C2356 The Fusion of the World

Stephanie's arrival sent shockwaves through all the Primal Anima, compelling Mother Earth and the Sun Spirit to give way.

The Spirit of Time dared not show itself within the venerable pages of the Book of Time, concealing itself deep within a sheet of paper, fearful of Stephanie's detection.

Yet, it could not evade the penetrating gaze of the God of Destiny.

Stephanie's golden eyes cast a light that pierced through the essence of all creation. Her gaze pinpointed the page concealing the Spirit of Time as she asked in a subdued tone, "Heesters, do you wish to attempt another refinement and fusion with it?"

Heesters paused, pondering the depth of her question.

The page within the Book of Time quivered slightly, as if the Spirit of Time itself was shivering.

"I can help you obliterate its traces of existence, allowing it to dissipate within you and become one with your being," Stephanie offered, her voice soft yet her words carrying an unforgiving chill, as though sentencing the Spirit of Time.

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

"Very well."

A subtle smile played on the lips of the God of Destiny as he said, "You are free to go now."

She glanced at the page where the Spirit of Time had been concealed, casually gesturing with her hand, not even needing to wield the amethyst wand.

A nearly invisible, delicate rivulet burst forth, ensnaring the power, rule, and spiritual sense of the Spirit of Time from the trembling page, and swiftly made its way to a specific location within the Domain of Origin.

The true form of the Spirit of Time was, in fact, a mystical River of Time, brimming with the profound truths of temporality.

Gazing at the hair-thin river, a marvel of time's mysteries, and sensing the Spirit of Time's elation at its narrow escape, Heesters expressed his heartfelt relief, "Isn't this a cause for universal rejoicing?"

He genuinely wished for the Spirit of Time's survival. At his elevated state, he no longer required the Spirit of Time within him to wield his divine might.

In a way, as the God of Time, he had transcended the Spirit of Time itself.

"If you are content, that is all that matters."

Stephanie, clutching the enigmatic amethyst wand, stood before the spring, her golden eyes fixated on a distant point.

Beside her, the dazzling curtain formed by the shattered All Spirits Ban was no more. It seemed that with her as the sentinel of the spring, all could depart from the Domain of Origin with peace of mind.

Even the meddling of the Primal Soul of the Abyss with the sole spring in the Domain of Origin was set right after her emergence.

"Thank you for lending your aid once more."

Heesters inclined his head in gratitude, his eyes brimming with reverence.

Several Primal Beasts also offered their salutations to her as Heesters expressed his thanks.

Since her arrival in this domain, no gods from the Otherworld had mistakenly wandered in. Her divine power pervaded the spring, erasing the influence of the Primal Soul.

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

Yu Yuan was inwardly astonished. Like Heesters, Stephanie had ascended to a God of Origin through the ritual of the Spirit of Fate.

Upon her arrival in the Domain of Origin, the Spirit of Fate within her showed no signs of stirring, unlike the Spirit of Time.

Could it be that the Spirit of Fate she had consecrated was now fully integrated with her?

Or perhaps her mastery of the powers of fate was so profound that it could contend with the Spirit of Creation, and not even the Cosmic Order of the Domain of Origin could awaken the Spirit of Fate without her consent.

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

Their eyes locked.

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

Despite racking his brain, Yu Yuan couldn't recall any intersection between him and Stephanie.

After all, this was his inaugural visit to this Otherworld, his first time stepping foot in the Domain of Origin.

"Hello."

The God of Destiny, Stephanie, approached Yu Yuan with a warm, golden-eyed smile. "Bertain has mentioned you to me."

"You evoke a sense of familiarity. Have we... met before?" Yu Yuan didn't conceal his impression, sharing candidly, "I'm sure I haven't been to this world before. So, have you visited the Origin Realm or... the Abyss?"

Yu Yuan was convinced that with Stephanie's formidable power, if she had taken an interest in the Origin Realm or the Abyss, she certainly had the means to explore them.

In the Ashlands of the Origin Realm, there were numerous springs and passageways crafted by the former Space God.

Could it be that the God of Destiny, who had achieved immortality eons ago, harbored curiosity about the Origin Realm and the Abyss?

Yu Yuan wondered if his sense of familiarity stemmed from Stephanie's clandestine visits to the Origin Realm and the Abyss, possibly even under a different guise.

Even the combined force of three All Spirits Ban walls had been effortlessly shattered by her. The so-called Abyssal Gate stood no chance of containing her.

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

Heesters paused, initially thinking Yu Yuan was just making things up, and spoke with gravity, "Lady Stephanie rarely leaves the Mystic Region. Moreover, the Origin Realm has long been recognized as Bertain's domain. Unless Bertain extends an invitation, no one ventures there."

He was about to add more when Stephanie gestured for silence with a wave of her hand.

Heesters immediately fell silent.

The God of Destiny smiled, turning to Yu Yuan, "Do you truly trust your intuition?"

Yu Yuan nodded affirmatively, "I do."

"Ha, then let's say we have met," Stephanie replied ambiguously, giving Yu Yuan a penetrating look before addressing Heesters again, "There's no need to fret over Bertain. I warned that his return might not go smoothly, but he wouldn't heed my advice."

It was as if the God of Destiny had anticipated the multitude of challenges Bertain would face upon his return to the Origin Realm.

"He's convinced he can manage," Heesters let out a resigned sigh, "I offered to stand by his side, to lend him my support, but he turned me down."

"Bertain has always been overconfident," Stephanie remarked, then added abruptly, "There's no need for us to leave the Domain of Origin. 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 asked, "Are you suggesting that the worlds have begun to converge?"

"Yes," Stephanie confirmed, her golden eyes suddenly alight with a myriad of enigmatic and indistinct visions.

Yu Yuan peered intently into her eyes, and through the depths of her golden pupils, he glimpsed immense wraiths stirring in the icy expanse of the void, like vast rivers on the brink of joining an infinite ocean.

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

Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan, several Primal Beasts, and Youyu's expressions shifted dramatically.

Many of the thirty-six worlds of the Otherworld originally stemmed from the Domain of Origin.

Now, those worlds from the Domain of Origin were inching closer, seeking to reintegrate with it.

Should this occur, wouldn't the Spirit of Creation in the Domain of Origin effortlessly gain dominion over those worlds?

He was unbeatable within the Domain of Origin. Rumor had it that he was bound to it and could not leave.

If he, who was tethered to the Domain of Origin, witnessed these worlds willingly merge and become part of it, wouldn't all the inhabitants and deities within fall under his jurisdiction?

Would he not then become the supreme ruler of all realms?

Stephanie further revealed that he was reclaiming the worlds he had released, along with the scattered Primal Anima.

Was it possible that the original fragmentation of the world and the departure of the Primal Anima from the Domain of Origin had occurred with his silent consent?

Or perhaps it was a deliberate act on his part?

The information Stephanie disclosed sparked endless speculation among us about the Domain of Origin and the Spirit of Creation.

"The Tiderain, the Whirlpool, the Flow Domain, the Expanse, and the Heavenly Domain will be among the first to merge back into the Domain of Origin," Stephanie continued.

The Tiderain is the domain of the God of Calamity, Dickinson.

The Whirlpool is home to the God of Wind, the Malformed Horror.

The Flow Domain is under the control of the Gluttony God, Chai En.

The Expanse has always been the realm of the God of Bloodthirst, the Wendigo.

These Otherworld realms, governed by the Primal Beasts, will be the first to assimilate into the Domain of Origin. But even if they were to return now, what could they possibly do?

"Just wait a bit longer; we will set off soon and won't linger here any longer," Stephanie said calmly.

"Waiting for whom?" Heesters asked, puzzled.

"Another young Primal Beast," Stephanie replied with an affectionate smile.

"A young Primal Beast?"

Yu Yuan sensed that something was amiss.

"Yes, I've come from the Heavenly Domain."

The God of Destiny spoke with a detached tone, yet his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Since the chaos ended, no new deity has emerged in the Heavenly Domain. Despite the strength of its intelligent life, the lack of a true sovereign has led to incessant strife and bloodshed among them."

"Strangely enough, amidst the chaos and carnage of the Heavenly Realm, many new cosmic laws have emerged."

"Perhaps chaos and disorder are meant to be the eternal mainstays of the Heavenly Realm. Maybe I never should have appointed chaos to govern it."

While speaking, Stephanie cast her gaze upon the Wendigo, the God of Gluttony, Chai En, and finally, the God of Disaster, Dickinson.

The three Primal Beasts looked on, utterly baffled.

"Perhaps bloodthirst, disaster, and gluttony should be the norm in your worlds. Without divine rule, just the meddling of the corresponding Primal Anima might unveil more wonders in each realm."

Upon hearing this, the Primal Beasts were filled with dread, yet they were at a loss for words.

In their hearts, Stephanie, the God of Destiny, was the wisest of deities and sages. Every utterance of hers was regarded as an absolute truth.

"Let's move on from this topic," Stephanie said, not intending to frighten them. She shifted the conversation, "That little Primal Beast thrived after going to the Heavenly Domain. Some of the Heavenly Clan there discovered it and informed me."

"And then, I met it."

Following her words, an earth-shattering roar echoed from the depths of the spring.

At the sound of the roar, fear flashed in the eyes of the three Primal Beasts, the Malformed Horror, the Wendigo, and Chai En.

"It has grown much stronger!"

Chai En communicated to Yu Yuan immediately.

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

It seemed to have fully integrated and mastered the complex intricacies of its bloodline.

At this moment, the little Primal Beast was likely more formidable than the Malformed Horror and the other Primal Beasts, which explained Dickinson's palpable unease.

With a whoosh, the little Primal Beast shot out from the spring in the Domain of Origin like a flash of lightning.

Born in the purple sea of demon energy, it had first consumed primal energy, then devoured the Lord of Ruin, Yuan Le, and the little spinosaurus. After its emergence, it lay submissively at Stephanie's feet.

It purposefully reduced its size, now only dozens of times larger than Stephanie, the God of Destiny.

Woo! Woo!

Suddenly, upon sighting Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body, it began to cry out, a mix of fear and complaint, seemingly appealing to Stephanie for help.

"Alright, alright."

Stephanie soothed it with a gentle voice, urging it to quiet down, and it complied, settling into silence.

"Let's go. We are about to encounter the Primal Soul from the Abyss, and... the true master of the Domain of Origin."

​