Nearly thirty Outer Gods had descended into the Bewildering Dustlands, more than double the True Gods. With Zi Wu in control of the spatial rift, even more reinforcements could be called if needed. Ling Xuan, the commander of this campaign, had never imagined that the True Gods of the human race could inflict any meaningful losses on the Outer Gods on his side. However, once the battle broke out, the Outer Gods under Fu Ya's and Luo Hongyan's banner failed to gain the overwhelming upper hand he expected. In fact, they appeared to be struggling. Moreover, Li Wang, Zhu Ji, and the other new True Gods were still nestled near the World Tree and had yet to fully enter the fray. Ling Xuan's brow knitted, a flicker of unease crossing his handsome face. He had presided over multiple campaigns to eliminate the True Gods of the Abyss and considered himself fairly familiar with their combat prowess. This time is unlike any battle that came before. After mulling it over, Ling Xuan finally grasped the reason for this disparity. In the past, the True Gods had always held onto a desire to flee. None were ever truly committed to making a stand. Hit-and-run tactics had always been his impression of the True Gods. So long as even a sliver of intent to flee remained, one could never unleash the entirety of their combat potential. Moreover, the True Gods of the human race had, in most cases, already been injured, far from their peak condition. But this time was different. Ling Xuan studied each of the True Gods closely and found them all brimming with vitality. Their fighting spirits blazed, with not one harboring the desire to escape. Every one of them was fully committed to staking everything on this battle. How strange. Do they truly believe they can win this? Ling Xuan glanced behind him. A God of the Spirit Race hovered in the back. It was someone he had never heard of before. That God remained silent and still, expression neutral, like a bystander with no stake in the outcome. Who is he? Even Fu Ya is being evasive about his background, Ling Xuan pondered, rubbing his forehead. He channeled his divine power into his Divine Persona, causing it to emerge like a third eye, radiating a deep jade glow capable of discerning one's cultivation realm. "No need to probe further." Ling Yun chuckled. "I came to the Bewildering Dustlands for the same reason you did. You don't have to trust me, but surely you trust Fu Ya?" Ling Xuan's gaze turned cold. "You dare call her name so casually?" "It's just a habit." Ling Yun smiled, unfazed. "You, too, are a member of the Spirit Race. What's your opinion on the former Sovereign from the bizarre mist?" "Do you mean Lord Ling Yun?" Ling Xuan asked in surprise. "Indeed," Ling Yun said nonchalantly, his gaze piercing through Pei Lin's hazy domain that shrouded the World Tree. He could clearly see a petite figure nestled among the branches of the World Tree. This was a being of flesh and blood, with a pure soul and interwoven strands of the Dao of Life flowing through her. A searing hunger flashed briefly in his eyes. "Anyone who aligns with the will of the bizarre mist is doomed to meet a bad end. That old predecessor of our race was arrogant to think he could command the starry skies," Ling Xuan said with a solemn shake of his head. "The path he chose was ultimately constrained. He could never reach the true pinnacle." "I see." Ling Yun nodded. Chapters fırst released on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩 The Black Empyrean Phoenix came to mind, reborn within the bizarre mist as a human and breaking through using their cultivation system. It seemed juniors like Ling Xuan and Fu Ya had long since grasped the bigger picture. Seeing that the fierce battle before them showed no signs of concluding, Ling Yun ordered impatiently, "Boy, stay away from that World Tree. That belongs to me. Also, get ready to join the fray. I'll back you all up." "Who...are you?" Ling Xuan asked in bewilderment. Ling Yun did not answer. He simply waved his hand and pointed at the World Tree. A colossal shroud of light woven from intertwining principles of the Dao appeared above the World Tree. Boundless vitality radiated from it, stirring a terrifying pulling force that targeted everyone in the Bewildering Dustlands. All beings of flesh and blood felt their inner vitality drawn into that eerie radiance of life energy. Ling Xuan paled in horror. "Senior Ling Yun!" As one of Fu Ya's close subordinates, he had naturally heard the rumors about the ancient God of Life's recent resurrection in the bizarre mist. He simply had not expected this legendary figure of the Spirit Race to appear in the Bewildering Dustlands! "The World Tree!" Ling Xuan realized. "Senior! You're planning to restore your former strength through this World Tree? You've come to an understanding with Fu Ya?" "Doesn't my presence here say it all?" Ling Yun smiled. Ling Xuan burst into stunned laughter. "So you two finally figured it out! Senior, my earlier words were quite disrespectful. I beg your forgiveness!" If Ling Yun had truly reconciled with Fu Ya, that meant the Spirit Race had two colossal pillars of strength supporting them. No other race in the starry skies or the bizarre mist would dare challenge them after this. The Spirit Race was destined to become the strongest race under the heavens! With Ling Yun supporting Fu Ya, no grand endeavor could possibly fail! Ling Yun gently shook his head. "What's the point of holding a grudge against you?" With that, he vanished, reappearing within the radiant shroud woven from the Dao of Life. "I hear your surname is also Pang?" he asked the World Tree with a light laugh. "He fought Pang Jian for the title of World God Paragon in the Ruin Realm!" "The ancient God of Life, Ling Yun!" The True Gods gathered at the World Tree exclaimed in shock. Li Yuqing's heart lurched violently as she cried out, "I saw him through the Dao of Fate! He's the one who was going to kill us in the Darkcloud Realm!" The blazing morale of the True Gods faltered at her words. According to Li Yuqing's foresight, had they not gone to the Bewildering Dustlands using the teleportation array, all of them would have perished at Ling Yun's hands. The entire reason they had taken the gamble to come to the Bewildering Dustlands had been to evade him—to survive. They could not help but wonder if this was the immutability of fate. After all, they had narrowly escaped calamity in the Darkcloud Realm, only for it to find them here. Perhaps they were fated to die by his hand regardless. "This Bewildering Dustlands is intriguing. I see traces of mysteries drawn from the bizarre mist," Ling Yun said from within the shroud of light. He casually flicked a finger downward, and a speck of jade-green light fell like a shooting star. It sank into Pei Lin's hazy domain, and every one of the World Tree's branches and leaves dimmed. "Innate suppression from the same Dao!" Dong Tianze exclaimed, heart trembling. His blood, body, and the many blood-based insights he had painstakingly comprehended all slipped out of his control under that jade-green light. A Blood God was born of the mysteries of life. It was a branch of the Dao of Life. With Fu Ya's aid, Ling Yun had gained a torrent of life energy and was now just one step away from becoming a Sovereign. That final step was the World Tree before him.[1] Now, if Fu Ya ascended as God King, he would be well-positioned to take her place. Moreover, Ling Yun's Dao of Life and divine techniques had not vanished just because he had died. They were his eternal companions that allowed him to suppress all lesser juniors walking the same Dao. This naturally applied to Dong Tianze and to the World Tree as well. The life energy and insights into both the Dao of Life and Dao of Wood from Pang Jian within the thick, sprawling roots of the World Tree rushed uncontrollably toward Ling Yun, like iron filings to a magnet. Pang Ling had no way to resist. I have no way to stand against him before reaching Rank Thirteen! A deep sorrow welled up in Pang Ling's heart. Faced with this ancient God of Life, she was forced to confront the truth that some gaps simply could not be bridged by effort alone. Her Dao of Life and accumulated vitality became mere nourishment for Ling Yun's growth. It felt like everything she had ever done was meaningless. She had merely been weaving a wedding robe for another. [2] Father... she cried out helplessly for aid. Pei Lin's Dharma Idol was suddenly filled to the brim with dust and debris from his divine domain. Before he could even grasp what was happening, his Dharma Idol collapsed. A sinister life energy surged into his physical body through his Dharma Idol, reducing him to a shriveled corpse. Pei Lin had died, just like that. Ling Yun's eyes then narrowed in on Dong Tianze. "Boy, your Dao bears some resemblance to that of my subordinate, Can Ye. Interested in serving me? With your talent and ruthless heart, you can probably even surpass him," Ling Yun said, eyes lighting up with amusement and a flash of crimson. Dong Tianze locked eyes with Ling Yun. Two blood-colored realms lingered in Ling Yun's gaze, each holding the hidden bloodline mysteries of all beings under the heavens. Even slight probing would help him break through his limits. If he just nodded, he could tear through his bottleneck and step into an entirely new cultivation realm. Dong Tianze bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, using the pain to clear his mind. "I serve no one," he said, hastily averting his gaze from Ling Yun's eyes. "You're a failure. What makes someone like you worthy of my servitude? "You're a reborn Sovereign who turned his back on his former master. You know neither principle nor honor. You were defeated once, and you'll lose again." Though Dong Tianze knew the consequences of uttering those words, he said them anyway, and without a trace of fear. 1. Ling Yun could only ascend as the Sovereign of the Spirit Race after Fu Ya advanced to the God King Realm, thereby vacating the seat of Sovereign. His devouring of the World Tree was merely a means of accumulation, a reserve in preparation for that moment. Hope this clarifies how Ling Yun could become the Sovereign of the Spirit Race again. ☜ 2. 为他人做嫁衣 is a Chinese idiom. It means to put in effort or make sacrifices, only for others to reap the rewards. It is often used to convey bitterness, futility, or frustration. ☜