C691 A Startled Bird

Despair, fear, and rage—all these negative emotions exploded in a tumultuous outburst! Every cultivator who had journeyed with Fung Xiujuan to the lake found their composure shattering as a sinister purple mist ascended from the waters. The deeper hue and almost sentient trails of the mist revealed a horrifying truth: the toxicity of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog had intensified manifold!

Who could survive if targeted by this lethal purple haze? The Soul Igniting Nether Fog was known to be uncontrollable, a weapon of indiscriminate slaughter. So why this sudden change? Why were those seeking to hold Yu Yuan accountable now the ones hunted by the fog?

It was strikingly clear that those allied with Yu Yuan—Zhao Yafu, Zhan Tianxiang, Kong Banbi, Xie Binn, and even their associates—remained untouched by the fog's deadly embrace. The implication was unmistakable.

With a crackling surge, Qi Jinghai, the orchestrator of this chaos, was enveloped in green lightning. With the aid of a powerful artifact, he had left the vicinity of the seven lower sects and the Dao House behind. Ascending higher, he watched as the remaining members of the Thunder Sect succumbed to the purple mist, his heart turning to ice.

How had it come to this? His ploy to turn others against Yu Yuan was merely opportunistic, spurred by the knowledge that Xie Binn's Heavenly Soul had been reconstituted by Yu Yuan's Evil Cauldron. Qi Jinghai never truly believed that the malicious and inhumane Soul Igniting Nether Fog was a creation of Yu Yuan's hand.

In Qi Jinghai's estimation, Yu Yuan was but a minor character who had lucked into possession of the Evil Cauldron and a sword scabbard. Such a figure could not possibly wield the power to marshal the Soul Igniting Nether Fog and manipulate the fate of Luan Bird City as if playing with the tides.

Yet, the unfolding events were upending his beliefs, instilling a sense of unease about the man he had so readily dismissed. The words of his friend Chu Jing echoed in his mind with newfound gravity: "Yu Yuan of Darkmoon City is not to be underestimated. Should you cross paths with him, proceed with utmost caution. This individual is exceptional, and his success is not merely a product of good fortune." These were the solemn words Chu Jing of the Spirit Void Sect had imparted before withdrawing from Luan Bird City with others.

Initially, he was indifferent.

But as he watched the Soul Igniting Nether Fog's ruthless spread, and all those who opposed Yu Yuan were hunted down and killed, a cold dread began to stealthily rise within Qi Jinghai's heart. Yu Yuan's apparent confusion and astonishment were, in Qi Jinghai's eyes, the most horrifying acts of deception.

Such a sinister and cold-hearted youth!

Taking a deep breath, Qi Jinghai covertly summoned the lightning once more. Without hesitation, he transformed into a bolt of lightning, speeding towards the Blue Sky Shrine at a velocity tenfold his arrival pace.

He was determined to seek refuge back in the Blue Sky Shrine.

"No way!"

Han Ling of the Blood God Cult, hovering behind Ann Ziqing, glanced towards the lake, his face draining of color. "Miss, I fear we're all doomed this time!"

With his level of cultivation, Han Ling could discern the dire state across the lake, recognizing the resurgence of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog.

Its deeper hue and denser form signaled that this iteration of the fog was even more formidable than before.

Even Han Ling lacked any semblance of confidence to confront the Soul Igniting Nether Fog and come out alive.

"What's the matter?" Lin Yue, whose cultivation was less advanced, inquired urgently below.

Ann Ziqing ceased her leg-swinging and straightened up, her gaze fixed on the lake and the direction of the Chamber of Commerce with grave seriousness. She inhaled sharply and said, "Perhaps, it's time we prepare for the worst."

"What's the worst-case scenario?" Lin Yue demanded.

"Evacuate the city!" Ann Ziqing commanded.

She saw the intensifying purple mist, a sure sign of the thickening Soul Igniting Nether Fog. By her assessment, even a practitioner at the Soul Wandering Stage would be doomed upon contact.

Should the fog descend upon Luan Bird City, not a single soul would survive.

Ann Ziqing, Han Ling, Lin Yue, and everyone else would perish within its walls.

Her plan was to quietly slip away from Luan Bird City with the help of Ann Jieshan, who had been secretly following her. Engaging in battle with the Outland Devaputra was a far better fate than waiting for death within the city's confines.

Suspended above the branch office, a palpable tension hung in the air.

"Yu Yuan, can you explain to me what exactly is happening here?" Jin Xiaolie, the head of this branch of the Babel Chamber of Commerce, approached with a wary expression. He noticed that none of their members, including Ma Jianjiang, had been targeted by the Soul Igniting Nether Fog, which raised his suspicions. Yet, he hesitated to confront Yu Yuan directly, fearing the repercussions.

What if Yu Yuan took offense and saw them as adversaries? Could the Soul Igniting Nether Fog, currently swirling around, suddenly turn and strike at them? Jin Xiaolie's concern for such a possibility lent him an air of patience and an unusual calm—he certainly had no death wish.

"To tell you the truth, I'm just as in the dark as you are," Yu Yuan admitted, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He watched the Soul Igniting Nether Fog dart around, seeking out those who had come to accuse him with unerring precision, and his feelings were a mix of confusion and concern.

He suspected that Zu Ann was deliberately targeting him from the shadows.

Yu Yuan theorized that the elusive Zu Ann was manipulating the Soul Igniting Nether Fog with a deft touch. Although Yu Yuan had created the fog, in his past life he hadn't been able to embark on the path of cultivation and thus couldn't imbue the fog with the full extent of its mystical potential using his Spiritual Sense and Soul Intent.

Now, having attained a profound understanding of the Spiritual Sense and the higher mysteries of Soul Intent in this life, he grasped the true capabilities of such powers. Zu Ann, with his Unrestrained Stage cultivation, was among the mightiest practitioners in the Boundless Land, second only to the exalted Primordial Spirits.

With such mastery, Zu Ann could not only refine the Soul Igniting Nether Fog and concoct its antidote but also infuse it with his own thoughts and consciousness, allowing him to control it with exquisite precision. And it seemed that the fog's targets were specifically those who had been disrespectful and confrontational towards Yu Yuan.

By choosing to release the Soul Igniting Nether Fog right after making those statements, wasn't Zu Ann's intention clear? He wanted to make it known that there was a connection between him and the fog. Was he trying to coerce Yu Yuan into aligning with him, to stand against the five supreme sects and the rest of the Boundless Land?

Whoosh!

Chen Langzhi, clutching his scripture, was flung back through the green light screen to stand shoulder to shoulder with Yu Yuan. His eyes widened in astonishment as he watched Fung Xiujuan within the screen, besieged by the purple mist.

Fung Xiujuan, of the Profound Sky Sect, had been so engrossed in her battle with Chen Langzhi that the green light curtain had dulled her senses. By the time the purple mist drew near, she was caught unawares, not detecting any hint of danger from it.

In a sudden shift, Chen Langzhi recoiled in panic. Alone behind the green light screen, he saw the cultivators outside dodging the purple mist as if it were some malevolent spirit.

From their agitated whispers, she discerned their cries of "Soul Igniting Nether Fog!"

That's when she realized that the seemingly innocuous purple mist was the dreaded Soul Igniting Nether Fog that struck terror in the hearts of Luan Bird City's cultivators.

And she had just breathed it into her lungs.

Fung Xiujuan's complexion turned a ghastly pale before her face contorted in agony.

Like a vengeful specter, she burst forth from the green screen, "Chen Langzhi, Jin Xiaolie, what do you have to say for yourselves now? If not for Yu Yuan's meddling, if not for his schemes, why would the Soul Igniting Nether Fog erupt in Cloud Lake? Why are we the only ones targeted by the toxic smog?"

In that moment, two cultivators of equal standing, both at the Soul Wandering Stage, fell silent.

Even Chen Langzhi, faced with the bizarre turn of events, began to doubt Yu Yuan, unable to muster a defense for him.

"I might die, but Yu Yuan must not survive!" Fung Xiujuan bellowed.

"Wait."

Yu Yuan frowned, turning his gaze to the young cultivators from the seven lower sects at the Dao House across Cloud Lake.

They too had inhaled the Soul Igniting Nether Fog, yet their levels were merely at the Yellow Court and Spirit Accumulating Stages.

Fear was etched on their faces, a paralyzing terror that left them unable to function.

Yet, nothing befell them.

"It's merely ordinary mist, what's all the commotion about?" Yu Yuan paused, then declared, "This is not the Soul Igniting Nether Fog! If it were truly that toxic mist, it would possess such a hue and density."

He gestured toward a group of young men and women. "They shouldn't be like this; they shouldn't even be alive."

Chen Langzhi was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"The origin of this mist is unclear to me, but it's definitely not the Soul Igniting Nether Fog," Yu Yuan declared with utmost certainty, scanning the area. "Someone is playing a prank on us with this purple mist."

"Who is it?" Jin Xiaolie demanded loudly.

"Huh, seems like there's no issue? I clearly breathed in the mist, but I don't feel any discomfort. Maybe we're just jumpy because the Soul Igniting Nether Fog scared us so badly. We might have jumped to conclusions, assuming any purple mist must be the Soul Igniting Nether Fog, right?"

"I'm also okay, no discomfort at all. He's probably right."

Many who had been assaulted by the Soul Igniting Nether Fog and had inhaled the purple mist exchanged glances, confirming they were unharmed.

Then, a single thought began to take root in everyone's mind — who was playing tricks on them?

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