C902 Green Shirt Vertical Pupil

At the border where the Serpent Spine Mountains meet the Crimson Sun Empire, the River of Whispers comes to an end. Qi Yunhong and Qin Yun stood on the riverbank, surveying the scene strewn with the bodies of the Wen family's counselors and Dragon Attendants. It was clear that a fierce battle had taken place.

Despite having ingested Shadowfruit, the pair managed to keep their auras concealed.

"The young master must have ventured into the Serpent Spine Mountains by now," Qin Yun remarked, gazing up at the dense forest of peaks. "These mountains are under the jurisdiction of the Sacred Hands. Surely the Ethereal Void's Sages wouldn't dare to cause trouble here?"

"You're clueless!" Qi Yunhong retorted with an eye roll. "You have no idea about the Ethereal Void Sect's ways! They've lost Qu Jing, the sect master's prized pupil. They won't let this slide. The Sacred Hands may have the Order of Healing backing them, but Lingxu has a strong rapport with Zhong Chichen."

"The fact that Xinshang has shown up speaks volumes about the Ethereal Void Sect's stance."

With a heavy sigh, Qi Yunhong continued, "Chong Xiao is devious and treacherous, Tianjing is brutal and merciless, and with Xinshang's profound cultivation, our master will struggle to come out on top in the Serpent Spine Mountains without formidable allies."

"Us?" Qin Yun inquired.

"At this point, if we were to intervene, we'd likely just complicate things for the master," Qi Yunhong admitted with resignation. "If my cultivation hadn't plummeted to the Spirit Walk realm and my Solar Spirit Body were still intact, I'd have the courage to take the risk. But as things stand..."

Qi Yunhong, once recklessly bold, had become cautious and forbearing following his brush with death.

Suddenly, the River of Whispers churned, and a man clad in a green robe emerged. He was slender, with a pair of eerie green vertical pupils. Clutched in his hand was a dark orb of water.

Trapped within the orb was Yang Chuhe, the current leader of the Midnightshields. His Lunar Spirit appeared to be crushed like grain under a millstone, his remnant soul scattering like shattered light.

The green-robed man's other hand, more slender than a woman's, occasionally dipped into the river, drawing forth a glistening, potent stream of water. Once solidified, he would pop it into his mouth and savor it, chewing thoughtfully as if enjoying a fine meal.

Qi Yunhong's gaze met his, and it was as if his eyes were pierced with pain, tears streaming uncontrollably.

The gaunt man with the emerald vertical pupil let out a low chuckle, tightening his grip on the black water orb in his hand.

Within the orb, Yang Chuhe's face contorted with a pain greater than death itself. Imprisoned and enduring the torment of his soul, Yang Chuhe looked upon the sinister man as if he were the most dreadful demon in existence.

"Yang, Yang Chuhe!" Qin Yun's complexion turned ashen with shock. He hadn't expected that right under his and Qi Yunhong's watch, their old nemesis, who had managed to smuggle the black wooden carriages into the River of Whispers, would meet such a tragic fate.

"Are you also headed to the Serpent Spine Mountains?" The man with the vertical pupil asked, his smile gentle, his voice soothing.

Qi Yunhong and Qin Yun exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions frozen, uncertain of how to respond.

"My name is Green Willow. Thanks to that youngster Yu Yuan, I escaped from Sword Prison," he said, noting their disarray. "Yan Qiling, before he left for the Terror Claws, entrusted me to check on Yu Yuan's situation."

"Green, Green Willow!" Qi Yunhong's realization hit him like a wave, and he erupted with excitement. "Haha! It's an honor to meet you, Commander! My name is Qi Yunhong, and I have severed all ties with the Thunder Sect of the Everlands. I..."

"I know who you are," Green Willow responded, his tone detached, perhaps bored by the conversation. With a forceful squeeze, he crushed the black water orb in his palm.

The orb, along with Yang Chuhe inside, burst like a bubble. Fleeing from the Frost Queen's assassination attempt, Yang Chuhe's Lunar Spirit was extinguished in an instant.

As his soul shattered, Yang Chuhe's Lunar Spirit wore an expression of relief, a stark contrast to the anguish that had plagued him. The time spent in the clutches of the archdemon Green Willow had been the most harrowing and painful of his life, each second filled with the agony of his soul being pierced.

"I, too, practice Water Magic, and the thing I despise most in this world is a water refining art that harms the natural order, much like the one he practiced."

Green Willow inhaled deeply, absorbing Yang Chuhe's shattered remnant soul into his own being, ensuring that the Sect Master of the Midnightshields was cut off from any chance of his spirit returning to the Root of the Lunar Meridian for reincarnation.

"Come with me to the Serpent Spine Mountains," he commanded.

Qi Yunhong and Qin Yun nodded incessantly, devoid of any inclination to resist.

...

In Gloomhollow, Loong Qi, driven to madness by the Bane's formation, let out agonized howls as his massive body, spanning a hundred meters, was exposed. Foul, nauseating blood oozed from the crevices between his dragon scales.

The valley's venom and miasma had penetrated his flesh and blood, inflicting fresh wounds upon him.

Soul Shatter, Soul Prison, mountain of corpses, Dead Sea, and dark fog assaulted the dragon from every direction. They either stirred the sinister thoughts deep within Loong Qi's heart or caused his dragon blood to thicken and stagnate. Others bombarded his Dragon Soul with a multitude of chaotic, negative psionic powers, or they rent his very thoughts asunder.

The combined force of the five arrays had the eighth level green dragon writhing in agony across the valley floor.

Additional clouds of toxic smoke seized the chance to corrode him further, exacerbating his injuries.

"The arrays of the Crucible of Evil can be deployed individually or in unison to amplify their destructive power," Yu Yuan observed from within the cauldron, his spirits lifted. "The five Banes serving as the lynchpins are formidable on their own. When they preside over the array, marshaling hundreds or even thousands of Banes to assail an eighth level green dragon is hardly a challenge."

The might of the Crucible of Evil, once activated, had surpassed his expectations. Despite the Frost Queen being ensnared by Tianjing, he hadn't anticipated that Loong Qi would also fall prey to the coordinated assault of the rune circles.

As Loong Qi thrashed about on the ground, he was further ravaged by the lingering toxins of the Shadowflame Blight Array, his condition deteriorating rapidly.

After a thorough examination and a keen sensing, Yu Yuan was convinced that, surrounded by the five evil circles and the valley's natural hazards, Loong Qi was incapable of stirring up any significant resistance.

It was at this juncture that Chong Xiao, the revered teacher of Wang Jinlin and the stalwart guardian of the Forgotten Ruins, formally made his entrance.

"It's pretty much what I expected."

Upon entering the valley, Chong Xiao observed the toxic miasma and lethal winds assailing Loong Qi. He noted the aerial array of Banes beckoning to the forlorn green dragon and nodded in approval, "To use such a dim-witted dragon to draw out all your remaining tricks is undoubtedly a worthwhile trade."

With his words, he alighted on Loong Qi's fierce dragon head, light as a feather.

Regardless of how Loong Qi thrashed and struggled, Chong Xiao's feet clung to its forehead as if magnetized.

Yu Yuan's mood grew increasingly somber.

The Frost Queen had summoned the five formidable Banes of the second level and had also deployed thousands of lesser Banes to form a strategic array.

He had nearly exhausted the full potential of the Crucible of Evil.

And now, a Sage from the Ethereal Void, also in the late period of the Solar Spirit Realm, approached him with a calm demeanor, engaging him in direct conversation.

Yu Yuan felt immense pressure from Chong Xiao's caution, his only option being to grip his sword's sheath tightly, ready for battle.

"I have great respect for you," Chong Xiao expressed with a sense of reflection. "This is genuine. Even as the direct disciple of the God of Medicine, Hong Qi, after his legendary predecessor's death, you had little to fall back on. You've relied almost entirely on yourself to attain your current level of mastery."

"The many rare treasures you possess were also acquired through your own efforts, not handed down as familial gifts."

"It's no surprise that Cao Jiaze of the Ebon Star holds you in high regard, seeing you as both a confidant and a peer."

"..."

Chong Xiao spoke with the ease of an elder sharing family stories.

Yet, golden dragon scales, each the size of several acres, began to descend upon the mountain.

The mountain transformed as if it were forged from solid gold!

With a resounding boom, the magical barrier of the Crucible of Evil and the layer of frost left by the Frost Queen shattered in an instant.

Gold Mountain abruptly contracted and inverted, transforming into a suspended range.

Its pointed end, gleaming like a golden pyramid, thrust directly towards the Crucible of Evil.

Streams of crimson sword light surged from the mouth of the Crucible of Evil, cascading upwards like a reverse waterfall, clashing against the golden mountain peak that hung inverted in the sky.

The world's most formidable sword radiance emanated from that golden peak, bursting forth with infinite, dazzling brilliance.

Yet the inverted golden mountain range relentlessly continued its descent, bearing down without pause.

Puff!

Inside the crucible, Yu Yuan lost control and coughed up blood, his skin tearing apart as he sustained severe injuries in an instant.

"..."