C458 Sky Fiend Evil Converge!

Yu Yuan's expression was somber, and he did not respond immediately.

He had harbored high hopes that with the emergence of the "evil spirit" and the flight of the "Crucible of Evil" from the Vitality and Profound Gate, he would be able to subdue the Abyssal Leviathan. Yet, the Leviathan's words had triggered a flurry of thoughts in his mind. What was the true nature of this "evil spirit"?

Despite turning his back to Kong Banbi, Du Huang, and Liu Ying, Yu Yuan could hear their conversation clearly as they pointed their scabbards toward the Abyssal Leviathan.

The deaths of Lu Baichan and the others could only generate a malevolent aura; it was inconceivable for an "evil spirit" to form from that alone. And even if such a spirit had formed, it certainly couldn't have grown so formidable in such a brief span of time. That is, unless the "evil spirit" had long been lurking at the bottom of the Embers Sea, drawn to the surface by the unearthing of the Crucible of Evil and following the cauldron's trail. This would explain how the newly-formed malevolent aura could have been quietly gathered and refined into its present state.

If there had indeed been an "evil spirit" all along, and the Abyssal Leviathan was aware of its origins, then... could my advancement from the Golden Sanctum to the Veil Breaking, the unblocking of the eight extra-channels, be related to this "evil spirit"? What deeper connection might there be between the "Crucible of Evil" and the "evil spirit"?

The Crucible of Evil had recently emerged from my acupoints without any summons from my consciousness. I had issued no command, yet it surfaced on its own. If so, this abruptly arriving "evil spirit" could truly pose a threat!

In a covert exchange with Hei Xun, I learned that he had located Mo Yan using the Shadowblade and had informed him of the Abyssal Leviathan's ferocity through the Devil Palace's mystique.

Hei Xun assured me that Mo Yan would come to aid in quelling the Abyssal Leviathan. He claimed that the Shadowblade wielded by Mo Yan had the potential to unleash its full might, inflicting significant distress upon the Leviathan.

Hei Xun had never mentioned that an unnamed evil spirit would stealthily approach and relentlessly assault the Fallen Star Eyes, nullifying the power imbued by the Abyssal Leviathan.

At present, the evil spirit continued to batter the Fallen Star Eyes while Liu Ying desperately defended against it.

Yu Yuan was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, feeling besieged on all fronts. Should he allow the evil spirit to enter, combine it with the Crucible of Evil, and then strike at the Abyssal Leviathan, or should he heed the Abyssal Leviathan's advice and wait to see what unfolds? He was utterly confused, unable to make a decision in such a short span of time.

"Wait!"

He inhaled deeply, severing the chaos of thoughts in his mind, and forced himself to regain composure. He issued a command to Liu Ying before turning to the Abyssal Leviathan and demanded, "Do you recognize it?"

"Release me from this sword light cage and give me the cauldron," the Abyssal Leviathan, now resembling a gaunt old man, cackled ominously as it extended its hand toward Yu Yuan. "With the cauldron in my possession, I assure you, your lives will be spared. Those in the Ethereal Vial will become my next target, and you will be allowed to survive. I am prepared to make the most malevolent vow to earn your trust!"

"First, tell me what it is," Yu Yuan insisted.

"As long as it doesn't enter the cauldron, hand it over to me, and there will be no issues," the Abyssal Leviathan retorted with a cold snort. "If it manages to enter the cauldron, I might stand a chance to escape, but you will all perish here!"

Yu Yuan repeated, "What is it, exactly?"

The Abyssal Leviathan simply chuckled lowly, offering no further response.

Within the Fallen Star Eyes, numerous gazes fell upon both Yu Yuan and the Abyssal Leviathan.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Outside, the evil spirit struck the Fallen Star Eyes with even more fearsome force.

Liu Ying lost her composure once again, feeling the burst of starstone and the ebbing of cosmic energy, sharing Yu Yuan's sentiment.

The sword light cage that Yu Yuan had conjured could only temporarily restrain the Abyssal Leviathan, preventing its escape.

The starstone concealed by the Fallen Star Eyes and the cosmic energy it gathered could only hold back the evil spirit momentarily.

And yet, the evil spirit's strength was steadily growing!

"Yu Yuan, I believe the emergence of the Crucible of Evil has enhanced its power," Kong Banbi said with a moment's hesitation. "You should probably stow the Crucible of Evil first. Without the cauldron present, the evil spirit's aura doesn't seem to surge uncontrollably."

Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan felt a tremor in his spirit and prepared to act on the advice.

But before he could take action, the unknown evil spirit that had been battering the Crucible of Evil abruptly ceased its assault.

Liu Ying, confused, asked, "What's going on?"

"It's gone!" Du Huang from the Forgeroses exclaimed, pointing at the ever-shifting evil spirit that lacked a definitive form and was enveloped in mist, now rapidly receding into the distance.

"The Ethereal Vial! The Ethereal Vial has returned!"

Liu Ying gasped. In the instant the evil spirit departed, she connected with the artifact soul of the Fallen Star Eyes and understood what had transpired.

The evil spirit was chasing after the Ethereal Vial!

"How fascinating, this is becoming increasingly intriguing," murmured the Abyssal Leviathan, disguised as a gaunt old man within the sword light cage, chuckling darkly as a newfound calmness settled over him.

Yu Yuan's gaze snapped to the horizon.

The Ethereal Vial, glinting with icy crystal light and carrying the prodigies of the Land of Quiescence, including Lin Yue, Hou Tianzhao, and Mo Yan, was making a swift return.

"Gurgle!"

The evil spirit, shrouded in mist, took on the form of seawater, its shape still in flux, as it sped towards the Ethereal Vial.

Slowly, the evil spirit solidified into a water-blue sword!

"What is that?"

Qi Nandou from the Skyblight Cult channeled his spell in secret, and his pupils flared with light.

The Ethereal Vial, submerged beneath the sea, shone as if illuminated by a myriad of lamps, its brilliance reaching an apex in an instant.

"Chi! Chi!"

The evil spirit, now a water-blue sword, darted through the water like lightning, drawing in the sea's spiritual energy and striking at the Ethereal Vial with a breathtaking force.

Mo Yan's complexion blanched in fear as he shrieked, "Deploy the Bone-Devouring Shuttle!"

Without hesitation, Qi Nandou, who had been gripping the Bone-Devouring Shuttle, released it from the Ethereal Vial. It streaked forward, trailing a sinister white glow, to meet the water-blue sword formed by the evil spirit head-on.

Within the Ethereal Vial, onlookers within the Fallen Star Eyes held their breath, their eyes wide with anticipation as they witnessed the collision of two formidable forces.

A light of indescribable beauty erupted from the clash between the Bone-Devouring Shuttle and the water-blue sword, birthed from the evil spirits. Beneath the Embers Sea, the ocean floor shattered with a violent tremor.

In an instant, the Bone-Devouring Shuttle fragmented into nearly a hundred White Bone short spears, which arranged themselves into a Spiritual Bone Array. They emitted a series of eerie wails that sent shivers down the spine, encircling the evil spirit.

The evil spirit ceased to take the form of a sword. On the sandy seabed, it morphed into a water-blue wraith, elusive and ever-changing.

The hundred White Bone short spears pointed at it from every direction.

The water-blue wraith, the embodiment of the evil spirit, continued to shift forms: now a seductive woman, now a burly man, now a python, now a grotesque archdemon...

"Heavenly Demons excel at transformation. The devil soul of a Star-Spawned Terror is capable of infinite metamorphoses," Kong Banbi of the Sword Sect remarked, his expression tinged with bitterness as he watched the evil spirit's miraculous transformations. "This evil spirit, it seems, was created from the death of a Sky Fiend. I've heard of humans and archdemons giving rise to evil spirits upon their demise, but a Sky Fiend becoming an evil spirit is unheard of."

"Sky Fiend!" exclaimed Du Huang.

In a hushed tone, Su Yan echoed, "Sky Fiend!"

"What in the world is that thing?"

Hou Tianzhao of the Ruby Hand scratched his head as he observed the ever-shifting evil spirit within the Ethereal Vial. "This creature withstood a hit from the Bone-Devouring Shuttle. It appears to be quite formidable!"

"Star-Spawned Terror," Mo Yan declared.

"Star-Spawned Terror?" Yan Lu leaped to his feet, bewildered. "How could there be a Star-Spawned Terror beneath the Embers Sea? Aren't all Sky Fiends that dare to enter the Everlands supposed to be eradicated?"

"It, too, has perished," Mo Yan responded, his gaze piercing through the water to the Fallen Star Eyes—and more precisely, to Yu Yuan.

"It met its end beneath the Embers Sea due to the presence of the Crucible of Evil. Its spirit, unwilling to fade after death, did not dissipate. Ultimately, it transformed into a unique evil spirit. The evil spirit that emerged from the death of the Sky Fiend was exceedingly rare, so the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep decided not to destroy it. Instead, they deliberately kept it separated from the Crucible of Evil."

"As the Crucible of Evil successfully emerged from the earth, it simultaneously released its seals and emerged as well."

Mo Yan explained.

​