C1307 The God of Ghosts Was Annoyed

Zhong Chichen, a Divine Level herbalist, had ensured his son-in-law, Chu Yao, was thoroughly prepared for his first venture into the Extraterrestrial Star River.

Yu Yuan was convinced that certain special pills designed to calm the mind could potentially ward off the illusions conjured by the Voidweaver.

It must have been the effect of one such pill that allowed Chu Yao to preserve his spiritual wisdom. The same was likely true for Wei Zhuo.

It was highly probable that Wei Zhuo and Chu Yao, being in close proximity, caught a whiff of the pill's medicinal properties and instantly regained their clarity of mind.

"Wei Zhuo..."

Yu Yuan gazed at the thunder vortex with a furrowed brow, sensing a deeper pressure than ever before.

The aura and power that Wei Zhuo was currently displaying seemed to have intensified.

Eight colossal shadows surrounded the thunder vortex like Thunder Gods, exuding an aura capable of annihilating the souls of all beings.

The intense green lightning erupting from the vortex obliterated the colorful ripples released by the Voidweaver.

A silver hammer, intricately etched with complex, mysterious patterns, bobbed within the thunder vortex, threatening to unleash countless bolts of lightning at any moment.

The thunder vortex, the silver hammer, and the presence of the Thunder Sect Master radiated an immense and formidable energy.

"Master of the Thunder Sect, Wei Zhuo."

Beru, the Starfallen Oracle, wore a grave look as he spoke softly to Yu Yuan, "This man is not to be underestimated. Whether in the Moonfall Sanctuary or earlier in Kuvrepros, he seems to have held back his full strength. Despite being slightly less advanced than Fu Xuanwen and Zhu Huan, he's even more fearsome."

Yu Yuan was inwardly alarmed.

In the Moonfall Sanctuary, he had once engaged in a brief skirmish with Wei Zhuo, utilizing the Soulforge Matrix and wielding the Dragon Slaying Stage.

Back then, Wei Zhuo had only wielded the Thunderhammer, which hadn't seemed particularly formidable.

During their encounter in Kuvrepros, Wei Zhuo had tangled with Gheirat without revealing any truly fearsome techniques.

Yet now, Beru was suggesting that Wei Zhuo, despite his lower realm, was more daunting than both Fu Xuanwen and Zhu Huan.

Yu Yuan had no choice but to take the situation seriously.

"As expected of the Starborn's Great Sage."

Yan Qiling began with a word of admiration, then whispered to Yu Yuan, "Boulderdawn holds Wei Zhuo in very high regard, rating him far above Fu Xuanwen and Zhu Huan. Both Boulderdawn and the Skyreach Consortium believe that old-school cultivators at the Unbound Stage, like Fu Xuanwen and Zhu Huan, have no hope of breaking through to the primordial spirit."

"Wei Zhuo, on the other hand, possesses that capability."

"He, along with Ji Ningshuang from the Sword Sect, Mo Baichuan from the Sunlit Order, Lin Yue from the Ebon Star, and Tan Junshan from the Starmoon Sect, has been given special attention. And..."

Pointing to the thunder vortex into which Wei Zhuo had fallen, he continued, "That object is known as the Thunder Pool. It's incredibly extraordinary, not a legacy of the Thunder Sect but rather crafted by Wei Zhuo himself in the extraterrestrial Star River over hundreds of years. The Thunderhammer and Glacial Storm Seal are formidable, but they pale in comparison to the potential of the Thunder Pool."

"The Thunder Pool exudes the essence of a Divine Artifact!"

Both Yan Qiling and Beru held the Thunder Sect's Sect Master in high esteem.

"His ambitions are grand. He aims to use the Thunder Pool to assimilate various lightning pools and thunder vortexes. Should he succeed, he'll undoubtedly displace someone to become one of the supreme beings in the Everlands. The Thunder Sect could then rival the Ebon Star, the Sword Sect, and the Sunlit Order, possibly even surpassing the Sunlit Order," Yan Ziyang murmured.

Yu Yuan looked on, astonished.

Yan Ziyang of the Wraithcult slightly recoiled and added, "Having refined the Crucible of Evil, can't you sense the threat the Thunder Pool poses to it? I encountered Wei Zhuo during my time with the Wraithcult's spells, before I even left the Everlands. I'm well aware of his ambitions."

"Wei Zhuo hasn't yet reached the pinnacle of the Unbound Stage. He's close, but not quite there. If he truly breaks through, becoming one of the strongest below the primordial spirit, he might well secure one of the highest ranks in the future."

Yan Ziyang seemed to harbor an innate fear of Wei Zhuo. His demeanor became restrained and anxious upon Wei Zhuo's arrival.

Yu Yuan and the cauldron spirit Yu Yiyi exchanged a knowing look, silently communicating their mutual concern. Yu Yiyi, the guardian of the Crucible of Evil, gave a slight nod, confirming that Wei Zhuo was indeed a formidable force and could pose a significant threat in the future.

"Ah," sighed Pei Yuling, standing beneath the towering Uxthar Tree.

Like Diggs, he was a follower of the Origin Deity and had retained his spiritual wisdom. He had foreseen the events that would unfold in the shattered starry expanse. Thus, when awakening Diggs, he was aware that Chu Yao had already fled, driven by fear, before he could even appear.

Chu Yao's departure was precisely what Pei Yuling had hoped for. Just as Diggs wished for Beru to stay out of the fray, Pei Yuling desired Chu Yao to evade this disaster. It was his way of settling a debt of gratitude with Zhong Chichen.

By his calculations, Chu Yao should have already reached the Starway and left the Brugeth Astral Domain before the divine butterfly could exert its influence.

Unexpectedly, Chu Yao's journey was interrupted when he encountered Faang Yao, Yuan Lianyao, and Ogeus from Shadow's Keep, which caused a delay.

"Fate is always so enigmatic," Pei Yuling mused to himself, deciding not to dwell on it any further. He lifted his gaze to Diggs and sent a telepathic inquiry, "What's the situation with that fiend?"

Qiyan was not dead.

The Starbeast that Qiyan had possessed was now in pieces, but Qiyan, capable of transforming into seven toxic streams, had repeatedly failed to escape and was now inhabiting the lifeless body of a Crypt Clan member, aimlessly roaming the Spirit World.

At that moment, Qiyan, in his new Crypt Clan host, brazenly approached Pei Yuling.

Pei Yuling was somewhat baffled. He couldn't fathom how Qiyan's soul and psionic power had evaded consumption by the Uxthar Tree and managed to avoid the lethal assaults of the many vicious plants.

With a swift "swoosh," the gaunt figure of Diggs descended from the heavens, alighting beside Pei Yuling.

He observed Qiyan, who had recklessly approached, and sensed the toxic essence coursing through his soul.

Diggs could faintly perceive the consciousness of the newly born Uxthar Tree. After a few seconds of contemplation, he remarked, "Our clan's divine artifact finds that thing's soul repulsive."

"Repulsive?" Pei Yuling was at a loss for words.

"The soul of that thing is riddled with impurities. Even the valuable essence of the soul is tainted with an excess of grime and poison." Diggs watched Qiyan draw near, his face twisted in revulsion, and a peculiar feeling surged within him.

The Uxthar Tree disdained Qiyan's soul, yet the forces of the Spirit World forbade Qiyan from fleeing.

They constrained him but didn't annihilate him. What exactly were the Butterfly Gods and our clan's divine items contemplating?

"I am Qiyan, despised by humans, ghosts, and gods alike, yet I still live—though not particularly well."

The possessed member of the Crypt Clan's eyes blazed with green flames as the fiend Qiyan spoke with a casual tone in the human tongue of the Everlands.

He seemed to realize that he wouldn't meet his end in the Spirit World anytime soon, which lent him a sense of bold assurance.

Qiyan's current stirrings astonished Yu Yuan and others suspended in the void.

Wei Zhuo, stationed at the Thunder Pool wielding the Thunderhammer, had encountered Qiyan in Kuvrepros long ago. Back then, Qiyan was so terrified that he shook uncontrollably, crying and pleading for mercy from Wei Zhuo.

Unexpectedly, Qiyan had not only avoided immediate death in the Spirit World but seemed more vigorous than ever.

Meanwhile, Zhu Huan's Fire Star continued to be penetrated by the massive tree branches. The way things were going, it wouldn't be long before Zhu Huan perished.

"He's realized that he can't die in the Spirit World, at least not for the time being," Beru observed with a peculiar look.

Leo and Denise also found the unfolding scene below somewhat inconceivable.

Having witnessed Qiyan's dire plight in Kuvrepros, they couldn't fathom how he had ended up merely trapped in the Spirit World, yet unscathed by the might of the Uxthar Tree and the Voidweaver.

"Yu Yuan."

Qiyan abruptly looked up, adopting the visage of a Crypt Clan member, and called out to the Lunar Meteorite suspended in the void.

Yu Yuan's demeanor was detached as he stood on the edge of the meteorite, gazing down at Qiyan, yet he did not respond right away.

"Help me find her, let me see her, and I'll heed your every command here!"

Qiyan implored, gesturing towards the menacing trees, the endless flora, and the towering Uxthar Tree. "These plants and trees, they can't touch me. You might find it hard to believe, but that..."

He gestured to the Uxthar Tree, now so vast its branches pierced the Star River. "I feel it's powerless against me too. Without the constraints of this space, and if the butterfly doesn't intervene, I believe I could be of assistance to you. I can do what's within my power."

"All I ask is for you to help me find her, to let me see her."

The 'her' Qiyan spoke of was none other than Yu Zhu, the progeny of his lineage with the Spider Queen.

The crowd turned their astonished gazes towards Yu Yuan following Qiyan's declaration.

Yu Yuan disregarded Qiyan. After a moment's contemplation, he turned to the empress with a hint of curiosity, "Is he truly capable of troubling the Uxthar Tree?"

Chen Qinghuang gave a slight nod in affirmation.

​