C1433 Soul Search

In a grand iron and stone palace on Babel Island, a towering figure sat regally upon a massive chair. Resembling a Golden Asura, the man's body glimmered with a resplendent light, spiritual energy and golden sand coursing through him.

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

Beneath their feet lay shattered remnants of crystal balls, gleaming like glass fragments in the radiance emanating from them, as if they were amidst a sea of broken stars.

These two were Zheng Luanjie and Qi Lingyu, the esteemed guardians of Babel Island. They held the second and third positions of authority before Fong Zhong's departure.

The Golden Asura was not Zheng Luanjie's true form but rather his unique Yang God manifestation.

"I'm curious about what Old Monster Fan might have said to Yu Yuan that prompted him to set foot on Medicine God Island," mused Zheng Luanjie, his face aglow with golden light. Even without the aid of the crystal balls, he could clearly discern the events unfolding on the island.

The ground before Medicine God Island was littered with corpses, including Qu Yun's. If not the work of Yu Yuan, then whose?

Qi Lingyu, with her graceful figure and true form present, had an aura as soothing as water itself. She chuckled lightly, "Yu Yuan didn't clash with Old Monster Fan. He simply went on a killing spree on Medicine God Island. There's no need for us to worry. And Qu Yun... well, his death is of little consequence."

Her nonchalant demeanor suggested that Qu Yun's fate and Yu Yuan's slaughter on the island were mere trifles.

"I'm concerned that the noise he's making will escalate," Zheng Luanjie said with a wry smile, massaging his temples. "Others may not have caught wind of it yet, but you're well aware of the earth-shattering deeds he's accomplished in the Firefly Starfield. The Crack Archipelago is our responsibility, and I fear he might ravage these islands."

Qi Lingyu's worry grew at his words.

On the cusp of entering the Late Period of the Yang God, Qi Lingyu felt a deep connection to these waters. She believed that her chance to ascend to the Unrestrained Stage lay within this very sea.

Yu Yuan's emergence in the Firefly Starfield had turned an entire river of the Asura Clan into a realm of death.

The Cold Abyss Entrance, a critical point related to the Vast Ocean, was nearly destroyed.

Yu Yuan had now reached the Crack Archipelago, his intentions clearly set on the Medicine God Sect. Despite being aligned with the Babel Chamber of Commerce, Qi Lingyu couldn't help feeling anxious about the numerous disasters his presence had incited.

"I need to speak with Elder Feng!"

Qi Lingyu exclaimed.

...

Experts from various sects were stationed across the islands, including Dark Sky Island, Blood God Island, Ancient Desolate Island, and numerous other smaller isles.

The dramatic changes on Medicine God Island, triggered by Qu Yun's death and the vanishing array, had caught the attention of many watchful eyes.

At this moment, countless pairs of eyes from the dark corners of several islands were fixed on Medicine God Island.

Invisible threads of soul consciousness, unseen by the average person, were converging towards Medicine God Island, some soaring through the skies, others diving beneath the waves.

Qu Yun, a prominent figure within the Medicine God Sect, had gained considerable renown in the Crack Archipelago, particularly of late.

With the Medicine God Sect's partnership with the Babel Chamber of Commerce dissolved, sects and individuals in need of pellets had been flocking to the island to procure or place orders for special pellets from him.

Qu Yun's sudden death, along with the corpses of a dozen fellow Medicine God Sect cultivators, pointed to a deliberate purge.

Who was behind this cleansing?

"Yu Yuan!"

"It was Yu Yuan who struck them down!"

"I recognize him; he's been to the Crack Archipelago before! Remember Lim Zhuyun from the Cold Yin Sect, who was overtaken by the Devaputra and went on a killing spree here? He was her primary target!"

"Indeed, and it even brought Qi Lingyu and Zheng Luanjie into the fray! If I recall correctly, Van Heqing even drew his sword in the conflict!"

"How has he returned from beyond the heavens?"

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

"..."

Gasps of astonishment echoed from the hidden enclaves of the islands.

...

Yu Yuan was adept at multitasking.

Within the depths of his vital energy microcosm, his crystalline Yang God, brimming with immense blood energy, effortlessly seized three Seventh Level Flame Dragons and consumed them whole.

The three flame dragons transformed into slender threads of blood-colored lightning within his Yang God, barely thicker than a strand of hair. To Qu Yun, a Seventh Level flame dragon might have been a coveted treasure, but for Yu Yuan's Yang God, it was insignificant. Devouring a flame dragon of such caliber offered only a minimal boost to his Yang God.

Meanwhile, his Yin God was within the Blood Prison, perusing the lifelong memories of Qu Yun, his expression darkening by the moment. He witnessed a scene...

Only the Sect Master of the Medicine God Sect was permitted to enter the depths of the sacred alchemical grounds. There, Qu Yun materialized like an apparition, his gaze vacant, his movements mechanical and awkward as he etched something onto the rock wall. In that moment, Qu Yun seemed oblivious to his actions, as though possessed.

The etchings he made upon the wall soon faded to near invisibility, as if intentionally concealed. Qu Yun vanished in confusion, and after some time, his past self, Hong Qi, pushed open the heavy stone door and entered. He meticulously tossed leaves into the Flowing Flames pill furnace on the floor, manipulating the mechanism to channel the earth's fire, his expression one of intense concentration as he pondered the intricate steps required to create a particular pellet.

After some time, he refined the pellet with precision, following the method he had envisioned. As the process neared completion and the pellet within the pill furnace was about to solidify, he finally relaxed. At that moment, the previously hidden lines and marks on the wall subtly reemerged.

Unseen by him, faint green, light purple, and ink-like wisps of smoke vanished behind his head, of which he was completely oblivious. Satisfied with the pellet he had obtained, he was about to leave the forbidden area when a sudden recollection of an unpleasant matter caused a cold glint to flash in his eyes.

Three hundred years prior, he ultimately departed. After some time, the ghostly Qu Yun reappeared, deepening the carvings on the wall as if reinvigorating the concealed, mysterious array with new energy.

Much later, he returned once more to practice his alchemy. It was again at the moment of the pellet's formation, when he was most at ease, that the mysterious light green, light purple, and ink-like smoke slipped into the back of his head.

Before leaving the forbidden area, his gaze was fierce, radiating a murderous aura. It seemed he had resolved to commit murder to appease his wrath. The same scenes kept recurring.

He entered repeatedly to concoct medicine, and with each visit, an unknown mist seeped into his mind, warping his temperament. Each time he left, his expression was altered.

Qu Yun, who appeared to be under some demonic influence, was likely just a marionette. Once he departed, he would return before the next visit to deepen the etchings, infusing them with the malevolent energy they required.

The Yang God was absent from Qu Yun's body, which should have been in seclusion for cultivation.

Qu Yun's soul held no memories of possession or learning the symbols, indicating that this knowledge was not his own.

Yu Yuan meticulously combed through all of Qu Yun's soul memories, yet he uncovered no leads. It seemed that even Qu Yun was unaware of this chapter of his life, oblivious to the fact that while his Yang God was elsewhere, his true form had been tampered with, someone had taken residence within him, and many deeds were done.

Qu Yun was ignorant, but because he had been involved and had witnessed it, images lingered in the depths of his subconscious.

Yu Yuan's Ghosting Arts unearthed memories buried so deep that Qu Yun himself was unaware of them.

"Just as I thought... Mr. Van was right," Yu Yuan mused, his expression shifting as he came to the stark realization that the change in his disposition at life's end wasn't natural but had been forcibly distorted by someone else!

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 cultivation level was comparable to, if not slightly less than, Qu Yun's, making it unlikely he possessed such inconceivable skills.

It was implausible for a peer to secretly manipulate Qu Yun, turning him into a puppet for their own ends, leaving him none the wiser afterward.

Moreover, his senior brother had always regarded Qu Yun as a respected elder; it was not in his nature to treat Qu Yun so callously.

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

There was no need for Qu Yun to resort to such tactics to scheme against him.

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