C751 White Bone Remolding

Whoosh!

A dazzling stream of light burst forth from the iridescent Shadow Mountain behind Luo Yue, swiftly infusing itself into the pile of bones at her feet.

Within this radiant light, the babbling of the River Styx could be heard. Deep within the luminescent bones of White Bone, an unusual vitality emerged, distinct from the spiritual energy of living beings.

The segments of bone began to mend and fortify from within, their fractures sealing in an instant.

Crack!

Bones soared into the air as if guided by intelligence, assembling themselves under the direction of unseen hands.

Rainbow-colored radiance splashed between the joints, and soon after, a ghostly white flame sparked to life.

The phantom, which had fallen from the rainbow veil and reintegrated with his skull, flared like a wildfire.

Boom!

The hollow sockets of the skeletal form blazed anew with emerald light.

Confusion clouded his green eyes as he surveyed his surroundings, glancing from Yu Yuan to Rahu, the Ghost King, behind him. In bewilderment, he uttered, "Wasn't my soul extinguished?"

His skeletal form, entwined in strands of rainbow light, was seized by the arm by the Rahu Ghost King, now a radiant deity. With a forceful tug, he felt his very soul tear apart.

The Sacred Writ of the Skeleton he practiced was profound and enigmatic. His Spectre soul was not confined to his skull.

Rather, it was dispersed throughout each bone.

Arms broken, limbs severed, skull twisted off—during his dismemberment by the Rahu Ghost King, his entire soul was fragmented.

His unified consciousness shattered, leaving him incomplete until it could coalesce once more.

His memories halted at the moment before his dismemberment.

Reduced to a small mound of bones, his phantom extracted, he remained oblivious to the exchange between Yu Yuan and Rahu.

Now, as his skeletal form was reforged and his soul reassembled, he gazed upon the current scene, his mind clouded with bewilderment.

In his mind, having been destroyed by the Ghost King Rahu—his bones crushed, his soul sundered—he wondered how Yu Yuan, the accomplice who aided in the cleaving of the seven-colored Shadow Mountain, could have possibly escaped the same fate.

Shouldn't Yu Yuan and he have perished one after another?

Why?

Why were Yu Yuan and Ghost King Rahu looking at him with smiles, as though all was well?

"His soul has merely been temporarily separated. The Spirit Magic he practices is unique, making it difficult for him to die." Luo Yue spoke with composure as she gestured towards White Bone, who had risen once more and was covertly gathering Yin Qi in the shadows. She told Yu Yuan, "To eradicate him completely, I must smash his white bones to pieces, grind them to dust, and then incinerate the remains."

Upon hearing her words, the skeletal form that White Bone had just assembled stiffened.

White Bone's movements, as he adjusted his arms and legs, were somewhat awkward and comical.

Yet, Yu Yuan's smile remained unchanged.

"It's not easy," Luo Yue clarified, "I'm capable, but it would deplete too much of my energy. It's simply not worth it. My initial plan involved using someone else to refine his soul with a damaging Soul Spell during the moment White Bone's soul was split."

"Who?" Yu Yuan asked, surprised. "Do you have an ally?"

"Not exactly an ally. I happened to save a girl once and felt she was destined for something else, so I made arrangements for her elsewhere." Luo Yue looked off into the distance, "She's practicing on Shadow Mountain within my jurisdiction. She's likely unaware of what's happening here."

"The ability to split and refine White Bone's soul suggests an incredibly potent Soul Spell!" Yu Yuan's mind raced, and a chilling figure flashed through his thoughts as he exclaimed, "Shadow Curse!"

"Her name appears to be Lee Yuchan, hailing from the Silvermoon Empire, and indeed, she practices the Shadow Curse." Luo Yue, upon learning that Yu Yuan was the hand-chosen disciple of the God of Medicine Hong Qi, held nothing back. "Some of what I know about you came from her. After rescuing her, she shared quite a bit about the outside world with me."

At this juncture, Luo Yue abruptly stopped.

Yu Yuan looked at her, puzzled, his eyes urging her to continue.

Luo Yue let out a light giggle, nearly slipping and calling him "Junior Brother." Catching a glimpse of White Bone's odd expression, she quickly held her tongue.

She adjusted her tone before speaking, "The person she talked about the most, can you guess who it was?"

"It couldn't possibly be me, could it?" Yu Yuan was taken aback.

"It is you!" Luo Yue couldn't contain her laughter. "She spoke of recent events from her perspective, and you, my friend, featured prominently in her tales. That's why, when I saw you and White Bone in my domain, and the cauldron with you, I immediately recognized you."

"Still, there were discrepancies. For instance, when you were saved by Zu Ann outside Afnetalos, I assumed..."

She refrained from bringing up Boulderdawn again.

Yu Yuan was acutely aware that, with White Bone present, neither of them mentioned Hong Qi, the God of Medicine, or the secrets shared between them.

Rahu, the Ghost King, was the former leader of the Poison Cult, reduced to his current state by Zhong Chichen and her junior brother.

Should they learn she had ascended to the rank of the sixth Ghost King in the Land of Terror, they might well concoct another vile plot.

Having been bested before, Luo Yue harbored deep-seated hatred for those adversaries and, truth be told, she was wary of their ruthless tactics and the formidable power at their disposal.

"Lord White Bone, I have honored our agreement and lent you my full support!"

With a grave expression, Yu Yuan addressed the somewhat bewildered White Bone, "Your challenge may have ended in defeat, but I sense that your journey to becoming a Ghost King is far from over."

Luo Yue chimed in, "The fact that White Bone dared to challenge me to the death, even after revealing his identity as the Ghost King when the River Styx flowed, shows that his pursuit of necromancy is unproblematic. His willingness to battle, regardless of the outcome, means his quest for the Way continues."

With a coy smile, she added, "If he feared death and shied away from the challenge, White Bone might leave here alive, but he would struggle to achieve the status of Ghost King in his lifetime."

She had set a snare for White Bone, demonstrating her might to thwart his ascension to the Ghost King.

In battle, White Bone would be no match for her and would be vanquished, his skeletal form shattered.

He didn't dare to accept the challenge, allowing White Bone to depart unopposed. What else could he do?

With the Way of Heaven in ruins, White Bone, who could no longer ascend to Ghost King, posed no threat to her.

Luo Yue was certain that whether White Bone fought or not, he was destined to lose. She had always held the upper hand. The unforeseen variables of Yu Yuan and Jiang Xingwen couldn't overturn her initial strategy.

Unexpectedly, it was the connection between Yu Yuan and the God of Medicine, Hong Qi, that threw her off. Because of this bond, she refrained from proceeding with her plan after White Bone's defeat and didn't deliver him to Lee Yuchan.

Thus, White Bone lived on. Coupled with his previous defiance, the road to becoming Ghost King remained open.

"I will become the Ghost King and challenge you once more," White Bone stated with conviction.

"When you do become the Ghost King, I hope your first adversary isn't me, Rahu," Luo Yue's demeanor turned grave. "I'd rather you challenge other Ghost Kings first, like you did this time. Take on Black Staff or Wintermaw, either one or both."

"All Ghost Kings are formidable. When the time comes, don't pick on me by choosing the easy targets," she added with a playful tone.

White Bone nodded in understanding. "I appreciate your kindness. You're stronger than Black Staff and Wintermaw. To challenge you, I'll surpass them first."

He then looked over at Yu Yuan, "Will you return with me?"

Yuan Lianyao was still in Shadow Mountain, awaiting his return—that was White Bone's implication.

Yu Yuan hesitated before responding, "I'll join you later; I have some other matters to attend to first."

"Fine," White Bone replied crisply. He flexed his joints, feeling no stiffness. To his surprise, his remnant soul flowed even more swiftly through his skeletal form. Casting a curious glance at Rahu, he addressed Yu Yuan, "I must go back to Shadow Mountain to reforge my skeletal form and seek a breakthrough."

"In no more than two months, the Root of the Lunar Meridian will have the capacity to forge another Ghost King," Luo Yue said with a smile. "I hope that the next Ghost King will be you, White Bone."

"I will be."

After dropping that remark, White Bone turned and walked away.

Luo Yue reached out and caught a swath of the sky in her palm, as if snatching a brilliant tuft of cotton. The flower basket remained, but the iridescent sky had vanished. "Yu Yuan, I'm going to take you to meet the female general who's always been true to you."

Inside the Crucible of Evil, Yu Yuan scratched his head and replied, "Senior Sister, it's not what you're thinking."

In an instant, White Bone transformed into a streak of white lightning and, with a sizzling sound, shot through the sky.

Luo Yue started to follow but paused, squinting as she sensed something. A smile crossed her face as she remarked, "Those five seem quite astonished."

"They?" Yu Yuan was taken aback.

"Their attention shifted away when White Bone departed," Luo Yue explained. As the ruler of this territory and a Ghost King of equal stature, she could naturally sense the focus of the other five Ghost Kings. "Even after I unveiled a spectrum of colors in the sky, they lingered outside, reluctant to leave."

"They can't see inside, but they're eager to know the outcome."

"The outcome is that the shattered White Bone has restored itself to its original skeletal form. White Bone left here alive, which will probably unsettle some of them even more than it does me, and surprise them even more."

Once Luo Yue knew that the other five Ghost Kings had departed with their remnant souls, she relaxed and led Yu Yuan to meet Lee Yuchan.

"They fear White Bone more?" Yu Yuan asked, intrigued.

"Yes, the Sacred Writ of the Skeleton that White Bone practices wields a deadly white flame that embodies a purifying force. This power is more fearsome to many ghosts and spirits than thunder itself. Thunder may obliterate souls, but the flames that burn within White Bone are the bane of even the mightiest ghostly beings."

"The five Ghost Kings each have their ways to withstand the strikes of lightning."

"If not, the Thunder Sect's masters would have already cleansed the Land of Terror with their artifacts. The power of thunder is formidable, but the Ghost Kings can contain it to a manageable level."

"Yet, the white flame that burns on White Bone's body seems unbearable even to a Ghost King, in my estimation."

"Moreover, White Bone has not yet ascended to Ghost King status. Once he does, and the potency of his white flames increases further, I believe he would triumph over the Ghost Kings Wintermaw and Black Staff should they confront him."

"Razses, Tian Zang, and Taruer are managing slightly better, but even they will find it exhausting," Luo Yue admitted, a hint of fear in her voice. "If my soul had no sanctuary, and without the protection of the iridescent Shadow Mountain to shield me from the flames, even as a Ghost King, I wouldn't be able to endure."

Yu Yuan was taken aback. "Are those white flames really so fearsome?"

"To call them the nemesis of ghosts is no overstatement," Luo Yue said, her brow furrowed as she led the way. "I'm curious about his origins. Those white flames seem innate to him, not something cultivated in the Land of Terror."

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