C803 The Person with the Deepest Memories!
Rhutar's phantom, which enveloped the sky and earth, underwent myriad transformations, as if he had mastered the art of the Star-Spawned Terror's shapeshifting.
He would sometimes morph into a massive grinding stone, at times into a pitch-black void, occasionally into a fearsome spectre, and at other moments into a dazzling galaxy twinkling with stars.
Lee Yuchan's cold and elegant Lunar Spirit had long been trapped within him, enduring his torment.
In front of Yu Yuan and Rahu, the Ghost King, Rhutar extracted Yuchan from her chest with his sharp, black, claw-like hands, relentlessly tearing and slicing at her.
The slender female general shattered in an instant.
The enigmatic Shadow Curse merely caused her fragmented residual soul to manifest in even smaller, more delicate forms.
These figures appeared so frail and powerless.
Initially, her screams were heart-wrenching, but as Rhutar continued his relentless assault, her consciousness was gradually ground down until she lost the capacity to call out in pain.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Besides Rhutar, seven other ghosts, having returned from the extraterrestrial realms, were arrayed in a fan shape, their howls undulating through the air.
This fan-shaped array, unchanging, subtly exuded an aura capable of ensnaring souls and overpowering legions of ghosts.
"Kid, she still clings to a few lingering thoughts. If you can save her, those scant remnants can return to her corporeal form. Like a spark igniting a blaze, they could rekindle and reform the missing Lunar Spirit," Rhutar taunted as he ripped apart Yuchan's Lunar Spirit, baring his teeth in a sinister smile at Yu Yuan.
Every strange gaze, from the heavens to the earth, converged on Yu Yuan.
Inside the cauldron, Yu Yuan's breath grew labored, his expression dark and volatile.
The sword sheath, a relic of the Moon Slayer cultivator, was now gripped tightly in his hand. As he clenched it harder, a rage that could not be contained surged within his mind.
He had not anticipated that the female general, neither friend nor foe, would be taken prisoner by Dhoreus's forces after their parting.
Memories of their past encounters played through his mind like a series of images: from the entrance of the Moonfall Sanctuary, their initial hostility, growing admiration, and eventual agreement, to the downfall of the Silvermoon Empire and the purge of the Lee family that soured their relationship, and finally their reunion in the Sundering Isles, where the Crucible of Evil had helped him fend off a deadly backlash.
The final scene unfolded just moments ago, with the two souls locked in a passionate embrace. His eyes suddenly blazed with reckless ferocity. Without concern for whether his vitality and spiritual energy had been restored, he gripped the sword sheath, poised to soar out of the Crucible of Evil and unleash Spiritrend upon Rhutar in the Land of Terror.
"Has he lost his mind?" An elder Lunar Spirit from the Ethereal Void Sect watched from a palace high above as Yu Yuan readied himself to burst forth from the Crucible of Evil. He scoffed, "Has he forgotten that, despite advancing to a Lunar Spirit, he remains in a corporeal body?"
"That young fool, enraged by the remnants of the Lee family, clearly aligns with the Star-Spawned Terrors!" An old crone from the Thunder Sect hissed, "The Silvermoon Queen once wreaked havoc in the Moonfall Sanctuary! And that one, her sister, can't be up to any good."
"If he dares to step out of the Crucible of Evil, let him be shredded by the frigid gales of this realm!"
Visitors from the Euwrea Continent exchanged mocking remarks, as if watching a farce unfold.
Cao Jiaze remained silent, his gaze fixed on the sword sheath that had pierced through the dark magic shield.
Yu Yuan's hand was on the brink of leaving the protection of the magic shield, about to be exposed.
"Whether the Shadow Moon Essence has been infused into his corporeal body, and if he can traverse the Land of Terror in his real body without any artifacts, just like me, will be revealed in the next instant," Cao Jiaze mused silently.
"Don't."
A flower basket abruptly intercepted the sword sheath, halting its advance.
Through the clear magic shield, Rahu, the Ghost King, watched Yu Yuan's rage simmer and advised calmly, "Don't walk into their snare. You should see that it's not just Rhutar; he and seven other ancient ghosts have covertly formed an array."
"This formation's intricacies elude even me, and its power remains unknown."
"I'm not entirely certain that I could extricate myself with ease once ensnared within that array."
Rahu, the Ghost King, gently shook her head, cautioning her junior brother not to lose his sanity over Lee Yuchan's torment. If his Lunar Spirit were torn asunder, it could drive him to madness and impulsive action.
Rhutar and the seven Spectres were masters of many ancient Spirit Magics within the Land of Terror, having dwelled in the vast expanse beyond for a millennium. Their combined strength and arcane knowledge of Spirit Magic surpassed even the current Spectres, ancient and steeped in dark mysteries. The formidable array they had crafted was something even she, now a Ghost King, dared not confront rashly.
And what of Yu Yuan?
She held Lee Yuchan in high regard, having looked after her for some time. The prospect of Yuchan's Lunar Spirit being extinguished was distressing, yet her centuries of experience had taught her composure and the wisdom to act at the right moment.
"Yu Yuan, their aim is to incite your rage, to cloud your judgment with fury," Rahu, the Ghost King, whispered with patience, urging him not to fall for their provocations. "Remain within the cauldron. Do not emerge. I understand your desire to leave alone, to ensure the cauldron's protection over Yuanyuan, fearing for her safety. So please, heed my advice and trust me."
"Don't leave. Please, won't you stay?" Yuan Lianyao pleaded softly, her vibrant red phantom flickering anxiously as she worried for Yu Yuan. "I know you and the Yu family owe her a debt of gratitude. But remember, even if her Lunar Spirit shatters, it doesn't signify her true death."
Yu Yuan's agitation subsided at Yuan Lianyao's final words. Lee Yuchan had been cast into the Land of Terror by Zhou You, her corporeal body secured elsewhere, while her Lunar Spirit perished here. Yet her heaven soul and dominant soul remained intact.
As long as her dominant soul endured, Lee Yuchan's existence wasn't truly extinguished. There might still be a chance for her to reclaim her place in this realm. Especially considering the Shadow Curse, which he had refined, was uniquely effective in soul consolidation.
"Yu, you truly are heartless," the Pale Reaper remarked, having returned from the Cloud Cruiser to rejoin the eight ghosts. Shaking his head, his manifested phantom bore a rather handsome visage. "But of course, it's only by having no sect behind you that you've managed to distinguish yourself. Such a disposition is exactly what would attract the favor and acknowledgment of the Star-Spawned Terrors from beyond."
His words were laced with sinister undertones, deliberately conflating Yu Yuan with the Sky Fiend race.
"Little girl, the person who features most prominently in your soul's memories couldn't care less about whether you live or die."
Rhuar let out a cold laugh as he, with a hand conjured from illusion, pinched Lee Yuchan's residual soul consciousness, popping it like a bubble.
Within the fragments of the shattered consciousness, one could still make out faint traces of Yu Yuan's phantom.
A Lunar Spirit evolves from an earthly soul, which carries memories. It was not unusual for scattered memories to surface when a Lunar Spirit was crushed.
What was peculiar, however, was Rhuar's claim that the person who dominated the depths of Lee Yuchan's memories was none other than Yu Yuan, the very man she had always seen as her adversary.
"Yes, it's me..."
Yu Yuan was thunderstruck, his mind a whirlwind of confusion.
He had never imagined that he would be the one etched deepest in the memories of the typically aloof and icy general!
Rhuar's words pierced his heart like a blade once more.
"If I hadn't seen that you were the one most frequently appearing in the deepest recesses of her ghost, do you think I would have captured her to use as leverage against you?"
After obliterating Lee Yuchan's last vestiges of spirit, Rhuar sneered, "Sadly, she seems to have misjudged the person she held in such high regard. She cared so deeply for someone who could watch her soul be crushed, her Lunar Spirit torn asunder, and witness her endure the agony of annihilation, all without a flicker of emotion."
The ancient spectre shook his head in a sigh, his expression one of pity for Lee Yuchan.
"Rhuar, I will ensure you endure the same fate as she did. Unlike her, when you die, it will be the end for you—there will be no chance of rebirth." Yu Yuan, struggling to contain his roiling emotions, pointed his sword sheath at the ghost. "Rest assured, you won't be waiting long."
"Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
Rhutar let out a wild laugh. "Kid, what do you think you are? In the Land of Terror, under the dominion of Dhoreus, you, a mere human youth, dare to utter such bold words?"
"Do you think you can kill me just because you're a Lunar Spirit?"
"Besides, are you completely unaware of the power Dhoreus wields in the Land of Terror? Even if I were slain by White Bone or Rahu, as long as His Highness is alive, he could bring me back to life!"
With a chuckle, the other seven ancient ghosts who were well-versed in the wonders of Dhoreus joined in the mockery.
The eight ancient ghosts accused Yu Yuan of overestimating himself and being ignorant of the vastness of the cosmos, all while extolling the might of Dhoreus.
"Is that truly the case?"
Within the celestial palace, cultivators from Euwrea engaged in heated discussions.
Cao Jiaze, who had remained quiet for quite some time, finally spoke up, "Indeed, Dhoreus possesses such power."
"But if Dhoreus himself were to perish in the Land of Terror, I'm curious to know who could resurrect you then?" Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, feeling a surge of intense murderous intent towards Dhoreus well up within him.
This time, his motives were not driven by adherence to a pact or the pursuit of the Root of the Lunar Meridian.
It was personal, a release for his seething rage!
"Dhoreus, I'm aware that you can see me. I will stay right here, in this realm you know so well, and I will obliterate your spirit!"