C1430

After the Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn announced their alliance, they continued trading with other parties as usual. Various sects, empires, and financial syndicates could still engage in normal commerce with the Consortium. However, due to the shift in the Consortium's stance, many sects that previously had close ties with it began to distance themselves voluntarily. Take the Order of Healing, for instance...

The Order of Healing and the Skyreach Consortium had always enjoyed a tight-knit partnership. The Consortium sourced most of the pills they sold from the Order of Healing, distributing them across their numerous branches and strategic imperial locations for selection. But when the Order of Healing learned that the new leader of the Everlands was in lockstep with President Lyi, they abruptly ceased their pill transactions with the Consortium. Consequently, the variety of pills the Skyreach Consortium had available for sale dwindled.

Recently, the Consortium began scouring the world for herbalists, offering attractive terms. The Order of Healing perceived this as a knee-jerk reaction to their over-reliance on the Order for pills in the past, a move born out of frustration and necessity.

Yet, within the Order of Healing, there were those discontent with the status quo, aware of the Consortium's substantial resources, and they began to entertain thoughts of defection. Qu Yun would have none of it.

Standing before Herb Mountain, his expression fierce, Qu Yun berated those ungrateful individuals. After herding them back to their dwellings, he pointed at the three bound figures on the ground and said coldly, "Since they haven't taken any concrete actions, merely discussing leaving the Order of Healing, I'll limit their punishment to a whipping."

"But if..." Qu Yun's eyes glinted dangerously as he glared at his disciples, "If you truly leave Healing Island, your injuries will be far more than superficial."

The herbalist cowering in the cave, along with the others present, remained silent, anger simmering beneath their fear. The three disciples didn't utter a word. Under Qu Yun's oppressive rule, anyone with sense knew better than to cross him or to confront him directly.

Everyone was aware of his reputation, as well as his combat prowess and tactics.

"Grand Master!"

A slender young man, clad in a silk robe, halted his opulent flying boat before Qu Yun.

He then lifted two bodies from within and nonchalantly tossed them onto the rocky ground at the foot of Herb Mountain. "These two left the island without authorization. My investigation confirmed they were indeed headed for Celestial Isle, intending to defect to the Skyreach Consortium."

Each corpse bore a sinister bloom of blood on their foreheads, as though their skulls had been pierced by a sharp instrument.

The herbalists, who had already withdrawn into their caves, fell silent at the sight of the bodies, growing even more reluctant to speak.

Only one elder, leaning on a cane with red hair and an aged visage, couldn't contain himself and stepped out of his cave. Trembling, he pointed a shaking hand at Qu Yun and exclaimed in outrage, "Qu Yun! Their crimes did not merit death!"

The red-haired elder was only at the Veil Breaking stage of cultivation. He had dedicated his life to the study of pills and alchemy, with little interest in advancing his cultivation. Hence, despite being of similar seniority to Qu Yun, there was a vast gulf between their powers.

The deceased were his own disciples, whom he had nurtured, sharing his passion for alchemy and, like him, neglecting their cultivation.

In contrast, the young man in the brocade robe, having been mentored by Qu Yun, possessed only modest alchemical skills but had attained the Lunar Spirit level of cultivation.

For him, dispatching two Soul Awakening disciples was no challenge at all.

"Leaving the island isn't a capital offense. But seeking to join the Skyreach Consortium is tantamount to betraying our sect!"

Qu Yun bared his teeth in a grim smile, his white teeth bristling with menace. "Redbeard, I'm aware you're the leader, and I know you've always disapproved of our policies. But I need you to understand that the Order of Healing has pledged allegiance to the five exalted supremes! By attempting to join the Consortium, they've chosen to stand against us all!"

Dark red flames, fierce as serpents, surged from Qu Yun's robes, coiling menacingly at the mouth of the elder's cave, as if ready to lunge and rend the old man asunder.

Several herbalists, believing their seniority granted them some sway, attempted to intervene and defuse the tension. Yet, as they witnessed the dark red flames morphing into serpentine forms, fear flickered in their eyes, and they discreetly withdrew to their sanctuaries.

"You are their mentor. Their defiance must surely be a reflection of your influence!"

With a forceful stomp, Qu Yun caused Healing Island to shudder. The fire circle buried deep within the earth seemed to awaken at his command, and luminous rings of light emerged from various points across the island, effectively sealing it off.

"I refrained from confronting you earlier because I intended to apprehend your two disciples first, to gather all the necessary proof!"

Qu Yun's presence was menacing, his gaze upon the red-bearded elder as cold as if he were staring at an inanimate object.

"Herbalists are meant to be just that—herbalists. If you truly wished to pursue cultivation, why ever did you embark on the path of alchemy?"

The red-haired elder sensed the shift within Healing Island and realized that Qu Yun had triggered the concealed array. He knew that resolving this conflict would be no easy feat. "Qu Yun, you should have chosen to join the Ruby Hand or the Sunlit Order for your cultivation right from the start, rather than the Order of Healing. Your talents are wasted here."

These words cast a shadow over Qu Yun's expression, stirring memories and silencing him momentarily.

"He once sought out the Ruby Hand, but they rejected him for lack of talent. His marginally better aptitude for alchemy led him to the Order of Healing as a second choice. The Ruby Hand wasn't wrong; after all his years of effort, he has only managed to cultivate a single Solar Spirit."

"Despite lacking the capacity for true cultivation, he stubbornly chose his own path, leading our sect astray. It's beyond foolish!"

A voice laced with derision cut through the air, startling everyone.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At the sound of that voice, the dark red pythons released by Qu Yun burst one after another.

Transforming into thousands of fiery sparks with a sulfurous scent, they scattered across the ground like starshards.

The red-bearded man, puzzled, gazed at the mysterious figure who had appeared before his dwelling, draped in garments edged with a rainbow's sheen. "Who are you?"

The newcomer was taken aback by his extensive knowledge of Qu Yun's history.

Yu Yuan's smile was radiant as he glanced back at Qu Yun, who had been caught off guard, his sleeves spewing flames. Behind him, columns of red fire formed, resonating with the Earthfire that pulsed through Healing Island.

The irritating energy of the flames surged toward him, significantly boosting his presence and combat strength in that moment.

"How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Order of Healing?" Qu Yun exclaimed in anger.

"I wouldn't say my words constitute meddling in your Order's internal matters," Yu Yuan replied with a slight smile. He gazed at the familiar Herb Mountain, the people who had gathered in response to the commotion, and then slowly closed his eyes.

He blended his three-century-old memories of the island with the present scene.

Upon reopening his eyes, Yu Yuan saw that Qu Yun had regained his composure. The earlier rage and aggression had been swiftly reined in, and now Qu Yun was scrutinizing him with an inquisitive look.

"I don't believe we've met before."

Yet, as Qu Yun spoke, he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity with the man before him.

Yu Yuan's mannerisms, even the smallest habitual actions, made him uneasy.

It was as if someone he deeply loathed had suddenly materialized before him, albeit in a different guise...

Qu Yun's mind reeled with shock!

He had an inkling of the truth but found it too incredible to accept, much less believe.

An elderly woman, fallen and marked by lashes, opened her clouded eyes with a puzzled look.

She couldn't fathom why Qu Yun, a dominant figure within the sect, was now visibly shaken.

The red-haired elder, upon hearing Yu Yuan's final words, fell into a contemplative silence, his head bowed.

Then, his eyes gradually began to shine with realization.

On the flying boat, a young man dressed in fine brocade furrowed his brow. He retrieved a stack of aged, yellowed parchment from a hidden compartment and rifled through it quickly.

He paused abruptly at one sheet, studying the portrait intently before hastily glancing back at Yu Yuan.

His expression abruptly turned vacant, and his body tensed up as a result.

​