C2394 The Bow of the Primal Soul
In the Land of Origins, Yu Yuan stood with an indifferent expression as he observed the arrival of various Primal Animas from different worlds. His eyes betrayed no hint of emotion.
Such scenes had become commonplace to him; the element of surprise had long since faded. The vast and chaotic memory sparkles had burst forth in his mind, integrating into his soul and leaving indelible marks that would last an eternity.
He slowly reminisced about the past, recalling the times he and the Primal Soul had forged new epochs throughout the eight great eras. The guardian of the Land of Origins depended on the power of both him and the Primal Soul to engender intelligent life with each dawn of a new era, scattering the seeds of life and souls across the cosmos.
He and the Primal Soul were eternal, indestructible. Yet, with each failed rebellion, they would lose their own consciousness. As a new era unfolded, the Spirit of Creation would carry them along, sowing the seeds of vitality and spirit throughout the myriad worlds.
Their essence permeated the thirty-six worlds of the Otherworld, the Abyss, the Origin Realm, and the Wasteland—any realm where life pulsed with blood, flesh, and soul bore their imprint. This was the very reason for their undying nature.
In this ninth era, the beings of the Heaven, Bone, Sylph, One-eyed Tribe, spirit animals, and the Wendigo-like Chaos Titans all bore the mark of Yu Yuan and the Primal Soul. However, each time the Spirit of Creation initiated a new era, they found themselves in a state of unconsciousness.
Previously, they would be cast into different worlds. But now, should they fail again, they would be absorbed back into the Bloodstone Pedestal and the Soulstone Pedestal beneath.
When the end of the world came and all realms merged into the Domain of Origin, and as all Primal Animas made their return, the Myriad Realms would plunge into a prolonged silence. This silence marked the period when the Spirit of Creation digested all the returned Primal Animas, as well as the vital energy and cosmic order emanating from the beings born of it and the Primal Soul, including those that had evolved from the ruins of destroyed worlds.
The Spirit of Creation also required an extensive period to integrate and organize its essence. Once its period of quiescence ended, it would be the first to awaken, becoming the initial consciousness in the cosmos. Subsequently, the Spirit of Creation would blend its power with that of the Primal Soul, using the Bloodstone Pedestal and Soulstone Pedestal to forge numerous Life Seeds. As the world fractured and the Primal Anima dispersed, these Life Seeds would fall across myriad worlds, eventually evolving into diverse new species over countless millennia. This process repeated itself throughout the first eight epochs.
"The Primal Anima that has never been seen in the world before!"
The Great Demon God Bertain exclaimed, unable to contain his shock. Renowned across the thirty-six worlds of the Otherworld, he was familiar with the Primal Anima that each world's deities had refined to ascend to godhood. However, Bertain had never encountered any of the Primal Animas that had merged with the Origin Realm. Some of them, he hadn't even heard of.
"Many worlds are exceedingly distant from the Domain of Origin, with no means to traverse the intervening Star River," explained the Primal Soul, now inhabiting the body of the Undead Sovereign, as if opening a floodgate of information, addressing the group's naivety concerning the various realms.
The Primal Soul's profound gaze swept over Bertain, Tan Xiaotian, and Chen Qinghuang. "It also requires a vessel to manifest its divine might. Apart from Yu Yuan and myself, it could claim any corporeal body," it declared with a hint of caution. "The body it possesses can instantly integrate with the inner workings of the Origin Realm, aligning with the corresponding Primal Anima of the previous eight epochs, while also embracing the core truths of other Primal Animas."
"It might choose one of you, or it might select other supreme beings from the extraterrestrial realms, or perhaps..." The Primal Soul trailed off, then a sardonic smile crept across its visage. "Indeed, it has arrived."
...
Elsewhere.
The outer boundary of the Genesis Nebula, wrapped in the dazzling "All Spirits Ban," was thoroughly permeated by the boundless might of the Spirit of Creation. The sheer force of this power left all other Primal Animas utterly petrified.
In the cosmos, every Primal Anima within the star was quaking with fear.
The Primal Soul continued to speak of its horrifying power.
"It should be capable of entering, but it cannot take you all to the Origin Realm," the Primal Soul stated dispassionately. "Of course, it could also annihilate any one of you, seeking the very body it desires within this star."
The conscious Primal Animas and the supreme beings were plunged into despair upon hearing this. Had the cyan-black eye and the fourfold All Spirits Ban, manifested from the Heart of the Everlands and merged into one, been in vain? Even after rallying their powers, could they truly not prevent the Spirit of Creation from penetrating deeper?
Did the Spirit of Creation still wield the power of life and death over them?
If so, what purpose did their concealment within the hole serve?
"Do not be overly fearful," the Primal Soul continued. "It can only maximize its gains by bringing you back to the Origin Realm and merging you into the crystals. Its objective is to release the Primal Anima seeds and harvest them once they've matured. By killing you, it would gain nothing."
Just then, the Primal Soul, assuming the visage of Yu Yuan, declared calmly, "As expected, it has arrived!"
The Primal Soul here and the one that had possessed the Undead Sovereign in the Origin Realm uttered the same words.
Only he could behold the entirety of the Genesis Nebula, the boundless void, including the Domain of Origin and all the worlds beyond, now bathed in the resplendent glow from the Origin Realm.
This dazzling, mysterious light was visible only to Yu Yuan and himself.
A refined beam of light cascaded from above the star, effortlessly bypassing the All Spirits Ban and transforming into a faceless wraith.
The wraith hovered in the midair of the star.
The Primal Soul watched it with an unprecedented gravity, as if bracing for a formidable adversary.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From the wraith, slender, radiant beams shot out like threads, piercing the star's surface and burrowing into the holes.
The wraith resembled a skein of yarn, unraveling countless strands of light that penetrated various crevices.
The absolute seal of time and space, along with the Soul Power and vital energy within the voids, proved entirely ineffective against the light.
The wraith scrutinized every Primal Anima that the Primal Soul had left among the stars!
Supreme beings trapped within the temporal and spatial seal, such as Loong Jie, Yuan Lianyao, Ballo, Canli, Green Willow, along with Zhong Chichen and Heesters, abruptly awoke.
Confused, they gazed around, uncertain of what had transpired or what destiny awaited them.
Meanwhile, the Primal Animas that had assimilated deities from the Otherworld, like the Spirit of Heavenly Sound and the Spirit of Sorrow, shuddered in fear.
Remaining conscious, they had heard the Primal Soul's proclamation and were aware that the Spirit of Creation had arrived.
The Spirit of Creation was unable to take them, yet it possessed the power to effortlessly erase their spiritual sense, dooming them to perish in this epoch.
It was uncertain if the Primal Soul had the strength to thwart the Spirit of Creation.
"We meet again."
Assuming the visage of Yu Yuan, the Primal Soul bowed to the wraith that only he could perceive.
Only in the presence of the Spirit of Creation did the Primal Soul display such reverence.
Apart from the Spirit of Creation, no other entity in the cosmos could compel him to bow in homage.
The Spirit of Fate, along with the entities of space, time, darkness, and light—the five formidable Primal Animas—were struck with terror and unease upon hearing the Primal Soul's words, turning their attention to where the wraith lingered.
Yet, the wraith's manifestation remained visible solely to the Primal Soul.
The five mighty Primal Animas could neither glimpse its form nor the resplendent rays.
All the sovereigns and Primal Animas sensed its presence, feeling as though a mysterious Way of Heaven had descended, yet they were unable to catch even a glimpse.
It seemed that directly facing or seeing it was an act of grave disrespect, a desecration of its essence.
Gradually, the Primal Animas felt an irresistible urge to willingly integrate with it, to become an extension of its being.
Its presence and the diffusion of its aura left all the Primal Animas within the stars devoid of any will to resist, desiring only to submit humbly.
It was the Way of Heaven, the embodiment of Heavenly Might, the alpha and omega for all beings across the myriad worlds!
The Spirit of Fate realized within a crevice of existence that no matter its efforts, it would inevitably be assimilated by the Spirit of Creation in mere moments.
Time, space, darkness, and light were at its command, yet none could ever pose a real threat to the Spirit of Creation.
The supreme beings and Primal Animas could only sense its indifferent consciousness, feeling scrutinized as it surveyed them all, sifting for something undefined.
After a reverent bow, the Primal Soul fell silent, patiently awaiting the Spirit of Creation's next decree.
It was clear to the Primal Soul that it had the power to extinguish all the constrained Primal Animas and supreme beings, and it was equally capable of infiltrating the corporeal body of any supreme being, instantaneously claiming their entirety.
The outcome hinged solely on its decision.
"Heh!"
A low chuckle escaped the Primal Soul.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several dazzling strands burst forth from its manifested wraith, converging upon the same aperture.
Within that space, the little Primal Beast was rigid with fear, too terrified to stir lest it draw attention.
Yet, as fate would have it, the Spirit of Creation's gaze had already settled upon it, dispatching numerous 'eyes' to observe it closely.
Suddenly, the little Primal Beast sensed 'eyes' multiplying within its heart, soul, and crystalline bones, rendering it utterly voiceless.
A resplendent aura began to emanate from its form as the Spirit of Creation meticulously inspected its flesh and blood.
The secrets of its bloodline, its compatibility with the cosmic order, its devoured origins, and every hidden aspect of its soul lay bare before the Spirit of Creation's penetrating gaze.
It felt as though it had been flayed open, its innards exposed to overwhelming divine power, scoured over and over again.
It had eluded the Spirit of Fate, the Spirit of Light, and the Primal Soul, but this time, evasion seemed improbable.
The Spirit of Creation, as mentioned by the Primal Soul, had taken a keen interest in it, sending forth additional 'threads' to examine it, leaving the little Primal Beast with a foreboding sense of impending doom.
