C812 Who Am I?

Who are you?

The will at the source of the Yin Meridian communicated clearly through the Underworld River below.

Its conjecture left Yu Yuan rigid, as if struck by lightning.

"Before Hong Qi, did I have another life?"

Yu Yuan stood there, his mind a blank slate, unmoving.

The revelation was too overwhelming, leaving him reeling in shock.

How could this be?

He searched his mind but came up empty. He had never sensed any memories beyond those of Hong Qi's lifetime within his soul.

Yet, according to the source of the Yin Meridian, the evil statue in the Soul Transformation Pool wouldn't naturally gravitate towards him.

The Soul Forging Technique and the Ghosting Arts alone couldn't account for the odd occurrences. Only if the Soul Transformation Pool and the evil statue were aware of his other life would it make sense.

Bizarre images began to flood his mind.

He recalled fainting in the Asura's microcosm within the Dark Domain, where a colossal void soul seemed to have manifested. Yu Zhu and the Yellow Old Devil had informed him of the mysterious events that transpired during his unconsciousness, leading to the shattering of the Asura's residual soul.

He also remembered the evil statue, crafted from the Sword Prison, invading his soul with its malevolent consciousness.

Ultimately, his own consciousness prevailed. Not only did he resist possession by the statue, but it also obediently submitted to his will, moving with his thoughts.

Even when Yan Qiling dispatched the statue to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, he sensed a certain reverence from it towards him.

"Could it be..."

This thought sparked a recollection of the skepticism he faced from the Yin Meridian source.

The source beneath the earth was a miraculous entity that governed the cycle of life and death for all beings in the Boundless Land. From his reincarnation as Hong Qi, the source had seen every detail clearly during their first communication.

According to the source, it was the deity of reincarnation, and no creature in the Boundless Land could elude it.

Yet now, it had suggested he had three lifetimes, but it couldn't trace any evidence of his first.

The possibility of a reincarnation so enigmatic that even it could not detect was the source of its suspicion and hostility.

"I..."

With the thought barely formed, he felt the presence of the Yin Meridian source and said, resigned, "I can't tell if your deduction is true or false. But I am completely unaware, without the slightest inkling. My memories are confined to Hong Qi alone."

He attempted to clarify his intentions to the source of the Yin Meridian, seeking its approval and hoping to alleviate its suspicions and hostility.

The subterranean consciousness of this world listened in silence.

For a long time, there was no response.

It seemed as though the Yin Meridian source was reassessing the situation, pondering the nature of an entity capable of deceiving it, undergoing reincarnation within its domain without detection.

"Yu Yuan, Yu..."

Luohou murmured, her brow furrowed.

Yu Yuan snapped out of his reverie.

"Why are you so unresponsive?" Luohou chided, giving him a sidelong glance. "The battle isn't over yet. What's on your mind?"

Her words jolted Yu Yuan back to reality, realizing that no one had detected his communication with the Yin Meridian source.

"Mingdu!"

He suddenly grew concerned about the Mingdu Ghost King lurking in the shadows, wondering if the once ruler of Horror Land could perceive his exchange with the Yin Meridian source.

"The Black Staff is finished."

Luohou said with a soft smile, gesturing toward the massive scepter. "I can sense that the river in the Black Staff's domain has ceased to flow, just like the one in the Cold Abyss."

When a Ghost King perishes, the river bestowed by the Yin Meridian source runs dry.

Take, for instance, the river that once belonged to Ghost King Youling—it halted after his reincarnation.

Only when Youling returned as a skeletal being and reclaimed his title as Ghost King did the river resume its flow.

Yu Yuan glanced over to see the enormous scepter now fractured into segments.

Within the broken pieces, white flames continued to burn, consuming something within.

"Wasn't there a soul from the Black Staff that fled into the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area?" Yu Yuan asked abruptly.

"It must have been eradicated earlier," Luohou replied, her gaze filled with trepidation. "The absence of water in the Styx of the Black Staff's realm signifies his absolute demise. If even a shred of soul remained, the Styx would not have dried up. Do you understand?"

Luohou found it odd. You sent a fragment of the Black Staff's soul into the forbidden land; were you unaware of the horrifying aura emitted by the Soul Transformation Pool?

She remained silent, struck dumb by the emergence of the Soul Transformation Pool.

"I understand," Yu Yuan said, nodding slowly.

Crack!

The massive scepter's tip shattered, revealing a shrinking white bone clutching a sharp awl, standing amidst the debris. In a voice devoid of warmth, it declared, "Qianjie!"

Yu Yuan scanned his surroundings, only to find that the Kalpa Ghost King, previously surrounded by swirling souls, had vanished without a trace.

"Qianjie has fled to her domain," Luohou stated, his words serving both as an explanation to Yu Yuan and a notification to the white bone.

"Fled?"

"With the Cold Abyss and Black Staff fallen in battle, the demise of two Ghost Kings in such quick succession is unparalleled in the annals of Horror Land. And yet, White Bone's prowess has not waned after slaying them; it continues to soar. Qianjie, sensing the tide turning against her, likely unilaterally broke the pact with everyone and retreated to her territory to hide," Luohou analyzed with clarity.

"Qianjie's flight makes the rest manageable," Yu Yuan said, his smile chilling. "All that remains are the eight lieutenants of Mingdu and the White Coat Mercurial."

As if in agreement, White Bone intoned, "I'll handle it."

Yu Yuan turned to see the White Coat and the eight ancient specters dispersing in all directions.

"Your doom awaits upon His Highness's return from beyond the heavens," the White Coat Mercurial's voice echoed as he departed. "The Cold Abyss and Black Staff were unworthy of the title Ghost King! With their demise, we shall ascend and claim the mantle. Just you wait."

With those words, the White Coat dissipated into wisps of white smoke.

"Qianqiang Ghost!"

Yu Yuan's face set in an icy resolve as he unleashed the Evil Cauldron and stepped inside.

The cauldron soul swiftly zeroed in on the Qianqiang Ghost, soaring through the void.

To the astonishment of all, the Soul Transformation Pool hovering above Yu Yuan's head began to stir in tandem with the howling Evil Cauldron.

"It's just too peculiar."

Cao Jiaze of the Profound Sky Sect had been closely monitoring the Soul Transformation Pool. As he observed it stirring to life, his brow furrowed in concern. "According to our sect leader, that pool is the focal point of the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation. This ancient formation, once the property of the Divine Soul Sect, harbors incredibly profound soul power."

Rubbing his eyes, Cao Jiaze muttered to himself, "This shouldn't be happening."

He was reassessing the situation, pondering intently over the enigmatic allure Yu Yuan possessed that could influence the Soul Transformation Pool to remain loyally by his side, even from a distance.

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