C769 Personal Disciple in His Previous Life

A figure in green garb silently drifted out from a cave on Dark Mountain, just behind the Black Sickle Ghost.

"The Evil Cauldron?"

The middle-aged man, who had arrived in the guise of the Yin God, wore a somewhat stolid expression. His waist was adorned with numerous bottles and vials.

Within these containers shimmered the Yin Sunflower Essence, glinting like stars, casting a radiant glow.

Drawn by the sounds of battle from outside, he emerged from within Dark Mountain, his gaze settling on the purple dragon with curiosity. "Is the Evil Cauldron inside you?" he inquired.

"Brother Chu Yao, you're interested in the Evil Cauldron too?" the Black Sickle Ghost exclaimed, surprised.

"No." Chu Yao, the man with the impassive demeanor, shook his head. "I've merely heard of the youngster who possesses the Evil Cauldron."

"Indeed. I've done some digging and found out that Yu Yuan has quite the reputation out there." The Black Sickle Ghost chuckled, eyeing a string of sandalwood beads. "This kid is a bundle of mysteries. I've sent my underlings to probe him, to gauge his depth."

"He's ingested them all; can he still be alive?" Chu Yao wondered aloud.

"Others might not survive, but he just might." The Black Sickle Ghost responded.

Yu Yuan's recent sword strike had unsettled him to his core, prompting him to instinctively call upon a subordinate to test the waters.

To the Black Sickle Ghost, Yu Yuan was an enigma wrapped in mystery.

Especially since the White Bone had been gravely wounded, yet Yu Yuan managed to maintain a peaceful coexistence with the Luohou Ghost King.

Having first gained the favor of the White Bone and then the esteem of Luohou, Black Sickle was eager to uncover what made this young man so extraordinary.

"Oh."

Chu Yao nodded, his expression unchanged. "I've nearly finished gathering the Yin Sunflower Essence from this mountaintop. As per our agreement, we'll split the proceeds evenly. I've collected my share; the remainder is yours."

"Hold off on your concerns, Brother Chu Yao. After I handle this youngster and seize the Evil Cauldron, I'll head to White Bone's place," the Black Sickle Ghost said, his voice emanating from within the bead, his laughter wide and toothy. "White Bone is currently confined to his own Dark Mountain, unable to leave. His mountain contains the richest deposit of Yin Sunflower Essence – we're sure to reap a bountiful harvest."

"My master requires the essence of the Yin Sunflower," Chu Yao stated.

Upon hearing mention of his master, a profound respect seemed to wash over the souls of the Black Sickle Ghost. "I owe my achievements to the soul-enhancing pills provided by your master. This kindness, Black Sickle holds deep in his heart and dares not forget."

"My master also wishes for you to ascend to the throne of Ghost King with haste," Chu Yao said, eyeing the black sandalwood beads. "You're already one step behind Luohou."

"With the demise of the White Bone, my rise to Ghost King is inevitable!" declared Black Sickle, his ambition burning fiercely.

Whoosh!

Strands of scarlet sword light interwove across the belly of the Purple Red Flood Dragon, dazzling in their brilliance.

A force sharp enough to annihilate souls and obliterate consciousness burst forth from within the dragon.

The Heavenly Ghost-class dragon, a hundred meters in length, was mercilessly dismembered by the scarlet sword light!

"No, something's amiss. There are patterns I've yet to employ..."

At the heart of the Evil Cauldron, Yu Yuan, his face a mask of bewilderment, murmured to himself. He examined the sword sheath from every angle, his movements suggesting he was testing a hypothesis.

Inside the cauldron, Yuan Lianyao watched him, her expression one of utter astonishment.

"The soul is severed, but not thoroughly; this isn't the true essence of the sword spell," he mused.

As the scarlet sword light cleaved through the air, tearing the dark heavens asunder, and the Heavenly Ghost-class dragon was reduced to fragments, Yu Yuan felt an unquenched thirst for more.

"Master, you have finally awakened."

In that moment, the voice of Yu Yiyi, the cauldron soul, rang out, "Master, be cautious with the absorption and refinement of the Yin Sunflower Essence. When you refined it using the Evil Body Refining Skill, it seemed to awaken the darkest aspects of your heart, affecting even me."

Yu Yiyi's voice trembled slightly with unease. "Our souls are intertwined; you are my new master. I cannot influence you, yet it appears you can influence me. It's an odd sensation. My former master, regardless of the circumstances, was never able to sway my mind."

"You, you actually managed it!"

The cauldron soul impressed upon him the gravity of the situation.

Yu Yuan was still bewildered, his mind wrapped up in the technique of the Broken Soul Slash. It took a moment before he snapped back to reality. "Was I out of control for a moment?"

"Yu Yuan, you've finally returned!" Yuan Lianyao exclaimed, her voice tinged with relief.

"Out of control? Was it the Yin Sunflower Essence or the Broken Soul Slash?"

He mused aloud, lifting his gaze to the figure standing beside the Black Sickle Ghost. At the sight of the green-clad apparition, he was jolted.

"Chu Yao!"

The name forced its way through Yu Yuan's clenched teeth, heavy with loathing.

Yuan Lianyao's heart skipped a beat as she sensed the intensity of his emotion. "Yu Yuan, do you... do you know him?"

"So you're the Yu Yuan of Darkmoon City?" Chu Yao asked with a furrowed brow, eyeing the visibly upset Yu Yuan inside the Evil Cauldron with curiosity. "Do we have a feud? Unless my memory fails me, this is our first encounter, isn't it? I've been with the Medicine God Sect on the Quietus Continent for the last twenty years and haven't once visited the Profound Sky Continent."

Inside the cauldron, Yu Yuan took several deep breaths, struggling to steady his turbulent emotions.

Chu Yao...

How could he not recognize him?

The middle-aged man, now hovering in his Yin God form beside the Black Sickle Ghost, was his own cherished disciple from his past life, the one he had intended to succeed him as the head of the Medicine God Sect.

Luo Yue was merely a student he had instructed for a while, not an official disciple entered into the sect's lineage.

But Chu Yao was different. He was the disciple Yu Yuan had handpicked from the Medicine Sect in the Jade Peak Mountains, brought back to the Quietus Continent, and nurtured within the Medicine God Sect with great care.

Chu Yao was just a boy when Yu Yuan had taken him under his wing, treating him as if he were his own son.

Of all his personal disciples, Chu Yao was the youngest and the one Yu Yuan held dearest.

His original intention had been for Chu Yao to inherit the Medicine God Sect and become the next Sect Master.

Since his rebirth, Yu Yuan had not sought news of the Medicine God Sect until a recent meeting with Zu Ann outside Luan Bird City. Only then did he learn that his esteemed disciple had, after his own supposed annihilation, sought tutelage under his senior brother, Zhong Chichen.

Chu Yao had become the disciple of Zhong Chichen, dedicating himself to serving his senior brother with utmost devotion. Moreover, he had wed Zhong Chichen's treasured daughter, becoming both disciple and son-in-law in one fell swoop.

Upon receiving the news, a troubling thought struck him. Many of the medicinal herbs used in the pellet he had crafted years ago were collected by Chu Yao. After the pellet was found to be flawed and Chu Yao was presumed "dead," he swiftly aligned himself with his senior brother. Could it be that Chu Yao had betrayed him all along?

The realization that his disciple, whom he had wholeheartedly mentored and regarded as his own child, might have been conspiring with his senior brother all this time, tampering with the herbs to poison him, pierced Yu Yuan's heart with agony.

"Zu Ann once showed me your image in the Skywatch Mirror," Yu Yuan stated gravely.

"Ah, Senior Zu," Chu Yao acknowledged calmly, betraying no emotion. "I never imagined that Senior Zu Ann would forsake the Boundless Land and join forces with the Outland Evil Demon. Your acquaintance with him suggests the widespread rumors are indeed true."

"If you have any interest in him, Brother Chu, I'd be willing to do you a favor," offered the Black Sickle Ghost with a sly grin.

"I have no interest. Merely curious. Now that I've seen him, please, proceed as you were," Chu Yao replied coolly to the Black Sickle Ghost. He gestured towards Yuan Lianyao and declared, "This woman, by siding with him, aligns herself with the Outland Evil Demon. They should be dealt with together."

"She hails from the Red Devil Sect!" exclaimed the Black Sickle Ghost, taken aback.

"If the Red Devil Sect takes issue with this, they can come to me," Chu Yao stated with an air of defiance.

"Then my mind is at ease."

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