C710 The Origin of the Token
Clad in heavy armor, the Heavenly Ghost unleashed a fierce roar, and to his surprise, a stroke of good fortune ensued. The blood-colored jade pendant, a gift from Ann Ziqing, sprang forth from Yu Yuan's Mustard Seed Bracelet and embedded itself into his chestplate, instantly imbuing him with an overwhelming presence. The armor, bathed in the blood-colored light, shed its dullness and blossomed with a vibrant, blood-red hue, mirroring the gleam in his eyes.
With a whoosh, the Heavenly Ghost bellowed through the void, his roar intermingling with blood-colored light and shadows, pulverizing the enemy spirits shrouded in purple-black light. Blood shadows burst from the crimson armor like extensions of the Heavenly Ghost's formidable spirit, swiftly reaping souls.
Boom! The armored Heavenly Ghost descended upon the black-purple mountain peak, engaging in close combat with the colossal skeleton of the transformed demon. As the battle raged, the blood light, akin to a river of blood, seeped into the skeleton, snuffing out the purple-black flames that blazed upon its massive frame. Those flames, the essence of the Heavenly Ghost's former soul, were extinguished by the blood light, signaling his wounds.
The jade plate, radiating a thick, bloody essence, granted the Heavenly Ghost of the Blood God Cult an inexhaustible supply of power. His strength surged, utterly dominating the skeletal demon. Soon, the skeletal Heavenly Ghost, weakened, retreated into its bony shell. In an instant, the purple-black flames were extinguished.
Realizing defeat was imminent, the skeletal Heavenly Ghost exploded with a resounding crash, its bones scattering in all directions. The Heavenly Ghost fragmented and fled. All the attached ghost spirits, save for a few exceptionally loyal ones, followed suit. The rest remained suspended in the air, obediently still.
The surviving spirits gazed upon the Heavenly Ghost, standing atop the black-purple summit in his battle armor, with rapt attention—as if beholding a new king. The Heavenly Ghost, eyes ablaze with sanguine fire, let out another piercing shriek. At once, the ghost spirits formerly under the Skeleton Heavenly Ghost's command pledged their allegiance to him, one by one, switching their fealty.
In Horror Land, it was a commonplace occurrence for ghost spirits to select a new master; such shifts in loyalty were hardly extraordinary. When one mountain fell, it was only natural for the victor to seamlessly claim the territory and troops of the vanquished.
Yu Yuan found himself within the Evil Cauldron, observing a battle that had been evenly matched until the blood-colored jade pendant made its appearance, tipping the scales decisively and bringing the conflict to a swift conclusion. He couldn't hide his astonishment at the turn of events.
It baffled him how such an insignificant piece—a mere blood-colored jade pendant—could wield such formidable power. He had always assumed it was nothing more than a token, at best useful for sending messages and nothing more.
Yet, when the pendant was set into the armor, enhancing its strength significantly, Yu Yuan realized he might have underestimated the true enigma of the blood-colored jade pendant.
"Master, the heavy armor worn by the Blood God Cult's Heavenly Ghost rightfully belongs to him," the cauldron soul offered after a moment of observation, attempting to make sense of the situation. "The blood-colored patterns on the armor's surface are undoubtedly part of the Blood God Cult's secret formations, previously concealed and now revealed."
"The patterns require the infusion of Qi and blood to be activated," it continued.
"In Horror Land, neither flesh nor Qi can endure for long without being shredded by the harsh, icy winds, leaving nothing behind."
"The Heavenly Ghost, having his flesh and blood dissolved, could no longer accumulate Qi and blood to trigger the armor's secret formations. The Qi and blood within your blood-colored jade pendant, inherently of the Blood God Cult and linked to his lineage, revived the armor's dormant power once the pendant was embedded and the Qi and blood were introduced."
"The pendant's inherent extraordinariness was the key to instantly overturning the situation," the cauldron soul concluded with precision.
Yu Yuan felt no joy, his expression somber. He recalled Ann Ziqing's words back in the Crack Archipelago, where she claimed the blood-colored jade pendant was merely a token. Without using it to communicate, it would be difficult for Ann Ziqing to locate him through the pendant.
Today's events, however, seeded doubt in his mind about the intentions of the girl who had served him for years—had she been harboring ill will, scheming against him all this time?
"We'll settle this score later," he resolved.
Lost in thought, Yu Yuan noticed the Heavenly Ghost, now clad in armor, had already pacified his followers and appointed a trusted ghost general to oversee the dark purple mountain.
Spectral entities drifted into the twin peaks, each ghost spirit finding its own mountain to inhabit.
Once the Heavenly Ghost had dispersed all the ghostly presences, he made his way toward Yu Yuan.
A sense of apprehension gripped Yu Yuan.
"Master, I believe he means no harm," the cauldron soul reassured him.
Yu Yuan then observed the Heavenly Ghost, a member of the Blood God Cult, conjuring hands from soul power to cradle the blood-colored jade pendant. With utmost reverence, he offered the pendant, a gift from Ann Ziqing, back to Yu Yuan.
As the Heavenly Ghost neared the Evil Cauldron, he cautiously shifted his visage.
In a short while, he transformed into an ethereal, gaunt old man.
Despite his ghostly form, he manifested eyebrows, cheeks, and a full set of features, appearing not as a vague specter but as a wandering human Yin God.
Yu Yuan understood from his dialogue with the cauldron soul that human Yin Gods inevitably alter their form over time after forsaking their flesh to pursue the path of ghosts.
They evolve beyond concern for their former appearance, adopting the pure essence of ghostly beings.
The Heavenly Ghost had meticulously reconstructed his original face, expending considerable soul power and effort in the process—a clear sign of goodwill.
"In life, I was a devout member of the Blood God Cult, known as Liu Linzhi."
He halted thirty yards from the Evil Cauldron, holding the blood-colored token before him as he bowed deeply. "I was in the late stages of the Yin God Stage when I perished, failing to ascend to the Soul Wandering Stage, and my body was destroyed. With no other recourse, I ventured into Horror Land to embrace the way of soul spirits and ghosts."
"It is my regret that I could no longer pledge my loyalty to the Blood God Cult."
"My master once told me that this token is a symbol of the Blood God Cult's leader. To my knowledge, only the sect master and those designated as successors are entitled to possess such a token."
"Young man, the Spiritual Spell you practice doesn't seem to align with our Blood God Cult's teachings. May I inquire?"
With these words, he extended the token toward Yu Yuan.
Powered by his force, the blood-colored token glided through the air to Yu Yuan.
"It was bestowed upon me by your Blood God Cult's goddess," Yu Yuan silently marveled, not having anticipated the significant origins of the jade pendant gifted by Ann Ziqing.
"To think it was a gift from the goddess herself!"
Liu Linzhi, the Heavenly Ghost, had eyes that gleamed a deep scarlet. "My friend, the bond between you and our divine maiden must be significant! I've spent over a century cultivating in Horror Land. It was only recently that I heard from some newcomers about our Blood God Cult being graced with a goddess."
"The goddess is destined to be our next sect leader."
"That jade pendant is no ordinary trinket. Her giving it to you speaks volumes of the esteem in which she holds your relationship!"
It was clear that Liu Linzhi's deference to Yu Yuan stemmed from the sight of the blood-colored jade pendant.
"Esteem?" Yu Yuan felt an odd sensation stirring within him.
Ann Ziqing, that girl, had been plotting against him relentlessly on Blood God Island and in Luan Bird City. Could that really be considered esteem?
Whoosh!
The blood-colored token halted before his chest, unable to penetrate the dark magic light and enter the Evil Cauldron.
Liu Linzhi watched him with anticipation.
Yu Yuan's hand shot out like lightning, seizing the token—a symbol of profound importance to the followers of the Blood God Cult—and tucked it back into the Mustard Seed Bracelet. "What's the current state of Horror Land?" he inquired.
Liu Linzhi paused, then asked, "Brother, have you come in your true form?"
Yu Yuan gave a nod.
"In Horror Land, only the mad or the mightiest dare to tread with their mortal coil." Liu Linzhi's gaze returned to the Evil Cauldron, his soul trembling slightly with awe. "Is this object a Soul Artifact?"
"You've never heard of the Evil Cauldron?" Yu Yuan questioned.
"The Evil Cauldron!" Liu Linzhi's face, though a ghostly projection within his heavy armor, contorted with emotion, blurring momentarily.
Once his composure returned, his features sharpened into focus again. "Brother, this isn't the place for conversation. If it's all the same to you, shall we continue at my abode?" He gestured towards a dark brown mountain peak.
