C1917 Evil Temple

The towering Evil Temple began to crumble unexpectedly with Yu Yuan's return. Massive bricks and tiles transformed into dark orbs of magic power, and Jihui, who clutched the Wraithbanner, grew somber.

In the darkened sky, some of the soul marks he had inscribed became ineffective. Although the Evil Temple was an illusion, its connection to the original source allowed it to wield some of the Abyss's power even within the Origin Realm. Thus, once Jihui had conjured the temple, not even Kaiya could escape its confines.

In contrast, the actual Evil Temple in the Abyss had given the Demon God Bertain considerable trouble. Yet, Yu Yuan's reappearance had brought about the destruction of this spectral Evil Temple, rendering the veil over the Origin Realm and Mindscape vulnerable.

"Sir..." Jihui shook his head, finding the unawakened Yu Yuan so alien and beyond reason. What more could he possibly do? He had already led him to the true depths of the Abyss. Hadn't Yu Yuan seen the plight of their fellow humans there? Why would he refuse to join Jihui on this journey? It was incomprehensible to him.

"He has become a God of Ghosts," declared Matina, who had ascended to a God of Ghosts through the souls of enchantresses. After the illusory Evil Temple's destruction by Yu Yuan, she quickly escaped the Evil Gods' grasp. She glanced around, visibly relieved to see the temple gone. "Something was off about that palace. It severely limited our souls."

Kaiya and Matina stood side by side, realizing that all the ghosts that had ventured into the Mindscape and the Origin Realm had vanished. It was as if Jihui's Wraithbanner had devoured them, assimilating their essence into his power.

"Don't worry, I can't die," Kaiya said nonchalantly. During the temple's collapse, she had managed to connect with another aspect of herself. She was aware of Han Qi's demise and that the Undead Lord had crafted a God of Ghosts for Yu Yuan. She also knew that a vast number of souls from the Everlands and the residual spirits of cultivators were continuously flowing into the Wraithlands. The situation there seemed overwhelmingly positive.

Wagner landed next to Yu Yuan, examining his spirited body with curiosity. Suddenly, he cried out, "That's the aura of the Wraithlands' rebel!"

"It's not a traitor; it's the First Undead Dominator!"

Matina spoke with grave seriousness, clarifying, "The authority and power of the First Undead Dominator surpass those of the second and third! It's merely been ensnared in the Everlands, unable to return to the Wraithlands."

"You're quite knowledgeable."

Yu Yuan gave Matina a glance before drifting over to Youyu's side. Noticing his old friend's hundreds of phantoms undergoing refinement, he inquired with concern, "Are you okay?"

"I'm holding up. Not all the Mind Magic I've mastered is derived from it. But what about you and it?"

Youyu, having reverted to his original soul form, appeared somewhat frail, his soul aura faint.

Youyu expressed mild astonishment, sensing the presence of the Root of the Lunar Meridian. "What transpired between you two?" he asked.

Yu Yuan replied, "Let's discuss it once we're back in the Wraithlands."

"Okay."

"I think I've got it now."

Kaiya's devil soul chuckled lightly, nodding to Matina, "Even though it's unclear how it managed to escape the shackles of the Will of the Deep through Yu Yuan, it can now be considered returned."

"Having returned to the Wraithlands and the Crucible of Rebirth, it reclaimed its dominion and, after reporting the insights gained from the Everlands to its master..."

"Its master has made a choice!"

Against the God of Ghosts, Yu Yuan stood no chance of shattering this peculiar hall, especially with Jihui dominating the scene.

Unless Yu Yuan was more powerful than the God of Ghosts!

Kaiya, whose insight surpassed that of the Wraithlands' two Undead Lords, recognized that the return of the Root of the Lunar Meridian had stirred the Primal Vitality.

The Primal Vitality had invested heavily in Yu Yuan!

The Primal Vitality had forged a being of a higher echelon than the likes of Matina and the God of Ghosts!

"He has assimilated the myriad rules of the Wraithlands' cycles of rebirth into the Demonic Vessel."

The Dreadlord, hovering within the vast prism, spoke these words before directing the immense mirror toward Yu Yuan.

The shadow of the God of Ghosts manifested within the grand mirror.

In that fleeting moment, Yu Yuan, fresh from his journey to the Wraithlands, felt an overwhelming power and was irresistibly drawn into the mirror.

Inside the prism, there appeared to be an illusory land, reminiscent of one of the sixth layers of the Abyss. It was a world where flowers bloomed in abundance and birds sang sweetly. Numerous human women, clad in light garments, flew toward him from every direction, their faces alight with playful smiles. Some were youthful and radiant, others seductive and captivating, all brimming with anticipation and joy, as if they had known Yu Yuan for countless years, as if they were his childhood sweethearts.

"I didn't expect you, Dreadlord, to be versed in even a rudimentary form of mind-bending magic. But compared to our world's Mirage of the Mind, your tricks are rather elementary," Yu Yuan said, shaking his head with a scoff.

As his words fell, countless bolts of white lightning shattered the facade of the approaching beauties. Monstrous creatures from the Abyss, their maws jagged and dripping with foul mucus, emerged within the world crafted by the Dreadlord, gnashing at his spiritual body.

"Heh!" The grey meridians hidden within Yu Yuan's spiritual body coalesced into the expansive, blood-yellow Levi River. The Abyss Devils that swarmed from all sides were submerged by the mighty river, their spiritual wisdom and memories dissipating in its murky waters. In short order, the aberrations spawned by the Dreadlord were reduced to an unrefinable filth.

With a wave of his hand, Yu Yuan struck at the beautiful world, and a crack suddenly marred the vast prism. The Dreadlord shrieked, instantly realizing her creation could not contain Yu Yuan, and hastily set him free.

"Han Qi is dead."

Having escaped the Dreadlord, Yu Yuan paid no heed to the other Evil Gods, dismissing the episode as a trivial matter. He turned his attention back to Jihui and stated, "Your hopes of aiding Han Qi have been dashed."

"And furthermore..."

"I shall soon make my way back to the Everlands. I will fulfill its desire for a close encounter."

With a serene demeanor, Yu Yuan explained, "The glimpses you've shown me won't compel me to overturn the decisions I've made."

Memories from the Lunar Meridian began to resurface, trickling from the grey meridians within him. He first embraced the authority of the Root of the Lunar Meridian, grasping the workings of the Path of Undead, before delving into the mysteries of reincarnation. He was aware that his experiences with the Lunar Meridian in the Everlands would continue to unfold.

Just as he had once gleaned the origins of alien beasts and insights into another world through the Solar Meridian of the Primal Blood Continent, so too would he unlock many secrets through the Lunar Meridian.

He wasn't in any rush to decide. He intended to take his time and first get a clear picture of the real situation within the Everlands.

"I didn't expect that after bringing you into the Abyss and showing you so much, you still wouldn't change your stance," Jihui sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Sir, I've always believed you were better suited for the Origin Realm than Tan Xiaotian. You've always been the true candidate in my eyes."

"But this time, you've let me down. Should I say you're willfully ignorant, or just too obstinate?"

As he spoke, Jihui's eyes, which radiated a dangerous aura, gradually brimmed with an icy chill.

Numerous small runes and skeletal remains of birds and beasts were slowly accumulating.

An ancient and decaying energy poured forth from the Abyssal Gate behind him, enveloping the area.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The small runes and the bones of abyssal creatures emerged from his ethereal form, drawn together by his power, ready to construct a new Evil Temple.

In the Abyss, the real Evil Temple was being manifested in the Origin Realm in a more tangible way by him.

The runes linked into chains, coiling around large bones and tightening, the malevolent force twisting thoughts and souls like a wild hurricane, wreaking havoc upon the souls of the beings in the yet-to-be-revealed hall.

The vibrant purple flowers, born from parts of Kaiya's devil soul, began to wilt rapidly.

The three Gods of Ghosts clutched their heads and howled.

"Even Bertain, within the Abyss, suffered considerable injuries," Jihui said with a grave expression. "Please, sir, don't hold it against me for not dwelling on past affections."

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