C782 Charge!!
Within the silent Styx of the Underworld, the Ghost King Youling lay motionless, his presence all but vanished. As the last traces of Yin Sunflower Essence seeped from his form, the once mighty ruler of Horror Land began to wither, his stature diminishing with each passing moment. This essence, coupled with the refined Yin Qi, had been the secret to his undecaying state over countless millennia. Now, as his power ebbed away, his once imposing figure was reduced to a shadow of its former self.
Yu Yiyi watched the subtle transformations of Ghost King Youling with an impassive gaze. Her thoughts were solely on her master, Yu Yuan, and the time he would need to evolve the Earth Soul into a Yin God within this secluded realm. Time, ever elusive, slipped away unnoticed.
After what seemed an eternity, Yu Yuan's chest erupted in a burst of silver light, startling Yu Yiyi. More Yin Sunflower Essence streamed from the Ghost King Youling, a swarm of fireflies vanishing into Yu Yuan's being. In mere moments, the tall and ethereal Ghost King Youling appeared ravaged by the relentless march of time.
A frown creased Yu Yiyi's brow as she noted the Ghost King's skin turning ashen, resembling the parched bark of an ancient tree, its splendor and mystique all but faded. It was then that a cacophony of shrieks erupted from within the Evil Cauldron, as thousands of Evil Devils sensed the rich Yin Qi and clamored to escape, eager to vie with Yu Yuan for the dense energy.
With a face as cold as ice, Yu Yiyi let out a dismissive snort. The waters of the Styx murmured and swirled, cleansing the Ghost King Youling's remains. Suddenly, an overwhelming force pervaded the small world, instilling a primal fear and unrest in Yu Yiyi. She glanced towards the babbling Styx, her heart racing.
The Styx's murmurs seemed to shift, taking on the quality of a soft, intimate whisper. After a moment of stunned silence, Yu Yiyi's eyes brimmed with anxiety. She bowed respectfully toward the river before steering the Evil Cauldron out of the realm, her exit as graceful as that of Yuan Lianyao.
"What's happened to you?" Yuan Lianyao gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she watched the Evil Cauldron emerge. Her mind teemed with unanswered questions.
Stepping out from the silvery expanse, Yuan Lianyao encountered the skeletal remains of a Ghost King and laid eyes upon the newly ascended Luohou Ghost King. Overwhelmed with bewilderment, she had yet to seek the answers that eluded her.
Suddenly, the Evil Cauldron that had expelled her also departed from the miniature world.
Hovering in mid-air, the Evil Cauldron showed no sign of Yu Yiyi. It seemed she was tucked away in a small inner space, unwilling to expose herself at this juncture.
In contrast, a mysterious glow emanated from the deep green pupils of the White Bone. "He must have officially begun."
"What?" Yuan Lianyao asked, perplexed.
"The process of condensing the Yin God has disturbed the will at the source of the Yin Meridian," explained the White Bone, as if privy to all secrets. "A person like him, attempting to break through to the Yin God in Horror Land, would certainly catch the attention of the source of the Yin Meridian. The Styx can be considered an extension of its will, repelling any unrelated beings."
With that, the White Bone cast a glance at the Evil Cauldron.
The consciousness within the cauldron—Yu Yiyi, the Ice Concubine, Blood Moon, and all the Evil Devils—none were acknowledged by the source of the Yin Meridian. They were all cast out as Yu Yuan truly began to condense the Yin God.
"White Bone, what else do you know?" inquired Yuan Lianyao.
"He's quite extraordinary, far more than you imagine. He entered Horror Land wielding the Evil Cauldron at the Penetrating Stage, aiming for this very moment," the White Bone Ghost King asserted with certainty. "He himself may not realize that his path has been preordained."
"It was Zu Ann's doing!" interjected the Luohou Ghost King.
She had confided with Yu Yuan and knew from him that it was Zu Ann of Ascension Peak who had orchestrated Yu Yuan's journey to Horror Land to seek refuge.
Hearing the White Bone's words, she instantly grasped the deeper implications of Zu Ann's strategy.
"So it was Zu Ann's orchestration. That explains it..."
The White Bone nodded subtly, the gleam of wisdom in his eyes. "There's no need for alarm. By condensing the Yin God in that secluded space, he stands to reap lifelong benefits. Throughout the lengthy history of Horror Land, the number of humans who have transformed their Earth Soul into the Yin God can be counted on one hand."
"Should he succeed, he'll gain the recognition of the Yin Meridian's source and become a cherished being of this realm, much like those in Mingdu."
He, like Yu Yiyi, was clearly privy to the profoundest secrets of Horror Land, understanding the immense benefits that awaited human cultivators who successfully achieved the Yin God breakthrough in this realm.
His vision extended even further, intuiting the presence of a powerful figure akin to Zu Ann who had meticulously orchestrated everything.
"Here, break through to the Yin God!" Luohou commanded.
...
In Yu Yuan's Consciousness Little World, the Earth Soul's ethereal form, now separate from the Heavenly Soul and the main soul, was a hive of activity. Thousands of filaments of Spiritual Sense, akin to slender pythons, voraciously drew in Yin Qi, refining it relentlessly.
He was meticulously attuned to every nuanced shift within the Earth Soul.
Initially, the Spiritual Sense within the ethereal soul body was as ephemeral as mist, but with the practice of the Great Yin Soul Arts, the Yin Qi he absorbed grew exponentially. Dozens of strands of Spiritual Sense intertwined and underwent continuous refinement, transforming into streams of crystal-clear water coursing through the Earth Soul.
This process bore a striking resemblance to the purification and condensation of Spiritual Qi within the Yellow Court Little World he experienced in the past.
"Dozens of strands of Spiritual Sense, condensed into a single soul thought; where Spiritual Sense is akin to mist, the soul thought is like water!"
Yu Yuan mulled over this as he keenly observed, and with a flicker of insight, he grasped a critical truth.
Spiritual Sense was limited to perceiving the external world and visualizing the body's internal organs, lacking any offensive capability.
At best, it could be channeled into a scabbard, merging with spiritual energy and blood Qi to facilitate the flow of these forces.
By nature, Spiritual Sense could not serve as a blade to assail an opponent's soul, its diffuse, fog-like state too scattered and unrefined for effective assault.
Soul Thought, on the other hand, was a different entity altogether.
Soul Thought, or Soul Power, was as concentrated as blood Qi and spiritual energy, capable of infiltrating an adversary's Consciousness Little World. It could morph into a blade or thunderbolt, striking directly at the enemy's soul.
The formation of Soul Thought marked the commencement of true soul combat!
The metamorphosis of the Yin God entailed the complete substitution of Spiritual Sense with Soul Thought within the ethereal soul body, with every current of Soul Power surging through the soul.
Soul Thought moved with greater speed, whether infused into objects, unleashed outward, or employed in self-examination, it was at least ten times swifter than Spiritual Sense.
The refinement of Spiritual Sense into Soul Thought marked a monumental shift, one that shook the very heavens and earth.
"The metamorphosis of the Earth Soul unfolds in such a way. Only through firsthand experience can one grasp its intricacies," Yu Yuan reflected, his mind awash with excitement. His focus and consciousness converged upon the Earth Soul nestled within the Niwan acupoint, observing each subtle transformation with rapt attention.
Time passed before something else captured his focus. He noticed the Heavenly Soul had ceased its active consumption of Yin Qi, abstaining from any superfluous actions.
The Heavenly Soul, guided by a distinct thought, led the practice of the Evil Body Refining Skill, methodically harvesting the Yin Sunflower Essence and integrating it into itself, piece by piece.
Huala! Huala!
The sounds of the Styx abruptly intensified, thundering in his ears and jolting him awake.
He opened his eyes with a hint of reluctance.
It was then he realized that Yuan Lianyao, the Evil Cauldron, and the monkey-shaped specter had departed during his deep cultivation.
He and Yu Yiyi were unable to connect through their souls; he couldn't sense her presence.
"When did they leave?"
Whoosh!
The tall, androgynously beautiful form of the Ghost King soared from the Styx.
Right before his eyes, the Ghost King's body, once brimming with Yin Sunflower Essence, transformed into ash and smoke, gradually fading into nothingness.
The Ghost King Youling, whose body had been sealed for countless years, vanished without a trace.
A scant amount of the Yin Sunflower Essence within was collected by the bones, propelling them to ascend to the Ghost King status, their strength magnified.
Another portion of the Yin Sunflower Essence merged into Yu Yuan's body, aiding in the creation of seven new apertures within his chest.
Additional Yin Qi dissipated into the small, silver-gray expanse, mingling with the Yin energy escaping from the Styx, which Yu Yuan continued to draw in and refine.
Yu Yuan fixed his gaze upon the Styx, where it seemed as if millions of thoughts streaked through the waters like flashes of lightning.
"The origin of the Yin Meridian!"
