C741 Rahu Spectre!
On the outskirts of the Land of Terror.
"Da Da!"
A diminutive skeleton, as white as jade with emerald eyes that occasionally flashed with dazzling divine light, tread upon the icy, unyielding earth. With each step, the bone of her feet glowed with radiant brilliance.
This snow-white skeleton, sacred as a relic, was brimming with spirit.
A dark cauldron floated silently in the void, faithfully trailing behind her.
Thousands of visible ghosts were commanded to remain outside, forbidden entry.
She passed one Shadow Mountain after another, each standing distant from the last. The modest height of these mountains indicated that the Yin Qi was not sufficiently concentrated, suggesting that the ghosts who cultivated on Shadow Mountain could not be of a high rank.
In the Land of Terror, the rule was simple: the denser the Yin Qi, the taller the Shadow Mountain, and the more formidable the residing ghosts.
The sole exception was this small region — the domain of the Rahu Spectre!
Rahu Spectre was the undisputed mightiest among the many Spectres of the Land of Terror!
For the past century, ever since her ascension to Spectre status, she has held the top rank.
And that has never changed.
Unlike other Spectres, Rahu did not seek followers or a region rich in Yin Qi after her transformation. Instead, she chose to linger in the place of her advancement.
This very location.
Over the last hundred years, she has faced the challenges of numerous Spectres and powerful ghosts, never once turning them away.
She emerged victorious every time, undefeated.
Yet, despite being the strongest Spectre in the Land of Terror, she never once took the life of an adversary in any of her numerous battles.
Upon victory, she would allow her opponent to depart, only to accept their challenge again should they return.
Victorious once more, she would again permit the vanquished to leave, never once delivering a fatal blow.
Typically, battles among ghosts culminate in the demise of one party, with the victor consuming the fallen to augment their own essence — a brutal custom of this realm.
But she, even with the power to claim everything upon winning, chose to generously release her foes.
Nearly every titled Spectre in the Land of Terror has tested themselves against her, including the Pale Reaper, who had left several years prior and had faced her in combat thrice.
He had been defeated three times, yet the Pale Reaper emerged unscathed each time, managing to retreat fully intact. Remarkably, his strength surged after these encounters.
Among the numerous Spectres of the Land of Terror, not one had dared to challenge her, nor had they ventured into her domain. The sole exception was White Bone, who now tread upon these grounds.
"I'm actually quite excited to see the Rahu Spectre in action," Yu Yuan mused, stroking his chin inside the Crucible of Evil. He observed White Bone, who, rather than soaring through the skies, had dismissed all his followers and was steadily advancing towards Shadow Mountain to continue his cultivation.
Yu Yuan sensed that White Bone was unusually committed to this battle, a stark contrast to his previous encounters. Azure Spirit, Ixldir, and others had never been considered true rivals by White Bone, who moved through their territories with ease and confidence.
Yet here, White Bone seemed unusually cautious and restrained, even going so far as to curb his subordinates from any rash actions. On the journey here, White Bone had uncharacteristically opened up, sharing many details about Rahu's habits and peculiar methods, his words tinged with deep wariness.
"We're nearing our destination," White Bone announced, halting before the dark cauldron and gazing towards a modest, grayish-white peak only a few hundred meters tall. He spoke with a solemn respect, "Over there lies the site of her ascension to Spectre."
Yu Yuan focused his gaze in that direction. It was then that the cauldron spirit of the Crucible of Evil seemed to stir, as if it too had caught sight of the mountain where Rahu was cultivating. It warned, "Master, that Shadow Mountain is unusual! Despite its modest height, the Yin Qi within is exceptionally refined and pure! This defies normal expectations!"
Caught off guard, Yu Yuan felt a ripple spread across his Heart Lake and he commanded, "Activate the Third Eye!" His heaven soul vibrated, and a multitude of spiritual senses extended from it, converging towards his eyes like divine beams and ethereal lightning. His eyes sparkled with vitality, as if bestowed with the extraordinary ability to discern the laws of all things and perceive the true essence hidden beneath the surface.
Through the Third Eye, the small Shadow Mountain, where Rahu was engaged in her spectral practices, was shrouded in strands of swirling Yin Qi.
The Yin energy had coalesced into a tangible form, visible to the "Third Eye" as countless vines that seemed to sprout from the mountain, cascading down and entwining around the summit of Shadow Mountain.
"White Bone, this Rahu Spectre appears to have thoroughly refined Shadow Mountain," Yu Yuan called out.
The two had grown accustomed to each other's company, forgoing formal titles and instead addressing each other by name.
"I've known for some time," White Bone responded with a slight nod. "Ever since I became a Spectre, she has been the benchmark I set for myself. I've climbed from the twelfth rank to the second, all for this moment."
"Why haven't you challenged her before?" Yu Yuan inquired, puzzled.
"Facing her in battle for the first time, if I can't secure a victory, then every subsequent attempt is doomed to fail," White Bone explained, his eyes gleaming with insight. "I realized long ago that she doesn't refuse any Spectre's challenge because she uses these confrontations with her peers to enhance her own strength."
"Poor fools, they never understand that a first battle fought unprepared and without confidence is a battle lost forever against her. They believe she's merciful for not delivering a death blow, allowing them a chance at life, only to rush into battle ill-prepared."
"The result is a decisive defeat in a battle they were never certain of winning."
"Pale Reaper lost three times in a row and must have come to terms with the truth, realizing victory was out of reach. That's why he left the Land of Terror to seek opportunities elsewhere."
"In my eyes, the moment Pale Reaper lost to her before his departure, he no longer deserved to rank ahead of me."
With those final words, White Bone surged forward with unwavering resolve, his form streaking through the air like a brilliant white lightning bolt.
Yu Yuan mulled over his words, mentally communicating with the cauldron spirit, and the "Crucible of Evil" also picked up speed.
"To lose once is to never win again? Is this the true might of the Rahu Spectre, the one who stands at the pinnacle of our ranks?" Yu Yuan's expression was grave as he continued to utilize his "Third Eye." Drawing closer to Shadow Mountain, an oppressive force naturally began to shroud him.
It descended upon his Mindscape, enveloping his inner realm.
As he neared the Shadow Mountain, Yu Yuan's three souls of heaven, earth, and man were overcome by an intense discomfort. With each ten-meter advance, the pressure intensified.
It was as though the Shadow Mountain, a place of cultivation for the Rahu Spectre, was bearing down on his soul.
His mud pellet acupoint and Mindscape felt as if a mountain loomed over him!
"No! This isn't right! It's not an illusion!"
Startled, he saw light spilling from the corner of his opened Third Eye. His spiritual sense and thoughts were being crushed by the overwhelming pressure.
Boom!
A diminutive Shadow Mountain materialized out of nowhere in his Mindscape, hovering above his souls of heaven, earth, and man.
The grayish-white Shadow Mountain, which seemed a mere two to three hundred meters tall at a glance, now loomed impossibly high and majestic in his Mindscape, entwined with countless dazzling bolts of lightning.
With a relentless force capable of obliterating all in its wake, it pressed inexorably down upon his souls!
Rip! Crack!
His Mindscape felt as though it was on the brink of rupture, a world ready to burst.
Pain wracked his head, and he feared his mind would shatter in the next instant, his soul, brain, and spiritual sense ground to dust, dispersing into a mist of blood.
"Rahu Spectre!"
Yu Yuan's roar burst from his throat as his eyes, under the crushing force, reddened with streaks of blood.
Every technique he knew—the Third Eye, Wraithbinding, Soul Forging through Enlightenment, and all the intricate Spirit Magic—suddenly slipped from his grasp, the ability to even recall them in thought vanishing.
In the brief moments since the grayish-white Shadow Mountain had manifested in his Mindscape, his sanity had begun to fracture.
"Master!"
The cauldron spirit's voice, frantic with urgency, exploded like thunder in his Mindscape. The towering and magnificent Shadow Mountain, assaulted by the onslaught of meteorites and thunder balls, stood unyielding, continuing its descent, threatening to obliterate his soul.
Yu Yuan felt as though he was being strangled, the sensation of impending suffocation overwhelming him. Despite his efforts, he sensed the futility of resistance, the slow approach of inevitable death.
Huuu!
The practice of Wraithbinding had forcibly separated the earthly soul from the dominant soul and heaven soul, but under immense pressure, it snapped back into place with the other two.
In an instant, the three souls fused into one, and countless strands of spiritual sense coalesced into a single force, pouring into the vast phantom.
This colossal phantom, born from the union of the three souls, swelled to a size ten million times greater than Shadow Mountain in a mere moment.
Within his Mindscape, the now gargantuan phantom loomed like a deity, coldly surveying the world below.
The once towering Shadow Mountain, in comparison to the massive phantom, was reduced to mere dust, not even worthy of comparison.
The phantom opened its mouth, emitting a bizarre whistle that resonated like divine punishment, causing the entire world to quake and shudder.
The majestic Shadow Mountain that had appeared so abruptly in his Mindscape began to tremble violently. As it cracked and splintered, it finally burst apart in a thunderous explosion.
Yu Yuan, his head throbbing unbearably, slipped into a bewildering stupor.
Inside the cauldron, his real body was suddenly drawn into the little world within. There, he lay on the ground, convulsing, drenched in sweat as if caught in a downpour.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, White Bone stood at the base of Shadow Mountain, witnessing its subtle quiver.
Unaware of the cause, White Bone refrained from further inquiry. Instead, he ignited into a fierce white flame and bellowed, "White Bone seeks battle!"
"I, Rahu, have awaited this moment for years." A slender shadow drifted out from Shadow Mountain, not immediately addressing White Bone but instead turning her gaze toward the trailing Crucible of Evil. "The envoy of Boulderdawn has arrived. I invite you to reveal yourself."
