C562 Breaking Through the Realm Easily
Weixian's face was a pallid shade of gray as he approached Liu Xiao within the confines of the Ethereal Void Sect's domain in Gavanas. "Yu Zhu was supposed to have left, wasn't she?"
Liu Xiao, seated cross-legged on a meditation cushion, was already vexed with the ongoing issues between the Skyreach Consortium and Liang Jingyin. She had recently been in touch with Sage Chong Xiao, who had confirmed that the sect was indeed considering the independent cultivator Liang Jingyin for a special task: to attempt the condensation of the Solar Spirit within the Forgotten Ruins.
The Ethereal Void Sect had plans to publicly welcome Liang Jingyin into their fold, but only upon his successful formation of the Solar Spirit. They were well aware of his disputes with the Skyreach Consortium.
Sage Chong Xiao had advised her to disregard Zhu Peining and the Consortium's stance, as the sect was indifferent to whether Liang Jingyin could secure a position within the Forgotten Ruins or succeed in refining the Solar Spirit. The Ethereal Void Sect remained neutral, observing the conflict between the Skyreach Consortium and Liang Jingyin from a safe distance.
As Liu Xiao pondered how to explain the situation to Zhu Peining, Weixian appeared before her, his face stormy with anger. She raised an eyebrow and inquired, "What's wrong now?"
"The news of Yu Zhu's departure came from the Ethereal Void Sect," Weixian stated, his voice tinged with fury.
Liu Xiao nodded in confirmation. "I witnessed it myself. Under the guidance of Lord Dusk Raven from Shadow's Keep, she used our teleportation circle to travel directly to the Shadow's Keep in the Land of Quiescence."
"I was just injured by her at the lake where she was supposed to be hiding!" Weixian declared icily.
"That's impossible!" Liu Xiao objected, her brow furrowed. "I watched her get teleported away!"
"Then who else could wield the frigid power of the Way of Heaven to subdue me, if not her?" Weixian challenged.
Liu Xiao rose to her feet, her mind racing. "There's something odd here. Unless she came back secretly, bypassing the Ethereal Void Sect's teleportation circle. Or perhaps she left only part of herself behind, with a demon soul still lurking on the mid-lake island."
Changing tack, Liu Xiao pressed further, "However, what business did you have with her to provoke such a response?"
Weixian remained silent, offering no reply.
Yu Zhu was the sovereign of the Lost Lands. Whether it was the Ethereal Void Sect or any other sect, they were all bound by Shadow's Keep and had to abide by the established rules.
As an elder of Winter's Bite and the person in charge here, Weixian should have known better than to directly confront Yu Zhu. It was a mistake to have offended her.
"The seven lower sects and Shadow's Keep were permitted to remain here because they approached us with respect," Liu Xiao said with a stern face. "Our Ethereal Void Sect has made significant contributions. Without our teleportation circle and years of groundwork, Shadow's Keep likely wouldn't have allowed the seven lower sects to gain a foothold in the Lost Lands."
Her words served as a serious warning to Weixian not to disrupt the Lost Lands' rules and risk implicating the Ethereal Void Sect.
"I was unaware of her presence beforehand," Weixian protested, feeling aggrieved. "Had I known she was on that mid-lake island, I would never have acted so rashly."
"Whom did you provoke, then?" inquired Liu Xiao.
"The Yu family, a young man named Yu Yuan. He's the one," Weixian replied with a sigh.
"Not Yu Yuan again!"
...
Deep within the seven-colored cloud, Yu Yuan manipulated the Crucible of Evil, his consciousness shifting.
Streams of colorful fire returned to the miasma cloud from the lake and the air, swiftly rejoining the Shadowflame Blight Array.
"Next time you come to pay homage to the Master, remember to be more humble and lower your stance," Yu Yuan commanded, his face stern as he addressed Lu Qingyu from atop the cauldron.
This seventh-level archdemon from Dedsend Lake was defiant and lacked the proper respect. It was only fitting that he was chastised by the Shadowflame Blight Array.
Yet, Yu Yuan recognized the value of having a powerful archdemon like Lu Qingyu pledge loyalty to Yu Zhu. As a member of the evilkind, Yu Zhu's command should naturally include several formidable demons such as Lu Qingyu, Huoluo, and Lei Jiao.
These archdemons, flourishing in her domain, not only infused her realm with vibrant life but also handled many menial tasks for her.
This alliance was mutually beneficial for all involved.
Lu Qingyu was well aware that Yu Zhu needed her, which emboldened her to act so brazenly.
The evilkind are inherently wild and defiant. Without a firm lesson, they become even more difficult to subdue.
Yu Yuan was convinced that, after this setback, Lu Qingyu's allegiance would be far less problematic upon Yu Zhu's return.
As Yu Yuan pondered, Lu Qingyu used a large black fish tank to collect the surviving fish demons from the lake.
Holding the tank before her, she examined the area damaged by the toxic flames. It had indeed become much more docile. She nodded gently, "I understand now. I'll never be reckless again."
Huoluo and Lei Jiao, the imposing man, noticed Yu Yuan's anger had subsided and the "Shadowflame Blight Array" had ceased. They drew closer with ingratiating smiles, eagerly awaiting Yu Yuan's attention.
"Just as I said earlier, the Master is away at the moment. You all should return," Yu Yuan dismissed them with a wave of his hand.
This time, there was no further insistence.
"We'll come back another time."
"When the Master returns, please inform him of our sincere desire to pledge allegiance."
"We are not from Godsblight Marsh, nor are we descendants of the Untamed."
With these parting words, Huoluo, Lei Jiao, and Lu Qingyu reluctantly dispersed from the lake.
"Yu, you really showed them!" Tong Laoqian burst into hearty laughter, shaking his head in admiration. "That Huoluo and Lei Jiao are both seventh-level archdemons, and even I couldn't gain an advantage over them. Lu Qingyu, who thrives in water, gains strength in the marsh and the deep sea, yet she too was subdued."
Gazing at the dark cauldron within the seven-colored cloud, and Yu Yuan inside it, Tong Laoqian felt reassured that his initial decision was the right one.
He had chosen to sacrifice the Jade Tower to safeguard Yu Yuan's journey, rather than scheme for the Crucible of Evil that Yu Yuan possessed.
"I'll head over to Gavanas later," Yu Yuan said to Gao Qin with a nod. "I have some matters to attend to first."
"Understood!" Gao Qin promptly agreed, bowing respectfully before taking his leave.
His attitude toward Yu Yuan had significantly improved once again.
He was eager to return to Gavanas to inform Zhu Peining that Yu Yuan, on the mid-lake island within the Forgotten Ruins, could actually command the Shadowflame Blight Array and harness the power of the rune circle!
This fact alone was sufficient to attest to Yu Yuan's worth, indicating that his connection with Yu Zhu was far more intimate than the Skyreach Consortium realized.
Gao Qin believed that only with Yu Zhu's complete trust could Yu Yuan operate the Shadowflame Blight Array she controlled.
He could never have guessed that the Shadowflame Blight Array, which first emerged in Gloomhollow, was secretly constructed by the Sacred Hands on Yu Yuan's orders in his past life.
The true master of the Shadowflame Blight Array wasn't Yu Zhu, but Yu Yuan from a previous existence.
After Gao Qin departed, Yu Yuan glanced at Tong Laoqian and remarked, "Since Liang Jingyin has caught the attention of the Skyreach Consortium and has plundered their goods, you needn't be overly concerned."
Tong Laoqian, standing at the lake's edge, wrung his hands and chuckled with a hint of eagerness to enter the seven-colored cloud.
Yu Yuan noticed this but did not extend an invitation. Instead, he suggested, "I'll be out later. You can either head back to Gavanas or meditate quietly in the vicinity."
With that, he maneuvered the Crucible of Evil, gradually descending into the miasma cloud.
He was well aware that Tong Laoqian was not Qin Yun, nor was he a sworn loyalist.
Tong Laoqian was merely a temporary ally, not a servant, and couldn't be treated as one of his own. Hence, he would never take him into the island.
Inside the island, Qin Yun, absorbed in his cultivation, looked up with bright eyes and asked, "Young Master, you can wield the rune circle here?"
Yu Yuan had employed the Scorching Infernal Plague Array to discipline Lu Qingyu, though Qin Yun hadn't witnessed the entire event.
Still, he could infer that the enigmatic rune circle, nestled within the seven-colored cloud, could synchronize with Yu Yuan, allowing for precise strikes against intruders at Yu Yuan's behest.
This implied that Yu Yuan possessed formidable power at his disposal on the mid-lake island!
"Concentrate on healing your wounds, while I must advance to the middle stage of the Veil Breaking realm swiftly, then progress to the late stage," Yu Yuan inhaled deeply. "I must elevate my cultivation level as soon as possible. This realm is indeed greatly beneficial for my Veil Breaking refinement!"
Whoosh!
The Crucible of Evil suddenly expanded several times in size. Inside the little world of the crucible, Yu Yuan immediately began extracting the corpses of the Fellbeasts, using the Blood Altar within to strip away their vital energy.
For the following half-month, all was calm.
On the mid-lake island, Yu Yuan either refined his body with the Blood Altar and the Crucible of Evil or quietly hunted fourth and fifth level Fellbeasts.
After slaying a Fellbeast, he would drag it into the Crucible of Evil, take it back to the mid-lake island, and continue to extract the essence of its vitality.
He trained relentlessly, forsaking sleep and sustenance, yearning for a breakthrough in his realm and a surge in his combat prowess.
A month later, he successfully advanced from the early to the middle period of the Veil Breaking realm!
Another half-month passed, and the seven-colored cloud at the center of the lake developed gaping holes as spiritual energy from the vicinity began to flow towards the mid-lake island.
The land around the island and the lake trembled with activity.
The disturbance had attracted the attention of many.
A quartet from the Songbird Empire, who had once brushed past Yu Yuan, Yuan Lianyao, and Tong Laoqian in Gavanas, had since vanished without a trace.
Now, these four visitors from the Songbird Empire, having split up and gone to the Shadowlight Empire and the Sunblessed Empire, happened to reconvene near the lake. They came to investigate the lake, designated as a forbidden area by the owner of the Lost Lands, and the island beneath the seven-colored cloud.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground near the mid-lake island began to quake violently.
"Hmm? Wasn't the owner of the Lost Lands, Yu Zhu, taken by the Shadow's Keep?" the leader of the group mused, feeling the earth's tremors and observing the spiritual energy swirling above the mid-lake island. He was taken aback. "This situation clearly indicates that someone is cultivating on the island, triggering a tide of spiritual energy!"
