C1086 Bane Shadowfox

In the expansive hall on the ground floor of the pavilion, Yu Yuan regarded the five unexpected visitors before him.

"Master, allow me to introduce them," Qi Yunhong said, stepping forward. He bowed to Yu Yuan and, upon receiving a nod, continued, "They hail from Tempest's Edge Sect, an extraterrestrial group. As you're aware, Tempest's Edge Sect consists of cultivators who branched off from the Everlands. They parted ways with Thunder Sect due to differences in their spells and choices."

With this explanation, Yu Yuan had an epiphany and asked, "Are these the individuals who bestowed upon you the Soulsear Bolt?"

Qi Yunhong confirmed with a nod.

"I'm Qiao Yuling," the toothless old woman chuckled, introducing herself before turning her attention to Luo Yue and Wen Lu, who were also present in the hall. "I'll get right to the point. Young Qi is a cultivator our Tempest's Edge Sect is interested in. I'm aware that a strand of his soul resides within your soul puppet. I want you to grant him full autonomy."

"As for me, I'll offer you something in return," she added.

"To tell you the truth, I learned from him that you were his savior in the Crimson Sun Empire. You played a significant role in the reformation of his Solar Spirit Body. Considering our future interactions, I've decided to pass this item on to you."

With a crackling sound, a stream of crimson lightning enveloped a dark purple object as Qiao Yuling flicked it from her sleeve.

The object unfurled into a small cat with sleek black-purple fur. Its eyes, resembling amethyst, radiated a chilling, bloodthirsty, and savage gleam.

Wen Lu let out a shriek, her soul instinctively quivering at the sight. Luo Yue, who had ascended to Ghost King in the Land of Terror, eyed the cat with caution.

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.

"It preys on souls, ghosts, and Sky Fiends," Qiao Yuling said with a smile.

In an instant, the cauldron spirit, Yu Yiyi, burst forth from the Zigong acupoint in Yu Yuan's chest and, with a swift motion, positioned itself before the small cat.

Yu Yiyi squatted down, her eyes gleaming as she reached out to touch the cat's head.

"Be careful," Qiao Yuling cautioned kindly.

The other four cultivators from Tempest's Edge watched her extend her hand as if she were the punchline to a joke.

Rip!

The scarlet lightning that enveloped the little cat was effortlessly torn apart by Yu Yiyi, leaving the five Tempest's Edge cultivators in attendance inwardly stunned.

Although the lightning wasn't the formidable Soulsear Bolt, it still harbored a volatile thunderous power, and Qiao Yuling had refined it herself—it wasn't something just anyone could break.

Yet Yu Yiyi not only broke it, she did so with such nonchalance...

The little cat, previously with eyes filled with a cold, bloodthirsty, and savage light, did not go on a rampage upon losing its restraints.

Instead, it looked bewilderedly at Yu Yiyi, who was gently caressing its fur.

The five cultivators from Tempest's Edge promptly checked their scorn. After exchanging glances, their attitudes shifted.

"What, don't you remember? After your fall, were your memories sealed away too?" Yu Yiyi said with a light chuckle, holding the cat in her arms as she turned to Yu Yuan. "This is a Shadowfox, once one of the twelve Banes. These individuals likely hail from the Thunder Sect in the Everlands, so..."

While speaking, she conveyed a remnant soul to Yu Yuan to clarify his confusion.

The Terror Claws sect had been decimated during the civil war between the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea, with her former master perishing and the Thunder Sect's cultivators playing a significant role in the downfall.

The power of lightning and thunder was a natural bane to the Banes.

With her former master's death, most of the twelve mightiest Banes had vanished.

This Shadowfox must have been gravely wounded by the Thunder Sect's powerhouses, captured, and then secretly imprisoned. Somehow, it ended up in the Extraterrestrial Star River and into the hands of Qiao Yuling.

"Don't lay the blame at our feet. We weren't even born when the Terror Claws fell," Qiao Yuling said, her expression unchanged. "This cat was discovered in our sect's forbidden area when we departed the Everlands. I've used it to annihilate the Sky Fiend clans, feeding it the souls of the Otherkin."

"It's a shame I've never been able to awaken its spiritual wisdom. Once released, it knows nothing but slaughter," Qiao Yuling explained.

Yu Yuan nodded in understanding, though he didn't immediately reply to her. Instead, he kept communicating with Yu Yiyi.

He soon learned that the Shadowfox, a Bane born from a mysterious location within the Everlands, had gradually evolved within the Crucible of Evil.

The Shadowfox's current rank placed it at the eighth tier within the Crucible of Evil.

Moreover, upon its return to the Crucible of Evil, it would receive Soul Power nourishment from the Bane below it, potentially ascending to the next level in a short time, equal to the Frost Queen.

Yu Yiyi continued to describe the formidable and unique aspects of the Shadowfox, which led him to a decision.

With a mere thought, Yu Yuan retrieved the soul puppet from his Cosmos Ring. He recalled the secrets of the soul-controlling mystique, unsealed the Lunar Spirit, which then left his body.

Qiao Yuling and the four cultivators from Tempest's Edge had peculiar looks on their faces when they saw his Lunar Spirit.

"You've got quite the nerve, daring to separate from your Lunar Spirit in our presence," chuckled the elder with the red agate necklace, "You must realize how perilous this is before cultivators skilled in the ways of lightning and thunder."

"If you dare harm me, forget about leaving Ionodios with your lives," Yu Yuan stated coolly.

While speaking, his Lunar Spirit entered the soul puppet, located Qi Yunhong's soul mark, extracted it, and wiped away all traces.

The soul puppet was designed to imprison a Lunar Spirit and exert complete control. Initially, he hadn't done so with Qi Yunhong, allowing his Lunar Spirit to return to his body.

Yet, for some reason, he had left a soul mark, ensuring Qi Yunhong's continued obedience.

Now, Yu Yuan had meticulously erased every trace of Qi Yunhong from the soul puppet, leaving no hint of his presence.

Consequently, the puppet's fingers also transformed, no longer reflecting Qi Yunhong's corresponding shape.

"I feel a bit of relief."

Qi Yunhong bowed deeply to Yu Yuan, a gesture of utmost respect.

Yet, deep within, he couldn't shake off the memory of the immense phantom his soul had encountered within the soul puppet, nor the terror and awe that came with it.

Thus, despite his newfound freedom, he remained humble in Yu Yuan's presence.

"Something still doesn't seem right. Follow me; I need to take another look."

Qiao Yuling, eager to not waste a moment, promptly left the room as soon as the deal was concluded, without further ado.

After a courteous bow, Qi Yunhong followed several cultivators from Tempest's Edge and vanished from the hall.

"He still regards you as his master, truly and sincerely," Luo Yue remarked with a surprised smile, finding it odd. She wondered what magic Yu Yuan possessed to make Qi Yunhong, the wild man, submit so willingly.

Yu Yuan offered a nonchalant smile, glanced at Yu Yiyi, and led the little cat named Shadowfox into the Crucible of Evil.

The ninth day arrived.

Indigo Wraith, Ghost King Youqian, and others came to him, reporting that they hadn't located the Frost Well.

An anxious Yu Yuan stopped insisting on his cultivation and instead focused on refining pills himself.

The grand trade fair commenced on schedule on the tenth day.

The Skyreach Consortium, having completed their preparations, boldly showcased an array of items: various pills, weapons, Divine Garments, bones of giant beasts and archdemons, arrays concealing cosmic laws, and a plethora of divine metals and crystals.

The powerful beings from different races, dark disciples, and evil cultivators all sprang into action.

After refining another batch of pills, a weary Yu Yuan stood up just in time to catch the tail end of President Lyi's stirring speech.

"The Ruby Hand has left behind high-level spiritual artifacts for sale. Interested in buying one for Yuanyuan?"

Ann Ziqing's mocking voice drifted as if from outside the hall, echoing in Yu Yuan's room.

Yu Yuan glanced sideways, picked up a pebble from the corner, and crushed it in his hand. The stone shattered, silencing Ann Ziqing's voice. "Next time, spare me these tricks."

The TV series adapted from the book "Spirit Realm" by Old Ni premiered last night on Aeon, and I must say, the production quality and special effects were impressive.

Although the plot has its differences, I took the time to watch a few episodes and found it truly worth the watch. I highly recommend it to everyone. It's a blend of fantasy and Xianxia, not to be confused with Wuxia!