C856 Rising Sharply!

Like a sharp sword, the peak pierced straight towards the heavens. Its entire body was a stark gray and white, devoid of any vegetation.

This peak stood out among the mountains, towering significantly higher than the rest.

The summit was smooth and flat, with no palaces or structures built upon it. A closer look revealed scattered rusted pieces of refined iron and fragments of meticulously polished stone.

Yu Yuan could tell that this peak was once graced with a grand palace, now collapsed and shattered, a casualty of the Terror Claws' downfall.

"Fiendpeak," Yu Yiyi, the cauldron spirit, cheerfully announced, revealing the name of the peak. Without waiting for Yu Yuan's command, she guided him to the Crucible of Evil, which then floated out autonomously.

The cauldron gently descended.

Then, as if by magic, it seemed to merge with the very heart of Fiendpeak.

Boom!

Dark magic power burst forth from the summit of Fiendpeak, and the gray-white mountain walls came alive with writhing glyphs, symbols of the soul's mysteries.

"Hmm?" Yu Yuan gasped in surprise, a profound and inexplicable sensation suddenly arising within him. He felt as though Fiendpeak itself had transformed into the Crucible of Evil.

Or perhaps, the Crucible of Evil was the soul of the peak.

As the Crucible of Evil returned, it was like a long-traveled soul finally finding its way back to its body...

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Then, from the direction of Eshvehona, he witnessed various Bane, each emanating violence, hatred, terror, and fear.

These Bane had been confined within the Skytaint Orb, under Yun Hao's control, as part of the Array of Unholy Might.

Now, by the command of Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian, Yun Hao reluctantly granted these Bane their freedom, allowing them to instinctively return to their origin.

They were returning to Fiendpeak.

"I wonder how much higher in rank these Bane are compared to those inside the cauldron!" Yu Yuan thought, his excitement palpable. He realized that the Bane now approaching were far superior to those he had refined in the Land of Terror, at least ascending to the fourth and fifth levels.

Yu Yiyi's cheers echoed in Yu Yuan's mind.

The addition of so many high-level Banes instantly became part of the cauldron, significantly elevating the Crucible of Evil's level and rapidly enhancing the cauldron spirit!

Yu Yuan quickly realized that his decision to leave the Land of Terror and head to Eshvehona had paid off handsomely.

His mother's soul was safely in the hands of Yan Qiling.

With assistance from Boulderdawn, he had taken up residence in Fiendpeak and acquired numerous powerful Banes from Yun Hao.

He could already envision the surge in his power due to the enhancements to the Crucible of Evil!

"These are very powerful soul spirits."

Luo Yue's eyes sparkled with amazement as she watched the Banes flow into Fiendpeak like streams into the ocean. She sensed that some of them were on par with the Spectres of the Land of Terror.

As a Ghost King, her perception of non-corporeal and illusory souls was incredibly sharp.

Banes were a type of soul spirit, and she had witnessed many alongside Yu Yuan in the Land of Terror. She quickly assessed that the Banes Yu Yuan had gathered were not only plentiful but also individually strong.

The Crucible of Evil was Yu Yuan's. With such an array of powerful Banes entering the cauldron, did this not mean Yu Yuan now had the makings of a Ghost King?

"The Skytaint Orb seems to be a copy of the Crucible of Evil, later crafted by the Skyblight Cult," said the portly Zhou You with a slight smile. "But it looks like the Skytaint Orb still falls short of the Crucible of Evil. The Skytaint Orb only serves to house the soul spirits of the Banes and apparently lacks the capacity to refine them."

Yu Yuan looked puzzled.

Zhou You continued with a smile, "The Crucible of Evil you possess once served a similar purpose in this realm as the Skytaint Orb, but it's clearly much more powerful."

With that explanation, Yu Yuan had an epiphany.

At its zenith, the Terror Claws must have had a protective circle akin to the Array of Unholy Might, with the Crucible of Evil as its lynchpin and control mechanism.

After the sect's fall, the neighboring Skyblight Cult, with the tacit approval of the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, had moved into this range of mountains.

This area still harbored numerous Banes, along with the intricate network and foundation of the array. The Skyblight Cult, seizing the moment, crafted a replica of the Crucible of Evil and forged a Skytaint Orb, which ensnared the Banes. They also brought in various goasts from the outside to modify the array's trajectory, transforming it into the present "Array of Unholy Might." Yet, the Banes that were once part of the Terror Claws didn't resonate with the Skytaint Orb. They were merely captives, coerced into channeling energy into the Array of Unholy Might by the Orb's power to sustain the rune circle's function. However, in the presence of the Crucible of Evil, they instinctively complied and accepted it, for the imprints etched into them at birth were designed to synchronize with the Crucible. In fact, many of them originated from the first level of the Crucible and gradually ascended, evolving into higher-order Banes.

"Entrust your mother's soul to me. When I return it, she will be whole," Yan Qiling assured Yu Yuan earnestly. "I must inform the Sky Fiend of more rules and make arrangements for them." With those words, Yan Qiling departed first.

At the mountain summit, Zhou You of the Skyreach Consortium grinned at Yu Yuan and cheerfully remarked, "Congratulations! Bringing you to the Land of Terror was indeed a wise choice." Yu Yuan shifted his focus from Yan Qiling, contemplating the three Glazed Lamps now in his possession, which eased his mind somewhat.

"Senior Zhou, what exactly is happening?" he inquired with curiosity.

"It's quite straightforward," Zhou You replied, not concealing his pride. "The mountains you see are set to be transformed into another Skyreach Consortium! The twist is, this Skyreach Consortium will extend beyond the extraterrestrial, engaging in trade with Sky Fiends and all manner of intelligent beings!"

His explanation mirrored Yan Qiling's. Yu Yuan's thoughts drifted to his former identity, and with a flash of insight, he grasped the full picture. "Is this President Lyi's vision?" he asked.

President Lyi, the former head of the Skyreach Consortium, presided over the organization's most rapid and illustrious expansion. It was also during his tenure that the Sword Prison plummeted from beyond the stars to the Godsblight Marsh, and by a twist of fate, upon Yu Yuan's arrival, those who were confined there gained their freedom one by one.

President Lyi was rumored to have mysteriously vanished amidst the internal conflicts within the consortium years ago.

"President Lyi's vision was to extend the Skyreach Consortium from the vast expanse of the Everlands to the extraterrestrial Star River, into the domain of the Sky Fiend, and across the lands of the various Otherkin," Zhou You said with genuine admiration and respect. "His ambitious idea clashed with the policies of the Three Upper Sects, the Devil Palace, and the Shadow's Keep. The old guard within the consortium couldn't stomach it either; they were too afraid to antagonize the five supreme forces."

With just a few words, Zhou You cleared up Yu Yuan's confusion.

President Lyi's aspiration to spread the Skyreach Consortium throughout the dazzling Star River and into the territory of the Sky Fiend contradicted the interests of the five supreme forces and lacked support from within the consortium. As a result, he became the former president.

However, his philosophy aligned perfectly with that of the Boulderdawn Sect, and the two naturally formed an alliance.

And this mountain range would become the Everlands' most unique Skyreach Consortium!

"Senior Zhou, I'd like to ask you to disseminate some information," Yu Yuan said after careful thought. "Given your influence, you should be able to quickly inform the sects of the Land of Quiescence that I, Yu Yuan, am the direct successor of the God of Medicine, Hong Qi."

Luo Yue was taken aback. "What are you planning to do?"

Zhong Chichen, the current head of the Order of Healing, wielded considerable influence in the Land of Quiescence. His disciple, Chu Yao, could mobilize many factions. What significance did Yu Yuan's revelation as Hong Qi's successor hold at this juncture? Wasn't it just inviting trouble?

"It's a trivial issue," Zhou You said with a light nod.

Having had numerous exchanges with Zu Ann, and observing his care for Yu Yuan, Zhou You had some inklings and wasn't surprised. "Just bear in mind, Zhong Chichen is far more formidable than Yun Hao. Also, I've heard whispers that the God of Medicine, Hong Qi, made many mistakes towards the end of his life, which tarnished his reputation."

"I see your point," Yu Yuan replied with a wry smile. "You're planning to establish a major trading hub here for all intelligent life, right? I intend to honor the legacy of the God of Medicine by practicing alchemy here and, depending on the circumstances, selling the pills I produce."

"It could be seen as a response to your philosophy."

...