C608 Crush!

The essence of Zhan Yun's enchantment technique, a fundamental aspect of the Way of Heaven, lay in the captivating shadows that danced in the depths of her gaze.

Zhan Yun referred to these apparitions as "Succubi." Each Succubus was a testament to her dedication, a crystallized form of her magic arts, and the source of her formidable power.

The three hundred and sixty-five Succubi she had created corresponded to the days of the year, one for each day.

Summoned forth, each Succubus could meld with the three souls of heaven, earth, and man, granting Zhan Yun the ability to transform at will. Her appearance, demeanor, intellect, and temperament could all be altered to her heart's desire.

With the aid of different Succubi, Zhan Yun's Lunar Spirit, Solar Spirit, and real body could assume various identities.

Whether she was confronting Zhongli Dapan, Yu Yuan, Xi Quan, Chen Qingyan, or any other individual, she tailored her approach to match their emotional state, preferences, and unique sense of beauty.

To Yan Qiling and Zhongli Dapan, the master and disciple adept in the art of spatial magic, Zhan Yun's visage, expressions, and character varied considerably.

Throughout her earlier travels in the Everlands, those who encountered Zhan Yun held diverse opinions of her, shaped by their personal interactions.

This variability was the result of Zhan Yun's skillful application of her enchantment, adapting her form to engage with men of all kinds.

In the early period, she could only present herself as one person at a time, changing only upon meeting the next individual.

Now, in her advanced state, she could simultaneously appear differently to hundreds of people within the same room, regardless of gender, each perceiving her in a unique way.

She could effortlessly captivate men and disarm women, releasing a Succubus attuned to their predilections, and easily gaining access to their innermost sentiments.

Indeed, at this level, her mastery of enchantment bordered on the divine.

Yet, in this instant, as she locked eyes with Yu Yuan, the Succubi emerging from her pupils seemed like fish perishing in their bowl.

Zhan Yun's once vibrant life force began to fade.

The Lunar Spirit that soared towards Yu Yuan shattered and vanished before reaching him.

With a series of pops, each illusory "Succubus" burst like a balloon as the Lunar Spirit faded away. Zhan Yun's vibrant and colorful Solar Spirit was suddenly engulfed by the Frost Queen, who had emerged from the Crucible of Evil, wielding an ice-blue flame. The seven-colored radiance splintered and scattered under the relentless burn and crush of the ice-blue flame. Lunar Spirit, Solar Spirit, and the real body—all crumbled to pieces.

The leader of the Nightbane Sect, a cultivator at the Unbound Stage, had languished in Sword Prison for years. Most of his vitality, spiritual energy, and Soul Power had been drained, leaving him with a mere fraction of his strength. The Nightbane Sect, not known for its combat prowess, relied primarily on enchantment. With the enchantment rendered ineffective and suffering a severe backlash, combined with insufficient combat strength, the sect was in disarray, thanks to Yu Yuan's eerie presence and deep, dark eyes within the Crucible of Evil.

Yu Yuan, with eyes as deep as black holes, gazed impassively at Zhang Miao. Since the outset on the Sea Wanderer, Zhang Miao harbored ill intentions, planning to use Yu Yuan's lifeblood to empower herself. Now, she had regained a measure of her spiritual wisdom. It was as if she had been doused with ice water, causing her to shudder and her eyes to clear.

"Sister Zhao, the Sect Master..." she murmured, bewildered. She saw Zhao Jie, who should have been dead, her sister Zhang Manman with a pierced neck, and Zhan Yun, whose brilliant Solar Spirit was being crushed by the Frost Queen. She also noticed the continuous demise of the "Succubus" within Zhan Yun's gaze.

Zhang Miao, a promising talent of the Nightbane Sect, understood all too well what the fall of the "Succubus" signified. She realized that her sect, which had covertly manipulated the fate of Aetherius through enchantment, was on the brink of catastrophe. Her heart ached with bitterness as she looked at Yu Yuan, standing like an unsheathed sword plunged into the Crucible of Evil.

"Why did the Sect Master and I have to provoke him?" she lamented internally. A wave of intense regret flooded her, leaving a taste in her mouth as bitter as if she had swallowed a concoction of the most bitter herbs for millennia.

If she could turn back time, she would never again allow herself to be swayed by Tong Laoqian's instigation to knock on Yu Yuan's door. Nor would she repeatedly attempt to scheme against Yu Yuan for his possessions in the Sundering Isles.

"Yu, Yu Yuan... No, that's not right," Zhang Miao suddenly looked up, addressing him from a distance with a different title, "Lee Qi, can you spare the Nightbane Sect? Please don't destroy all of our Succubi. Allow the Nightbane Sect to continue existing in the Everlands. I'll call you Lee Qi, I'm begging you."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she employed another type of enchantment from the Nightbane Sect, pleading pitifully for mercy.

Yan Qiling curled his lips slightly and spoke with a cool detachment, "Facing death, you still hope to use enchantment to alter your fate. The Nightbane Sect, with its deviant practices, has never grasped the true essence of Mind Magic. It's only fitting that they meet such an end."

Hovering above the Sword Prison, the fat old man with the whisk in hand scoffed, "Yu Yuan, Lee Qi? It seems to me that you haven't even figured out who your opponent is, or to whom you're pleading."

In his eyes, the young man who was on the brink of death, wielding the Crucible of Evil, was no longer Yu Yuan. Lin Zhuyun, who had not been taken over by the Sky Fiend, was likely the real person. Yu Yuan, he was convinced, had been completely possessed by the Evil Statue, which had seized his spirit and spiritual wisdom.

The Evil Statue had merely used Mind Magic to make Qi Hongyi and the Ghoul King obey, without directly descending to replace them. That's why the Ghoul King and Qi Hongyi still appeared normal.

Yu Yuan was different. The profound darkness in his eyes exuded a sinister aura. The fat old man, having met numerous individuals, could tell from these subtle differences that the person before him was no longer the real Yu Yuan.

Had Zhang Miao mistakenly pleaded with both Yu Yuan and Lee Qi for leniency?

"The Nightbane Sect has strayed from the Way of Heaven and does not deserve to exist in this world," came a voice, cold and unique, as if a deity were addressing a supplicant.

The shrill pipa music tore through the air, piercing Zhang Miao's body and spirit in an instant. This prodigy of the Nightbane Sect, a girl of ethereal beauty with a heart both ruthless and shadowed, sought to rapidly advance to the next realm through forbidden practices. Her life was snuffed out in a mere moment.

"Hu!"

The Crucible of Evil, with Yu Yuan aboard, glided forward steadily.

The dark cauldron skimmed over Zhan Yun's head.

Her eyes, deep as ancient wells, had once been home to swimming Succubi, which now vanished completely. As the Succubi disappeared, the spark in Zhan Yun's eyes seemed to depart with them.

Zhan Yun stood in silence, her real body withered and dead. Her radiant Solar Spirit Body, too, was obliterated under the Frost Queen's intense chill.

"Yu..."

Yan Qiling began to speak but halted abruptly, recalling the fat old man's words, leaving his sentence unfinished.

The Crucible of Evil paused briefly beside him before resuming its flight at the previous speed.

Qi Hongyi and the Ghoul King flanked the Crucible, remaining steadfast in their pursuit of Yu Yuan.

The colossal statue, carved from the Sword Prison, erupted from the earth and hovered ominously.

It faced Yan Qiling, smiling, its hands forming a spell that soothed the heart and spirit as if it were watching him.

Yan Qiling, who had been rigid with uncertainty about whether Yu Yuan was under the thrall of the Evil Statue, suddenly paused. Then, inexplicably, he began to chuckle to himself, the reason for his laughter unknown.

"Another one," lamented the fat old man, shaking his head with a sigh of regret.

He was disheartened because Yan Qiling, a stranger to him, was also adept in space magic and walked a similar path. Now controlled by the Evil Statue, Yan Qiling had lost his autonomy and would become nothing more than a puppet. The fat old man wondered if this would impact the Way of Heaven, feeling the loss of a fellow traveler.

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