C571 Soul Gathering in the Forest

Yu Yuan and Dragon Lake shared an old grudge.

Zhao Yafu's triumph in the Dragon Devour was a testament to Yu Yuan's significant contribution.

After the seventh-level Silverfrost Dragon emerged in the Forgotten Ruins, it was consumed by Yu Zhu, who used its dragon tendon to refine the mid-lake island. The Dragon Soul was claimed by Yan Qiling.

Had the five Dragon Attendants of Dragon Lake known that Lee Qi was actually Yu Yuan, they wouldn't have waited for the woman in the hovering sedan to find the right moment to strike; they would have acted immediately.

With this thought, Yu Yuan smirked, showing no signs of a captive's remorse.

"You can still find humor in this?"

Qiao Xu, drawing on his pipe, gazed at the old man who was now laughing heartily, revealing his yellowed teeth. He shook his head, suspecting the young man's wits were not quite in order.

Another day went by.

Under a hidden moon and a star-scarce sky, amidst a thicket of ancient woods, the visitors from the Empire of Dawn came to a halt.

Suddenly, a clear bell chimed from within the hovering sedan.

The night deepened, and in the silence of the dense forest, the cultivators from the Qiao family and Dragon Lake sat in quiet contemplation, wordless.

"Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!"

The unexpected ringing of the bell added an eerie and sinister atmosphere to the surroundings.

Yu Yuan, who had settled himself in a clearing, listened to the bell's toll and felt an unsettling shiver.

In the dead of night, the piercing sound of the bell from the remote sedan was far from melodious, instead growing increasingly shrill, causing a faint pain in his ears.

The bell's resonance seemed to twist the soul, leaving Yu Yuan feeling disoriented and headachy.

"It must be a summons for someone."

He was certain that the mysterious woman concealed within the sedan was revealing her location in this manner, undoubtedly awaiting someone to guide her.

Moments later.

Shadows of phantoms streamed in from all directions, materializing silently in the darkness.

The already black night turned colder with the sudden appearance of these phantoms, their chilling presence enough to send the faint-hearted fleeing in terror.

Yet, for those who had embarked on the path of cultivation, such soul spirits were commonplace and hardly a novelty.

The spirits and ghosts were as vulnerable as lambs before the slaughter when faced with cultivators.

A spirit soul, long and serpentine like a python, came slithering over but abruptly stopped in its tracks.

The spirit soul seemed startled, disregarding the beckoning of the bells and hastily retreated.

Yu Yuan could sense the Crucible of Evil, nestled within the Zigong acupoint, stir restlessly as if it had caught the scent of its prey.

He instantly realized that the python-like spirit soul had keenly detected the peril emanating from the Crucible of Evil.

The several phantoms before him, all soul spirits devoid of flesh and blood, radiated a distinct soulful aura, perfect for absorption and refinement by the Crucible of Evil into a spirited body of the Bane.

These phantoms roamed the forest, instinctively fearful and hesitant to draw near.

The woman seated in the opulent suspended carriage spoke softly, "Where is your master?"

Yu Yuan was taken aback.

Deep within the Zigong acupoint, the cauldron spirit, usually so well concealed, now broadcasted a yearning thought, silently conveying, "These phantoms carry the essence of the Land of Terror. I can refine and assimilate each one, enhancing the cauldron's might!"

"No!" Yu Yuan rebuked.

The cauldron spirit had once informed him that upon reaching the Lunar Spirit Realm, he could venture into the Land of Terror.

The cauldron spirit had described the Land of Terror as an ideal place for soul spirits to advance, teeming with a variety of soul spirits ripe for the Crucible of Evil's absorption and refinement.

Yet, the Land of Terror was inaccessible to the corporeal body, only the soul could traverse its expanse.

Yu Yuan needed to advance to the Lunar Spirit Realm and forge his Lunar Spirit to take it, alongside the Crucible of Evil, to the Land of Terror. There, he would vanquish and refine formidable soul spirits, amassing more Bane Devils and significantly amplifying the cauldron's power.

The Pale Reaper, who had once emerged in the Embers Sea commanding a legion of Gloom Raider soul spirits, hailed from the Land of Terror.

Regrettably, the Pale Reaper was too formidable. Back then, even in unity with the Crucible of Evil, Yu Yuan was no match for such a spirit.

Clusters of phantoms emerged in the forest, originating from the Land of Terror. They were weak enough to be easily refined by the Crucible of Evil, which piqued the cauldron spirit's interest.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The gathered souls, sensing a lurking threat, disregarded the young woman in the hovering sedan and vanished swiftly.

Soon after, not a single phantom remained in the woods.

Qiao Xu, puzzled, scratched his head. "Miss, something seems off?"

A cultivator clad in the Empire of Dawn's attire, yet imbued with dragon's breath, spoke with a somber tone, "These souls were meant to be brought here to fortify the Dragon Soul. The bell's chime should have summoned them, making them willingly enter the sedan. They weren't supposed to leave."

"The person who handed us the bell said the same," Qiao Xu echoed, equally confused. "Feeding the Dragon Soul with the dead's souls in populated lands is improper, hence the choice of this secluded spot. He chose to remain unseen, trapping the souls in the forest, expecting the bell to effortlessly do its job."

Yu Yuan sat silently, a peculiar grin playing on his lips.

A Dragon Lake cultivator, seething with rage and eyes flashing crimson, his demeanor turning vicious and wild, snapped, "Kid, what's so amusing? What are you laughing at?"

His words drew all eyes to them in an instant.

"It's just amusing to me," Yu Yuan replied.

"Amusing?" The Dragon Lake cultivator rose to his feet and swiftly approached Yu Yuan.

He extended his hand, palm facing Yu Yuan's skull from a distance, and turned to the suspended sedan, "Should we kill him and use his dissipating residual soul to lure back those souls?"

In his palm, a tiny vortex emerged, a mix of spiritual energy and vitality intertwining like serpentine dragons, creating a suction force aimed at Yu Yuan's Mindscape.

The three souls of heaven, earth, and man within his mind stirred as if they were being forcibly extracted from his skull.

Without having broken through to the Lunar Spirit Realm, one's soul would leave the corporeal body and scatter at the slightest breeze.

The Qiao family members and the Dragon Attendants from Dragon Lake were indifferent and callous, seemingly considering it a viable solution.

Qiao Xu set aside his smoke tube and remarked in surprise, "He's still laughing!"

Yu Yuan, whose skull was enveloped and who was moments away from having his soul ripped from his body, looked up at the aggressive Dragon Attendant from Dragon Lake, chuckling all the while.

It appeared that Yu Yuan was blissfully unaware that his fate was in someone else's hands.

"I truly wonder how he managed to reach the Veil Breaking Realm," mused the enigmatic woman in the hovering sedan chair, her tone laced with peculiarity. She then instructed, "His Veil Breaking Realm corporeal body is far more valuable than his soul. Do not kill him; we shall keep him for now. He will be of great use to us later."

"You're fortunate."

The Dragon Attendant, displeased with Yu Yuan and intent on harming him, let out a cold snort and stayed his hand.

He observed Yu Yuan's unceasing smile and the mocking glint in his eyes, feeling an inexplicable sense of discomfort and oddity.

For in those eyes, he saw not a hint of panic or fear...

"Thank you for sparing my life. I shall find a way to repay this kindness in the future," Yu Yuan said, still smiling.

"No need for repayment. Everyone dies eventually; sooner or later makes little difference," the man retorted before turning to walk away. He approached the small floating sedan chair and began to report in a hushed tone, clearly not wanting Qiao Xu or anyone from the Qiao family of the Empire of Dawn to overhear.

Shortly thereafter, the sedan chair took to the skies once more, with its entourage quickly rising to follow.

The following morning, the group emerged from the dense woods only to be greeted by five vibrantly dressed women who had been eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Yu Yuan looked up and was momentarily taken aback by the sight of them.

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