C104 The Enemy Is Chasing after Us

Beside the cave, the Soul Orb cast a clear veil of light. It served not only to shield from spiritual detection but also to soothe the mind. Yet, within the cave, no one could find tranquility.

Initially, there was a collective fear that Yu Yuan might fall to a Moonfiend, possibly meeting his end in a mere moment. Had Lee Yu not stood firm against the group and reminded them of Yu Yuan's own words, they would have already charged out to his aid.

The tide of the situation had shifted dramatically. Those who could hear deduced from Yu Yuan's emphatically raised voice a startling conclusion—the Moonfiend had fled, and Yu Yuan was in pursuit.

What was happening?

"Yu Yuan absolutely did not unleash that sword strike!" Lee Yu mused, then declared with certainty, "Had he done so, the Moonfiend that possessed Wethtalos would have undoubtedly perished! He's far weaker than the previous one."

"Then how do you explain Yu Yuan's ability to drive off the Moonfiend without resorting to the sword?" Lin Zhuyun inquired gently.

Lee Yu shook his head. "I'm not sure."

"Could it be?" Su Yan's expression shifted as a speculation dawned on her. "What if the weaker Moonfiend was aware of an ambush and feigned vulnerability to draw Yu Yuan away from this region?"

At her words, a shadow of concern crossed everyone's faces. Instinctively, they felt Su Yan's assessment was the most plausible explanation. Otherwise, it was inexplicable.

"This is bad!" Zhao Yafu exclaimed, leaping to her feet, ready to dash out of the cave. "It must be the Moonfiend's ploy. We can't just sit here and do nothing; we need to go out there and rescue him."

"There's no need." The one who restrained her wasn't Lee Yu, but Zhan Tianxiang.

With a gentle push of his hand and a swirl of golden light, Zhan Tianxiang kept her in place. Once she turned to face him, he offered, "I believe that if Yu Yuan weren't confident, he wouldn't relentlessly pursue. You all suspect the Moonfiend is drawing Yu Yuan away, yet I disagree."

"What do you mean?" someone asked.

"I'm of the opinion that the Moonfiend is genuinely terrified," Zhan Tianxiang said, composed. "The Moonfiend doesn't fear death itself, but rather a death devoid of meaning. Yu Yuan doesn't need to wield that sword to be lethal. And it's likely the Moonfiend has realized that Yu Yuan, with the Demon Core in hand, is swiftly regaining his strength."

"Yu Yuan is only in the early stages of Soul Awakening and he's injured. Without unleashing that sword strike, what makes him think he can intimidate the Moonfiend?" someone whispered.

The crowd turned to see that it was Van Le speaking from a corner.

Displeased glances were cast his way.

Van Le looked puzzled. "Why are you all staring at me? I'm merely stating the obvious."

"Lee Yu, do you think we should make a move or continue to wait?" Zhan Tianxiang ignored Van Le and sought Lee Yu's opinion. "Let me be clear, I believe we should keep observing the situation for a bit longer."

"You're the one who trusts Yu Yuan the most and knows him best. If that's your take, I'm inclined to agree," Lee Yu stated.

With Lee Yu taking a stance, neither Yu Feifei nor Yuan Ting felt it appropriate to object.

So, the group inside the cave settled down once again, listening intently.

They were all ears for any changes outside, any new signals from Yu Yuan.

...

"Huff! Huff!"

The fierce spiritual energy swirled around Yu Yuan like a tempestuous vortex.

Spiritual energy from all around, whether chaotic or refined, was drawn in, rushing towards him.

Yu Yuan was amazed to discover that this forbidden area was indeed a sanctuary for him.

While practicing the Evil Body Refining technique in stillness, the wild spiritual energy would penetrate his pores and ravage his flesh and bones.

But when he was in motion, not sitting still, and activated the Evil Body Refining, something astonishing happened.

The volatile spiritual energy, rather than invading his body recklessly, simply orbited him.

Even more miraculous was the discovery that the chaotic spiritual energy was intricately layered.

At the outermost layer, the energy's fluctuations were most extreme and the concentration of toxins and impurities was highest.

But moving inward, the spiritual energy became increasingly refined and dense, and it could be directly absorbed!

This pure, refined spiritual energy didn't harm his flesh and bones but instead merged with the vitality of the Demon Core, aiding in his recovery and nurturing his body.

It seemed that the whirlpool created by the Evil Body Refining technique was spinning wildly, serving a purifying function.

"These dark arts have such remarkable benefits. In my past life, I only memorized the technique without practicing it. The Evil Body Refining, belonging to the now-extinct Terror Claws, held mysteries I never knew."

"After perfecting the technique, I realized I was in the ideal soil for Evil Body Refining, and only then did I grasp the profound mysteries and immense power of these dark arts!"

Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled with excitement as he felt like he had stumbled upon a treasure.

The Evil Body Refining technique was utterly different from anything he had known before, and its wonders were beyond belief.

"Do you still think you can escape?"

In the midst of the storm's vortex, Yu Yuan addressed the brown-robed youth. "Are you attempting to deliver me to your master? Ha, do you really possess the strength for that?"

The brown-robed youth came to an abrupt halt and turned to face him, "You seem utterly incapable of catching up to me."

"You should not have stopped."

Yu Yuan's smile was radiant yet chillingly merciless, sharp as a blade.

His heaven soul had become exquisitely sensitive, detecting the 'evil' presence at the heart of the storm.

This 'evil' presence was saturated with the fear of death, savage combat, loathing for the cosmos, and boundless resentment.

In that instant, as the brown-robed youth turned back to gaze at him, Yu Yuan attempted to harness the 'evil' energy.

"Go!"

He silently commanded.

"Swish!"

A murky gray current burst forth from within the vortex.

This gray current was a concentration of 'evil energy', slowly amassing as Yu Yuan sprinted and the vortex spun.

Previously, the 'evil energy' was too dispersed for Yu Yuan to detect more than a faint trace.

But when the brown-robed youth paused, the 'evil' aura within Yu Yuan's heaven soul seemed to fully materialize, prompting him to try and wield it.

And it actually worked!

The gray current, visible to the naked eye, was significantly faster than both Yu Yuan and the ferocious whirlpool.

The brown-robed youth, seeing the current approaching, narrowed his eerie green eyes. But before he could focus, his soul was violently jolted.

A torrent of fear, hatred, and death flooded his soul like a tidal wave, causing his soul and body to rupture before the gray current even reached him.

This was because the body he inhabited was not truly his own, and the lack of compatibility meant it was instantly overwhelmed.

Hundreds of green sparks burst forth from the top of the brown-robed youth's head, scattering in all directions, seeking escape.

In that instant, a murky current of air swept over everything in its path.

The flickering green lights, ensnared by the ashen flow, resembled grains of sand settling to the riverbed of the air currents. They sparkled briefly before gradually fading away, one by one.

The distinct presence of the Moonfiend also appeared to be slowly vanishing into the ether.

…