C685 Another Type of Toxic Smog

Qi Jinghai of the Thunder Sect had an epiphany the moment he heard the elder's words.

Looking at Yu Yuan once more, he recalled how Yu Yuan had utilized the Crucible of Evil to assist Xie Bin in separating the fragment of his Solar Spirit from the Glacial Storm Seal. He then crushed it within the cauldron, allowing the heaven soul to coalesce once again.

"The Sect Master speculated that there are few spells or items in the world capable of helping you reconstitute your heaven soul. The Crucible of Evil happens to be one such item," the elder said, shifting his gaze from Xie Bin to Yu Yuan. "I never imagined someone as young as you, with such a modest level of cultivation, could truly wield the Crucible of Evil to accomplish this feat."

Liu Ying was astonished by this revelation, her hand flying to her mouth in a soft gasp.

She hadn't anticipated that Yu Yuan's involvement was the key to Xie Bin, a once-celebrated prodigy of the Obsidian Thunder Sect, being able to extract and reunite the remnants of his soul from his shattered Solar Spirit.

Reflecting on this, she understood why Xie Bin's demeanor towards Yu Yuan was so amiable, and it dawned on her that the man's conjecture was accurate.

"Indeed," Yu Yuan admitted, no longer attempting to conceal the truth. "Regardless of the Thunder Sect's intentions, the Glacial Storm Seal isn't yours to claim by force, is it?"

Xie Bin remained silent about the fact that Ann Ziqing of the Colddeath had taken the Glacial Storm Seal, and for reasons unknown.

Yu Yuan chose not to press the issue, eager to avoid wasting more time. "Mr. Xie, you'd best gather your disciples and make haste to the Azure Vault!"

"Ah!"

Outside, the eerie wails in the streets resurfaced.

"What's happening?" Qi Jinghai, already alert to the unsettling cries, sensed something amiss and turned to inquire of another Thunder Sect elder standing behind him.

"It's merely some commoners meeting unexplained deaths," the elder, whose cultivation was profound enough to have long since released his Lunar Spirit for a covert survey, replied dismissively. "The city guards of the Songbird Empire are handling it. We needn't concern ourselves with such trivialities."

To these cultivators, the deaths of countless mortals in the Songbird Empire were inconsequential.

As long as they were not cultivators like themselves, they didn't believe Afnetalos would experience any disturbances.

"Why are we heading to the Azure Vault?" Xie Bin asked, somewhat astonished. "All the training rooms there have been leased out. There's no point in going now."

"I have a room that you can use temporarily," Yu Yuan offered.

"For what reason?" Xie Bin pressed.

"Something unusual is about to happen in the city. I don't want you or the disciples you've just taken under your wing to be caught up in it," Yu Yuan explained earnestly.

"That's just alarmist talk!" an elder from the Thunder Sect scoffed.

Qi Jinghai merely furrowed his brow, unconcerned. "Mr. Xie, it might be beneficial to visit the Azure Vault. Several of our Thunder Sect elders are there as well. They, along with others, will assist us in convincing you. The Glacial Storm Seal isn't something we want to seize by force; it's crucial for the battles beyond our world."

His implication was clear: securing the Glacial Storm Seal was key to gaining the upper hand in a significant battle taking place in the starry expanse of the Everlands.

"Fine! I'd like to see for myself who is so desperate to pry the Glacial Storm Seal from my hands!" Xie Bin declared, his anger evident.

"Liu Ying, could you lend me a hand? Please help Mr. Xie and the others reach the Azure Vault as quickly as possible," Yu Yuan requested.

"No problem at all. I'll look for you once I've settled them," Liu Ying responded cheerfully.

In Afnetalos, due to the enveloping Ashen Shadowmist outside, the five supreme sects, including the Songbird Empire, prohibited private combat. Yu Yuan was aware that Qi Jinghai and his group were merely there to pressure Xie Bin and wouldn't dare to engage in direct conflict.

Preoccupied with other concerns, Yu Yuan was relieved when Liu Ying accepted his request. Before departing, he cast a glance at Lee Yu and unexpectedly unleashed the Crucible of Evil.

He stepped onto the Crucible of Evil, causing it to levitate, and swiftly departed from the training hall of the Obsidian Thunder Sect.

"Cloud Lake," Yu Yuan thought, as the Crucible of Evil bore him rapidly towards the shimmering Cloud Lake within the vast city.

The Skyreach Consortium's headquarters, along with the training halls of the seven lower sects, the Ruby Hand, the Taintborn Sect, and the Skyblight Cult, were all strategically situated around Cloud Lake, each occupying a distinct location.

"Hu!"

The Crucible of Evil came to a halt above the district by the lake where the seven lower sects were located. Perched high above, Yu Yuan surveyed the area and noticed a large household near the Cloudwater Sect's training hall, from which cries of anguish could be heard.

Soldiers from the Songbird Empire were already burning corpses as he had instructed earlier. Over a dozen bodies were being consumed by the flames atop the Fire Crystals.

However, from three of the burning corpses, faint purple smoke was wafting from their closed eyes, ears, and nostrils. The hue of this smoke was a shade denser than the purple mist seeping from the well.

Unbeknownst to the soldiers of the Songbird Empire and the cultivators from the same household gathered around the corpses, they had already inhaled some of the purple smoke into their lungs through their mouths and noses.

"I'm afraid it's too late to stop it," Yu Yuan realized with a heavy heart as he saw soldiers of only the Golden Sanctum and Soul Awakening levels inhaling the faint purple smoke.

Continuing his observation through the Crucible of Evil, he noticed another group of city guards who had earlier inhaled the purple smoke. They clutched their faces, convulsed, and slowly collapsed to the ground.

"Yu Yuan!"

Across Cloud Lake, Ma Jianjiang, the deacon from the Skyreach Consortium's branch, had spotted the Crucible of Evil suspended in the sky. He glided over, as if a celestial being, drawing the attention of many from the training halls of the seven lower sects.

Those remaining in the training halls were not the sect's most prominent figures. Many had never met Yu Yuan, though they were familiar with the Crucible of Evil. Among them was Zhao Jingzhi from the Winter's Bite.

"Weren't you supposed to return to the Azure Vault?" Ma Jianjiang crossed Cloud Lake and approached Yu Yuan, his curiosity evident.

Yu Yuan intently observed Cloud Lake, noting the absence of any purple tinge on the water's surface. This led him to conclude that whoever had released the substance in secret must have an intimate understanding of its properties.

"Is it you?"

Before Ma Jianjiang could respond, Zu Ann was the first person who came to Yu Yuan's mind.

Zu Ann, his closest friend from his past life, was privy to the secret method of concocting that particular item.

Even Ji Ningshuang was unaware of how to refine it, as her dedication to sword cultivation left her with little interest in the arts of potion brewing or poison making.

Apart from Zu Ann, the only other person privy to the formula was his senior brother, Zhong Chichen.

The formula was a forbidden concoction, locked away in the most hidden vault of the Order of Healing, accessible only to the reigning Sect Master.

After Yu Yuan's disappearance, Zhong Chichen stepped into the role of Sect Master, naturally gaining the privilege of accessing the formula.

In the whole world, the only people he was certain knew the formula were his senior brother Zhong Chichen and his dear friend from his previous life, Zu Ann.

Since his senior brother was perennially stationed at the Order of Healing and had not been seen around Afnetalos, it couldn't have been him.

Thus, it had to be Zu Ann.

"Deacon Ma, please inform all the relevant parties that the Soul-Igniting Mist has emerged within Afnetalos and advise them to make preparations at the earliest opportunity," Yu Yuan said with a sigh.

He harbored suspicions that Chen Langzhi of the Chen family might be in league with Zu Ann, so it was unwise to rely solely on the Chen family.

"The Soul-Igniting Mist, my own creation, is more horrific than anyone can imagine."

"The Soul-Igniting Mist?" Ma Jianjiang looked puzzled, shaking his head. "I've never heard of such a thing. Even if I were to spread the word, not everyone might believe it."

"Just release the information; there will be those who understand the true dread of the mist," Yu Yuan said, gesturing respectfully. "Do me this favor!"

"Soul-Igniting Mist! Young man, are you suggesting that the Soul-Igniting Mist is behind the disturbance in Afnetalos?" An elderly woman from the training hall district of the lower sects, having emerged from the Abyssal Dawn's vicinity, shuddered with fear. "Are you certain it's indeed the Soul-Igniting Mist?"

Yu Yuan nodded affirmatively. "There's no mistake about it."

...