C757 Formation of the Cauldron Spirit

"Why are you here?"

Recognizing the visitor as Su Yan's master, Yu Yuan instinctively glanced back at the departing palace. "Weren't you here for Cao Jiaze?"

Jiang Xingwen hailed from the Abyssal Dawn Sect, and Yu Yuan had noted that there were cultivators from the same sect within the palace, which had materialized from a Mark of the Celestials.

Coming from the same origin, shouldn't Jiang Xingwen have met with them?

Yu Yuan harbored numerous doubts about this enigmatic woman who wielded the River of Souls. He kept a watchful eye on her, eager to uncover her intentions in the Land of Terror.

He didn't dwell on her decision to flee during the confrontation with Luo Yue when the tide turned against them.

After all, there was no pact binding Jiang Xingwen to him, and her intervention to contain the River Styx was already more than courteous.

"No, no, I have no desire to meet with Cao Jiaze or the representatives from the Abyssal Dawn Sect," Jiang Xingwen emphatically shook her head, pausing briefly before adding, "At least, not at the moment."

"Cao Jiaze is far stronger than either of you might imagine!" Her tone was grave. "What intrigues me is that after meeting with you, he refrained from aggression. With his formidable power and the Lunar Spirits from Euwrea at his disposal, you would struggle to contend, even with the Crucible of Evil in your possession."

Yu Yuan huffed in response.

"You seem to be a magnet for miracles," Jiang Xingwen said with a light laugh. "Take, for instance, the last time I departed from Rahu's domain; I doubted I'd ever see you or White Bone again. Yet, to my surprise, not only did both of you survive, but you also managed to earn Rahu's trust."

She expressed her amazement while intently gazing into Yu Yuan's eyes.

It was an enigma that baffled her.

Lately, the Spectres of the Land of Terror, including the five Ghost Kings, have been speculating about the nature of the conversation between Yu Yuan and Luo Yue beneath the multicolored sky.

The outcome of their talk led to White Bone reassembling his form and retreating to his domain for further cultivation.

The survival of White Bone has left many Ghost Kings greatly disappointed.

"Ms. Jiang, you've made a special trip here, may I ask why?" inquired Yu Yuan.

"I'm here to inform you of something," Jiang Xingwen replied with composure. "The Spectres that remain alive in the Land of Terror are banding together and heading for the Ossuary. This includes the Wangchuan Spectres within your domain! The Spectres fear not Rahu, but White Bone."

"White Bone has been gravely wounded, a fact known to all formidable ghosts. None wish to afford him the chance to heal."

"When Cuion invaded, White Bone's injuries were surely feigned. But this time, White Bone has truly suffered a severe blow. If he cannot overcome this ordeal, he can forget about ascending to the rank of Ghost King."

"I've delivered the message. Your course of action is beyond my control." Having hastily relayed the news of White Bone's entrapment and the impending Spectre attack, the woman who governs the River of Souls vanished as if she were never there.

Her arrival was sudden, and her departure just as abrupt.

"Yu Yuan, what do you plan to do?" Lee Yuchan asked gently.

"It seems that White Bone's domain is now teeming with an untold number of Spectres!" A gleam of eagerness for battle shone in Yu Yuan's eyes. "I stand little chance against a Ghost King, but against mere Spectres, I am not without the strength to fight! I will harness abundant energy for the Crucible of Evil right in the heart of the Ossuary!"

...

Deep within the Land of Terror, Razses, the Ghost King, stood leisurely atop his majestic Shadow Mountain, speaking cheerfully, "White Bone may evade capture for a time, but he won't be able to hide indefinitely."

At the foot of the mountain, Ann Ziqing, clad in her purple divine armor, gazed up at the sky with a frosty demeanor.

"White Bone doesn't belong in the Land of Terror; he should have left long ago," Razses remarked, his gaze chilling. "I've instructed my subordinates to warn him, hoping he would extricate himself from the Land of Terror. The world outside is vast, and with his corporeal skeletal form, he would only grow stronger than a mere White Robe once he left."

"Do you harbor a deep fear of White Bone?" Ann Ziqing asked, taken aback.

"It's not just me. All Ghost Kings who have experienced White Bone's might wish not for his survival," Razses admitted candidly. "Now, the surviving Spectres have all set out for the Ossuary. White Bone might handle one Cuion or defeat a single Spectre alone, but against a coalition of Spectres, his resistance may falter."

"Moreover, he's still recovering from serious injuries."

The Ghost King Razses didn't seem confident that White Bone would once again emerge victorious as before.

"Oh, the Yu Yuan you're concerned about has ventured into the Ossuary again," Razses said, massaging his forehead. "This time, you're free to roam. I won't hinder you. The spectres under White Bone's command won't dare to confront you. Just steer clear of Rahu, and you'll be fine."

With those words, a tumultuous wave of remnant soul energy burst forth from Razses.

It appeared that Razses was using the Ghost King's theurgy to communicate with other formidable ghosts.

...

Wangchuan's domain was a great distance from White Bone's territory.

As Yu Yuan traveled on the Crucible of Evil, he captured every ghost suitable for refining into a "Bane" soul without exception.

During this journey, he frequently communicated with the cauldron spirit.

After another group of ghosts was drawn into the cauldron's little world, Yu Yuan turned to Lee Yuchan in astonishment. "You've used the Shadow Curse to consume many ghosts. By all accounts, it's time for another cleansing of your soul."

He had observed Lee Yuchan swallowing the souls of dozens of Earth Specters and approaching a critical threshold.

He even noticed that the female general's Lunar Spirit form was beginning to show cracks.

This was a sign that a backlash was imminent.

In the past, Lee Yuchan would have already retreated to the little world within the cauldron for the cauldron spirit to perform its magic, purging the extreme malevolence and restoring her spiritual clarity.

But this time, Lee Yuchan seemed resistant.

"I can endure a bit longer; there's no rush," Lee Yuchan stated nervously.

The thought of the cauldron spirit, still in an indistinct form, sent a chill through her soul.

Instinctively, she was reluctant to enter the cauldron's little world and face the not yet fully manifested young girl.

"Do you really want to wait until you're on the brink of collapse?" Yu Yuan asked, his face betraying his concern. "If we encounter stronger ghosts next, I won't stop to perform a rescue spell just because you're in trouble."

Lee Yuchan's gaze turned icy. "I never asked for your help!"

"Good deeds taken for granted," Yu Yuan muttered, shaking his head, unwilling to engage with her further. "Do as you please. If you end up in trouble, you have only yourself to blame."

"I don't need your concern!" Lee Yuchan's mood soured even more.

"What nonsense," Yu Yuan grumbled.

Over the next four hours, they traversed several Shadow Mountains without encountering a single ghost.

They were in a secluded region, not under any Spectre's domain. The eerie silence made Yu Yuan uneasy, prompting him to silently reach out to the cauldron spirit.

"Master, there's no need for alarm. That individual with the icy aura from the palace has set a trap with a Spectre, and they're lying in wait for us," the cauldron spirit, clad in gray sackcloth and perched at the top of the stairs in the little world, responded with composure.

"I didn't inform you earlier because it's something I can handle without your intervention."

The cauldron spirit, taking the form of a little girl, glanced down at the Frost Queen and let out a cold, mocking smile. "The one with the icy aura is perfect for the Frost Queen to consume. As for the title-less one, I'm pondering whether I can refine it into a Bane."

Yu Yuan felt a jolt run through him. "You can take form now?"

He put aside the cauldron spirit's previous words for a moment. With a flicker of thought, he shrank down immensely and entered the cauldron's little world, looking up at the youthful and somewhat indistinct form of the cauldron spirit.

"Yes, but it's not quite finished. Please, Master, stop looking!" the cauldron spirit implored with a bashful tone.

Her demeanor was a stark contrast to how she interacted with Lee Yuchan, as if she were a completely different entity.

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