C730 Let Go of It!

One by one, the massive ghosts with their fangs bared and claws flailing, swiftly distanced themselves from the cauldron that Yu Yuan occupied. These ghosts had hoped to coordinate an attack with the Shadowblade, waiting for the moment Yu Yuan was vulnerable to swarm him and feast on his soul. Now, their only thought was to flee as far as they could.

Beneath the dim canopy of the sky, the crimson sword light, cascading like a waterfall, lingered in the vision of the many creatures and ghosts. An eerie silence descended upon the land.

The assault by White Bone on Cuion's spectres was momentarily paused due to this unexpected turn of events. In front of the vibrant red sedan, Cuion mourned with a face of sorrow, whimpering softly, "I'm so wretched. Why does misfortune always befall me?"

Mo Yan's Lunar Spirit, upon witnessing the return of the Shadowblade, looked down and found himself unable to muster a smile. The sword had nearly obliterated the souls ensconced within the blade, souls that Yu Yuan had scattered with a single stroke of his sword's sheath. Mo Yan was devastated.

He had come to the Land of Terror specifically for cultivation, with the paramount goal of aiding the transformation of the Devil Blade, to elevate the artifact soul within and prepare it for its ascension to a Divine Artifact. Yet, the dense Yin Qi he had painstakingly collected, with the tacit consent of the Ghost King, was now ruined by that one sword strike. Moreover, the edge of the Devil Blade seemed to have dulled as a result.

"I've suffered a great loss," Mo Yan lamented, sensing the fine fractures within the Devil Blade. He realized that several of the intricate Circles of Damnation imprinted within it had likely been shattered.

"Yu Yuan!" he called out the name once more, his voice emanating a chilling coldness, his Lunar Spirit roiling with unrest.

"The Crucible of Evil was meant to be mine!" He even believed that the Sunsorrow Amber from the Abyssal Leviathan in the Embers Sea was rightfully his. It was Yu Yuan who had stolen his blessings, using them to rapidly increase his own power, stepping on Mo Yan's shoulders to rise above their peers in the Everlands.

Such a grudge was unforgivable! That's why, starting from the Sundering Isles, he had meticulously plotted against Yu Yuan, seeking every way to cause him discomfort and frustration.

Gao Zhengxing was poised to replace Yuan Lianyao as the new mayor of Asvetaesi, a move he had been instrumental in orchestrating.

His covert and overt attacks on the Yu family were also at his behest.

"Wow! What a grand display!"

Jiang Xingwen from Abyssal Dawn, leading a visible procession of ghosts, with the River of Souls belt wrapped around her waist, approached from a distance with great fanfare. "I just saw an astonishing flash of scarlet sword light. I wonder where it came from?"

Jiang Xingwen surveyed the area, her curiosity piqued.

The fluctuations from the battle here were too intense. Holding the River of Souls, she couldn't help but feel a reaction.

Considering Yu Yuan, White Bone, Faang Yingzi, and Lin Yue, she was determined to uncover the full story.

She had assumed it was the ongoing conflict between Yu Yuan, Lin Yue, and Faang Yingzi, but upon seeing Mo Yan and Cuion, she realized something was amiss.

"Greetings, Lord White Bone. And this... must be Cuion?"

Jiang Xingwen glanced uncertainly at Cuion, standing before the bright red palanquin. Su Yan's master then smiled subtly, "I've heard that Senior Cuion's domain borders that of Lord White Bone, but I've never had the opportunity to visit. I certainly didn't expect to see Lord Cuion leading so many followers to visit Lord White Bone."

Jiang Xingwen's laughter carried a hint of mischief as she spoke.

Cuion, surrounded by her many followers, bristled at Jiang Xingwen's laughter, "Who is this little wretch? A mere Lunar Spirit at the Spirit Walk Stage daring to gather ghosts in the Land of Terror. What do you intend to do? What can you possibly achieve here in the Land of Terror?"

"I have no particular intentions," Jiang Xingwen demurred with a wave of her hand.

"Miss Jiang, assist me, and in return, I'll help you claim Cuion's territory," White Bone, floating aloft, extended a solemn invitation to Jiang Xingwen of Abyssal Dawn.

"White Bone! Have you lost your mind?" Cuion retorted with a scornful laugh, "A human Lunar Spirit at the Spirit Walk Stage, with a ragtag bunch of minions, what threat do you pose to me? What's your status, White Bone? Even if you're desperate, you shouldn't be seeking help from someone so feeble, should you?"

In Cuion's eyes, Jiang Xingwen was merely a bit peculiar, nothing more.

Over the years, she had slain countless human Lunar Spirits in the Land of Terror, never giving them much thought.

It's important to understand that anyone branded with the title of "Spectre" in the Land of Terror is considered on par with a cultivator of the Unbound realm. Logically, they are two whole ranks above the human Spirit Walk Lunar Spirits!

How could Jiang Xingwen even catch her eye?

"White Bone, let me assess the situation before we proceed," Jiang Xingwen said, her eyes shining with curiosity. She refrained from giving an immediate answer and instead surveyed her surroundings before turning to Ma Jianjiang, "Ma Jianjiang, who was responsible for that striking crimson sword light?"

What she was most concerned about was that particular sword strike!

Ma Jianjiang cleared his throat and replied, "Yu Yuan."

Jiang Xingwen's gaze swiftly shifted to Yu Yuan, who was within the Crucible of Evil. With a solemn expression, she earnestly inquired, "Out of consideration for Su Yan, could you tell me which side you're on?"

"Without a doubt, I stand with White Bone," Yu Yuan responded, his smile radiant.

Jiang Xingwen visibly relaxed, nodding gently and tapping her chest with a ghostly hand, "You gave me quite the fright. I was worried you were aligned with Cuion. Since you're with White Bone, this should be straightforward."

She turned to White Bone with a formal air, "I accept your invitation!"

White Bone, his skull gleaming like polished ivory, nodded slightly, the sound of "Ka ka" accompanying the gesture, "Good!"

Yu Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully while still gripping the sword sheath, a contemplative look on his face.

"It's odd, the Shadowblade's might shouldn't be so limited. I recall when I encountered Mo Yan, the Devil Blade unleashed far greater power," he mused to himself, sensing that something was amiss.

When he needed insight, the cauldron spirit could discern his innermost thoughts and communicate with him silently.

"Mo Yan is different from you; he entered the Land of Terror as a Lunar Spirit. The true strength of the Devil Blade requires a fusion of Soul Power, vitality, and spiritual energy to be unleashed. Since Mo Yan's physical body is elsewhere, his Lunar Spirit can only utilize Soul Power."

"Soul Power, combined with the Yin Qi from the Land of Terror, is the weakness of this Devil Blade," explained the cauldron spirit.

"In fact, the presence of a Lunar Spirit significantly weakens the strength of any human cultivator in this place. It's likely for this reason that there's a belief that the combat power of the Land of Terror's ghosts decreases by an entire level once they leave."

"It's not that the ghost spirits are inherently strong here; rather, outsiders experience a drastic drop in power because their true bodies cannot enter."

Yu Yuan, who had been listening closely, quickly grasped the concept after a brief moment of reflection.

Mo Yan's realm was indeed higher than his, but regrettably, in the Land of Terror, Mo Yan couldn't infuse vitality and spiritual energy into the Shadowblade. Of the three fundamental sources of power for a cultivator, he was unable to use two.

Yu Yuan, on the other hand, faced no such restrictions.

Moreover, the swordsmanship techniques from the Moon Slayer mantra that he had comprehended were now at his disposal, having been refined through his spiritual sense and the tempering of the three souls of heaven, earth, and man outside Afnetalos.

The sword spell inherited from the Grand Sword Immortal, combined with the sword spirit within him, unleashed a formidable might upon release.

Additionally, the sword's will could be replenished and restored through the melding of spiritual sense, vitality, and spiritual energy.

"Master, as long as your physical body remains unharmed and you can keep swinging your sword, your ability to damage the ghost spirits in the Land of Terror is actually incredibly fearsome!" The cauldron spirit, exhilarated by that sword strike, exclaimed, "A single sword strike, infused with the three types of power and resonating with the multitude of sharp intents within the scabbard, is further empowered by the sword spirit!"

"We need not tread lightly in the Land of Terror; we can fully unleash our strength!"

The cauldron spirit called out, brimming with battle intent.

Whoosh!

Having dispatched Lu Yuqin, Yuan Lianyao shifted back into her stunning Lunar Spirit form, standing very close to Jiang Xingwen of the Abyssal Dawn.

"Ruby Hand, that red lotus must be yours, correct?" Jiang Xingwen said with a smile.

"Greetings, Senior. I've heard you are Su Yan's master," Yuan Lianyao responded, having learned of the woman's identity after her conversation with Yu Yuan on Shadow Mountain. "Su Yan and I are acquainted; we share a rather good friendship."

"I'll discuss this with you later. For now, you should rest up in my camp," Jiang Xingwen said with a smile, nodding. She gestured for Yuan Lianyao to come behind her before addressing the White Bone, "Lord White Bone, after you."

"I am Mo Yan of the Devil Palace. If you're with the Abyssal Dawn, why would you assist Yu Yuan?" Mo Yan, standing upon the Shadowblade, spoke with a grave tone. "You must be aware that Yu Yuan is a traitor to the Everlands!"

"I'm aiding Lord White Bone, not Yu Yuan," Jiang Xingwen replied, her demeanor unchanged and serene. "Moreover, my only target is Cuion. Your vendettas are none of my concern. Please don't drag me into them; I prefer to stay out of it."

With that, she removed the belt known as the "River of Souls" from around her slender waist.

"Hehe, do you honestly believe that as a mere Spirit Walk Lunar Spirit, you could have any impact on this battle?"

Cuion's taunt was abruptly cut off mid-sentence.

Her deep, ghostly eyes flashed with terror and disbelief.

She stared, wide-eyed, at the green jade belt, pointing at it, speechless.

As Jiang Xingwen removed the River of Souls, the multitude of ghosts behind her erupted into a frenzy, howling and screeching with renewed vigor.

The belt, named River of Souls, appeared to conceal an actual river, comprised of condensed Shadow Water.

The river's waters transformed into a green luminescence that burst forth from the belt, infusing each ghost with its power.

Every ghost bathed in the green glow experienced an instantaneous surge in power, ascending a whole tier in strength!

Earth Specters evolved into ghost spirits, ghost spirits into Celestial Shades, and the Celestial Shades seemed to momentarily wield the combat prowess of a Spectre!

The more powerful the ghost, the more green light it absorbed, and it seemed this was the only way for them to dramatically enhance their combat abilities and ascend in rank in the blink of an eye.

"Soul! River of Souls!"

Cuion finally managed to utter these words, her voice quivering, "Am I seeing things correctly? How could it be the River of Souls? How could it be?"

As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily flickered towards the sword sheath in Yu Yuan's hand.

Cuion murmured to herself, "The vision I saw amidst the sword light's strange echo, could it possibly be real?"

"Oh!"

Yu Yuan's grip on the sword sheath warmed slightly. He had an inexplicable feeling that the sword sheath and the belt known as the River of Souls were acquainted.

At that moment, Jiang Xingwen's Lunar Spirit trembled faintly as she stared in disbelief at the sword sheath in Yu Yuan's hand.

She sensed the trembling and restlessness of the deeply hidden artifact soul within the River of Souls.

It revealed to her that the sword now missing from the sheath was the very weapon that had slain the River of Souls' previous master!

The original master of the River of Souls was the most ancient Ghost King from the Land of Terror!

In the Star River beyond this world, the Ghost King was slain by a powerful cultivator known as the Moon Slayer. Since the River of Souls was connected to the Root of the Lunar Meridian and held significance, the Moon Slayer allowed it to return to the vastness of the Everlands and then back to the Land of Terror.

The River of Souls, tied to the Root of the Lunar Meridian and the Everlands, could not be destroyed.

The Ghost King could perish, but the River of Souls was indispensable. It was imperative that it not be separated from the Land of Terror for extended periods.

The Ghost King's demise came about because he had taken the River of Souls out of the Land of Terror and into the extraterrestrial realms, threatening the very foundation of the Everlands. This act led the Moon Slayer to seek him out and execute him.

Subsequently, the River of Souls came into the possession of its current master, Jiang Xingwen.

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