C840 The Dust Has Settled
After shrinking, White Bone's small skeletal form stood upon the earth like a gleaming silver spear, its edge unmistakable.
Without making any overt display of his power, his current poise nonetheless led Taruer and Luo Yue to instinctively believe that if the Land of Terror were ever to choose a ruler...
It would undoubtedly be White Bone!
Not Tian Zang, nor the departed Dhoreus.
For White Bone possessed an air and charisma that set him apart.
It was only after Yu Yuan discovered that White Bone was actually the Evil King, Yu Xi, that he fully grasped why White Bone's ambitions for the throne seemed so natural.
Having cultivated his primordial spirit, White Bone had witnessed the pinnacle of power and had long been endowed with such insight and perspective.
"You've gone further than me?" Tian Zang's brow furrowed, his expression darkening as he sneered, "Since when?"
He had been both a Demon God and a Ghost King, his name once resonating throughout the Everlands at the zenith of his power.
What could possibly surpass his own achievements?
If the Land of Terror had never produced a God of Ghosts, there was only one other possibility — the primordial spirit!
White Bone spoke with a detached tone, as calm and undisturbed as still water, "After Youling, before White Bone."
Between the era of Youling and himself lay the path of those who had reincarnated!
To cultivate the ultimate primordial spirit within a human form!
Seeing White Bone's demeanor, no one could believe he was spouting mere fantasies.
Thus, not only Tian Zang but also Taruer and Luo Yue were profoundly moved.
The three great Ghost Kings immediately surmised the astonishing truth from White Bone's declaration.
"Who exactly are you!?" Taruer's voice quivered with astonishment.
Luo Yue, equally startled, asked, "You've succeeded?"
White Bone nodded gently.
Luo Yue's eyes sparkled, her whole being suddenly aglow with vitality, "So it's true, then! The path of reincarnating from the state of a Ghost King to a human, and walking the journey once more, is indeed viable!"
Before White Bone, no Ghost King had proven this path to be feasible.
Luo Yue's previous hesitation stemmed from a lack of confidence, as there had been no definitive proof.
But now, with White Bone's own admission, it was as if a beacon had illuminated her path, confirming its viability!
If White Bone could achieve it, then Luo Yue, undeterred by the elusive Path into Shadow, would not hesitate to seek rebirth as a human and embark on the quest to attain the primordial spirit!
Holding a flower basket in her hand, she bowed to White Bone. "Please look after me when I embark on that journey."
"It's part of the agreement," White Bone replied with a nonchalant air.
Luo Yue felt a profound sense of relief and refrained from further comment. Instead, she began to dream about the marvels of her swift ascension after reincarnation, her memories intact.
"From this day forward, I, Taruer, will honor you above all!"
The individual within the beehive had finally resolved their inner turmoil and now offered a respectful fist-and-palm salute to White Bone.
A cultivator who had reached the pinnacle of the primordial spirit realm deserved her respect and allegiance!
In that moment, Taruer came to the realization that in the ancient conflict between Youling and Dhoreus, it was Youling who had truly prevailed.
Even as they ventured into the far reaches of the extraterrestrial Star River, the Ghost King's might had its limits.
No matter how formidable the Ghost King was, it remained just that—a Ghost King, not the epitome of power.
In contrast, Youling, who had forsaken all ties to the Land of Terror to be reborn as a human, had managed to forge a primordial spirit, ascending to the heights of a Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator!
Such a cultivator represented the pinnacle of power, an entity capable of clashing with any of the Otherkin deep within the cosmos!
How many primordial spirits had the human race witnessed in their illustrious history? Against all odds, White Bone had succeeded, surpassing both Dhoreus and Tian Zang long ago!
Thus, regardless of subsequent events or the reasons behind Youling's transformation into White Bone, he remained a victor.
He had blazed a trail!
"I see," mused Tian Zang, the Ghost King, after a lengthy contemplation. He was considering which of the fallen primordial spirits from the past millennium could possibly rival White Bone.
Before long, he arrived at a conclusion and grasped the truth.
Tian Zang's gaze shifted toward a distant extraterrestrial location, then he cast a glance at the Skyblight Cult's position and inquired, "Could it be?"
White Bone nodded once more.
"If that's the case, you're correct—I accept my defeat gracefully," Tian Zang conceded, surprisingly free from regrets. "Since it's you, the one I serve should be able to come to terms with it as well. After more than seven hundred years, you must know the true nature of that battle, right?"
White Bone's eyes, a chilling green, conveyed his understanding. "I understand."
"Hehe, glad to hear it!" Tian Zang chuckled heartily. "I hereby relinquish the title of God of Ghosts! As I did a thousand years ago, I will depart the Land of Terror, no longer heeding your commands nor requiring your favor."
"That suits me well," White Bone responded.
"From this moment forward, we are not adversaries," Tian Zang added.
"The future is beyond my foresight," White Bone replied, his gaze sweeping over the earth beneath them. "I am united with its will. Its future choices are unclear to me."
"Neutrality would be preferable," Tian Zang mused, looking down before raising his eyes to meet Yu Yuan's. "I've come to understand your unspoken troubles. The outcome is tolerable. For the time being, it would be best if you remained in the Land of Terror a while longer."
Given that White Bone was the Evil King, Yu Xi, and an ancestor of the Yu family, what was there to hold a grudge about?
Yu Yuan refrained from drawing his sword, opting instead to use Spiritrend as an attack, which was quite a concession.
"Yes, I will stay and continue my cultivation for a while longer," Yu Yuan agreed.
"By the time you emerge, the Everlands may have undergone earth-shattering changes," Tian Zang said with a twisted smile. "Then, the three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep may no longer dominate this world."
With a boisterous laugh, Tian Zang, adorned in the Spawn of Chaos, soared away until he was no longer in sight.
"I need to speak with Yu Yuan," White Bone stated, casting a glance at Taruer and Luo Yue. "If you have no other business, return to your respective domains. I will enter seclusion to assimilate the powers I've gained from Dhoreus. Once I emerge, I should have ascended to the God of Ghosts realm."
His demeanor suggested that becoming a God of Ghosts, an unprecedented feat in the Land of Terror, was as effortless as dining or quenching one's thirst.
Luo Yue and Taruer exchanged knowing looks and respectfully nodded, promptly departing the domain.
Taruer, acting on instinct, also took Jiang Xingwen's Lunar Spirit with him, sparing her the risk of her soul fading into oblivion amidst her sorrow.
Soon, within a hundred-mile radius, aside from Yu Yuan and White Bone, there were no other sentient souls.
"Did it speak to you?"
White Bone, with a flick of his wrist, tossed the sharp awl he was holding into the distance. The awl transformed into a radiant silver arc, traveling from Cuion's domain to his own.
Yu Yuan understood that where the awl landed, the towering Shadow Mountain, White Bone's place of cultivation, would rise once more.
"Yes, Evil King Yu Xi, ancestor of the Yu family."
Yu Yuan gave a wry smile, "It seems it must have also mentioned to you that I can't fully be considered your descendant. In my past life, I was Hong Qi, the God of Medicine. Due to a mishap in my reincarnation, I ended up as a member of the Yu family in Asvetaesi."
"Fate has its designs," White Bone said, his green eyes twinkling as if he were smiling. "The issue you encountered was simply the delayed return of the heaven soul and earthly soul. Regardless of success or mishap, you were destined to become Yu Yuan of the Yu family, my nominal successor."
After a moment of reflection, Yu Yuan nodded in agreement, "Indeed, that's the case."
"This is the bond between us." White Bone's gaze was filled with satisfaction. "To have someone like you emerge in the Yu family after me is quite unexpected. From the moment you came into my view, I knew who you were. Our destinies were intertwined."
Yu Yuan felt a mix of emotions.
Now aware that he was the Evil King, Yu Xi, and the ancestor of this life's Yu family, Yu Yuan felt somewhat uncomfortable, his interactions tinged with restraint.
I see you as a comrade-in-arms, yet you've always seen yourself as an ancestor...
With this thought, Yu Yuan's expression became rigid.
"When I forged my primordial spirit and ventured into the Star River beyond our world, I wasn't as reckless as the rumors suggested," White Bone said, his eyes deep and voice chilling. "I intended to proceed cautiously, gathering the scarce magical items from the Star River to refine my weapons and soul."
"But I was never given the chance."
"Upon entering the core of a star for the first refinement, I was abruptly besieged by two Demon Gods and three chiefs of the Otherkin. I was thrust into battle, inexplicably becoming the quickest to fall after ascending to the level of the primordial spirit."
As the conversation reached this point, White Bone was enveloped in a tangible aura of murderous intent.
Wisps of this intent swirled around him, coalescing into a star as crimson as blood.
Suddenly, the star burst apart, and he awoke, bewildered, to find himself completely encircled.
A brutal skirmish erupted in an instant, without any forewarning.
Despite his formidable strength, having recently ascended to the realm of the primordial spirit, he was overwhelmed by the joint assault of five adversaries of equal or greater power. He was powerless to resist.
Escape was a lost cause.
But fortune was on his side. Once known as the Shade King, he was a master of numerous arcane and secret techniques of Spirit Magic. In the moment of his explosive demise, he cunningly dispatched a strand of his spirit to safety.
Thus, White Bone was reborn.
