C742 Challenge!
"White Bone has ventured into Rahu's domain, seemingly to issue a formal challenge to Rahu himself!"
"After years as a Spectre, White Bone finally has the courage to confront Rahu in battle!"
"Sir! I have reliable information that White Bone has engaged Rahu in combat!"
"…"
Such conversations took place within the realms of the five great Ghost Kings, at Jiang Xingwen's place of cultivation, among numerous high-ranking Spectres and Celestial Shades.
The formidable ghosts of the Land of Terror were abuzz with excitement over White Bone's foray into Rahu's territory.
Lately, White Bone's actions have been exceedingly aggressive. He has slain three peers, absorbing their souls, and has been advancing with an unstoppable force.
White Bone's behavior has caused much anxiety among the Spectres, who have been closely monitoring his every move.
Upon realizing that White Bone had altered his path toward Rahu's territory, the concerned Spectres breathed a sigh of relief and seemed to revel in the ensuing chaos.
In contrast to the Ghost Kings' battles, which were mere tests of strength, White Bone's engagements were relentless, with neither side yielding until the end.
The Ghost Kings would probe and retreat after assessing their opponent's capabilities, biding their time for a decisive life-or-death confrontation.
Among the Spectres, White Bone stood out for his notorious ferocity and brutality.
White Bone seldom acted impulsively or initiated conflict, but once he did, the ensuing savagery and determination struck fear into the hearts of all ghosts and souls.
Yet, his current adversary was none other than Rahu, the highest-ranked and renowned for her benevolence.
The clash between these two formidable Spectres naturally captured the attention of numerous ghosts and souls across the Land of Terror.
Even Razses, Tian Zang, and Taruer had instructed their subordinates to report any news of White Bone and Rahu's battle immediately.
This indicated that the battle between White Bone and Rahu was of significant concern, even to the Ghost Kings.
...
Rahu emerged from Shadow Mountain.
As she departed, the white and grey Shadow Mountain suddenly shimmered with dazzling, iridescent light.
The once unremarkable peak was now cloaked in a radiant, multicolored glow, its very substance transformed in a moment of awe-inspiring change.
From the Shadow Mountain, brimming with Yin energy, emerged a Holy Mountain, dazzling with the glow of treasures beyond measure.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Beams of iridescent light burst forth from behind Rahu, atop the Shadow Mountain, piercing the darkened skies of the Land of Terror and bringing a radiant clarity to the gloom.
"Rahu!"
The mightiest of the ghosts felt a sudden premonition.
Deep within the Land of Terror, colossal phantoms rose into the air, gazing across vast distances toward Rahu's location, attuned to the formidable psionic power emanating from the Shadow Mountain.
White Bone's eyes sparkled with anticipation, his expression one of readiness for challenge. Far from fear, he felt his fighting spirit surge.
He recognized that the Shadow Mountain where Rahu concealed herself was unlike any he had encountered before. Even compared to those under the dominion of the five Ghost Kings, its aura was distinctly unique.
"Strange..." White Bone murmured to himself.
Rahu's Spectre, frail and slender, became more visible against the backdrop of the transformed Shadow Mountain. She clutched an empty flower basket, as if a delicate noblewoman shyly stepping from her boudoir, basket in hand, to meet her suitor, her gaze fixed upon the Crucible of Evil.
"Lord Emissary, won't you come forth?"
With the flower basket in hand, Rahu stood before the Shadow Mountain, which radiated an iridescent light so intense that even White Bone found it blinding. "Master Emissary? I seek clarity on one matter: do you represent Boulderdawn, or are you here in your own right to refine your soul in the Land of Terror?"
Before their encounter, Rahu had already surmised that Yu Yuan belonged to the long-lost Boulderdawn.
Rahu, with her slender silhouette and exquisite features, wore a smile that suggested she had just covertly performed a spell. It was as if the near-crushing of Yu Yuan's three souls in the Mindscape, a Shadow Mountain solidified within his little world, had not been her doing. "Lord Emissary, could it be that my humble trick wounded you due to your lesser realm?"
At her words, White Bone's green eyes flickered with astonishment.
He hadn't noticed that Rahu and the Spectre had already made their move.
However, Rahu and the Spectre's attack wasn't aimed at him, but rather at Yu Yuan.
"Lord Emissary, my small test was not meant to anger you, was it?" Rahu, growing increasingly surprised by Yu Yuan's prolonged absence, seemed to deliberately snub White Bone to provoke him. She addressed Yu Yuan directly concerning the Crucible of Evil, "If I have offended you, I sincerely apologize and ask for your understanding, Lord Emissary."
Rahu's repeated deference with the term "Lord" clearly indicated her fear of the Boulderdawn Sect, not Yu Yuan himself.
Once she confirmed that the Spirit Magic and spells Yu Yuan practiced originated from the legendary Boulderdawn Sect, and considering their recent prominence—a force not even the five supreme beings could suppress—the future of the Everlands remained uncertain. This prompted Rahu to probe into Yu Yuan's true background.
Upon verifying Yu Yuan's connection to the Boulderdawn, she accorded him the respect he deserved.
As for White Bone, she had been covertly observing ever since he entered her domain, fully prepared for any confrontation. In fact, it was the pressure from the Boulderdawn Sect, not her own, that weighed heavily upon her.
Over the past century, she had faced and effortlessly defeated many a Spectre challenger.
This bred in her an unshakeable confidence; she no longer believed that any Spectre in the Land of Terror could match her in combat.
White Bone stood to the side, the ghostly white flames burning within his crystalline skeleton quietly subsiding.
White Bone was making self-adjustments.
After a moment...
Whoosh!
Yu Yuan, who had plunged into the little world within the crucible, finally resurfaced, standing at its rim.
With just one look, White Bone could see the diminished sparkle in Yu Yuan's eyes, the fine cracks at the corners, and the tiny droplets of blood.
He instantly realized that, just as Rahu and the Spectre had indicated, Yu Yuan had sustained a soul injury.
"I am not a representative of the Boulderdawn Sect, and currently, I have no affiliation with them," Yu Yuan said, taking a deep breath and massaging his forehead, his voice weary. "My name is Yu Yuan. It is an honor to meet you, Lord Rahu."
After uttering those words, Yu Yuan scrutinized the Rahu Spectre before him, an odd sense of familiarity blossoming within him. The Rahu Spectre was slender and delicate, with a beautiful visage, yet she wasn't the kind of person one would never forget after a single encounter.
Yu Yuan racked his brain but couldn't find a match for Rahu in the recesses of his earthly soul's memories. Neither in his past life nor in this one was he certain he had ever seen this face or knew Rahu.
However, having practiced Soul Forging through Enlightenment for some time, his heaven soul felt a connection, a sense that Rahu was someone he should recognize. "If I truly know her, it's definitely not from this lifetime!"
Yu Yuan quickly reached a verdict. If he had indeed interacted with the Rahu Spectre before him, it must have been during his past life as Hong Qi. In the Land of Terror, ghosts like celestial shades and spectres could evolve from foreign souls practicing necromancy, gradually transforming themselves. Altering the soul's form, features, and stature in this process wasn't particularly challenging.
If the Rahu Spectre before him was a cultivator from the human race who had adopted necromancy through the Lunar Spirit, it would be difficult for him to recognize her after several changes in appearance and stature. Perhaps the heaven soul's sense of familiarity stemmed from the soul's core essence remaining unchanged, its origin still intact.
"Who could it be that I recognize?" Yu Yuan pondered naturally, trying to figure out which woman from his past life the Rahu Spectre might correspond with.
"It doesn't represent Boulderdawn, nor does it have any ties to it..." Rahu Spectre said with a smirk, her eyes suddenly turning icy. "Since that's the case, there's no need for me to hold back any longer."
It was then that she truly began to address the challenge posed by the White Bone Spectre before her. "White Bone, you should have come to challenge me much earlier, not now," Rahu said with a tinge of regret in her voice. "You're very clever. You've understood a lot and have been plotting carefully for some time, even going so far as to kill three spectres to build your momentum."
She shook her head, lamenting, "It's a shame, all that scheming only to miss the prime opportunity."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, the sound of flowing water emanated from beneath the iridescent Shadow Mountain behind her.
To White Bone, the ordinary sound of water was like thunderbolts shattering his soul, striking him with such force that his green eyes widened with terror for the first time. "You, you've already..."
The White Bone Spectre extended a luminescent bony hand, his words faltering as he pointed at Rahu.
Yu Yuan was taken aback, a bitter smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Beneath the Land of Terror, the Root of the Lunar Meridian granted the Ghost King an unparalleled gift! Beyond the majestic rise of Shadow Mountain, a stream formed from condensed Yin Qi flowed beneath, where the Ghost King honed his craft.
The presence of the Shadow Stream at the base of Shadow Mountain was a privilege reserved for the Ghost King alone!
With both mountain and water, one is truly a Ghost King!
Unexpectedly, Rahu, who had held the top rank among the Spectres for a century, had ascended to the throne of the Ghost King without anyone noticing.
Rahu had become the sixth formidable Rahu Ghost King of the Land of Terror!
