Divine Beast Creator-Chapter 1269 - 1270: The Story of the Past

"To manipulate the wind? Quite a peculiar existence."

Veronia remarked with fascination, twirling the parasol in her hand. Clearly, there were no signs of being a Spirit Beast, yet it possessed the power to control wind like one. This could only be by divine permission; otherwise, how could a mere foreign relic so easily manipulate the elemental forces of this world?

"It doesn’t seem to show any obvious malice."

Walking along the path of wind, Feng Yuan could hear the breeze singing hymns around him. Yet, despite the uplifting tone, there was an inexplicable sorrow embedded within the melody.

As they ascended the passage, the group marveled at the floating crystalline staircase. The hovering temple, shrouded in a pale green wind, revealed an ominous detail—a corner of it appeared to have been cleaved off by some tremendous force. The smooth fracture glimmered faintly with a greenish hue.

"As I suspected..."

Seeing this, Feng Yuan could deduce how this artifact had been brought into this world. If that were the case, then there was truly no need to worry about safety; an entity displaced from its homeland, no matter how powerful, posed little threat to the current world.

Ascending the steps into the majestic and ornate temple, murals on both sides depicted a world of the past. It was a world submerged beneath vast oceans, with continents floating in the sky. Temples stood proudly upon these aerial landmasses. High above all, the Wind Temple reigned, its gales holding the continents aloft, preventing them from sinking into the boundless sea below.

"Survivors."

In the center of the temple, Feng Yuan gestured toward an ever-shifting energy crystal and said, "Survivors." A strange, unrecognizable sound echoed gently in everyone’s ears, akin to whispers of the wind, but no one could understand what was being said. Before the "survivor" could resolve the communication barrier, Feng Yuan retrieved an ancient lantern and gave it a shake.

A spectral projection of a solemn, ancient temple appeared behind Feng Yuan. Though merely a modest silhouette, its oppressive aura left everyone speechless. Wind arose from nothingness, carrying specks of silvery light that gathered before the energy crystal and slowly merged into it.

"You..."

The murmuring sound of wind rose again, but this time, the words were comprehensible to all present. Feng Yuan put away the ancient lantern, and as the temple’s projection faded, he smiled faintly and said,

"Well? We can communicate now, can’t we?"

"What exactly happened in your world? Were you invaded by an external foe?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, Feng Yuan inquired of the crystal. It flickered momentarily before replying,

"Destroyed... destroyed by the rebellious waters."

"Rebellion?"

Feng Yuan scratched his head, finding it puzzling. For forces within a world to destroy their own realm was not impossible, yet it was an extraordinarily difficult feat. What could have driven them to such an act?

"Indeed. Tidamis was originally much like this world, with land above the seas. But at some point, the Water Spirits changed. They sought to annihilate all existence beyond water. Many landmasses were submerged and obliterated during that time. By the time we realized what was happening, the Water Spirits had already claimed more than half the world. To avoid direct confrontation, we Wind Spirits lifted the remaining land into the skies with our gales."

"They raged on, and the seas roared incessantly. However, for a time, they could not reach us. The high heavens were not a realm they could easily touch."

"The lifeforms once thriving in the oceans were wiped out in the chaos wrought by the Water Spirits, leaving the seas desolate. In the skies, we had to rely on the dwindling Freshwater Spirits to maintain a fragile ecological balance. Yet even so, we constantly feared that the Freshwater Spirits might one day harbor ulterior motives."

"The Earth and Fire Spirits sought to reclaim the terrain, but the Water Spirits grew ever more powerful. Even working together, we could not prevail against them."

"Thus, the world was divided into the Sea of Destruction below and the Sky Nations above, coexisting tenuously for a long time. Yet all changed when the Water Spirits somehow managed to disrupt the world’s energy. The chaotic forces destabilized us, and the winds that held the continents aloft began to falter."

"Before we could uncover a solution, the Water Spirits inexplicably harnessed the powers of wind, fire, and earth. They ascended to the high heavens and waged war against us. Even our united strength was no match for their ever-growing might."

"And then... I succumbed to slumber. Yet before I fell completely into darkness, I saw the azure skies consumed by an eternal night."

"When I woke, I found you here. I understood that He had given me refuge. I have no desire to cause trouble. I just wish to record Tidamis’s tale, so that at least its memory won’t be lost to oblivion."

"The final scene—a rupture in the world’s barriers—but as for the details..."

Feng Yuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Those Water Spirits, what sort of madness had gripped them? To destroy their own world? Surely they must have grown tired of living. The ability to annihilate a world did not imply the power to survive in Chaos; the two were entirely separate.

Some might survive in Chaos, but lack the means to destroy their world. Moreover, those Water Spirits breached their world from within.

Setting aside theories, just from the survivor’s account, Feng Yuan could infer that the Water Spirits, much like this world’s Divine Beasts, were entities tasked with maintaining and regulating the rules of existence. Such beings drew much of their strength from the world itself. What had driven them to go mad and destroy their own home?

As for the Abyss’s influence? Impossible. The Abyss had only recently been released by him; it had been sealed away with no chance to escape prior. Furthermore, the Abyss lacked sentient will and acted merely on instinct. Subtle infiltration and slow corruption didn’t align with its nature.

"Do you intend to remain here forever?"

Delong Tower scrutinized the energy crystal. Though its peculiar appearance puzzled him, it wasn’t incomprehensible. However, he doubted how long it could endure against the storms of the Starlit Sea, which would continually sap its strength.

"I have nowhere else to go."

"This Wind Temple is my sole attachment. Wherever it is, I shall remain."

"You can’t move it?"

Startled, Feng Yuan looked curiously at the energy crystal. It flickered before responding,

"I cannot. My power has dwindled to barely a tenth of its former strength. I can only ensure this temple isn’t engulfed by the sea. I can’t even elevate it to the heavens, let alone move it."

"I see... Let me ask Him how to handle this. There aren’t any traps or mechanisms in this temple, right?"

Remembering something, Feng Yuan asked. The energy crystal flickered before replying,

"None. The weapons here were destroyed during their invasion."

"Figures. Still, weren’t the Water Spirits supposed to be the world’s protectors? Why did they act this way?"

Scratching his head, Feng Yuan voiced his confusion. Normally, gods wouldn’t suddenly betray their purpose without reason. Unless someone was stirring up trouble. This led him to recall the entity that had caused him trouble on multiple occasions. The energy crystal flickered continuously for a while before calming down and saying,

"We don’t know. All we know is that the Water Spirits severed contact with us. Shortly thereafter, the catastrophe unfolded. The ocean swallowed everything, and what transpired beneath the waves became a mystery to us."

"Even the final eternal night... we do not understand its cause."

"Perhaps it was the world’s source being breached. An insufficiently protected world faces inevitable collapse when compromised."

Feng Yuan spread his hands and remarked. Though the world’s source would never appear in the physical realm, there were always ways to reach its root space via the material plane. If its safeguards failed and it was breached, it wouldn’t be surprising.

"Why are you staring at me? I wouldn’t do something so reckless!"

Noticing Agunas watching him, Delong Tower retorted indignantly. Flicking its tail, Agunas replied,

"If there’s any disturbance in the Starlit Sea, you must notify us."

"That’s hardly a concern. If any Divine Beasts were influenced by those beings, He, along with Eclipse and Xilnais, could handle it. Perhaps even you could deal with it in the future."

Feng Yuan glanced at Agunas as he spoke.