C821 You Are Luo Yue

On the fringes of Horror Land, a scroll danced in the breeze.

As it neared the boundary of this eerie realm, a dazzling cosmic river materialized from thin air, and from it emerged the towering figure of the Mingdu Ghost King.

Alone, without his usual entourage, Mingdu's brow furrowed as he regarded the scroll.

It came to a gentle halt, accompanied by a weary sigh.

Whoosh!

Stepping out from the Mindlock Diagram with a look of resignation, the Initial Spirit Ghost King bowed deeply. "My respects, Lord."

Mingdu regarded him with an icy stare. "Why do you flee?"

"Lord, I refuse to meet the same fate as Black Staff and Cold Abyss," declared the Initial Spirit Ghost King, his gaze unwavering. "I understand your intentions; you desire all Ghost Kings to perish in battle against the white bones. But I have no wish to fall, especially not against an adversary like Luohou at his side."

"You're aware that even in death, I have the power to resurrect you," Mingdu said, his tone darkening. "You are unlike Black Staff and Cold Abyss; you are valuable to me, having once pledged your loyalty. Their deaths are inconsequential, but I would not allow such a fate for you. Should you truly perish, I can bring you back once I ascend to a ghost deity."

The Initial Spirit hesitated, then offered a wry smile. "I have no desire to die even once. Moreover, you can only resurrect a Ghost King after achieving ghost deity status. But..."

He shook his head. "Lord, victory is not guaranteed for you. I'm not willing to gamble with my life."

What solidified his resolve to leave was the commotion Yu Yuan had caused within the White Bone Territory, channeling the Soul Transformation Pool.

The assault of sword light and the encroachment of dark soul energy upon the heavens of Horror Land had filled the Initial Spirit, a Ghost King himself, with trepidation.

In that moment, he lost faith in Mingdu's assured victory, resolving to extricate himself from the conflict between Mingdu and White Bone, to forgo any further schemes or waiting for an opportune moment.

"Initial Spirit, do you believe I can be defeated?" Mingdu loomed over him with divine authority. "You've witnessed my reign in Horror Land. Have you ever seen me fall?"

"You've failed before, even beyond the heavens," said the Initial Spirit, not wanting to prolong the conversation. He bowed deeply and earnestly, "Please don't hinder me, sir. You must realize that with your current power, you can't stop me."

"You should remember, if you leave now, you won't be able to return once I ascend to ghosthood," Mingdu warned.

"I'm aware."

With another melancholy sigh, the Initial Spirit refrained from further words. His soul, enshrouded in the Mindlock Diagram, slipped past the Soul Crossing River right under Mingdu's watchful gaze.

And with that, he departed from Horror Land.

...

A storm was brewing.

Following the deaths of the Ghost Kings Black Staff and Cold Abyss, numerous titled ghosts were annihilated by the White Bone, leaving all the spirits of Horror Land in a state of panic.

The fallen titled ghosts, once believing themselves strong enough to claim leadership, now had their territories up for grabs by other ambitious spirits.

Many areas erupted in conflict as ghosts and spirits clashed, resulting in a surge of ghostly casualties.

Like the Initial Spirit, those who sensed the danger began to slip away quietly in increasing numbers.

The weaker ghosts, aware that leaving Horror Land made them easy targets, either sought refuge in the Dark Mountain or concealed themselves deep underground.

Eventually, sightings of the Heavenly Ghosts and the ghosts of Horror Land became scarce.

Then came the day.

Cao Jiaze, clutching a Heaven Palace Seal, sat atop a small Dwarf Mountain. His eyes, previously narrowed, suddenly flared open. "Yu Yuan, have you come to kill me?"

The Evil Cauldron drifted in, hovering alongside the Dwarf Mountain at a distance of a hundred meters.

Standing above, Yu Yuan offered, "Or we could talk instead."

"Do you realize that since I first encountered you in Horror Land, I've had numerous opportunities to kill you?" Cao Jiaze said, smiling.

Yu Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "It does seem that way."

"I've stayed my hand until now," Cao Jiaze stated.

"Therefore, I've asked you to leave Horror Land and promised that you won't set foot here for a year," Yu Yuan said, gesturing respectfully. "Just one year. After that, you're free to come and go as you please, and I won't interfere."

"You're aware?" Cao Jiaze's expression shifted.

Nodding, Yu Yuan replied, "Yes, I know. The one you're truly meant to assist isn't the deceased Cold Abyss Ghost King. You were sent here to aid Mingdu's advancement to ghosthood. I pose a significant threat to Mingdu, so it's inevitable that you'll target me eventually. It's simply a question of when."

"Actually, I haven't made up my mind yet," Cao Jiaze said with a furrowed brow.

"I'd rather not have any surprises," Yu Yuan remarked, his gaze drifting past Cao Jiaze to the Yin God visitors from the Heavenly Source Continent behind him. "So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave on your own."

"Yu Yuan! By what right do you speak to him with such disrespect?"

"The young master of Darkmoon City, with no sect or mentor to his name. Do you truly believe that a bit of fortune allows you to defy all laws?"

"Shouldn't it be you, Yu Yuan, who ought to leave?"

"I bet you wouldn't dare step out of Horror Land. Once you do, you'll be besieged by the forces of the Boundless Land. Are you scared? Fear won't help you. I refuse to believe you can forever take refuge in Horror Land."

The cultivators intent on staying, those from so-called reputable sects, heaped scorn upon him.

A Yang God, at the Unrestrained Stage, would be checked by the Great Dao for bringing his Yin God into Horror Land. Hence, most human cultivators could only operate within the Yin God Stage and Soul Wandering Stage, allowing their Yin Gods to venture here.

Yu Yuan's arrival in Horror Land during this critical period was surely to evade calamity, wasn't it?

And yet, by a stroke of fate, he found himself amidst a clash of Ghost Kings, managing to gain favor with the likes of White Bone and Luohou. Now he had the audacity to demand that Cao Jiaze leave.

On what grounds?

"Luohou! What are you up to?"

Before Yu Yuan could respond, a piercing scream cut through the air.

All eyes turned to the space behind Cao Jiaze, where they saw Luohou Ghost King deftly capturing Chu Yao of the Medicine God Sect within her flower basket.

With a sly smile, Luohou watched Chu Yao futilely batter against the confines of the resplendent basket. "Save your strength. Your meager level of cultivation means there's no chance of escaping my Soul Artifact here in Horror Land."

"Why have you trapped me?" Chu Yao asked, bewildered.

Luohou simply smiled, offering no reply.

"Because she is Luo Yue," Cao Jiaze interjected. "The former leader of the Voodoo Cult, Luo Yue."

At those words, a wave of shock washed over the assembly, including Chu Yao, Yu Yuan, and even Luohou herself. No one had anticipated that Cao Jiaze from the Profound Sky Sect would so bluntly expose the truth.

"Luo, Luo Yue? You're Luo Yue? No way!" Chu Yao was staggered by the revelation.

"There's nothing impossible about it. Her body was riddled with an excess of toxins, and for some reason, it triggered an uncontrollable outburst. It appeared as though her soul had scattered, but in reality, she had a contingency in place to escape with her Yin God," Cao Jiaze said, turning to face him with a wry smile. "I warned you to leave earlier, but you just had to be greedy."

Inside the flower basket, Chu Yao's Yin God was causing a commotion, making the basket radiate an unusual glow. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Sorry, I only just worked it out myself," Cao Jiaze replied, feigning innocence. "Besides, you're not going to die, so what's the rush?"

Meanwhile, Yu Yuan was also feeling unsettled.

Cao Jiaze had somehow uncovered Luo Yue's true identity. How did he manage that?

The one in control of the cycle of life and death was the source of the Yin Meridians deep underground. If Hong Qi's identity could be discerned through the Yin Meridians, then Luo Yue's was no exception.

Who could have gleaned Luo Yue's origins from the Yin Meridians' source?

Mingdu!

The thought of Mingdu caused Yu Yuan's brow to furrow, and an involuntary thought sprang to mind.

A moment later, the will of the Yin Meridians' source sent a message.

It informed him that both Hong Qi's and Luo Yue's identities had been uncovered by Mingdu due to a secretive connection between the Yin Meridians and Mingdu.

But in his first life, he was oblivious to Mingdu.

With the Yin Meridians concealed, Mingdu couldn't possibly detect even the faintest trace or deduce anything about the Yin Meridians' source, let alone know about his other life.

"Are you truly Luo Yue?" Chu Yao blurted out in disbelief.

"Allow me to check whether you had a hand in that incident," Luo Yue said, her finger touching Chu Yao's forehead amidst the halo of light.

Chu Yao was paralyzed, as if struck by lightning, his Yin God frozen in place.

Yu Yuan's interest was piqued, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He called out, "Make sure you see everything clearly."

Luo Yue was employing a soul-searching secret technique to uncover the most deeply buried secrets within Chu Yao's soul.

He, too, was eager to find out whether Chu Yao had meddled with his pellet back then, and if so, by what means and methods.

The following is the polished text: