C509 The Demonic Tide at the Bottom of the Sea

Removing his mask, Yu Yuan revealed his true face as he soared out of the Evil Cauldron and positioned himself beneath the sea.

He loomed large within the cauldron, peering out curiously.

Beneath him, Yuan Lianyao was minuscule, like a grain of rice, nestled within the cauldron's own microcosm.

The serrated Devil Blade lay motionless beneath the waves, resembling a small boat. Mo Yan, a denizen of the Devil Palace, stood atop the Kyara Demon Blade.

Upon Yu Yuan's emergence, Mo Yan's eyes sparkled with recognition. "We meet again!"

"How did you locate me?" Yu Yuan asked, his expression stern.

Outside the cauldron, the presence of the eight clusters of Sun Essence Fire meant that the Chaos Roc might sense his whereabouts if it scoured with its fiery gaze.

Unless he remained completely hidden within the cauldron's small world.

The Evil Cauldron was a Divine Level artifact with a unique ability to shield its presence. The cauldron soul had claimed that, resting at the depths of the Crack Archipelago, it would be nearly impossible to find, even for cultivators at the Yang God Stage or those at the Unrestrained Stage.

It was this assurance from the cauldron soul that bolstered his confidence.

Yet Mo Yan had not only sought him out but had done so with remarkable precision.

Yu Yuan's sense of security wavered as he wondered if the cauldron soul had been overly optimistic.

At his zenith, Mo Yan had only attained the level of a Yin God.

If he could find Yu Yuan, what about the others?

"How I found you..."

Mo Yan's laughter boomed across the Devil Blade, unfettered by the surrounding sea. "Yu Yuan, oh Yu Yuan, do you recall our very first encounter?"

Yu Yuan paused, taken aback.

Their initial meeting had indeed been within the confines of the Evil Cauldron's small world.

"You must realize, this cauldron was seized by the Devil Palace and cast into the sea's abyss within the Ember Waters. It is one of the three great enigmas of that domain. And I..."

Mo Yan's voice trailed off with dramatic flair, "Before you made your appearance, before you ever stepped foot inside the cauldron, that was my secret sanctuary for cultivation. For years before your cohort of trialists arrived, I had been rigorously training there, beneath the Ember Waters, inside the cauldron. The Evil Cauldron was entrusted to me by the Devil Palace for the very purpose of attempting to refine it."

"Clearly, the Evil Cauldron and I were not meant to be; I couldn't refine it."

"However, having spent so much time within it, I've grasped numerous Demonic Marks. Within a certain range, I can still pinpoint the cauldron's approximate location."

Mo Yan's voice carried a tinge of bitterness as he spoke.

His resentment wasn't directed at Yu Yuan, but rather at the Evil Cauldron itself.

"It never crossed my mind that the Artifact Soul of the Evil Cauldron was still intact. It was concealed so deeply that, despite years of dedicated cultivation inside, it never once revealed itself. What's more, I didn't anticipate that you'd practice the Evil Body Refining Skill, align with the cauldron, gain the Artifact Soul's approval, and be accepted by it."

How could he not feel infuriated?

He held an esteemed status within the Devil Palace, having spent extensive time cultivating in the Ember Waters. The Devil Palace had pinned their hopes on him, expecting that he would unravel the enigma of the Evil Cauldron and make it his own.

Alone, he had delved into the Demonic Marks for years, attempting to refine it with the Devil Palace's arcane methods, only to return with nothing to show for it.

Then Yu Yuan burst onto the scene, practicing the Evil Body Refining Skill, breaking through barriers within the cauldron's microcosm, forging and fortifying his physique.

Subsequently, the Evil Cauldron absorbed a peculiar evil spirit, purified Yu Yuan with the Muddy Devil Embryo, and swiftly fled the Ember Waters in the face of peril.

At that moment, Mo Yan surmised that the Artifact Soul of the Evil Cauldron had not perished.

It was still present, just profoundly hidden.

So deep that, despite his years of arduous cultivation, he had not sensed the cauldron soul's presence or received any revelation.

Seething with frustration, Yu Yuan couldn't help but smirk, finding the situation somewhat amusing. Yet, he asked plainly, "Cut the chatter. What do you want from me?"

The recognition by the Evil Cauldron and its Artifact Soul wasn't due to the Evil Body Refining Skill that Mo Yan had envisioned.

It was the legacy of the Divine Soul Sect!

Of course, he had no intention of divulging even the slightest detail.

"Not long ago, Red Devil Island suffered a brutal massacre at the hands of your betrothed," Mo Yan set aside his gloom to explain. "Zhu Peining of the Babel Chamber of Commerce was convinced that both you and a woman from the Red Devil Sect were present on the island at the time. Following the carnage, the Babel Chamber of Commerce believed you both perished."

Yu Yuan nodded in confirmation. "Indeed, we were there."

Xiao Yun, a pawn of Zhu Peining, was well aware that he and Yuan Lianyao were on Red Devil Island at the time.

With Pei Zhen dead and many bodies reduced to ashes, it seemed logical to Zhu Peining that neither he nor Yuan Lianyao had survived.

Zhu Peining might even assume that the Evil Cauldron and the Giant Beast Soul Amber he possessed had fallen into Lim Zhuyun's hands.

Mo Yan, attuned to the presence of the Evil Cauldron, realized upon seeing Yu Yuan that both he and Yuan Lianyao had lived.

"Your survival is truly surprising," Mo Yan remarked with a hint of wonder. "Had I not detected the cauldron's aura, I would've never believed it. Pei Zhen, along with numerous formidable individuals from both the Silver Moon Sect and the Cold Yin Sect, were all slain by your fiancée, who was overtaken by the Devaputra."

"Cut the chatter," Yu Yuan snapped, growing impatient.

He was concerned that the Chaos Roc might pinpoint his location through the Flaming Sun Eye.

The last thing he wanted was an unwelcome visit from his fiancée, whose temperament had drastically altered.

"Since the Artifact Soul has chosen you, I won't covet what is yours," Mo Yan sighed with a touch of melancholy. "The Evil Cauldron was meant for the Devil Palace, intended for me to forge. Now that it's in your possession, I won't contest it. However, shouldn't you consider compensating me with the Chaos Roc's Giant Beast Soul Amber?"

Mo Yan extended his hand toward Yu Yuan, his gaze fixed on the Mustard Seed Bracelet that Yu Yuan had resumed wearing.

When Yu Yuan revealed his true face, he made no effort to conceal the bracelet, which adorned his wrist once more.

"I should've known there was no good news," Yu Yuan grumbled, his voice tinged with a cold laugh. "Mo Yan, the Giant Beast Soul Amber is of no use to you now. You've surpassed the Profound Break Stage, so it's of little benefit to you."

"Don't concern yourself with how I'll use it," Mo Yan said with a smile.

Yu Yuan furrowed his brow. "How much do you want?"

Mo Yan pointed to his Mustard Seed Bracelet and replied with ease, "Hand over that bracelet, and I'll extract all the Giant Beast Soul Amber within. The rest, I won't touch."

Yu Yuan's expression turned grim. "You're quite greedy."

Mo Yan simply smiled in acknowledgment.

"And what if I refuse to give it to you?" Yu Yuan challenged.

"The answer is straightforward," Mo Yan responded without hesitation, as if he had anticipated the question. "Within the Evil Cauldron, I've spent years cultivating and have left my mark. Those traces allow me to sense the cauldron. Should you release it, I'll know immediately."

"And I can make sure others can detect it just as easily."

He appeared utterly confident in his leverage over Yu Yuan. "Your betrothed, possessed by the Devaputra, she's searching for you on Red Devil Island, isn't she? Pei Zhen and others from the Red Devil Sect have perished because of you. The moment the cauldron's presence is revealed, she—and anyone else—will pinpoint your location."

"I'll also spread the word that you possess the Evil Cauldron and the Giant Beast Soul Amber."

"Without a sect's protection, no matter how gifted you are, you'll be trapped, unable to take a step in the Crack Archipelago."

"I don't even need to lift a finger; others will go out of their way to kill you."

Mo Yan extended his hand, eyes narrowed, voice icy. "Now, if you would, throw me the Mustard Seed Bracelet."

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, resolute. "Once in my possession, I never hand it over."

"That's a pity," Mo Yan said, shaking his head as he regarded Yu Yuan with the gaze one reserves for the doomed.

He then began to retreat, putting distance between them. "Take care of yourself."

With those final words, strands of soul consciousness infused the Kyara Demon Blade. It was as if a hidden array had been triggered, sending a surge of spiritual energy from the blade straight into the Evil Cauldron. Inside the cauldron's miniature world, the Demonic Light flickered through the seams of the Demonic Marks on the cauldron's walls, slithering like serpents.

Yuan Lianyao stood amidst it all when she abruptly discovered that strands of Demonic Light were seeping from the cauldron, penetrating its exterior and causing the dark vessel to surge with an astonishing wave of demonic power.

The array designed to conceal auras became ineffective in an instant.

The Evil Cauldron, resting at the sea's bottom, shone like a sunken sun, its Demonic Light shining forth unbounded!

​