C781 The Big Dipper in My Chest!

White Bone leaned against a crevice in the rock, his diminutive skeletal form resembling a sacred, snow-white mountain range. The aura he radiated was domineering and arrogant, so much so that even Rahu, a fellow Ghost King, felt a shiver of fear.

Rahu watched White Bone closely, speculating about the identity of the Shade King in his past life. White Bone, whose memories remained intact, had reincarnated as an ordinary mortal with little talent for cultivation. Yet, with his demonstrated intelligence, cunning, and profound understanding of souls, he was destined to rise to great heights, reaching an exalted realm and shining brightly in the Everlands.

Moreover, considering the timeline, Youling must have embarked on his cultivation journey before her.

"Often, one's nature and temperament remain constant," Rahu mused. "An individual as haughty as he, even reborn as a human, is unlikely to change fundamentally. In the era before mine, who in the Everlands shared a similar disposition?"

"Master, master..." The Fox Monkey-shaped ghost, now advanced to a Celestial Shade, chattered incessantly.

Upon learning that White Bone had ascended to Ghost King, it was eager to burst forth with him to Shadow Mountain, where White Bone had trained, and slaughter all the Spectres and the newcomers from Ebon Star.

A Ghost King and Spectres were not on the same level. As the White Bone King, he had the power to punish all ghosts and souls, avenging his fallen comrades. Yet, White Bone remained still, unperturbed by the chatter, in no rush to emerge from the earth.

"What are you waiting for?" Rahu suddenly inquired.

"I am waiting for Yu Yuan to refine the Lunar Spirit, for the true form of Wintermaw to descend, and for Dhoreus to erode the remaining sword force," White Bone replied with a detached gaze. "I am also waiting for the number of lost souls in the outer world to increase, for the Root of the Lunar Meridian to experience more astonishing upheavals. I am waiting for the right conditions to arise for the God of Ghosts."

"I..." Rahu murmured to himself.

Realizing that the White Bone before him was once the Shade King, capable of challenging Dhoreus, Rahu understood the sheer brutality of the struggle between the Gods of Ghosts in the Land of Terror.

White Bone, the enigmatic Tian Zang, and Dhoreus were the three she deemed invincible.

Razses was another formidable Ghost King. Yet, she believed she still stood a chance against Taruer, the Black Staff, and Wintermaw.

She, who had aspired to vie for the title of God of Ghosts, found herself wavering...

"I have a proposal," White Bone declared.

"What?" Rahu exclaimed in astonishment.

"Help me ascend to the God of Ghosts," White Bone suggested in a conversational tone. "Once I achieve that status, I can eliminate the current leader of the Poison Cult for you, your dear junior brother. As for Zhong Chichen of the Order of Healing, that will be your own challenge to face."

At his words, Rahu's face registered shock. "You're aware?"

White Bone nodded slowly. "I know your identity."

"When did you find out?"

"A long time ago, when you ventured into the Land of Terror and the Lunar Spirit began practicing necromancy, I recognized you," White Bone revealed methodically, sharing the secret he had uncovered. "As a Ghost King, you have the option to be reborn. Should you choose this path, I can share my insights to ensure your successful reincarnation."

"Help me, and I will help you. Give it some serious thought."

After White Bone finished, Rahu's gaze became inscrutable, and she lapsed into a prolonged silence.

The Fox Monkey, previously chattering incessantly, fell silent as well, looking at White Bone with astonishment and then at Rahu.

Could it be that Lord White Bone was actually persuading the newly risen Rahu, the Ghost King, to fully support his quest to become the God of Ghosts?

Observing Rahu's demeanor, it seemed she was genuinely intrigued and was earnestly contemplating White Bone's offer.

Lord, have you grown so formidable already?

"When did you reach your decision?" White Bone turned, addressing his stunned subordinate. "After so much indecision, why did you choose to seek out Yu Yuan in the end and relay the information to me?"

"Lord, what do you mean?" the ghost, in the guise of a Fox Monkey, responded, clearly confused.

"Why did you choose between me and Dhoreus? I'm aware Dhoreus approached you, revealed his identity as the one behind the River of Souls, and made significant promises." Interest sparkled in White Bone's eyes.

"I deserve death! I deserve death!"

The ghost in the form of a Fox Monkey hastily knelt at his feet, continually bowing its soul form in supplication.

Rahu's face turned pale with shock, "Dhoreus personally sought him out?"

"Dhoreus compelled Jiang Xingwen to meet with him outside." In the palm of White Bone's hand, which was as white as jade, several small stones appeared, each one glowing brightly. "I had assumed you would heed Dhoreus's words and disclose everything. Had Jiang Xingwen or Dhoreus arrived here first, instead of Yu Yuan, the outcome would have been different."

"You're aware of this?" Rahu grew increasingly uneasy at his fearsome knowledge.

White Bone let out a cold huff.

The Fox Monkey ghost, trembling with fear, pleaded, "My lord, I ultimately made the wise choice! Please grant me your forgiveness!"

"Why?"

"Because I have an intuition that my lord will continue to triumph. Regardless of the opponent, be it Dhoreus or any other Ghost King, I am convinced that my lord will have the last laugh!" The Fox Monkey ghost spoke with unwavering conviction, a gleam of absolute belief shining in its eyes.

Such a gleam was blindingly bright.

"I am very pleased with your response," White Bone said, passing the small stones to the creature. "Ingest them and assimilate the power within into the depths of your soul. Each of these six stones will absorb a thread of your spirit. Should you face certain death, I can resurrect you if any stone manages to escape."

"Thank you, my lord, for your favor!"

"You have earned it."

...

Yuan Lianyao abruptly awoke.

In the small, silver-gray space, as she was refining her Lunar Spirit with the pure and mighty Yin Qi, she felt an emotionless, indifferent gaze upon her, sending a chill through her soul that snapped her awake.

In the late period of the Lunar Spirit Realm, she had been leveraging the Yin Qi of this small space to practice the exquisite Spirit Magic of the Ruby Hand, which yielded results far beyond the norm.

Moreover, she sensed that within this microcosm, her Lunar Spirit was on the cusp of advancing further, poised to break through to the Spirit Walk Realm.

But now...

Startled from her trance, she glared ahead, filled with indignation.

The Crucible of Evil hovered before her, and at its rim appeared a little girl dressed in grey sackcloth. The girl's face was indistinct, and she watched Yuan Lianyao with a detached, unfeeling gaze.

"Cauldron spirit?" Yuan Lianyao suddenly realized.

The young girl remained expressionless. "I have a name, you know. It's Yu Yiyi."

She only came alive with youthful vigor when in the presence of her master, Yu Yuan. With others, she exuded nothing but indifference and a chilling aloofness. This was something General Lee Yuchan had learned through experience and had come to deeply understand.

"What brings you out here?" Yuan Lianyao inquired, puzzled.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd leave this place," Yu Yiyi stated, perched on the rim of the cauldron, her legs swinging gently. Her snow-white bare feet shimmered with a captivating glow. "I'm not sure how much Yin Qi the Master needs to forge his Lunar Spirit, but the Yin Qi here in this little world is unique, unlike that of the outside world or within Shadow Mountain."

"You're right; it is different," Yuan Lianyao acknowledged.

The Yin Qi here had been refined countless times, allowing it to integrate directly with the soul, bypassing the need for further refinement. Each strand was imbued with shadow energy far more potent than that found outside—akin to the distinction between spiritual sense and Soul Power.

"The supply of Yin Qi here is finite; it won't increase," Yu Yiyi stated flatly, her expression unyielding. "That little one evolved into a Celestial Shade without relying heavily on Yin Qi. But you're different. If you advance to the Spirit Walk stage, you'll deplete at least half of the Yin Qi."

"What are you implying?" Yuan Lianyao asked, her confusion growing.

"It's possible that your breakthrough could unpredictably impact the Master's transformation into a Lunar Spirit," Yu Yiyi explained, her legs now still, leaning forward to emphasize her point. "You don't seem to grasp the significance of the Master forging a Lunar Spirit in the Land of Terror. For a human to reach the Subtlety stage and cultivate a Lunar Spirit there means receiving the fortune of the Root of the Lunar Meridian's Qi!"

"The Master stands to gain immensely from refining his Lunar Spirit here, even gaining the ability to commune with the Root of the Lunar Meridian!"

"I cannot allow any mishaps to occur during the Master's critical breakthrough."

Her intentions were unmistakable — she was sending her away!

"Are there truly so many advantages to advancing to the Lunar Spirit realm within the Land of Terror?" Yuan Lianyao's initial outrage swiftly subsided. "Is it really so?"

"Indeed," Yu Yiyi replied with an icy demeanor. "All I know is that those who achieve the Lunar Spirit status are blessed by the Root of the Lunar Meridian and will uncover numerous secrets. Conversely, those bold enough to attempt refining the Solar Spirit in the Land of Terror will be marked for death by the Root of the Lunar Meridian and will face the Way of Heaven's suppression."

"Refining the Solar Spirit is strictly forbidden in the Land of Terror. Any transgressors will find themselves hunted by every soul and ghost within its bounds. Should they prevail, the Root of the Lunar Meridian will bestow upon them a reward."

"That's precisely the gamble Cao Jiaze from Ebon Star is taking."

Yu Yiyi shared with Yuan Lianyao the memories and knowledge she had recently come to realize.

"You make it sound as if the Root of the Lunar Meridian possesses wisdom and consciousness. Can it truly be so enigmatic?" Yuan Lianyao, still skeptical and struggling to come to terms with the concept, furrowed her brow in search of confirmation.

"The universe is vast, and beyond our world lies even greater expanses. Not all intelligent beings are bound to flesh and blood," Yu Yiyi said with a hint of scorn. "As an extraordinary entity that upholds the cycle of life and death within the Everlands, it's not surprising that the Root of the Lunar Meridian is sentient."

After a brief hesitation, Yuan Lianyao's ethereal Lunar Spirit form began to drift away. "Please, look after him!"

"Of course," Yu Yiyi said, her lips curving into a slight smile.

With a swift motion, Yuan Lianyao retraced her path, exiting the silver-gray expanse of the little world.

Turning back at the cauldron's rim, Yu Yiyi gazed at Yu Yuan, whose chest bore seven acupoints that twinkled like luminous stars. She allowed herself a quiet chuckle of contentment.

Yu Yuan, seated at the River Styx, continued to draw in the Shadow Moon Essence, integrating it into his being. The seven acupoints across his chest remained open, their silvery glow arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper.

"In the future, once I've condensed a sufficiently powerful Bane, I'll be able to inhabit it, significantly boosting my master's combat abilities!" Yu Yiyi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "The Shadow Moon Essence is immensely beneficial to my master. As more acupoints are unlocked and countless Banes take residence, this generation's master is destined to exceed the accomplishments of the predecessor!"

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