C804 None of Them Are Optimistic
Yu Yuan's roars echoed unanswered by Dhoreus. The eight ancient ghosts, arrayed in formation, lay in wait for Yu Yuan to fall into their trap. However, their plans were thwarted by the calm intervention of Rahu, the Ghost King.
Regardless of the Pale Reaper's provocations or the clamor of the eight ghosts, Yu Yuan remained indifferent. He took out another pill to replenish his vitality and swallowed it. Turning his back on the Pale Reaper, he focused all his attention on the prolonged battle raging among the three Ghost Kings within the dark clouds.
The memory of Lee Yuchan's Lunar Spirit being extinguished, and the images that surfaced from the depths of her residual soul, no longer preoccupied his thoughts. He was fully committed to restoring his spent spiritual energy and vitality, preparing for Dhoreus's emergence. His goal was to unleash his most powerful assault, ensuring the former overlord of the Land of Terror, the puppet master lurking in the shadows, would vanish from the Everlands, leaving the eight ghosts, including the Pale Reaper, without any hope of rebirth.
"Hah," sighed Chen Qingyan aboard the Cloud Cruiser, a member of the Sword Sect. Shen Yan, also of the Stardust Blade lineage, spoke with a detached tone, "Those eight have no one else to target but Lee Yuchan. In fact, being held captive by our Sword Sect might not be such a bad thing after all."
Lee Yuchan had been captured in the Godsblight Marsh by Ji Ningshuang and Loong Jie of the Nagas. It was Zhou You who had freed her from the Sword Sect's dungeons. But her current fate...
"Ann Ziqing has the Colddeath behind her, and the Land of Terror is watched over by Razses. You've had dealings with Yu Yuan before, but as a representative of the Sword Sect, neither the eight ghosts nor the Pale Reaper would dare touch you," Shen Yan reasoned. "It's only the female general who's left vulnerable after the fall of the Lee family."
Before setting foot in the Land of Terror, Shen Yan was aware that Dhoreus had fully awakened. He had learned from Ji Ningshuang that Dhoreus's corpse had returned from the depths of the extraterrestrial Star River and had been granted permission by the three upper sects to reach the Land of Terror.
Dhoreus had already forged a clandestine pact with the three preeminent sects.
In the high palace above, Cao Jiaze, the overseer, outwardly supported Thoaos, the Ghost King. However, he was secretly in accord with the Dhoreus Ghost King.
Wintermaw was merely a pawn for Dhoreus and Cao Jiaze.
Thus, even after Thoaos fell to White Bone's assault, Cao Jiaze and his lofty palace did not withdraw from the Land of Terror.
The Pale Reaper and the eight ancient ghosts were at the behest of Dhoreus.
Dhoreus had no intention of clashing with the Sword Sect at this juncture, hence Chen Qingyan was unharmed.
Ann Ziqing, under the protection of Razses Ghost King, would remain unscathed until a decision was made.
"Yuanyuan from the Ruby Hand?" Chen Qingyan murmured.
"If Yuan Lianyao dares to leave the Crucible of Evil, her fate is sealed," Shen Yan responded bluntly, "Her status isn't significant enough, and her protector in the Land of Terror is White Bone. White Bone is an adversary Dhoreus seeks to eliminate. She'd be wise to stay put and avoid a senseless death."
Chen Qingyan gasped in alarm.
"Remember, when Dhoreus makes his move and Yu Yuan is torn asunder and eradicated, you must remain as composed as Yu Yuan was," Shen Yan advised gravely. "That is the only way you and your master will steer clear of trouble. Always bear in mind that your allegiance outweighs everything else!"
"Ah!"
The vision Shen Yan described flashed through Chen Qingyan's mind, eliciting an involuntary cry.
A sharp pang of anguish surged within her.
"He must have felt the same pain just now, right?" she whispered to herself.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Suddenly, Yu Yuan's heart began to pound fiercely. The Altar of Rebirth, nestled within the vitality of his little world, seemed drawn to a powerful life force.
Yu Yuan turned abruptly, his gaze fixing on the towering palace level with the Crucible of Evil.
From within the resplendent palace, Cao Jiaze of Ebon Star flashed him a toothy grin and nodded subtly.
The next instant, the Altar of Rebirth within Yu Yuan's chest's little world of vitality fell eerily silent.
His heart jolted, and he instantly realized that the strange behavior of the Altar of Rebirth was triggered by Cao Jiaze of the Ebon Star!
There had to be an object of terrifying vitality within Cao Jiaze, otherwise the Altar of Rebirth, with its keen sensitivity, wouldn't have spun so rapidly without cause.
Reflecting on the moment he first entered the Ossuary, it was the Altar of Rebirth that had detected the tumultuous vitality...
"Cao Jiaze!"
He shifted his focus inward, mulling over the name. He had come to view the future sect master of the Ebon Star as his most formidable adversary!
He had this intuition that when the time came for him to draw his sword to strike down Dhoreus, Cao Jiaze would be there to confront him.
Cao Jiaze, hailed as the strongest beneath the Solar Spirit, was someone everyone warned about for his formidable strength!
"Master, White Bone requires your presence. Take me into that expanse of black clouds," Yu Yiyi's remnant soul whispered from the depths of his mind, the cauldron spirit conveying White Bone's message. "He says this is the only way to remain undetected by the other Ghost Kings and the lurking Dhoreus."
"This is because your realm is still too low, Master. Direct communication would make it too easy for others to detect your movements."
"White Bone urges us to be swift, swift enough that the Pale Reaper and the eight cannot intervene in time. He wants them to hastily break their formation, which will prevent Ghost King Rahu from being ensnared and restricted within it."
"…"
Yu Yiyi swiftly relayed White Bone's message to Yu Yuan.
Without a moment's hesitation, Yu Yuan commanded the cauldron spirit into action, "Proceed!"
"Understood."
The dark Crucible of Evil, after a long period of stillness, shot towards the vast black clouds overhead.
It streaked through the air like a bolt of deep, shadowy lightning.
"What?"
The Pale Reaper and the eight ancient ghosts were astounded to see Yu Yuan avoid their carefully laid trap, bypassing their formation and instead heading straight towards the fray with the three mighty Ghost Kings.
Not only them, but Chen Qingyan, Ann Ziqing, Cao Jiaze, and other cultivators from the continent of Euwrea turned their attention to the Crucible of Evil.
As they watched, the Crucible of Evil hurtled towards the dark clouds at breakneck speed!
"Yu Yuan!"
Mo Yan, who was nearest to the dark clouds and wielding the Shadowblade, saw the Crucible of Evil coming and let out a sharp cry.
The dense congregation of ghosts nearby was instantly disturbed.
Many ghosts, exuding terrifying auras and possessing the intelligence of Celestial Shades, extended their Soul Power to probe their surroundings. Then, they scattered in a sudden panic, terrified of any contact with the Crucible of Evil.
What they sensed was merely a sliver of sword's will emanating from Yu Yuan's scabbard.
This sword's will was part of the Spiritrend, one of the Nine Celestial Slashes!
Yu Yuan, who had previously attempted to draw his sword, had ceased his efforts due to the intervention of the Rahu Ghost King.
Yet the sword's will of Spiritrend had already taken shape at the mouth of the scabbard.
This unmanifested sword's will, in harmony with the necromantic truths of the Land of Terror and infused with the power of the Shadow Moon Essence, instilled a primal fear in the powerful ghosts. Sensing it, they felt as if the Way of Heaven itself was suppressing them, their very souls on the brink of shattering, and they wisely made way.
"Rhutar, have your forces use death to stop him!" the Pale Reaper exclaimed, momentarily taken aback as if he too had detected the sword's will of Spiritrend. Snapping to his senses, he spoke in a rush, "Don't let him enter! If he does, he could very well turn the tide! White Bone needs his strength, needs his support!"
"No! Not just your forces, all eight of you must act!" the ghost in white robes bellowed furiously.
The eight ancient ghosts, resenting the white-robed ghost's tone, were about to rebuke him when they suddenly received Dhoreus's command.
Shaken, the eight ancient ghosts surged towards the Crucible of Evil.
Simultaneously, the voice of White Bone echoed in the mind of the Rahu Ghost King, "Now, you must act."
The Rahu Ghost King, who had been seething with righteous indignation due to Yu Yuan's impetuous act, grasped the full picture the moment she heard White Bone's voice.
As she gazed across the scene, she observed that the eight ancient ghosts had hastily scattered, their formation now fractured.
"This marks the inaugural confrontation between White Bone and Dhoreus!"
Rahu quickly realized that the two Ghost Kings, who had been evenly matched a millennium ago yet had never truly engaged with one another, were at long last commencing their battle after a thousand years.
