C2356 The Fusion of the World

Stephanie's arrival sent a shockwave through the source spirits, prompting Mother Earth and the Sun Spirit to make way for her. The Spirit of Time, too intimidated to show itself within the venerable pages of the Time Book, concealed itself within the fibers of a single page, fearful of being detected by Stephanie. Yet, it could not elude the vigilant gaze of the God of Destiny.

Her golden eyes emitted a brilliance that pierced through the very essence of the cosmos. Stephanie's gaze settled precisely on the page where the Spirit of Time sought refuge, and she spoke softly, "Heesters, are you considering refining and merging with it once more?"

Heesters paused, pondering the depth of her inquiry.

The page within the Time Book quivered ever so slightly, as though the Spirit of Time itself was shuddering.

"I can obliterate its traces of existence, allowing it to truly dissipate within you and become one with you," Stephanie offered, her tone mild yet her words carrying an unyielding finality, as if sentencing the Spirit of Time to its end.

After a moment of reflection, Heesters firmly shook his head and declared, "No, I wish for it to remain alive."

"Very well," the God of Destiny responded, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. "You are free to go now."

She glanced at the page concealing the Spirit of Time and casually gestured with her hand, not even needing to wield her amethyst wand. A nearly imperceptible stream, infused with the power, laws, and sentient essence of the Spirit of Time, burst forth from the page, swiftly making its way to a location within the Origin Domain.

The Spirit of Time's true form was revealed to be a mystical Time River, brimming with the profound truths of time.

Gazing upon the delicate river, as fine as a hair yet filled with the wonders of time, Heesters felt the Spirit of Time's elation at its narrow escape and remarked with a sense of wonder, "Isn't this a cause for universal joy?"

His wish for the Spirit of Time to endure was genuine. At his exalted level, the presence of the Spirit of Time within him was unnecessary for the manifestation of his divine might. Indeed, as the Time God, he had transcended the Spirit of Time itself.

"As long as you are content," Stephanie replied.

Clutching the enigmatic amethyst wand, she stood before the spring, her golden eyes fixed on a distant point. Without the dazzling veil of the Myriad Spirit Restriction by her side, it seemed that her mere presence was enough to ensure that all could depart the Origin Domain in peace.

The Origin Soul, deep within the abyss, had been set right after her emergence.

"Thank you for lending your assistance once more."

Heesters inclined his head in gratitude, his eyes alight with admiration.

Several Origin Beasts also paid their respects to her following Heesters' expression of thanks.

Since her arrival in this realm, no deities of discord akin to the God of Chaos had trespassed. Her divine essence permeated the spring, erasing the manipulations of the Origin Soul.

"There's no need for such formality," Stephanie said with a serene smile.

Yu Yuan was inwardly astonished. Like Heesters, Stephanie had risen to the status of Origin God by refining the Spirit of Fate.

Upon her entry into the Origin Domain, there was no stirring within her of the Spirit of Fate, unlike the Spirit of Time.

Had the Spirit of Fate she refined become wholly integrated with her?

Or was her mastery of the Divine Power of Fate so formidable that it could contend with the Origin Spirit, rendering the laws of the Origin Domain incapable of awakening the Spirit of Fate without her consent?

As he observed Stephanie, the gaze of the God of Destiny suddenly met his own.

Their eyes locked.

Yu Yuan, unable to discern her true visage, was struck by an unexpected familiarity. It seemed he had encountered this enigmatic God of Destiny somewhere before.

Despite racking his brain, Yu Yuan could not recall any intersection between himself and Stephanie.

After all, he was new to this alien cosmos, and this was his inaugural visit to the Origin Domain.

"Hello."

The God of Destiny, Stephanie, approached Yu Yuan with golden eyes twinkling with mirth. "Beilstein has mentioned you to me."

"You evoke a sense of familiarity in me. Have we... met before?" Yu Yuan was candid about his feelings, "I'm certain I haven't visited this world before. So, have you ever ventured to the Origin Realm or... the Abyss?"

Yu Yuan was convinced that someone of Stephanie's caliber, if intrigued by the Origin Realm or the Abyss, would certainly possess the means to explore them.

In the Gray Domain of the Origin Realm, numerous fountain pathways exist, crafted by the previous Space God.

Could it be that Stephanie, the God of Destiny who has lived for untold eons and attained immortality, harbored no curiosity about the Origin Realm or the Abyss?

Yu Yuan wondered if his sense of familiarity stemmed from Stephanie's clandestine visits to the Origin Realm or the Abyss, possibly under an altered identity and guise.

Even the formidable barriers of the Myriad Spirit Restriction had been effortlessly shattered by her. The so-called Abyss Gate stood no chance of containing her.

"Yu Yuan, you probably haven't seen it before."

Heesters paused, initially thinking Yu Yuan was just talking nonsense, and spoke with gravity, "Lady Stephanie rarely leaves the Mystic Region. Moreover, the Origin Realm has long been acknowledged as Beilstein's domain. Unless Beilstein extends an invitation, it's off-limits to the rest of us."

He was about to add more, but Stephanie gestured for silence.

Heesters immediately fell silent.

The God of Destiny smiled and addressed Yu Yuan, "Do you truly trust your instincts?"

Yu Yuan nodded affirmatively, "I do."

"Well then, let's consider that we have met," Stephanie replied enigmatically, giving Yu Yuan a penetrating look before turning back to Heesters. "You needn't worry about Beilstein. I've already mentioned that his return might not go smoothly, yet he wouldn't heed my words."

It appeared the God of Destiny had anticipated the myriad of challenges Beilstein would face upon his return to the Origin Realm.

"He's confident he can manage," Heesters sighed, a note of resignation in his voice. "I offered to stand by his side, to lend him my support, but he turned me down."

"Indeed, Beilstein has always been self-assured," Stephanie remarked, then added abruptly, "There's no need to depart the Origin Domain. What's destined to happen will come to pass, and fleeing won't spare us from this fate."

Heesters furrowed his brow in deep contemplation, then his expression shifted as he realized, "Are you suggesting that the worlds have already begun to converge?"

"Yes," Stephanie confirmed, her golden eyes suddenly alight with enigmatic and hazy visions.

Yu Yuan peered intently, glimpsing colossal shadows stirring in the cold expanse of the void through the depths of her golden pupils, like vast rivers poised to flow into an infinite deep sea.

"The worlds that split from the Origin Domain are now bordering it. Eventually, without the need for a spring, they will reintegrate with the Origin Domain. This signifies that the Origin intends to reclaim the worlds it has released, along with the Origin Spirits that have been scattered," Stephanie expressed with a sense of profound reflection.

Her words prompted a stark change in the expressions of Yu Yuan, the Origin Beasts, and Youyu.

In the foreign lands, a significant number of the thirty-six worlds originally stemmed from the Origin Domain. These worlds are now inching closer to the Origin Domain, seeking to reintegrate with it. Should this occur, wouldn't the Origin Spirit of the Origin Domain effortlessly gain control over these worlds?

He is undefeated within the Origin Domain, and rumor has it that he cannot leave its confines. If he remains bound to the Origin Domain, and as worlds voluntarily merge with it, becoming part of it, wouldn't all the beings and deities within fall under his dominion? Would he not become the supreme ruler of all worlds?

Stephanie mentioned that he is reclaiming the worlds he had released, along with the Origin Spirits that had scattered. Was the initial separation of the worlds, with Origin Spirits departing the Origin Domain, done with his tacit approval, or even deliberately orchestrated by him?

The insights Stephanie shared sparked endless speculation among us, piquing our curiosity about the Origin Domain and the Origin Spirit.

"The Tiderain, the Whirlpool, the Stream, the Evolution, and the Heaven Domain will be the earliest to assimilate back into the Origin Domain," Stephanie continued.

The Tiderain is the domain of the God of Calamity, Dickinson. The Whirlpool is the realm of the Wind God, Qiongqi. The Stream falls under the rule of the Gluttony God, Chai En. The Evolution has always been the territory of the God of Slaughter, Taowu. These foreign lands, governed by the Origin Beasts, are poised to be the first to rejoin the Origin Domain. But what could they possibly do even if they returned now?

"Just wait a bit longer; we'll be setting off soon and won't linger here any further," Stephanie stated calmly.

"Waiting for whom?" Heesters asked, surprised.

"Another little Origin Beast," Stephanie replied with an affectionate smile.

"An Origin Beast?" Yu Yuan sensed something amiss.

"Yes, I've come from the Heaven Domain," the God of Destiny spoke with a detached tone, yet her eyes twinkled with mirth. "Since Chaos perished, no new gods have emerged in the Heaven Domain. The intelligent beings there are formidable, but in the absence of a true ruler, they are locked in constant strife."

"What's peculiar is that amidst the turmoil and carnage of the Heaven Domain, numerous novel cosmic laws have emerged. Perhaps chaos and disorder are meant to be the eternal essence of the Heaven Domain. In hindsight, maybe I should never have appointed Chaos to govern it."

While speaking, she turned her gaze to Taowu, the God of Slaughter, Chai En, the God of Gluttony, and finally to Dickinson, the God of Calamity.

The three Origin Beasts looked utterly bewildered.

"Perhaps Slaughter, Calamity, and Gluttony should be the new normal for your worlds. Without the governance of deities, only the meddling of the corresponding Origin Spirits might bring forth more wonders to the three realms."

Upon hearing this, the Origin Beasts felt a wave of fear, yet they were at a loss for words to counter her claim.

In their minds, Stephanie, the God of Destiny, was the epitome of wisdom, the most sagacious of gods and sages. Every utterance from Stephanie was regarded as an absolute truth.

"Let's not dwell on this," Stephanie said, steering away from the topic. "That little Origin Beast thrived after going to the Heaven Domain. Some of the Heaven Race clanspeople discovered it and informed me."

"And then, I met it."

As her words fell, a thunderous roar echoed from the depths of the spring.

At the sound of the roar, Qiongqi, Taowu, Chai En, and Dickinson, now an Origin Beast himself, all showed signs of terror.

"It has grown stronger!"

Chai En was the first to express this to Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan nodded in agreement. That single roar conveyed to him that the little Origin Beast had indeed matured, having endured the trials and battles of the Heaven Domain.

It seemed as though it had completely assimilated and mastered its multifaceted bloodlines.

At this moment, the little Origin Beast was likely more formidable than the trio of Qiongqi Origin Beasts, which explained Dickinson's evident unease.

With a swoosh, the little Origin Beast burst forth from the spring in the Origin Domain, swift as lightning following the roar.

This creature, born from the purple miasma of demonic energy, had feasted on the Origin itself, consumed Yuen Li, the King of the Desolate Realm, and devoured the ferocious spinosaurus. Now, after its emergence, it lay submissively at Stephanie's feet.

It even deliberately reduced its size, becoming only a few dozen times larger than Stephanie, the God of Destiny.

Woo! Woo!

Suddenly, upon spotting Yu Yuan's Yang God form, it let out a fearful and plaintive cry, seemingly pleading its case to Stephanie.

"There, there," Stephanie soothed it with a soft voice, urging it to quiet down. And with that, it settled into silence.

"Let's go. We're going to meet the Origin Soul that emerged from the abyss, and... the true master of the Origin Domain."

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