C2332 Exploring the Otherworld
The other experts could see Bertain's actions and words through the eye as well.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
Threads of black and green soul threads converged deep within the eye, striving to refine a spirited body in a short span of time.
The big devil's abrupt appearance, having traversed the All Spirits Ban with an artifact from the Otherworld, had evidently shaken him.
"Heh!"
In the void of the Abyss of Truth, the big devil was conversing with Zhiya, Lin Daoke, and others. His deep purple Devil Eyes seemed to traverse the Infinite Galaxy in an instant, casting their gaze upon everyone present.
The big devil's image swelled immensely, nearly filling the entire black and green eye!
Puff!
The ghost he had been fervently condensing burst under the pressure of the big devil's magnified image, causing all his soul threads to vanish.
Loong Jie, Ballo, Green Willow, and Yuan Lianyao all felt as though the big devil was watching them with a sly grin from the Abyss of Truth.
Loong Jie was dumbfounded and suddenly exclaimed, "He's become too terrifying now!"
Everyone concurred.
This Bertain, who had made his presence known in the Abyss of Truth by effortlessly destroying an unmanifested ghost, struck everyone as both familiar and foreign.
The familiarity lay in the big devil's visage, his smile, and his grandeur.
The foreignness was in the sheer magnitude of his newfound strength.
At the summit of the Peak of Creation, the four Primal Anima were likewise daunted by Bertain's display. The Thunder Spirit, having possessed Qi Yunhong, spoke with a tinge of bitterness, "His spiritual sense may not be able to condense again."
Mother Earth's face was stern as she declared, "He won't be so easily dealt with!"
"Let's hope that's the case."
The Tree of Life whispered in agreement.
Those who had suffered at the hands of the Primal Soul in the seventh layer of the Abyss knew all too well its might and ruthlessness.
Yet, at this juncture, they found themselves unexpectedly wishing for the Primal Soul to emerge, to engage in a life-or-death battle with Bertain, freshly returned from the Otherworld.
"Yu Yuan, it's time for you to head to the Genesis Continent!"
Bertain, still ensconced in the Abyss of Truth, called out towards the All Spirits Ban in the void, gesturing with a wave of his hand.
In the Wasteland, his specter within the depths of the green-black eye mirrored the same movements, uttering the same words.
He was well aware that Yu Yuan and everyone in the Wasteland could see his every move and hear each word he uttered.
"There's no rush."
Yu Yuan, the guardian Solar Spirit, replied with a serene expression.
The big devil nodded and turned to address the Dark Phoenix and Lin Daoke, "Others may be indifferent to your fate, but I am not, because both of you hail from the Origin Realm."
His face twisted with anguish as he gazed at Zhiya and Lin Daoke, as if they were two priceless treasures. "I consider the Origin Realm my own domain. You are my personal assets! After years of cultivating the Origin Realm, I've only managed to produce a handful of remarkable individuals. I cannot allow you to perish!"
"You're meant to dazzle in another world. You are to represent my Origin Realm and gain renown across the extraterrestrial Star River!"
With a whoosh, Bertain's blood-red cloak transformed into a vast sea of crimson, enveloping Zhiya and Lin Daoke.
"I'm taking you out of here."
Bertain replicated the technique, harnessing the power of the Chaos Orb within his chest to disrupt the All Spirits Ban's rules.
Like a towering blood-red waterfall, he breached the eleven layers of confinement and reemerged in the world above the Abyss.
With a flick of his blood-red cloak, the bewildered Zhiya and Lin Daoke found their footing on the wings of a vibrant butterfly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The remaining violent and chaotic energies of the Abyss rushed towards them.
"Your Origin Realm?"
Zhiya's gaze was frosty as her wings released a splendid divine glow, swallowing the cosmic energy and gradually drawing in.
Before long, she transformed into a stunning human form and spoke with a scowl, "The Origin Realm has never belonged to anyone in my eyes! Bertain, your time has long since passed. Don't spout nonsense in front of me."
"Hahaha!"
Far from being upset, the big devil threw his head back and laughed heartily, "I see you're still not aware of the current situation. The version of me you've encountered is now in the Creitecesh sector of the Wasteland."
He gestured to his chest, likely indicating the location of the Chaos Orb, and continued, "This version of me has just returned from the Otherworld. While you two were lost in the Abyss of Truth, fixated on fighting, you failed to notice the world outside has been turned upside down."
Upon hearing those words, Zhiya and Lin Daoke were left speechless, unable to respond for quite some time.
Bertain chuckled and shook his head, "If you, little Dark Phoenix, disagree, feel free to challenge me when you're at your strongest. Oh, and don't forget to bring your Primal Beast, or you won't stand a chance."
"And the same goes for you."
He then turned to Lin Daoke and declared, "Whoever defeats me can take over as the ruler of the Origin Realm."
"What about Yu Yuan?" Lin Daoke interjected suddenly.
"Yu Yuan? He's going to rule the Wasteland. He's no threat to me."
The big devil's smile vanished as he continued, "Both of you hail from the Everlands, the crème de la crème of the Origin Realm. You've earned the privilege to return to our ancestral land with me."
"Let's proceed."
He gave the command to the vibrant butterfly beneath him. One of its wings supported him, the traveler from the Otherworld, while the other bore Zhiya and Lin Daoke. The butterfly's wings fluttered gently, creating a gust that whisked them away to the Frostlands, now devoid of any barriers. Before their eyes, a cascade of light danced, with stars, suns, and moons expanding and contracting. Space itself seemed to warp and wrinkle, creating layers and undulations.
These two formidable beings, born in the Everlands and at odds with one another, were aware that the butterfly was swiftly nearing the Ashlands. In a mere moment, they had traversed the breadth of an Astral Domain.
...
In the Wasteland, the thirty-six Maw of Oblivion ceased their rotations. With the soul thread extinguished, there was no consciousness left to wield control over this realm. The image of Bertain aboard the butterfly, guiding both himself and Lin Daoke to the Everlands, vanished from the depths of those dark green eyes.
All eyes were fixed on Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit, awaiting his decision.
"Is there any risk to your real body encountering mishaps in the Otherworld?" inquired the Light Spirit.
"Not at all," Yu Yuan replied with a reassuring smile. "Teacher, if I can effortlessly navigate through the thirty-six worlds of the Otherworld, and if my two avatars have already given the gods there a run for their money, then my real body should indeed be unbeatable in the Otherworld."
He decided to wait for his real body to return before making any decisions.
...
In the Otherworld.
His real body had just materialized in an unfamiliar world when he caught sight of a small Primal Beast, its mouth clenching the massive carcass of an eight-armed member of the One-eyed Tribe.
The Otherkin's stature and features were identical to those of Galuba, clearly indicating they were from the same race.
"Another Eight-armed Heavenly King of the One-eyed Tribe has fallen!"
Amidst the cacophony of a roaring deluge, Yu Yuan witnessed numerous Otherkin warriors, similar in size to Galuba but with varying numbers of arms, lifelessly adrift in the void.
Galuba was a member of the One-eyed Tribe they referred to.
This peculiar One-eyed Tribe measured strength by the number of arms one possessed. Like Galuba, who had been devoured by the small Primal Beast, was considered an Eight-armed Heavenly King of the One-eyed Tribe.
As soon as the small Primal Beast arrived, it wreaked havoc in the Otherworld, leaving a trail of blood and claiming the life of another Eight-armed Heavenly King of the One-eyed Tribe.
The little Primal Beast, emanating an overwhelming vital energy that sent shivers through all beings in the domain, took off at the sight of him, still carrying the remains of the Eight-armed Heavenly King in its jaws.
It abandoned the Six-armed and Four-armed warriors of the One-eyed Tribe it had slain, no longer interested in consuming them.
"Hmm!"
Yu Yuan turned to find that behind him, there were numerous springs, each linking to different worlds.
Whoosh!
From one of the springs, a familiar figure suddenly emerged.
"Yu Yuan!"
As soon as he surfaced, he called out to Yu Yuan and then, with a radiant smile, said, "So, has the Great Demon God Bertain successfully convinced you to come here and see for yourself if everything he claimed is true?"
The newcomer was none other than the Chronowyrm, Zhong Chichen!
Zhong Chichen's presence and level had clearly improved since he vanished, although he had not yet ascended to the Supreme Realm.
"Have you been here this whole time?" Yu Yuan asked, astonished.
"No, I was in the sky domain just moments ago. I came here after hearing that this place had suffered an invasion by extraterrestrial beasts," Zhong Chichen explained, narrowing his eyes as he noticed the little Primal Beast's escape and the numerous corpses of the One-eyed Tribe.
