C847 Uninvited Guest!
Eshvehona.
A palace constructed of gray stone housed three Glazed Lamps. Lee Tihai, with a withered expression and furrowed brow, muttered to himself, "Strange."
The flames within the Glazed Lamps had extinguished, leaving three slender and delicate phantoms to sway gently.
The dim and eerie hall was adorned with sinister images of demons and goasts.
Lee Tihai, who had reached the middle period of the Solar Spirit Realm, was a self-taught cultivator. Before his advancement to the Solar Spirit Realm, he roamed the Sundering Isles, engaging in a litany of heinous acts.
His brutal methods caught the attention of Yun Hao from the Skyblight Cult, who aided him in refining his Solar Spirit.
Upon entering the Solar Spirit Stage, the once independent cultivator was enlisted by the Skyblight Cult and became one of their counselors.
Yun Hao had extended a life-changing opportunity to him, and Lee Tihai was well aware that Yun Hao was his most significant support, the foundation upon which he could build his future breakthroughs.
As such, after his introduction to the Skyblight Cult, he became Yun Hao's most devoted follower.
A rabid dog, even.
He was clever, often understanding Yun Hao's intentions without explicit instructions, and would take initiative accordingly.
For instance, years ago, upon discovering that the Yu family from Asvetaesi were descendants of the Evil King, he relentlessly pursued any emerging cultivator from the Yu family.
Yu Ying was one such target, and Yu Jue another.
He refrained from quietly wiping out the Yu family only because he learned that Ann Wen from the Colddeath was covertly protecting them.
The Colddeath's bloody web had long been cast over Asvetaesi. After one attempt and a brutal lesson, he became much more subdued.
Still, he kept a watchful eye on any exceptional individuals from the Yu family who left Asvetaesi and the Silvermoon Empire.
"After more than a century, the Yu family has suddenly produced a string of talents. I managed to suppress Yu Ying, then Yu Jue emerged. And just when I thought I had curbed Yu Jue's influence, that foolish son of his has unexpectedly surfaced."
Lee Tihai's gaze darkened as he stared at the faint phantom within the Glazed Lamp.
Yu Yuan's ascent was both abrupt and swift.
Before he could even prepare, he discovered that Yu Yuan had effortlessly advanced to the Lunar Spirit realm, gaining the protection of the White Bone in the Land of Terror and forging a connection with Zu Ann of Skyreach Peak.
Recently, he had learned that Yu Yuan had nearly killed Mo Yan in the Land of Terror, an incident that had drawn the attention of Zhu Zhenlin.
Struck by a sudden idea, he concocted a sinister plan to use Yu Yuan's long-imprisoned mother as bait, forcing Yu Yuan to emerge from the Land of Terror and leading him into a trap at the Skyblight Cult.
He was convinced that Yu Yuan had become a significant threat to Yun Hao.
Eliminating Yu Yuan would not only curry favor with Yun Hao but would also please Zhu Zhenlin, the second-in-command of the Devil Palace—a win-win situation.
What puzzled him now was the dramatic shifts in Yu Yuan's location each time he employed the Soul-Igniting Kin-Seeking technique.
Yu Yuan's whereabouts fluctuated wildly, sometimes in the northern reaches of the Land of Quiescence, sometimes in the south, eluding any attempt at pinpointing his position.
He began to doubt the reliability of the Soul-Igniting Kin-Seeking technique.
Otherwise, how could Yu Yuan's location shift by thousands of miles in just an hour or two?
Irritated, he stepped out of the Ashlar Basilica and lightly settled on the eaves, gazing toward the mountainous home of the Skyblight Cult and tuning into the spiritual energy of Eshvehona and its connection to the Spiritvein.
The bells hanging from the eaves of the buildings in Eshvehona suddenly jangled urgently.
Lee Tihai's face tensed.
Shadowy figures emerged one after another from the closely clustered buildings. Hundreds of Skyblight Cult disciples and their families looked around bewilderedly.
The houses in Eshvehona were deliberately arranged, interconnected by underlying Spiritveins.
The clamor of the bells served as an alarm.
An intruder had stealthily entered, setting off the bells.
With a whoosh, Lee Tihai's remnant soul spread out like an ocean tide in all directions, seeking the one who had infiltrated Eshvehona and triggered the warning.
"Who dares to jest with the Skyblight Cult?"
A robust and hearty voice thundered from the building across from Lee Tihai.
There stood a striking middle-aged man, accompanied by five women of breathtaking beauty, on the high platform of the building. His eyes sparkled with the intensity of lightning as he bellowed, "Eshvehona may not lie within the boundaries of the Skyblight Cult, but it is common knowledge that Eshvehona is part of our dominion!"
"Sir, from whence do you hail? If you have matters to discuss with the Skyblight Cult, I implore you to reveal yourself. There's no need for secrecy, which only leads to unnecessary misunderstandings."
Lee Tihai breathed a quiet sigh of relief upon his appearance.
Chou Muge, a cultivator at the zenith of the late Solar Spirit Realm, was a mere step from the Unbound Realm.
He had a penchant for collecting beautiful women, was inherently licentious, and possessed exceptional combat prowess, surpassing Lee Tihai by two whole levels.
Chou Muge's mentor had perished in the Star River of the extraterrestrial realms. He and the current sect master, Yun Hao, were at odds.
It had been a long while since Lee Tihai had last seen him, and he was unaware of when Chou Muge had returned.
The five women by Chou Muge's side were in the prime of youth, yet their skills were subpar, and their talents were unremarkable.
Lee Tihai, dedicated to his pursuit of the Dao, viewed Chou Muge as neglecting his duties, indulging in his desires, and choosing nothing but decorative but useless companions. They did not see eye to eye.
Yet, Lee Tihai, harboring his own secrets, felt somewhat reassured at the sound of the alert and the sight of Chou Muge.
Despite his displeasure, Chou Muge was of a higher realm, stronger, and a member of the Skyblight Cult.
"Silent, are you? Must I compel you to reveal yourself?"
With a contemptuous huff, Chou Muge ignored Lee Tihai completely, conjured a vibrant green Spirit Sword, infused it with a drop of his lifeblood, and with a covert incantation, commanded, "Go!"
In an instant, the green Spirit Sword transformed into an enchanting young woman in a green dress, who giggled and glided toward Lee Tihai's pavilion like a playful Whisperling.
Lee Tihai's face turned pale with shock. "Chou Muge!"
"Why are you yelling? Are you blind? The intruder is right inside your room!" Chou Muge's face twisted with revulsion. "Don't think for a second that I'm unaware of your antics. The ruckus you caused using the Soul-Igniting Kin-Seeking was anything but subtle. I don't care whose soul you've been meddling with in secret, but you're the one who attracted this mess."
It was a mutual dislike; neither Lee Tihai nor Chou Muge cared for the other.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In a blink, both Lee Tihai and Chou Muge materialized within the Ashlar Basilica.
Three dim Glazed Lamps held captive three indistinct phantoms. Within one lamp, a soul mark belonging to Lee Tihai lay dormant. With a mere flicker of intent, the soul of Yu Yuan's mother trapped inside could be scattered to the winds.
There was no hope for rescue.
A young girl in a green dress, transformed from a Spirit Sword, hovered like a wisp of green flame above a man's head.
The man, clad in a black and white robe, was strikingly handsome, his lips curled into an easy smile. He faced Lee Tihai and Chou Muge with a serene composure as he introduced himself, "I am Yan Qiling."
He glanced at the sword-willed, green-clad girl above him and addressed Chou Muge, "I've come to seek Lee Tihai for a transaction."
He gestured towards the three lamps, "I wish to acquire this woman's intact three souls of heaven, earth, and man. We can negotiate a fair price."
"Yan Qiling?" Chou Muge racked his brain and then shook his head. "I've never heard this name. What sect do you belong to?"
Lee Tihai looked equally puzzled.
"Boulderdawn," Yan Qiling replied with a smile.
The revelation hit Chou Muge and Lee Tihai like a sledgehammer, leaving them utterly petrified.
It was as if thunder had echoed in their ears!
With the resurgence of the Boulderdawn Sect, the world could no longer conceal the once-dominant force that ruled the vast Everlands, commanding reverence from the three great upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep.
Lately, the name of the Boulderdawn Sect had been resonating with such intensity that it was impossible to ignore.
The current leader of the Skyblight Cult, Yun Hao, had come back early from his journey in the Star River beyond our world because he had a run-in with a powerful cultivator from the Boulderdawn Sect and was gravely wounded as a result.
Yun Hao retreated to his sect, seeking solace among the merged peaks to heal and regain his strength.
For cultivators at the Solar Spirit and Unbound levels, every utterance from the Boulderdawn Sect was akin to a nightmare.
"The Boulderdawn Sect?"
Lee Tihai stuttered, glancing at the three Glazed Lamps. A realization dawned on him, "Could Yu Yuan be connected to the Boulderdawn Sect? No, that's not possible! He's far too young and has never ventured beyond the Everlands. He couldn't possibly have had any contact with members of the Boulderdawn Sect!"
"Enough idle chatter. Name your price and release him," Yan Qiling interjected.
