C1781 This Was Very Simple

Before the God-King Jihui departed, many had caught wind of his parting words through their own channels.

Jihui, hailing from the Abyss, surprisingly conceded to Yu Yuan's request. He even went as far as to withdraw from the Everlands, taking both the Wraithbanner and the Origin Gate with him, and not without the Demon Lord, Tan Xiaotian, in tow.

The mightiest among the Everlands' sects could scarcely believe their eyes. Yet, the Origin Gate that had been erected in the valley had indeed vanished along with the Wraithbanner. How had Yu Yuan managed to make a towering figure like Jihui take a step back?

Zu Ann and Ji Ningshuang stood outside the valley, their faces etched with skepticism. Initially, they wondered if it was merely an illusion conjured by Jihui and Tan Xiaotian. The two remained vigilant, waiting in silence.

Time passed, and still, there was no sign of Jihui or Tan Xiaotian. Clutching the Mirror of Fates, Zu Ann scoured every nook and cranny of the Everlands multiple times, yet found no trace of the Origin Gate or Jihui.

"It seems they truly have retreated," Zu Ann finally conceded, his gaze towards Yu Yuan now filled with a myriad of unanswered questions.

"Conceal this place," Yu Yuan commanded, turning to face Zu Ann from within the valley.

With a nod, Zu Ann understood. A dense white fog soon rolled in from the distance, engulfing the valley where Yu Yuan stood and blanketing a ten-mile radius.

Whether it was the observers from the Extraterrestrial Moon, the Ebon Star, the Sunlit Order, or Shi Jing'er, none could peer into this area any longer. Zu Ann's power had sealed it off.

"The Origin Gate must never stand in the Everlands!" Yu Yuan declared, his brow furrowed in thought. "Jihui's beguiling words and Tan Xiaotian's daring venture have inspired reckless thoughts among some here. Those unendorsed by the five great sects, branded as malevolent, might well be bold enough to venture into the Origin Realm."

"My concern is that someone might emerge from the Origin Realm unharmed and, after encountering the beings of the Abyss, even gain enlightenment from the experience."

"Jihui excels in the art of manipulation. With but a minor ploy in the Origin Realm, he could sow lasting unrest within the Everlands."

Yu Yuan explained to Zu Ann and Ji Ningshuang the possibility that if someone were to enter the Origin Realm with their soul and receive covert guidance from Jihui, they might successfully return. This revelation could lead to more people making their way to the Origin Gate deep within the valley to interact with the denizens of the Abyss.

Should that happen, Jihui could forcibly alter the prevailing attitudes and beliefs across the Everlands, prompting many to willingly approach the Abyssal beings. The age-old rules that have stood unbroken might be easily shattered by Jihui, with dire consequences beyond our imagination.

"What a terrifying individual!" exclaimed Zu Ann, feeling a shiver down his spine.

"He, along with Tan Xiaotian, will gradually gravitate towards the Abyss. The Voodoo Shades that have infiltrated the Origin Realm could end up empowering the Evil Gods there. And Tan Xiaotian, having reaped the benefits, will gradually become indifferent to the fate of the Everlands' inhabitants," Yu Yuan murmured.

"Why did Jihui, the God-King, withdraw?" inquired Ji Ningshuang, unable to contain her curiosity.

Yu Yuan simply shook his head.

"Xuanli wishes to meet with you."

Zu Ann, who was responsible for sealing this realm, sensed the arrival of the current leader of the Bloodbrawlers and asked, "Should we meet with him?"

"Let him in," was the reply.

"Very well."

A dust-covered Xuanli had hurriedly made his way from the Moonfall Sanctuary. As he descended into the valley like a wisp of smoke, he declared, "When cultivators at the Freedom level become Voodoo Shades, their Voodoo Charms can afflict peers of the same realm!"

"This is already happening within our Bloodbrawlers!"

Xuanli's urgency was palpable as he exclaimed, "This incident is not related to our Bloodbrawlers! Yu Yuan, you are well aware of this. I need you to convey to everyone that the Voodoo Shade Tide was not instigated by our sect!"

His frantic arrival was spurred by the realization that the Devil Palace, Taintborn Sect, Shadow's Keep, and even other sects from Euwrea were plotting to preemptively eliminate the Bloodbrawlers' cultivators.

Not just the Binders of Shadows and the Poison Cult, but even some members of the Skyblight Cult found themselves marked. The uninformed sect leaders regarded them as the hidden masterminds, believing them to be the principal culprits for the emergence of the Voodoo Shades.

In an instant, Xuanli's Poison Cult became the public enemy of the Everlands. He feared that both he and his followers would be overwhelmed by a united assault.

Before the onslaught of the Voodoo Shades could begin, the scattered disciples of the Poison Cult were mercilessly eradicated.

"Zu Ann, I need you to discuss this matter with the leaders of the other sects," Yu Yuan requested with a nod.

"Alright, I'll go and speak with the sect leaders," Zu Ann consented.

"Xuan Ge and Gao Qin mentioned that Jiang Xingwen from the Abyssal Dawn was the one who triggered the Voodoo Shade spell. Is she still under the Crucible of Evil's suppression?" inquired Xuanli.

"She's still within the cauldron in the Serpent Spine Mountains," Yu Yuan confirmed.

"Let's take her to the Land of Terror. I'll join you, and perhaps we can use her to rouse the Lunar Meridian."

Xuanli was resolute, "We must quell the Voodoo Shade tide swiftly! There could be others like Jiang Xingwen out there!"

The transformation of an Unbound cultivator from the Binders of Shadows into a Voodoo Shade in silence filled Xuanli with dread.

He worried that other sects, forces, and dark adepts might have been covertly influenced by the Lunar Meridian, becoming its puppets, just like Jiang Xingwen.

To address the issue, he planned a trip to the Land of Terror to directly negotiate with the Lunar Meridian.

If all else failed, he would simply allow the Lunar Meridian to return to the Wraithlands.

"I'll have a look."

With those words, Yu Yuan utilized the Dragon Slaying Stage and his soul bond with the Crucible of Evil to observe that the Voodoo Shades in the Serpent Spine Mountains had been thoroughly vanquished by the Bane.

Among the most formidable of the Bane, the Frost Queen, born of the Frostfiend, was the most efficient at exterminating the Voodoo Shades.

The moment her icy flames touched the foreheads of the shadowmancers, they were obliterated by the Frozen Flames.

"Frozen..."

A thought struck Yu Yuan, and he turned to Xuanli, "Stay calm. I'll see if there's another solution."

"Is there another solution?" Xuanli mused briefly before nodding. "If it's you..."

With Ji Ningshuang present, he refrained from elaborating and simply agreed, "Alright."

"Let's keep this realm sealed!"

After a quick word to Zu Ann, Yu Yuan, in Xuanli's presence, took hold of Ji Ningshuang's icy hand.

Ji Ningshuang shot him a reproachful look.

"It's not what you're thinking."

Clearing his throat, Yu Yuan gently exerted a bit of force and escorted the esteemed master, who had mastered the essence of the Frozen Flames and the celestial forces, into the inner world of the Dragon Slaying Stage.

"Yu Yuan!"

"Yu Yuan!"

Su Yan, Yu Lili, and the bewildered cultivators watched him arrive hand in hand with Ji Ningshuang and couldn't help but call out in surprise.

Ji Ningshuang stepped onto the silver, slightly chilly ground and cast a surprised glance at Su Yan.

She bore a slight resemblance to her.

With a pained expression, Su Yan met her gaze and hurriedly introduced herself, "I'm Su Yan, from the Abyssal Dawn Sect. My mentor is... Jiang Xingwen."

Ji Ningshuang's demeanor chilled, and she chose to remain silent.

"Her Lunar Spirit contains a Voodoo Charm. By bringing her into the Dragon Slaying Stage in time, I halted its effect, preventing it from using the Lunar Spirit to consume her dominant soul and heaven soul. I can harness the Dragon Slaying Stage's ice power, but I'm not able to precisely target just the Voodoo Charm," Yu Yuan explained.

He turned to Yu Lili and continued, "In the Everlands, your ice magic is unrivaled. You've also gained significant insight into the profound meaning of the frost wyrm's essence on the Dragon Slaying Stage."

"Moreover, I suspect that the Voodoo Charm might be suppressed by the power of ice magic."

"So... Oh!"

Yu Yuan was cut off mid-sentence as Ji Ningshuang's finger, white and smooth as jade, touched Yu Lili's forehead.

With a hiss, a sword light, finer than a hair, instantly manifested within Yu Lili's Lunar Spirit Body, precisely targeting the Voodoo Charm.

With a soft burst, the sword light obliterated the Voodoo Charm, and the strands of Yin Spirit and strange power that made up the charm were also disintegrated by the sword light.

"This is quite straightforward."

Ji Ningshuang unsheathed the Stardust Blade, and delicate beams of sword light zipped through the air, obliterating the Voodoo Charms within everyone's Lunar Spirits.

This included Su Yan's Soul Nexus, which had not yet fully formed into a Voodoo Charm but was merely a rudimentary mark.

The souls of these individuals immediately experienced a sense of relief. They keenly sensed the shackles on their souls being pried open by Ji Ningshuang's sword light, granting them immediate freedom.

"Thank you, Ms. Ji!"

"Thank you, Elder Ji!"

Having completed her task, Ji Ningshuang's brow furrowed in contemplation. She maneuvered the Stardust Blade through the realm, its icy beams of sword light swiftly weaving together.

They formed a mystic rune, enlarged a thousandfold.

"Voodoo Charm!" Yu Yuan exclaimed.

"I can break the charm," Ji Ningshuang declared.

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