C717 Lunar Spirit Who Was Far away

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As hundreds of peculiar ghosts emerged from the cavern's ceiling, the Crucible of Evil, suspended in midair, suddenly pulsed with a dark halo.

Splash!

Newly refined, the Banes roared forth from the cauldron's mouth.

The Frost Queen, now with a crystalline physical form, soared from the seventh tier of the Divine Demon seat on the cauldron wall. She radiated a chilling soul light, like a deity sculpted from ice.

Crack! Crack!

Several liger-shaped ghosts materialized and were cleaved in half by the Frost Queen's swift hand, her soul blade flashing with icy brilliance.

The severed phantoms were instantly frozen by the ice energy, scattering shards of frosty light.

The armor, darting about like a stone at the mouth of a well, was ensnared by the Frost Queen's attack, streams of remnant soul wrapping around it, halting its ascent in an instant.

"Soul Shatter!"

A soft wail from the cauldron spirit echoed in the depths of his mind.

The Banes, having departed the cauldron, arranged themselves in the void, retracing their earlier trajectory to form the "Soul Shatter" pattern.

Previously, the "Soul Shatter" was composed of seven hundred unrefined evil spirits.

This time, nearly a thousand refined Banes constructed it in a novel manner.

As the "Soul Shatter" formation materialized, an overwhelming force burst forth from its core, capable of obliterating any soul or ghost, grinding them into dust.

The "Soul Shatter" array, like an expansive net, was cast over the ghosts.

The first ghost to be ensnared had no chance for resistance; it was obliterated in an instant, leaving not even a trace of its existence.

Witnessing this, all the intelligent ghosts panicked, fleeing upwards, no longer concerned with rescuing the enigmatic woman trapped within the armor.

"Hehe."

Yu Yuan, standing beneath the palace, looked up and chuckled lightly, thoroughly pleased with the potency of the Soul Shatter.

"Such an exceptionally wise soul, sealed by Liu Linzhi within the rose pattern—what could her origins be?"

He stroked his chin, pondering earnestly.

The mysterious woman's soul must have found an opportunity to tamper with the sealing pattern of the rose after Liu Linzhi was consumed by the Second Bane. With Liu Linzhi no longer able to sustain the seal with his Soul Power, she could quietly manipulate the pattern's threads.

Yu Yuan found the subtle changes in the pattern to be quite peculiar, a clear sign of her clandestine tampering.

The woman must have regained her spiritual wisdom long ago and covertly witnessed Liu Linzhi's demise. Fearing to take any rash action, she silently awaited her chance.

Had Yu Yuan not noticed the alteration in the pattern and commanded the Crucible of Evil to strip away her soul, she would have remained hidden.

Aware of the Crucible of Evil's dread power and unwilling to meet the same fate as Liu Linzhi, she chose to risk exposure in her bid for escape.

Her rescuers, hundreds of ghosts and souls, likely learned of Liu Linzhi's downfall from his scattered forces and lay in wait atop Shadow Mountain for the opportune moment.

"To be saved by so many ghosts and souls, she must have some significant history. Could it be... she's a Celestial Shade of the same caliber as Liu Linzhi?" Yu Yuan's eyes sparked with intrigue.

A Celestial Shade, in the Land of Terror, possesses combat prowess akin to that of a Solar Spirit among humans.

Liu Linzhi was of the same rank as a Celestial Shade, similar to the Second Bane, both former members of the Colddeath with akin soul auras. Yet, constrained by the Crucible of Evil's specific rules, he could not ascend to become another leading Bane.

This caused Yu Yuan a twinge of regret.

Had the woman trapped within the Armor Rose Flower been a soul of Celestial Shade rank, the Crucible of Evil could have drawn her in and refined her, potentially creating a third formidable Bane alongside the Frost Queen and the Second Bane.

"Extract the soul spirit!"

Yu Yuan commanded.

At that moment, he saw the armor, no longer able to ascend due to the penetrating chill of the Frost Queen's Soul Power.

The Crucible of Evil, unhurried, positioned itself above the armor, ready to engulf it.

This time, the armor had no means of escape.

"Wuwu."

From within the Armor Rose Flower, the mysterious woman emitted a plaintive cry. The remaining ghosts and souls, hearing her lament, howled in protest as they flew outward, reluctantly withdrawing at her behest, knowing they could no longer save her.

"Soul Shatter!" The formation shifted, ensnaring dozens of ghosts and dragging them into the cauldron's little world.

The cauldron spirit's voice rang out with excitement, "These can be refined into new 'Banes'! And once they become a Bane, they'll be of high rank, placed in the third or fourth tiers! In the Land of Terror, the ghosts that can manifest are all quite formidable. However, not all ghosts are suitable for the Evil Converge process."

The cauldron spirit explained that only those ghosts with intense auras and deep obsessions could be transformed into Banes.

Most ghosts, when pulled into the cauldron's little world, couldn't endure the process and would disintegrate, squandering the cauldron spirit's time and effort.

Luckily, the cauldron spirit knew exactly which ghosts were apt for becoming Banes and which were not.

"Strip her soul from the armor and show me," Yu Yuan commanded.

"Master, please enter. It will be ready shortly," the cauldron spirit replied.

Yu Yuan was taken aback by the swiftness of the response. He soared into the descending Crucible of Evil and, in a moment, entered its inner little world.

Liu Linzhi's armor settled on the ground, resembling black iron, as a figure that exuded tranquility hovered above it.

The figure was, in fact, a female Lunar Spirit.

The woman appeared to be in her mid-thirties, with a delicate frame and a visage of beauty. Anger etched her face as she spoke, "I am Jiang Xingwen, a cultivator from the Abyssal Dawn Sect of the Euwrea Continent. I bear no grudge against you. Why have you detained me?"

"Abyssal Dawn?!"

Yu Yuan paused, taking a closer look at the woman who had ventured into the Land of Terror for training. He inquired, "What is your level of cultivation?"

"Spirit Walk, middle period," Jiang Xingwen replied, somewhat reluctantly.

"Spirit Walk, middle period?" Yu Yuan expressed his astonishment. "With such a level of cultivation, how were you captured by Liu Linzhi in the Land of Terror and imprisoned within a rose?"

"This place is the Land of Terror. He possessed the power of a Celestial Shade and was familiar with this area," Jiang Xingwen admitted with some embarrassment. "My real body remained at the Skyreach Consortium, so I couldn't use many artifacts or spells. Isn't it normal to be at a disadvantage in the Land of Terror compared to him, Liu Linzhi?"

"Knowing that, why didn't you reveal yourself after I killed Liu Linzhi?" Yu Yuan huffed, accusatory in his tone. "Hiding within that rose, were you planning to cause trouble from the shadows?"

"I..." Jiang Xingwen was frustrated. "Even with Liu Linzhi dead, I couldn't immediately break free. It was only a couple of days ago when the array's power began to wane, creating some cracks that I found and exploited to subtly alter the array, giving me the strength to escape. But not knowing who you are, I didn't dare act rashly."

"When did you arrive in the Land of Terror?" Yu Yuan pressed.

"It's been over two years. I came here to strengthen my Lunar Spirit. A Celestial Shade allied with the Abyssal Dawn was aiding me in my cultivation on Shadow Mountain," Jiang Xingwen explained with a slight frown. "After he was destroyed, I fled, but Liu Linzhi targeted me. Already weakened, I was easily captured and sealed within that rose armor."

"Liu Linzhi, who transformed from a human Lunar Spirit into a Celestial Shade, wanted to learn about the outside world from me and was waiting for the right moment to consume my Lunar Spirit, which is why he kept me alive."

"I survived because that time hadn't come yet," Jiang Xingwen clarified.

Yu Yuan contemplated for a moment before steering the conversation in a new direction. "The Abyssal Dawn entered the Land of Terror two years ago. So, do you know Su Yan? From the Shadowlight Empire, the Su family's Su Yan. Are you familiar with her?"

"She... she's my disciple," Jiang Xingwen said, her expression turning peculiar.

"Uh."

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