C707 Soul Spirit Paradise
In the Land of Terror, a dark cauldron hovered in midair.
Yu Yuan settled inside the cauldron, gripping its rim with both hands. He observed a ring of dim demonic light that shrouded the mouth of the cauldron.
As long as he remained within the cauldron, his limbs were protected from the corrosive cold winds of the outside world.
The origin of the Land of Terror's cold wind was a mystery to all, but its devastating effect on flesh and blood was well-known.
Yet, it had no impact on inanimate objects or bones.
Within the cauldron, Yu Yuan scanned his surroundings, noting numerous skeletons.
Some bone piles were easily identifiable as remains of Fellbeasts.
Others consisted of lone fragments, resembling either a human arm bone or possibly a Fellbeast's pelvic bone.
Should an unsuspecting Fellbeast blindly charge into the Land of Terror, it would be swiftly dismembered by the cold wind, its flesh shredded and stripped away, leaving only its skeletal remains.
As one of the Everlands' most enigmatic locations, the Nether Reaches drew innumerable soul spirits.
Entities like the Terra Fiend, Yan Qiling, and Loong Tianxiao, who had forsaken their corporeal bodies, found empowerment here.
Humans whose physical forms had been destroyed, sustaining themselves as Lunar Spirits, could also turn to practicing necromancy in the Land of Terror, thus continuing to grow stronger by alternative means.
Legend suggested that the Sky Fiends, upon their arrival in the Everlands from extraterrestrial realms, would make every effort to visit this place.
A Sky Fiend, abandoning its physical form, could arrive in the Land of Terror as a soul, seemingly able to rapidly bolster its strength and enhance its devil soul in a remarkably short time.
In essence, the Land of Terror was a sanctuary for all ethereal soul spirits devoid of flesh and blood.
"Let's see what happens."
After much contemplation, Yu Yuan resolved to test the Land of Terror's peculiar cold wind to determine whether his well-tempered body could endure its chilling caress.
He stealthily extended his left hand through the black demonic light, placing it outside the cauldron.
As Yu Yuan's arm came into contact with the omnipresent, eerie cold wind, he immediately winced and sharply inhaled the frigid air.
Sizzle sizzle!
Hundreds of delicate bloodstains appeared on the exposed skin of his arm!
Blood spurted out!
It was as though countless tiny, sharp knives were slicing through his flesh within the cold wind!
Sparks flew from his arm bone.
Looking closely, he could see the skin, fine veins, and blood being shredded by the biting wind.
Despite his advanced cultivation of the Evil Body Refining Technique, it was too much to bear.
Within mere seconds, he swiftly withdrew his hand and silently retrieved a crimson pill from the Bracelet of Holding. This pill, brimming with vitality and essence, surged towards the wounded area.
The little world of vitality roared to life, casting out beams of scarlet light.
Yu Yuan narrowed his eyes and observed the bloodlight, electric and teeming with the power of creation, pouring into his injured arm.
The myriad tiny wounds began to heal at a visibly rapid pace, as if an unseen deity was stitching them together with ethereal threads, aiding in the astonishingly quick recovery.
"There are soul spirits within."
Suddenly, the cauldron spirit of the Crucible of Evil sent forth a thought, "Master, the cold wind of the Land of Terror is filled with numerous invisible, minuscule soul spirits. These soul spirits lack intelligence and consciousness, being both illusory and exceedingly small. A gust of wind the size of a palm could contain hundreds of such peculiar soul spirits."
"The Land of Terror is capable of nurturing these phantom-like, tiny soul spirits."
"All incorporeal souls, whether they be human Lunar Spirits, demon souls, Sky Fiends, or Terra Fiends, can refine such feeble souls in the Land of Terror to enhance their Soul Power. However, one must be cautious of the evolved, more formidable souls."
"Powerful soul spirits are known as Earth Specters, ghost spirits, Celestial Shades, Spectres, and Ghost Kings. These mighty soul spirits bolster themselves with extraterrestrial souls outside the Land of Terror. Those whose souls are not sufficiently strong and dare to act recklessly within the Land of Terror will find themselves targeted, and the outcomes are far from favorable."
The cauldron spirit had been secretly thrilled since Yu Yuan set foot in the Land of Terror.
Because he was traveling, the cauldron spirit had refrained from communicating with Yu Yuan's remnant soul. Now that Yu Yuan had been ushered in and the traveler had discreetly departed, the cauldron spirit began to unravel mysteries for Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan was concerned that he might not fully understand the dangers of the Land of Terror and act recklessly, risking his life for nothing.
"Tiny soul spirits..." With a thought, Yu Yuan suddenly activated the Soul Forging through Enlightenment technique. He used the mystique to forge a connection with the cauldron spirit, exclaiming, "Open the Third Eye!"
Instantly, he saw the cold wind outside teeming with numerous tiny soul spirits.
These soul spirits, shining under the Third Eye, were like fireflies, tiny as grains of rice, weak, and devoid of any intelligence. They seemed to be mere clusters of chaotic thoughts, still growing and evolving.
"Master, it's unwise for living creatures to traverse the Land of Terror. Only the mightiest beings, like Zhongli Dapan with his unique body tempering mystique, can navigate the Land of Terror in their corporeal bodies. You are still young, Master, and your realm is not yet sufficient. Please, don't act impulsively."
"As long as you remain within the cauldron, I can ensure your safety. Don't be overly concerned."
"Also, I have this feeling... I've been to the Land of Terror more than once. My memories are vague, but they run deep."
"There's something here that knows me, something that's friendly towards me... perhaps a powerful soul spirit."
The cauldron spirit's message became increasingly disordered as it seemed to be reviving its memories, seeking the lost remnant souls.
Yu Yuan listened while using the Third Eye to survey the outside world. After some time, he refocused his attention downward.
He observed the little world within the cauldron.
Inside, countless clusters of "evil spirits" formed a bizarre array, surging like Gloom Raiders along the glyph-lined inner wall.
The evil spirits that had amassed outside Afnetalos had reached a critical mass, seemingly triggering the Soul Nexus hidden within the cauldron.
Both the cauldron spirit and Zu Ann had mentioned that the true strength of the Crucible of Evil came from the Soul Nexus created by innumerable evil spirits!
In that moment, Yu Yuan had an epiphany.
The power of the Crucible of Evil had been significantly enhanced by the convergence of these evil spirits!
As a result, the cauldron spirit was able to reclaim its forgotten memories!
Originally, the cauldron spirit was incomplete due to the cauldron having sustained a severe blow.
The Crucible of Evil, once deemed a Divine Artifact, aspired to restore its past splendor. To achieve this, it had to amass a substantial number of "evil spirits" and refine each one into a "Bane." This was the only way for the Crucible of Evil to incrementally elevate its rank.
It would ascend to the status of a Divine Artifact once again.
Throughout this process, the cauldron spirit would grow stronger, capable of reassembling fragmented souls and retrieving buried memories.
"Take your time, there's no rush. You can leisurely search for your memories. The Land of Terror has stirred something within you, and you are changing because of it."
Yu Yuan's eyes shimmered with realization, recognizing the immense benefits that the surge of "evil spirits" outside Afnetalos had brought to both the Crucible of Evil and the cauldron spirit.
"Heh!"
A short distance away, at the base of a grey mountain, a ghost emerged, its eyes glowing like green flames. It surveyed the Crucible of Evil with a low, eerie chuckle.
