C1433 Mindflay

In the grand stone palace on Celestial Isle, a towering man, resplendent like a Golden Shura, sat with regal posture on an immense chair. His body pulsed with spiritual energy and glints of golden sand.

Before him stood a striking woman, a silver trident poised at her side.

Beneath their feet lay scattered fragments of crystal spheres, shimmering like glass shards under the radiance emanating from them, as if they were amidst a Sea of Fallen Stars.

These two figures were Zheng Luanjie and Qi Lingyu, the esteemed guardians of Celestial Isle. Prior to Feng Zhong's departure, they were the second and third in command.

Zheng Luanjie, his face aglow with a golden sheen, appeared as though he were the embodiment of a unique Solar Spirit, not merely his real body. "I'm curious what Van told Yu Yuan to make him suddenly visit Healing Island."

Even without the aid of the crystal balls, Zheng Luanjie could clearly discern the events on the island after the protective formation had vanished. The corpses strewn before Herb Mountain, including Qu Yun's, could only be Yu Yuan's doing.

Qi Lingyu, whose graceful figure and real body were seated in harmony with the Way of Heaven, had a temperament as soothing as the water itself. She chuckled, "Yu Yuan didn't clash with Van. He simply unleashed a slaughter on Healing Island, which is not our concern. As for Qu Yun... if he's dead, so be it."

Her nonchalant demeanor suggested that Qu Yun's fate and Yu Yuan's rampage were of little consequence.

"I'm concerned that the disturbance he's creating will escalate," Zheng Luanjie said with a wry smile, massaging his temples. "Others may not be aware, but you know full well the earth-shattering events he's caused in the Glimmerdrift Nebula. The Sundering Isles are our responsibility, and I fear he may lay them to waste."

Qi Lingyu's worry grew at his words.

On the cusp of entering the late period of her Solar Spirit, Qi Lingyu felt a deep connection to these waters. She believed that her chance to ascend to the Unbound Realm and merge with the Dao lay within this very sea.

Yu Yuan's emergence in the Glimmerdrift Nebula had transformed a Star River of the Shura into a realm of death.

One crucial "Wintermaw" connected to the Everlands was nearly destroyed.

Yu Yuan has now reached the Sundering Isles, his intentions clearly set against the Order of Healing. Although he was aligned with the Chamber of Commerce, Qi Lingyu couldn't help feeling anxious about the numerous disasters triggered by his presence.

"I'll speak with Mr. Feng!"

Qi Lingyu exclaimed.

...

The Sunlit Isle, Aemon Island, Acora Island, Isle of Desolation, and many other scattered islands were all home to sect experts.

The dramatic changes on Healing Island, brought on by Qu Yun's death and the vanishing array, did not go unnoticed by many interested parties.

At this moment, from the shadows of numerous islands, countless eyes were fixed on Healing Island.

Threads of remnant soul, invisible to the average person, were converging towards Healing Island, some traveling through the sky, others diving beneath the sea.

Qu Yun, a prominent figure within the Order of Healing, had gained considerable renown in the Sundering Isles, especially of late.

With the Order of Healing and the Skyreach Consortium ending their partnership, sects and individuals in need of pills had been visiting him on the island to purchase or pre-order more specialized pills.

Qu Yun's sudden death, along with the dozen or so cultivators from the Order of Healing found dead alongside him, pointed to a clear purge.

But who was behind this cleansing?

"Yu Yuan!"

"The perpetrator is none other than Yu Yuan!"

"I recognize him; he's been to the Sundering Isles before! Remember Lin Zhuyun from Winter's Bite? When she was possessed by the Sky Fiend and went on a killing spree here, he was her primary target!"

"Indeed, Qi Lingyu and Zheng Luanjie were both drawn into that ordeal! If I recall correctly, even Van Heqing intervened with his sword!"

"How has he returned from the extraterrestrial realms?"

"He's none other than the God of Medicine from three hundred years ago!"

"..."

Gasps of astonishment echoed through the dark corners of the islands.

...

Yu Yuan was adept at handling multiple tasks at once.

Deep within his little world, his crystalline body housed the Solar Spirit, brimming with boundless vital energy. Effortlessly, he seized three seventh-level fire dragons and devoured them.

Within his Solar Spirit, the three fire dragons transformed into slender strands of blood-red lightning.

It was only marginally thicker than a strand of hair.

To Qu Yun, a seventh-level fire dragon might be considered a rare treasure, but to Yu Yuan and his Solar Spirit, it was hardly worth mentioning.

Feasting on a fire dragon of this caliber provided only a minimal boost to his Solar Spirit.

Meanwhile, his Lunar Spirit was delving into Qu Yun's lifelong memories within the Bloodhell, his expression darkening by the moment.

He witnessed a scene...

Only the Sect Master of the Order of Healing was permitted to enter the depths of the forbidden area. There, Qu Yun materialized like a specter, his eyes clouded with confusion as he awkwardly etched something onto the rocky walls with mechanical, jerky movements.

Qu Yun seemed oblivious to his own actions, as if under some spectral influence.

The lines and symbols he carved became exceedingly faint shortly after, as though they were intentionally concealing themselves.

Qu Yun vanished in a haze, and after some time, his past self, Hong Qi, pushed open the heavy stone door and entered.

He meticulously tossed leaves into the Serpentflame furnace on the ground, manipulating the mechanism to channel the earthfire, his expression one of deep concentration as he pondered the intricate steps of crafting a particular pill.

After some time, he refined the pill with painstaking precision, following the exact method he had envisioned.

As the process neared completion and the pill within the furnace was about to solidify, he finally relaxed. At that moment, the previously hidden lines and symbols on the forbidden area's wall subtly reemerged.

Faint green, light purple, and ink-like wisps of smoke vanished behind his head, unbeknownst to him.

Satisfied with the pill he had obtained, he was ready to leave the forbidden area when a sudden recollection of an unpleasant matter caused a cold gleam to flash in his eyes.

Three hundred years prior, he eventually departed.

Some time passed, and once again, Qu Yun, as if possessed, reappeared to deepen the carvings on the wall, seemingly recharging the concealed and eerie array with new energy.

After a considerable wait, he returned to refine medicine once more.

At his most relaxed moment, when the pill was taking shape, the mysterious green, purple, and inky smokes slipped into the back of his head.

Before departing the forbidden area, his gaze turned fierce, and he radiated an aura of murderous intent.

He seemed to have made a decision to kill someone in a fit of rage.

The same scenes played out repeatedly.

He entered to concoct medicines time and time again, each exposure to an unknown smoke warping his mind, distorting his temperament. With each departure, his face was altered, unrecognizable from before.

Qu Yun, who appeared to be possessed, was likely nothing more than a puppet. He would return to deepen the etchings and infuse them with the malevolent energy they required.

The Qu Yun who kept appearing, devoid of a Solar Spirit, was actually his real body, which was supposed to be in secluded cultivation.

In the core of Qu Yun's soul, there were no memories of when he was possessed or of his study of those symbols.

This indicated that the knowledge was not his own.

Yu Yuan meticulously combed through all of Qu Yun's soul memories but found no leads.

It seemed that even Qu Yun himself was unaware of this chapter in his life, oblivious to the fact that while his Solar Spirit was elsewhere, someone had tampered with his real body, taken residence within him, and carried out numerous actions.

Qu Yun was ignorant, yet because he had been involved and had witnessed it, the deepest recesses of his subconscious retained those images.

Yu Yuan's Wraithbinding technique unearthed memories buried deep within his soul, memories he himself didn't know existed.

"Just as I suspected... Mr. Van was correct."

Yu Yuan's face shifted as he abruptly realized that the change in his disposition at life's end wasn't a natural progression but had been forcibly manipulated by someone!

But who could it be?

His first thought was his senior brother, Zhong Chichen, but he swiftly dismissed the idea.

At that time, Zhong Chichen's abilities were comparable to Qu Yun's, perhaps even slightly inferior. It was inconceivable that he could wield such extraordinary methods.

It was impossible for a peer to secretly manipulate Qu Yun, to use him as a puppet for their own ends, leaving him none the wiser afterward.

Moreover, his senior brother had always held Qu Yun in high regard, seeing him as an elder. It was unlikely he would treat Qu Yun in such a manner.

Given Qu Yun's respect for his senior brother and the latter's capabilities, a direct and sincere request from Zhong Chichen would have been enough for Qu Yun to carry out the deed.

Qu Yun didn't need to resort to such tactics to scheme against him.

​