C1441 The Spectre Binding Scroll

On the island named after the sect—Shadowisle—a disheveled cultivator lay in a pool of his own lifeblood, swarmed by Voodoo Beetles feasting on his flesh.

Beside him, a large swath of grass was cleared, where he appeared to have drawn an eerie pattern with his lifeblood.

The pattern resembled a monstrous insect with innumerable claws and fangs, eerily lifelike.

He lay at the center of this giant insect, surrounded by tiny insects nibbling away at his blood and sinew.

Having just entered the Spirit Walk stage, his Mindscape was clouded, as though shattered by a psionic power.

Yu Yuan and Feng Zhong hovered above, repulsed by the vile insects and corruption below, neither setting foot on the tainted ground.

The alert duo had rushed from Celestial Isle, and it was only upon their arrival that the Poison Cult cultivators snapped into action.

"Send for Elder Lin Tianming!"

"Hurry! Summon Elder Lin Tianming immediately!"

Chaos erupted across Shadowisle.

"See that? This man has a piece of beast skin on his back. The hairless side is etched with symbols and patterns likely from the Bloodbrawlers," Feng Zhong pointed out.

Yu Yuan gave a slight nod.

Upon arrival, he had noticed the beast skin on the back of the fallen Poison Cult cultivator, lying face-down in blood.

The skin bore a ghastly pattern resembling a demon, surrounded by numerous arcane symbols.

Whether it was the demon pattern or the cryptic runes, they all exuded a chilling aura.

An ordinary person fixated on these symbols would feel a shiver down their spine, as if haunted by a vengeful ghost.

Having recently communicated with Yin Xueqi on Celestial Isle, Yu Yuan understood that these symbols and runes were unmistakably crafted by the Bloodbrawlers.

This unfortunate victim might have unwittingly practiced the Bloodbrawlers' forbidden arts.

Yet in this moment of heightened sensitivity, he met his end alongside Lian Hu.

"Could it be that anyone who practices the Bloodbrawlers' dark arts can be sensed by the sect's survivors at any time? It's one thing for Lian Hu; he once followed you and was privy to many secrets. Perhaps his murder was meant as a retribution for Lian Hu's past deeds."

"But..."

"He didn't do anything, and you don't even know his origins. How could he just drop dead out of the blue?"

Feng Zhong began to feel a sudden revulsion toward the Bloodbrawlers, a sect with a long and dark history. After being scattered and silent for many years, their methods seemed too cruel and ruthless.

"Perhaps it was to silence him. He might have known something, retaining certain memories in his mind." Yu Yuan's expression turned grave. "During my interrogation of Lian Hu, I called forth Qu Yun's residual soul from the Baneblade. I managed to extract the deepest secrets from Qu Yun's subconscious. It's likely that the mastermind behind this has caught wind of it."

"Do you think he was worried you could extract information from this man as well?" Feng Zhong inquired, puzzled.

"It's a possibility."

Yu Yuan responded, standing by and waiting for the Poison Cult's arrival to clarify the identity of the man below.

He didn't have to wait long; the voices of the Poison Cult members were already mentioning Lin Tianming...

Lin Tianming, fresh from his journey through the Star River and the Frozen Hellscape to the Sundering Isles, found himself face to face with Yu Yuan once again. With a face full of frustration, he contemplated whether he should escape back to the extraterrestrial realms.

But as a member of the Poison Cult and currently on the Sundering Isles, he couldn't dodge the encounter. Reluctantly, he led a few followers from Shadowisle to meet with Yu Yuan.

The Poison Cult disciples trailing Lin Tianming, unaware of the full circumstances, saw a fallen comrade in the bushes and were seething with rage.

"Everyone be quiet. Don't utter a word you're not supposed to!" Lin Tianming shot them a stern look, then bowed respectfully to Yu Yuan and nodded a greeting to Feng Zhong. "What's happened here? How did this man provoke you?"

"It wasn't me."

Yu Yuan shook his head. "His death is unrelated to me. Does anyone know the origin of the dark magic in the beast skin he carried? I'm here to investigate, but it's in relation to another matter."

At those words, Lin Tianming let out a breath of relief.

"That's a relief. It wasn't you." He turned to the group who had long been stationed on Shadowisle and knew the deceased well. "Do any of you know what's going on?"

Cheng Bo's beast skin was a rare find from the Rainbow Ocean. He had ventured there to hunt poisonous insects, intending to transform them into Voodoo Beetles. During his quest, he became ensnared in a swamp and stumbled upon the skin buried beneath. Unaware of its origins, Cheng Bo nonetheless recognized the patterns and runes etched upon it. Drawing upon voodoo magic from his sect, he managed to master a Venom Incantation.

He resorted to using his own body to nourish the poisonous insects! His brood of insects thrived unnaturally fast due to the Venom Incantation, each becoming increasingly vicious and savage.

Unexpectedly, the Venom Incantation he deciphered from the beast skin backfired disastrously, leading to his demise at the hands of the very insects he nurtured.

...

Those acquainted with Cheng Bo shared their knowledge of the events.

Upon closer inspection, they were horrified to discover Cheng Bo's remains being devoured by his own Voodoo Beetles, some of which had even burrowed into his skull to feast on his brain matter.

It became clear that Cheng Bo's death was a consequence of the flawed Venom Incantation, absolving Yu Yuan from any suspicion.

"Not the Rainbow Ocean again!" Feng Zhong exclaimed with a huff.

Amidst the chatter, Yin Xueqi, lagging behind the group, arrived at the scene under the protection of Qi Lingyu from Celestial Isle.

Confronted with the sight of Cheng Bo's corpse and the nearly vanished spectre pattern on the beast skin, along with the peculiar runes along its edges, Yin Xueqi furrowed her brows and declared, "This man wasn't practicing the Venom Incantation; he was delving into the Curse of the Hungry Ghost. He was feeding the spectre with his own soul, and once sated, the spectre departed."

"The Curse of the Hungry Ghost?" Qi Lingyu echoed in astonishment.

"The spectre pattern represents the spectre he was nurturing, while the adjacent runes signify the soul food. The Voodoo Beetles consuming his flesh were also supposed to have their souls extracted to nourish the spectre. The spectre's hasty disappearance likely stemmed from a fear of discovery, sparing the beetle souls."

Yin Xueqi hesitated, careful to avoid touching the ground as if wary of contamination from Cheng Bo's blood.

"This man was unfamiliar with the patterns and runes; he couldn't grasp the Curse of the Hungry Ghost. He must have been influenced by the Spectre Binding Scroll during his contemplation. He believed he had unlocked the secrets of the mystique himself, unaware that it was the spectre's doing. Tragically, he was oblivious to the deception, convinced of his own wisdom and insight."

Yin Xueqi shook her head, feeling sorry for the fellow named Cheng Bo.

"The vanishing pattern is known as the Spectre Binding Scroll, with its edges marked. Those who come into possession of the Spectre Binding Scroll inevitably share the same fate: their souls are devoured by spectres and then discarded."

"Binders of Shadows!"

Lin Tianming and the followers of the Poison Cult were instantly inflamed with anger.

"Elder Lin! There's no need to ponder any further. It's definitely the work of the Binders of Shadows. After aligning themselves with Boulderdawn, they think they've got a strong backing and are now causing trouble in the shadows!"

"Curse them! The tactics of the Binders of Shadows have become increasingly vile and underhanded!"

The Poison Cult's followers were convinced that their eternal adversaries, the Binders of Shadows, had schemed against Cheng Bo, intending to bring harm to many more.

"Let's head to the Binders of Shadows' island."

Yu Yuan's silhouette gracefully ascended. The Dragon Slaying Stage in his grasp was in tune with his spirit, and he was already scanning the island for any signs of disturbance among the Binders of Shadows' cultivators.

At this moment, his mind was rife with doubts.

The Spectre Binding Scroll was undoubtedly an artifact of the Bloodbrawlers.

Yet, the Poison Cult's disciples were also part of the Bloodbrawlers. The mastermind behind the scenes, however, seemed to disregard Cheng Bo and his fellow Poison Cult disciples entirely.

This person had fed Cheng Bo's soul to a so-called spectre, allowing it to grow stronger.

Furthermore, this individual deliberately gathered everyone here to witness the animal hide on Cheng Bo's back and the peculiar patterns, leading the Poison Cult astray.

When Lian Hu died, the symbols on the tattered Spirit Magic vanished in the blink of an eye.

Cheng Bo's death saw the gradual disappearance of the Spectre Binding Scroll, which only vanished completely upon Yin Xueqi's arrival.

Yu Yuan sensed that this shadowy figure aimed to incite a war between the Poison Cult and the Binders of Shadows, keeping the two sects locked in conflict.

Shouldn't the goal be to unite the Poison Cult and the Binders of Shadows, merging them into a renewed Bloodbrawlers sect?

Yu Yuan was baffled by these thoughts.

With a swift motion, he, along with Feng Zhong and Qi Lingyu, escorted Yin Xueqi towards the island of the Binders of Shadows.

Lin Tianming was reluctant to go, but found himself in a situation where he had no choice but to proceed.

Consequently, a group followed Yu Yuan in a grand procession towards Phantom Isle.

Their previous visit to Shadowisle and now to Phantom Isle had drawn the attention of numerous powerful individuals across the Sundering Isles. Many watchful eyes, both overt and covert, were fixed on them.

"Feng Zhong has returned!"

"And Qi Lingyu is with him!"

Observers in the shadows took note of Feng Zhong and Qi Lingyu's presence, sensing that something was amiss.

They were now in the remote waters of Phantom Isle.

A female cultivator, who had previously reveled in the chaos at Shadowisle, hoping it would escalate, suddenly became anxious upon seeing Yu Yuan and a large entourage arriving with great fanfare.

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