C878 Soul Wood Puppet

Chu Jing chatted with Yu Yuan, sharing updates about his own circumstances as if they were mere small talk. Shortly thereafter, his attention shifted to the majestic figure before him, reminiscent of an ice goddess.

He observed the Ice Concubine effortlessly severing the Crimson Electric Snakes, releasing a frigid aura that conjured ice-blue flames. Her unique blend of aloof and eerie charm captivated the young powerhouse from the Spirit Void Sect, prompting him to give a subtle nod and whisper to himself, "No wonder..."

It was a little-known fact that Chu Jing and Mo Yan from the Devil Palace shared a close bond. They had undergone several joint trials in their early years, forging a profound friendship through life-and-death experiences. This bond was the reason behind their first conflict, which resulted in the damage to the Spectral Umbrella.

Mo Yan had narrowly escaped being transported to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area by Yu Yuan via a spatial channel in Horror Land, only to be rescued by his father, Zhu Zhen. While recovering from his injuries at the Devil Palace, Mo Yan reached out to Chu Jing using a secret method.

He described the stunning beauty of the crystalline Evil Demon within Yu Yuan's Evil Cauldron, expressing an admiration that Chu Jing found utterly incomprehensible. It was then that Chu Jing began to grasp the extent of Mo Yan's twisted obsession.

Mo Yan's message was clear: If you ever encounter Yu Yuan, you'd be better off letting the Evil Cauldron shatter than allowing that Evil Demon to perish.

Chu Jing had received a request from the Primordial Yang Sect and had agreed to intervene, partly to avenge Mo Yan. His plan was to capture the Ice Concubine and, when the opportunity arose, deliver her to Mo Yan.

"A fiendish demon more formidable than Qi Yunhong, and I must ensure its survival. This will be a war of attrition," Chu Jing mused with a hint of exasperation. "Thankfully, time is on my side. Once my Uncle-Master Chongxiao arrives, with his advanced Yang God Stage abilities, he'll surely stabilize any situation within my domain."

Lost in thought, Chu Jing, who was holding the large black umbrella, suddenly vanished as if a stone had disrupted his reflection in the water.

In the sky, the Crimson Electric Snake, a chaotic blend of lightning, light, and crystal, ceased its relentless assault on the Ice Concubine. It retreated silently, as though obeying a silent command.

"Save me!"

The soul of Qi Yunhong, clinging to the retreating crimson electric snake, wailed as if it had abruptly regained its sentience.

Yu Yuan remained stoic.

In an instant, the peculiar microcosm fashioned by the Illusion Pearl returned to tranquility.

"Qu Jing has concealed himself. To kill him, we must first flush him out. In this secret realm under his control, it's a challenge just to locate him if he refuses to appear," Qin Yun lamented. "And to shatter a space crafted by both the Illusion Pearl and the Spectral Umbrella is as arduous as ascending to the heavens."

Taoist Chongxiao was a perennial guardian of Spider City, a name Qin Yun recognized.

He understood that if Qu Jing's claims were true and the message had been broadcast, Taoist Chongxiao's arrival would signal the end for both him and Yu Yuan.

Their deaths would leave no trace, unknown to the outside world.

Thus, Mr. Yan and the Divine Soul Sect behind him, lacking solid evidence and unaware of the events, would find no grounds for retribution.

"Don't leave the cauldron!"

Yu Yiyi's urgent cry echoed in Yu Yuan's consciousness.

Yu Yuan, poised to exit the cauldron and scrutinize this enigmatic land, halted abruptly. "Is there danger?"

"The aura of the electric snake, born from Qi Yunhong's consumption by the 'Soul Igniting Lightning,' lingers close by," Yu Yiyi explained, maneuvering the cauldron in a slow rotation. "Stepping out of the cauldron would leave me vulnerable to the soul-shattering storms of lightning in the open sky."

Her words sent a chill through Yu Yuan.

"You've heard Chu Jing's proposition. Consider our options and how we might overturn this disadvantage," he urged the cauldron soul, sharing the weight of the dilemma.

He then swiftly composed himself, regaining his calm.

"The choices are clear: eliminate Chu Jing or shatter this small world..."

These were the options Chu Jing had presented as solutions to their predicament.

Yu Yuan pondered briefly before declaring with icy resolve, "Chu Jing has set two paths before me, baiting me to choose. They're surely traps. Whichever path I take, I suspect it will lead to despair."

"However, under normal circumstances, when one inadvertently stumbles into another's small world, there seem to be just two viable options to break free," Qin Yun remarked, furrowing his brow as he responded to the muttering he overheard.

"In my cauldron, there are tens of thousands of Evil Devils. Should they surge out and align in formation, there's a chance to shatter this confined space," Yu Yuan said with a grim expression. "Yet, frustratingly, this place is riddled with 'Soul Igniting Lightning.' And this lightning is the bane of soul spirits; the weaker Evil Devils didn't stand a chance—they were obliterated before they could even establish a formation."

Gathering Evil Devils was no simple feat, and they were destined for significant purposes in the future. He was loath to sacrifice them needlessly.

He had discussed the situation with Yu Yiyi and was aware that not just the Ice Concubine, who had already forged a physical form, but also Blood Moon and the Black Woman would meet a dire fate upon contact with 'Soul Igniting Lightning.'

In time, Blood Moon and the Black Woman could potentially manifest physical forms like the Ice Concubine had.

Possessing a body implied resistance; there would be no need to confront the lightning with their souls laid bare.

Contemplating his next move, he maneuvered the Evil Cauldron to bellow within this miniature realm, while the Ice Concubine retreated back into the cauldron's inner sanctum.

"This realm can endlessly morph and stretch at your will; we could search forever and never find its limits," Qin Yun quickly deduced. "Without a unique method, piercing the heavens is a Herculean task. Even if you wield that scabbard and unleash a formidable strike, should the firmament keep soaring upwards, your sword's radiance would never find its mark."

"Just as the sword's light will never breach the earth."

Qin Yun rolled up his sleeves, revealing a transparent red orb cradled in his palm, glowing with concentrated spiritual energy.

Inside the orb, a tiny speck of light emerged. It morphed into the shape of Yu Yuan, brandishing his sword towards the heavens.

As the speck and the sword's light ascended, the orb floated higher, ensuring that the light and the blade's gleam could never reach the orb's upper boundary.

"Now I see," Yu Yuan acknowledged, nodding. With this insight, he abandoned any thoughts of forcefully rupturing the boundaries of this world.

We need to figure out how to handle the 'Blazing Soul Electric Current.' Without the bane of those Evil Devils, releasing them all from the cauldron could give us a shot at breaking through this realm."

He stroked his chin, sending a thread of soul consciousness into the Universe Ring. Inside, he found Spirit Stones, a pill furnace, the Astral Shield, and a peculiar, palm-sized puppet.

"The Astral Shield is purely defensive. It's high-grade, but it remains unrefined."

"Even with refinement, the Astral Shield lacks the offensive might to shatter the space woven by the Illusion Pearl and Spectral Umbrella."

"The sword's keen light can't even graze the barrier's end, let alone strike true."

"..."

His attention eventually settled on the infamous Soul Wood Puppet, which had brought Fiend Sect its notoriety.

The face of the "Soul Wood Puppet" was indistinct, genderless, and small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.

"Let's give it a shot."

With a mere thought, the "Soul Wood Puppet" soared from the Universe Ring, landing snugly in his grasp, its head peeking out.

As his soul consciousness infused the puppet, his mind was flooded with ghastly visions of piled corpses and the wails of vengeful spirits.

It was as if his soul was traversing through myriad scenes of carnage.

"Ghosting Arts!"

Within his Consciousness Little World, his Yin God began to operate autonomously, a legacy of the Divine Soul Sect's secret arts. The myriad grotesque and bloodied visions shattered as if a mirror had dropped to the floor.

Simultaneously, his Yin God, forged by the "Ghosting Arts," effortlessly departed his flesh and merged with the puppet in his hand.

At that instant, Qin Yun, who had been observing, was visibly taken aback.

To Qin Yun's astonishment, the once vague features of the puppet in Yu Yuan's hand sharpened within seconds.

"Yu, Yu Yuan!"

The puppet's face had morphed into the likeness of Yu Yuan.

In Yu Yuan's hand was another, smaller "Yu Yuan."

This miniature, wooden "Yu Yuan" exuded an eerie presence, as though an ancient Evil God had silently roused from eons of slumber, poised to wreak havoc upon the living world.

"Master, Master?" Qin Yun whispered tentatively, his voice barely above a hush, "Are you still there? Is it still you?"

"Don't worry, it's me, of course, it's me."

The speaker was a diminutive, puppet-like form of Yu Yuan.

As it spoke, the true Yu Yuan closed his eyes and settled into the cauldron, slipping into what seemed like a profound slumber.

A wave of fear washed over Qin Yun, prompting him to instinctively step back and maintain a distance from this present incarnation of Yu Yuan. He even aimed the Azure Yang Arrow in his hand at the puppet-like Yu Yuan, demanding, "Who are you, really?!"

"I told you, I am Yu Yuan. There's no need for alarm," the puppet replied, its expression impassive.

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