C234 Collusion

"The Heaven Palace Seal!"

"A Heaven Palace Seal has appeared in Chilly Wind Valley! Which master from the Profound Sky Sect wields it?"

"Can it truly be the Heaven Palace Seal?"

Outside the valley, cultivators from all corners of the Jade Peak Mountain Range, peering through the swirling mists, were astounded by the sight of a palace radiating a divine brilliance so intense that not even the miasmic clouds could obscure it.

"A bearer of the seal from the Profound Sky Sect has infiltrated Chilly Wind Valley!"

Shi Yuxuan, the current leader of the Medicine Sect, gasped in astonishment, his expression a mix of elation and anxiety.

Clearly, even as the Sect Master, he was unaware of the Profound Sky Sect's clandestine incursion into Jade Peak.

What could the Profound Sky Sect, the Ghoul Glyph Sect, and the other formidable cultivators be plotting?

"The seal is held by Mei Qiurong of the Profound Sky Sect."

Chen Qingyan, gripping her snakeskin scabbard, murmured the information to him.

At that moment, the onlookers outside the valley remained oblivious to the true nature of the events unfolding within, ignorant of the fates of those inside—how many had perished, how many survived.

The Heaven Palace Seal, now transformed into a stately and solemn palace, shone with such overwhelming splendor that it was unmistakable.

Yet to those outside the valley, it remained unseen.

"Mei Qiurong from the Profound Sky Sect?" Shi Yuxuan furrowed his brow, turning to her with a puzzled look. "I'm not familiar with that name. How did she come to possess a Heaven Palace Seal? And what is her cultivation level? What's her status within the Profound Sky Sect?"

"She was once at the Soul Wandering Stage, but after a grave injury, she's fallen to the Yin God level," Chen Qingyan replied, pausing briefly. "Uncle Shi, my knowledge of her is limited. My master mentioned that she's been undertaking clandestine missions for the Profound Sky Sect for years, which led to her decline."

"Despite her fall to the Yin God level, it seems she accomplished what the Profound Sky Sect tasked her with."

"Mei Qiurong emerged suddenly within the Profound Sky Sect. As a reward, they entrusted her with a Heaven Palace Seal to ensure her safety, in hopes that she would swiftly ascend back to the Soul Wandering Stage."

"She was meant to be in deep cultivation at the Profound Sky Sect. Why then did she suddenly show up in the Jade Peak Mountain Range, in Chilly Wind Valley?"

Chen Qingyan was the one who turned to Shi Yuxuan with questions, "Uncle Shi, what secrets does Chilly Wind Valley hold? Why are so many cultivators trapped there? And the array that shrouds the valley in protection—why is it so venomous? The Medicine Sect isn't known for such toxic arrays."

Shi Yuxuan's reply came with a tinge of bitterness and resignation, "It's a long tale, not one for now."

...

Deep within the valley.

Miles apart in the Chilly Wind Valley of Jade Peak, Yu Yuan was practicing the Soul Forging Technique. During his cultivation, he sensed the presence of four ancient black characters at the bottom of the Soul Transformation Pool.

In a fleeting moment, a profound connection of souls was forged.

A wave of melancholy enveloped Yu Yuan, reminiscent of a fallen hero clinging to the last threads of attachment to the world.

Remarkably, Yu Yuan's three souls—Heaven, Earth, and Human—were now deeply anchored in his sea of consciousness, impervious to harm.

The bewilderment and terror that once clouded his eyes were now replaced by a serene clarity.

He simply gazed at Mei Qiurong.

"Hmm?"

Mei Qiurong, her Yin God having ventured out, registered a shift in her expression but couldn't immediately grasp what was happening.

Her true form was still locked in combat with Loong Tianxiao, wielding the palace manifested from the Heaven Palace Seal.

Beneath the palace's radiant glow, Loong Tianxiao's soul form was tearing at the seams, his body releasing wisps of smoke—a sign of his soul power and consciousness evaporating.

Without external intervention, Loong Tianxiao, a mighty half-human, half-dragon, would be completely dissolved under the Heaven Palace Seal, leaving no trace of his existence.

Trapped by the Ghost Poisoning Array, he was unable to flee Chilly Wind Valley and now was firmly ensnared by the palace.

His form diminished as if his soul was being consumed by flames, his cries of agony piercing the air.

Nearby, the practitioners from Thunder Temple, along with Guan Xianyun, Jin Fann, and others from the Ghoul Glyph Sect, remained as silent as frostbitten cicadas, daring not to utter a word.

Mei Qiurong's actions served as a stark warning – a case of killing the chicken to scare the monkey.

Even Loong Tianxiao, the mightiest among them, was rendered helpless beneath the crushing weight of the palace created by the Heaven Palace Seal. If he stood no chance, what hope did the rest have?

Who could possibly stand against the Heaven Palace Seal and emerge unscathed?

"Forget it, forget it. She's from the Profound Sky Sect and wields a Heaven Palace Seal. To become her slave... it's not a dishonor," he rationalized.

Facing the looming threat of death, Loong Tianxiao let out a heavy sigh, his decision made. He would heed Mei Qiurong's words, swallow his pride, and vow to serve her as a slave.

All he sought was a chance to survive.

But as he was about to plead for mercy, his expression shifted dramatically.

He saw the Yin God that Mei Qiurong had projected was shaking uncontrollably.

Loong Tianxiao was also surprised to see Yu Yuan, who had been writhing in agony, now steadying his legs.

Yu Yuan's gaze was icy, brimming with a chilling resolve to kill.

The thick, multicolored cloud that had been still suddenly roiled into action, enveloping the dense clouds and plummeting down.

It descended upon the solemn, mountainous palace.

The brilliant radiance that the palace had been emitting was in an instant, engulfed and obscured by the toxic miasma.

The dissipation of Loong Tianxiao's soul consciousness and soul power abruptly ceased.

No longer was he tormented by the relentless pain of his soul being consumed by flames.

He was, at last, free from suffering.

"Clang!"

The jarring clang of metal striking metal echoed from the smoke-shrouded palace.

Mei Qiurong's true form showed a flicker of alarm, and she urgently called out, "Yin God, return!"

With the Heaven Palace Seal under attack, to harness its full potential, she needed to reunite her three souls with her body, channel her life force and spiritual energy, and synchronize them with her soul consciousness to cast spells.

Once it unleashed its full force, Mei Qiurong could no longer concern herself with Yu Yuan; her Yin God needed to retreat into her body without delay.

But then...

She was struck by a sudden, fearful realization. As Yu Yuan merged with her flesh, her projecting Yin God was unexpectedly constrained by him.

An eerie, mournful aura had stealthily enveloped her Yin God, preventing it from immediately reentering her physical form.

This bizarre presence was thwarting the perfect union between her Yin God and her corporeal self.

Mei Qiurong's alarm was far from insignificant.

Yet, what sent her into further disarray was still to come!

Yu Yuan, positioned at the mouth of the cave, stepped aside and flashed a sinister smile at her Yin God, chuckling, "Master Mei, savor the flavor of the Yin Dipper Gale!"

Mei Qiurong's face turned ashen.

The very next moment, she sensed the Yin Dipper Gale—the ominous wind she had always dreaded but could never trace—blowing forth from the cave where Yu Yuan had been lingering.

Invisible and intangible, yet undeniably present, the Yin Dipper Gale howled towards her Yin God.

"Who in the world are you?!" Mei Qiurong demanded, her voice sharp with urgency.

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