C841 The Ancestor of the Animate Dead!
"I'm not widely known for refining my primordial spirit and artifacts on that bright red star."
The killing intent that swirled around White Bone suddenly withdrew, and his skeletal form once again became translucent, radiating a precious light.
"Devil Palace, Zhu Zhenlin is among the few who are aware."
White Bone's voice was remarkably calm as he mentioned this, casting a casual glance toward the Devil Palace, "Mo Yan, turns out to be his offspring. And interestingly enough, he's at odds with you."
White Bone seemed to chuckle, "When I heard you had seized the Crucible of Evil from the depths of the Embers Sea—a prize that was rightfully his—I knew it was a case of mutual retribution."
Yu Yuan's curiosity was piqued, "Is there a hidden story?"
"I have no reason to conceal it from you," White Bone began to recount.
As the Shade King, he had developed a unique body tempering technique while transforming from a ghost in the Land of Terror.
He utilized Yin Qi and Shadow Moon Essence to refine his physical shell.
That very body, previously concealed within a little world in a crevice, rich in Shadow Moon Essence, was his Shade King form, ingeniously crafted by him with infinite potential.
This art was his original creation.
After his successful reincarnation as the Evil King, Yu Xi, he delved into the profound spells and arcane secrets of the Skyblight Cult. He merged these with the body tempering technique from his days as the Shade King to devise a magical method for using a corporeal body to animate the dead.
The Animate Dead technique could be applied to the remains of humans, evilkind, and Otherkin, as well as dire beasts.
Once reanimated, these corpses could be manipulated through mystique or possessed by his spirit, becoming formidable weapons in combat.
He taught the Animate Dead technique to a disciple of exceptional talent, albeit with a somewhat radical disposition.
But when he sought to promote this art, he faced vehement opposition from all the elders of the Skyblight Cult. Back then, some conservative cultivators from the upper sects, Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep deemed the practice of animating corpses as an affront to the natural order, even more extreme than the arcane practices of the Colddeath.
With many other masterful arcane techniques at his disposal, he chose not to dwell on the controversial Animate Dead.
He had issued a command forbidding that fervent disciple from continuing his research into the Animate Dead technique.
Yet, the disciple had become hopelessly addicted to it and had reaped considerable benefits from the Animate Dead, making remarkable strides in his cultivation at an astonishing pace.
The disciple held him in high regard, treating him as a father figure.
To avoid bringing trouble to the Skyblight Cult, the disciple voluntarily left to establish his own sect, even recruiting several young followers to delve into the study of the Animate Dead. In doing so, he inadvertently popularized this obscure and sinister art.
Later, for reasons unknown, Zhu Zhenlin from the Devil Palace approached his disciple, seeking the secrets of the Animate Dead technique.
His disciple, who had achieved significant success in the Animate Dead, refused Zhu Zhenlin's request.
Shortly thereafter, Zhu Zhenlin, on behalf of the Devil Palace, used the pretext that the Animate Dead was too extreme and should not exist in this world to execute his disciple and pursued all practitioners who specialized in the Animate Dead.
The Devil Palace deemed the Animate Dead a forbidden art, decreeing that any cultivator found practicing it would be executed without question.
At that time, the Evil King, as the leader of the Skyblight Cult, enjoyed a reputation that shone brightly.
Though the disciple had been cast out, the Evil King truly cared for him. Angered by his murder at the hands of Zhu Zhenlin and the subsequent persecution of those who studied the Animate Dead, he sought retribution, killing Zhu Zhenlin's disciple and his followers.
This marked the beginning of their enmity.
Back then, the Evil King had not yet formed his primordial spirit. He declared that once he achieved this milestone and solidified his cultivation, he would immediately challenge Zhu Zhenlin.
It was common knowledge that his so-called challenge was a response to Zhu Zhenlin's actions against his disciple.
Seven hundred years prior, he had dominated the Land of Quiescence under the moniker of the Evil King, feared and shunned by all. Even Zhu Zhenlin, despite being the Devil Palace's second-in-command, couldn't overshadow him.
Remarkably, he made good on his promise, and before long, he had successfully formed his primordial spirit.
His journey to the extraterrestrial Star River was undertaken to fortify his primordial spirit, using the psionic power of fine gold to purify his body and soul. Returning to the Devil Palace at the peak of his powers, he was ready to challenge Zhu Zhenlin.
The revelation...
"It must have been Zhu Zhenlin who somehow informed the powers of the extraterrestrial realms about my seclusion within that vibrant red star, leading to my being besieged."
Even after seven centuries, White Bone still spoke of these events with considerable agitation.
"My demise, along with the varying degrees of injury sustained by those five, inadvertently benefited the Devil Palace. They managed to obliterate a Sky Fiend nest and slay several Demon Gods," White Bone remarked with a huff. "Seven hundred years on, his son has repeatedly caused you trouble, likely suspecting your connection to the Yu family as my descendants."
His emerald eyes shone with intensity.
"To my surprise, you held your own against Mo Yan. Had it not been for that unexpected interference, Mo Yan might well have met his end at the Moonfall Sanctuary, torn asunder by the Sky Fiend."
A sense of satisfaction washed over White Bone as he spoke, his gaze twinkling with mirth.
"Speaking of which, the legacy of Animate Dead must still be intact." Yu Yuan recalled the individual he encountered on Rosy Cloud Island and the Ghoul King imprisoned in the Sword Prison. "I've met two practitioners of this arcane technique; they're likely the disciples of your disciples."
"I've caught wind of its continuity; the art has not been lost. However, my hand-chosen disciple is no longer with us." White Bone seemed indifferent towards the new generation practicing Animate Dead.
Shifting the conversation, he spoke with renewed pride, "As for the Yu family, you needn't fret over the Forgotten Ruins. Leave everything to me. Once I emerge from my seclusion as a God of Ghosts and assume dominion over the Land of Terror, I doubt many will dare to cross the progeny of Yu Xi."
In the realm of the God of Ghosts, one holds sway on par with a Dark Deity and a primordial spirit beyond the Land of Terror.
Within his domain, the Land of Terror, he is the epitome of invincibility.
Take the Untamed, for instance; within the Godsblight Marsh of the Everlands, there exists no challenger capable of besting him in single combat.
Upon ascending to a God of Ghosts, White Bone will join the ranks of the mightiest, like the Untamed, unbound by any person or power!
As long as he refrained from allying firmly with Boulderdawn and opposing the inhabitants of the Everlands, he would remain steadfast and unyielding.
Shadow's Keep, Devil Palace, and the other two upper sects were compelled to respect him and not interfere with Thylethlume.
"All Yu family offspring, once you have condensed your Lunar Spirit, are welcome to train in the Land of Terror," declared White Bone, his eyes shining. "Henceforth, the Land of Terror shall serve as a training ground for the Yu family's youth. As for you, focus on refining your Lunar Spirit here for now, and pay no mind to the outside world."
"After ascending to the status of God of Ghosts, I will gain true freedom. At that time, I will announce to the world that I am Yu Xi, the Evil King, and I will settle scores with Zhu Zhenlin."
White Bone was filled with a triumphant air.
...
On the periphery.
Cao Jiaze turned to gaze upon Cuion's domain, listening to the fragmentation of Shadow Mountain and noting the diminished stature of the once-majestic peak.
"Dhoreus has fallen first, unexpectedly."
Cao Jiaze's brow furrowed deeply, shocked that Dhoreus, once a ruler, had vanished so swiftly.
The cessation of the Styx's flow and the collapse of Shadow Mountain within its domain spoke volumes.
He had suffered an utter defeat.
For the first time, he tasted the bitterness of failure, a flavor alien to him. Shaking his head, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Boulderdawn, you truly are formidable. Even the Sect Master, who left nothing to chance, has stumbled this time, becoming a pawn in someone else's game."
Dhoreus's remains, encased in a shell, had been usurped by Tian Zang.
The Blood Altar he had refined turned out to be an artifact once owned by Tian Zang. When Tian Zang returned with Boulderdawn's aid and exposed his identity as a Sky Fiend of the Azurefiend, he realized his own defeat was inevitable.
He acknowledged his defeat, realizing that even the Sect Master could not foresee every outcome.
Whoosh!
As he quietly observed the convergence of Yin Qi in this realm, he glanced at White Bone's territory with astonishment and exclaimed, "The ultimate victor turns out not to be Tian Zang!"
Holding the Blood Altar, Tian Zang, who had the essence of a Ghost King for millennia, was defeated by White Bone.
Cao Jiaze was somewhat bewildered.
"Let it be."
Having come to terms with the situation, Cao Jiaze leapt into the air and dashed towards the outside world.
Moments later, the blue sky and white clouds reappeared in his view, the gloomy firmament a thing of the past.
"Disciple!" Han Qi stood up abruptly, gesturing from a distance, "What's the outcome? Did the Ghost King, Dhoreus, manage to slay White Bone and reclaim his former glory?"
With these words, all eyes turned to Cao Jiaze, eagerly awaiting his response.
"White Bone is destined to become a God of Ghosts!"
