C116 Martyr Spell!
Lee Yuchan's cultivation of the Spiritual Spell required the sacrifice of a soul spirit, and the formation of the Yin God left unmistakable traces.
The younger generation, including Yan Lu, Su Yan, and Han Hui, as well as their family clans, might not be able to stomach Lee Yuchan's sinister practices.
To avoid idle chatter, Yu Yuan had to seek out a secure location.
Lee Yuchan, fully aware of the situation, promptly followed suit.
Lee Yu, bringing up the rear, cautioned Yan Lu and Su Yan to exercise caution.
Then he too followed Yu Yuan.
The golden skeleton, as if crafted from pure gold, paid no heed to the others, striding purposefully towards Yu Yuan.
Inside the skull of the skeleton, a dark red flame danced wildly.
As the skeleton moved, a shower of golden light sprinkled onto the earth.
The ground, tough as ironstone, was perforated with numerous holes the size of thumbs.
Bones of demonic beasts that caught the golden rain burst into dust with a puff.
Yan Lu and the rest paled, quickly distancing themselves from the Huang family's skeleton.
"An Yang God..."
Zhan Tianxiang's eyes blazed with excitement as he flashed a wide grin.
The Yang God Stage was exceedingly rare on the Profound Sky Continent. This Yang God, who had ventured into the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area and met his end here, likely hailed from the Heavenly Source or Quietus Continent.
A Yang God had fallen here, in person.
Could the one who pierced his brow be even mightier?
Why was the Yang God's skeleton more resilient than that of the Golden Elephant Ancient God after so many years?
"It's the dark red flame, sustained by a trace of Yang God Essence, that has wrought this miracle!" Zhan Tianxiang realized after close observation.
A subtle spiritual energy, drawn by the Yang God Essence, was secretly infusing the golden skeleton.
The golden rain scattered by the moving skeleton was merely the dregs.
In essence, the Yang God's skeleton was accumulating spiritual energy and purifying itself, thanks to the Yang God Essence.
Without interference, the Yang God's skeleton would only grow more formidable.
It might even reach a point where it could regenerate flesh and blood, and restore its veins and arteries.
"The grandeur of the Great Realm, with its mystical powers, can indeed resurrect the dead and reunite the soul. It's not just legend!"
Zhan Tianxiang felt fortunate that he had steadfastly trusted Yu Yuan and joined him on this journey. Otherwise, he would never have witnessed such wonders of a Yang God even in death.
He had never encountered a Yang God expert before. The one lying dead before him was the first he had ever laid eyes on.
"Yang God, huh? Yang God!" His gaze grew even more fervent.
...
Yu Yuan dashed out of the hole and back into the open wilderness without once glancing back, charging ahead with single-minded determination.
He understood that the golden skeleton had only just begun to reforge its bones due to the return of a wisp of the Yang God's soul. It would be some time before the skeleton could move with enough agility to pursue him.
So, for now, he harbored no concerns.
His worries lay with the future.
The Yang God skeleton, reanimated by a returning soul fragment, had embarked on a path to renewal.
A mere wisp of soul and a skeleton, this once formidable Yang God Stage expert faced a myriad of challenges to regain his former glory.
Yet, if left unchecked, without any external interference, there might still be a chance for recovery.
But he was only one individual.
The forbidden area was immense. Could there be others, like him, whose lingering souls had escaped due to the changes in the heavens and the earth?
The sword soul indicated that this place was filled with anomalies. The souls of the fallen experts could undergo transformations, becoming malevolent spirits that torment newcomers or escape and endanger the innocent.
"We must stabilize this uncontrollable forbidden area, or it could spell turmoil for not just the empire, but the entire Profound Sky Continent!"
A quarter of an hour later, he stood firmly among the ice rocks.
These ice rocks, once rubble within the many pits of the wilderness, had been shattered during fierce battles and now lay scattered across the surface. The severe cold had transformed them into a thick layer of ice.
The ice beneath his feet shone brightly, mirror-like.
Lee Yu and Lee Yuchan had kept pace with him and came to a halt in the center of the ice field just as he did, both looking at him with puzzled expressions.
"Here?" Lee Yu inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Lee Yuchan's eyes held a hint of strangeness as she surveyed the ice rocks. "This place..."
"You didn't start out practicing the Martyr Spell, did you?" Yu Yuan abruptly asked, "When did you switch to cultivating the Martyr Spell?"
Lee Yu's face turned pale. "Aunt, you later practiced the Martyr Spell?"
Lee Yuchan's expression was icy as she turned to Yu Yuan. "How can you see so clearly?"
"It must be the Martyr Spell," Yu Yuan declared.
"Auntie?" Lee Yu pressed.
The imperial female general, clad in her imposing heavy armor, paused before speaking, "I've led troops against the Rainier Empire for many years. There was a time when I was cornered, and all my generals perished. Surrounded and gravely wounded by the empire, I was at my end."
"The Martyr Spell allows one to harness the souls of fallen warriors, sacrificing them to replenish one's own spirit."
"For the sake of victory, for survival, I resolved to practice the Martyr Spell."
Pain etched across Lee Yuchan's face as she recounted her story.
"Not long after I began using the Martyr Spell, it was as if I could see the fragmented souls of my comrades, those who had fought beside me, being set ablaze. And I... I was the one holding the torch."
"They had already died for me, for the empire, and before their spirits could fade away, I ignited them anew with the Martyr Spell."
The general, notorious for her ruthless tactics, bowed her head in sorrow.
Lee Yu's expression turned bitter. The thought of sacrificing the lingering spirits of friends and allies to bolster one's own spirit and maintain combat prowess was a truth that the empire's devoted warriors would find hard to swallow.
The Martyr Spell was said to be a profound technique realized by the founder of the Kingdom of Rewia, the Sky Shocking Emperor, amidst the chaos of battle.
This spell propelled the Sky Shocking Emperor to the pinnacle of strength on the Profound Sky Continent during his time.
With each battle led by the Sky Shocking Emperor, the Martyr Spell granted him an explosive surge in combat power.
In his relentless pursuit of the Martyr Spell, to advance his realm and refine his Yin and Yang Gods, the Sky Shocking Emperor left a trail of bloodshed. After every victory, he would mercilessly slaughter the surrendering enemy forces.
Even the lives of his own fallen soldiers were of no consequence to him; the more heroic spirits that perished on the battlefield, the mightier he grew.
The Sky Shocking Emperor's tyrannical reign incited fury across the land, eventually drawing the ire of a formidable warrior from the Heavenly Source Continent's Sword Sect.
Despite having condensed the Yang God and reaching the Unrestrained Stage, the Sky Shocking Emperor, bolstered by the Martyr Spell, was ultimately slain by the Sword Sect's mighty swordsman.
The Sword Sect's master, too, was gravely wounded. Upon his return, he retreated into a deep silence.
In a united front, the Sword Sect and the other sects of the Heavenly Source Continent pressured the Kingdom of Rewia, declaring the Martyr Spell an evil technique forbidden to their practitioners. The Martyr Spell itself was reduced to cinders.
Lee Yuchan, who had somehow obtained the Martyr Spell, practiced it in secret during her direst moments, advancing to the late stages of the Penetrating Stage. Should her use of the Martyr Spell become known to the Heavenly Source Continent, they would likely dispatch formidable warriors to eliminate her—a threat that could extend to the entire Silvermoon Empire.
This knowledge struck terror in Lee Yu's heart, stirring a deep sense of foreboding.
"Don't worry, the residual souls in this forsaken place are merely malevolent spirits, not Martyr Souls," Yu Yuan reassured her. "Use these malevolent spirits to forge your Yin God without any guilt."
"He's arrived. Prepare yourself."
In the midst of their conversation, the resplendent skeleton of the Yang God came into view. Yu Yuan extended his hand, gesturing towards it from a distance.
