C849 Tell Me Your Name!
"Yu Yuan..."
Chi Nandou hesitated, his words trailing off.
A thought stirred in his mind, rippling through his heart like waves on a lake. With so many eyes in Spirit Evil Town, he feared idle chatter and accusations of betrayal. Resorting to a sinister technique, he reached out to touch the still waters of Yu Yuan's heart lake.
He urged Yu Yuan to leave quickly, even revealing a vulnerable spot in the town's defenses.
Unbeknownst to him, Yan Qiling had already taken position in the Gray Stone Palace.
Chi Nandou suspected that even if Yu Yuan advanced to the Yin God Stage, causing trouble in Spirit Evil Town would bring no advantage.
"Your concern is noted."
Yu Yuan's response was quiet, his pace unbroken.
His gaze pressed Chi Nandou to drop the hesitations and simply lead the way.
"Ah."
With a sigh, Chi Nandou acquiesced. Yu Yuan's resolve left him no choice but to reluctantly guide him.
"Why would Lee Tihai resort to such dark magic on his own mother?"
"Could it be that Lee Tihai harbored a deep-seated grudge against the Yu family during his time as a rogue cultivator? Odd, I recall Lee Tihai's activities were mostly around the Crack Archipelago before the sect master introduced him to the sect."
"Has he really offended so few?"
The townsfolk of Spirit Evil Town watched Yu Yuan and Chi Nandou, murmuring among themselves.
Lee Tihai's notorious past as a rogue cultivator was no secret, even before he became a guest elder of the Fiend Sect.
Had it not been for his ascension to the Yang God Stage and the sect master's favor, the Fiend Sect's disciples would scarcely spare him a glance.
Using the Soul Igniting Tracing Technique to compel Yu Yuan to the Fiend Sect with his mother's spirit only deepened the mystery.
What was truly happening?
"Nandou, stay out here," commanded Chiu Muge's resonant voice from within the gray stone palace. "Let Yu Yuan come alone."
"Alright."
Chi Nandou nodded from outside the palace, gesturing towards the entrance. He leaned in and whispered to Yu Yuan, "Be cautious."
He surreptitiously pointed in a direction, informing Yu Yuan that if he wished to flee the Fiend Sect, that was the way to go.
Regrettably, Yu Yuan paid no heed to his well-meaning advice.
He stepped forward into the dimly lit grey stone hall, where three colored glaze lamps housed three emaciated soul shadows.
The scene mirrored the torturous images that had been forced into his Consciousness Little World—down to the last detail, without a single discrepancy.
Yu Yuan immediately concluded that this was the site where the Soul Igniting Tracing Technique had been performed, and he recognized the souls within the lamps as those of his mother.
A profound killing intent surged through him, and he fixed a fierce gaze on Lee Tihai.
Lee Tihai, like a specter lurking in the shadows of the night, shrouded the lamps with his presence. "Make any move, and she perishes. Boy, I'm aware you possess the Evil Cauldron. I also know that if the cauldron were to cover these lamps, you might sever the mental link between me and the Soul Seal."
"So, best not to attempt anything."
"The moment I detect the slightest irregularity, I will obliterate your mother's soul."
In Evil Town, Lee Tihai's confidence was unshakable.
He could faintly perceive a gaze rising from the deep mountains of Darkmoon, overlooking Evil Town, monitoring every move.
His confidence swelled in that instant.
"I hail from the Yu family of Darkmoon City, descendants of the Evil King, Yu Xi," Yu Yuan declared preemptively.
"What?!" Chiu Muge, a man of formidable presence, was staggered by Yu Yuan's claim. "Can this be true? The Yu family, descendants of the Evil King? You'd better not be spouting lies!"
There was only one Evil King—Yu Xi!
Throughout the Fiend Sect's history, many had led, but only one had the audacity to claim the title of Evil King.
For he had accomplished the extraordinary feat of condensing a Primordial Spirit in a mere three hundred years!
He stood as the most illustrious Evil King in the annals of the Fiend Sect!
Both Chiu Muge's mentor and the current sect master, Yun Hao, were his acolytes.
During the Evil King's reign, Chiu Muge's mentor was particularly favored and, seven hundred years ago, was considered the prime candidate for the next sect master.
Yet, following the Evil King's demise in the Outland Star River, Yun Hao ascended to the position of sect master with the backing of Zhu Zhen from the Devil Palace.
His mentor had followed in the footsteps of the Evil King, perishing in a battle amidst the Outland Star River, his soul shattered and scattered to the winds.
It was for this reason that Chiu Muge had always been at loggerheads with Yun Hao. Despite being a disciple of the Fiend Sect, he spent most of his time wandering the world.
At his core, he believed that his master was the rightful leader of the Fiend Sect's current generation.
Chiu Muge held the Evil King Yu Xi in high esteem and revered his own master, which is why he had little regard for Yun Hao. He was ostensibly a sect member, yet he lived as freely as a crane in the wild.
Upon discovering that the Yu family from Darkmoon City were direct descendants of the Evil King Yu Xi, Chiu Muge was profoundly moved.
"Lee Tihai!"
With a countenance as somber as a still lake, Chiu Muge's eyes blazed with intensity. "The Yu family, being descendants of the Evil King, what is your purpose in imprisoning Yu Yuan's mother's soul? And how dare you subject her to the Soul Igniting Tracing technique?!"
"The Evil King's progeny have forsaken the Boundless Land and allied with the Divine Soul Sect and the Outland Evil Demons; they are naturally our enemies," Lee Tihai retorted, prepared with his justification. "Chiu Muge, my actions are all in the service of the Boundless Land! I'll have you know that the Sect Master is also privy to this matter and has made the painful choice to put justice above familial ties!"
"Justice above familial ties?" Chiu Muge's temper flared.
Regardless of Lee Tihai's explanations, Chiu Muge had his suspicions about the Yu family's lineage as soon as he heard Yu Yuan's account. The circumstances of the Evil King, whom he so admired, condensing his Primordial Spirit only to fall among the stars in the Outland Star River, were suspiciously odd.
Through the years, he had pieced together many details from the myriad of hints he encountered.
He was also aware that the imprisonment of Yu Yuan's mother's soul was no recent affair.
Lee Tihai had been brought into the Fiend Sect to carry out certain dishonorable tasks that were inconvenient for others to undertake.
"The Evil King's descendant!"
Chi Nandou, who had escorted Yu Yuan, lingered outside the hall, overhearing the heated exchange within.
"Who is the descendant of the Evil King?"
A follower of Chi Nandou, unable to contain his curiosity upon hearing Chi mutter to himself, pressed for an answer.
The mention of the Evil King commanded the attention of every Fiend Sect cultivator.
"Yu Yuan, along with the Yu family from Darkmoon City, are our Fiend Sect's pride! They are the progeny of the former sect master, the Evil King Yu Xi!" Chi Nandou proclaimed.
That was the extent of the help he could offer.
"The Yu family descends from the Evil King, Yu Xi!"
Such a declaration sent shockwaves through the crowd.
All the sect members and elders in Evil Town were set abuzz by Chi Nandou's revelation. Even those who had intended to stay out of the fray were now converging on the gray stone hall where Lee Tihai resided.
To many in the Fiend Sect, the Evil King was a deity!
Under the Evil King's reign, the Fiend Sect had been mightier than the current Red Devil Sect and Blood God Cult. Upon ascending to the Primordial Spirit stage, he vowed to challenge Zhu Zhen upon his return from the Outland Star River.
The Evil King's leadership marked the zenith of the Fiend Sect's history, with its cultivators walking tall and proud.
In no time, the gray stone hall where Lee Tihai was located became impenetrable, besieged by a throng of people.
Crash!
The stone doors of the hall were shattered by a burly elder with a full beard. Ignoring Lee Tihai's furious glare, he barged in, "Lee Tihai, is the soul you've imprisoned that of the Yu family's daughter-in-law? How dare you employ the Soul Igniting Tracing on the Evil King's kin?"
"Lee Tihai, have you lost your mind?"
"Madness! Sheer madness! Knowing she's of the Yu family and a descendant of the Evil King, how could you be so reckless?"
The crowd was seething with excitement!
Among them were over a dozen figures, including those at the Yin God and Soul Wandering stages.
The burly elder at the forefront, an early-stage Yang God cultivator, had been content teaching his kin in Evil Town and had no interest in Lee Tihai's affairs. But the news that the Yu family were heirs to the Evil King was too much to ignore.
