C696 Refined Earthly Soul Safe and Healthy During the Spring Festival
In the northern reaches of Afnetalos City, the Chen family's teleportation circle, shrouded in the dense Ashen Shadowmist, had long ceased to operate. At the heart of the altar-like rune circle sat a man, an exquisite tea set before him. He sipped his tea alone, a contented smile playing at the corners of his mouth, the epitome of relaxed elegance.
The man wore a crest atop his head, his features ancient and his demeanor extraordinary. The Mirror of Fates lay casually by his feet, its interior scenes shifting constantly, providing a crystal-clear view of the happenings beyond the city, including the activities in the Scarlet Dunes.
After savoring another aromatic cup of strong tea, he looked up, his expression one of surprise. A towering figure, nearly three meters tall and forged like black iron, strode forward with a stern gait. The pure Soul Power and Demonic Power coursing through this man's veins would reveal to any extraterrestrial veteran that he was a high-ranking Sky Fiend, his physique honed and refined.
"Qing Ga, what brings you here?" Zu Ann set down his teacup, greeting the Demon King with a smile. "Shouldn't you be in the south of Afnetalos City, intercepting those attempting to reinforce the city?"
Demon King Qing Ga, adhering to extraterrestrial customs, bowed deeply, thumping his chest in respect. "Lord Zu Ann, did you notice that one of my little devils was absorbed into the sea of consciousness by the youngster who left Afnetalos City—the one you permitted to stay for seven days?"
Zu Ann raised an eyebrow in mild astonishment. "Really? I wasn't aware."
"My lord, perhaps your attention was elsewhere," the Sky Fiend from the distant Star River said, his speech clear and remarkably smooth. "Even though my subordinate is merely a fourth-level little devil, I had expressly forbidden him from approaching that individual."
"It's quite perplexing that my subordinate would defy my orders."
"Eh?" Qing Ga's statement was abruptly cut off by his sharp exclamation.
Sensing something amiss, Zu Ann's slender fingers tapped the Mirror of Fates, and the scene within the mirror stealthily transformed.
The Mirror of Fates clearly reflected Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan was seated within the Crucible of Evil, his eyes closed, seemingly engrossed in his cultivation.
Whoosh!
A little devil, resembling a dark bat, charged frantically toward Yu Yuan's forehead in a moth-to-flame frenzy.
It swooped in—and vanished!
In the Mirror of Fates, a pleased smile suddenly played across Yu Yuan's lips. He chuckled softly, his deep and enigmatic eyes flashing with an intense light that sent shivers down one's spine.
The little devil that had darted into his forehead was nowhere to be seen.
In just a moment, the light in Yu Yuan's eyes grew brighter.
He continued his cultivation, unleashing a peculiar and wondrous mystique. His presence, akin to the Maw of Oblivion, seemed to exert a deadly allure on the nearby Sky Fiends.
"The Spirit Magic of the Boulderdawn," Qing Ga observed from the side, having witnessed the scene unfold in the Mirror of Fates. "Lord Zu Ann, could this young kin of yours be a descendant of the Boulderdawn left in the Everlands?"
With a dismissive wave of his sleeve, Zu Ann scattered the image in the Mirror of Fates. He pondered briefly, his brow furrowed. "Qing Ga, it's not worth your concern. A handful of fourth and fifth level little devils are mere trifles to him."
Each Demon General and Demon Guard under the command of an extraterrestrial Demon King had legions of underlings, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The lower ranks were even more numerous.
This time, tens of thousands of devils had surged into the Scarlet Dunes.
For Zu Ann and Qing Ga, Yu Yuan consuming a few little devils was inconsequential.
"I mean no disrespect, Lord Zu Ann; my curiosity is simply piqued," Qing Ga said, maintaining a respectful demeanor. "I'm intrigued by the particular Spirit Magic he practices."
"I haven't figured it out yet, but now that I'm aware, you may take your leave," Zu Ann said with a dismissive gesture.
Qing Ga, ever tactful, bowed once more and discreetly retreated into the Ashen Shadowmist.
Shortly thereafter, the sound of a flowing stream echoed from below.
A dashing, slender young man clad in a green robe leaped from the depths, landing before Zu Ann.
"Green Willow, what brings you here?" Zu Ann inquired with surprise.
If Yu Yuan were here, he would immediately recognize the gaunt young man in the green robe as the one he had freed from the Sword Prison in the Godsblight Marsh. This was Green Willow, the former leader of the Shadow's Keep in the extraterrestrial Star River, who had been liberated from the Sword Prison.
Green Willow, a ninth-level archdemon, had assimilated countless rivers and lakes to escape his confines.
"You can't be unaware that Yu Yuan is practicing Wraithbinding, can you?" Green Willow's vertical pupils were wide with astonishment. "You should understand the implications of Wraithbinding better than I do!"
Zu Ann nodded slowly. "Of course, I'm aware. And your point?"
"You need to report this to Boulderdawn immediately," insisted Green Willow.
"I'm well aware of what needs to be done. I don't need your reminders, Green Willow. Just ensure that Tan Junshan is well looked after and doesn't cause any more trouble," Zu Ann replied coolly.
With a cold huff, Green Willow shrank back into the earth and vanished in an instant.
"Wraithbinding!"
Moments later, Zu Ann drained his cup of tea, his eyes also betraying a sense of alarm.
...
Yet another low-ranking Sky Fiend was drawn into Yu Yuan's Mindscape by the Wraithbinding, where it was dissolved and assimilated, bolstering the strength of his earthly soul.
His earthly soul was unmistakably becoming more refined and powerful through this process.
After communicating with the artifact soul, Yu Yuan was convinced that the Wraithbinding originated from Boulderdawn, and it was among the most domineering and extraordinary techniques they possessed.
Having consumed and assimilated seven little devils using the Wraithbinding, Yu Yuan's understanding of the technique had deepened significantly.
The Wraithbinding, once deployed, would effortlessly draw a Sky Fiend into the Mindscape. The earthly soul would envelop and bind it with ease, melting the Sky Fiend as effortlessly as a butcher dissects an animal.
The ease and familiarity with which Wraithbinding eradicated the Sky Fiend were nothing short of awe-inspiring.
It appeared that this peculiar Spirit Magic had been conceived specifically to counter the extraterrestrial Sky Fiends!
Through innumerable trials and continuous refinement, the Wraithbinding had been perfected.
Only sects and experts intimately familiar with the extraterrestrial Sky Fiends could employ such a targeted and nearly Dao-like method to vanquish them.
In the vast expanse of the Everlands, or rather, the entire Star River, the entity most familiar with the Sky Fiend had to be Boulderdawn!
The mere mention of Boulderdawn struck fear into the heart of the Sky Fiend. It considered Boulderdawn its archenemy, and the entire Sky Fiend Clan was terrified of the Everlands, their former dominion.
"Master! He has given you seven days. Make good use of them!" the artifact soul advised.
Yu Yuan flashed a radiant smile and said, "At least now I know the origin of the Wraithbinding. Even if I can't linger outside Afnetalos for long, there are other places where I can capture Sky Fiends. With this technique, I can rapidly refine my earthly soul and soon possess the strength to ascend to a Lunar Spirit!"
He had the Moonfall Sanctuary in mind, a forbidden area teeming with Sky Fiends.
With his ability to connect with the Soulforge Matrix, entering the Moonfall Sanctuary and employing Wraithbinding to decimate Sky Fiends would greatly enhance his earthly soul's power.
With these thoughts, the Crucible of Evil whisked him away to another location.
In his current region, all the little devils had been consumed and refined by his use of Wraithbinding.
And so, another day went by.
Yu Yuan, hovering just outside Afnetalos, used the Crucible of Evil to cleanse the baleful qi from the west, east, and north of the city, refining over a dozen low-level Sky Fiends in the process.
As the last Sky Fiend vanished from his Mindscape, he sensed his earthly soul suddenly emit a faint glow.
"I'm on the verge of a breakthrough!"
