C818 Building the Mountain
Pale, ghostly light shimmered like thousands of slender silver flood dragons, entwining around a sharp awl.
The awl plunged into the earth, swelling in size, then continued to rise.
A mighty surge of Yin Qi from deep within the earth converged, transforming into pure energy that restored the awl to its original form.
Before long, the silver awl had reshaped into the majestic Silver Peaks.
Boom! Boom!
Within the Ossuary, seventeen scattered pits echoed with the rumbling of the earth.
These pits were once the ruins of Shadow Mountains, holding the Shadow Moon Essence, now collapsed.
As the earth trembled, the mighty River Styx flowed, branching into streams that meandered towards the seventeen pits.
At the bottom of these pits, an abundance of Yin Qi accumulated, swelling into new mountain peaks.
Shadow Mountain was being reborn.
Within the towering Silver Peaks, White Bone sat in silent meditation in a cave, enveloped in sacred light. With his mind and soul, he connected to the River Styx, wielding tremendous theurgy. In harmony with the will of the Root of the Lunar Meridian, he reconstructed the mountains and rivers that had been ravaged by Spectres.
"Shadow Mountain can be rebuilt?"
Yuan Lianyao stood at the base of the mountain, watching the earth quake beneath her and listening to Rahu's explanation, her surprise evident.
Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit, now one with his physical form, stood alongside Rahu, gazing at White Bone in the cave.
"Once you ascend to Ghost King, you can harness the River Styx's power to reconstruct Shadow Mountain within your domain," Rahu explained with an easy smile. "Otherwise, why would every Ghost King's mountain stand taller than those of other ghosts?"
"Does it deplete the River Styx's power?" Yuan Lianyao inquired further.
"Certainly, it consumes some," Rahu replied, glancing at the ground, her eyes piercing through the layers to the expansive River Styx below.
White Bone is indeed far stronger than I am...
Following the defeat of Wintermaw and Black Staff, the River Styx, now in resonance with White Bone, widened considerably, its waters rich with a more potent Yin Qi.
This signified that White Bone could reap even greater benefits from the River Styx, in both his future cultivation and battles.
She was acutely aware that the combat strength of a Ghost King could often be gauged by observing their corresponding River Styx.
Legend had it that at the height of Dhoreus' power, the River Styx associated with him roared with an exceptional ferocity, and its breadth was several times that of the rivers linked to other Ghost Kings.
It was this very feature that enabled Dhoreus to dominate all other Ghost Kings of his time, earning him the title of the unrivaled sovereign.
Before White Bone made his presence known, the clashes among the various Ghost Kings had never been a matter of life or death. The size of each Ghost King's River Styx was similar, indicating that their battle strengths were fairly equal.
However, the balance of power among the Ghost Kings had now shifted significantly.
White Bone's Styx was noticeably wider than those of Razses, Taruer, and herself, clearly indicating that White Bone's combat prowess surpassed that of her and the Ghost King Razses.
"Senior Sister, I must ask you to escort Yuanyuan out of the Land of Terror," Yu Yuan abruptly requested.
"Ah!" Yuan Lianyao's eyes widened in confusion as she turned to face him. "Yu Yuan, I'm perfectly fine here. Why do you want me to leave all of a sudden?"
"I'm planning to confront Chu Yao and Cao Jiaze, and I intend to act swiftly," Yu Yuan stated gravely.
Yuan Lianyao's face paled. "Are you really that pressed for time?"
A glint of multicolored light flashed in Rahu's eyes as she reacted with surprise. "Are you serious?"
Chu Yao was the favored son-in-law and disciple of Zhong Chichen, who had been targeted by the Poison Cult. She suspected Zhong Chichen had a hand in it as well.
Moreover, Chu Yao was the most cherished disciple of Hong Qi. Yet, when Hong Qi's "soul was scattered," and his two senior disciples went missing, Chu Yao quickly rose in favor with Zhong Chichen, who even promised his daughter to him.
No matter how Rahu considered it, Chu Yao seemed suspicious.
Rahu certainly didn't have a favorable view of Chu Yao. She believed that Yu Yuan sought to avenge their master, Hong Qi, by seizing the chance to confront Chu Yao in the Land of Terror.
She harbored the same thought, but felt the timing wasn't right, opting to bide her time for now.
Yu Yuan proactively expressed her determination to make an example out of Chu Yao, and naturally, I was in complete agreement.
"Chu Yao is a representative of the Order of Healing and maintains a good rapport with Cao Jiaze. Taking action against Chu Yao will undoubtedly lead to complications," Yu Yuan earnestly advised Yuan Lianyao. "Yuanyuan, you should leave the Land of Terror first. Once I'm out, we'll have the chance to reunite. Also, since Mo Yan is still alive, I fear retaliation from the Devil Palace. Could you visit the Forgotten Ruins and ask Yu Zhu to look after the Yu family on my behalf?"
"I've stood by your side from the start and have no reservations," Yuan Lianyao replied, her beautiful face tinged with sorrow. "Mo Yan is aware, and so are the cultivators of Euwrea. It would be difficult for me to disassociate from you if I were to leave."
"I understand," Yu Yuan said.
He reached out, lightly caressing Yuan Lianyao's wrist, feeling its subtle warmth.
"If you two wish to share a tender moment, Yu Yuan, you might consider separating your Lunar Spirit," Rahu suggested playfully. "The sensation of soul-to-soul contact is quite unique, even in the form of a Lunar Spirit. It's different from physical touch, but it has its own charm."
In her heart, she saw Yu Yuan as her junior brother, feeling a natural kinship with him.
Yuan Lianyao's unwavering support for Yu Yuan in the Land of Terror had earned her respect. She believed that this fire lotus of the Ruby Hand deserved her junior brother's careful attention.
"Quit it," Yuan Lianyao said with a pout, her face clouded with displeasure.
"You shouldn't switch to practicing necromancy; your real body is still with the Ruby Hand. Even if you're drawn to danger, you should first return your Lunar Spirit to your body," Yu Yuan reasoned. "While things are not yet at a breaking point, you should head back to the Ruby Hand as soon as possible. Otherwise, once I confront Chu Yao and Cao Jiaze, it'll be too late to clarify our positions."
He knew that dealing with the ghosts and spirits in the Land of Terror was not a grave issue.
Mo Yan had long harbored a vendetta against him, and this was common knowledge.
Attacking Mo Yan wasn't enough to prove that he was in league with the malevolent entities from beyond our realm; it seemed more like a way for him to release his frustration.
Yet, Chu Yao and Cao Jiaze had no prior quarrels with him. If he were to escalate the situation suddenly, especially with Yuan Lianyao by his side, the complications would multiply.
It would be hard for her to clear her name, and there was a high chance that she would be scapegoated by the Ebon Star and the Order of Healing.
Yu Yuan certainly didn't wish for that to happen.
"Yu Yuan..."
Yuan Lianyao's eyes brimmed with unspoken words.
"We'll see each other again," Yu Yuan said, gazing intently at her. "I need you to go to the Forgotten Ruins and inform Yu Zhu to look after the Yu family."
With that, he turned to Rahu and gave her a meaningful look.
Rahu caught on instantly, covering Yuan Lianyao with the flower basket she held. With a knowing smile, she said, "He's right. You must restore the Lunar Spirit to its rightful place. After such trials, advancing to the Spirit Walk should be within your grasp. Take advantage of the calm before the storm and use the Ruby Hand's influence while you're still in their good graces."
They were both bathed in a radiant glow.
She descended into the flower basket and, using it as a vessel, soared off into the distance.
The Ghost King of the Land of Terror, unbound by any Horcrux or rune circle within the Everlands, could traverse vast distances in an instant, returning to the River Styx with a mere thought.
Rahu, as the Ghost King, could come back in the blink of an eye after sending Yuan Lianyao away.
Even faced with dire perils outside the Land of Terror, a Ghost King of such formidable theurgy could easily extricate herself if she chose to flee.
In the caverns of the towering Silver Peaks, White Bone's green eyes took on an unusual hue.
"Do you truly care about the Yu family?" he asked abruptly, his gaze piercing into Yu Yuan.
His voice carried an odd inflection when he spoke of the Yu family, and the gleam in his eyes shifted unpredictably.
"I hail from the Yu family of Asvetaesi. There are those who have shown me true kindness since my childhood. Naturally, I would never want the Yu family to suffer annihilation on my account," Yu Yuan stated.
"The Yu family..."
White Bone murmured under his breath, choosing not to delve further into the subject. Instead, he redirected his attention to the construction of Shadow Mountain within his domain.
...
At the edge of the Land of Terror, a dazzling burst of light suddenly emerged, transforming into an exquisite flower basket.
Inside, Rahu and Yuan Lianyao surveyed their surroundings through a transparent glow.
"Lord Faang Yao!"
Yuan Lianyao's face lit up with excitement upon spotting a towering one-armed man within a massive orb of flames.
"Safe travels."
With a soft chuckle, Rahu nudged Yuan Lianyao's Lunar Spirit forward, giving a respectful nod to Faang Yao.
She glanced around, sensing that something was amiss. Her expression shifted subtly, and then she vanished without a trace.
Faang Yao stepped out from the fiery sphere, his voice booming, "Is that the Ghost King Rahu? Where's White Bone?"
"That's Rahu. White Bone is preoccupied with other matters. Sir, I..." Yuan Lianyao began to hurriedly clarify the situation but stopped short as she noticed the presence of numerous formidable beings, each with an aura more intimidating than the last, emerging from their hiding places.
Each figure that appeared was a cultivator of the Spirit Walk or Solar Spirit Realm, with some even from the Unbound Realm lurking in the darkness.
Faang Yao gave her a look that silently commanded silence, and she promptly fell silent.
As she observed the assembly of influential individuals from the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, Colddeath, and Ruby Hand converging on the scene, she realized, even in her naivety, that the cataclysmic events within the Land of Terror had drawn the attention of many powerful factions.
