C714 The Seats of the Gods and Devils

Yu Yuan scrutinized the cauldron closely. The walls were lined with rows of grooves, each seemingly indicative of the hierarchical ranks of various gods and demons. After consuming Liu Linzhi's soul spirit, the second Evil Demon ascended two rungs, securing the highest rank among its kind within the Evil Cauldron. Yet, three more steps awaited its ascent.

In terms of combat prowess, the second Evil Demon had considerable potential for growth before it could reach the pinnacle and claim a place on the tenth level.

"This cauldron, since its inception, has categorized Evil Demons into ten distinct tiers. The member of the Blood God Cult is currently on the seventh level, while the Ice Concubine occupies the sixth," the cauldron soul elucidated, "The feeblest evil spirits are refined at the very bottom before they transform into demons. Once they become Evil Demons, they are sorted by their power."

"A strong soul spirit like Liu Linzhi's would be transformed into an Evil Demon at least on the fifth level."

"From what I recall since my revival, at the cauldron's zenith, the tenth level housed twelve Evil Demons. The ninth level was home to nearly sixty, the eighth had about two hundred, the seventh nearly a thousand, and so on," the cauldron soul narrated.

Yu Yuan's attention was drawn to the cauldron's base, where nearly six hundred evil spirits were still being refined. This number didn't include the seven hundred evil spirits that had departed to arrange the Soul Split. On the second level, over three hundred had successfully transformed from evil spirits to Evil Demons. Sparse as they were, the third level hosted a handful of Evil Demons. The fourth level's grooves cradled just six. The fifth level was desolate, devoid of any Evil Demons. On the sixth level, a groove contained a vague silhouette of the Ice Concubine.

The Ice Concubine had not yet returned, but her lingering presence signified her rightful place among the ranks. With a whoosh, the ice-blue figure of the Ice Concubine drifted down from the cauldron's mouth, heading straight for her designated spot on the sixth level.

The instant she fell into the cauldron, Yu Yuan watched intently and to his amazement, discovered that the sparse Evil Demons on the fourth, third, and second levels had soul strands that traced the hidden Demonic Mark veins along the cauldron's walls, layer by layer, ascending to where the Ice Concubine resided.

She was ingesting and assimilating these soul strands.

"This..."

A flicker of astonishment crossed his mind.

"The second Evil Demon has engulfed Liu Linzhi's soul, reaping far more than it expended, thus eliminating the need for additional power," the cauldron soul, in sync with his thoughts, perceived his confusion and promptly clarified, "The Ice Concubine merely repelled the loyal ghostly souls of Liu Linzhi's followers in battle."

"She failed to consume some of the stronger vicious ghosts and integrate them into herself."

"As a result, her battle was a net loss. The power she forfeited can only be reclaimed from the weaker Evil Demons below."

"The higher-level Evil Demons siphon strength from those below, consolidating it within themselves to swiftly regain combat prowess. This immutable law has been in place since the cauldron's creation."

"The Evil Demons at the base must desperately climb, aiming to breach the tenth level. Once at the pinnacle, they can draw power from all the Evil Demons beneath them."

The cauldron soul explained.

Yu Yuan, absorbing this revelation, was struck by the notion that the Evil Cauldron was a microcosm in itself!

All the captured evil spirits underwent a metamorphosis into Evil Demons, progressively growing stronger and scaling upwards.

Wasn't this akin to human practitioners embarking on their cultivation journey, constantly ascending through realms?

And didn't commoners also strive for promotions and titles in much the same way?

Even the ghostly souls of Horror Land, through slaughter and war, sought to usurp their foes' resources to ascend to the ranks of Heavenly Ghosts and ultimately the Ghost King, didn't they?

Liu Linzhi had mentioned that only those who attained the Ghost King status could reincarnate with their memories intact.

"Indeed, all beings are alike. Humans, cultivators, great demons, ghostly souls, and even Evil Demons!"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, a sudden realization washing over him that the brutal competition was omnipresent. Whether visible or not, the struggle for survival raged on ceaselessly.

The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, this fundamental truth had never wavered.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The seven hundred evil spirits that had comprised the "Soul Split" formation surged into the miniature world within the Evil Cauldron, settling obediently at the base of its walls, ready for another cycle of transforming evil spirits into demons.

"The myriad wondrous soul arrays of the great cauldron require a substantial number of evil demons to activate. For now, the scant number of evil demons necessitates the use of evil spirits as a temporary substitute. The recent activation of the Soul Split Array didn't unleash its full potential because the second evil demon, a creation of the Blood God Cult's experts, is adept in their secret Soul Arts," explained the cauldron soul.

"He infiltrated the formation and fundamentally suppressed Liu Linzhi, denying him any chance to resist and gradually devouring him."

"To fully unleash the might of the Soul Split, each of the seven hundred 'evil spirits' must evolve into 'evil demons.'"

The cauldron soul informed Yu Yuan that Liu Linzhi's easy subjugation was only partly due to the "Soul Split," which had merely ensnared his soul within the array for a time.

Relying on seven hundred "evil spirits" to fracture Liu Linzhi's Heavenly Ghost soul into the Soul Split Array proved to be a formidable and impractical task, as the fragmented remnants of his soul could reconvene within the formation.

Without the intervention of the second evil demon, the residual soul fragments belonging to Liu Linzhi could potentially reform into another Liu Linzhi, either escaping or reassembling, thus avoiding true death.

The arrival of the second evil demon devoured the splintered soul fragments of Liu Linzhi, instilling in him a sense of dread and the realization of his impending doom.

He was acutely aware that the parts consumed by the second evil demon were lost to him forever.

"Just grant me half a month more," the cauldron soul declared with conviction. "All the evil spirits that amassed outside Luan Bird City will be refined into devils. Once that happens, the Soul Split will be reactivated, revealing its true formidable power!"

Inside the cauldron's wall, rows of demonic positions were arrayed, with the upper-tier evil spirits able to siphon the power from those below. "So, you're saying you should...?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Master, as the soul of this Evil Cauldron, I can enhance my own strength by drawing from all the evil spirits within the cauldron wall," the cauldron soul replied openly and honestly. "Thus, the more numerous and powerful the evil spirits within the cauldron, the stronger my power becomes. Eventually, I'll be able to recall everything and recover the memories that have faded."

"Perhaps, at that point, this cauldron could ascend back to the status of an Artifact!"

"And you, Master, might also possess the power and cultivation of the Unrestrained Stage by then!"

The cauldron soul spoke with longing.

Yu Yuan nodded emphatically, "That day will come."

With a single thought, he instantly transitioned from the miniature universe within the cauldron back to the outside world, reemerging in the palace within Liu Linzhi's cave.

Still within the cauldron's embrace, shrouded in dark demonic light, he surveyed his surroundings to find that none of Liu Linzhi's faithful followers remained.

The 'Water Shadow' that once darted across the palace ceiling was nowhere to be seen—a clear indication that the soul spirits, which had been cultivating with dense Yin Qi, knew of Liu Linzhi's predicament and had fled to avoid Yu Yuan's wrath.

The underground palace was filled with the howling of a bitter cold wind, which continued to seep through the opening Liu Linzhi had created with his secret technique.

Nearby lay the armor, adorned with the blood-red pattern of a rose, and beside it, the ancient bronze box.

"The bronze box!"

Yu Yuan, guiding the Evil Cauldron with his thoughts, floated over to the box. He summoned the sword sheath from the Mustard Seed Bracelet, extending it beyond the protective light screen, and gently nudged it.

Whoosh!

The bronze box sailed precisely towards the large, dark cauldron, and he caught it in his hand, flipping open the lid to reveal a mechanism handle, which he grasped and turned forcefully.

"Click!"

Beneath Dark Mountain, hundreds of finger-sized holes in the rocky cavern were slowly sealed with stone, becoming completely airtight.

The harsh cold wind blew once more, as if dissolving into the stone walls of Dark Mountain, leaving the ground beneath his feet icy to the touch.

Yu Yuan lingered a moment longer, making sure that this time it was foolproof and no cold wind would seep in again. Only then did he leap out of the Evil Cauldron, appearing suddenly in front of the dagger.

"This is a blade perfectly suited for those who practice the fire Spiritual Spell!"

Grasping it in his hand, he focused his mind and silently invoked the Glorious Heavenly Wheel. Instantly, the dagger in his grasp burst into a blinding crimson glow.

The blade heated up, as if it were a piece of iron glowing red-hot.

"Excellent find!"

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