C820
In the resplendent palace, all the formidable figures who had convened fell into a hushed silence.
They harbored no fear of Yu Yuan; deep down, they even held him in contempt.
Yet, White Bone and Rahu were both at the esteemed level of Ghost King.
They had witnessed firsthand White Bone's slaying of Wintermaw and Black Staff. They were acutely aware that the newly ascended White Bone King was at the zenith of his power.
Who would dare to challenge White Bone while wielding the power of a Lunar Spirit?
"What about you?" Cao Jiaze turned and regarded Chu Yao from the Order of Healing with a composed gaze. "I'm aware of your desire to gather Shadow Moon Essence. You wouldn't dare covet the Essence on me. You're after the portion refined by Yu Yuan. Only with sufficient Shadow Moon Essence can you aid your master in concocting a pill."
"Are you still intent on waiting? Waiting for Yu Yuan's demise before you extract the Shadow Moon Essence?"
He saw right through Chu Yao's scheme, and his look towards Chu Yao took on a probing edge.
Unknown to others, he could communicate directly with the Dhoreus and had learned many secrets through this connection.
For instance, the current Rahu Ghost King was none other than Luo Yue, the former leader of the Poison Cult.
And he was privy to the fact that it was Chu Yao who played a pivotal role in Luo Yue's transformation into Rahu Ghost King, not Zhong Chichen. This was a detail even Luo Yue was oblivious to.
"Are you confident?" Chu Yao maintained his composure and inquired, "You've never tasted defeat. Wherever you are, whatever you're involved in, you ultimately triumph. You haven't withdrawn, so... do you have another ace up your sleeve?"
At his words, many who were considering retreat perked up.
Indeed, who had ever bested Cao Jiaze of the Ebon Star Sect?
Through countless challenges and conflicts among sects, the name Cao Jiaze had been spoken with reverence by the current Sect Master of the Ebon Star and had since echoed throughout the Everlands. He had never known defeat.
In similar circumstances of the past, had he not always emerged victorious?
"Stay or go, the choice is yours," Cao Jiaze said with a carefree smile, no longer gazing into the distance. He stepped out of the palace and sat atop the modest height of Shadow Mountain. "I'll be waiting."
...
Whoosh!
In the desolate, frigid wilderness, the Crucible of Evil whistled as it shrank to a fraction of its size, becoming as small as a cluster of black light. Perched at the mouth of the cauldron was a miniature Yu Yiyi.
A force, targeting the soul, emerged, drawing out a ghost adorned with two pairs of black and purple wings from beneath the earth, hurtling straight toward Yu Yiyi.
Yu Yiyi, now in a white dress instead of her sackcloth, ran her fingers over the folds of her skirt, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
She paid no mind to the ghost being drawn into the Crucible of Evil.
"With the Master's creation of a Lunar Spirit, the pace at which my forgotten memories return has quickened. It's odd; despite not having gathered enough Bane, I..."
As the ghost spirit entered the cauldron, she was aware that another fourth-level Demon General was about to be born.
It didn't concern her.
What she found peculiar was the sudden, inexplicable surge in her power, which seemed utterly illogical.
After some reflection, she pinpointed the change to the moment Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit had first manifested itself outside of his corporeal body in the Land of Terror.
From that instant, her long-dormant memories began to resurface as if a veil had been lifted.
As the dreary expanse of the Land of Terror's sky succumbed to an enigmatic psionic power, her sackcloth transformed into the long dress she had longed for.
She discovered she could now mold her spirited body and soul at will, sculpting her features and visage to her liking.
She had assumed that gathering thousands, or at least several thousand Bane, would be necessary to craft her spirited body into a form that satisfied her, to bring the face she envisioned to life.
Yet, some force was hastening her metamorphosis, fostering her growth.
The rank of the Crucible of Evil had advanced several grades, and with it, her spiritual wisdom, her power, and her synergy with the cauldron all improved significantly.
"Could this be a boon from the Root of the Lunar Meridian?"
Yu Yiyi was utterly perplexed and couldn't come to a solution when she suddenly felt Yu Yuan's presence and joyfully called out, "Master, I'm right here."
...
Yu Yuan soared through the sky effortlessly. The technique was straightforward, involving the interconnectedness of the upper, middle, and lower elixir fields. Soul Power flowed downward while spiritual energy moved upward, traveling through a vein to the Profound Gate acupoint in the middle elixir field, where it merged with his vitality.
As if by second nature, he ascended into the sky, using his remnant soul to navigate and his spiritual energy and vitality for propulsion. Flying at the Lunar Spirit Realm was incredibly simple, posing no challenge whatsoever.
What delighted him even more was that the seven acupoints in his chest, opened by the Shadow Moon Essence, granted him additional strength, making him feel as light as air.
He was only slightly slower than the Ghost Kings, White Bone and Rahu.
"Different realms offer unique vistas and sensations," Yu Yuan mused inwardly while conversing with the cauldron spirit and savoring the thrill of flight. "To be able to soar on my own is indeed a worthwhile achievement."
In his past life, he was confined to using tools to traverse the skies. This freedom of flight, unaided by the Crucible of Evil or any external means, was an entirely new experience for him.
"Once you return to the Everlands, your flight will be slower," Rahu said with a smile, glancing back at him. "The Shadow Moon Essence has been a significant boon to you."
"I'm still not clear on what the Shadow Moon Essence actually is," Yu Yuan admitted, puzzled.
"Think of the Shadow Moon Essence as you would the Celestial Ice Crystal. The Celestial Ice Crystal is found only at the very depths of the Frozen Hellscape, a highly pure crystallization of ice force, brimming with wondrous powers. Unlike the Styx, the Shadow Moon Essence is cultivated within the Root of the Lunar Meridian," Rahu clarified.
After pondering Rahu's explanation, Yu Yuan gained a basic understanding. "Originating from the Root of the Lunar Meridian, it's no wonder it's so mystical and capable of withstanding the fierce cold winds of this realm."
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Inside the small world of vitality, the Altar of Rebirth, resembling a blood-red crystal, suddenly quaked violently.
Yu Yuan, engrossed in the thrill of flight, felt a sharp pain in his chest and plummeted from the sky.
Crash!
He struck the ashen earth, creating a human-shaped cavity surrounded by a web of cracks.
Emerging from the hole with a grim expression, Yu Yuan turned his gaze to the orb of blood light at the Profound Gate acupoint and said somberly, "Cao Jiaze possesses something with an incredibly terrifying vitality."
It was akin to the tumultuous surge he had sensed before entering the Ossuary—a fierce tremor of vitality that caused the Altar of Rebirth to spiral out of control and his own vitality to become wildly erratic.
"Cao Jiaze will be tough to handle," Rahu remarked gravely.
"I can be quite tough myself," Yu Yuan replied with a smile.
Responding to his summons, the Crucible of Evil swiftly arrived from afar. Having mastered the art of flight, Yu Yuan conserved his strength and leaped into the cauldron with ease.
"Let's seek out the Mark of the Celestials."
A subtle shift in his consciousness and he sensed a change in the cauldron spirit.
Yu Yiyi had withdrawn back into the cauldron's small world, yet he could distinctly see her refined features, her simple white gown, and her delicate, slender form. Her eyes sparkled with an extraordinary vivacity, radiating energy and the essence of life, as if she were a newly awakened being.
Simultaneously, White Bone and Rahu also cast astonished glances at the Crucible of Evil.
Their perceptions were even more acute...
In the brief time since they had parted, the transformation of Yu Yiyi's soul within the Crucible of Evil was palpable to the two Ghost Kings, as if Yu Yuan's earthly soul had ascended to a Lunar Spirit.
"Thank you, Master," Yu Yiyi expressed with gentle gratitude from within the cauldron. "I'm not sure what transpired, but it seems that recently, as you forged the Lunar Spirit, I truly awakened. Though my memories have not returned, I feel transformed. I am certain that my change is due to you, Master."
The cauldron was already making its way toward Cao Jiaze's location.
Yu Yiyi continuously shared with Yu Yuan the wonders of the Land of Terror, emphasizing the importance of preserving the Root of the Lunar Meridian and the unbreakable rules that governed it.
It wasn't her first time venturing into the Land of Terror, nor was it a new experience for the Crucible of Evil. She remembered coming here before, but the details of what had transpired were lost to her.
However, as her memories began to resurface, the sealed memories of the Land of Terror came flooding back, even though other parts remained elusive. These recollections dated back to a time before Dhoreus came into existence, when her former master sought to gather a substantial amount of Bane for the cauldron.
She recounted that her former master had encountered the Root of the Lunar Meridian many years prior. The meeting was far from cordial, resulting in her master being driven away by the Root of the Lunar Meridian.
"I hope it won't hold a grudge against you for that," she expressed with concern.
