C682 The Chamber of Commerce Book Pavilion

Once bustling and vibrant, the streets of Afnetalos now lay cold and deserted. Hardly a soul could be seen wandering the avenues.

Yu Yuan, utilizing his spiritual sense, discerned that few commoners resided within the buildings that lined the streets.

Most had been relocated when the Ashen Shadowmist first crept out from the Scarlet Dunes, seeking refuge in other cities to escape the troubles plaguing this one.

Those who stayed either harbored a sentimental attachment to Afnetalos or possessed some foundational cultivation skills, including members of the Songbird Empire's prominent families.

Others were iron-willed soldiers loyal to the Songbird Queen, returning from across the empire to serve.

"We should head to the Skyreach Consortium's local branch," Yu Yuan suggested to Zhao Yafu as they walked. "I suspect it's a hub for cultivators, second only to the Azure Vault."

"Indeed, all the spirit medicines, pills, and artifacts sold by the consortium have already been picked over and purchased," Zhao Yafu responded. "By the time we get there, we'll find that the best items were snatched up soon after the rune circle in Afnetalos was activated, before the Ashen Shadowmist descended."

Yu Yuan nodded, accepting this as an expected outcome.

"That maidservant from your household was always scheming," Zhao Yafu remarked with a twist of her mouth, shifting the conversation. "I made inquiries about her during my time at Shadow's Keep! Ann Ziqing is actually the current Goddess of Colddeath, groomed to be the next leader. With such a status, why would she willingly serve as your personal maidservant, Yu Yuan?"

Yu Yuan shook his head, pondering internally, "Ann Ziqing's continued presence in the Yu family may not have been her choice to make."

Given the Yu family's connection to the Evil King and Yu Xi, he wisely chose not to divulge too much to Zhao Yafu, to prevent any misfortune befalling his family.

After all, according to his grandmother, there were those within the Skyblight Cult who were determined to eradicate anyone linked to the Evil King.

Should the Skyblight Cult learn that descendants of the Evil King still lived, they would likely dispatch a powerful cultivator to silently extinguish the Yu family.

"Brother Yu, how did you end up with the Crucible of Evil and the sword sheath again?" Zhao Yafu asked, her curiosity piqued. She remembered that when they left Godsblight Marsh, Yu Yuan had nothing in his hands.

"Untamed toyed with them for a bit, then had an archdemon secretly bring them to me," Yu Yuan explained.

"Untamed might turn against the Everlands. Or at the very least, he'll stay neutral," Zhao Yafu mused, sensing a future filled with uncertainties. "Did you know? Untamed has been around even longer than my master in this realm. He's from the same era as the Golden Elephant God—they're both ancient archdemons."

Throughout their journey, Zhao Yafu couldn't shake her concern about an inevitable conflict between Shadow's Keep and Untamed.

Untamed is the leader of the most formidable evilkind faction outside of Shadow's Keep.

Should Shadow's Keep undergo a significant upheaval, archdemons from across the Everlands would naturally gravitate towards Untamed.

Archdemons reluctant to serve Shadow's Keep, fearing manipulation by the three upper sects, the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and other powers, to battle against the Sky Fiend and extraterrestrial forces, might also seek refuge in Godsblight Marsh.

This would steadily bolster Untamed's power, potentially allowing him to rival the might of Shadow's Keep.

After some intermittent conversation, they reached the Skyreach Consortium's branch.

The Consortium's branch was situated at the opposite end of Cloud Lake, amidst a cluster of towering structures.

From a distance, Yu Yuan could hear the bustling noise of cultivators at the branch.

Looking around, he saw cultivators from the Songbird Empire and family disciples from the Songbird Empire frequenting the pavilion that showcased spiritual medicines, artifacts, and rune circles.

"I'm going to check out the floor where they sell spiritual spell books."

Yu Yuan, well-acquainted with the Skyreach Consortium's layout, quickly identified the building dedicated to spell transactions and headed straight for it.

Zhao Yafu trailed behind him, following his lead like an attentive apprentice.

"That's Zhao Yafu from Shadow's Keep, the hand-chosen disciple of the Moonfang Tiger Lord!"

Someone recognized Zhao Yafu and let out a soft exclamation, suddenly making her the focus of everyone's attention.

"Who is that man with Zhao Yafu?"

"I don't recognize him. He looks quite unfamiliar."

The onlookers murmured among themselves.

Yu Yuan, upon reaching the teleportation circle just outside Afnetalos, found that most of the people who had ventured to the Forgotten Ruins for the "Dispel Evil" mission had perished.

The survivors with ample wealth were staying at the Azure Vault, while those less fortunate were temporarily housed in their respective sect's training hall.

As a result, none of the cultivators gathered there recognized Yu Yuan.

Amidst the curious chatter, Yu Yuan made his way to the Skyreach Consortium's "Scripture Tower," bypassing the first two floors and beginning his search on the third.

He had come in search of any incomplete texts that might shed light on the origins of "Wraithbinding."

He suspected that Wraithbinding originated from the Boulderdawn and sought confirmation to ensure he didn't misuse it and attract the scrutiny of the five great supreme sects.

"Many of the cultivation techniques from Shadow's Keep aren't well-suited for you," Zhao Yafu whispered. "Yu, are you looking for a soul cultivation spell to refine the earthly soul and eventually transform into a Lunar Spirit?"

Yu Yuan smiled and nodded in affirmation. "That's right."

"There are quite a few here."

A short member of the Skyreach Consortium with a goatee beckoned them over.

As Yu Yuan approached, the man chuckled and introduced himself, "I am Ma Jianjiang, a deacon with the Consortium."

He looked intently at Yu Yuan as he spoke. "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Yu Yuan from Asvetaesi, Mr. Yu?"

"Do you know me?" Yu Yuan inquired, intrigued.

"Cough, cough. The Consortium has a portrait of you," Ma Jianjiang admitted openly. "I take a particular interest in people I find intriguing. I made a point of studying your portrait and committed it to memory. Miss Zhao, as the hand-chosen disciple of the Moonfang Tiger, I've also seen your portrait."

"Comparing the two, it's clear who you both are."

Ma Jianjiang offered a warm smile. "Mr. Yu, we're well aware of your strong ties to the Skyreach Consortium. Here, you'll find a wealth of spiritual spells for refining the Lunar Spirit, many of which originated from sects that perished centuries ago. These include both the orthodox sects from Euwrea and the more unorthodox ones from the Land of Quiescence."

He enthusiastically guided Yu Yuan to various cabinets, carefully extracting tome after tome.

The books were encased in special wooden frames, revealing only their titles and preventing anyone from leafing through to see the contents within.

"Allow me to highlight some of the more intricate aspects of these different spells," Ma Jianjiang said with a chuckle, as he pulled out an ancient tome. "The Azurecloud Soul Spell, for instance, dates back to the Azurecrest Sect, which fell some fifteen hundred years ago. At the time of its demise, it was considered a minor sect, with a sect master who had only reached the Solar Spirit level."

"The Azurecloud Soul Spell was the sect master's own creation. It's particularly effective during the refinement of the earthly soul, as it can gather unique spiritual clouds from various places and incorporate them into the earthly soul."

"Despite the Azurecrest Sect's modest standing and the sect master's limited realm, the spell itself possesses some truly remarkable subtleties. The sect master's death in the Extraterrestrial Battle doesn't mean that one can't achieve the Unbound Realm through diligent cultivation of the Azurecloud Soul Spell."

"Take the Spirit Nightmare Spell, for example. This spell plunges the cultivator into a fearsome nightmare, using the horrific scenes within to forge a stronger mind and refine the soul. As the name suggests, it hails from an evil sect in the Land of Quiescence and was created by a notorious demon known for his formidable power."

Ma Jianjiang continued his enthusiastic overview.

Interrupting him, Yu Yuan asked directly, "Does the Consortium possess any dark arts from the Terror Claws Sect? I've acquired the Crucible of Evil and have already practiced the Evil Body Refining Technique. Having progressed to the Subtlety, I'm keen to explore if the Terror Claws Sect offers such spells."

"We do have something," Ma Jianjiang replied with a smile.

Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"But don't get ahead of yourself," Ma Jianjiang quickly added, "What we have is only a fragment. Even if you were to take it, you wouldn't be able to practice it, as it's missing many crucial parts."

"You're aware that I possess the Crucible of Evil. Perhaps I can restore it!" Yu Yuan exclaimed.

He was only interested in learning the name of the spell practiced by the Terror Claws when they reached the Subtlety Realm. The specifics of the content were of no concern to him.

"Hold on a moment. The incomplete spell isn't on display here," Ma Jianjiang said, leaving the words hanging as he turned and headed toward a small loft. After rummaging around for a bit, he emerged with a clearly aged tome. "This incomplete spell isn't valuable. Are you sure you need it?"

Yu Yuan reached out, accepting the time-worn, yellowed book, and cast a quick glance at the title inscribed on its cover — Spirit Magic Soul Ferry Technique.

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