C134 Qin Yun

The scholarly-robed youth was none other than Qin Yun, the current Sect Master of the Seven Divine Sect. Exhausted from his confrontation with the bronze monument, Qin Yun had depleted his spiritual energy and vitality. Lacking Spirit Stones, he concealed his soul consciousness within his dantian, withdrawing from the world.

He had intended to observe further.

However, upon learning of the catastrophic upheaval within the Forbidden Area, where Alien Soul Evil Spirits had broken free, he realized the Rainier Empire and the Silvermoon Empire might have to unite to weather this storm.

With the revelation that his current adversaries were no longer foes, Qin Yun emerged from his feigned slumber.

His curiosity about Yu Yuan was piqued.

He was familiar with the visages of Lee Yuchan, Lee Yu, Su Yan, and Yan Lu, having seen their portraits before venturing into the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area.

His mission in entering the Forbidden Area was grim: assassination. To secure the Rainier Empire's future, he aimed to nip the emerging New Moon cultivators of the Silvermoon Empire in the bud.

Previous trials held by the Silvermoon Empire had yielded participants whose talents and potential paled in comparison to this group, hardly justifying the Rainier Empire's concern.

This batch was different.

The Silvermoon Empire's New Moon cultivators had been assessed by the Rainier Empire as future cornerstones, posing a significant threat. They needed to be eliminated with urgency.

That's why Qin Yun had taken it upon himself to be there.

Little did he expect that upon delving into the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, he'd encounter such drastic changes. Alien Soul Evil Spirits had emerged en masse, presenting a formidable challenge even for someone of his strength.

Following his defeat at the hands of the bronze monument, he was still far from recovery.

His boldness in reviving his soul stemmed from the knowledge that none present, including Lee Yuchan, posed a threat to him. Despite his depleted Qi and spiritual power, his Yin God remained intact. On the cusp of the Yin God Stage's peak and soon to attempt the breakthrough to Soul Wandering, he was confident that his Yin God alone could overpower Lee Yuchan.

"That's Yu Yuan, from the Yu family in Darkmoon City," Zhan Tianxiang informed.

"I've never heard of him," Qin Yun admitted candidly. "The only names I know are Darkmoon City and its lord, Yuan Lianyao. Beyond that, no one else comes to mind."

The Zhao, Huang, and Yu families, along with any similar clan powers, simply didn't register on his radar.

"Yu Yuan, I've had the pleasure of meeting the Sect Master of the Seven Divine Sect."

With a slight bow and a smile, Yu Yuan stepped forward, his eyes narrowed with keen interest as he fixed his gaze on Qin Yun. "What level have you reached?"

"Peak of the Yin God Stage," Lee Yuchan interjected on his behalf.

"Could you elaborate on your encounter with the bronze monument?" Yu Yuan inquired.

Qin Yun raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What's your interest in that?"

"The Alien Soul and Evil Spirit that broke free from this forbidden area have taken refuge in that monument. I can't quite decipher it and, for now, I'm unable to restrain it," Yu Yuan explained, spreading his hands in a gesture of resignation. "Senior, you must have quite the knack for surviving a battle with it and living to tell the tale."

"You're quite audacious, young man," chided the previously anxious elder from the Seven Divine Sect, now standing behind Qin Yun, stooped in the guise of an old servant. "When addressing our sect master, you ought to maintain the proper respect at all times!"

Yu Yuan approached, neither overbearing nor servile, foregoing a bow and eschewing honorifics in his speech.

This irked the elder greatly.

"Senior, does that bother you?"

Ignoring the elder's discontent, Yu Yuan continued to address Qin Yun, "Between observing tedious formalities and addressing the issue at hand, which do you find more pressing?"

Qin Yun smiled, "Young man, you're merely at the Spirit Accumulating Stage. Aren't you aware that with a mere thought, I could end your life?"

At his level, the Peak of the Yin God Stage, he could employ a Yin God's soul to pierce through Yu Yuan's spiritual consciousness. Normally, for a cultivator of his stature, killing a junior at the Spirit Accumulating Stage would be no more difficult than crushing an ant.

Yu Yuan's boldness to engage in such direct conversation piqued his curiosity.

What gave him such confidence and courage?

"Senior, if we weren't in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, indeed, it would be easy for you to kill me," Yu Yuan said with a sly grin, stepping even closer to Qin Yun. "But here, the tables might just turn."

As he spoke, he lifted his left arm toward Qin Yun, and the sword light etched into his arm's bones flared with sudden heat. The aura of the sword soul emerged silently. Above, the sky roiled with clouds, and thunder and lightning cascaded down like a waterfall. Below, from the earth's fissures, sword intents powerful enough to obliterate heaven and earth threatened to burst forth, poised to reduce all living beings he knew to dust. Qin Yun and the elder behind him felt an icy dread in their hearts.

The two, nearly drained of their Qi and Spiritual Energy, had only their soul power left. And now, the forces emanating from the sky and earth's crevices aimed directly at their Soul Sprites. They sensed that if Yu Yuan so desired, their Soul Sprites could be extinguished in an instant. It was unfathomable how Yu Yuan, merely at the Spirit Accumulating Stage, had acquired such a formidable power that could threaten their very souls.

"Now, shall we have a proper discussion?" Yu Yuan lowered his arm, his gaze resting on the old man from the Seven Divine Sect standing behind Qin Yun, who remained silent, his face dark with foreboding.

Qin Yun gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Darkmoon City's Yu Yuan of the Yu family—I'll remember that."

Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu, observing Qin Yun's demeanor, realized that Yu Yuan had compelled recognition through the might of the sword soul. Often, the right to speak and the ability to command a conversation hinged on one's strength. Outside, Yu Yuan had no standing to engage with someone like Qin Yun, but here, he held the floor.

"Very well, let's discuss your encounter with the bronze monument," Yu Yuan said, easing the tension. He glanced at Lee Yuchan and continued, "Provide the elder with more Spirit Stones, of a higher quality. In the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, we'll be allies. And once we reach the Rainier Empire, we'll need the elder's escort."

With a grunt of reluctance, Lee Yuchan presented a stack of Spirit Stones to Qin Yun. Qin Yun's robe fluttered as strands of crystalline light flew from his sleeves, landing on the Spirit Stones before him. As he drew in the refined Spiritual Energy, he spoke, "One thing is certain—we haven't deceived you. The gateway to the Rainier Empire is sealed by an unknown barrier, impenetrable even to me."

"Don't worry, I'll find a solution," Yu Yuan said with a reassuring smile. "What would you say is the level of the soul within the bronze monument? And when you came across this soul, did you happen to see a silver robe with a cluster of green, ethereal spirits inside?"

Qin Yun reflected for a moment before responding, "The silver robe you're asking about? No, I didn't see it. The soul within the bronze monument isn't a human soul as we understand it. It's not a Yin God or Yang God, those that are refined by the Three Spirits of Heaven and Earth. To my senses, it's a soul of a different kind."

He gazed up at the dome, the murky clouds overhead, and declared, "It must be an entity from beyond our realm."

"An entity from beyond?" Lee Yuchan exclaimed, taken aback.

"Yes, what's referred to as the Extraterritorial Heavenly Devils, existing outside our vast world," Qin Yun explained.

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