C508 The Herb Slave in My Previous Life
Beneath a locust tree, a hunchbacked old man sat, his clothes a riot of colors, his hair sparse and thin. His scalp was nearly bare, with just a few loose strands of hair hanging listlessly around the edges. Even seated, his spine protruded sharply, curving into a severe hunch. At that moment, he was glaring at Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao with a dark expression.
Despite their advanced levels of cultivation, Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao had neither detected the presence of living beings nor sensed any spiritual energy as they approached. It wasn't until the old man spoke that they realized someone was actually there.
Yu Yuan was taken aback, puzzled by the presence of someone on this unnamed island. "Why do you care that we've come here?" Yuan Lianyao asked, eyeing him with an instinctive revulsion, feeling an unsettling discomfort. "And who might you be?"
"Heh!" The hunchbacked elder cracked a smile, one that was chillingly fierce and sinister. As he laughed, his missing front teeth became apparent, giving his laughter a peculiar, whistling quality.
Yu Yuan, however, was struck with a revelation. Observing the old man's sparse hair and the teeth revealed by his laughter, Yu Yuan's expression subtly shifted as he concentrated on the man's pronounced hunchback. With a subtle shift in his consciousness, he silently invoked a Spirit Magic spell, "Open the Third Eye!"
Looking again with enhanced perception, Yu Yuan saw the old man's seated form constantly emitting a five-colored mist that seeped into the earth. The man's fingernails were dark purple and unusually long—traits of a Poison Cult disciple who handles toxins regularly and uses their nails to handle poison powders.
A scent of decay wafted from the hunchbacked elder. Yu Yuan sensed that within the man's hunchback lay a mixture of hundreds of settled poisons, meticulously refined from his bones and organs, all converging within the hump.
In the damp forest, beneath the locust trees, lay the concealed remains known as White Bone.
The hunchbacked elder released a plume of five-colored smoke that connected to the skeletons beneath the ground, gathering corpse poison and infusing it into his flesh and blood as part of his cultivation practice.
The elder possessed only the heaven soul and the mortal soul; his earthly soul was missing.
Yu Yuan's Third Eye revealed a multitude of bizarre sights.
Before the hunchbacked elder could react in anger, Yu Yuan swiftly grasped Yuan Lianyao's delicate, jade-like hand and offered a slight bow to the elder, saying, "My apologies for interrupting your tranquil meditation, Senior. Please excuse us."
With Yuan Lianyao in tow, Yu Yuan quickly departed, her steps faltering as she was pulled along, her mind swirling with confusion.
The hunchbacked elder, seemingly reluctant to leave the Silverwoods or to stir from his spot, had harbored a murderous intent. However, before he could act, he watched as Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao rapidly disappeared into the distance.
"You're fortunate this time!" The malice in his eyes slowly dissipated.
Leaving the damp woods behind, Yu Yuan led Yuan Lianyao to a secluded spot to dive back into the sea.
Once submerged, he called forth the Crucible of Evil, and they both entered the vessel.
"The Abyssal Leviathan's eye periodically searches for my movements," Yu Yuan explained, breathing a sigh of relief once inside the cauldron. "Only here can we evade the detection of its burning sun eye. Let's rest for a moment while I devise a plan to distract that creature."
"The hunchbacked elder?" Yuan Lianyao asked, still puzzled.
"Do you know of Wei Feng?" Yu Yuan inquired abruptly.
Yuan Lianyao nodded, "Yes, she's the young woman from the Blackfang Legion, born with the Dark Phoenix bloodline. Sadly, her remarkable talents were overshadowed by the treachery of her female commander."
"The spell Wei Feng acquired from the Poison Cult—I suspect it originated from that same individual," Yu Yuan mused, his thoughts stirring. "His name is Du Jing. I learned quite a bit when I captured Wei Feng. Du Jing's teaching of the mystique was a facade; his true intent was to extract the Dark Phoenix lifeblood within her."
"Ah!" Yuan Lianyao exclaimed in surprise.
"Du Jing and Shen Feiqing must share a profound connection," Yu Yuan pondered aloud. "Du Jing was once affiliated with the Poison Cult but was later expelled for reasons unknown. After his departure, he sought refuge in the Godsblight Marsh within the Sunblessed Empire of Aetherius."
"After her schemes with the Silvermoon Queen in the Forgotten Ruins fell through, Shen Feiqing also fled to the Godsblight Marsh to escape her fate."
"It's likely that she and Du Jing have been acquainted for quite some time and have maintained close contact."
Yu Yuan paused briefly before continuing, "Du Jing is a walking toxin. The Poison Cult's spells pay no heed to the strengthening of one's corporeal body. His practice of Venomcraft has left his body in tatters, with numerous lethal toxins embedded within his hunchback. These can be used to kill, but a single misstep could also claim his own life."
"Nevertheless, he's prepared a contingency. He must have at least ascended to the Lunar Spirit realm."
"His Lunar Spirit is probably in the Godsblight Marsh, under the protection of the Untamed."
Yu Yuan disclosed the peculiarities and origins of Du Jing but kept his true identity a secret.
In his past life, Du Jing served as his herb slave...
During his alchemical endeavors, Du Jing was tasked with assisting him, swiftly and accurately procuring herbs as instructed, ensuring they were properly integrated into the furnace at the precise moment, and intensifying the flames as needed.
Du Jing was merely an herb slave, not an apprentice.
In his previous existence, Du Jing, who had been missing a front tooth since childhood, was known for his malicious and ruthless nature, yet he remained steadfastly loyal.
When his reincarnation was deemed a failure and his soul scattered, Du Jing realized he had no standing within the Order of Healing and thus sought refuge with the Poison Cult.
Having kept a low profile for an extended period, the once feared Poison Cult eventually cast Du Jing out.
Somehow, Du Jing managed to gain a foothold in the Godsblight Marsh. He even connected with Shen Feiqing, aiding her in the training of Wei Feng, suppressing the Dark Phoenix bloodline. When the moment was opportune, he enabled Shen Feiqing to consume and refine it, bolstering her vitality and propelling her ascent to power.
Du Jing was like a wolf that could never be fully tamed, even from a young age.
Yu Yuan was unaware of how Du Jing had discovered the secret location he had left behind on this unnamed island. Without the key, Du Jing should not have been able to gain entry.
Unable to enter, Du Jing would simply wait here for someone with the key to arrive.
The numerous skeletons buried beneath the Silverwoods were likely those who had stumbled in and were silently dispatched by Du Jing, then buried one by one.
Yu Yuan understood Du Jing all too well. Even if he produced the key and claimed to have received an inheritance in the Serpent Spine Mountains, Du Jing would not hesitate to kill him.
Perhaps by unleashing the Crucible of Evil and using the sword sheath to counter Du Jing, he could avoid disaster. Yet, the resulting disturbance would be too great, potentially alarming the Abyssal Leviathan.
Then there were the Sundering Isles, Lin Zhuyun, the Nightbane Sect, and many others with malicious intent towards him.
In such a case, even if the hidden place remained undiscovered, sneaking in would be out of the question.
"The Poison Cult, the ones who taught Wei Feng the Spirit Magic! He, Shen Feiqing, and the Untamed are all connected!" Yuan Lianyao, having learned the details, regained her composure. "The place you're looking for, is it in the damp Silverwoods?"
"Yes," Yu Yuan confirmed with a nod. "I need to figure out a way to make Du Jing leave."
If Du Jing didn't leave, Yu Yuan wouldn't be able to use the key he had retrieved from Zu Ann to access the hidden place where the furnace was stored.
"Can't you refine the sunfire within your body?" Yuan Lianyao inquired with concern. "Having sunfire within you is a tremendous risk."
"I'm aware," Yu Yuan replied with a wry smile. "I was duped by the Abyssal Leviathan while collecting sunfire at the bottom of the Embers Sea, but I was oblivious at the time. The sunfire likely carries a deeply hidden mark from the Abyssal Leviathan. My current level of cultivation is insufficient to remove it."
"Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless we go to the hidden place and use the furnace there, which should be capable of erasing the latent traces marked by the Abyssal Leviathan within the sunfire." Yu Yuan felt a headache brewing. "If all else fails, I'll consider asking Tong Laoqian for assistance. If he agrees to intervene, Du Jing, who lacks the Lunar Spirit within him, could be taken outside."
"Maybe we should reach out to the Ruby Hand or the Skyreach Consortium?" Yuan Lianyao suggested. "With Pei Zhen gone, the sect will surely be enraged. They'll certainly send stronger cultivators to quickly shore up the defenses of Demon's Scar."
She was convinced that the Ruby Hand's new arrival would be far more formidable than Pei Zhen.
"No," Yu Yuan flatly refused.
The island's Mysterious Realm was of paramount importance, and Du Jing's identity was particularly special.
Ordinarily, neither the Skyreach Consortium nor the Ruby Hand would pay much attention to the island or Du Jing.
But if we involve the Ruby Hand or the Skyreach Consortium, these two powerful sects might uncover Du Jing's origins. Worse, they could potentially trace back to the hidden place that Yu Yuan had been concealing.
That would complicate matters even further.
"Eh!"
Yu Yuan, concealed within the cauldron, suddenly altered his expression and announced, "Someone is on to us!"
"Ah!" Yuan Lianyao exclaimed in surprise.
The Crucible of Evil, a Divine Artifact, lay submerged in the ocean's abyss, its presence undetectable to most.
Not even cultivators at the Unbound Stage could sense the deliberately concealed artifact deep beneath the sea!
Who could possibly detect the Crucible of Evil and seek it out?
"Devil Palace, Mo Yan!"
Moments later, Yu Yuan's face twisted in alarm as he let out a sharp cry.
Mo Yan, wielding the Shadowblade, was found in the murky ocean depths, standing atop the blade, peering at the Crucible of Evil with an enigmatic look. He transmitted his voice through the water, "Yu Yuan, come out for a talk. I mean you no harm."
