C1825 The Evil Power of the Wraithlands

Whoosh!

Upon Lin Daoke's arrival, his eyes were a charred black, and demonic flames still burned in his ears.

His crystalline Solar Spirit transformed into strands of snow-white sword light, coursing through his limbs and bones. Eventually, it roamed his sea of consciousness, purging the remnants of the terrifying magic power left by Kaiya.

He then gazed at Kaiya with an impassive expression and stated, "You owe Han Qi your thanks."

Kaiya, exuding an air of authority, beamed and nodded in agreement. "Indeed, without his Sword Prison, without the stone door and the resonating image of the Levi River, I would never have escaped your sword."

Chi!

Her formidable chest, clad in armor of an unknown material, cracked open repeatedly, healing just as swiftly, until the anomaly ceased.

It was evident that without the protection of this enigmatic armor, her injuries would have been exponentially worse.

"Han Qi, you've outsmarted yourself."

Kaiya smiled at Han Qi, mockingly bowing slightly, "Had I not entered the painting in time, my armor would have been ruined, and my body may not have withstood Mr. Lin's mightiest sword. I would have been gravely wounded, if not dead."

Han Qi's face was a picture of embarrassment. "Well..."

He realized his interference had inadvertently aided the Soul-Capturing God-King's escape from Lin Daoke's lethal blow, leaving him feeling indebted to Lin Daoke.

With the Sword Prison in ruins, he couldn't fault Lin Daoke and stood there, awkwardly unsure of what to say next.

Despite his discomfort, he faced the scrutinizing eyes of the Boulderdawn elite and the indifferent stares of the Otherkin without a hint of fear. This God of Ghosts powerhouse, now in the spotlight for the first time, showed no sign of intimidation.

Yu Yuan's gaze shifted to the lone remaining stone door behind Han Qi, fixating on the blood-yellow river depicted above.

A peculiar sensation overcame him.

Han Miaoyuan of the Ebon Star Sect might be able to witness these unfolding events from the Wraithlands through the Levi River on the stone tablet. Perhaps... he could even make his way here directly!

In essence, the stone door under Han Qi's control could potentially offer a direct passage to the Wraithlands!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Levi River, etched into the stone door, emitted a distinct sound of flowing water. The blood-yellow streams seemed to come alive, converging towards their source.

Han Qi bowed slightly to Lin Daoke and said with an apologetic tone, "I am simply carrying out orders."

Lin Daoke was taken aback, unsure of Han Qi's intentions or what he planned to do next.

Suddenly, the majority of the human race's experts, including those with a Lunar Spirit, experienced a searing pain. The grey wisps of Soul Power, meticulously refined by the Lunar Spirit, were drawn to the Levi River behind Han Qi and flew out of their consciousness.

No one was exempt, not even Lin Daoke. This included Yue Mu and all the Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect.

Jun Chen, Zhou You You, the recently awakened Duan Yisheng, Zhongli Dapan, and those who had just been rescued, all began to feel their Lunar Spirit power draining once more.

"Han Qi!" Van Heqing, pressing a finger to his forehead, was powerless to stop the Soul Power from seeping out. Feeling his strength wane, he confronted Han Qi immediately.

"Open!" Kaiya's purple eyes gleamed as a ribbon of purple brilliance bathed the Levi River.

Deep within the slowly flowing Levi River, countless ghosts, as if illuminated, eagerly anticipated the influx of Soul Power. When the Soul Power emerged from the Lunar Spirit, the restless ghosts extended their claws, snatched it up, and devoured it, shrieking with the excitement of dire beasts finally satiated after eons of hunger.

Whoosh! The eighth-level enchantresses of the Evilkind and members of the Shadowkin, like the human Lunar Spirits, found their Soul Power draining from their minds.

"Levi River, the erosion of the soul, this technique..." Kaiya murmured, her brow furrowed. "The Sky Fiend and cosmic giant beasts are unaffected. The human primordial spirit and Solar Spirit Body are also relatively unscathed."

As she spoke, Yu Yuan observed the Lizard and the Abyssal Leviathan drawing near, curiously examining the Levi River. The beast souls of these eternal cosmic giant beasts remained as unshakable as a mountain, with not a wisp of Soul Power lost.

"I hope that one day, the people of the Everlands will place as much emphasis on cultivating the Lunar Spirit as I do. Then, we can adopt a new system of cultivation," Han Qi declared, sharing his grand vision with fervor.

His eyes took on a grayish-white hue. "Mastering the Lunar Spirit can lead one to ascend to the realm of the God of Ghosts. The people of the Everlands are not Star-Spawned Terrors. Why should we be at the mercy of the Primal Soul beneath us, forever under its influence?"

Yu Yuan felt a tremor in his spirit.

Han Qi appeared to be speaking on behalf of some otherworldly entities, espousing a set of ideals that were his own.

In that instant, Yu Yuan was reminded of Han Qi's earlier words, which proclaimed the human race's unique nature. He had said that any one of the three souls of heaven, earth, and man could reach the pinnacle if cultivated to their limits.

Levi River, with Han Qi at its helm, wielded immense power over the Lunar Spirit of the Everlands' people!

Through Han Qi's manipulation as a God of Ghosts, the enigmatic Levi River could siphon Soul Power from the humans' Lunar Spirit to nourish the myriad wraiths within.

If the Everlands were to embrace Han Qi's philosophy, all of its cultivators would focus solely on the Lunar Spirit, just like Han Qi and Lee Yuchan.

Wouldn't all human cultivators eventually find themselves bound by the Levi River?

If even a formidable being like Lin Daoke couldn't resist the Levi River with his Lunar Spirit, wouldn't all human powerhouses who concentrated on the Lunar Spirit fall under its sway?

Neglecting the transformation of the dominant soul into the primordial spirit and the refinement of the Solar Spirit Body to focus solely on the Lunar Spirit would only serve Han Qi's interests.

"Are these your thoughts, Han Qi, or are they Han Miaoyuan's intentions?"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply as the Dragon Slaying Stage glowed with a golden sheen. He stared intently at the now eerie Han Qi and demanded, "You claim to be acting on orders. I'm eager to know whose commands you're obeying. Han may have his faults, but at least he's devoted to the Everlands' human race, unlike you!"

Han Qi responded with nothing more than a soft, low chuckle.

The Wraithlands are akin to a realm of dread within the celestial rivers. The souls of beings from beyond our world—Shura, enchantresses, the Starborn, and members of the Dawnbringers—all bear traces of the Wraithlands to some extent. Thus, the residual souls of the deceased Otherkin, seemingly vanished from existence, appear to converge within the Wraithlands.

The Root of the Lunar Meridian originates from the Wraithlands, transforming a part of our vast Everlands into a place reminiscent of that dreaded realm.

Rebirth within the Everlands is confined to its own boundaries, with not a wisp escaping to the Wraithlands.

Kaiya paused briefly before she disclosed a secret to the group, explaining the origins of the Lunar Meridian.

Yet, the presence of the Lunar Meridian has left the souls of the Everlands' inhabitants with additional marks of the Wraithlands.

Humans who concentrate on refining their earthly souls and Lunar Spirits will find the imprints of the Wraithlands deepening within them. The human cultivation system of the Everlands largely overlooks the Lunar Spirit. Once practitioners reach the Spirit Walk stage, they cease to focus on the Lunar Spirit, aiming to rid themselves of the Wraithlands' influence.

The Lunar Meridian's subtle alteration of the Everlands' souls necessitates a cultivation system that deliberately neglects the Lunar Spirit to prevent Wraithlands corruption. Moreover, it is only upon ascending to the Solar Spirit realm that one can glide through the cosmic Star River, impervious to the Wraithlands' sway.

Cultivators at the Unbound Stage possess such formidable strength that even with the Lunar Spirit within them, they remain unscathed by the Wraithlands under normal circumstances.

Kaiya, who has been immersed in the Bloodbrawlers' arts from a young age, sealed the Lunar Meridian within the Everlands and stripped away its memories. Coupled with Bertain's teachings, she had long unraveled the veiled truths.

Han Qi, having ascended to a God of Ghosts within the Wraithlands, must have succumbed to its corrupting power. His ambitions extend beyond retrieving the lost Lunar Meridian for the Wraithlands; he seeks to leverage it to dominate the humans of the Everlands and fundamentally alter their entire cultivation system.

"He's no longer under Han Miaoyuan's command. He's become the mouthpiece for a different will within the Wraithlands."

Kaiya looked somewhat concerned as she spoke, "Now Youyu has also gone in and has yet to emerge. I hope he can differ from Han Qi, holding onto his spiritual wisdom and true self."

Whoosh!

Yu Yuan transformed the Dragon Slaying Stage in his hand into a golden sword, thrusting it toward Han Qi, the master of the Levi River.

In an instant, Han Qi vanished. When he reappeared, he was within the flowing image of the river, laughing sinisterly, "Feel the extent of my power!"

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