C1821 Han Qi

Han Qi stood atop the gleaming Dwarf Mountain, his smile radiating as he nodded in acknowledgment to Yu Yuan and Tan Junshan.

His demeanor was the epitome of composure, unfazed by the formidable presence of Yu Yuan, who had even caused Han Miaoyuan to momentarily retreat, and Tan Junshan, who cast a covetous gaze upon the Sword Prison.

This in itself spoke volumes.

As a member of the Profound Sky Sect, yet recognized by the Sword Sect, Han Qi succeeded Nie Qingtian as the guardian of the new Sword Prison outside of the heavens. Clearly, Han Qi was far more complex than he let on.

Yet to Yu Yuan and Tan Junshan, Han Qi's abilities seemed rather ordinary; nothing about him appeared exceptional.

Han Qi was merely in the Soul Wandering Stage...

"Soul Wandering Stage, and only in the Early Period at that. How are you able to wander beyond the Outer Sky?"

Tan Junshan's gaze was piercing, like the chill of a moonlit night, as he scrutinized Han Qi, his perplexity deepening. "You bear the Han name. Could you possibly be a descendant of old thief Han?"

"To some extent, I suppose there's a connection," Han Qi replied with a wry smile. He gestured dismissively to Loong Tianxiao, signaling that his presence was no longer required.

Loong Tianxiao promptly receded to the base of the Dwarf Mountain.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Han Qi's body shimmered with a silver radiance, mirroring the Dwarf Mountain itself.

Yu Yuan noticed something extraordinary at that moment. As Han Qi's body shone, a rich Yin Qi surged within him, filling his inner world of Qi and blood, with specks of silver light beginning to materialize.

That was the essence of the Yin Sunflower!

However, at the Early Period of the Soul Wandering Stage, Han Qi's human form exuded a very faint scent of blood and flesh, taking on an eerie aspect.

To Yu Yuan, even the silver Dwarf Mountain now resembled the Dark Mountain of Horror Land, a place thick with Yin Qi, highly conducive to nurturing spirits and ghosts.

Moreover, deep within Han Qi's sea of consciousness, there was an absence of the Yin God.

His true form possessed a primary soul and a Heavenly Soul that had not yet evolved into a Yang God, yet the Yin God was conspicuously missing, as though it was wandering beyond the realm of the living.

Han Qi was unmistakably within the Outer Star River, a far cry from the Boundless Great World or Horror Land.

Cultivators at the Soul Wandering Stage, let alone those of the Yang God level, would seldom dare to traverse the Outer Star River in their true forms.

Yet here was Han Qi, not only present at the Soul Wandering Stage but also with his Yin God seemingly in a state of Soul Wandering.

For a Soul Wandering Stage cultivator's Yin God to roam the cosmos was akin to flirting with death.

"Elder Han and Youyu set off to explore the Realm of Demons together. I'm the reason he can pinpoint its location and navigate there accurately," Han Qi said with a light chuckle. "Of course, we initially learned of the Realm of Demons' coordinates and direction through Mingdu."

Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan and Tan Junshan visibly reacted, their gazes shifting as they looked at him anew.

"Years ago, when Mingdu was at the zenith of the Ghost King Realm, he realized that the Boundless World was not yet conducive to forging Ghost Gods. After consulting the source of the Yin Veins, he ventured into the Outland Star River."

"Mingdu's goal was to reach the Realm of Demons, aspiring to attain the status of a Ghost God."

"He did indeed locate the Realm of Demons, but tragically, Nie Qingtian cut him down before he could enter. At that time, Nie Qingtian was still devoted to Elder Han and relayed all the information he had acquired from Mingdu to him."

"My own cultivation journey diverged from the methods of the Profound Sky Sect. As you know, following the disappearance of the Ghost Wizard Sect, Elder Han reaped the most benefits. Their Soul Refining Technique included methods specifically for refining Yin Gods, as well as forbidden arts for creating Asura."

"I concentrated on refining my Yin God, using it to pursue the Ghost Dao while still among the living. The Soul Wandering Stage of my true form was already more than sufficient for me. The Yang God, my primary soul, and this physical vessel were of little concern to me."

"After my breakthrough to the Soul Wandering Stage, Elder Han arranged for my Yin God to be dispatched to the Realm of Demons."

"I had been cultivating in the Realm of Demons even before Elder Han and Youyu. My true form and Yin God were in a state of perpetual separation. Until my Yin God emerged from the Realm of Demons, I had no knowledge of the progress it had made within my true form."

"I only recently discovered that my Yin God... Hehe," Han Qi said with a wry smile, choosing not to delve deeper into the subject. Instead, he shifted the conversation. "Regarding the newly established Sword Prison, do you think Lin Daoke will consent to me guarding it? After all, I brought the Dark Mountain from the Demon Realm. Since I refined the Dark Mountain into the new Sword Prison, it's only natural that I should be its guardian."

It was clear that Han Qi had come to a realization. From the moment he revealed himself as the guardian of the Sword Prison, his extraordinary nature could hardly be concealed. "That's pretty much it."

While he was talking, the Sword Prison, crafted from the Dark Mountain, suddenly veered away from Yu Yuan and headed toward the battleground where Lin Daoke and Shehun were clashing. "I'm actually quite eager to challenge Shehun myself."

"She, Youyu, and I have all followed a similar path. Oh, and by the way, the forging of the path of ghosts and gods doesn't depend on the essence of the Boundless Great World."

With a whoosh, the Sword Prison, thick with Yin Qi, drifted further from Yu Yuan and Tan Junshan, yet Han Qi continued to face them. "A ghost! Could this be another ghost?" Tan Junshan exclaimed in shock.

"Mingdu once aspired to achieve something but failed. It seems Han Qi might have succeeded where he did not. He didn't rely on the Horror Land of the Boundless Great World, nor did he draw from the source of the Yin Vein. Instead, he went directly to the Demon Realm, the birthplace of the Yin Vein. Perhaps it was the Demon Realm's mysteries that allowed him to ascend to ghosthood."

Yu Yuan gazed at the Sword Prison, born of the Dark Mountain, and speculated, "If I'm not mistaken, his Yin God is currently at Dwarf Mountain!"

"He and Youyu, one in the Boundless Great World, the other in the Demon Realm, have both attained the status of ghosts and gods. It's uncertain who did it first or who is the stronger of the two." Tan Junshan, who had intended to raid the prison, was overawed by the enigmatic Han Qi and refrained from making a move.

"Haha!" Han Qi's laughter echoed from a distance as he proclaimed, "Oh, and another thing: with a mere thought, I can devour the Yin Gods of those imprisoned within the Sword Prison or transform them into ghostly beings. As for you two, if you don't wish to see Duan Yisheng, Zhongli, and the rest turned into ghosts, I suggest you both take a moment to cool off."

The Sword Prison soared through the cosmos, and Han Qi, perched atop the summit of Dark Mountain, made sure to caution his companions.

"What's your take on this?"

Tan Junshan inhaled deeply, his thoughts turning to their location in the Oblivion Starfield. Besides the Soul Divine King, there were three more Divine Kings: Taishi, Tianqi, and Taixu. Knowing that Duan Yisheng was unharmed, he managed to maintain his composure.

"Han Qi's abrupt arrival in the Oblivion Starfield, along with the unique Sword Prison, clearly indicates he's targeting Shehun."

Tan Junshan's eyes fixed on a distant crescent moon, as if through it, he could discern the whereabouts of Shehun and Lin Daoke. "Shehun won't be defeated by this, will she?"

Yu Yuan also saw the bigger picture, deducing that Han Qi's presence might be on the orders of Han Miaoyuan to stir up trouble in the Oblivion Starfield.

Should Shehun fall, the hard-earned prestige of the Divine Soul Sect could suffer a devastating blow.

Numerous formidable beings from beyond were covertly monitoring the conflict. Shehun, who could hold her own against Lin Daoke, was currently riding a wave of momentum, earning the awe of countless alien races.

Her defeat at the hands of Han Qi would deal a significant blow to both her and the Divine Soul Sect.

"Oh, and one more thing. Elder Han took Youyu with him into the Devil Region, deliberately making it difficult for Youyu to leave easily. This, too, has afforded me an opportunity."

"The residual Yin Meridian, trapped beneath Horror Land, will be smelted by me."

"The cycle of reincarnation for all living creatures will now be under my control, fulfilling Elder Han's past ambitions. I'm grateful to Shehun for removing various hurdles, enabling me to assume this role with ease."

Han Qi continued with a chuckle.

"Wishful thinking."

The Dragon Slash Platform teleported once more, blocking the path of the Sword Prison. Seated on the luminescent surface, he addressed Han Qi, a potential ghostly powerhouse, "Let's put Shehun aside for a moment. Would you indulge me by demonstrating the mystical powers of the Yin God you've cultivated in the Devil Region?"

With a whoosh, Yu Yuan's Yin God emerged from his brow and hovered above his own head. He waved at Han Qi as if in greeting and said, "My Yin God is present. Care to try and see if you can swallow it, transforming it into a ghostly being?"

"The Ghosting Arts, a unique Soul Art of the Divine King, are indeed exceptional."

Han Qi, seated atop the Sword Prison, narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the Yin God that Yu Yuan had released. "Most cultivators at the Unrestrained Stage wouldn't dare let their Yin God linger in the depths of space without the protection of a Boundary Wall. To me, your Yin God is an exceedingly nourishing entity."

Suddenly, a powerful suction force emerged from the Sword Prison!

This bizarre force was so strong that even Tan Junshan, who was at a distance, couldn't resist it. His Yin God was uncontrollably pulled out and vanished into the Sword Prison in an instant.

"You managed to last a bit longer, but... what made you leave your body?" Han Qi taunted as Yu Yuan's Yin God was also drawn into the Sword Prison.

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