C839 Elder Ancestor of the Yu Family

The Shade King, a peerless Ghost King, hailed from the same era as Dhoreus. Recognizing that he had reached the pinnacle of his ghostly form and could not ascend to the ultimate God of Ghosts, Youling made a resolute decision to reincarnate, taking his memories with him. Three centuries on, the Skyblight Cult witnessed the rise of an unparalleled prodigy, the Evil King Yu Xi.

Following his reincarnation, Youling became Yu Xi. Over the next three hundred years, he diligently cultivated until he reached the Primordial Spirit Realm. Rumor has it that after forming his primordial spirit, Yu Xi, eager to establish his might, embarked on a rampage through the Star River of the extraterrestrial realms. There, he was besieged and ultimately slain by a host of peak warriors from the Otherkin and the Sky Fiend.

In his final days, the Skyblight Cult, under the Evil King's influence, shone brightly, rivaling the Ruby Hand and Colddeath of that time. They were on the cusp of challenging the might of the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep. It was believed that had the Evil King Yu Xi returned victorious from the Star River and validated his strength against the Sky Fiend and Otherkin, the Skyblight Cult would have emerged as the third great power in the Land of Quiescence, with the Yu family ascending to become one of the preeminent clans of the realm.

Yet, who could have imagined that the formidable Evil King Yu Xi was, in fact, the Shade King from the Land of Terror, a millennium past? After his reincarnation, he truly achieved the cultivation of the Primordial Spirit Realm. Alas, his reign in the realm was ephemeral. Deep within the Star River, he fell to a coalition of formidable adversaries. By some unknown means, he managed to escape with a fragment of his soul, later to be known as the White Bone King.

Youling, the Evil King, Yu Xi, and now White Bone, were all one and the same.

"No wonder..."

The revelation from the Root of the Lunar Meridian cleared up numerous mysteries. Why did the White Bone favor him shortly after his arrival in the Land of Terror? Why did White Bone so steadfastly choose him? Naturally, White Bone knew he was Yu Yuan, a scion of the Yu family from Asvetaesi. To White Bone, Yu Yuan was nothing less than his own kin.

It's no surprise that White Bone often regarded Ann Ziqing with a hint of amusement in his gaze. Yu Xi, the Evil King, was the best friend of Ann Wen, Ann Ziqing's father. To him, Ann Ziqing was a younger member of his own clan. He was a man of few words, but with his experiences alongside Youling, Yu Xi, and his own myriad trials, what couldn't he see through?

Why did he fear nothing and dare to challenge Dhoreus? Because he had already achieved what even the Underworld City had not – he had cultivated to the ultimate realm of the primordial spirit as a human! The human primordial spirit stands above the Ghost King of the Land of Terror and on par with the God of Ghosts in the outside world.

Having witnessed the loftiest of vistas, his perspective and demeanor truly surpassed those of Dhoreus and the current Tian Zang. Tian Zang, in the guise of a Star-Spawned Terror, had only reached the level of a Demon God. It is the Great Demon God of the Sky Fiend that can match the human primordial spirit in strength.

Only a being of such legendary stature could secure the trust and support of the Root of the Lunar Meridian, and it was he who would contend with Dhoreus and Tian Zang for the title of God of Ghosts.

"Ancestor of the Yu family," he mused, as a cascade of thoughts passed through his mind. Clutching the sword sheath, he had come to a decision.

The River of Souls, now a dazzling Star River, blazed with ethereal white flames, purifying the ghostly remnants at the riverbed. This allowed the Undead, once confined by Dhoreus, to rest in tranquility, and it also enabled White Bone's remnant soul and the Horcrux to merge completely. At last, the presence of Dhoreus faded into obscurity.

Tian Zang, towering atop the Blood Altar, his deep blue eyes radiating astonishment and bewilderment, seemed unable to grasp why Yu Yuan had not unleashed the Spiritrend as commanded. That strike would have caused White Bone, who had absorbed the residual soul of Dhoreus, to suffer a severe backlash. With an additional push, Tian Zang believed he could have easily eliminated White Bone and ascended as the new sovereign of the Land of Terror. Yet Yu Yuan did not react as he had anticipated, maintaining neither silence nor calm.

"Why?"

As the white flames surged more fiercely, Tian Zang could no longer contain himself.

Yu Yuan chuckled wryly, shaking his head. "I have my reasons," he said.

"Ah."

The ferocity and cruelty that had marred Tian Zang's face vanished in an instant. He sensed the presence of White Bone permeating the entire River of Souls, slowly compressing and grinding down the Soul Power marsh that he had spread. Tian Zang realized that the situation was dire.

In the Land of Terror, the complete Root of the Lunar Meridian was without flaw.

White Bone, wielding the River of Souls and harnessing the Root of the Lunar Meridian's power, would see his combat strength soar without limit. Tian Zang was no longer his equal.

Had Dhoreus's death in the Nether Capital been a mere longing for demise, Tian Zang would not have feared, for he had contingencies in place. But Dhoreus had willingly fused with White Bone, allowing himself to be consumed and refined, passing on all the arcane knowledge of souls he had gleaned, and meekly surrendering control of the River of Souls.

This allowed White Bone to take it all in without any resistance or loss.

Against such a White Bone, Tian Zang was helpless.

"So close, yet so far."

With a heavy sigh of regret, Tian Zang's demonic form abruptly shifted into that of a gaunt, middle-aged man. Clutching the now-diminutive Blood Altar, he vanished from the River of Souls in an instant. Draping the Spawn of Chaos over himself like a flamboyant cloak, he was transformed.

The Spawn of Chaos enshrouded his lean frame, and the blue crystal in his grasp was the Blood Altar.

This was Tian Zang's true visage in the Land of Terror.

His body was lean and tough, his complexion dark, and his expression one of bitter grievance, as if the world owed him a great debt.

Elsewhere.

The resplendent Star River left in his wake was at last assimilated by White Bone, every minute detail imprinted with White Bone's distinct remnant soul.

Abruptly, the Star River condensed into a strip, morphing back into a belt that coiled around White Bone's waist.

Clutching the finely honed awl forged from Shadow Mountain, with the River of Souls twined about his waist, the radiance emanating from the depths of White Bone's green eyes was so intense it was nearly impossible to meet his gaze directly.

Anyone who locked eyes with him felt as though their soul was on the brink of being drawn into his gaze.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Inside White Bone's skeletal frame, it seemed as if the waters of the Styx were flowing, carrying thousands upon thousands of Shadow Moon Essence. These essences, like stars, mingled deep within his bones, empowering his body to boldly confront Tian Zang.

"Boom! Thunderous boom!"

Within a hundred-mile radius, towering Shadow Mountains either crumbled or rapidly shrank in size.

Following Dhoreus's death, the River Styx in the underworld had dried up. The region, now devoid of abundant Yin Qi, could no longer sustain the Shadow Mountains, causing the once-thriving area to resemble a castle in the air.

Taruer and Luo Yue, the Ghost Kings, watched the astonishing transformations with their mouths agape.

Had White Bone emerged as the ultimate victor?

Why did Dhoreus sacrifice himself for the seemingly weakest White Bone, and what compelled Tian Zang to voluntarily depart from the River of Souls?

Jiang Xingwen observed White Bone and Tian Zang stepping forward, her gaze following the Shadow Mountain that symbolized Dhoreus as it rapidly diminished. She bowed her head and wept softly, her cries going unnoticed.

"It's truly unexpected that a mere wisp of a soul from the past could grow so powerful," Tian Zang mused, his figure draped in a Spawn of Chaos cloak, the Blood Altar gripped firmly in his hand as he gazed at White Bone. "You were incredibly feeble when you first visited the Moonfall Sanctuary as a soul. Your intelligence, however, was remarkable. I've secretly observed you on several occasions and even offered you some advice."

What he referred to as remarkable intelligence was White Bone's soul, which had retained its complete memories. With the experiences of Youling and the illustrious life of the Evil King Yu Xi, how could he not be exceptional?

Such a soul, even the weakest, would naturally seem special and extraordinary.

White Bone responded in a voice both calm and detached, "Senior, I will never forget the kindness you showed me in the Moonfall Sanctuary."

"You know each other?" Taruer and Luo Yue asked in unison, astonishment in their voices.

"He once visited the Moonfall Sanctuary and spent some time cultivating there. I noticed his vibrant spirit and engaged with him a few times, increasingly recognizing his uniqueness," Tian Zang said with a smile. "He mistook me for the Sky Fiend Youqian, while I simply saw him as a clever soul."

"Senior, I'm honored by your high regard. However, when it comes to the pursuit of ultimate power, I have surpassed you," White Bone declared, his eyes gleaming with intensity. "In the annals of the Everlands, my influence is deeply etched. Once I ascend to become a God of Ghosts, Senior, you will realize that your defeat was not in vain."

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