C821 You Are Luo Yue

On the edge of the Land of Terror, a scroll fluttered in the wind.

As it neared the boundary of the Nether Reaches, a dazzling cosmic river materialized out of thin air, and from it emerged Dhoreus, the formidable Ghost King of the Nether Capital.

Alone, with no followers in tow, Dhoreus furrowed his brow as he regarded the scroll.

The scroll came to a gradual halt, accompanied by a sigh.

Whoosh!

Razses, the Ghost King, stepped out from the Soul Locking Diagram with a look of resignation and bowed respectfully, "Greetings, my lord."

Dhoreus regarded him with an icy stare, "Why are you leaving?"

"Lord, I have no desire to end up like Black Staff or Wintermaw, dead in this place," Razses replied, lifting his head to meet Dhoreus's gaze without fear. "I understand your intentions, my lord. You wish for all the Ghost Kings to perish in battle against White Bone. But I refuse. I am no longer a match for White Bone, and that's without considering Rahu at his side."

"You should be aware that even in death, I have the power to resurrect you," Dhoreus replied darkly. "You are not like Black Staff or Wintermaw. I hold you in high esteem; you have always been loyal to me. Their deaths are inconsequential, but I would not allow the same for you. Should you truly perish, once I ascend to become the God of Ghosts, I can bring you back to life."

Razses hesitated, then offered a wry smile, "I'd rather not die even once. Moreover, you can only resurrect a Ghost King once you've ascended to a God of Ghosts. But..."

He shook his head, "My lord, there's no guarantee you'll emerge victorious in the end. I'm not willing to gamble with my fate."

What solidified his resolve to depart was the disturbance Yu Yuan caused in the Ossuary while channeling the Soulforge Pool.

The assault of sword light and the invasion of black Soul Power into the heavens above the Land of Terror filled Razses with trepidation.

In that moment, he lost faith in Dhoreus's assured victory and resolved to steer clear of the conflict between Dhoreus and White Bone, forgoing any further schemes or waiting for an opportune moment to act.

"Razses, do you believe I will be defeated?" Dhoreus asked, his presence godlike as he loomed above, "You have been by my side before. Have you ever witnessed my defeat in the Land of Terror?"

"You've failed before, even in the extraterrestrial realms," Razses stated, not wanting to prolong the interaction. He bowed respectfully. "Please don't hinder me. You must realize that with your current strength, you're unable to stop me."

"Remember, once I ascend to become a God of Ghosts, you won't be able to return," Dhoreus warned.

"I'm aware."

With another deep sigh, Razses refrained from further comment. His spirited body, encased in the Soul Locking Diagram, slipped past the River of Souls right under Dhoreus's watchful eye.

And with that, he departed from the Land of Terror.

...

A storm was brewing.

Following the demise of the Black Staff and the two Ghost Kings of Wintermaw, numerous Spectres were annihilated by White Bone, leaving all the ghosts in the Land of Terror in a state of panic.

The territories once controlled by the fallen Spectres saw an uprising of ghosts who believed themselves strong enough to vie for leadership.

Many ghosts across various regions engaged in combat, leading to a cascade of deaths.

Ghosts, sensing the turmoil, began to leave stealthily, much like Razses had done.

The weaker ghosts, aware that leaving the Land of Terror would make them easy targets, chose to either seclude themselves in Shadow Mountain or hide deep underground.

Over time, sightings of Celestial Shades and Spectres in the Land of Terror became exceedingly rare.

Then, one day.

Cao Jiaze, seated atop a small Shadow Mountain with the Mark of the Celestials in hand, suddenly opened his eyes wide. "Yu Yuan, have you come to kill me?"

The Crucible of Evil appeared, hovering parallel to the mountain, a hundred meters apart.

Yu Yuan, standing above it, proposed, "We could also talk."

"Do you realize that since our paths crossed in the Land of Terror, I've had numerous opportunities to kill you?" Cao Jiaze asked, smiling.

After careful consideration, Yu Yuan acknowledged, "It appears that way."

"I've refrained from acting," Cao Jiaze admitted.

"Therefore, I've requested that you leave the Land of Terror and promised that you won't return for a year," Yu Yuan gestured with a respectful bow. "Just one year. After that, you're free to come and go as you please, and I won't interfere."

Cao Jiaze's expression shifted. "You know?" he asked.

Yu Yuan nodded. "I do. The one you're truly here to assist isn't the deceased Thoaos. Your mission is to aid Dhoreus in ascending to the status of God of Ghosts. I pose a significant threat to Dhoreus, so it's inevitable that you'll take action against me—it's merely a question of when."

"I haven't actually decided yet," Cao Jiaze said, his brow furrowed.

"I'd prefer to avoid any surprises," Yu Yuan replied, his gaze drifting beyond Cao Jiaze to the multitude of Lunar Spirit visitors from Euwrea behind him. "Therefore, I'd appreciate it if you would leave on your own accord."

"Yu Yuan! What gives you the right to speak to him with such audacity?" someone challenged.

"The young master of insignificant Asvetaesi, without a sect or a mentor. Do you truly believe that a stroke of fortune allows you to defy all rules?"

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

"I bet you wouldn't dare to step out of the Land of Terror. Once you do, you'll be besieged by the vastness of the Everlands. You're scared, aren't you? Fear won't help you. I refuse to believe you can hide in the Land of Terror indefinitely."

The cultivators intent on staying, all from reputed sects, heaped accusations upon him.

A Solar Spirit, a cultivator of the Unbound realm, would be subject to the Way of Heaven's constraints when entering the Land of Terror with their Lunar Spirit. Thus, most human cultivators could only venture into the realms of Lunar Spirit and Spirit Walk, allowing their Lunar Spirits to enter this place.

Yu Yuan's arrival in the Land of Terror during this critical period was surely an attempt to evade disaster. Yet, by chance, he found himself amidst the conflict between the Ghost Kings, aligning himself with the likes of White Bone and Rahu. And now, he had the audacity to demand that Cao Jiaze leave.

On what grounds?

"Rahu! What are you up to?"

Before Yu Yuan could respond, a piercing scream erupted. The crowd's attention was drawn to the scene unfolding behind Cao Jiaze, where they witnessed Rahu, the Ghost King, effortlessly trapping Chu Yao of the Order of Healing within his flower basket.

With a sly smile, Rahu watched Chu Yao futilely collide against the confines of the vibrant basket. "Save your strength," he taunted. "With your meager level of cultivation, there's no chance of escaping my Horcrux while in the Land of Terror."

"Why have you imprisoned me?" Chu Yao asked, puzzled.

Rahu simply smiled, offering no reply.

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

At this revelation, the faces of many cultivators present—including Chu Yao, Yu Yuan, and even Rahu—shifted with surprise. No one had anticipated that Cao Jiaze of the Ebon Star would disclose the truth so bluntly.

"Luo, Luo Yue? You're Luo Yue? That's impossible!" Chu Yao exclaimed, staggered by the revelation.

"Nothing is impossible. Her body had accumulated an excessive amount of poison, and for some reason, it spiraled out of control, resulting in an apparent death. But in reality, she had a contingency in place and managed to escape through her Lunar Spirit," Cao Jiaze explained, turning with a smile. "I warned you to leave earlier, but you were too greedy to listen."

Inside the flower basket, Chu Yao's Lunar Spirit thrashed about, causing the basket to radiate an unusual glow. "And you chose now to tell me?!"

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

Meanwhile, Yu Yuan's thoughts were in disarray.

Cao Jiaze had somehow pierced through Luo Yue's disguise. How had he done it?

The one who controlled the cycle of life and death was the Root of the Lunar Meridian. If Hong Qi's identity could be deduced, then surely Luo Yue's could not remain hidden.

Who could have learned of Luo Yue's past from the Root of the Lunar Meridian?

Dhoreus!

The thought of Dhoreus caused Yu Yuan's brow to furrow as an involuntary notion took root in his mind.

A moment later, the Will of the Root of the Lunar Meridian sent a message.

It informed him that both Hong Qi's and Luo Yue's identities had been exposed to Dhoreus due to the clandestine connection between the Root of the Lunar Meridian and Dhoreus.

Yet, in his first life, Dhoreus had been oblivious.

With the Root of the Lunar Meridian shrouded in secrecy, Dhoreus would have been unable to detect even the slightest clue, nor could he have guessed the Root's deductions. He was unaware of his other existence.

"Are you truly Luo Yue?" Chu Yao gasped in astonishment.

"Allow me to see if you had a hand in that affair years ago." Luo Yue's finger, glowing in the twilight, pressed against Chu Yao's forehead.

Chu Yao was as if struck by lightning, his Lunar Spirit utterly still.

Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled with intense curiosity. He called out, "Make sure you see everything clearly."

Luo Yue was employing the Mindflay mystique, delving into Chu Yao's soul in search of the most hidden secrets.

He too was eager to find out whether Chu Yao had meddled with the pill production in the past, and if so, by what means and methods.

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