C838 Sacrificing My Life for Justice

Yan Qiling's message subtly shifted the scales in his heart toward Tian Zang.

Within the Star River, a vast expanse of silver-gray Yin Qi stretched out, concealing the details of the conflict. Neither Luo Yue nor Yu Yuan could discern the intricacies of the skirmish without venturing deeper.

All they could do was wait.

The fierce battle among the three Ghost Kings was clearly not something that would be resolved quickly.

Yu Yuan waited while also making several attempts.

Each time, he managed to establish a mental link with the Soulforge Pool and that peculiar little space. This bolstered his confidence, leading him to believe that even if Dhoreus emerged victorious, he would still have something to rely on.

Whoosh!

A massive beehive whizzed from Taruer's domain, swiftly coming to a halt beside Luo Yue. The voluptuous Queen Bee sashayed to the entrance of the beehive, her figure shrouded in a protective haze. "Rahu, what's your choice?" Taruer inquired.

"Me?" Luo Yue touched her nose and flashed a charming smile. "I'm not choosing sides. What about you?"

"Whoever emerges as the victor, I will pledge my allegiance to them," Taruer stated bluntly. "If Dhoreus survives, my loyalty will be to Dhoreus. If White Bone is the sole survivor, then I will follow White Bone. And if Tian Zang overpowers the others and becomes the God of Ghosts in the Land of Terror, I'll heed his commands, no matter his past."

She added with a touch of sorrow, "Someone with a fate like mine can only hope for a chance to survive in this way."

"Fence-sitters will always be fence-sitters," Luo Yue retorted with a hint of scorn. "But as long as you don't entertain delusions of competing for the title of God of Ghosts and stay sharp, you should be safe."

"Say what you will, being a fence-sitter is better than being dead," Taruer responded, gazing intently at Yu Yuan.

She was astounded by Yu Yuan.

Tian Zang had appeared in the Land of Terror, an unbeatable force, dismissive of all, yet he seemed to favor this young man. What extraordinary charm or magic did this youth possess?

Was it really just the recognition from Boulderdawn and the alignment with the Moonfall Sanctuary's array that warranted such preferential treatment?

It defied logic, and she was skeptical.

"Dhoreus..."

A slender, ethereal figure drifted out from Shadow Mountain, elevated by Dhoreus's presence.

Jiang Xingwen appeared frail and worn, her gaze betraying her unhealed wounds. After surveying her surroundings, her eyes settled on the "River of Souls," where she detected Dhoreus's presence.

"So it's you," Luo Yue scoffed, her face growing cold. "You're aware that Dhoreus is using you, aren't you?"

Yu Yuan's brow creased slightly.

The sword sheath in his hand, infused with strands of sword will and light from the River of Souls, conveyed a wealth of messages, allowing him to piece together parts of the truth.

The Moon Slayer cultivator had a profound connection with Jiang Xingwen's mentor or her family's ancestors.

This connection was so deep that the sword will and light left by the Moon Slayer could discern her origins from Jiang Xingwen's aura, tempering the sword's will's fierceness on her behalf.

It also meant that Dhoreus, even before ascending to Ghost King, was in a much better state, able to arrange many things with ease.

But did Jiang Xingwen herself understand the full extent of what was happening?

"Used? I volunteered, so how can it be considered being used?" Jiang Xingwen's Lunar Spirit flickered, her face ashen as she spoke with a mournful look. "Lady Luo, you've never been in love with a man, have you? Do you understand that when you love someone, you can sacrifice everything for them?"

Luo Yue was taken aback, silent for a moment.

Taruer seemed to be stirred by memories. She had intended to echo Luo Yue's derision of Jiang Xingwen, yet she held her tongue.

As a woman, Luo Yue might never have experienced love, but as the former Queen Bee of Shadow's Keep, she had once been consumed by it.

Sadly, the valiant man she adored paid her no mind.

"Yu Yuan, has that accursed Green Willow truly returned from the Sword Prison?" Taruer suddenly glared at Yu Yuan as if seized by a fit of madness. "What business did you have in Godsblight Marsh? A character like Green Willow deserves to be locked away in the Sword Prison for eternity!"

These words were spoken through gritted teeth, seething with hatred.

Yet, Yu Yuan pondered them carefully and seemed to have an epiphany. "Lord Taruer, do you have some history with Lord Green Willow? Oh, I recall Lord Green Willow once saved me outside Afnetalos. Also, I believe Lord Green Willow would also endorse Tian Zang becoming a God of Ghosts."

Luo Yue had a sudden realization, wondering if Taruer's earlier remarks about Tian Zang becoming a God of Ghosts, and her subsequent compliance, indicated her own desire for Tian Zang's ascension.

Would she then follow Tian Zang's lead and naturally become a part of Boulderdawn, aligning herself with Green Willow?

"Green Willow is my sworn enemy!" Taruer exclaimed.

"Understood."

Yu Yuan and Luo Yue exchanged glances, both fully aware of the situation.

Jiang Xingwen hovered nearby, incessantly whispering "Dhoreus," suggesting a secret soul connection with the Ghost King that allowed her some insight into his condition.

Her face twisted in anguish, as if she sensed impending doom, and after a moment, she burst into tears, crying out, "No!"

Yu Yuan and Luo Yue could not discern what was transpiring in the distant brilliance of the Star River, nor could they understand the cause of her emotional outburst.

"Alas, let it be..."

The voice of Dhoreus echoed from the depths of the River of Souls, filled with a fondness and reluctance to leave this world.

"No! Please, no!" Jiang Xingwen desperately tried to approach the dazzling Star River.

Taruer, with a furrowed brow and a hint of compassion, reached out through the void, forcibly pulled Jiang Xingwen back, and flung her into a cave within the hive, admonishing, "Stop seeking death. You cannot meddle with powers of that magnitude."

"Dhoreus, oh Dhoreus!" Jiang Xingwen continued to call out.

But her voice gradually faded, muffled by Taruer's suppressive force.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, the thick Yin Qi that had been flooding the Star River vanished without a trace.

Below them, the River Styx, corresponding to Dhoreus, ceased its flow and began to dry up.

In contrast, the River Styx beneath the White Bone Territory within the Ossuary was expanding at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The power that Dhoreus had lost became constrained, and the once stagnant River Styx swelled with the might of the White Bone, surpassing even its former glory at its peak.

Within the River of Souls, the eyes of White Bone turned a vivid green once more.

Clusters of ghostly white flames intertwined mysteriously with the myriad phantoms deep within the River of Souls. In that moment, he appeared to have usurped Dhoreus, becoming the new sovereign of the River of Souls.

The white flames burning within him no longer carried the essence of purifying tainted souls but instead nourished the departed, granting those souls once bound by Dhoreus a semblance of transcendence, a chance to re-enter the cycle of life and death under the renewed dominion of the Root of the Lunar Meridian.

The Way of Heaven was restored!

The Root of the Lunar Meridian, once corrupted and twisted by Dhoreus, was made whole again as Dhoreus, in a final act of self-sacrifice for the greater good, relinquished his life to empower White Bone, thus replenishing the Way of Heaven that had been lacking.

Dhoreus, once regarded as a toxin within, had perished, and it was as though a long-standing ailment had finally been treated.

"Yu Yuan, could you lend your strength and pierce those white flames with your sword spell?" Tian Zang, with his sapphire skin and razor-sharp teeth, momentarily regained his sanity atop the Blood Altar and implored Yu Yuan, "White Bone is at a critical juncture, refining the souls of Dhoreus. If you wield Spiritrend now, he surely won't withstand it! You know you're one of us!"

Luo Yue and Taruer turned their gazes sharply toward Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan, gripping his sword sheath, felt a flicker of hesitation at Tian Zang's entreaty.

Tian Zang stood for Boulderdawn, for the bronze coffin.

Perhaps, he also stood for Yu Yuan's former self.

Yu Yuan sensed that if he heeded Tian Zang's advice and unleashed Spiritrend with full force, White Bone might indeed falter under its might.

Yet, recalling the care White Bone had shown him since his arrival in the Land of Terror, Yu Yuan found himself reluctant to draw his blade.

At that moment, the will at the Root of the Lunar Meridian sent a covert message.

Upon sensing this message, Yu Yuan's intention to draw his sword was utterly extinguished.

"The former life of White Bone was none other than the Yu family's ancestor, the Evil King, Yu Xi!"

...