C122 There Was No If!!

"No, don't do it."

While Lee Yu focused his mind to manipulate the Soul Orb and refine the residual soul of the seventh-level flood dragon, he shook his head at Lee Yuchan.

For years, Lee Yuchan had been at the forefront, leading troops into battle against the Crimson Sun Empire. Her nature had always been inflexible and extreme. After practicing the Shadow Curse, she grew even more brutal and heartless.

The Shadow Curse's influence led her to routinely annihilate the enemy forces during war.

Eventually, she became indifferent to the deaths of her own generals.

Aside from a select few blood relatives, she was equally ruthless towards the empire's cultivators.

The Zhao family, to which Zhao Yafu belonged, was merely a minor clan in Asvetaesi. To Lee Yuchan, eliminating Zhao Yafu and continuing to conceal the truth about the Shadow Curse was inconsequential.

Moreover, if neither Yu Yuan nor she disclosed anything, who would be the wiser?

Understanding his cousin's temperament made Lee Yu anxious.

He was aware that Yu Yuan might appear indifferent to many things, but he always maintained his principles on critical issues.

If anyone dared to cross Yu Yuan's red lines, Yu Yuan would not stand idly by.

Outside the sanctuary, Yu Yuan posed no threat, but this was the Moonfall Sanctuary!

Yu Yuan had repeatedly demonstrated that regardless of his rank, he could use the ancient prohibitions of this realm to intimidate any creature here.

"Lee Yuchan!"

Yu Yuan no longer addressed her as "sister" but used her full name, "I'll say it again: do what you must and avoid rash actions!"

His left hand, already bent, clenched slightly tighter.

In a flash, his aura, infused with the sword spirit's will, formed an enigmatic link with the lightning serpents still roaming about.

The serpents, having recently attacked the seventh-level flood dragon, hissed as they drew near to Lee Yuchan. The misty veil emanating from Lee Yu's Soul Orb offered no resistance to them.

In the Moonfall Sanctuary, where the serpents were summoned by the cloud's prohibitions, what chance did the Soul Orb have to stop them?

Lee Yuchan, seated calmly on the ground, her eyes cold, inquired, "Is she of great importance to you?"

Above his head, the interwoven web of spiritual sense was incredibly clear and luminous.

A ghostly phantom emerged at the heart of the web.

It was another Lee Yuchan, her Lunar Spirit.

The Lunar Spirit was ephemeral and insubstantial, appearing extremely vulnerable as if it would scatter with the slightest breeze.

At that moment, if the Lunar Spirit were to be torn by the lightning serpents, Lee Yuchan would perish even more swiftly than a seventh-level flood dragon.

"She matters more to me than you do," Yu Yuan stated icily.

Lee Yuchan began, "If..."

"There are no 'ifs'!" Yu Yuan cut her off bluntly, "I'm warning you for the last time: just look after yourself! And as for the so-called strongest Moonfiend that pursued you here, I've already shattered its host body. Only the soul managed to flee."

"Her two followers were obliterated on the spot, leaving not a trace behind!"

"You, Lee Yuchan, are not more powerful than that formidable Moonfiend!"

His words were an unmistakable threat.

"You've got nerve," Lee Yuchan inhaled deeply, "I don't know what stroke of fortune allowed you to gain this land's favor and some privileges. But eventually, you'll leave this forbidden area and return to the Empire! Aren't you afraid of what I might do?"

Lee Yu internally exclaimed, "This is bad!"

"Hahaha!"

Yu Yuan burst into uproarious laughter. With a slight tightening of his fingers, the lightning serpents in tune with his aura lunged at Lee Yuchan.

"Stop this!" Lee Yu shouted in horror.

Crackling and snapping filled the air.

The lightning serpents didn't attack Lee Yuchan's Lunar Spirit; instead, they coiled around her upright, seated form.

Burn marks blackened her neck and pale arms wherever the serpents touched.

Lee Yuchan clenched her teeth, remaining silent as her shoulders shook.

Lee Yu grasped the Soul Orb, his face etched with a bitter smile, and addressed Yu Yuan, "What's the point?"

Yu Yuan's face remained impassive.

He then turned to his silently suffering aunt and remarked, "Wasn't everything fine? She witnessed your cultivation. As long as you keep it secret, shouldn't that be the end of it?"

"I trust no one!" Lee Yuchan declared emphatically.

"Then, why me? Why Yu Yuan?" Lee Yu pressed for an answer.

"My sister is aware of my situation. You're part of the Lee family, and I can trust you," Lee Yuchan said with a frosty glare at Yu Yuan. "As for him, I have no choice but to depend on him since he's seen through everything himself."

"I'm not in the mood for idle chatter," Yu Yuan retorted, clearly impatient. "If you even think about using the empire to threaten me, I'll end you, Lee Yuchan, and you too, Lee Yu!"

Lee Yu was taken aback.

Lee Yuchan was equally perplexed. "What's it to him?"

"You're capable of silencing others, and so am I," Yu Yuan stated, his voice eerily calm. "If Lee Yuchan dies, Lee Yu, as a witness, you'll die here too. And let's not forget, no member of the Lee family will leave the forbidden area alive."

Both Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu felt a chill in their bones as they fixed their gaze on Yu Yuan, whose eyes seemed to hold an endless expanse of the Frozen Hellscape.

"If she dares to speak out of turn, I'll personally annihilate the Zhao family of Asvetaesi."

It took a moment before Lee Yuchan could respond with a cold stare directed at Zhao Yafu.

Zhao Yafu, the recipient of the Flood Dragon's legacy, kept her eyes shut throughout the exchange. At that moment, her small frame shuddered ever so slightly.

Yu Yuan realized that this girl was far from foolish.

She must have noticed the peculiar spell Lee Yuchan was practicing not long after her arrival. She might have even mistaken it for the legendary Shadow Curse, feigning ignorance out of fear of causing trouble.

Listening to their conversation, the young girl appeared to be in the process of assimilation, but in reality, she understood everything.

"Enough, enough, don't frighten her," Yu Yuan finally said, relieved. "It's just the Shadow Curse, after all. After so much time has passed, Euwrea may not even care. But you must be cautious. If you practice in the same ruthless manner as the Stormcrowned Emperor, you're bound to meet a grim fate."

"Auntie, you should really tone down that aggressive energy," Lee Yu chimed in.

Once Lee Yuchan issued her threat to Zhao Yafu, promising a massacre if she misspoke, both Yu Yuan and Lee Yu recognized that a potentially explosive confrontation had been defused.

"Why haven't you removed these accursed things?" Lee Yuchan demanded, glaring at Yu Yuan.

Lightning serpents continued to slither joyously across the surface of her skin, leaving trails of blood like plows through a field.

Her wounds were superficial, and with her robust constitution, she would heal quickly, yet the sight was still revolting.

Yu Yuan relaxed his curled fingers, and all the lightning serpents vanished abruptly.

"You, and you," Yu Yuan gestured towards Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu, asserting, "This realm is filled with numerous Profound Gates and secrets. If you both choose to stand by my side, I assure you—"

"I assure that this journey to the forbidden area will benefit you for a lifetime. Once we emerge, your combat prowess and realms will soar to new heights!"

"I am the sword-bearer here, and on my ground, you will be well-compensated."

After issuing his threats, Yu Yuan offered them substantial rewards.

"Big talk for someone so presumptuous. When did this become your domain?" Lee Yuchan retorted with an icy tone, though her previously frosty and sharp gaze had faded.

"Your Lunar Spirit is complete, Lee Yu's artifact is on the verge of ascending, and Zhao Yafu is about to make her breakthrough."

Yu Yuan's smile was slight. "As for me, I've only just reached the middle period of the Soul Awakening Realm. Continue with me, delve deeper, and by the time we set foot in the Crimson Sun Empire, we will all have undergone a profound transformation."

"Of course, that's assuming we all survive."

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