Chapter 42: Prison Soul Cauldron

"..."

He did not lower his guard just because You Xiao had turned into a pile of withered bones.

Li Boyang slightly lowered his right hand holding the sword, assuming a posture ready to attack at any moment.

The hundreds of flying swords surrounded the withered bones tightly, showing a clear intent to continue the shredding.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

Just as Li Boyang was on high alert, the withered bones underwent an unexpected transformation.

Faint electric arcs emerged from the surface of the bones, then, with lightning speed, rapidly enveloped the entire skeleton.

"Moo!"

It sounded like some kind of mantra, yet also like a simple cow's lowing.

Crack...

The two arm bones behind the withered skeleton detached naturally.

Two thick, sturdy bull horns grew out from the sides of the temples in response.

However, Li Boyang did not immediately attack the skeleton undergoing the transformation.

Because, as early as during his exchange with You Xiao, Li Boyang had vaguely sensed that something was wrong with the opponent's state.

It had clearly transformed into a four-armed ghost god.

Yet, from start to finish, the opponent had not used any divine abilities or spells, instead constantly attempting to engage in close-quarters combat with him.

Referring to the previous fierce god, Rui Fu.

Li Boyang would not be naive enough to think that a ghost god only possessed an indestructible body.

Coupled with the premonition from his Primordial Spirit and the divination of the Heavenly Mandate Bone Armor...

Li Boyang realized that it was not that You Xiao did not want to use divine abilities or spells, but that someone was holding him back, or rather, restricting his use of them.

"Are you the Yin God that Xi Luo spoke of?"

Looking at the two horns that had already taken shape, Li Boyang asked in a deep voice.

At the same time, the Divine Firmament Sword in his hand pointed faintly toward the skeleton, awaiting the other's reply.

"This time, I really have lost face..."

It seemed to be answering Li Boyang's question.

Blood vessels, muscle, and vocal cord tissue grew out from the throat of the skeleton first.

It was a low and hoarse voice, yet one could clearly discern its ruggedness and goodwill.

Therefore, before the other's physical body had even recovered, an image of a rough-faced but kind-hearted strong man had already formed in Li Boyang's mind.

"If no second Yin God has arrived in this place, then it should be me."

He spoke in a tone that carried a hint of self-mockery.

A massive bull's head also gradually took shape during this process.

Although it was a bull-headed, human-bodied image, this Yin God was actually quite different from the "Bull-Head" in Li Boyang's impression.

Huge bull horns, a broad forehead, a standard upturned bull nose...

These all fit Li Boyang's stereotypes.

Only, while its body could be called human, it actually leaned more toward some kind of bipedal beast.

Muscles like steel plates formed a robust physique.

Although the hands appeared in a five-fingered form, they also grew sharp claws.

Not to mention the lower body; those were simply upright, recurved bull hooves.

Even just standing there quietly, those flesh and blood tissues growing bit by bit fully displayed the ferocity and majesty they should possess.

To tell the truth, watching that bull's head take shape bit by bit.

Even with the endorsement of the Heavenly Mandate Bone Armor's divination, Li Boyang somewhat regretted letting the other recover.

Because he discovered that compared to this bull's head, describing the previous four-armed ghost god as a "deformed child" was already giving the other too much credit.

Likewise, without using divine abilities or spells.

Li Boyang had no doubt that this sturdy bull's head could beat that four-armed ghost god to a pulp.

[So... brother, you are so strong, how on earth were you refined by that You Xiao in the first place?]

Perhaps the astonishment and disbelief in Li Boyang's eyes were too obvious; he actually saw a hint of shyness on the bull's rugged face.

"Cough, cough, don't look at me like that..."

"It was my carelessness; I thought it was just an ordinary evil ghost."

"Who would have thought he would be the High Priest of the Ghost Fang Kingdom, and that he possessed a heavy treasure like the 'Prison Soul Cauldron'."

When saying this, the bull's head deliberately cast its gaze toward the cauldron that had overturned not far away.

That large cauldron was a full ten zhang high, and its weight reached tens of thousands of tons, comparable to the naval cruisers in Li Boyang's memory.

"Prison Soul Cauldron?"

Although he had long guessed that the large cauldron had an extraordinary origin.

Li Boyang still did not expect that the bull's head had ultimately fallen into the hands of that thing.

"Yes, that is the sacrificial heavy treasure of the Ghost Fang Kingdom, the 'Prison Soul Cauldron' that only successive High Priests are qualified to use."

With a hint of awe in his eyes, the bull's head took the initiative to explain to Li Boyang.

"Legend has it that this thing is a national treasure bestowed upon the Ghost Fang Kingdom by the Five Directional Gods."

"It is born with the ability to refine ghost gods and is a national treasure that is never easily used."

"The last time it appeared was thirty years ago, when the Ghost Fang Kingdom and the Earth Fang Kingdom were at war..."

"In that battle, the Ghost Fang Kingdom annihilated the Earth Fang Kingdom and refined the living beings of an entire nation into a true ghost god."

"The entire Underworld was in turmoil for several years because of this, until a Prefectural Lord personally intervened to stop the chaos."

Trying hard to understand the meaning of the bull's words, Li Boyang could not help but show a thoughtful expression.

Because the amount of information in these few sentences from the bull was simply more than all the information Li Boyang had come into contact with from birth until now.

"Why tell me this?"

After a moment of silence, Li Boyang looked up at the bull's head again.

No matter from which angle one looked at it, there was actually no need for the bull's head to explain so much to Li Boyang.

"Because you are a 'Primordial God', you are qualified to know these things..."

When saying this, the bull's expression was slightly strange.

"Of course, your current state is a bit strange, different from all the 'Primordial Gods' I know."

"But 'Primordial Gods' are inherently strange and varied; one more anomaly like you doesn't make much difference."

Before the words had even faded, the bull's head reached out and beckoned toward the Prison Soul Cauldron.

At this time, the bull's head had completed its rebirth; although its strength had not recovered to its peak, it was not far off.

Rumble...

With just a light beckoning, the massive cauldron weighing tens of thousands of tons flipped over.

Immediately after, the Prison Soul Cauldron shrank rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the leaked pill fire nearby flowed back into the furnace.

Hum, hum, hum...

Not until the Prison Soul Cauldron shrank to the size of one zhang did it slowly rotate and land in the hand of the bull's head.

"This Prison Soul Cauldron possesses the ability to refine ghost gods..."

"Even I was almost turned into a 'Ghost God Egg'."

"Fortunately, that evil ghost was poorly skilled, which is why a greater disaster was avoided!"

Holding the Prison Soul Cauldron, which was one-third his size, in one hand, the bull's head still appeared to have plenty of strength to spare.

"I have stayed in the mortal world for too long; I estimate that the Underworld is already in an uproar..."

"Now that you have eliminated that evil ghost, I will leave this Prison Soul Cauldron for you to keep!"

"However, I will say the ugly things first..."

"Although I have no intention of interfering in the affairs of the mortal world, if one day you become like that evil ghost and attempt to use this Prison Soul Cauldron to overturn the balance of Yin and Yang, then do not blame me for being impolite."

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(End of chapter)