C1429 Another Possibility

At the edge of the cliff, Van Heqing, known as "Shatterblade," listened intently to every word Yu Yuan spoke. His eyes, seemingly brimming with unspoken thoughts, studied Yu Yuan carefully, as though he was silently comparing him to someone else. After a moment, Van Heqing's brow furrowed slightly, and he remarked, "You seem very much like you did in the first half of your life."

Yu Yuan's words halted, and he looked puzzled. A second later, he grasped Van Heqing's meaning, realizing that "the first half of his life" referred to his time as Hong Qi. "If I'm not mistaken, I don't believe I've ever encountered Mr. Van before?" Yu Yuan expressed his bewilderment. As Hong Qi, Van Heqing was already a renowned Grand Sword Immortal, revered throughout the Everlands, and he spent most of his time in seclusion, only occasionally appearing in the Star River of the extraterrestrial realms. In his past life, Yu Yuan had only heard of Van Heqing's esteemed reputation and had never actually met him.

Yet, Van Heqing's words suggested he had some understanding of Yu Yuan during his time as Hong Qi. "You've been to the Sundering Isles before, accompanied by that young woman. She was the prized jewel of the Sword Sect, and the sect entrusted me with her covert protection. Naturally, I saw you every time I visited her," Van Heqing explained.

He paused, reflecting for a moment before continuing, "Your visits to the Sundering Isles were not infrequent, and with each one, your presence became more pronounced. Your temperament and aura intensified, which, to me, seemed rather unusual."

Van Heqing cast a glance at Healing Island and after a brief silence, he posed a question, "Have you ever considered that the radical shift in your disposition towards the end of your life might have been due to a poison affecting your soul?"

"A poison affecting my soul?" Yu Yuan was taken aback. The possibility had never crossed his mind. The common belief was that his descent into the demonic ways was due to an obsession with crafting poison pills and the realization that his life was drawing to a close, which eventually led to widespread condemnation.

Whenever he reflected on the final chapters of Hong Qi's life, his memories felt clouded. Considering his current level of spiritual cultivation, the state of his soul appeared to be an anomaly. He had previously assumed it was his own reluctance to revisit those memories.

Upon hearing Van Heqing's words, confusion swept over him. "A poison that affects the soul, altering my temperament and amplifying the malevolent thoughts deep within my heart?"

"As Hong Qi, you haven't embarked on the path of cultivation and haven't tempered your soul. Your understanding of your three souls is lacking. If you were subjected to such a poison, you'd be none the wiser," Van Heqing laid out the possibility, "I mention this because each time you return to the Sundering Isles, my disdain for you intensifies."

"You may not realize, but evoking such disdain is a talent in itself."

Van Heqing's mouth quirked slightly.

Yu Yuan fell into silence.

He was well aware that certain poison pills could provoke sinister thoughts. With the right medicinal herbs blended together, it was all too easy to stir up the darkness in a person's heart or their lust for blood.

He also knew how to concoct a pill that would unleash a torrent of evil thoughts, leading one to a gradual descent into depravity.

If he had inadvertently ingested such a pill, would his unrefined soul from his second life be completely oblivious to the corruption?

"Because of her, I've observed you from the shadows on numerous occasions. Each time, I've witnessed drastic shifts in your character. I suspect these aren't natural changes—they're too abrupt..." Van Heqing was blunt in his assessment.

"Are you suggesting it's deliberate?" Yu Yuan's expression darkened.

With a subtle nod, Van Heqing continued, "The current climate in the Sundering Isles is quite precarious. I've heard the Chamber of Commerce is actively recruiting individuals skilled in pharmacology and the cultivation of magic plants. Many from the Order of Healing are also enticed by the prospect of joining the Chamber. Even here, on Healing Island, which you know so well, some herbalists have been ensnared."

"Recruiting herbalists..."

Yu Yuan pondered the implications. It seemed that both the merchant association and Boulderdawn were indeed behind these machinations.

No matter his standing with the Order of Healing, the Chamber's efforts to amass experts in herbal lore signaled preparations for their next move to Darkpinion.

With a whoosh, the Dragon Slaying Stage materialized, shrinking before settling into his palm. His Soul Echo delved into it, and through the Dragon Slaying Stage, his gaze turned towards Healing Island.

On the island, every magic plant, medicinal pill, furnace, and earthfire vein, along with every herbalist and visitor, came into view in an instant.

To his surprise, he saw a silver-haired elder standing before Herb Mountain, loudly berating something.

The elder exuded an extraordinary presence, his gaze fierce. Despite donning the robe of a herbalist, he seemed more akin to a valiant cultivator.

"Master Qu, you're still alive," Yu Yuan exclaimed in astonishment.

Qu Yun, a contemporary of his own master, had devoted his early years to mastering leechcraft. Later, he shifted his focus to advancing his realm, successfully cultivating a Solar Spirit and soaring into the heavens.

Zhong Chichen, in his youth, was particularly favored by Qu Yun, who had taught him all about cultivation.

It could be said that Zhong Chichen's subsequent obsession with cultivation, at the expense of his medicinal studies, was influenced by Qu Yun.

Yu Yuan vividly recalled Qu Yun's disdain for him. Shortly after he joined the sect, Qu Yun discovered he couldn't embark on the path of cultivation and labeled him worthless, advising his master not to squander time and effort on him.

Qu Yun's rationale was that a non-cultivating herbalist's short lifespan offered no benefit to the Order of Healing.

Even after his master insisted on accepting him as a disciple, Qu Yun caused an uproar and petulantly left for the extraterrestrial to refine his Solar Spirit.

It wasn't long before news came that Qu Yun's Solar Spirit had perished in the extraterrestrial, causing his real body to suffer a backlash. Qu Yun hadn't been seen since, until Yu Yuan's own mishap with reincarnation.

Yet now, Qu Yun was not only present on Healing Island but also very much alive.

His Solar Spirit appeared remarkably stable, showing no signs of fragmentation.

"Not long after your death, he emerged," Van Heqing said with an odd inflection in his calm voice. "His Solar Spirit returned from the Star River in the extraterrestrial, not only intact but with an elevated realm and formidable combat strength. Your senior brother played a crucial role in swiftly stabilizing the situation and silencing the critics."

After a brief pause, Van Heqing added, "In my eyes, he and your senior brother seem more akin to master and pupil."

Yu Yuan remained silent, continuing to peer into the happenings on Healing Island through the Dragon Slaying Stage, all while listening to Qu Yun's tirades.

He observed several herbalists, well-versed in pharmacology, timidly retreating into the caverns of Herb Mountain, earnestly assuring Qu Yun of their lack of desire to leave.

He also noticed three individuals bound on the stony ground behind Qu Yun, their bodies marred with contusions and lash marks.

All three, clad in the Order of Healing's robes, consisted of an elderly woman and two disciples, a man and a woman.

Upon closer inspection, Yu Yuan found the old woman's face vaguely familiar, yet he couldn't quite place her.

As he focused on Healing Island through the Dragon Slaying Stage in his unique way, Van Heqing's gaze naturally fell upon the stage as well.

Van Heqing's eyes began to brighten, although even he could not penetrate the murky white glow to see the world within the Dragon Slaying Stage.

Still, he could see the seven-colored ripples emanating from the stage due to Yu Yuan's manipulation, as if miniature, vibrant dragons were frolicking within them.

"Mr. Van, I'm heading to Healing Island first."

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Yuan inhaled sharply, his face growing stern.

Van Heqing gave a slight nod, "I should not interfere with the internal matters of the Order of Healing."

"Regardless, I appreciate the information, Mr. Van."

With another respectful bow, Yu Yuan and the Dragon Slaying Stage vanished into nothingness.

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