C347 The Soul Chart!
Tong Laoqian and Liu Ying's conversation around the pit was candid, with no attempt to conceal the weather patterns or obscure the workings of fate.
Liu Ying, wielding the Fallen Star Eyes, observed everything with crystal clarity in the reflection of the table's mirror and heard every detail.
Bathed in cosmic energy, the young woman from the Starmoon Sect was nearly fully healed.
Her delicate face glowed once more, and her bright eyes sparkled with vitality. "It looks like there's a chance for a turnaround."
Upon learning of the Shura from the Dark Realm, Tong Laoqian quickly surmised Shen Feiqing and her group's intentions, which threatened to disrupt the natural order and could lead to dire consequences.
He exchanged a knowing glance with Qi Hongyi, indicating their readiness to ally with Yan Qiling.
Together with Qi Hongyi, Yan Qiling, and Xu Zixi, they stood a chance to shift the tide of events.
Elsewhere.
Yu Zhu on the floating island seized the moment to rejuvenate, drawing in the miasmic clouds from the Forgotten Ruins to purify her body, her gaze growing increasingly luminous.
The tide of events was shifting favorably.
"I'm feeling quite well now; I think I'll bring some more people up," she decided.
Liu Ying, with her hand propped under her chin, looked on contentedly, covertly maneuvering the massive silver-white meteorite beneath her feet, streaking across the night sky.
Yuan Lianyao gazed at the girl from the Starmoon Sect and said with a smile, "You must have only recently met Yu Yuan, am I right?"
Liu Ying didn't deny it, "Yes, we met here in the Forgotten Ruins just a few days ago. Though it's been a brief acquaintance, we've hit it off quite well."
"It's more than just getting along," Yuan Lianyao remarked with a grin.
Liu Ying's brow quirked, her eyes narrowing playfully, "Yuanyuan, what are you implying?"
"Nothing at all," Yuan Lianyao replied, shaking her head with a laugh. "I just think you and Yu Yuan make a rather striking pair."
"That's absurd," Liu Ying retorted lightly.
The Fallen Star Eyes continued to howl through the nocturnal expanse.
Occasionally, a curtain of cosmic energy cascaded from the heavens like a waterfall.
Qin Yun, lost and aimless in the Forgotten Ruins, contemplated whether to return to Thylethlume. He, along with Ning Ji, found themselves under the favor of the cosmic energy light curtain.
Liu Ying guided the pair to the Fallen Star Eyes. Shortly thereafter, Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu were also enveloped by the cosmic energy screen, suddenly soaring into the heavens before descending onto the expansive silver meteorite.
Su Yan and her father, along with Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu, were not brought along by Liu Ying. Both Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu were members of the Lee family, and Liu Ying was uncertain where their loyalties lay between justice and personal ties. She feared they might have a secret understanding with the Silvermoon Queen.
As for Su Xiangtian and Su Yan, Liu Ying simply did not wish to see them. She was reluctant to have Su Yan, a girl acknowledged by Abyssal Dawn and seemingly in good standing with Yu Yuan, set foot on her Fallen Star Eyes.
The group congregated around the table with the clear mirror, which offered a view of the cultivators encircling Yu Yuan and the pit—likely the most formidable practitioners in Aetherius. Following brief pleasantries and expressions of thanks, all eyes were glued to the scenes within the mirror.
Confronted by Tong Laoqian's interrogation, the commander, draped in purple silk, remained stoically silent. He offered no explanations or rebuttals, simply letting Tong Laoqian speak his mind.
Yan Qiling proposed that they extend an invitation to Tong Laoqian and Qi Hongyi to join them, and Tong Laoqian was visibly weighing the option.
The individuals who had been locked in fierce combat just moments before were now eerily composed. Their collective gaze was fixed on Yu Yuan, the brown eyeball, and the seemingly empty garments of the Golden Fiend drifting in the air, rendering the crowd utterly speechless.
The heavy thuds of the Blackfang Beast's hooves eventually broke the silence. Led by Le Baixiong, the remnants of the Blackfang Legion, clad in heavy armor and reeking of blood, marched into the ravaged city and converged on the pit. Their armor was stained with fresh blood, and the spears and halberds they carried dripped red. A palpable, ferocious bloodlust rose from them like smoke signals, invisible to the eye but intensely felt.
Le Baixiong, astride the towering Blackfang Beast, lifted his head to regard Shen Feiqing, the depth of meaning in his gaze unmistakable to the commander.
Shen Feiqing gave a slight nod, her voice hoarse yet deliberately soft as she spoke, "You've worked hard."
A grin spread across Le Baixiong's face, his eyes brimming with delight.
Simultaneously.
Liu Ying, nestled deep within the clouds, furrowed her brow and announced, "The residual souls of the Silvermoon Empire's cultivators, slain by the Blackfang Legion, are rapidly vanishing."
A look of shock washed over everyone's faces.
Liu Ying gestured toward the gleaming silver stone on the table, as clear as a mirror. As everyone peered intently, they noticed the picture scroll that had previously been pursuing the High Oracle now drifting through the air.
The scroll was faintly outlined with the figures of many people.
Qin Yun, formerly the head of the Midnightshields, and Yuan Lianyao of Asvetaesi, both had their expressions darken at the sight of the scroll.
"The Soul Chart!"
"The Silvermoon Empire's curious anomaly, the Lee family's treasured Soul Chart!"
"Just like the Fallen Star Eyes, it's a heavenly-grade artifact, enigmatic and profound!"
Qin Yun and Yuan Lianyao spoke in turn, voicing the name of the scroll with evident trepidation.
Liu Ying, momentarily taken aback, quickly came to a realization. "My master once mentioned a painting within the Silvermoon Empire capable of consuming souls and refining them for its own purposes."
"That's the Soul Chart," Qin Yun confirmed.
During his time with the Midnightshields, he had closely monitored the neighboring nation's affairs. Acting on the Sunfire Emperor's directive, he had stealthily entered the Moonfall Sanctuary, plotting the assassination of the so-called five crescents.
He was well-versed in the affairs of the Silvermoon Empire and the Empress.
He was well aware that the Silvermoon Queen possessed a rare treasure that could be cultivated alongside her life—a painting known as the Soul Chart, capable of gathering souls and refining them for her own use.
As he conversed with Liu Ying, the situation took another turn.
Towards Thylethlume, a purple crystal sphere emerged, resembling a purple moon as it floated up, casting a dazzling halo that surged toward the picture scroll.
In that region, Lee Yu's icy gaze remained fixed on the departing purple crystal ball.
Together, Lee Yu and Lee Yuchan resolved to no longer concern themselves with the conflict at the Forgotten Ruins. They set their sights on returning to the Silvermoon Empire, making their way toward Thylethlume.
Unexpectedly, Lee Yu's purple crystal ball, which was uniquely his, began to act of its own accord, detaching from him.
"Aunt?" Lee Yu began, his words trailing off with uncertainty.
Lee Yuchan sighed softly, "I understand what's on your mind. Regardless, let's head back to the Empire first, to the Lee family. We'll figure things out once we're there."
Lee Yu murmured an acknowledgment, his head bowed, his expression somber.
"I've seen that crystal ball before!"
Zhan Tianxiang exclaimed, his astonishment evident after a brief pause. "In the Moonfall Sanctuary, Lee Yu summoned this purple crystal ball to vanquish the Moonfiend and absorb numerous souls! Moreover, I'm aware that the crystal ball underwent an evolution due to the trials in the forbidden area and the substantial infusion of souls."
Zhao Yafu nodded affirmatively, "If my memory serves me right, Lee Yu refers to this purple crystal ball as the Soul Orb!"
"Soul Chart, Soul Orb!"
She halted momentarily, then turned to Qin Yun, inquiring, "Could these two items be connected?"
Qin Yun nodded, "They appear to be part of a whole, complementing each other."
"The Soul Orb was bestowed upon Lee Yu to carry into the Moonfall Sanctuary, to shield himself and strike down the Moonfiend..." Yuan Lianyao murmured introspectively. "The Moonfiend, absent for ages, emerged suddenly during the last trial, causing the demise of many Empire youths. Could His Majesty have foreseen its release?"
As these words were spoken, the faces of Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu, both hailing from the Empire, darkened.
The suspicion that the Silvermoon Queen had conspired with the nefarious forces now seemed confirmed.
The Terra Fiend Bai Shang was one of the three shadows behind the Queen. The crone with the White Bone Crutch also appeared to have emerged from the Moonfall Sanctuary.
In light of these events, the myriad anomalies within the Moonfall Sanctuary led them to doubt whether the Queen had prior knowledge of these developments.
Aware of the situation, he still chose to let the trial proceed, sending the young elite of the Empire into danger. This reckless decision led to the tragic deaths of prodigies like Van Le.
"Your Majesty, the Empress, has serious issues!" Liu Ying exclaimed.
Shortly thereafter, the Soul Orb, in tandem with the Soul Chart, gathered the residual souls of the Silvermoon Empire's elite and drifted towards the ruins of the city, one after the other.
Le Baixiong and Bai Shang of the Blackfang Legion stood side by side.
A figure with an indistinct face and a delicate frame, the seemingly fragile woman in silver attire, materialized in a flash. Her garments depicted the expansive map of the Aetherius Continent, featuring the renowned mountains and rivers of its nations.
She was, unmistakably, the Silvermoon Queen.
Upon her arrival, Bai Shang of the Terra Fiend bowed deeply with great deference and greeted her, "Your Majesty, it is an honor to see you."
"Your Majesty!" echoed the old crone, leaning heavily on her White Bone Crutch, her head bowed so low it nearly touched her chest in a gesture of profound respect.
