C850 Evil King Reputation

In the Ashlar Basilica, shadows flickered.

A group of Skyblight Cult cultivators of varying levels encircled Lee Tihai, pointing and loudly hurling curses at him.

The burly elder leading them, Lyu Geng, even spat on Lee Tihai's face.

Left with no alternative, Lee Tihai gathered the three Glazed Lamps and tucked them into his sleeve.

"Yu Yuan, are you a descendant of the Evil King?"

Qi Nandou burst in, his face alight with excitement. "If you're the Evil King's descendant, then you're part of the Skyblight Cult! Yu Yuan, back in the Embers Sea, I felt an instant connection with you. I didn't understand why then, but now it all makes sense."

His delicate and handsome face beamed with irrepressible delight.

Those who had previously looked upon Yu Yuan with disdain outside the hall changed their demeanor entirely upon discovering his lineage to the Evil King, Yu Xi. Their gazes softened, and their attitudes shifted dramatically.

Yu Yuan himself was taken aback.

He had revealed the connection between the Yu family and the Evil King following Yan Qiling's advice, confident in doing so because he knew that the Evil King was embarking on the transformation into a God of Ghosts in the Land of Terror.

Protected by the Root of the Lunar Meridian and with the present circumstances, the newly ascended God of Ghosts was unstoppable.

Without concerns, he had boldly disclosed the link between the Yu family and the Evil King upon his arrival in Eshvehona.

Little did he expect that, seven hundred years later, the Evil King's influence within the Skyblight Cult would remain so formidable!

Having encountered White Bone in the Land of Terror, Yu Yuan had always perceived him as a reticent, stern, and aloof being. He could never have imagined the cult's members revered him to such an extent.

Merely revealing the ties between the Yu family and the Evil King had transformed what seemed an immensely troublesome matter into something much simpler.

"Lee Tihai!"

Lyu Geng, in the early period of the Solar Spirit Stage, and Chou Muge, at the peak of the late period, flanked him, blocking his path.

Outside the circle, over ten masters of the Lunar Spirit and Spirit Walk realms had already drawn their weapons.

"Hand over the three Glazed Lamps, now!"

Chou Muge allowed no room for negotiation. Extending his hand, he spoke, and miniature Spirit Swords, glowing with hues of green, snow-white, and scarlet, fanned out behind him like a peacock's tail.

Chou Muge practiced the Evil Sword Technique. The nine meticulously refined Evil Swords glimmered in the dim room.

Upon closer inspection, one could see inside the nine Evil Swords were five female phantoms of exceptional beauty, two specters shaped by the Terra Fiend, a seven-tailed white fox, and a tiny lightning snake.

The nine Evil Swords harbored nine souls.

Suddenly, a bloody gash appeared on the acupoint between Lee Tihai's eyebrows. He jolted, realizing his consciousness was becoming blurred. "Chou Muge! Don't use the Evil Sword Technique to dominate my soul!"

"You, a mere independent cultivator, had the fortune to join my Skyblight Cult!" Chou Muge said icily, "You're nothing but a mad dog. Act like one! But your audacity has gone too far, threatening the progeny of our former sect master and even employing the Soul-Igniting Kin-Seeking Technique. You're seeking your own demise."

"Immediately surrender the three Glazed Lamps!" Lyu Geng demanded furiously.

Lee Tihai was about to respond when a sudden pain struck his chest.

A seven-tailed white fox had stealthily slipped into his little world of vitality.

"Yu Yuan is a betrayer of the Everlands. He..." Lee Tihai cried out.

"He is he, and his mother is his mother!" Chou Muge cut him off, "If Yu Yuan turned his back on the Everlands, the Yu family should have disowned him! But the Yu family of Asvetaesi remains the descendants of our old sect master and should not suffer for this! Enough with the excuses. If you don't hand over what we want, don't blame me for my lack of courtesy!"

"Chou Muge, you wouldn't dare!" Lee Tihai suddenly became frantic.

The spirit within the Glazed Lamp belonged to Yu Yuan's mother, not to Chou Muge.

He understood Chou Muge well enough to know that once he acted impulsively, he wouldn't consider the consequences.

He was confident that he could obliterate Yu Yuan's mother's spirit before Chou Muge made his move, but that wasn't the outcome he truly desired.

What he wanted was for Yu Yuan to meet his end in Eshvehona!

But now, with Yu Yuan openly disclosing the ties between the Yu family and the Evil King, he was horrified to discover that nearly half of the cultivators in Eshvehona were leaning towards Yu Yuan's side.

It was only at this moment that Lee Tihai, a lone cultivator, realized the formidable prestige the Evil King, Yu Xi, still commanded within the Skyblight Cult, even seven hundred years after his death. He had so many followers willing to defy the current Sect Master, Yun Hao, for the sake of his progeny.

It was common knowledge that he was Yun Hao's lackey.

People like Chou Muge and Lyu Geng were especially clear on this point.

Yet, they continued to press him, showing no regard for Yun Hao's dignity.

Yan Qiling, always wearing an innocuous smile, hadn't anticipated the uproar that would ensue from Yu Yuan revealing his family's connection to the Evil King.

After some thought, he hatched a new plan.

He communicated via his spirit...

The bond between him and Yu Yuan was unique; as soon as Yan Qiling's remnant soul stirred, Yu Yuan immediately felt the connection and their eyes met. Yu Yuan instantly grasped his intent.

Yu Yuan nodded, then to Lee Tihai's astonishment, abruptly exited the Ashlar Basilica.

With a whoosh, he soared onto the roof of another building, as tall as the basilica, his brow furrowed as he surveyed the mountainous stronghold of the Skyblight Cult.

Yan Qiling had urged him to leave, suggesting that with Yu Yuan out of the hall, Lee Tihai would be emboldened.

His departure indeed made other matters proceed more smoothly.

"Yu Yuan?"

Qi Nandou glided after him, "Aren't you concerned about the basilica anymore?"

"I believe the outcome will be clear shortly," Yu Yuan replied, feigning composure as his gaze remained fixed on the distant peaks. "The current Sect Master should make his appearance before long, shouldn't he?"

"Mr. Yun hasn't returned yet," Qi Nandou remarked.

Yu Yuan let out a cold snort, inwardly noting that Yun Hao had even kept his own sect members in the dark.

At that moment, the Crucible of Evil that had settled into his Zigong acupoint silently emerged and suspended itself above his head.

"Hmm?"

As soon as the Crucible of Evil materialized, Yu Yuan sharply sensed the disturbance of numerous souls within the mountains.

Wuwu!

A mournful howl echoed from the mountain depths.

"What's happening?" Qi Nandou exclaimed, his expression one of sheer disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. He stared at the Crucible of Evil and said, "Why has this cauldron activated my sect's grand formation? I can even sense the movements of the Skytaint Orb!"

Yu Yuan didn't respond immediately. He was busy communicating with Yu Yiyi while attuning himself to the anomalies of the Crucible of Evil.

Soon enough, he grasped the situation.

"Those mountains..."

He extended his hand, pointing towards the Skyblight Cult's domain, "That area was once the territory of the Terror Claws! It was only after their downfall that the Skyblight Cult relocated there."

Within those mountains were numerous Bane, created by the early cultivators of the Terror Claws.

Following the sect's collapse, the Skyblight Cult moved in, seizing control of the Bane that belonged to the Terror Claws, and confined them. These Bane became the power source for the Skyblight Cult's grand formation.

The Skytaint Orb was the eye that commanded these Bane.

Now, after many years, the sect's treasured Crucible of Evil had reappeared, and the Bane that were meant to be governed by it instantly reacted.

They were jubilant, bellowing, and brimming with expectation.

Boom!

Lee Tihai's Ashlar Basilica crumbled to pieces, shattered by countless strands of black and white light.

Everyone inside the basilica was covered in dust and debris.

Yan Qiling remained spotless, hovering in the air, his smile unwavering.

Chou Muge now held three Glazed Lamps in his hand. He cautiously stowed them in his sleeve and, with an icy demeanor, said to Lee Tihai, "This isn't over yet."

Lee Tihai, his face twisted with rage, looked up at the mountains and bellowed, "The sect master has arrived. I'd like to see how you'll explain yourself!"

"The sect master? Has he returned?"

"Isn't Mr. Yun supposed to be in the Star River beyond our realm?"

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