C844 Evil Curse

The cries, laden with a desolate sorrow, seemed to be wrung out against their will.

Yu Yuan was certain he had never encountered such cries before; they were not from anyone or anything familiar to him.

By his estimation, the cries did not originate from the Land of Terror, nor the Moonfall Sanctuary, but rather from a place within the Land of Quiescence, neither too close nor too distant.

"How odd..."

Interrupted from his meditation by the cries, he paused.

With a swift motion, his Lunar Spirit snapped back into his body. Frowning deeply, he attuned himself to the sensation, eager to identify the source that had reached out to him from afar.

"It's not the sword spirit."

"It's not the Crucible of Evil."

His confusion deepened as he struggled to pinpoint the origin of the cries.

After much contemplation, the cries ceased abruptly, and further reflection yielded no insights.

Unable to resolve the mystery promptly, he chose to set it aside for the moment and proceeded with his spiritual practices. He continued refining his Lunar Spirit with Wraithbinding and sought to enhance his wisdom and intuition through Soul Forging through Enlightenment.

Having reached the Lunar Spirit Stage, he could project his spirit beyond his body within the Land of Terror, purifying his soul with Yin Qi—a tremendous fortune.

His Lunar Spirit, having been cultivated in the Land of Terror, was exceptionally favored, receiving an even purer and more refined Yin Qi during each cleansing. This was an opportunity he was not willing to let slip away.

Before long, he detached his Lunar Spirit once more and delved back into his training within the depths of Shadow Mountain.

It wasn't much later that the same plaintive cries pierced his Mindscape, conjuring a vague and chaotic vision.

In a dark and silent hall of gray stone, three Glazed Lamps burned, casting a grayish-green glow.

Trapped within the lamps' covers were the emaciated phantoms of three women, tormented by the flames, their cries of agony piercing to the core. The sound alone was heart-wrenching.

Beneath the Glazed Lamps, the lamp oil was a vivid red, like blood.

As the phantoms flickered with the candlelight, each twist and turn seemed to render them more insubstantial.

For reasons unknown, as this scene materialized in Yu Yuan's consciousness, he felt an acute empathy, as though his own three souls of heaven, earth, and man were being scorched by the gray-green flames.

The agony that the emaciated woman was enduring seemed to resonate with his soul across vast distances.

His soul itself throbbed with intense pain.

An unfamiliar, complex emotion suddenly welled up within him, making him feel as though each increment of her suffering magnified his own distress tenfold.

"No!"

He couldn't contain the roar that burst forth.

In the next instant, the vision in his mind vanished.

Upon awakening, he found the Lunar Spirit had returned, his forehead and neck drenched in sweat as though he had just endured a harrowing battle.

"Why is it that the woman is scorched by flames, yet I feel even greater pain?"

"Why do I struggle to maintain clarity when I hear her cries of agony? It's as if I'm on the brink of madness, ready to unleash destruction."

"I don't even know her!"

A torrent of questions overwhelmed Yu Yuan, leaving him without answers.

Over the following days, similar visions and experiences recurred.

Inside the Ashlar Basilica, the Glazed Lamp burned with grey-green flames, and the woman's phantom haunted him like a recurring nightmare.

His spiritual practice was abruptly halted, his focus shattered.

More troubling was the woman's phantom growing ever more ethereal, suggesting she might not last much longer.

"No, I must discover the root of this issue."

He rose from the base of Shadow Mountain and stepped outside.

In the distance, the towering Shadow Mountain, purified by White Bone, shone with radiant silver light, drawing in a powerful Yin Qi to aid White Bone in cleansing his body and transforming his soul.

He knew that when White Bone emerged from Shadow Mountain, the Land of Terror would manifest, birthing the legendary ultimate God of Ghosts.

The subterranean will was fully supporting White Bone in this monumental endeavor.

During this time, he was unable to reach out to White Bone or connect with the Root of the Lunar Meridian.

His link to the Soulforge Pool and the space bearing the ancient black inscription "To Know All is to Suffer All" was severed as well.

With the Way of Heaven having sealed the flaw in Dhoreus, the Root of the Lunar Meridian could now completely isolate this realm.

During the critical period when White Bone ascended to become a God of Ghosts, it was of utmost importance and sensitivity. No one was allowed to interfere, not even Yu Yuan himself.

"Mr. Yu, what can I do for you?"

The ghost, taking the shape of a Fox Monkey, suddenly materialized, bowing deeply and speaking with deference, "Lord White Bone has instructed me to fulfill any command you issue. I stand in for him. While he is in seclusion, feel free to summon me at will."

"Find Rahu for me," Yu Yuan requested.

"Right away."

With a nod and a bow, the ghost, who had witnessed White Bone's rise to divinity, cheerfully responded and then swiftly departed.

Yu Yuan settled himself to wait. Half an hour later, a streak of rainbow light sped across the sky and halted at the base of Shadow Mountain.

"Junior Brother, what brings you out so suddenly?" Luo Yue eyed him with a mix of annoyance and concern. "You've just reached the Lunar Spirit realm. You should cherish your time in the Land of Terror. The external strife doesn't concern you at the moment. You did listen to Tian Zang's parting words, didn't you?"

Tian Zang, before departing, had also emphasized the importance of cultivating in the Land of Terror.

This implied that the outside world was in too much turmoil, and even the Boulderdawn Sect couldn't manage the situation. For Yu Yuan, who had just advanced to the Lunar Spirit realm, remaining in the Land of Terror was unquestionably the best choice.

"I need to consult with you on a matter," Yu Yuan stated.

"You two discuss," interjected the Fox Monkey-shaped ghost, gesturing with his hands. "Mr. Yu, the Yin Qi here at my Shadow Mountain is the richest within our lord's domain. As you know, the lord is also in cultivation, so it's not advisable for you to enter now. However, if you wish to visit Lord Rahu's Shadow Mountain, you are free to do so."

"The lord has assured that no ghost in the Land of Terror would dare lay a hand on you."

It had misunderstood, thinking Yu Yuan was dissatisfied with its place of cultivation.

"That's not the issue," Yu Yuan dismissed with a wave of his hand, choosing not to elaborate and signaling for the ghost to leave. He then led Luo Yue towards Shadow Mountain. Before they entered, he suggested, "Senior Sister, should we cast a spell to create a soul barrier?"

"There's no need to be so cautious! Here, in White Bone's territory, and so close to his mountain, no one can eavesdrop on our conversation," Luo Yue chided, half-exasperated, half-amused. "White Bone is currently merging with the very essence of this realm. The aura is sealed; you're being overly cautious."

"Oh."

Yu Yuan stopped scratching his head and decided not to conceal anything further. He detailed the bizarre occurrences of the past few days.

Luo Yue's face turned dark and icy as he spoke. Yet, she didn't interrupt him, listening patiently until he finished.

"Senior Sister, do you have any idea what's happening?" Yu Yuan asked, reading her expression. "I don't recognize that blurry woman, nor have I ever heard her voice. So why does her mournful cry cause me such heart-wrenching pain?"

Luo Yue inhaled deeply, steadying her shaken soul, and explained, "That's the Skyblight Cult's nefarious technique—Soul-Igniting Kin-Seeking. It uses the woman's lifeblood as fuel. Once lit, it burns her soul to seek out her nearest kin—either her parents or her children."

"The technique, once initiated, sets the spellcaster's soul ablaze, inflicting unbearable agony."

"The spellcaster's closest kin, if their cultivation is of a certain level, will begin to sense it."

"That level is, at the very least, the Lunar Spirit realm."

Luo Yue paused, her words trailing off as she noticed Yu Yuan's expression contorting fiercely, like a keg of gunpowder suddenly ignited, on the verge of exploding.

"She, she, she and I are what?!" Yu Yuan's words were choppy, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.

"She is your birth mother," Luo Yue said with a gentle sigh.

"My, my mother..."

Yu Yuan's shaking intensified, as if an ice blade had been thrust into his sea of consciousness, bringing both pain and a chilling coldness, his heart a tumult of emotions.

In his previous life as Hong Qi, he was an orphan taken in by his master, ignorant of his parents and devoid of familial affection.

In this life, upon awakening, he had at last felt a hint of kinship from his grandfather, Hong Can.

He had also learned that his parents had ventured into the depths of the Frozen Hellscape to find a cure for his "dullness," never to return—most likely perishing in their quest.

Bai Shenshen of Sacred Hands had hinted at more to the story, yet she had not divulged any specifics.

Until now!

His mother had been ensnared by the Skyblight Cult's Soul-Igniting Kin-Seeking spell, her soul trapped within three Glazed Lamps, with her lifeblood fueling their flame!

He instantly grasped the connection between the Yu family and the Evil King, Yu Xi. The Skyblight Cult must have thoroughly uncovered their ties!

As a result, his father in this life had perished, and his mother had been left in such dire straits.

Initially, he felt he hadn't failed the Yu family. Apart from his grandfather Yu Cen, only a handful of relatives showed concern for him. He was aware that although he was Yu Yuan, he was more than just Yu Yuan.

Yet, at this moment, upon learning of his mother's plight, he felt an explosive rage surge within him!

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