C139 You're Right!!

Lin Zhuyun bore an expression of utter despair.

Her complexion was ashen, her eyes murky, and her clothing was smeared with blood and grime. She had likely never been so disheveled in her entire life.

"Did you encounter the Moonfiend?" Yan Lu asked gravely.

Lin Zhuyun shook her head persistently. "It wasn't the Moonfiend. It was a soul far more formidable and terrifying than the mightiest Moonfiend. You can't begin to fathom the horrors that now plague the entrance to the forbidden area!"

She closed her eyes slowly, as though still ensnared in a nightmarish trance, and murmured as if sleep-talking, "A multitude of alien souls, evil spirits, and archdemons besieged the gateway, shrieking and frantically trying to breach the forbidden area."

"Van Le, my kin from the Lin family, and those who departed with us... the moment they stepped beyond the forbidden area..."

She left the rest unsaid.

Yet from the look on her face, everyone could tell the scene was one of unspeakable bloodshed and brutality.

"Why rush out knowing the dangers?" Lee Yu inquired.

"The alien souls and demons only revealed themselves as Van Le and the others jubilantly burst forth from the forbidden area," Lin Zhuyun explained, her eyes opening to reveal a vacant gaze. "Initially, all we saw was a blinding whiteness. Only after they crossed an unseen barrier did those alien souls and demons suddenly become visible."

She bowed her head gently, "I remembered Yu Yuan's warning and lingered at the back to assess the situation."

"It was because I didn't hurry to leave the forbidden area that I witnessed them, at the very moment of exit, being ripped apart by the evil spirits and archdemons, their souls shattered in an instant."

"Besides myself, there were no survivors; they perished in a breath's time."

"After their deaths, the world outside the forbidden area returned to an impenetrable whiteness, obscuring all from view."

"But that brief glimpse was enough for me to realize the truth—Yu Yuan's premonition was right."

She fell silent once more.

The listeners, far from reveling in her tale, were enveloped in a heavy silence.

Her words painted a picture too dreadful to contemplate.

The throng of alien souls, evil spirits, and archdemons amassing at the entrance of the forbidden area, desperate to invade—what could this signify?

Has the Silvermoon Empire lost its grip on power?

The empire's army, the noble families, and the formidable cultivators?

They were trial-takers, unmistakably trapped in the forbidden area, with the sole exit seized by evil demons and archdemons. Surely this indicated they had been forsaken?

Among them were talents like Lee Yu, Yan Lu, Su Yan, and Zhan Tianxiang!

Under what dire circumstances would they be abandoned?

Only if the empire's situation were dire and teetering on the brink of collapse!

"Yu Yuan was right."

After a moment, Lee Yuchan inhaled deeply, "The abrupt upheaval within the forbidden area has caused tremendous turmoil within our Silvermoon Empire. Alien souls and archdemons, emerging from nowhere, have perhaps overwhelmed the empire. The loss of the entrance to the forbidden area confirms that the empire is powerless to assist them."

Her statement carried an overwhelming weight.

"Yu, where is Yu Yuan?"

Lin Zhuyun, drawing spiritual energy from a Soul Crystal, felt her parched elixir field gradually suffused with power. She scanned her surroundings, her emotions tangled in the absence of Yu Yuan.

Could it be that Yu Yuan was not here?

Qin Yun and the elder from the Midnightshields were unfamiliar faces, yet she recognized the emblem of the Midnightshields on their garments.

Could it be that Yu Yuan was slain by the Midnightshields?

The thought of Yu Yuan possibly being dead didn't bring her any satisfaction; instead, there was a sense of loss.

"Brother Yu is alright, he's perfectly fine," Su Yan assured her with a sweet smile. "There's no need for excessive worry. Our journey thus far has been relatively smooth."

"These two?" Lin Zhuyun asked, her surprise evident as she turned to Qin Yun and the Midnightshields elder.

Qin Yun and the elder from the Midnightshields continued to replenish themselves with the Psicrystal, giving her an impassive gaze.

"The Midnightshields of the Crimson Sun Empire are now our allies," Zhan Tianxiang interjected, then added with a smile, "For the time being, the seniors will follow Yu Yuan's lead. We're gearing up to confront a Star-Spawned Terror lurking within the bronze monument once our strength is restored."

"An ally? Taking orders from Yu Yuan?" Lin Zhuyun was taken aback.

"A bronze monument?"

Suddenly, she let out a shriek and exclaimed, "Is it a floating bronze monument with innumerable inscriptions on its face? Are the alien souls inside evading, refusing to show themselves?"

Qin Yun turned sharply towards her, "You've seen it as well?"

Feeling his intense gaze, Lin Zhuyun grew uncomfortable, her hair standing on end. "May I ask who you are, senior?"

"I am Qin Yun, the current sect master of the Midnightshields." The young man in the scholar's robe introduced himself with a stern expression and demanded, "Where exactly did you see it?"

"At the entrance to the forbidden area, there's a bronze monument floating about this size. An alien soul within it seized Van Le's soul and dragged it into the monument." Once Lin Zhuyun learned of his identity, she was startled and hurriedly recounted what she had witnessed.

"The entrance to the forbidden area? Such a small bronze monument?" Qin Yun was taken aback, "It can't be the same monument."

"It is the same one! The piece at the entrance to the forbidden area is likely just a small fragment of it." Yu Yuan's voice suddenly rang out as he approached the group, "I believe I have some understanding of the situation."

"Yu Yuan..."

Seeing him, Lin Zhuyun's expression turned awkward. "We should have trusted you. We shouldn't have split from your group, attempting to use that entrance to return to the Empire."

She had faced numerous alien souls and goasts on her journey, narrowly surviving.

She had also come perilously close to death but managed to advance into the Veil Breaking Realm and finally regroup with the main force.

Only after enduring such trials did she recognize the wisdom and decisiveness of Yu Yuan's decisions.

She questioned herself, realizing that if she had been the leader, the Lin family might have perished long ago.

Indeed, after she parted ways with Yu Yuan, her clan met their end.

On Yu Yuan's side, despite some losses, the key individuals remained, and now they were joined by Lee Yuchan, the Sect Master of Midnightshields, who appeared to hold Yu Yuan in high regard.

"Enough talk," Yu Yuan said, sparing her only a glance before turning to address Qin Yun and Lee Yuchan. "For centuries, many trial-takers have removed various items from this forbidden area. Within these items, there are countless fragmented parts of alien souls and goasts."

"The incomplete ones have many vulnerabilities, making them somewhat easier to handle. But once they're whole, once their souls are fully restored, they become a much tougher challenge."

"Therefore, we need to prioritize destroying the bronze monument that's still being suppressed within the forbidden area."

"We can't afford to delay any longer."

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