C769 The Handchosen Disciple in My Previous Life

A figure clad in green robes silently drifted out from a cave entrance on Shadow Mountain, emerging from behind Imdohr.

"The Crucible of Evil?"

The middle-aged man, embodying the Lunar Spirit, had an expressionless face. His waist was adorned with numerous bottles and vials.

One of the bottles contained the shimmering Shadow Moon Essence, which sparkled like a star.

Drawn by the sounds of combat outside, he had left the depths of Shadow Mountain and now gazed curiously at the purple flood dragon. "Is the Crucible of Evil inside you?" he inquired.

"Chu Yao, do you also have an interest in the Crucible of Evil?" Imdohr asked, surprised.

"No," replied the stoic man known as Chu Yao, shaking his head. "I've merely heard of the young man who possesses the Crucible of Evil."

"Indeed. I've done some inquiring and found out that Yu Yuan has a significant reputation in the outside world," Imdohr chuckled, eyeing a string of sandalwood beads. "The kid is surrounded by mysteries. I've sent my underlings to probe him, to gauge his true capabilities."

"Even after consuming all of it, he's still alive?" Chu Yao wondered aloud.

"Others might not survive, but he might be an exception," Imdohr responded.

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

To Imdohr, Yu Yuan was an enigma, particularly since he managed to coexist peacefully with both White Bone, who had suffered a severe injury, and Rahu, the Ghost King.

Having gained the favor of White Bone and the esteem of Rahu, Imdohr was eager to discover what made this young man so extraordinary.

"Ah," Chu Yao acknowledged with a vacant nod. "We've nearly collected all the Shadow Moon Essence from this peak. In line with our agreement, we're splitting it fifty-fifty. I've already taken my share; the remainder is yours."

"Take your time, Brother Chu. After I handle this youngster and seize the Crucible of Evil, I'll head over to White Bone's domain," Imdohr said, his voice emanating from within the beads with a wide, toothy laugh. "White Bone is currently confined to his own Shadow Mountain, where he practices his arts and can't leave just yet. His mountain contains the richest deposits of Shadow Moon Essence. We're sure to reap a bountiful harvest."

"My master requires the Shadow Moon Essence," Chu Yao stated.

Upon mention of his master, a reverent hush fell over Imdohr's spectral souls. "The success I've achieved today is all thanks to your master's soul-nourishing pills! This kindness, Imdohr will forever hold dear in his heart and never forget."

"Master also wishes for you to ascend to the throne of Ghost King with haste," Chu Yao remarked, eyeing the blackwood beads. "You're already a step behind Rahu."

"After White Bone's demise, I will rise to become the Ghost King!" Imdohr declared with fierce ambition.

Whoosh!

Scarlet sword light interwove across the belly of the purple flood dragon, dazzling and bright.

A force sharp enough to obliterate souls and cut through spiritual sense burst forth from within the dragon.

Before long, the Celestial Shade-class, hundred-meter flood dragon was dismembered by the slicing crimson sword light!

"No, something's still off. There are techniques I haven't yet mastered..."

In the heart of the Crucible of Evil, Yu Yuan, with a look of bewilderment, murmured to himself. He examined the sword sheath from all angles, his gestures suggesting he was testing some hypothesis.

Yuan Lianyao watched him, her face a portrait of astonishment, as she remained speechless within the cauldron.

"Soulsever has indeed fragmented this soul spirit, but it seems incomplete, not the true quintessence of the sword spell," he mused.

With another swing of his sword, the sword light tore through the darkness like a rift in the night sky. Observing the Celestial Shade-class flood dragon now reduced to fragments, Yu Yuan felt an unsatisfied craving for more.

"Master, you've finally awakened."

In that moment, the voice of the cauldron spirit, Yu Yiyi's remnant soul, rang out, "Master, take care with the absorption and refinement of the Shadow Moon Essence. When you employed the Evil Body Refining technique, it seemed to stir up the most malevolent aspects of your nature, affecting even me."

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

"You actually managed to do it!"

The cauldron spirit emphasized the gravity of the situation.

Yu Yuan remained bewildered, still caught up in the technique of Spiritrend. It took a moment before he snapped out of it. "Did I lose control for a bit?!"

"Yu Yuan, you're finally back!" Yuan Lianyao exclaimed, clearly relieved.

"Lost control? Was it because of the Shadow Moon Essence, or Spiritrend?"

He mumbled to himself, then lifted his gaze to see a figure in green robes standing beside the Imdohr. The sight of this figure sent a jolt through him.

"Chu Yao!"

The name escaped Yu Yuan's lips, laced with bitterness.

Yuan Lianyao sensed the tension, her heart skipping a beat. "Yu Yuan, do you... do you know him?"

"You're Yu Yuan from Asvetaesi?" Chu Yao frowned, scrutinizing the agitated Yu Yuan within the Crucible of Evil. "Do we have a feud? If my memory serves me right, this is our first encounter. I've lived on the Land of Quiescence for nearly twenty years and have never set foot on the Aetherius Continent."

Yu Yuan took several deep breaths, steadying his turbulent emotions.

Chu Yao...

How could he not recognize him?

The middle-aged man, now floating beside the Imdohr in his Lunar Spirit form, was his hand-chosen disciple whom he had painstakingly groomed in his past life.

Luo Yue was someone he had instructed for a time, but she wasn't an official disciple in the Order of Healing.

Chu Yao, on the other hand, was the disciple he had personally selected from the Serpent Spine Mountains and brought back to the Order of Healing on the Land of Quiescence, where he had joyfully mentored him.

Chu Yao was just a boy when he joined the Order of Healing, and Yu Yuan had come to regard him as a son.

Among his three hand-chosen disciples, Chu Yao was the youngest and his favorite.

Yu Yuan had intended for Chu Yao to succeed him as the head of the Order of Healing.

Since his rebirth, he had not inquired about the Order of Healing until recently, when he met Zu Ann outside Afnetalos. It was then he learned that his esteemed disciple had chosen to follow his elder brother, Zhong Chichen, in his cultivation path.

Chu Yao had become the disciple of Zhong Chichen and devotedly served his senior brother.

Moreover, he had married Zhong Chichen's cherished daughter, thus becoming both a disciple and a son-in-law.

Upon hearing the news, a troubling thought struck him. Many of the medicinal herbs he had used to craft the pill had been gathered by Chu Yao.

The pill was later found to be flawed. After Chu Yao's supposed "death," he swiftly became the favored disciple of his senior brother.

Could it be that Chu Yao had betrayed him long ago?

Yu Yuan was heartbroken at the realization that the disciple he had wholeheartedly treated as his own son might have been conspiring with his senior brother all along, tampering with the herbs to poison him.

"Zu Ann, you once showed me your reflection in the Mirror of Fates," Yu Yuan stated gravely.

"It was indeed Mr. Zu," Chu Yao acknowledged calmly, "I truly did not anticipate that Mr. Zu would forsake the Everlands and ally with the malevolent forces from beyond. Your acquaintance with Mr. Zu confirms the external rumors."

"Chu, if you're interested in him, I can do you a favor," Imdohr offered with a grin.

"I have no interest. Merely curious, but now that I've met him, please proceed," Chu Yao responded coolly to Imdohr. He gestured towards Yuan Lianyao and declared, "This woman is his accomplice. She's in league with the fiends, and they should be dealt with accordingly."

"She's from the Ruby Hand!" Imdohr exclaimed in surprise.

"If the Ruby Hand has any objections, they can come to me," Chu Yao stated arrogantly.

"Then my mind is at ease."

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