C133 The Reversal of Identities

In the Profound Sky Continent, various empires, both within and beyond their borders, were home to numerous cultivation sects.

These sects couldn't hold a candle to the might of those on the Heavenly Source or Quietus Continents, but their power was generally on par with the noble families of the empires.

The Seven Divine Sect was one such sect, enjoying a close relationship with the Rainier Empire.

This sect was anchored by seven Yin Gods.

In any empire, those at the Yin God Stage represented the pinnacle of cultivation combat strength, a fact true for both the Silvermoon and Rainier Empires.

Boasting seven Yin Gods, the Seven Divine Sect commanded considerable respect in the Rainier Empire and was greatly esteemed by the Scorching Sun Emperor.

The sect had been involved in several clashes between the Rainier and Silvermoon Empires, often playing a significant role.

The sight of an elder and a youth donning the garb of the Seven Divine Sect was met with hostility by onlookers.

Given the sect's history as a foe of the empire, many of the trial participants had lost family elders to their conflicts.

Had Yu Yuan remained silent, the two from the Seven Divine Sect might have been slain on the spot to avoid future threats.

At his signal, Zhan Tianxiang begrudgingly produced several Spirit Stones and tossed them at the feet of the old and young pair.

The stones grazed their fingertips.

With a hiss, a wisp of dark red light burst from the elder's fingertip, sinking into one of the Spirit Stones.

The stone's spiritual energy was rapidly sapped, and it exploded into fragments of mundane, gray rock.

The elder's consciousness was evidently stirring, as he directed his finger towards another stone.

One by one, the Spirit Stones arrayed before him were depleted of their energy.

Throughout, Yu Yuan watched intently, his gaze querying Lee Yuchan.

Annoyed by the scrutiny, Lee Yuchan finally spoke with a frosty demeanor, "He's merely at the Middle Period of the Penetrating Stage."

At his words, the tension among the crowd dissipated.

If he was only at the Middle Period of the Penetrating Stage, even at full strength, he'd be no match for her—let alone now, visibly drained and teetering on the brink of collapse.

The youth accompanying him must be his apprentice, undoubtedly even weaker.

Such a pair, an elder and a youth, posed no threat to the group. They could be easily crushed and killed at will; waking them was inconsequential.

The younger one remained in a near-death state, while the elder, with the aid of Spirit Stones, had regained his vitality. After some time, he opened his eyes.

Upon awakening, he drew the Spirit Stones laid out beside the youth towards himself.

Then, clutching a few Spirit Stones, he faced the person before him squarely.

A single glance sent a chill through his heart, and he spoke with a trembling voice, "Li, Lee Yuchan?!"

"Do you recognize me?" Lee Yuchan asked with an icy tone.

"I've seen your portrait." The elder was visibly tense and nervous, speaking in a submissive tone. He hurriedly stood up and put distance between them, "My disciple and I came to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area to try our luck. I'm just showing him around. We have no intention of disrupting the trials that your Silvermoon Empire has set up for the new generation of cultivators."

He was terrified of being misunderstood by Lee Yuchan.

Lee Yuchan's expression remained frosty. "Given your and your disciple's level of cultivation, you indeed lack the strength to interfere with our chosen trial grounds."

Had the forbidden area not undergone a drastic change, the master and disciple from the Seven Divine Sect would never have dared to step foot there. The moment the clam's light revealed them, they would have been executed.

"What has happened to you two?"

As the elder backed away, Yu Yuan advanced step by step, saying, "The Fallen Moon Forbidden Area is now out of control. Alien Soul Evil Spirits have emerged, which could potentially spread to the Rainier Empire. Given the current state of affairs, there's no need for concern about a war breaking out between the Rainier and Silvermoon Empires."

The elder's demeanor suggested he was ready to abandon his disciple's life and flee.

His fear was palpable upon recognizing Lee Yuchan.

It appeared that Lee Yuchan, the female general, indeed had a fearsome reputation within the Rainier Empire.

"Stop backing away; I have no intention of killing you," Lee Yuchan declared with a huff.

The elder complied, standing still.

"How did things end up like this?" Yu Yuan pressed for an answer.

"We hail from the Rainier Empire and entered this forbidden area before your trials even began," the elder explained, his face etched with bitterness. "Logically, we should have returned long ago, and we tried to do just that. But..." He sighed deeply. "For reasons unknown, the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area became malevolent. An invisible barrier appeared on our return path. Despite several attempts, we were thwarted by the barrier and found ourselves trapped within the forbidden area."

"Left with no other option, we continued to wander here, only to be ambushed by soul spirits."

"Fighting takes its toll. The Spirit Stones and spiritual materials I carried were slowly depleted. The chaotic spiritual energy of this place cannot be directly absorbed, and over time, our situation deteriorated to what you see now." He disclosed the harsh reality with candor.

A hush fell over the crowd as he finished his tale, their gazes turning to Yu Yuan, their eyes filled with silent questions: "If the path to the Rainier Empire is also sealed by a barrier, how will we choose to proceed?"

Yu Yuan was about to respond when his expression abruptly shifted.

Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu snapped to attention, their eyes darting to the young man the elder seemed to have forsaken.

Clad in green, with a scholar's robe and hair tied in a topknot, the youth appeared no older than seventeen or eighteen. His presence was fainter than before, his spiritual energy and life force seemingly spent to the last.

The only sign of life was the intermittent beating of his heart, a feeble testament to his persistence in clinging to life. Yet, out of nowhere, a powerful surge of soul energy burst forth from his Dantian.

It was as if the immense soul power that had been lying dormant within him had suddenly awakened.

The tumultuous soul activity caused Lee Yuchan's face to darken as he fixed his gaze on the youth, ready for confrontation, and demanded, "Who are you?"

The old man, who had been retreating, stopped in his tracks. No longer did he cower; he stood tall and waited in silence.

It seemed he was anticipating the revival of the young scholar's soul from its latent state.

"The abrupt upheaval within the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area was indeed beyond anyone's expectations," the youth's voice emerged from his chest, his eyes still closed, his soul seemingly stirring from its slumber. "We were meant to enter your trial grounds and cause trouble for the Silvermoon Empire's chosen. I had vowed to take the lives of Li Yu, Yan Lu, Su Yan, and Lim Zhuyun."

He only opened his eyes after he had finished speaking.

His gaze was clear and serene, and coupled with his striking features, he exuded an air of tranquility and scholarly elegance.

Yet, the words he spoke were starkly at odds with his demeanor.

"Who could have foreseen the tumultuous upheavals in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area? Not long ago, I suffered grave injuries from an alien soul within a bronze monument, and I am still far from recovery," he said with a slight smile, then turned his gentle gaze to Lee Yuchan. "Speaking of which, do you recognize me now?"

Lee Yuchan nodded, his face growing even more frosty. "I never imagined that a mere trial within our nation would draw the personal attention of the sect master from the Seven Divine Sect."

"Lee Yu, Yan Lu, the five new moons of this era will pose a significant threat to the Rainier Empire. The sooner they perish, the better it is for our country," the young man in the Confucian robe said with a smile.

"By the way, who might you be? Your face is unfamiliar to me, yet everyone seems to heed your command," he inquired, turning his attention to Yu Yuan.

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