Yu Ci's consciousness was drawn into a dreamlike vortex.
He witnessed the shockwaves of two ethereal figures in combat, each clash stirring the Primordial Qi of the heavens and earth within a radius of dozens of miles. Particularly when they collided into a massive gap, the surrounding mountainous cliff walls seemed on the verge of collapse, as though they should have crumbled long ago, like the four mountain peaks that had already tumbled down before them.
Yet, the mountain range still stood.
In a moment of trance, Yu Ci seemed to see the mountains twisting and swaying as if they were a colossal living entity, absorbing the violent impacts.
As this feeling took form, Yu Ci felt as if he had abruptly ascended from the battlefield, overseeing it from a high vantage point, his gaze piercing through miles of cloud and mist. Then he saw it; countless shining Rune Patterns spreading layer upon layer among the rocks and clouds on this massive mountain.
Within the circuits formed by these Rune Patterns, the terrifying powers from the battling figures materialized, transforming into a dazzling, blood-red magma. It flowed down along the Rune Pattern circuits of the mountain, obliterating all life in its path, yet unable to escape the clutches of the Rune Patterns, ultimately plunging into an abyss.
This force, guided downwards, effortlessly tore apart the ecological balance maintained in the valley for millions of years. In the abyss, thousands of bizarre creatures were instantly reduced to ashes.
This grand perspective did not last long, along with a series of images that flickered in and out, threatening to cut off at any moment. Yu Ci felt a severe dizziness, and in his vertigo, all light was withdrawn from the space around him. Boundless darkness descended, pure and profound, seemingly capable of swallowing one's soul and eroding it clean.
Yu Ci's mind was profoundly shaken, and all images vanished.
Staying where he was, Yu Ci was at a loss. His shadowy ghost flickered continuously. The images he had just traversed had drained much of his energy. It was already remarkable that he could continue to maintain his Yin Spirit State. After some time, the shadowy ghost solidified, but his sensation was markedly different from before.
Firstly, Yu Ci felt his Yin Spirit had become "heavier".
Inside the gap, hundreds of sparks radiated a massive amount of information, accumulating in his Divine Soul. Although his Divine Soul was vast and capable of holding an infinite amount of information, the sudden influx of such complex and dense data brought immense pressure. After being refined by the Primordial Root Qi Method, a memory area on the outer layer of his Divine Soul, which had already been fairly clear, was forcibly crammed with an iceberg. This "iceberg" towered high, reaching the clouds, with an immeasurable part hidden in the abyss of the deep sea.
He wanted to explore its mysteries, but before he could get close, he was overwhelmed by the chaotic and dangerous intertwining of a massive amount of disordered information. A single loss of control could potentially destroy his consciousness, turning him mad. Yet, he had no way to expel it, only to let his thoughts avoid it from afar, occasionally touching some extremely small fragments.
These fragments moved unpredictably between heaven and earth, sea and stars, carrying an enchanting force that captivated the heart. If he focused on them for too long, his Yin Spirit would be twisted out of shape.
Yu Ci quickly shifted his consciousness, no longer introspecting, but turning outward. At this point, he discovered the second anomaly: his Yin Spirit had become "clearer".
This sensation was subtly profound. Yu Ci only felt a divine awareness sweeping over the space within the chasm, and his cognition suddenly shifted. It was a sense of “order”, a kind of “context”, inexplicably drawn from his heart and laid out in the surrounding space. In an instant, certain information hidden within this massive and chaotic mountain crevice was peeled away.
Yu Ci's shadowy ghost unconsciously swept through the air, drawing a twisted boundary line that divided the surrounding space into two. The green and red blood stood on opposite sides, distinctly separated.
“Two opposing forces, restraining each other. So this is how it was formed.”
In truth, Yu Ci didn't fully understand, yet he had grasped a clue and thus proceeded to investigate, from this to that, from the surface to the core, tracing back to the elusive source. Unknowingly, the shadowy ghost floated up, wrapped in a faint scent, and disappeared into the cracked rock layer above.
“There are also Rune Patterns here.”
The sensation of following the clues was truly wonderful. It was not only about deducing the external situation, but also adjusting the state of the Yin Spirit, gradually adapting to the changes brought by the “Iceberg”. Unconsciously, Yu Ci had started to deduce a long-past battle, and the information left behind by that battle was also influencing him.
As the process advanced, naturally, Yu Ci's thoughts became clearer, his spirit more vigorous, and the shadowy ghost more substantial. A fine aura drilled in and out, stirring up a stream of glimmers that flowed around his body.
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Yet, Yu Ci paid no attention to these.
At this moment, it was unclear whether he was following the clues with his heart and mind, or the clues were pulling at his heart and mind. He had entered a state of complete oblivion. Precisely because of this, the changes in the Yin Spirit became more profound. The “Iceberg” occupying his memory space released more fragments of “cold” information, merging them into Yu Ci's consciousness. These fragments often helped him to think more deeply.
Yu Ci seemed to understand a lot, but there was even more he didn't understand. He continued to search, but a sudden external stimulus startled him awake.
With a shift in his thoughts, he saw a pair of blood-red eyes.
Ghost Beasts was using its sturdy forelimbs to push a boulder, moving towards the cave. Right at this moment, Yu Ci's shadowy ghost floated out leisurely. The Ghost Beasts immediately stopped, slapping the boulder onto the ground with a thud.
“Roar!”
The roar of the Ghost Beasts filled the pit, reverberating back and forth. Yu Ci didn't actually hear any sound. The keen Yin Spirit Sensing restored the air vibrations, simulating them into hearing. As for the sound wave damage, it was naturally filtered out.
The roar was ineffective, and the Ghost Beasts was quite agitated. Its blood-red eyes stared fiercely in this direction, its body obviously inhaling deeply, its huge body even slightly swelled, before it opened its mouth to roar.
The air vibrated with a “hum” sound. Yu Ci saw that the powerful sound wave was almost solidifying, turning into a clear ripple. Centered around the Ghost Beasts, it spread rapidly. Wherever it reached, the originally smooth cliff walls cracked open, dust scattered, and even the thin fog in the pit was swept away.
The shadowy ghost, Yu Ci, flickered, the light passing through him slightly distorted. Such an intimidating presence would have shattered not only the fragile eardrums of a physical body, but perhaps even the skull itself. However, in his Yin Spirit State, this was just the way it was.
Simultaneously, a rapidly fluctuating foreign power was attacking his Yin Spirit in a more subtle manner. Unfortunately, since last night, this power had been rendered ineffective against him.
Now, Yu Ci's thoughts were clear and agile. With a slight shift in thinking, he deduced that this was the power of the Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form at play. Its inherent True Essence of the Heavenly Dragon could withstand strong pressures, neutralize most of the impacts against the Divine Soul, and serve to stabilize the Divine Soul.
Thus, in the Yin Spirit State, the Ghost Beasts were practically powerless against Yu Ci.
However, Yu Ci also encountered a minor issue. The howling sound waves of the Ghost Beasts were too powerful, blowing away the slight Scent of Rest enveloping his Yin Spirit. Exposed directly under the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth, his Yin Spirit didn't react as violently as that night in Cliff City, but it was still quite uncomfortable.
Adapting and controlling the reaction of the Yin Spirit with the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth was a necessary process in cultivation. However, this was not the best time for such training. Yu Ci didn't dare to linger, his shadowy ghost form sinking directly into the rock layer and heading towards the opening below.
Before leaving, he glanced back, seeing the Ghost Beasts amidst a cloud of smoke, sparks flying chaotically. Each spark was constantly being born and extinguished, representing the external form of the foreign power.
This was the Illusion Power of Rakshasa.
The conclusion came abruptly, but it was not an unfounded fantasy. Yu Ci's thoughts had become active to a certain extent, his memory revitalized. When his attention was focused, corresponding information naturally sprang forth from his Divine Soul, aligning and connecting, allowing him to make judgments.
The information that sprang forth this time was what Elder Chu had previously cast into his Divine Soul using a Secret Method. Only now did he have the time to examine it.
Upon closer inspection, Yu Ci understood why Elder Chu had said this information was important. Elder Chu was an important figure in the Great Passage, his cultivation level was average, but the level of information he had access to was far beyond the reach of Outer Disciples like Yu Ci.
According to Elder Chu, the Ghost Beasts were originally known as "Hook Jade Wolf Fox", a strange species born in the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion. They naturally possessed the power to create and break illusions. They were typically half human height and seven or eight feet long. The reason for their enormous size was due to their constant exposure to the Divine Power of Rakshasa Ghost King, from which they gained a fraction of the essence of the Illusionary Power of a God Lord. However, they had difficulty digesting it, bloating up like a human overeating and drinking, their bodies inflating like balloons. As their size increased, they were no longer "cute", and thus were discarded by the Rakshasa Ghost King in this Sky Rift Valley.
The three heart-tugging horns formed on the forehead of the Hook Jade Wolf Fox are its most vulnerable points, yet they also serve as the foundation for its illusion technique. With these three horns intact, even if it struggles to digest the Illusion Power of Rakshasa, it can still borrow its divine power, maintaining its own spiritual clarity.
However, now that it has lost all three horns, and is using the Illusion Power of Rakshasa without any restraint, Elder Chu has deduced that the Ghost Beasts have likely been corroded by the Illusion Power of Rakshasa. This is a form of reverse devouring, initially damaging the spirit, gradually permeating the Divine Soul inside and out, while also affecting the physical body. The Ghost Beasts transforming their bodies into a flame form, freely burrowing into mountains and earth with virtually no substance, is one of the signs of this state.
Elder Chu has seen two similar cases in the East, both were followers of the Rakshasa Sect who could not withstand the God Lord's Illusionary Power, transforming into bizarre "Phantom Spirits" in the fire and becoming offerings to the God Lord.
After reading this information, Yu Ci couldn't help but sigh: This Rakshasa Ghost King lineage, true to their demonic origins, is indeed very strange.
At this point, he has broken through the rock layer and returned to the open space filled with the Scent of Rest. His Yin Spirit feels immediately better. But soon, he curses out loud:
That bastard, his brain really isn't working well. He's pursuing me in his flame form, heedless of the consequences of the Illusionary Power's erosion.
The situation here is different from above. Yu Ci's physical body is on the platform. If he's not careful, the Ghost Beasts might trample it into a pulp!
Yu Ci's thoughts race, urgently considering countermeasures, but suddenly he pauses. At this moment, his active mind captures a piece of information, peeled off from the outer layer of the "Iceberg" in his Divine Soul.
His Yin Spirit Sensing abruptly shifts, focusing on an object nearby.
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