C1455 Ghost Wizard Sect's Ancestor
Vicious souls drifted in, resembling a procession of pitch-black banners, with Du Jing among them. Amidst the throng of malevolent spirits, an elderly man with an air of wisdom stood out. His long hair and flowing gray-white robe billowed as he walked, a contented smile playing on his lips, reminiscent of a joyful elder heading to the market.
A legion of ghastly ghosts and vicious souls trailed behind him, seemingly his own cultivated army of Yin Warriors and Demon Generals. From his back, slender gray lines extended, tethering the wavering vicious souls above him.
At a glance, these spirits appeared as kites he had cast into the sky, with the gray lines allowing him to raise or lower them at will. Bound by these threads, all Asura, including Du Jing, were firmly under his command.
This venerable figure, with his white hair and beard, was not a Yin God but a mortal of flesh and blood. His ability to traverse the Foul Land unscathed by its corrupting forces was a testament to his formidable strength. Indeed, even the ancient lascivious dragon dared not roam the Foul World in its domineering draconic form.
The old man walked with an air of nonchalance, fully aware yet unafraid of the unprecedented ghostly and skeletal entity he was about to confront, a being from the annals of the vast and ancient history.
Du Jing, now an Asura, wore a look of bewilderment, as if his consciousness had been temporarily seized. "When I went to Babel Island, I encountered Du Jing. In pursuing him, I found myself sinking deeper and deeper..." Yu Yuan observed the old man from the Dragon Slash Platform while Luo Yue recounted her ordeal.
Luo Yue and Du Jing had a shared history, having both served Yu Yuan three centuries prior. Yu Yuan held her in high regard, imparting extensive knowledge of medicinal arts and instructing her in the intricacies of potion crafting.
Du Jing, relegated to the role of Medicine Slave, was merely an assistant in these endeavors, never privy to the deeper secrets of alchemy. This exclusion sowed seeds of resentment within him.
As Luo Yue continued her tale, detailing how she was lured by Du Jing and led into the Foul Land by the Earth Demon, the wise old man suddenly appeared before Yu Yuan and the skeletal figure.
Upon catching sight of the elderly man, Yu Yuan's memories from three hundred years prior sharpened into focus. He vividly recalled seeking his master's guidance on a pellet's spiritual material combination late one night and encountering this very man in his master's alchemy chamber. At the time, his master had merely described the visitor as a venerable senior freshly returned from beyond, offering no further details about his identity.
The old man had simply offered him a smile before taking his leave. After that encounter, Yu Yuan never laid eyes on the man again, and his master ceased to speak of him.
Little did he know that...
Over three centuries later, in his new life, he would once again come face to face with this elegant, celestial figure in the depths of the Foul World.
Du Jing had been transformed into an Asura, reduced to a puppet at his command.
This revelation confirmed the man's connection to the Ghost Wizard Sect!
Yu Yuan was convinced that this elder, who had once possessed Qu Yun and inscribed secretive arrays in the forbidden land, was the same individual now before him—the elusive puppeteer of the Ghost Wizard Sect known to his master.
"Is it you?" Yu Yuan, wrapped in the aura of the Yin God and standing upon the Dragon Slash Platform, inquired with composed certainty, "Are you the one who plotted against my Medicine God Sect, targeting each of our sect masters?"
"I am Yuen Qingxi of the Ghost Wizard Sect, one of the forebears. I look forward to your guidance." The old man, exuding an air of wisdom, offered a slight bow with a restrained smile, clutching a scroll bound by hemp rope that radiated a thick Yin Qi.
"In truth, I did indeed harm both your master and you, as your master unilaterally reneged on our agreement, betraying our trust first," Yuen Qingxi confessed, then proceeded to earnestly elucidate his actions.
"Your master's rise to lead the Medicine God Sect and its subsequent flourishing were not without my support. Yet, when we needed him, when we sought his assistance for our endeavors, he refused."
Yuen Qingxi sighed, lamenting, "Where in this world can one find such a deal—reaping benefits without contributing in return?"
"He burned his bridges after crossing the river, refusing to collaborate with us. Naturally, we couldn't allow him to have everything his way."
An elder from the Ghost Wizard Sect spoke with a nonchalant air, "As for you..."
He paused briefly, then smiled, "Since you're unable to cultivate and walk the grand path, I've lost all interest in meeting you. Letting you delve into the art of deadly poisons was simply playing to your strengths and talents. In that regard, you haven't disappointed me; you've actually concocted several potent toxins."
"Tsk tsk, our sect has gained quite a bit of insight from the poisons you've developed."
Admiration shone in his eyes.
This admiration stemmed from the lethal toxins Yu Yuan had crafted at the end of his life for Hong Qi.
The methods he used to refine these toxins, and the medicinal principles they embodied, were exactly what the Ghost Wizard Sect needed.
"The schemes and preparations of the Medicine God Sect are trivial matters, hardly worth mentioning, so I won't go into detail."
Before Yu Yuan could pose any further questions, Yuen Qingxi gestured dismissively, signaling an end to the conversation.
His gaze then drifted from Yu Yuan's Yin God, settling slowly on the Ghostly White Bones.
Time seemed to stretch out...
What should have been a fleeting glance from Yu Yuan to the white bones took an unusually long time.
He had spent a great deal of time preparing, adjusting his emotions, bracing himself...
When he finally laid eyes on the white bones, his expression transformed dramatically!
Looking at the white bones, a deep reverence welled up within him, a profound respect from the depths of his soul!
His look of veneration mirrored the way Qin Yun regarded Yu Yuan, or how Yu Yiyi's demeanor changed when she realized Yu Yuan was the Dragon Slayer.
Yuen Qingxi's fingers, clutching the scroll, clenched tightly, betraying a tremor.
The white bones, having ascended to ghosthood and taken the form of a tall, handsome human man, were taken aback by his extraordinary behavior.
The heartfelt respect and adoration in Yuen Qingxi's demeanor made the white bones sense that something was amiss.
Back when he was the Ghost King, he had been covertly unraveling the mystery of his past life's demise. He had surmised that Yun Hao of the Fiend Sect had encountered members of the Ghost Wizard Sect.
He was certain that the Ghost Wizard Sect was the hidden force behind the scenes.
In his estimation, Yuen Qingxi might well be the most influential figure within the Ghost Wizard Sect.
When Yuan Qingxi first laid eyes on him, the overt admiration and deep-seated respect were oddly palpable.
"Let those who are not involved leave first."
Yuan Qingxi's voice quivered as he gazed upon the skeletal remains.
The Asuras he had been leading, similar to Du Jing, were released, drifting away and slowly vanishing from sight.
"Unrelated people?"
White Bone paused, taken aback.
"Your Ghost King, Luo Yue, is also among the unrelated," Yuan Qingxi said, addressing him with reverence.
"Return to the origin of the Yin Meridian."
Before Luo Yue could even brace herself, she felt the inexorable pull of the Styx, her corresponding river in the underworld.
Whoosh!
Luo Yue vanished in an instant.
As the deity of Horror Land, White Bone was an extension of the Yin Meridian's source will. His words were as unyielding as iron laws and principles. Luo Yue, being the Ghost King, had no power to defy him.
"Yu Yuan, unless you..."
In that moment, White Bone's demeanor also shifted, seemingly in response to Yuan Qingxi.
"No, it's unnecessary. Since he has won the approval of the Dragon Slash Platform, he is the successor of that individual. Thus, he is relevant and need not leave," Yuan Qingxi said with a slight smile. "Hong Qi was a minor figure in my past life, insignificant really. But this life's Yu Yuan is a different story, ever since his connection with the Dragon Slash Platform began."
Taking a deep breath, Yuan Qingxi knelt before White Bone, his forehead touching the ground as he presented the rolled-up painting with both hands.
"The Ghost Wizard Sect's most prized treasure! The presence of a divine object!"
Yu Yuan was profoundly moved.
He was convinced that the painting Yuan Qingxi was offering to White Bone was a treasure of even higher caliber than the Mindlock Diagram and the Ghost Feeding Diagram.
This was because the enigmatic laws within the Dragon Slash Platform were agitated, seemingly intent on preventing the painting from being unfurled.
