C715 The Spoils of War!

On the outskirts of the Land of Terror, a radiant cluster of phantoms descended upon a lotus platform.

"Greetings, Miss Yuan."

Beneath a Shadow Mountain neither tall nor short, a luminescent skeletal form with eyes ablaze with green flames called out from a distance, "I respectfully welcome Miss Yuan to the Land of Terror for the purification of your soul. In the past, Lord Faang Yao trained here, aiding my ascent to Spectre. I am forever grateful for Lord Faang Yao's kindness and will ensure Miss Yuan's safety throughout her stay."

This jade-like Spectre, of somewhat shorter stature, had specifically come to assist Yuan Lianyao.

Having advanced to the late period of the Lunar Spirit realm and mastered the Pyreheart Incantations, Yuan Lianyao arrived at the Land of Terror to further temper her soul, as arranged by Faang Yao of the Ruby Hand.

"Much appreciated."

Yuan Lianyao's crimson Lunar Spirit, hovering above the lotus platform, appeared ethereal, her true form elusive.

"Let me first acquaint you with the Land of Terror and this Shadow Mountain," said White Bone, gesturing behind him. "This Shadow Mountain is under the command of one of my subordinates. My own Shadow Mountain lies deeper within the Land of Terror. It's been unsettled there lately, not fit for your cultivation. For a newcomer like you, Miss Yuan, this Shadow Mountain will suffice for the consolidation of your Lunar Spirit."

With these words, White Bone made his way towards the Shadow Mountain, Yuan Lianyao's Lunar Spirit trailing behind on the lotus platform, following White Bone into the mountain's embrace.

...

Deep within the Land of Terror, a multitude of formidable ghosts spiraled around a majestic Shadow Mountain, each manifesting their remarkable strength.

At the base of the mountain, Mo Yan's Shadowblade, magnified manyfold, lay in silence upon the earth.

This enigmatic blade seemed to be silently amassing a thick Yin Qi at the foot of the Shadow Mountain, enhancing the blade's might. The gleaming surface of the blade, mirror-like, faintly reflected a "water shadow."

This water shadow was none other than Mo Yan's Lunar Spirit.

Mo Yan, practicing the mystique of the Devil Palace, wielded the Shadowblade to seize the abundant Yin Qi contained within the Shadow Mountain, provoking the emergence of numerous formidable ghosts with their roars echoing into the ether.

Spirits and ghosts circled in midair, roaring with anger, seemingly poised to dive down at any moment.

Mo Yan's Lunar Spirit materialized on the gleaming surface of the blade. Like a phantom, he stood upon the blade, gazing up at the myriad of spirits and ghosts. With a sneer, he said, "Behave and listen to me. Don't come seeking death."

A ghost shaped like a white snake, provoked by Mo Yan, had its vertical pupil emit a fierce glare as it lunged toward the Shadowblade.

Suddenly, a massive fissure split open the cliff face of Shadow Mountain.

A colossal arm burst forth from the crack, gently grasping the white snake.

The white snake, several meters in length, appeared as a mere earthworm in the grasp of the arm, which seemed to be covered in a fur-like darkness. Held tight by the giant hand, the white snake quickly disintegrated into ash, trickling out from between the fingers of the hand.

The sight of the enormous arm emerging silenced the thousands of spirits and ghosts in fear.

The white snake, a Celestial Shade, was effortlessly crushed into a wisp of smoke, causing the ghost that had intended to strike at Mo Yan to fall silent, too intimidated to make another move.

As the white snake's soul dispersed, streams of smoke descended and were drawn into the Shadowblade.

Mo Yan let out a soft chuckle, "Didn't I tell you already? I am the Ghost King's most esteemed guest. Alas, a bunch of witless spirits and ghosts, oblivious to their place in the world."

With a whoosh, his Lunar Spirit retreated back into the Shadowblade to continue refining souls.

...

Inside Liu Linzhi's palace.

The dagger in Yu Yuan's hand radiated a crimson glow the instant he activated the Nine Glories Wheel, the flame pattern on the hilt bursting into intense flames.

The dagger became intensely hot and glowed red.

Yet, Yu Yuan, who was in the late stages of mastering the Nine Glories Wheel, could easily endure such searing heat.

"This top-tier earthly item is perfect for both me and her."

Yu Yuan mulled it over for a moment and decided against immediate refinement. Instead, he placed the dagger into the Bracelet of Holding, planning to present it to Yuan Lianyao at a later time.

Once an item is refined, integrating it with one's vitality, spiritual energy, and remnant soul, transferring ownership becomes exceedingly difficult.

Yu Yuan, confident that he was not in need of spiritual weapons, discarded the dagger.

He proceeded with his inspection.

Inside a dozen or so bottles, he found pills. By examining their color and shape, as well as smelling their scent, he could roughly determine that the pills were of a low grade.

Furthermore, nearly all of them were meant for nurturing the soul.

A few wooden boxes and an iron box contained shattered bones infused with vitality and spiritual energy. These would certainly fetch a handsome price in the outside world.

Yet, to Yu Yuan, they were nothing extraordinary.

Upon opening the last white jade box, he discovered a few drops of blue liquid that emitted a cool, refreshing fragrance.

At that moment, the cauldron spirit was alarmed and exclaimed, "Master!"

"What is it?" Yu Yuan's eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"The Frost Queen! She has a strong reaction and craving for that liquid!" the cauldron spirit declared without hesitation. "I'm not sure of the liquid's origin, but it seems to come from the Frozen Hellscape. The Frost Queen can use it to enhance her power!"

"Then give it to her," Yu Yuan nodded in agreement.

Whoosh!

The Frost Queen, who had just settled into her seat within the cauldron, reemerged and drifted over to the white jade box.

Her translucent, ice-blue form leaned down gently. Her eyes, radiating a cold stream, showed unmistakable excitement as she gazed at the liquid.

The Frost Queen edged closer to the blue liquid, cautiously extended her tongue, and lapped up a few drops.

Instantly, shafts of icy blue light emanated from within the Frost Queen!

After consuming the liquid, Yu Yuan sensed that her form was nearly solidifying, devoid of any ethereal quality.

"This..." Yu Yuan scratched his head, pondering for a moment before speaking, "Can a Bane also condense a physical form like a Star-Spawned Terror?"

Whether it was the Frost Queen or the Second Bane, they seemed tangible to Yu Yuan.

They appeared to exist in a state between the corporeal and the ethereal, capable of transforming at will.

"Of course," the cauldron spirit affirmed. "I distinctly recall that at the height of the Crucible of Evil, the twelve Baneful Spirits on the tenth level all had physical forms. Being incorporeal is a disadvantage in many battles. Otherwise, why would the Sky Fiend Clan seek to condense their bodies after achieving a certain level of power?"

"The spirits of the Land of Terror are bound by the cosmic order and cannot form flesh and blood."

"Yet, Liu Linzhi is protected by such armor, and the skeletal form of the Celestial Shade he battled serves as both its weapon and armor."

"The Frost Queen was already poised to solidify her physical form, and with these few drops of peculiar liquid, it seems the process will accelerate!"

At this, the cauldron spirit couldn't contain its excitement.

"For me, the Land of Terror truly is a place of fortune!" Yu Yuan flashed a wide grin and plopped down on the ground. "That scoundrel Zu Ann didn't deceive me after all."

Squinting his eyes, he began to practice Wraithbinding to refine the earthly soul.

Strands of spiritual sense, like unseen hands, touched the icy rocks of Shadow Mountain.

Instantly, pure Yin Qi followed his spiritual sense, seeping into the soul within his Mindscape.

"Wait, something's not right!"

Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled with excitement.

He distinctly felt the Yin Qi drawn by his spiritual sense from beneath Shadow Mountain, not just flowing towards the earthly soul, but also to his overlapping dominant soul and heaven soul!

All three souls—of heaven, earth, and man—could benefit from the Yin Qi!

This revelation shattered his previous beliefs, nearly causing him to burst into laughter.

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