C1902 The Undead Lord
In the Wraithlands, Yu Yuan stood upon the Dragon Slaying Stage, deeply immersed within the Spectral Labyrinth of Shadows crafted by Han Qi. Drawing upon the power within the stage, he fought valiantly.
The only source of power in the Wraithlands was shadow energy, and to sustain himself, Yu Yuan harnessed this force.
Countless ghosts, fiercely loyal to Han Qi, surged from the caverns of the Shadow Mountains like a dense, swirling mist of spirits from the Levi River, encircling the levitating mountains.
An overwhelming pressure, as if the very heavens were descending, radiated from the Shadow Mountains, enveloping Yu Yuan's form.
Boom!
Within Yu Yuan's Mindscape, thirty-six gray soul vortices were instantly crushed, dissipating like smoke into his dominant soul.
His immense phantom soul underwent a startling transformation, morphing into an expansive, boundless ocean.
This enigmatic ocean, often surfacing in Yu Yuan's dreams and daydreams, held a profound mystery, as if the secrets of his past lay buried in its depths.
As this sea manifested, Yu Yuan became lost in a trance, as if another part of him had been stirred.
The revelation also alarmed the billions of ghosts in the vicinity, including those dwelling within the ancient tree.
At the Origin Gate, Kaiya's eyes fluttered slightly, a sign unnoticed by Han Qi at the time.
"Han Qi!"
Evil spirits, once loyal to Matina but now under Han Qi's hypnotic sway, burst forth from the colossal ancient tree, wailing at him.
Whoosh!
The ancient tree, with its dense foliage, violently shook its trunk and branches in the grayish-white dark soil.
Crack! Crash!
Han Qi's disturbance of the nearby Shadow Mountain caused the meticulously constructed Spectral Labyrinth of Shadows to be ruptured by the ancient tree's limbs.
The mountains, along with the ghosts encircling them, exploded unexpectedly, scattering into oblivion.
In the depths of Yu Yuan's Mindscape, the mysterious deep sea that had subtly altered swiftly reverted to the original form of his dominant soul.
It seemed reluctant to expose too many secrets before the peculiar ancient tree.
Far away, above the Levi River, Yu Yiyi, the Skeleton Horse, and the occupants of the Ghost Ship were jolted awake.
As a God of Ghosts, Han Qi effortlessly shattered the mental bonds he had imposed upon the Ghost Kings.
Including the Spectral Labyrinth of Shadows!
Whoosh!
The massive ancient tree, rooted in the dark soil, unexpectedly tore itself from the grey-white land and surged into the void. Its roots, thick and robust, danced in the air with the grace of Matina's hair, an enchantress of the evilkind.
In an instant, those dancing roots transformed into blinding white bolts of lightning, piercing through the ghosts aiding the Spectral Labyrinth of Shadows, extinguishing their existence. Some roots morphed into fiery orbs, incinerating the Ghost Kings, still trapped in ice, reducing them to ash.
In the blink of an eye, every ghost that had pledged loyalty to Han Qi was no more.
Crack! Crack!
The limbs of the ancient tree, like titanic blades, cleaved through Shadow Mountain, leaving it in ruins. The Spectral Labyrinth of Shadows, which had yet to reveal its full might, was laid to waste by the ancient tree stationed at Matina's stronghold.
"Uh..."
Yu Yuan, clutching the Dragon Slaying Stage amidst the rubble of Shadow Mountain, had hoped for a hearty battle with Han Qi. Yet, he found the fight cut short due to a momentary anomaly in his dominant soul.
He had roused the slumbering ghosts within the ancient tree, and it seemed, the ancient tree itself had stirred to wakefulness. Within the withered trunk, scattered thoughts sparked to life among the many soul ghosts' minds, a phenomenon born from the tree's departure from the dark soil.
These minute thoughts, like seeds, had taken root in the souls of the powerful ghosts, dispersed over the years. The ancient tree, akin to the Skeleton Horse, possessed both wisdom and sentience.
The leaves of the ancient tree, now like watchful, cold eyes, gradually fixed upon Han Qi.
Han Qi, poised for a grand battle, eyed the unfamiliar ancient tree, sensing its peculiar aura, and declared, "Matina never trusted me!"
Whoosh!
He abandoned his attempt to seize the Demonic Vessels near the Origin Gate, abruptly concluding the battle and swiftly departing the scene.
His demeanor suggested he had no intention of lingering in the Wraithlands any longer, eager to pass through the Thornsnare and make his escape.
It wasn't Fernand nor Yu Yuan he feared, but rather the ancient tree itself.
"Should I say he's being cautious, or is he simply a scaredy-cat?" pondered Kaiya, shaking her head. Her eyes wide open, she watched Han Qi's retreat and remarked, "He withdraws decisively the moment his strike misses. He's likely heading back to the Everlands to assimilate with an essence of the source."
"Additionally, he's likely looking for other ways to reconnect with Jihui to gauge the situation on the other side."
Kaiya, towering and striking, massaged her stiff neck and chuckled, "He drew me into the Wraithlands, through the Thornsnare, and provoked Wagner and Matina, two Gods of Ghosts, to besiege me."
"Yet, as soon as I persuaded Matina and he saw things turning sour, he was quick to withdraw." A mocking smile played on Kaiya's lips, "He never commits fully or takes risks unless he's certain of the outcome."
With that said,
Her gaze shifted to the ancient vine tree amidst the rubble, her eyes glistening like crystal as they settled on the glimmering lights. Out of curiosity, she inquired, "Are you another Undead Lord?"
The ancient tree, having bored through Shadow Mountain and effortlessly shattered the Spectral Labyrinth of Shadows, settled back down, its roots once again burrowing into the earth.
The moment it touched down, all the fragments of Shadow Mountain in the void plummeted into the Levi River.
"An Undead Lord?" Yu Yuan was taken aback.
He had previously learned from Kaiya and Matina that the Lunar Meridian, which had defected from the Wraithlands, was one of the Undead Lords.
He was clueless about the Undead Lord but was eager to understand.
"The Undead Lord can be seen as a faithful follower of the Wraithlands' will, or perhaps... a child."
Kaiya's smile was serene, her deep knowledge of the Lunar Meridian's enigmas evident. Having separated the memories and magic from the Root of the Lunar Meridian and exchanged insights with Matina, she was well aware of the Undead Lord's backstory.
"The will of the Wraithlands governs the cycle of life and death, the order of souls' rebirth. Unlike the Primal Soul and Primal Blood, it struggles to remain lucid, which is why it fashioned three Undead Lords."
"The Lunar Meridian, once known as the Undead Extraditor within the Wraithlands, was tasked with creating paths for the undead to enter the Wraithlands, offering extraterrestrial spirits a way home."
"However, upon reaching the Everlands with the intention of laying out the Path of Undead, the Lunar Meridian encountered the Primal Soul and never returned."
"The task of laying the Path of the Undead in the Wraithlands has been divided between Matina and Wagner."
Kaiya paused before adding, "There's also an Undead Lord who stands vigil over the Crucible of Rebirth year-round, keeping a watchful eye on every move within the Crucible to ensure nothing goes awry."
"The third Undead Lord oversees the Wraithlands, monitoring the actions of the various Gods of Ghosts and selecting them as well."
She let out a soft chuckle.
"Matina can be quite devious; she never disclosed the whereabouts of the third Undead Lord. In the Origin Realm, she even looked worried, concerned that you wouldn't be able to handle Han Qi and that her body might be defiled by him."
A sarcastic smile played on the corners of Kaiya's mouth as she gave a light snort, her displeasure evident.
It's no surprise Matina was the first to venture out of her soul and enter the Origin Gate. It turns out the third Undead Lord is this very ancient tree.
With the ancient tree here, not only Han Qi but even if she and Yu Yuan harbored any hidden intentions in the outside world, they wouldn't be able to cause any upheaval.
So, Matina's vigilance was directed not only at Han Qi but also at Yu Yuan.
"You should head to the Thornsnare and trap Han Qi," Kaiya said, her gaze fixed on the ancient tree.
The fragmented consciousnesses among the evil spirits and ghosts coalesced suddenly.
The ghosts loyal to Matina once again fell into a deep slumber within the ancient tree.
The thoughts of the third Undead Lord, connecting the souls of these ghosts, spoke in a resonant and profound Soul Voice, "I also oversee the Thornsnare. He cannot escape."
Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan felt as though the ancient tree had glanced his way.
At that moment, he realized that when he crossed the Thornsnare with the Dragon Slaying Stage, he had been meticulously scrutinized by the will of the Wraithlands.
It appeared that this will was embodied by the ancient tree before him, the third Undead Lord in control of the Thornsnare, an entity on par with the Lunar Meridian.
After a moment of contemplation, Yu Yuan abruptly asked, "What is the name of the Wraithlands' will?"
"Before it was corrupted by the Abyssal Treasure, the entity in the Everlands was known as the Primal Soul, while in the Dark Star, it was referred to as the Primal Blood. My father later called it the Primal Vitality."
Kaiya's demeanor turned grave, her playful and displeased expressions vanishing.
She showed profound respect for the Primal Soul and the Primal Blood, recognizing them as the fundamental essence of the Way of Heaven and the origin of order.
"Primal Vitality?" Yu Yuan was taken aback.
"Think of it this way: if you consider our world as a complete living structure, then the Primal Soul would be the dominant soul, the Primal Blood the Solar Spirit, and the Primal Vitality the Lunar Spirit."
"The practice of the three souls of heaven, earth, and man by the human race corresponds to these three entities. Regrettably, the Lunar Spirit cannot leave the Everlands, and the human race's construction of the Solar Spirit is a fusion of spiritual energy and the heaven soul, not blood, which is a fundamental error from the start."
"Ultimately, one can only progress through the dominant soul, aligning solely with the Primal Soul."
