C1431 The Island Was Seized

Yu Yuan's lips quirked into a smile, yet his eyes betrayed no mirth.

From the instant he arrived on Healing Island, he took in every detail of the surroundings, both above and below.

He missed nothing.

He could even detect that the individuals clad in the Order of Healing's robes standing beside Qu Yun lacked any scent of herbs. This indicated that they hadn't engaged in alchemy for at least six months.

Those who dedicate themselves to the study of alchemy or even those who merely gather herbs typically carry a scent of pills or herbs—it's inevitable.

Yet these people bore no such aroma, despite donning the herbalist's robes of the Order of Healing rather than the attire of a counselor.

Moreover, their levels of cultivation were surprisingly high, all of them encircling Qu Yun as if they were the true masters of both the island and the Order of Healing.

The so-called genuine herbalists, skilled in pill crafting, had been relegated to the role of servants.

—Serving them.

It seemed they were using the pills, crafted with great effort by the herbalists, to trade with the Skyreach Consortium and various sects for magic items to aid their own cultivation.

Herbalists had been reduced to mere tools for their breakthroughs in cultivation!

In his past life as Hong Qi, his master had gravely stated on his first day with the Order of Healing that it was a sanctuary and home for herbalists, not a sect ruled by cultivators.

Herbalists were always meant to be the true leaders of the Order of Healing, with powerful cultivators acting as counselors, serving the herbalists.

Now, it appeared that the Order of Healing's rules had been turned on their head.

The red-haired elder, Chi Ye, belonged to his master's generation and had spent his life engrossed in the study of herbalism.

Chi Ye had been kind to him once, distancing himself only after he underwent a drastic change in temperament.

Yu Yuan also recalled the old woman who had fallen; three centuries ago, she was a young girl with a ponytail.

Her name was Zhong Ying, known for her charming little tiger teeth. He had been there to witness the end of the initiation ceremony, watching her and a group of young men and women join the sect together.

Tucked away in their caves on Healing Island were some elderly individuals, and Yu Yuan recognized a few of them. Mortals might live for several decades or even a century, but for herbalists who had embarked on the path of cultivation, living for a few hundred years wasn't out of the ordinary, despite their modest talents. Since herbalists weren't required to engage in external battles, they avoided the risk of accidental death in combat.

Upon briefly observing Healing Island, Yu Yuan spotted quite a few familiar faces. He noticed a young man with a petite frame and an oversized head beneath Herb Mountain, who suddenly stood up as he surveyed the fiery ravines before him. Clutched in his hand was a massive red wine jug, surrounded by numerous wine jars.

This young man with the large head, whose real body was perpetually stationed below, while his Solar Spirit ventured outside, appeared to be responsible for managing the earthfire. He directed the fiery essence through the ravines into various caves on Herb Mountain, aiding the herbalists in their pill refinement.

Alerted by the noise outside, he stealthily darted out and halted to the left of Qu Yun. "Counselor Lian Hu!" The young man in the ornate clothing on the flying boat, along with those near Qu Yun, were visibly invigorated.

Lian Hu, who had once been a malevolent outsider before being recruited by the Order of Healing as a counselor, fixed his gaze on the clearly unfamiliar Yu Yuan, his eyes flashing red. "Who might you be?"

"Lian Hu, is it that you don't recognize me, or do you not dare to acknowledge me?" Yu Yuan's smile grew slightly warmer as he addressed the big-headed young man, "I must say, Lian Hu, I'm quite surprised to see you're still among the living."

Lian Hu was baffled. The ground beneath his feet suddenly lit up with numerous crimson rings of light, and the volcano on Healing Island quivered, hinting at the brewing of magma and flames at its summit.

"Lian Hu, have you forgotten the master you once served?" Chi Ye, with his fiery red hair, sneered and spoke with icy disdain, "It's only someone like you who could manage to thrive after your master met with misfortune. But tell me, if it weren't for your former master's consent, how would you, once a masterless cur, have been allowed to join the Order of Healing?"

"It's all because of you, Lian Hu. You two are cut from the same cloth. He admires you, which is why he's willing to accept you!"

Chi Ye was, in effect, insulting Yu Yuan as well.

Yet Yu Yuan remained unfazed, as if he were quite accustomed to such treatment. After all, he had endured far harsher words from Chi Ye in his previous life.

"Master from before?!"

The big-headed young man looked stunned. He gaped at Yu Yuan, then rubbed his eyes, struggling to separate reality from fantasy.

"Not bad, you've advanced to the late stage of the Solar Spirit. It appears my senior brother has been quite generous to you," Yu Yuan said with a forced smile.

During his last visit to the Sundering Isles, he hadn't explored Healing Island, lacking the means to do so. Now that he was back, he could take in every detail of the island and discovered that Lian Hu, the counselor he had recruited to commit misdeeds, was actually beneath the island.

It seemed he was faring quite well.

"I..."

Lian Hu began, his voice quivering noticeably.

"Hong, Mr. Hong!"

"Hong Qi!"

"Yu Yuan!"

On the island, Chi Ye, Zhong Ying, and many other herbalists and counselors exclaimed various names, each looking at Yu Yuan with a mix of emotions.

Some were fearful, others disgusted, some surprised, and a few seemed to take pleasure in the chaos.

However, none displayed the genuine joy or excitement Yu Yuan had hoped for.

It seemed that no matter their relationship to him, none present held him in high regard...

This realization left Yu Yuan feeling somewhat bitter, and he recognized that his actions later in life might have alienated those who had once been inclined to support him.

"Only the wise know how to adapt to the times. That's what you told me when you recruited me," Lian Hu said, taking a deep breath, his face turning beet red as he forcefully suppressed the fear welling up inside him. "Since your reincarnation failed and you've been utterly destroyed, I've remained loyal to the Order of Healing. So... you should continue to serve as my counselor."

"Moreover, Mr. Zhong has treated me quite well. He's made sure I had all the materials I needed for my cultivation over the years."

Lian Hu spread his hands with an innocent expression, "How was I to know that your reincarnation would actually succeed after three hundred years? Once you were revived, Yu Yuan, you went off to the extraterrestrial realms from the Moonfall Sanctuary once the news spread. I..."

His face twisted into a grimace of self-pity, "So, what do you expect me to do?"

"Just stay put and don't cause any trouble. I'll have more to discuss with you later." Yu Yuan left him with those words, then turned his gaze to the young man in the embroidered clothes who remained on the flying boat, his expression cool and detached.

A burst of blood-red light exploded beneath the flying boat, instantly obliterating both the vessel and the young man.

The young man's Lunar Spirit couldn't even flee; it dissipated into a wisp of smoke.

"Hong Qi!"

Qu Yun, who had been silent up until now, couldn't contain his outrage at the young man's death, "Boulderdawn Sect and the five supreme forces have an agreement. For the time being, neither side is permitted to wage war! You're no longer with the Order of Healing. Why did you barge in here and kill our people? What are you after?"

"An agreement? If someone below the Solar Spirit level dies, it's just death, no rules broken. Aren't you aware of that?" Yu Yuan replied with an easy smile.

Qu Yun was taken aback.

"Even for someone like you, who has reached the Solar Spirit level, I'm willing to bend the rules!"

Yu Yuan's smile remained as he gave a slight shrug and stopped abruptly in front of Qu Yun. After noticing Lian Hu's hesitation, he gave him a pointed look, "Think it over."

Feeling the weight of that gaze, Lian Hu was struck with a chill, as if plunged into icy waters, reminded of the ruthless and cunning man before him. With his heart still in turmoil, Lian Hu bowed his head, as though he suddenly became blind to both Qu Yun and himself.

"Hong Qi! What exactly are you up to at the Order of Healing?" Qu Yun demanded furiously.

Recently, he had come to know of Yu Yuan's exploits through Chu Yao, leaving him restless and constantly fearing an encounter with Yu Yuan.

And now, his worst fears had materialized. Yu Yuan, who was supposed to be in the extraterrestrial Star River, had abruptly shown up on Healing Island.

Caught off guard and haunted by the tales Chu Yao had shared, Qu Yun was terrified of Yu Yuan.

"The moment I set foot on this island, everything here fell back under my control. The fate of every herbalist on this island, whether they live or die, is now in my hands."

After a brief pause, Yu Yuan continued coolly, "Naturally, that includes you, Master Qu."

"How dare you?!"

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