Chapter 1361: Chapter 1361: The Trouble with The Ancestor of Fire

“The Primal Deity!”

The Heavenly Evil spotted the summoned Fire Ancestor and felt a tremor within its consciousness. “So it is the fallen Primal Deity, reassembled through sacrificial means to condense a fated awareness and called forth again.”

However, its mood immediately soured. With a Primal Deity present, many of its schemes would be rendered useless.

“Divine Sovereign!”

The Fire Ancestor was not engaged in battle but conversed through its fated awareness, which did not consume much energy.

He gazed into the altar, where boundless dark and evil forces churned like a vast, torrential sea. Amidst the chaos, a bizarre entity appeared faintly, twisting like mist. Even the Fire Ancestor grew solemn.

“A most peculiar and sinister being; I cannot discern its true origins. I have never encountered such a presence before, but I speculate it is an extraordinarily unique lifeform born from the primordial universe.”

The Fire Ancestor continued, “It reminds me of the eighteen Sovereigns within Hell, one of whom is called the Terror Sovereign. He, too, is an extraordinarily unique lifeform born of the primordial universe, much like myself.”

“Understood,” the Sovereign responded.

If even the Fire Ancestor could not identify it, its malevolence and strangeness were certainly unfathomable.

“Still, everything it says must not be trusted.”

A moment ago, Chu Yuan had already informed him of the events transpiring within the Heavenly Yuan Plane, and now he deliberated, “Soul manipulation–it has already claimed the life of the original deity of the Heavenly Yuan Plane to break free from its seal. If it escapes, it will be a catastrophe.”

“I will not allow it,” Chu Yuan said calmly. Soul manipulation had no effect on him.

“It is deceiving you!” the Heavenly Evil grew frantic.

Though it was indeed undying and unperishable, it could not break its seal alone. Chu Yuan’s arrival was its only hope.

“Hmph! You shall remain sealed beneath this altar for eternity!”

The Fire Ancestor let out a stern cry.

Just as he was about to dissipate, the flames around him suddenly erupted violently, trembling with unease.

“What is happening?” Chu Yuan noticed the Fire Ancestor’s palpable distress.

“I cannot explain the details at this moment, Divine Sovereign, but I implore you to offer greater power through sacrifice. My instincts tell me that something deeply concerning is afoot!”

The Fire Ancestor spoke urgently.

A larger surge of energy was sacrificed to the Fire Ancestor.

“This is bad!”

After several breaths, the Fire Ancestor realized the source of his anxiety and exclaimed, “It is my Fire Realm–it is undergoing refinement, and its core will be reached soon. A century? No, perhaps just a few decades, and the Fire Realm will shatter! By then, my Primal Divine Artifact and all my treasures will fall into the hands of others. Divine Sovereign, this cannot be allowed to happen!”

The Fire Realm was his creation, containing his fated awareness.

“Someone is refining your Fire Realm?”

Even Chu Yuan could sense the urgency of the situation.

“Yes, but I do not know who it is. They cannot directly seize it, so they are using a slow method of refinement. The Primal Divine Artifact must not be lost!”

The Fire Ancestor could no longer remain composed.

“Once my Primal Divine Artifact is located, I can place my legacy within it. Although I will not be able to resurrect, the artifact’s power can allow me to manifest myself. With my knowledge, I can teach the Divine Sovereign ancient cultivation methods and use the artifact to bolster the Divine Empire!”

The Fire Ancestor spoke in desperation.

Currently, he relied on Chu Yuan’s sacrifices to reappear. But with the Primal Divine Artifact, such inconvenience would be unnecessary. The artifact would operate autonomously to absorb energy.

“They are encountering major disruptions–their departure from the Heavenly Yuan Plane may happen soon. My opportunity has arrived!”

The Heavenly Evil could not understand the conversation between Chu Yuan and the Fire Ancestor but could infer certain details. Hastily, it proposed, “You cannot leave Demon Abyss on your own. Only by cooperating with me can the seal be broken. Otherwise, you will remain trapped here with me forever!”

It believed it could grasp the upper hand.

Time was not its concern, having been sealed for countless millennia. But these mortals were pressed for it.

“I know what concerns you. I can swear an oath: once I am free, I will not harm you. My only targets for vengeance are the residents of the Heavenly Yuan Plane. You may leave with the Yuan Diagram afterward!”

The Heavenly Evil pressed on.

“Fire Ancestor, do not panic. If it requires decades or centuries to refine, then they lack the power to break in directly. I will aid you; their success will not be permitted.”

Chu Yuan cast a glance at the Heavenly Evil but dismissed it with indifference.

Let this Heavenly Evil remain obediently sealed here; he would deal with it in due time.

With a wave of his hand, an endless seal enveloped the Heavenly Evil, blinding its view of Chu Yuan’s actions. He then activated a teleportation scroll, waiting silently for the transmission.

“What is he trying to do?”

The Heavenly Evil could no longer see and grew anxious. “Could he truly escape the Heavenly Yuan Plane directly? Impossible! Demon Abyss is sealed by all the great powers of the Heavenly Yuan Plane–direct escape is inconceivable.”

Boundless Demonic Qi surged against the altar.

“Sovereign of Yuan Plane, the Heavenly Evil is launching an intense attack on the altar. What is happening?”

Outside the Demon Abyss, the faces of the seven Clan leaders turned pale.

“It is likely attempting to break its seal, but I have not observed any physical disruptions to the altar. Their communication appears antagonistic, rather than cooperative.”

The Sovereign of the Yuan Plane furrowed his brows. “Strengthen the seals. Prepare for any unexpected developments.”

“We return to the Empire and plan for the Fire Realm,” Chu Yuan declared.

Half an hour later, a spatial tunnel formed where Chu Yuan stood. He stepped into it, vanishing completely from the Demon Abyss.

“He vanished! He vanished!”

The Heavenly Evil saw the light shadows before it abruptly disappear. After a moment of stunned silence, it let out an earth-shattering roar. “You dared to leave without freeing me! How dare you possess a method to escape the Demon Abyss on your own! Who exactly are you?!”

This escape–

It could clearly perceive that the seals of the Demon Abyss had been rendered completely ineffective.

“One Heavenly Evil has vanished!”

The entire Heavenly Yuan Plane was astir. How could the Heavenly Evil, with such restrictive seals in place, slip away so eerily?

What disturbed them the most was that the sealing formations had not been breached at all; the foe had disappeared as if made of air, without a trace.

While breaking through forcefully might have been expected–

The most dreadful enemy was the unknown.

“Sovereign of the Yuan Plane, what should we do now?” Someone turned to the most powerful among them, the Yuan Sovereign.

“I have already communed with the will of heaven and earth. The Heavenly Evil is indeed gone; it no longer resides in our Heavenly Yuan Plane,” the Yuan Sovereign replied grimly.

“Do you know how it disappeared?”

Someone asked.

“No. Even the will of heaven and earth is unclear–it seems to be a higher power, one that transcends the natural laws of space and time, like an all-pervasive destiny.”

The Yuan Sovereign’s demeanor turned thoughtful.

This Heavenly Evil, though weaker than its predecessors of ancient times, was far more enigmatic.

It had arrived like the wind–and left the same way.

“What should we do next?” The group grew restless.

“I will remain stationed at the Demon Abyss. I have discerned that the two Heavenly Evils are not the same, but it cannot be confirmed whether the one who left will return to our Heavenly Yuan Plane.”