C597 The Evil Art Worked
In a secluded corner of the Sword Prison, a withered man resembling a corpse pulled a resplendent golden elephant into his palm and kneaded it effortlessly. This descendant of the Golden Elephant Ancient God stood twenty feet tall, its formidable stature rivaling that of a Gold Mountain. Its Demon Bones, capable of slicing through Divine Gold, were no match for the man's secret divine technique. As he shrank the creature, its bones snapped and crackled under his grip, the millennia-refined Demon Bones crumbling like brittle twigs. A shower of golden shards burst forth, yet the Golden Elephant could not utter a single cry of agony.
Strands of golden blood seeped through the man's fingers, trickling down like rivulets of molten gold. His smile gleamed as brightly as the treasure in his hands, and the miniature elephants, born from the golden blood, shattered in a frenzy of terror. "To think of escaping from my grasp is sheer folly," he chuckled.
Countless golden particles rose from the earth, fusing with the crushed remnants of the great demon's bloodline in his palms. His gaunt hands, as if dredged from a pool of golden essence, were now dusted with a fine layer of gold. He flexed his fingers, dissatisfied, and sighed in resignation, "I'll have to deal with this once I'm outside."
Yu Yuan, had he been present, would have recognized the striking resemblance between this man and an individual he had encountered on the fourth level of the Pirate Ship near Rosy Island.
In an instant, a streak of sword light darted off. The man's grin widened with delight as he transformed into a filament of crystalline lightning, as thin as a strand of hair, in pursuit of the fleeting sword light.
Elsewhere in the Sword Prison lay a diminutive cave, barely large enough for a child to dwell. Unlike its counterparts, this cave boasted no sprawling network of tunnels. It was a sealed sanctuary. Within this cramped space rested a single, finely crafted statue.
Fashioned from greenish-brown wood, the statue featured two faces—one on the front and one on the back—and four arms. The front exuded compassion, its serene countenance and hand seals offering solace and warmth akin to a gentle spring breeze. In stark contrast, the rear face was a visage of savagery and bloodlust, radiating malevolence, with hand seals that seemed poised to unleash destruction upon all beings.
The diminutive deity had been ensconced in this sealed cavern for untold years, maintaining its form throughout the ages.
Sword light coursed along the cave's rocky walls, endlessly emanating sword intent.
Yet, as Yu Yuan delved into the sword's mysteries, bringing it into the Sword Prison, numerous strands of sword light and intent were absorbed into the Sword Dao True Spell left by the Chopping Moon cultivator, including those concealed within this very cave.
As the sword lights and intents began to dissipate, the sealed cave's walls crackled ominously, as if a formidable force was pressing and battering against them, causing fissures to emerge.
The godly statue, whose soul consciousness had been locked away, found its internal thoughts and memories thawing like a frozen river returning to flow.
The once-stilled memories of the statue stirred, reigniting suppressed thoughts and intentions.
The statue, embodying both benevolence and malevolence, suddenly illuminated as its four hands opened in unison.
Boom!
The cave trembled violently, and the fissured walls burst open along the cracks.
Shortly thereafter, a slender crevice formed, wide enough for the Divine Statue to pass through, and it levitated, departing from the stone peak.
...
Within the Sword Prison, the imprisoned Big Devils engaged in a brutal slaughter amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, Yu Yuan was lost in a mesmerizing trance under Zhan Yun's "Soul Seal," oblivious to the passage of time.
The relatively spacious cave housed Zhongli, Xi Quan, Loong Jie, Chen Qingyan, and three newcomers, all of whom watched Zhan Yun's spellcasting with detached scrutiny.
Among the new arrivals was a small, emerald-green snake, merely a meter in length.
Its eyes, like yellow beans, radiated a chilling, sinister light, devoid of human warmth.
Eternal sounds of flowing water resonated within it, as if it had mastered the essence of the Great Dao of Water from the vast Boundless Land and even the Outer Star River.
The serpent, in its original form, hovered mid-air, having contained its power.
Yet, whether it was Zhongli, Xi Quan, or the aged chieftain of the Nagas, all silently acknowledged its presence, nodding subtly in respect upon its arrival.
Having once commanded the Demon Palace's forces across the Outer Star River, its renown was formidable.
Its appearance here, coupled with its astonishing battle history and the devaputra and alien armies that had fallen to it, filled even Zhan Yun with dread. She hastened to say, "I am performing a Soul Seal on him. Rest assured, the sealing will not impede his understanding of the sword spell, nor will it delay our departure."
The emerald serpent spoke in the ancient tongue of the Demon Clan, "Should any harm befall him, thwarting our plans, your life will be forfeit."
The majority of those gathered understood the old demonic language, while those who didn't, clearly perceived the threat in its tone.
Zhan Yun responded with a smile, "There will be no issues as long as there are no interruptions."
The serpent made no further comment.
Among the others was a gaunt old man with unkempt hair; his face, neck, and all visible skin were etched with ghoul glyph tattoos—a clear indication of his status as an elder from the Ghoul Glyph Sect, his body a testament to their craft.
Upon entering the cave, his first instinct was to strike at Zhan Yun, but upon realizing that Zhan Yun was in the midst of performing the Soul Seed ritual, he begrudgingly spat out, "Old hag, we'll settle our debts later!"
The third figure was a portly old man exuding an air of wisdom, clutching a horsetail whisk in one hand and a wine pot in the other.
His worn garments bore the distinctive emblem of the Babel Chamber of Commerce, suggesting he was a guest elder from the organization, now inexplicably confined within the Sword Prison.
One after another, notorious villains with fearsome reputations in the annals of the Boundless Land followed the fleeting sword light to this place.
Upon their arrival, they found Zhan Yun already ahead of the game, performing the Soul Seed on Yu Yuan.
These seasoned demons, each with their own hidden agendas, recognized the arcane potency of the Bright Sect's Soul Seed technique. They feared any rash action might disrupt the process, potentially eradicating Yu Yuan's existence entirely.
With sword light and intent still swirling at the entrance of the Sword Prison, if Yu Yuan's soul perished before their departure, all would be lost.
Thus, they were compelled to wait passively.
The assembled fiends exhibited remarkable patience. Even as Zhan Yun enacted the Soul Seed ritual on Yu Yuan, they exchanged smiles and pleasantries amongst themselves.
Their demeanor was calm and unhurried, as if they could endure another century if necessary.
The one truly tormented was Chen Qingyan of the Sword Sect.
Watching Yu Yuan under the manipulation of the Bright Sect's master, she yearned to intervene. Despite her attempts to persuade Xi Quan, once the intricacies were revealed, she reluctantly abandoned the idea, for the time being.
She couldn't bear the thought of Yu Yuan dying.
Back in the Jade Peak Mountains, Yu Yuan had come to her aid, and she was certain that the sword soul within him was indeed a venerable elder from her sect.
The incident at the Crack Archipelago, where Van Heqing unsheathed his sword, further confirmed Yu Yuan's connection to the sect.
She had been discreetly gathering information about Yu Yuan, driven by a mix of curiosity and admiration.
Among those present, she was the most concerned for Yu Yuan's well-being and earnestly wished for his safety.
Yet, she felt powerless within the confines of the Sword Prison.
Time slipped away silently.
After what seemed like an eternity, the brilliance faded from Zhan Yun's deep, enigmatic eyes.
The current leader of the Bright Sect, who had mastered the art of enchantment, exhaled softly and announced in a subdued yet cheerful tone, "Success."
"Success!"
A wave of renewed energy swept through the demons inside the cave, as they all turned their attention, seemingly roused from a profound and seductive dream.
Yu Yuan, emerging from a state of deep enchantment with a look of utter contentment, slowly came to his senses.
He hadn't actually closed his eyes; they had simply lost focus, devoid of any spirit.
But upon awakening, his gaze fell upon Zhan Yun, and his entire outlook transformed.
Zhan Yun, in his eyes, became the divine figure he yearned for day and night, the one he was destined to guard. Her every word and gesture seemed to directly captivate his soul, compelling him to comply without the slightest inclination to resist.
After a brief haze of confusion, he realized that the cave held not only Zhan Yun but also the formidable trolls he had previously encountered.
"Yu Yuan, are you... okay?" Chen Qingyan inquired softly.
Yu Yuan blinked in surprise.
"Reflect deeply on that master's sword technique," Zhan Yun instructed gently.
Her soft-spoken command carried an inexplicable power, prompting Yu Yuan to instinctively nod in agreement, "Yes."
Her words took precedence over his own emotions and reasoning.
Without further thought or question about the gathering of demons, Yu Yuan obediently settled down and grasped his sword once more.
The effects of the Soul Accumulating Pill had long since faded, allowing his spiritual consciousness to be reborn.
His consciousness once again plunged into the depths of the arm bone sword soul.
Hiss!
As he delved into the esoteric teachings of the Chopping Moon cultivator's sword path, the dense sword intent and gleaming sword light at the entrance of the Sword Prison's silvery mound were pried away, flying out of the cave.
Demons of a certain level of cultivation felt the shift immediately, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
The stone pathways within the Sword Prison were interconnected. With just one opening, the sword intent and light would vanish, providing them a route to escape the Sword Prison and gain their longed-for freedom.
These demons, confined for centuries—some for a hundred years, others for a millennium—waited with bated breath.
