C845 Anxiety

"Stay calm!"

Luo Yue's brow furrowed deeply, reading the near-madness in Yu Yuan's demeanor. "Don't act rashly. Whoever from the Fiend Sect is behind this spell, their aim is to bait you into leaving Horror Land."

The rise of the white bone had thwarted the grand designs of the three great upper sects, Devil Palace, and Demon Palace in their support of Mingdu.

Yu Yuan was the visible accomplice in their eyes.

Moreover, Yu Yuan had nearly caused Mo Yan's death by using the Soul Transformation Pool and a spatial passage.

Mo Yan was backed by Zhu Zhenxi, the second-in-command of the Demon Palace and a Primordial Spirit Stage cultivator.

Yu Yuan had disrupted the schemes of the upper sects and the Demon Palace, and had also crossed Zhu Zhenxi. Leaving Horror Land now would spell immense peril.

"I think I've pieced together what's happening."

Yu Yuan took deep breaths, striving to steady his emotions, yet the haunting vision of his soul aflame lingered in his mind's recesses.

Each time the vision surfaced, his heart clenched in pain.

The Fiend Sect must be aware of the Yu family's ties to the Evil King, Yu Xi. Their current leader, a direct disciple of the white bone, maintained close ties with Zhu Zhenxi.

Perhaps to curry favor with Zhu Zhenxi or to eliminate a potential threat, they employed the Soul Igniting Tracing technique, leveraging his mother's soul to compel him to step out of Horror Land.

Leaving Horror Land meant walking into a trap where death was certain in an attempt to rescue his mother.

Even having ascended to the Yin God Stage, wielding the Evil Cauldron and the sword sheath, his current power was no match for the Fiend Sect.

And with Zhu Zhenxi's covert backing of the Fiend Sect, the odds were even less in his favor.

"I get where you're coming from, but now's really not the time to leave," Luo Yue gently urged. "It's clear they've laid a trap, just waiting for you to spring it. You know as well as I do what's in store if you step out and get anywhere near that place."

"I'm aware," Yu Yuan muttered, agitatedly running his fingers through his hair. Crouching on the icy earth within Dark Mountain, his gaze occasionally flared with reckless ferocity. "I can sense it—if things keep up, she might be utterly obliterated."

"It would be best to wait until he fully transitions into a Ghost God," Luo Yue said with a gentle sigh. "Once he ascends, he's likely to seek justice for your mother. She is, after all, the Yu family's daughter-in-law."

"You've figured it out?" Yu Yuan asked, taken aback.

"The Evil King Yu Xi, your Yu family's forebear from seven centuries ago," Luo Yue confirmed with a nod. "He attained the Primordial Spirit Stage after his reincarnation. In a millennium, only a handful have reached that level. After reflecting on your sudden change of allegiance, I put the pieces together."

Tianzang had his suspicions, Luo Yue had her theories, and likely, the Kalpa Ghost King had his inklings by now.

Bai Gu no longer concealed his past; he revealed that once his seclusion ended and he achieved the Ghost God Stage, he would publicly reclaim his former identity as the Evil King.

"He's in deep meditation, and there's no telling when he'll emerge. My fear is that by the time he does, it may be too late," Yu Yuan lamented, feeling the onset of a headache.

"Their timing is no coincidence; they've calculated his seclusion to target you," Luo Yue observed, grasping the gravity of the situation. She urged Yu Yuan to keep a level head, time and again.

She remained in the cave, steadfast, not venturing out, worried that Yu Yuan might act impulsively.

Yu Yuan lost all desire to practice his cultivation, sitting on the ground, restless and uneasy.

In the days that followed, the Fiend Sect repeatedly employed the Soul Igniting Tracing technique, sending visions that allowed Yu Yuan to discern a rough location.

At the base of the Fiend Sect was a place known as Evil Town.

The town was under the sect's domain, a residential area for the sect members' families.

Many of the Fiend Sect's elders and disciples, when journeying across the Profound Sky Continent, would bring back beautiful women and men of modest means, those only at the Profound Break Stage with no prospects of further advancement, unworthy of joining the sect.

These individuals were settled in Evil Town.

His mother in this life was there, subjected to the powerful spells of a Fiend Sect cultivator. Through the threads of bloodline, he wielded secret arts to invoke a sense of connection within her.

Two more days passed, and an utterly spent Yu Yuan fell into a troubled sleep, only to be tormented by a nightmare.

Startled awake from his nightmare, he was drenched in a cold sweat and impulsively made an unwise decision.

"I'm heading to Evil Town."

His eyes met Luo Yue's, who stood vigil at the cave's entrance, his resolve ironclad. "I realize it's foolish, and I'm aware of the dangers ahead, but I must go. If I stay away and she perishes, the guilt will weigh heavily on me. It will fester into a demon within my mind, ready to erupt violently in the future."

"A mental knot spawns a demon of the mind... this demon..." Luo Yue pondered, then let out a deep sigh, "I'll go with you."

Having been the leader of the Voodoo Cult, her identity was now revealed, leaving her vulnerable to the current sect master and the Medicine God Sect should she depart from Horror Land.

In the realm of the Ghost King, she was a formidable force within Horror Land, where outsiders struggled to contend with her.

Whether it was Zhong Chichen or the current sect master, both at the Unrestrained Stage, they would find their powers diminished by the Great Dao in Horror Land, potentially falling to her hand.

Yet, the situation could change drastically once she stepped outside.

"There's no need; I'll leave by myself," Yu Yuan insisted, shaking his head. "Together, we'd only draw more attention, making us an even larger target."

"Foolish junior brother, the Soul Igniting Tracing has already been used. Thinking you can conceal your aura and identity is pure fantasy," Luo Yue chided with a stern glance. "The moment you step outside, if they employ that dark art again, they'll pinpoint your location instantly. Any attempt at disguise will be futile."

"I'll seek out an ally," Yu Yuan declared.

"An ally?" Luo Yue scoffed. "What kind of ally? A Primordial Spirit Stage cultivator? Even if you managed to enlist Zu Ann, it might be ineffective in Evil Town. The caster of the spell surely has the Fiend Sect Master's silent endorsement. Zu Ann wouldn't stand a chance against them there."

"Besides, this situation might also be entangled with Zhu Zhen."

Yu Yuan replied, "Senior Sister, you're well aware of the peril. Please, stay out of it. You know my destination. Once he emerges from seclusion and ascends to the Ghost God, just inform him of what has transpired."

Fully aware of the dangers that lay ahead, Luo Yue was adamant about joining Yu Yuan on his journey. Her determination touched Yu Yuan's heart, making him even more reluctant to let her face the peril.

"No way, I'm coming with you," Luo Yue declared with unwavering confidence. "If things go south, I'll just communicate with the Nether River and head straight back." She added nonchalantly, "Don't worry, if I can't save you, I won't stick around to see what happens to you."

Her casual tone belied the gravity of the situation; Yu Yuan was acutely aware that the Ghost King's escape technique wasn't foolproof. Should their adversaries lay a trap, sealing the heavens and earth with an array, her powers might prove ineffective.

"Alright, let's head out and take it from there."

Unable to dissuade her and anxious about his mother's condition, Yu Yuan gave in. A man and a Ghost King, they gathered their thoughts, exchanged a few words with the ghost creature in the guise of a monkey, and despite its protests, they boldly stepped out of Horror Land.

Outside, the world was a canvas of blue skies and white clouds.

"Yu Yuan!"

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