C556 Skill Close to Dao!

On the mid-lake island, a crescent-shaped pond shimmered with gathered moonlight, its silver waves rippling gently. A figure clad in silver glided through the water like a fish, slender and frail, its form too weak to fully materialize.

The island bloomed with an abundance of flowers and dense medicinal herbs, while spiritual energy transformed into a mist that wafted through the air. Strands of silver moonlight, drawn by the crescent pond, valiantly pierced the seven-colored cloud, illuminating the water below.

Stars dotted the night sky like grains of rice, accompanied by the intermittent hum of flies. The interplay of the seven-colored cloud with the starlight and moonlight rendered the mid-lake island's light and shadow spectacular, a vision so ethereal it seemed a celestial paradise.

The silver figure swimming in the crescent pond resembled a goddess who had inadvertently descended from her lunar throne.

"Silvermoon Queen," Yu Yuan emerged from the cauldron, his brow furrowed, his heart pounding at the sight of the figure in the pond, instantly recognizable despite its blurriness.

Qin Yun's lips were parched as he offered a wry smile, "How can she still be here?" The former empress had become a wraith, her spiritual wisdom lost within the crescent pond. Yet, due to her practice of the Moonfiend mystique, she instinctively performed the spell, drawing the moon's essence from the heavens into the pond.

Around the pond's edge, hundreds of seven-colored lights flitted by, creating an intricate cage. These lights resonated with the seven-colored cloud, mysteriously connected to the entire Forgotten Ruins, indicating that the Silvermoon Queen was indeed imprisoned.

Yu Zhu's enchantment had conjured this peculiar pond, which now held Lee Yupan captive, stripping her of both her freedom and her lucidity, leaving her to merely gather moonlight into the water.

"It's not her real body," Qin Yun murmured.

Yu Yuan nodded in agreement, "Her real body was seized by Zhou Cangmin and likely delivered to the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep. Her Lunar Spirit, once formed in the little world of the Dark Realm with Wei Feng's blood, was destroyed. Consequently, the Lunar Spirit suffered grave injuries and was confined within the Eye of Shura."

"Afterward, Yu Zhu refined the Shura Eye from the Dark Realm, transforming it into her third eye."

"Our empire's queen, the Lunar Spirit, remains trapped within the world of the Shura Eye, unable to escape. I had assumed Yu Zhu would either shatter her Lunar Spirit or capture and deliver her to Zhou Cangmin."

"Unexpectedly..."

The scene before them revealed Yu Zhu had her own plans.

She had imprisoned the Lunar Spirit of the Silvermoon Queen in Moon Lake using alternative methods. With her innate power, she drew the moon's light into the waters.

The moon's essence had many applications, surely within Yu Zhu's capabilities to utilize.

"I just wonder if the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep are aware of Miss Yu Zhu's actions." Qin Yun expressed his concern. "The Silvermoon Queen's actions are inexcusable. Keeping a Lunar Spirit here, even in a state unable to regain consciousness, still poses a risk. My fear is that she might be rescued by someone."

Yu Yuan confidently stated, "She must be sure of herself."

At that moment, they received an excited message from the cauldron spirit!

The dark cauldron floated toward the crescent-shaped Moon Lake.

Inside the lake, the Silvermoon Queen's wraith, moving like a fish, suddenly plunged toward the bottom, filled with terror and desperation, instinctively trying to flee.

"Return!" Yu Yuan commanded, reaching out to grasp.

The Crucible of Evil, which was nearing the crescent Moon Lake, reluctantly floated back to hover in front of him at his call.

"Young Master, what about it?" Qin Yun asked, puzzled.

"Our empress has become its prey," Yu Yuan explained. "The empress practiced the Moonfiend mystique, and an ancient Moonfiend named Yue Fei was consumed by her Lunar Spirit within the Shura Eye's little world in the Dark Realm. The cauldron sensed she was an ideal candidate for refinement, seeking to enhance its strength through her."

Yu Yuan sighed softly before adding, "This cauldron has sustained severe damage. All the Bane it had accumulated were lost in that battle. Once a Divine Level artifact, it has greatly diminished, now barely reaching the heavenly tier. The cauldron spirit is desperate to find more Bane, longing for additional sources of power."

At its zenith, the Crucible of Evil ranked at the fifth level of the Divine Level. Now, it barely scrapes the first level of the heavenly tier. Yu Yuan understood the cauldron spirit's urgency to elevate its grade and restore its former power.

Yet, the Silvermoon Queen, confined within the crescent-shaped Moon Lake, was subdued by Yu Zhu's spells, possibly for other purposes. "The empress, devoid of her spiritual wisdom, is still so terrified," Qin Yun marveled with a click of his tongue.

"The Crucible of Evil is her bane. Why wouldn't she be afraid?" Yu Yuan took another glance before withdrawing his attention and smiling. "I was certain that this mid-lake island had the necessary herbs to heal your wounds. It shouldn't pose much of a challenge."

Qin Yun's face lit up with delight.

Yu Yuan called forth the Serpentflame, a three-legged furnace, from his Bracelet of Holding, setting it upon the island. With a whoosh, as the furnace settled, spiritual energy from all around converged towards it in a rush.

The Serpentflame's gourd-shaped walls, adorned with engravings of the Vermillion Bird, Fire Dragon, Kylin, Phoenix, and other ancient alien beasts, suddenly sprang to life, as if actively devouring the abundant spiritual energy.

Qin Yun's body jolted. "Are we refining pills?"

"I have no reason to conceal it from you. As a child, my heaven soul and earthly soul remained dormant because I was immersed in understanding the Way of Alchemy," Yu Yuan confessed with a slight smile. "This is my greatest secret, and I trust you to guard it well."

Qin Yun nodded vigorously, like a pecking chick. "You can count on me, Young Master!"

"Ning Ji must have shared some insights with you," Yu Yuan continued, as he meticulously extracted pieces of Fire Crystal from the Bracelet of Holding, skillfully arranging them beneath the furnace with his spiritual energy.

With a sizzle, a spark of sunfire, emanating from the Golden Sanctum's little world, condensed into a fiery dart that struck the Fire Crystals.

Boom! The crystals ignited instantly, unleashing torrents of flame.

The flames roared to life, and the Emberfiend figures etched into the furnace walls seemed to bellow, inhaling the flames and spiritual energy from the surroundings. Through a network of fiery conduits, the energy flowed into the heart of the furnace.

The furnace was named "Serpentflame" because in his previous life, he was unable to use his own cultivated flames for medicinal refinement.

He had to depend on earthfire, various fire crystals, or gather the stray flames that fell from beyond the heavens.

Thus, the furnace was aptly called "Serpentflame."

"Serpentflame" lacked an artifact soul and possessed no offensive capabilities. All the fire circles inscribed on it served solely for pill crafting, placing the furnace's rank just shy of the heavenly grade.

Without an artifact soul, it remained undefined, not quite reaching the heavenly grade.

Without embarking on the path of cultivation, one cannot condense spiritual sense, collect remnant souls, or communicate with an artifact soul. Should "Serpentflame" actually develop an artifact soul, it would likely backfire, constraining him.

There was even the risk that the artifact soul might one day corrupt his mind.

Herbs, brimming with the essence of plants and purchased from the shadowy halls of Celestial Isle, moved as if alive, each finding its way into the "Serpentflame" furnace.

Inside the crimson furnace, the herbs formed a rainbow, their juices thick and blood-like, exuding a fragrance that could refresh the soul.

Yu Yuan was radiant with vigor, darting around the three-legged furnace. With each blink, a brilliant flash of light would momentarily escape his eyes.

In this moment, Yu Yuan exuded an allure and grace that Qin Yun had never witnessed before.

His effortless handling of the herbs, as they were cast into the furnace, seemed to align with the Cosmic Order of the pill. Qin Yun watched as each herb entered the furnace, sensing their apparent contentment.

Higher-tier herbs naturally resisted being used in pill refinement.

To be refined was to dissipate, to meet their end.

Yet, there were extraordinary herbs that, after enduring centuries of trials, could awaken their spiritual wisdom and potentially evolve into unique beings.

All things possess a spirit, and herbs are no different—they too do not wish for an early demise.

But as Yu Yuan refined the medicine, guiding the herbs into the furnace, Qin Yun faintly sensed that the herbs were willingly assimilating, showing no signs of resistance.

"It's said that only a herbalist whose skill borders on the Dao can wield such enchanting power!"

Qin Yun's heart jolted, his gaze fixed on Yu Yuan with a mix of shock and incredulity. He had heard tales of elite herbalists whose methods aligned with the Way of Heaven during their craft, infusing the herbs with a sense of participation. It was as if the herbs themselves felt they were part of a grand undertaking, contributing to the creation of divine pills so rare they were almost mythical.

These divine pills were spirited, some even possessing the power to greatly enhance spiritual wisdom, among other miraculous properties. For many herbs, being transformed into a divine pill—or even just a part of one—was a life's purpose fulfilled, a moment of resplendent brilliance.

Now, as Yu Yuan refined herbs, each one entering the furnace seemed to do so with eager joy and anticipation. Qin Yun had once encountered such enigmatic concepts while visiting the Sacred Hands in the Serpent Spine Mountains. He had dismissed the herbalists there as pretentious, spouting fanciful nonsense to appear profound.

But witnessing Yu Yuan at work, a profound understanding dawned on him: the Sacred Hands' herbalists were not merely spouting gibberish. Indeed, there were herbalists in this world whose craft was so natural, so seamlessly woven into the fabric of the Way of Heaven, it was as if they were born to it.

"How is this possible?" Qin Yun wondered, unable to fathom how such a young master could possess such skill in herb refining. "My soul injury... it might truly be healed!"

A surge of excitement and boundless hope washed over him. When Yu Yuan had produced the Crucible of Evil and brought him to the mid-lake island, claiming he would heal his wounds, Qin Yun hadn't been entirely convinced, despite being moved by the gesture.

His injuries had been inflicted by Weixian of Winter's Bite, who had used chilling Soul Power to severely damage his Lunar Spirit. Now, his Lunar Spirit struggled even to leave his body, plagued by countless shards of ice causing relentless, icy torment.

Yu Yuan's own power seemed insufficient, and the Crucible of Evil, not being a fire-attribute treasure, was ill-suited for treating his condition. And with Miss Yu Zhu absent from the Lost Lands...

Yet, there on the mid-lake island, Yu Yuan had unexpectedly called forth a towering three-legged furnace, engaging in conversation while masterfully crafting pills.

Half an hour later.

As Qin Yun's mind wandered, Yu Yuan let out a soft whistle and chuckled, "The pill is complete!"

A brilliant light burst forth from the furnace like a streak of lightning!

A pill, glowing like a flame, emerged amidst the swirling light and swiftly made its way toward him.

"Swallow it, let the pill fuse with your soul!" Yu Yuan commanded.

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