C604 You Feed the Tiger with Your Own Body
The Ghoul King charged toward Qi Hongyi, enveloped in a death aura. In an instant, he stood shoulder to shoulder with her.
Once the Ghoul King reached the area behind the statue, the tumultuous noise inexplicably subsided.
Both the Ghoul King and Qi Hongyi wore expressions as kind and benevolent as the statue from the Sword Prison, casting a gloomy and indescribably eerie pall over the scene.
At that moment, those who had come to guide the sect elders and those who had escaped from the Sword Prison realized something was amiss.
A snow-white robe hung empty in the air, eerily suspended.
It had been a long while since the master of this domain had uttered a word.
The Sword Prison had transformed into a statue that stood at the center of this realm, its presence emanating an intimidating force.
Each person who had become part of the statue felt a deep discomfort, an instinctual sense that they were mere lowly servants in the eyes of the statue, compelled to kneel and worship it as their sovereign.
Even formidable figures like Zhongli Dapan of the Forgeroses, Xi Quan, Zhan Yun, and the ancient and fierce leaders of the evilkind from extraterrestrial realms felt humiliated by such an impression.
They all sensed that something was terribly wrong.
"Mr. Yan?" Zhongli Dapan, sensing the dire situation and contemplating retreat, asked, "Do you have any sound advice?"
Given that the Boulderdawn had painstakingly crafted this statue as a weapon of doom capable of influencing the fate of Aetherius, it was bound to be a formidable and malevolent force, not easily countered.
His experiences with the Boulderdawn in the distant reaches of the extraterrestrial Star River had left him with a profound understanding of their power.
"Sound advice?" Yan Qiling paused, then replied with a look of bitter resignation, "We're in the Godsblight Marsh. I believe if we can navigate out of this fog-shrouded place, we might avoid this disaster, thanks to the Marsh itself."
A sense of dread settled in Zhongli Dapan's heart as he responded, "The Sword Prison's presence here suggests that the master of this place likely has the Untamed's silent consent."
At his words, a wave of unease washed over everyone.
If the Untamed had indeed granted permission for the master here to wreak havoc, using the Evil Statue to commit unspeakable acts, they were all in grave danger.
"Let's go!"
An elder from the Binders of Shadows, covered in Ghoul Glyphs and emerging from the Sword Prison, sensed trouble and called out. He skirted around a Sword Prison statue and made his exit.
The sect disciples who had come to escort him wasted no time in following suit.
"You five, follow me."
The slender, agile green snake trailed behind the old dragon of the Nagas, slithering towards the direction of the hovering sedan.
Whoosh!
Dark green rivers ensnared Zhao Yafu, Zhan Tianxiang, and three other youths from the Shadow's Keep.
Whether they liked it or not, the esteemed commander from the Shadow's Keep, now branded a traitor and confined within the Sword Prison, took the five juniors under his wing in this moment of crisis.
It was clear that Zhao Yafu and her companions were his to command, with no room for others to intervene.
"I want to stay and watch; I'm not eager to flee."
Zhao Yafu's protests were loud but futile due to her low level of cultivation.
Xi Quan, a practitioner of the Withered Sword, disregarded Chen Qingyan's views and firmly grasped her wrist.
Whoosh!
Xi Quan, with Chen Qingyan in tow, transformed into a sword light of withering death, speeding away from the Sword Prison.
"Master?"
Shen Feiqing, who had achieved the Solar Spirit state, stood beside Tan Yuan, both looking to Zhongli Dapan for guidance.
"Follow Mr. Yan's advice; let's get out of here first," Zhongli Dapan instructed.
Taking his own advice, he promptly took the lead, heading in the same direction as Loong Jie.
Lee Yuchan, who had been practicing the Shadow Curse and was invited by Tan Yuan, glanced between Yu Yuan and Zhan Yun. After a brief hesitation and a quiet sigh, she too decided to depart.
Suddenly, everyone scattered around the Sword Prison began to retreat.
The only exception was the fat old man in the worn attire of the Skyreach Consortium, who appeared troubled as he quietly questioned his disciple.
The disciple, who had been working on his behalf, allowed the old man to surmise his master's identity. The fat old man felt it was crucial to stay behind to grasp the full picture and understand his master's intentions.
Additionally, his mastery of space magic gave him a greater sense of assurance when it came to escaping than others possessed.
"Yu Yuan, go check behind the Sword Prison," Zhan Yun, the current Sect Master of the Nightbane, instructed with a gentle tone and a pleasing demeanor.
The image she had imprinted in Yu Yuan's Mindscape shimmered subtly.
This indicated that Zhan Yun had employed her enchantment to exert the mysterious influence of Spirit-Birthing, compelling Yu Yuan to comply without the ability to refuse.
Behind the Sword Prison, both Qi Hongyi and the Ghoul King had been ensnared by the reverse side of the Evil Statue, losing themselves to its influence—what chance did Yu Yuan have?
If Yu Yuan were to go there and behold the other side of the Sword Prison's sculpted deity, he would surely share the same fate as Qi Hongyi and the Ghoul King.
"Sect Master Zhan!" exclaimed Yan Qiling, who had remained behind, his anger erupting. "Sending Yu Yuan to the other side is tantamount to sending him to his death!"
"That's not necessarily true," Zhan Yun responded with an air of arrogance. "Regardless of what that statue is, I have complete faith in my Spirit-Birthing. I'm curious to see whether the Mind Magic that affected Qi Hongyi and the Ghoul King is more potent than the Spirit-Birthing technique of our Nightbane Sect."
In this unique situation, the Sect Master of the Nightbane was actually eager to challenge the Mind Magic of the statue.
Yan Qiling was taken aback, suddenly at a loss for words.
Loong Jie, Zhongli Dapan, Xi Quan, and even Zhan Yun herself had all shown interest in trading valuable treasures with Yu Yuan.
Initially, hadn't Zhan Yun intended to use Yu Yuan's Spirit-Birthing to enrich herself with the Nightbane Sect's enchantment?
Later, upon discovering that Yu Yuan possessed the Crucible of Evil, as well as the Sunsorrow from the giant beast, Zhan Yun became even more convinced that she could turn a significant profit from this encounter.
So why would she risk Yu Yuan in a contest with the statue at this juncture?
It seemed unnecessary and could potentially result in Zhan Yun walking away empty-handed, suffering substantial losses.
Yan Qiling was perplexed, finding the logic of women to be utterly unfathomable.
Zhao Jie and Zhang Miao were invigorated and filled with a fighting spirit because of Zhan Yun's actions, developing a deep respect for the legendary sect master.
"Women are truly..." Yan Qiling muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.
"You wouldn't understand!" Zhan Yun said with a grave expression, convinced that using Yu Yuan's power to contest the Evil Statue's Mind Magic was of utmost importance.
"The Nightbane Sect is renowned for its enchantment techniques!" Zhan Yun inhaled deeply. "The Ghoul King and Qi Hongyi were effortlessly charmed by the face on the back of the statue, which only fueled my determination to fight! Moreover, enchantment is central to my journey on the Way of Heaven. This is my chance!"
"Chance!" Yan Qiling's heart skipped a beat, instantly grasping the significance of her words.
Zhan Yun intended to use Yu Yuan to challenge the statue's knowledge of enchantment!
She had already successfully performed Spirit-Birthing in Yu Yuan's Mindscape, and the Mind Magic displayed by the statue was so potent and bizarre that it ensnared both the Ghoul King and Qi Hongyi.
Zhan Yun was pitting Yu Yuan against the statue's other side in a contest of control, seeking an opportunity for a breakthrough!
It was no surprise that Zhao Jie, Zhang Miao, and the others were brimming with combativeness.
Yan Qiling couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for this legendary figure of the Nightbane Sect.
Her willingness to seek life-threatening opportunities for advancement and not miss any chance to progress on the Way of Heaven likely explained her ability to outshine her predecessor.
"Very well."
Yu Yuan smiled, nodding subtly as if oblivious to everything around him, as though he had heard nothing at all.
He approached the back of the Sword Prison's statue calmly, as if truly influenced by Zhan Yun's Spirit-Birthing, as if he had indeed lost his sense of self.
