C884 Qu Jing Died!

Yu Yuan smiled and said, "No need for formalities."

The existence of the soul puppet had created a unique bond between him and Qi Yunhong.

Though the madman had departed, he had left behind a shadow of his soul.

This shadow shared an enigmatic link with the Lunar Spirit.

Before placing the soul puppet into the Cosmos Ring, Yu Yuan sensed that Qi Yunhong would remain eternally loyal to him.

The magical constraint upon the soul astounded Yu Yuan; the Skyblight Cult's soul puppet was even more sinister and dreadful than the myths suggested.

Rumor had it that one could only control another by capturing the three souls of heaven, earth, and man, or a transformed Lunar Spirit.

The bond would dissolve once the other's soul departed.

Yet, why did a mysterious soul mark, akin to a shadow imprint, linger, allowing Qi Yunhong's Lunar Spirit to still exert influence through the soul puppet even after merging back with his original form?

Qi Yunhong's gaze, filled with reverence and genuine obedience, didn't seem feigned.

Could this object truly warp a person's soul and consciousness?

Yu Yuan marveled in silence.

"Handle Qu Jing's remains; I'm going to check on Qin Yun."

Yu Yuan, having descended into the Crucible of Evil, retraced his steps back towards the Midnightshields.

Qi Yunhong watched him leave. Once the dark cauldron vanished, he inhaled deeply and murmured, "The true master must be the immense phantom I witnessed within the puppet. Only a being of such caliber would disregard the Ethereal Void Sect without any mental reservations."

Qu Jing's demise had greatly unsettled him.

He could already anticipate that soon, the Ethereal Void Sect's powerhouses, each Sage among them, would emerge from seclusion, determined to bring about Yu Yuan's end.

"The wrath of the Ethereal Void Sect should prove quite intriguing. Now, let's see what the artifact soul of the Spectral Umbrella has to reveal."

...

Shortly thereafter.

Yu Yuan, piloting the Crucible of Evil, returned to the lands of the Midnightshields. There he found Huang Ming, also in the early stages of Spirit Walk, Qiao Yunyu, and several others of the Lunar Spirit realm. The remaining members of the Midnightshields had all sustained various degrees of injury.

Huang Ming, whom he knew well, looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his body charred and still emitting thick smoke.

Another, whom Qin Yun had mentioned should be Qiao Yunyu's cultivator, appeared to have been scorched by intense flames, his face twisted in agony as he earnestly pleaded with Qin Yun for mercy.

It was likely Qi Yunhong who had inflicted the lightning strike on Huang Ming, while Qiao Yunyu had been wounded by Qin Yun.

"Young Master!" Upon seeing Yu Yuan approach, Qin Yun's face broke into a wide smile. "Did you manage to frighten Qu Jing away after injuring him?"

With the Frost Queen present, along with the numerous Banes contained within the Crucible of Evil, and the sword sheath, he believed that Qu Jing of the Ethereal Void Sect must have been at a significant disadvantage.

"Qu Jing is dead," Yu Yuan declared.

At these words, every cultivator within the Midnightshields' domain froze in place as if under a spell. The air was heavy with the sound of their stifled breaths.

Qin Yun's face went blank. "Dead, really dead?"

"Yes, I killed him. His soul has been utterly destroyed, leaving no chance for rebirth," Yu Yuan stated in an indifferent tone, without a hint of urgency. "He tried to use the Illusion Orb and the Spectral Umbrella to silently kill me in that secluded little world. Unfortunately for him, he was outmatched and I ended up taking his life."

Yu Yuan felt no remorse for killing Qu Jing; he saw nothing improper about it. If Qu Jing could attempt to kill him, why shouldn't he be able to retaliate?

"Truly, is he actually dead?" Qin Yun asked, his lips quivering.

"Completely dead. Qi Yunhong is dealing with his remains and has also subdued the artifact soul of the Spectral Umbrella," Yu Yuan replied.

With those words, all the Midnightshields cultivators looked at Yu Yuan as if they were staring at a ghost.

Who was Qu Jing? The foremost among the seven lower sects, the pride of the Ethereal Void Sect, the direct disciple of the Sage Lingxu, and the anointed next Sect Master!

Qu Jing, the prodigy who had the full backing of the Ethereal Void Sect, had died just like that?

The Ethereal Void Sect would surely not let this pass without consequence. They could almost envision the Ethereal Void Sect mobilizing its full might, scouring the world to pursue Yu Yuan, along with Qin Yun and Qi Yunhong.

The return of the Boulderdawn Sect and the monumental changes in the Everlands hadn't yet reached their level of awareness.

They assumed that Yu Yuan of Asvetaesi had run out of good fortune and his luck was about to end.

"Qin, my friend, you should leave quickly. Don't bring disaster upon us," Huang Ming said, his face contorted in a grimace worse than tears. "Let me be clear, it's not us who've been against you; it's Yang Chuhe! He's the current Sect Master, so we have no choice but to obey him."

"After Yang Chuhe was injured by Tong Laoqian, we've had no idea where he's been hiding to heal."

"Qin, you've made your point and shown your strength, so please, don't make this harder for us. I implore you, leave the Midnightshields as soon as you can—for our sake and your own."

Huang Ming believed that with Qu Jing dead, Qin Yun and his young master, Yu Yuan, stood no chance of survival.

He feared that the wrath of the Ethereal Void Sect would spill over onto the Midnightshields, dooming them all.

"Are you being too lenient with these Midnightshields folks?" Yu Yuan's brow furrowed. "Their stares are making me uncomfortable."

While speaking, he covertly reached out to Yu Yiyi, intending to unleash a portion of the Bane to ensure the Midnightshields' onlookers would never forget this encounter.

"Young Master, let it be. Midnightshields has my hard work invested in it," Qin Yun interjected. "They're right; the one who's been targeting me is Yang Chuhe. And since Tong Laoqian has scattered him, we don't know where he's hiding."

"Let's go! We'll leave first!"

Qin Yun dove into the Crucible of Evil, tugging at Yu Yuan's sleeve urgently, "Take Qi Yunhong with us and get out of the Crimson Sun Empire as fast as you can. Huang Ming told me your mother has awakened in the Serpent Spine Mountains, so Mr. Yan must be there too. Along with Mr. Yan, Liu Ying, Tong Laoqian, and others have also headed to the Serpent Spine Mountains."

"She's awake..."

Yu Yuan's attention was successfully diverted.

The cauldron also began to drift away from the territory of the Midnightshields.

Watching the Crucible of Evil fade into the distance, Huang Ming and Qiao Yunyu, both in the early stages of Spirit Walk, looked visibly relieved and let out a deep sigh.

"Do you think what he said is true or false?" Qiao Yunyu asked with a hint of skepticism. "Qu Jing is renowned throughout Euwrea, second only to the geniuses of the upper sects. Plus, Qu Jing is a late-stage Lunar Spirit cultivator with powerful artifacts at his disposal."

"Could that guy be bluffing?" Wu Nanting, a member of the Midnightshields, wondered aloud.

"He could have claimed that Qu Jing was gravely wounded by him, even that his Lunar Spirit was shattered. But he said Qu Jing is dead, that his soul has scattered!" Huang Ming's face was grave. "Death isn't something you can easily lie about. We must inform the Crown Prince of Qu Jing's death immediately!"

"He's actually dead!" Wu Nanting exclaimed in shock. "How could he dare?"

"This lunatic! He really did kill Qu Jing!"

"He and the entire Yu family will surely face the fury of the Ethereal Void Sect!"

...

"Chong Xiao and Tianjing from the Ethereal Void Sect are both en route in secret."

Like Qin Yun, Qi Yunhong, who had also entered the Crucible of Evil, stowed away the Spectral Umbrella with a grave look. "I received news while suppressing the artifact soul. Chong Xiao and Tianjing, intent on keeping their movements hidden, planned to stealthily enter the Illusion Orb's little world to assassinate you."

"Both Chong Xiao and Tianjing are late-stage Solar Spirits."

"We can no longer remain in the Crimson Sun Empire; we must leave as soon as possible."

Qi Yunhong had already begun to consider Yu Yuan's safety.

"Two late-stage Solar Spirit Sages!" Qin Yun's face turned pale. "Mr. Yan is currently in the Serpent Spine Mountains, not in the Moonfall Sanctuary, and cannot communicate with you right away. The Crimson Sun Empire has become too perilous. We should avoid using the Crucible of Evil, as it makes us too conspicuous."

"I possess a secret path and an item capable of concealing our presence," Qi Yunhong declared.

The two engaged in a fervent discussion, contemplating the best method to silently withdraw from the Crimson Sun Empire.

Qu Jing's death had thrown them into disarray, their anxiety heightened by the knowledge that Chong Xiao and Tianjing were en route via a covert path.

...

Half a day later, a figure in gray, ghostlike, materialized in the forest where Qu Jing had met his end.

Surveying the ravines, the gaping holes, the clear signs of combat, and the lingering scent of Qu Jing's vitality, Chong Xiao invoked a spell.

The spell, powered by a drop of his lifeblood, sought to harness the remnants of Qu Jing's vitality to pinpoint his last location.

Moments later, Chong Xiao's face contorted with shock, "Not a single trace! Within the Crimson Sun Empire, only a barrier akin to the Soulforge Matrix could render such concealment possible! What has transpired?"

His face shifted between hope and despair, a foreboding premonition taking hold.

With a whoosh, Chong Xiao soared over the forest, arriving in the lands of the Midnightshields as swiftly as a flash of light.

"Where is Qu Jing of my sect?" Chong Xiao demanded.

Huang Ming, stepping forward reluctantly, his body quaking, managed to say, "Yu Yuan from Asvetaesi reported that Qu Jing is dead. He... he was the one who killed Qu Jing."

"Qu Jing is dead!"

...