C446 Who Was the Real One and Who Was the Fake One?

The Soul Sound emanated from the Evil Cauldron.

Yu Yuan, soaring through the sea, came to an abrupt halt as his mind underwent a profound shift.

"Hei Xun!"

Fei Yi, Yan Lu, and others had informed him that the guardian of the Devil Palace was none other than Lord Hei Xun himself.

And the Demon Palace? Merely an Eighth Level Crow.

Hei Xun, a Yang God Stage Grand Cultivator of the Devil Palace, was expected to be locked in an endless battle with the Spiritual Sacrificial Altar upon the ocean waves.

So why was his Soul Sound issuing from the Evil Cauldron?

Amidst his shock, Yu Yuan refrained from responding immediately, instead taking a moment to carefully consider the implications.

The Evil Cauldron was likely the Great Cultivator's secret tool, hidden away on an island within the Ember Waters. As its guardian, Hei Xun must have been aware of the Cauldron's existence, along with that of the Chaos Roc and the Tears of Blue Devil.

Given this knowledge, why would Hei Xun's Soul Sound be transmitted through the Evil Cauldron? What was his intention?

Was he seeking to reclaim the Cauldron?

This Great Cultivator, with his Yang God Stage prowess and charged with safeguarding the Ember Waters, where was his true form? By what means, what arcane method, had he projected his Soul Sound through the Evil Cauldron?

Yu Yuan mulled over these questions, yet held back his response.

"I can sense that the Evil Cauldron has been refined, not seized by the Tears of Blue Devil, nor controlled by the Chaos Roc," Hei Xun voiced with a hint of urgency, having received no reply. "You are not Mo Yan! Mo Yan would have answered the instant he heard my Soul Sound!"

"You must be another contender in the trial!"

"I need you to understand, the Ember Waters are in turmoil, and I am bound. I need to know who you are, and I need you to use the Evil Cauldron to act on my behalf, for the sake of us all!"

The consciousness of Heixun from the Devil Palace, communicating through the Demonic Mark, grew increasingly impatient.

After a moment's contemplation, Yu Yuan's consciousness slipped into his dantian and he declared, "I am Yu Yuan."

"It's you!"

Heixun's soul surged with excitement, "You're the one who refined the Evil Cauldron? Are you still beneath the sea? Have you encountered the others? What's the situation down there? Yu Yuan! I implore you, tell me everything as it truly is!"

"The Chaos Roc has broken free from its bonds. Meanwhile, I remain at the ocean's depths, among the fortunate survivors not yet erased by the Aura Altar. The Fallen Star Eyes, the glass bottle, and the Rosy Jenny are still with me. They seem to be attempting to pierce the deep blue veil beneath the sea, to burst forth from the Ember Waters and escape, to spread word of the turmoil here." Yu Yuan said.

Heixun listened intently, not uttering a single word, meticulously analyzing every thought Yu Yuan shared.

"How did the Chaos Roc manage to escape?" he finally inquired.

"By chance, I stumbled upon a sunken ship. Exploring it, I found an oddly enchanting rudder at its stern. Somehow, I found myself inside. I must admit, I played a part in the Chaos Roc's liberation," Yu Yuan confessed. "The Tears of Blue Devil is the Aura Altar, split in two, wreaking havoc both above and below the sea—that was the revelation from the Chaos Roc."

"Moreover, it guided me to the Evil Cauldron."

"Inside the cauldron, aside from the Chaos Roc, there was a youth from the Devil Palace. If I recall your words correctly, his name should be Mo Yan. He had departed by the time I entered the cauldron."

"Now, I'm drawing near to the Chaos Roc. It's likely with the others, intending to use either the Fallen Star Eyes or the glass bottle to shatter the deep blue veil and escape the Ember Waters."

"…"

Yu Yuan went on to clarify, updating Heixun on the current situation and recounting past events.

Heixun's Soul Sound remained silent for an extended period.

"You actually trust it…"

After a significant pause, Heixun's Soul Sound finally resonated once more, "Imprisoned by the ancient Demon Clan for eons, its loathing for the Demon Clan of the Boundless Land is unfathomable. The dark blue veil's existence isn't to prevent you, the trial-goers, from escaping, but to serve as a secondary constraint!"

Yu Yuan was thunderstruck. "Are you suggesting the Chaos Roc has deceived me?!"

"The first restraint, the thirty-six Demon Clan Totem Pillars, has been compromised, and though it's not your fault, it was bound to break free eventually," Heixun's soul seemed to sigh. "It's using you, hoping you'll take control of the Evil Cauldron, but in truth, it plans to seize it for itself."

Yu Yuan's face shifted once more.

"You've lingered inside the Evil Cauldron for far too long, causing such a commotion that you've drawn the Blood Sacrificial Altar's attention. It grew impatient and had no choice but to depart," Heixun deduced. "Otherwise, it would not have waited for you to assimilate the Evil Cauldron. It would have acted on its own."

"Its presence beneath the Ember Waters means it can't unleash even a third of its true might."

"Below the waves, it's unable to shatter the Evil Cauldron's barrier. It's no match for the Blood Sacrificial Altar and can't penetrate the deep blue veil."

"Should it escape the sea and emerge above, the power it regains will astonish you. Free from the sea's confines, the Blood Sacrificial Altar and Aura Altar would merge into the Tears of Blue Devil, which might not even suffice to restrain it. It could potentially overpower and seize it."

"The most formidable threat at the bottom of the Ember Waters isn't the Tears of Blue Devil or the Evil Cauldron—it's the Chaos Roc!"

"The Evil Cauldron and the Aura Altar were placed here precisely to suppress and contain it!"

Mention of the Chaos Roc sent a palpable wave of fear through Heixun, as if it were seeping out of his Demonic Mark.

"What?!"

Yu Yuan was suddenly gripped by panic, his composure shattered. He began to shout beneath the waves, not through his consciousness or spirit, and inadvertently swallowed water.

He had never imagined that the Chaos Roc was the most fearsome entity in the Ember Waters, the one that both the Evil Cauldron and the Tears of Blue Devil were initially meant to subdue.

Its true strength, vastly diminished underwater, couldn't manifest more than a fraction of its capability.

Yet, if it were to break free and rise from the depths of the Ember Waters, it would soar unrestrained, swiftly regathering its diminished power, beyond the control of even the Tears of Blue Devil.

In the direst scenario, it would emerge from the depths, claim the Tears of Blue Devil, and transform the Aura Altar into a lotus platform to support its colossal form. Such an empowered being would surely invade the Demon Race's domain on the Quietus Continent. There, it would cleanse its flesh and blood, amass power, and ultimately shatter the celestial barriers, returning to the heavens.

Heixun's Soul Sound betrayed his anxiety when he revealed the outcome.

Deep beneath the sea, Yu Yuan inhaled sharply and said, "So, it can only exert thirty percent of its strength at the bottom of the Ember Waters. That should make it easier to handle, right?"

"You lack the power to face it. Keep your distance and don't approach it!" Heixun's Soul Sound commanded sternly.

"I want to give it a shot!" Yu Yuan said with a grin.

"It will seize the Evil Cauldron from you! Without relying on anyone, it could break through the deep blue veil with the Evil Cauldron in its grasp!" Heixun's urgency was palpable.

Yu Yuan surmised that Heixun was likely planning to use the Fallen Star Eyes or a glass bottle to penetrate the deep blue veil.

Thus, the Chaos Roc remained surprisingly subdued, not showing its ferocious nature.

Should the Chaos Roc acquire the Evil Cauldron and refine it, it would confidently shatter the seal and bask in daylight once more, likely unleashing a bloodbath without hesitation.

Its onslaught could be more brutal and fierce than the Aura Altar or the blue specter.

"I'm curious to see if it has the strength to wrest the Evil Cauldron from my grasp!"

With a cold huff, Yu Yuan considered the sword sheath in his possession. If he exerted his full strength, unleashing the sword light and intent concealed within his arm bones with formidable force, the Chaos Roc might not withstand it.

Armed with the sword sheath, and the sword soul and light within him, he had the confidence to stand his ground.

But Heixun was unaware of this.

So, Heixun mistook his determination for recklessness and foolishness, persistently trying to dissuade him.

"Thank you for the information, Lord Heixun. But I can't take your words at face value," Yu Yuan mused. Between the Chaos Roc's statements and Heixun's assertions, who could tell if Heixun was being truthful? "I'll verify it myself and find my own answer to whether it's fact or fiction."

"You dare to doubt my words!" Heixun erupted in anger. "Who is this impudent youth? Do you realize that if you so much as touch the Chaos Roc, you'll forfeit the Evil Cauldron? Had I known your obstinance, I would have spared you the details!"

"Whether I speak of it or not, I'm going to see it. But now, I'll be extra cautious," Yu Yuan declared.

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