lightning crystals, emerging onto Dread Mount, now devoid of its electrical energy.

As if nothing had transpired, Kaiya's presence on Dread Mount instantly drew the gaze of all present.

How had the immeasurable lightning energy within Dread Mount been redirected into the vast Frozen Hellscape of the Everlands?

When had the portals crafted by Chronowyrm Zhong Chichen and the frost wyrm become conduits for the influx of lightning?

Why had all the Void Rules of the Origin Realm undergone such alterations?

With so many questions, everyone turned to Kaiya for answers.

"Can you give me an explanation?" asked Han Miaoyuan, the leader of the Gods, his expression dark as he stowed the Banner of Duality. "What secret did your father leave in Dread Mount that caused all the lightning energy to be drawn into the Everlands?"

"I have nothing to say," Kaiya responded, opening her hands and facing the skeptical looks. "My father amassed vast quantities of lightning within Dread Mount to counter the Primal Soul that created him. As for why the lightning energy spiraled out of control and was siphoned off by some force, that's beyond my understanding."

She attributed all the blame to the Space God from the Otherworld.

The alteration of the space rules within the Origin Realm indicated that the Space God had tampered with its intricate space magic.

She concealed everything about the secret chamber and the fact that she had encountered the big devil.

"Without the Translocation Circle and the Starway, your journey back to the Everlands or to the Genesisverse will become arduously long," the Abyssal Leviathan huffed. "I suspect that something has gone awry in the Everlands. You'd be wise to tend to your own affairs first."

The assembled powerhouses turned their attention to Han Miaoyuan.

They too had sensed the disturbances in the Everlands and were concerned about potential unforeseen events.

Han Miaoyuan also sensed that something was amiss. After a moment of contemplation, he declared, "We must head back to the Everlands first!"

The Voidfarer they had arrived on began to roar to life. The mightiest among the Gods, led by the Evil God, along with numerous Sky Fiends, boarded various warships.

"Lord Reid."

Kaiya called out sternly.

The devil soul within the dark cloak quivered faintly.

The High Priest, poised to depart, turned around. His eye sockets ablaze with dark flames, he inquired, "Your Highness, what would you like to know?"

"Why?" Kaiya pressed.

The Primal Soul had evidently released the distortion of consciousness for all beings.

Knowing the truth—that the creator of the Sky Fiend race had been consumed by the Primal Soul from the Abyss—why would Reid still choose to serve under him?

Kaiya's question was aimed precisely at this enigma.

"Your Highness, I too desire to ascend to supremacy. Lord Bertain has already secured his position there. He lacks the power to elevate me to such heights," Reid explained quietly.

"And furthermore..."

Reid paused, his voice dropping to a whisper, "If I defy him, the Sky Fiend Clan will be eradicated. In that case, Your Highness, the only Sky Fiends you'd see would be Youqian and a mere handful of others."

With these words, Reid and several newly risen Demon Gods took flight towards the Voidfarer under the control of the Sky Fiend.

Several Voidfarers, like formidable giant beasts, departed from Zionidall.

"What's going on?"

After the Gods, Sky Fiend, and Evil God had vanished, Youqian, who was en route to the Demon God, couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Your Highness, you look troubled. Your spirit has suffered a profound shock. I can tell you've discovered something. Would you share it with us?"

"No, I can't. I'm sorry."

Kaiya simply shook her head repeatedly.

Her father was not only her rock but also the figure whom Youqian and the mightiest of the Otherkin revered.

She couldn't bring herself to reveal the harsh truth she had witnessed, shattering everyone's faith, including her own ability to cope.

...

Wasteland.

As the second incarnation of the Primal Soul made its way toward the Creitecesh, Yu Yuan, maneuvering the Dragon Slaying Stage, came to an abrupt halt.

The Creitecesh seemed to have been carved out from the Wasteland itself, rendering arrival via the Dragon Slaying Stage an impossibility.

Devitt, the Space God, had shrouded the entire Creitecesh with his power, severing the connection between him and Bertain.

He was in the dark about the current events in the Creitecesh, now sealed by the Celestial Imprisonment.

Nonetheless, the Primal Soul, having reforged its demonform, launched another assault on the Creitecesh.

Moreover, before departing, the Primal Soul had entrusted him with the care of the springs and transferred control of the Maw of Oblivion and the All Spirits Ban.

"For now, let's safeguard those springs to prevent an influx of gods from the Otherworld."

After much deliberation, Yu Yuan resolved to divide his efforts.

His original form radiated a spectrum of colors as he harnessed the space magic at his command, heading straight for the springs.

His other form, the Undead Sovereign, continued to steer the Dragon Slaying Stage from within, speeding toward the Creitecesh.

...

Out of the thirty-six "Maw of Oblivion," one exuding a sinister aura and emerging from the fountain within the Evil Temple suddenly produced a phantom.

"Arthurs!"

"The Origin Deity, Arthurs!"

Those who recognized him were shocked to see him, their exclamations filling the air.

"My friends."

Inside the spring, Arthurs quickly surveyed the scene, his green-black eyes scanning for the Primal Soul's other wraith. Finding none, he was reassured. "I am here by command, and by the orders of... Lord Bertain."

"Bertain!"

"Bertain again!"

Everyone was taken aback, their faces showing a mix of emotions as they turned their attention to Arthurs, anticipating his next words.

"I have a message to convey."

Arthurs' gaze settled on the massive form before him. Addressing Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body, he said, "Lord Bertain hopes you will heed his words."

"Bertain? Isn't he in the Creitecesh?"

The Light Spirit, puzzled, glanced between Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body and Arthurs, the former Origin Deity, and said, "I recognize you. You were the leader of the seven-tiered Evil Gods of the Abyss. When were you subdued by Bertain, and when did you start delivering his messages and working on his behalf?"

Arthurs paused briefly before answering candidly, "It was after I entered the Otherworld."

"Otherworld?"

Mother Earth exclaimed, shocked.

"I serve a different Bertain!"

Irritated by their many questions, Arthurs snorted coldly and turned his attention back to Yu Yuan.

"Go ahead."

Yu Yuan gave a slight nod.

His true form was already en route, drawing ever closer.

The Soul Altar within his Mindscape and the ninth level of the Soulstone Pedestal were beginning to resonate with Arthurs' "Maw of Oblivion."

The Maw of Oblivion resembled a gaping maw, slowly expanding as tumultuous and chaotic forces churned within.

Should Arthurs step away from the spring, Yu Yuan could, with a mere thought, use the power within the hole to swallow him whole.

"Life is unpredictable."

Arthurs offered a wry smile as he gazed upon the swirling "Maw of Oblivion," and remarked, "I was once the leader of the Evil Gods, and with the silent consent of the Holy Temple Guardians, I wielded the power of the Maw of Oblivion and even launched assaults upon the Ashlands of the Origin Realm. You probably never imagined that one day, the Maw of Oblivion would turn against me."

"And here I am, once the mightiest of the Abyss, now compelled to serve Lord Bertain in the Otherworld."

He shook his head, still smiling. He felt his situation was truly pitiful, like a ball being kicked from one side to the other, utterly powerless to resist.

...