C443 The Divine Artifact Was Unearthed!!
At the bottom of the murky sea, the Crucible of Evil emitted a faint black glow. The surface of the cauldron was etched with glyphs resembling black flames, alluring flowers in bloom, magic diagrams containing the ultimate truth, and the intricate essence of many souls... A chorus of roars gradually emanated from the cauldron's mouth.
The Abyssal Leviathan, which had been steadfastly guarding the entrance without finding a way in, suddenly showed a hint of fear in its bright eyes. Its one scarlet and one pearly eye turned abruptly towards the Fallen Star Eyes.
Liu Ying, whose spirit was linked with the Fallen Star Eyes, shivered slightly as she instantly picked up on its thoughts and intentions. She understood what it was trying to convey.
"Liu Ying?" Su Yan, who had been discreetly watching nearby, noticed her unease and asked in a soft voice. Kong Banbi from the Sword Sect and Du Huang from the Forgeroses also looked on with astonishment.
It was then that the creature they perceived as a strange fish left the mouth of the Crucible of Evil and swam towards them. Liu Ying sighed wearily, a hint of exhaustion in her voice.
The star-encircled veil of light graciously opened a resplendent pathway, inviting the strange fish to enter. Once inside, the fish floated near the Fallen Star Eyes again, its eyes brimming with intelligence as it fixed its gaze on Liu Ying, seemingly awaiting her decision.
"What's the matter?" Du Huang from the Forgeroses, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, grew increasingly anxious.
An intangible pressure began to loom over them, for reasons unknown. Kong Banbi inhaled deeply and called out, "Could it be... the Blood Altar has been disturbed?"
A look of alarm spread across everyone's faces!
Liu Ying remained composed. "According to him, Yu Yuan's disturbance was too great. The tremors from the Crucible of Evil have exposed this region," she explained.
Pointing to the Abyssal Leviathan, she continued, "The stones covering the Crucible of Evil were specifically crafted by the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep to mask its presence and any unusual emanations within. Once the stones are shed, the Crucible of Evil loses its ability to remain hidden. Unfortunately, Yu Yuan inside has stirred up far too much trouble."
Du Huang murmured in realization, "The young man from the Devil Palace must have been aware of this connection!"
Liu Ying nodded in agreement. "That young man must be aware."
As soon as the youth from the Devil Palace emerged, he made his way to the Ethereal Vial, gathering the remaining survivors from the various sects across the Land of Quiescence. He urged Qi Nandou to take the Ethereal Vial and flee immediately.
He was clearly aware of the mysterious shielding effect of the massive rock layer covering the Crucible of Evil.
Yu Yuan, having used the Evil Body Refining technique to amass psionic power, caused the rocks to tumble down. Consequently, he was compelled to abandon the Crucible of Evil in search of another path to survival.
"What do we do now?"
Du Huang was suddenly filled with regret, wishing he had known better and left with the Nebula Gem to avoid the increased danger of staying near the Crucible of Evil with Liu Ying.
"Should we go?"
Liu Ying ignored him, her gaze fixed on the Abyssal Leviathan.
The Abyssal Leviathan, having traveled from the extraterrestrial Star River, had pinned its hopes on Yu Yuan, confident that the sword sheath could penetrate the Azure Veil. But Yu Yuan's recent actions had caused a significant disturbance.
Such a disturbance that it might very well awaken the Blood Altar!
Unable to enter the Crucible of Evil or communicate with Yu Yuan, the Abyssal Leviathan faced a dilemma. Remaining there could lead to it being drawn into the Blood Altar and potentially refined within it.
Having been trapped in the Embers Sea for countless years, it no longer possessed its former strength at its peak.
As it stood, the Abyssal Leviathan was no match for the Blood Altar. Any desperate resistance would likely end in vain.
The Abyssal Leviathan hovered in the air, giving Liu Ying a human-like nod and transmitting its remnant soul to inform her of the escape route.
It wanted Liu Ying to use the Fallen Star Eyes to shatter the Azure Veil so they could ascend and escape together.
Filled with hope, Liu Ying continued to watch the Crucible of Evil. "Let's wait a little longer. Perhaps Yu Yuan will emerge soon, and he can join us."
"If we keep waiting, we're all going to die!" Du Huang exclaimed in desperation.
Kong Banbi let out a heavy sigh.
"Hmm?"
Liu Ying, still not ready to give up, suddenly looked alarmed. She glanced down at the Fallen Star Eyes beneath her feet, almost ready to leap into action.
The Fallen Star Eyes were inexplicably moving on their own!
Another psionic remnant soul had infiltrated the Fallen Star Eyes, challenging her mind for control. It manipulated the Fallen Star Eyes, propelling them forward with its own consciousness.
In a panic, Liu Ying turned her gaze to the strange fish she had allowed inside.
She noticed the fish's silver-white eye, resembling a cold crescent moon, emitting a glow identical to that of the Fallen Star Eyes!
This cold crescent seemed to be a soul of the moon itself, crafted from a celestial body beyond our world.
The Fallen Star Eyes were originally a massive Moon Shard from the Moonfall Sanctuary, meticulously crafted by the Starmoon Sect over decades.
Its core was made from fragments of the moon.
"What kind of sea demon are you?"
Liu Ying's face drained of color as she stared in shock at the Abyssal Leviathan. It was only now that she fully grasped the bizarre and fearsome nature of the creature that had always accompanied Yu Yuan.
The Abyssal Leviathan remained silent, while the Fallen Star Eyes soared through the sea, swiftly departing from the Crucible of Evil.
Time flew by.
After what seemed like an eternity, Yu Yuan emerged from the shadowy maw of the cauldron.
As he left, the region beneath the island erupted, sending rocks flying as if the earth itself were splitting apart.
A massive cauldron vibrated as it was forcibly extracted from its embedded position at the island's base.
The dark cauldron stood on three legs.
Each leg resembled the hoof of an ancient behemoth, as if capable of supporting the heavens and stars, exuding a sense of immense strength and weight.
Amidst the thunderous noise, the cauldron slowly ascended from the seabed, righting itself.
The three legs gently touched down.
At the moment the cauldron's "hooves" made contact, the entire island within the Embers Sea shuddered violently.
Beneath the sea, vast whirlpools formed mysteriously, and bizarre storms lashed out in all directions.
The island that had stood above it began to crack and shatter, with innumerable stones tumbling down to rest on the seabed beside the cauldron.
A colossal island, reaching deep into the sea, announced its collapse in an instant due to the emergence of the cauldron.
Yu Yuan, having just flown from the cauldron's mouth, turned to see it resembling a vast, dark, low-lying mountain, its sight alone sending a shock through his spirit.
Standing before the cauldron, Yu Yuan was struck by the solemn majesty emanating from the Crucible of Evil.
"This was once a Divine Artifact!"
Yu Yuan cracked a grin and chuckled, then suddenly activated the Evil Body Refining Technique.
Glyphs began to emerge across the skin of his bare upper body, identical to those on the surface of the Crucible of Evil, as if they had been seared onto his flesh by the red-hot cauldron, transforming into tattoos.
"Hu! Hu! Hu!"
As the Evil Body Refining Technique took effect, his body began to draw in the surrounding air like a magnet.
The hundred-meter-tall cauldron, as imposing as a mountain, flew toward him.
Unfazed, he watched the cauldron approach, laughing heartily.
The massive Crucible of Evil rapidly diminished in size during its flight.
Finally, it became as tiny as a grain of rice and, with a swift whoosh, it entered his middle elixir field, the Profound Gate acupoint.
"Hahaha! Crucible of Evil!"
Enveloped by a dark black light barrier, he laughed uproariously, head held high amidst the sea.
Peering inward, a strand of his consciousness delved into the little world within the Profound Gate. He observed a realm of vitality akin to the Golden Sanctum's little world, where vitality sprawled chaotically like a rainbow in all directions.
There, a towering, dark black cauldron stood proudly in the little world of the Profound Gate's vitality.
The cauldron was tangible, not an illusion, having actually settled into the Profound Gate acupoint!
As the cauldron descended, the rainbow-like vitality that had once floated in the sky of this world now connected to the cauldron like blood vessels, one after another.
"Chi! Chi!"
Sparks and arc light sporadically burst forth from the cauldron's surface.
"Marvelous! Truly marvelous!"
Gazing at the cauldron standing amidst the vitality of the Profound Gate, Yu Yuan felt an unparalleled sense of harmony. He believed that the cauldron was meant to reside within his middle elixir field, as if it were an integral part of this world!
This cauldron had once been the treasured artifact of the Terror Claws sect, renowned throughout the lands for their formidable body tempering technique.
He had just breached the Veil Breaking realm and unlocked the human body's treasured site, which harbored the essence of vitality, when he suddenly became the host of the Crucible of Evil.
Or perhaps...
He was struck by an odd sensation. Ever since he began practicing Evil Body Refining, he sensed an unseen force guiding him, aiding him in shattering the late-stage constraints of the Golden Sanctum and pushing him past the Profound Gate.
This force facilitated the swift interconnection of the eight extra-channels with his internal organs and tissues.
It allowed him to use the psionic power within the crucible to purify his physique, fortifying his body to an extent that it could accommodate the Crucible of Evil.
