C1465 Meeting Again!

"Shadowflame Blight Array!"

Led by Du Yazi, Yu Yuan approached a swamp and softly exclaimed with a look of surprise.

Before him, the swamp was shrouded in miasma clouds of various colors. Beneath the dense clouds, a few straw huts could be faintly seen, nestled beside the murky waters.

The swamp's waters were turbid and hot, occasionally emitting sparks that lent the scene an air of enchantment.

As Yu Yuan drew near, clusters of rainbow-hued miasma and toxic flames burst forth from the swamp's edge, swiftly shrouding the area in their grasp.

Abruptly, Yu Yuan's view was obscured; his remnant soul could not penetrate the veil, nor could his vitality be detected.

He turned to look at Du Yazi.

With an embarrassed expression and a forced chuckle, Du Yazi explained, "Mr. Hong, this place is indeed where you once concocted your medicines. I thought it best to utilize the area fully, so when Mr. Zhong arrived at the Rainbow Ocean, I guided him here."

"Since I'm familiar with the locale, I made some adjustments, and he added some innovative touches to the rune circle, enhancing its effectiveness significantly."

"You seem to take great interest in him," Yu Yuan remarked with a cold laugh.

The region wrapped within the Shadowflame Blight Array was where he had spent years mastering the craft of toxicology for Hong Qi.

He had chosen this site for its natural barrier—the miasma clouds above that effortlessly concealed it from the prying eyes of formidable outsiders, rendering it impenetrable to the keen awareness of powerful cultivators.

The poison pills he had crafted in the latter part of his life were designed for their potent lethality and broad reach.

Concerned about attracting the attention of the preeminent forces' experts, he had deliberately selected this secluded spot.

The Shadowflame Blight Array's presence not only amplified the miasma's isolating effects but also served to deter any lesser threats that might lurk nearby.

Once activated, the array commanded such respect that even the titans of the Rainbow Ocean hesitated to intrude.

Moreover, the swamp itself held its own secrets, teeming with toxic flotsam and jetsam, while beneath lay hidden earthfire. With the rune circle's manipulation, these elements could aid in the alchemical process of pill refinement.

Located in a secluded part of the Rainbow Ocean, he had spent the last twenty to thirty years of his life without any mishaps. He hadn't initially intended to visit this place on his current journey. Unexpectedly, his senior brother had, under Du Yazi's guidance, specifically chosen this spot. After some minor renovations, it had been fortified even further.

"Du Yazi!"

A male and a female cultivator, both with fierce expressions, were startled when the Shadowflame Blight Array was activated and burst forth from within. The female cultivator, adorned in vibrant clothing and with numerous clay pots hanging from her waist, was clearly from the Taintborn Sect. Yu Yuan, utilizing his sense of vitality, determined that she was just over two hundred years old. Her realm, like Du Yazi's, was of the Solar Spirit level, and her youthful appearance suggested mastery of some age-defying technique.

The other cultivator was significantly older, just past three hundred, with a robust and powerful physique radiating with vital energy. He was a practitioner of the Forgeroses' spell. Both Solar Spirits, disciples of renowned sects, were now enraged, believing Du Yazi had betrayed Zhong Chichen by bringing outsiders to stir up trouble.

"Let's stay calm for a moment!" Du Yazi urged hastily.

"Hmm?"

Feng Zhong appeared from behind, stepping ahead of Yu Yuan and Loong Jie to face the pair, smiling as he said, "Tong Rui, Ye Hen, what brings you two to the Rainbow Ocean?"

"Mr. Feng!"

The male and female cultivators, formerly of the Taintborn and Forgeroses Sects respectively, were shocked to see him. "Her name is Tong Rui, and this fellow is Ye Hen. They often visited Celestial Isle and have had dealings with me in the past. After leaving their sects, they sought out suitable magic items for their cultivation at my place," Feng Zhong explained to Yu Yuan, then slightly furrowed his brow before inquiring, "How come I wasn't aware that you two... are acquainted with Zhong Chichen?"

Tong Rui and Ye Hen had very different timelines in relation to Yu Yuan. The man, Ye Hen, was born just before Yu Yuan's reincarnation, while the woman, Tong Rui, entered the world in the Everlands a century after his reincarnation. Naturally, Yu Yuan was not acquainted with her.

"We..." Tong Rui began, clearly holding Feng Zhong in high regard. She glanced at Du Yazi before continuing, "We were approached by Mr. Zhong quite some time ago and discreetly joined the Order of Healing as counselors. We simply chose not to publicize our affiliation, and Mr. Zhong kept it under wraps as well."

"Moreover, it was Mr. Zhong who covertly assisted us in acquiring those magic items on your Celestial Isle," she added.

Ye Hen chimed in, "Without Mr. Zhong's help, it would have been highly unlikely for us to have condensed our Solar Spirits. I had a falling out with Han Yue, the former sect master of the Forgeroses. Had I not achieved a breakthrough in my cultivation, I would still be an independent cultivator with a rather grim fate."

Han Yue, the former sect master of the Forgeroses, had always been closely aligned with the three upper sects and had strained relations with figures like Zhongli Dapan, Shen Feiqing, and Tan Yuan, among others.

Upon Zhongli Dapan's return, he seized the leadership of the Forgeroses with his overwhelming power. Under his leadership, the once-struggling sect began to thrive.

Both Ye Hen and Tong Rui expressed profound gratitude and respect for their senior brother, Zhong Chichen. They sincerely admired him and were committed to guarding him at this place.

Observing their earnest expressions and listening to their heartfelt words, Yu Yuan couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy.

In his later years, he had recruited numerous nefarious cultivators like Lian Hu and Du Yazi, offering them substantial rewards while simultaneously controlling them with poison pills. Those who served as his protectors had all ingested his uniquely crafted pills and required regular antidotes to survive.

These individuals harbored no true loyalty towards him, only fear. He had never witnessed Du Yazi looking at him with the kind of protective gaze one would reserve for a respected senior brother.

Tong Rui and Ye Hen, on the other hand, genuinely cared for their senior brother's well-being.

"Let's not dwell on the past."

Feng Zhong nodded, giving Yu Yuan a wry smile as he observed the complex expression on his face. "You two might have been in the Rainbow Ocean for too long, not venturing out much, which is why you haven't encountered him."

He gestured toward Yu Yuan and introduced him with gravity, "Come, meet him properly. This is Yu Yuan, the former Mr. Hong—Hong Qi of the Order of Healing!"

"Hong Qi!"

"What brings you here?"

Tong Rui and Ye Hen's faces twisted in alarm, shooting a venomous glare at Du Yazi before bursting into a tirade of curses.

Du Yazi, looking aggrieved, quickly tried to clarify that Yu Yuan wasn't there for vengeance, and considering Mr. Zhong's dire condition, Yu Yuan's arrival might just be the lifeline he needed.

He added, despite his contempt for Yu Yuan's character, that Yu Yuan's expertise in poison pills and poisons was unparalleled in the world.

Du Yazi's frantic explanation, accompanied by Feng Zhong and the lecherous dragon's odd expressions, caused Yu Yuan's face to cloud over with anger.

"Enough prattle! Are you finished?" Yu Yuan barked.

Du Yazi fell silent at once.

"I'm Loong Jie, and I'm with Yu Yuan. If you're thinking of stopping us by force, do you really think you can hold us back?" the lecherous dragon boasted, casually stroking the dragon horn on his forehead. "Step aside now!"

Tong Rui and Ye Hen turned to Feng Zhong with eyes seeking support.

Feng Zhong smiled and reassured them, "Please, step aside. For one, we mean no harm. And for another, you truly can't stop us—not any one of us."

Hearing this, Tong Rui and Ye Hen cast skeptical glances at Yu Yuan, clearly doubting his combat prowess.

Yu Yuan let out a cold huff.

Without waiting for a response from Tong Rui and Ye Hen, he strode confidently toward the grass hut by the marsh.

The so-called "Shadowflame Blight Array," sensing his approach and the unique pulsations of his remnant soul and vitality, dissipated on its own, retracting back into the earth.

Tong Rui and Ye Hen watched, their eyes wide with astonishment.

"The Shadowflame Blight Array was constructed under his direction, with several of us collaborating to forge it. He orchestrated all the intricacies and the patterns that emerged from the array," Du Yazi said with a wry laugh to the pair. "Mr. Zhong merely added the finishing touches; he's the true architect."

"Oh."

Tong Rui and Ye Hen were somewhat impressed.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The miasma cloud hovering over the swamp thickened with Yu Yuan's arrival, stirring the earthfire beneath into activity.

Crackle!

A trail of sparks darted across the swamp, laden with toxic substances.

Yu Yuan paused in front of a thatched hut, squinting as he attuned his remnant soul and vitality to the Shadowflame Blight Array and its numerous pivotal points.

Previously, he required a special instrument to manipulate the array with his fingertips.

Now, without the need for any external aids, a mere intention allowed his life-infused vitality and his shadow energy-rich soul power to permeate the subterranean array and integrate with the mechanisms in the stone slabs, enabling precise adjustments and control.

No one knew this place better than he did.

Even Senior Brother Zhong Chichen, who took his place, could not match his expertise.

Because he was its creator!

Whoosh!

As Loong Jie, Feng Zhong, and others followed him in, the Shadowflame Blight Array once again shrouded the area, its barrier against the outside world intensifying manifold.

His presence not only reinforced the Shadowflame Blight Array but also brought its deeper mysteries to light once more.

Centered here, the surrounding miasma, toxic smoke, and spiritually tainted energy were all drawn into the array's influence.

The Shadowflame Blight Array's secondary function of spirit gathering, dormant for years, was reawakened.

This effect was triggered by a concealed array beneath the swamp, activated solely by the presence of certain toxic floaters.

"See, I told you! The Shadowflame Blight Array can still gather spirits. You just wouldn't believe me!" Du Yazi exclaimed triumphantly.

Tong Rui and Ye Hen remained silent.

Feng Zhong, however, smiled and nodded in agreement. "Who would have thought that Yu Yuan had such profound knowledge of various arrays three hundred years ago? It's regrettable that he didn't embark on the path of cultivation back then. Unlike now, he couldn't have the arrays respond to his mere thoughts."

Loong Jie curled his lip in disdain and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Once I reveal my true form, a single swipe of my claw would shred the Shadowflame Blight Array and any hidden earthfire veins to pieces. Poison, corruption, psionic power—it's all useless against me."

"In this world, how many are there like you?" Feng Zhong said with a wry smile.

As they spoke, Yu Yuan approached a thatched hut and immediately noticed the furnace inside. The furnace was semi-transparent, standing on three legs, crafted from the crystalline bones of a ninth-level flamingo. On closer inspection, one could see numerous natural avian fire patterns etched into the walls of the furnace.

A fierce demon energy filled the furnace, casting a fiery red glow. The lid was firmly in place, and inside there were neither pills nor herbs—just a person...

He was curled up inside the cramped space, submerged in a rainbow-colored liquid, breathing steadily. His eyes were tightly closed, his face etched with pain. The furnace and its lid concealed Yu Yuan's vitality and remnant soul.

"Senior Brother..." Yu Yuan exclaimed instinctively after his initial shock.

The man submerged in the murky, multicolored liquid inside the furnace seemed oblivious to Yu Yuan's call, unaware of his presence, remaining as he was.

Soon after, Loong Jie, Feng Zhong, Du Yazi, and others arrived.

"Let's get to the bottom of this. What exactly has happened to him?"

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