C720 So Your Name Is Yu Yuan!

"No."

Yu Yuan encountered an insurmountable barrier when he attempted to use Soul Forging through Enlightenment to reach out to the Moonfall Sanctuary. He was immediately aware that the forces between heaven and earth were too formidable for his current level of power to penetrate.

The Land of Terror was what held him back.

His spiritual sense and thoughts, concentrated within his heaven soul, struggled to break through using the mystique.

"Perhaps the master's current realm is still somewhat lacking," the cauldron spirit suggested tactfully. "When Jiang Xingwen and other human cultivators enter the Land of Terror, they temporarily sever their connection with their real body. The Lunar Spirit effectively exists independently within the Land of Terror."

It clarified the situation for Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan learned that cultivators who have attained the Unbound Stage maintain a constant mental link with their bodies, even as they traverse the vast Everlands.

Naturally, this doesn't apply to notorious places like the Land of Terror.

For instance, Unbound Stage cultivators in the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea can wander elsewhere—even in Aetherius—and still exchange messages with one another.

However, the Lunar Spirit and Solar Spirit might not be so fortunate in the Land of Terror or places like the Moonfall Sanctuary and the Frozen Hellscape.

Moreover, once a cultivator reaches the Solar Spirit level and ventures into the Star River of the extraterrestrial realms for refinement, they are likely to temporarily lose connection with their real body.

It is only upon the Solar Spirit's return from the Star River that they can instantly reestablish contact with their main body.

Yet, it is rumored that primordial spirits at the pinnacle of their realm are not subject to such limitations.

"I understand now. It's a matter of my insufficient realm and the natural soul-suppressing force of the Land of Terror," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a slight nod. "I haven't reached the bottleneck yet, so I can continue to cultivate for some time."

...

Shadow Mountain loomed, its purple-black silhouette imposing. Within its depths, a cavern hundreds of times larger than Liu Linzhi's abode had been hollowed out.

This cavern, vast and unadorned, was the sole expansive space within the mountain's belly, devoid of any palatial form.

The original master of Shadow Mountain, the Skyscourge that had once scattered and fled, had now returned and stood tall in the center of the cave, taking the form of a massive purple-black skeleton. Wisps of purple-black devil flames seemed to burn ceaselessly upon its frame.

Nearly a thousand visible ghosts were dispersed throughout the cave, their eyes alight with ghost flames of various hues, flickering with a lively glow.

All the ghosts turned their fiery gaze toward the figure hovering above the head of the Skyscourge, belonging to the evilkind. That figure was none other than Jiang Xingwen.

Now, her Lunar Spirit form appeared even more delicate than when she had bid farewell to Yu Yuan, her waist slender enough to be encircled by a jade belt. Her ethereal body contrasted with the jade belt, which shimmered with a soft, colorful radiance.

The green jade belt encircled Jiang Xingwen's waist, constantly drawing in the thick Yin Qi of Shadow Mountain, tirelessly aiding in the refinement of her Lunar Spirit.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Another ten or so visible ghosts, of Earth Specter and ghost ranks, were ushered in by the soul spirits under Jiang Xingwen's command, swiftly arriving from beyond.

Upon their arrival, the new ghosts immediately turned their attention to the green jade belt at Jiang Xingwen's waist.

The jade belt, radiating a bright treasure light, began to reveal numerous silhouettes and, in a sudden transformation, resembled a crystal-clear river teeming with joyously swimming "fish."

The Skyscourge, born from an archdemon, stirred with excitement beneath Jiang Xingwen's Lunar Spirit as the purple-black flames surged with increased ferocity.

In that moment, the nearly thousand ghosts and soul spirits within the cave fixed their hopeful eyes on the green jade belt at Jiang Xingwen's waist, as if it were the paradise of their dreams.

Jiang Xingwen's lips curled into a gentle smile.

From within the green jade belt, "fish" emerged one after another, materializing into soul spirits with eyes full of intelligent light.

It seemed that within the green jade belt, they had gained wisdom, becoming more astute and spirited.

"Those who swear fealty to me will have the opportunity to progress within the River of Souls," Jiang Xingwen declared, gesturing to the green jade belt at her waist. "As ghosts of the Land of Terror, you surely understand the significance of this River of Souls, don't you?"

"This is merely the beginning."

"As the Yin Qi from the Root of the Lunar Meridian deep underground becomes more refined and potent, the Shadow Water in the depths of my River of Souls will evolve accordingly. The native ghosts and spirits of the Land of Terror possess less wisdom than those from beyond. To swiftly enhance your intelligence and gain greater spirituality, entering the River of Souls is the most expedient route."

Jiang Xingwen, wielding control over the River of Souls, leveraged this artifact to effortlessly garner the allegiance of numerous ghosts and spirits.

Having refined the verdant jade belt known as the River of Souls, Jiang Xingwen had managed to flee, separating from the Lunar Spirit and the River of Souls during her escape.

She was captured by Liu Linzhi, imprisoned within a rose sealed in armor, but the River of Souls was not lost.

Her loyal ghosts and spirits had safely hidden it elsewhere. Since Jiang Xingwen had refined it, they couldn't seize it by force. To continue benefiting from the River of Souls' marvels, they had no choice but to devise a rescue for Jiang Xingwen.

Once Jiang Xingwen was free, the ghosts and spirits dependent on her promptly retrieved the River of Souls and restored it to its rightful owner.

With the River of Souls' extraordinary powers, Jiang Xingwen rallied a formidable host of ghosts and spirits atop this mountain, compelling their fealty to her.

This group included the mountain's former master, the Skyscourge from the evilkind.

Also among them were other ghostly generals once loyal to Liu Linzhi and the vast majority of ghost spirits that had dispersed and fled following Liu Linzhi's demise.

...

Two months had passed.

Yu Yuan suddenly noticed that while practicing Wraithbinding and Soul Forging through Enlightenment, he was plagued by an inexplicable sense of frustration and irritability that made concentration impossible.

Additionally, he keenly perceived that the Yin Qi his three souls of heaven, earth, and man drew in through his spiritual sense was no longer integrating well with his soul.

This sensation...

Opening his eyes and rising from his seated posture, he expressed, "My current round of cultivation has hit a wall. For some reason, I have an overwhelming urge to break out and engage in a fierce battle."

The cauldron spirit, taken aback, advised, "The emergence of an inner demon is not a positive sign. It looks like you can't just keep on cultivating this way. Step into the cauldron, and I'll take you out for a walk."

"Okay," Yu Yuan agreed.

"As of the last two months, the ghost spirits that were lurking above Shadow Mountain have all been drawn away by that Abyssal Dawn woman named Jiang Xingwen." As he entered the Crucible of Evil and the dark cauldron ascended, the cauldron spirit continued, "You must have felt it by now. On Shadow Mountain, you're the only one left."

Yu Yuan was taken aback. "What on earth is Jiang Xingwen up to?"

"That woman is quite astonishing. Recently, Celestial Shades from six nearby mountains have all sworn loyalty to her," the cauldron spirit said, equally astounded. "Six Celestial Shades, no less, have pledged their allegiance and are willing to serve under her command. The forces she can now marshal are stronger than some of the weaker Spectres in the Land of Terror."

"But isn't she just at the Spirit Walk Stage? How can a Lunar Spirit of that level command the Celestial Shades in the Land of Terror?"

The cauldron spirit had remained by Yu Yuan's side and hadn't ventured out to gather information, so its knowledge was limited.

Yet, the details it provided were enough to astonish Yu Yuan.

"Su Yan's master is truly remarkable."

Muttering to himself and shrouded in dark demonic light, Yu Yuan mounted the "Crucible of Evil" and departed from Shadow Mountain, where he had been cultivating in solitude, to venture out once more.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The biting wind roared, growing more turbulent by the moment.

From his vantage point within the "Crucible of Evil," Yu Yuan surveyed the area and noticed the bustling activity of ghosts coming and going from a nearby purple-black mountain.

In contrast, the mountain he had left behind was desolate, with only his presence to disturb its silence.

On Jiang Xingwen's mountain, the ghosts, whose eyes flickered with intelligence, noticed the arrival of the "Crucible of Evil." Their ghostly flames leapt as they darted into the caverns to inform Jiang Xingwen.

"Hmm?"

Yu Yuan, scanning the surroundings, caught sight of a familiar vessel, his expression turning to one of utter bewilderment. "A Cloud Cruiser?!"

There it was, a Cloud Cruiser of the Skyreach Consortium, distinguished by its unique, colorful flag, moored at the purple-black mountain.

The Cloud Cruiser, typically used by the Skyreach Consortium for transporting magical items, was an unexpected sight in the Land of Terror, a place frequented by ghosts.

As he pondered in secret amazement, several phantoms swiftly emerged from within the mountain.

Among them, he recognized two figures.

One was Jiang Xingwen, and the other was none other than Ma Jianjiang, a deacon from the Skyreach Consortium in Afnetalos!

Ma Jianjiang, along with three other cultivators from the Skyreach Consortium, dashed out from within the dark purple mountain peaks in a hurry. Upon laying eyes on Yu Yuan, Ma Jianjiang's excitement was palpable. "It is indeed you!"

Whether it was Ma Jianjiang or the trio accompanying him, all were traversing as Lunar Spirits.

Jiang Xingwen stood behind them, her waist cinched with a green jade belt that sent shivers through Yu Yuan's three souls. Her eyes deep and enigmatic, she spoke, "So, your name is Yu Yuan! The infamous Plague God, Yu Yuan!"

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