C767 A Road of Slaughter!

The Shadow Moon Essence had merged with his flesh and blood, leaving Yu Yuan's skin shimmering with a subtle silver sheen.

When he refrained from exerting his physical strength, he could sense his muscles in an exceptionally relaxed state, soft as cotton, with his skin seemingly engaged in a slow respiration.

The Primal Body's remarkable utility had significantly enhanced the efficiency with which his pores could draw in power.

Yet, the moment the thought of battle arose, each muscle would instantly harden to the strength of divine iron.

Observing his prominent muscles, he could almost hear the vigorous sound of his blood coursing through them.

To be as soft as cotton and as hard as iron was the state every cultivator strived to achieve.

His body, repeatedly forged through the Evil Body Refining technique, was exceedingly tough but had lacked a degree of suppleness.

However, this training session, having incorporated the Shadow Moon Essence into his very being, seemed to have marked a significant breakthrough in flexibility.

Even his demeanor had taken on a softer quality at this moment.

Yuan Lianyao, standing by his side, gazed at his face for an extended period before blurting out with a hint of embarrassment, "It seems, your face has grown more handsome."

Previously, his facial features were too stern and rigid, giving him an air of depth and cunning when silent.

Now, having refined some of the Shadow Moon Essence, his visage in Yuan Lianyao's eyes had taken on a more youthful and vibrant look, becoming more charismatic and attractive.

"Ah?" Yu Yuan touched his face in astonishment, exclaiming, "Really?"

Yuan Lianyao's eyes sparkled with enchantment as she gently nodded, "Yes, you've become more handsome."

"Master, she's not mistaken. When you refined the Shadow Moon Essence, there were subtle changes to your facial contours. These changes have made you look even more handsome and distinguished," the cauldron spirit Yu Yiyi chimed in timely within his Heart Lake. "Also, several of your acupoints seem to be pulsating."

Yu Yuan looked down at his chest, noting the seven acupoints near the Zigong acupoint, and confirmed, "There are seven acupoints."

He vividly recalled that during his use of the Evil Body Refining Technique, as he concentrated on purifying his body with the Shadow Moon Essence, seven radiant beams of blood light had branched out from the Altar of Rebirth within his little world, directly targeting those seven acupoints near the Zigong acupoint.

Seven beams of blood-red light, brimming with abundant life force, surged into the acupoints, simultaneously drawing out copious amounts of Shadow Moon Essence before merging into the acupoints.

"There's the presence of Shadow Moon Essence, along with another type of intense and unyielding power," Yu Yiyi whispered.

"I can feel a periodic throbbing pain in those seven acupoints," Yu Yuan mused, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "It's odd, this sensation is reminiscent of when I broke through the Veil Breaking realm and opened the Profound Gate in my middle elixir field."

At this revelation, Yu Yiyi's excitement surged. "Master! I think I've figured out what's happening!"

"What is it?" Yu Yuan inquired, intrigued.

"The human body doesn't only have the lower elixir field, the Golden Sanctum, the middle elixir field, and the upper elixir field. These three major acupoints are merely the foundational core, as vital as the three souls of a person. But beyond these, there are hundreds more acupoints interspersed among the myriad meridians!" Yu Yiyi exclaimed.

Yu Yuan nodded, "That's common knowledge. However, since the other acupoints can't hold spiritual energy, vitality, or souls, they've been naturally overlooked due to their perceived lack of value for condensation and cultivation."

In his previous life, he had delved deeply into the study of the body's acupoints to embark on the path of a cultivator.

He had experimented with alternative methods, attempting to bypass the traditional upper, middle, and lower acupoints to channel power directly into them.

But to no avail.

Yet, he was well aware that the human body housed over seven hundred acupoints, dispersed throughout the limbs and bones, embedded in every inch of flesh and blood, and seemingly interconnected by hidden links.

"They may not hold spiritual energy, vitality, or souls, but they can be inhabited by the Evil Bane!" Yu Yiyi proclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Yu Yuan asked, taken aback.

"As one masters Evil Body Refining, numerous acupoints are opened, akin to creating a little world within a cauldron. The Evil Bane that I've refined can eventually settle into those acupoints, significantly enhancing your combat prowess! Imagine, if each of those hundreds of acupoints, previously deemed useless, were each to house a formidable Evil Bane!"

"And you, harnessing the power of the Bane to fight and strike down enemies—what a spectacle that must be!"

Imagining such a scene, Yu Yiyi was the first to lose herself in excitement, her clear and melodious howl echoing from within the cauldron.

Her howl resonated throughout the cauldron, pure and piercing.

"To have countless Bane enter my acupoints, allowing me to wield their power in battle?" Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, his spirit swelling with the thought. "Can Evil Body Refining truly be used in combat this way? If hundreds of Bane were to reside in my acupoints, wouldn't my strength skyrocket in an instant?"

"This is the very essence of the Evil Body Refining technique, and the formidable power of the Terror Claws Sect!" Yu Yiyi said with a laugh.

"Let's go! We must continue our search for the Shadow Moon Essence in the Shadow Mountain!"

After a secret exchange with the cauldron spirit, Yu Yuan learned of the transformations his corporeal body was undergoing from absorbing the Shadow Moon Essence, and he was nearly beside himself with anticipation.

His longing for the Shadow Moon Essence was at its peak!

Whoosh!

Half an hour later, a larger Shadow Mountain came into view.

Like before, it was swarming with ghosts, all feasting on the mountain, yet none posed a threat to him or the Crucible of Evil.

"Attack!"

At Yu Yuan's command, the Crucible of Evil surged forward, unleashing over two thousand Bane with a fierce howl.

The familiar scenario unfolded once more: Blood Moon led the Bane in a practiced hunt, effortlessly capturing or slaying the ghosts, while Yu Yuan seized the chance to delve into the heart of the mountain.

"Indeed, it's the mountains rich with Shadow Moon Essence that attract these ghosts!" Yu Yuan's grin widened. "All the Shadow Moon Essence within this Shadow Mountain is now mine!"

Three hours later, the slightly taller Shadow Mountain crumbled with a thunderous roar, reducing to rubble and dust.

The Crucible of Evil then emerged from the debris, Yu Yuan inside, his eyes sparkling with triumph as he bellowed, "Onward, find me the next Shadow Mountain!"

At that moment, caught up in a frenzy, he had completely forgotten his original purpose.

He no longer spoke of rushing to White Bone's domain to rescue his ally. He had forgotten to save White Bone from the encirclement of numerous Spectres of equal rank.

In his mind, there was only one driving thought — to find another Shadow Mountain and refine more Shadow Moon Essence!

"Something's not quite right."

Yuan Lianyao watched him silently from the sidelines, witnessing his frenzied state and clouded eyes. Despite her repeated attempts to warn him, he paid her no heed.

"Yiyi, Yiyi, Yiyi..."

She whispered in her heart, reaching out with her Lunar Spirit to detect the presence of the cauldron spirit, Yu Yiyi, and to understand what was happening. Sadly, Yu Yiyi offered no response.

Yuan Lianyao's mood grew somber, her concern for Yu Yuan deepening. His current behavior suggested he was on the brink of madness, at risk of losing his sanity amidst the chaos.

In the Land of Terror, losing one's clarity was perilous.

Later, two more hills fell to the onslaught of Yu Yuan and the Crucible of Evil. After Yu Yuan consumed the Shadow Moon Essence within, the mountains shattered explosively.

Yuan Lianyao could sense a wild and frantic energy swirling within Yu Yuan's corporeal body.

Half a day passed, and a towering green mountain teeming with ghosts emerged.

"Kill! Advance and kill!"

Yu Yuan's eyes glowed a sinister red as he raved, pointing at the green Shadow Mountain, his temples pulsating with each shout.

His breath came in ragged gasps, the exhaled air tinged with an unsettling scent that Yuan Lianyao found disconcerting.

Her brows furrowed with concern, Yuan Lianyao's eyes clouded with worry as she implored, "Yu Yuan, snap out of it. Something's wrong with you!"

"There's nothing wrong. I need more Shadow Moon Essence. I must open each acupoint!" Yu Yuan roared back.

The Crucible of Evil responded to his command.

"Stop! It's a Spectre, a titled Spectre!"

In that moment, a string of beads emerged from the green mountain, prompting Yuan Lianyao to shout in alarm, "Yu Yuan, Yu Yiyi, both of you need to calm down!"

The beads, resembling a set of blackwood spheres, numbered twenty-eight in total, strung together in a sequence.

Each bead was as large as a human head, pitch-black, with a phantom nestled within.

The twenty-eight blackwood beads each held a phantom, all sharing a consistent aura and belonging to the same Spectre.

Imdohr, the fourth-ranked Spectre in the Land of Terror, possessed combat prowess surpassed only by White Bone.

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