C1436 The Great Mystery

In the dimly lit wooden building, Yin Xueqi's brow furrowed slowly.

Adorned in a flowing yellow gown embellished with an array of gemstones and jade, her beauty was striking. In her pale hand, she clutched a silver wand, its design unlike any artifact from the Everlands.

The room was occupied by five or six members of the Artifact Sect, mostly in their forties, with a rugged and unkempt appearance.

"Yin girl, why bother pleading with him?" a burly man with calloused hands and a face marred by burn scars asked gruffly. His imposing presence was undeniable. "That kid from Boulderdawn, what status could he possibly have? You'd be better off asking Hei Xun for help!"

His voice boomed as he continued, "Years ago, I crafted a Cursed Artifact for Hei Xun! When he returns, I'll have a word with him."

"I could try reaching out to Green Willow," chimed in a woman whose face was a contrast of beauty and a fish-scale mask. Her eyes were filled with concern. "Before Green Willow became a Monster Lord, my late master crafted an evil weapon for him."

Yin Xueqi observed them in silence before speaking up, "The weapon Yu Yuan wields is the pride of our lineage, the masterpiece of our ancient ancestor. His soul was even offered in a blood sacrifice to the Baneblade. In that sense, Yu Yuan shares a connection with us."

Her eyes shone with fervor as she continued, "In this age, we should be distinguishing ourselves! While the other factions of the Artifact Sect craft spiritual weapons solely for human use, we have the ability to forge evil weapons powered by vital energy—weapons that can also be wielded by the Otherkin!"

With a passionate gesture, she declared, "The extraterrestrial realms are boundless. Now that Boulderdawn and the Chamber of Commerce have welcomed the Otherkin, we have the opportunity to showcase our craft! We can empower beings from other worlds to fight with our creations and have our artifacts revered in their sacred sanctuaries!"

Yin Xueqi's frame quivered with excitement as she spoke.

"Your ideas are too radical, too dangerous. It's because the Artifact Sect couldn't contain you that we had to take you away. Xueqi, you can speak freely on Celestial Isle, but be careful not to spread such heretical thoughts elsewhere!"

The woman with half her face covered by a mask was so frantic she almost clapped a hand over her mouth. "No! That's not right! I can't let you leave Celestial Isle! We're no longer with the Artifact Sect. Without their protection, it would be all too easy for someone to kill us!"

"I need to find Yu Yuan!"

"Calm down!"

Everyone around her urged.

...

"What's the situation with that girl?"

At the forbidden area of Celestial Isle, Yu Yuan stood before a stone building nestled against the mountainside and casually inquired of Zheng Luanjie.

At the base of the not-so-tall mountain, there were a dozen or so stone buildings exclusively for the use of the chamber of commerce's internal members. Some of the members were curiously observing the scene.

"She's an outlier from the Artifact Sect, adept at crafting evil weapons. The devils from the Everlands, the Colddeath, and other evilkinds like the Forgeroses, who draw their power from vital energy, are quite fond of seeking their expertise in weapon refinement. However, the majority of artifacts that rely on vital energy as their primary power source are inherently unstable."

Zheng Luanjie smirked slightly, "Much like the Baneblade you wield, they're prone to turning on their owner. That girl, Yin Xueqi, recently acquired some items from the Otherkin and has been covertly studying their complexities. It seems she's stumbled upon some astonishing insights."

"Subsequently, they voluntarily left the Artifact Sect and have been holed up here on Celestial Isle, engrossed in their research day and night."

Shaking his head, Zheng Luanjie appeared unconcerned, "There's no need to trouble yourself with them. The Artifact Sect didn't even request their return when they came here, seemingly giving tacit approval to their departure. We're not sure what they're up to, but as long as they've paid with soulstones, they're free to stay as long as they wish."

"Understood," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a nod.

He didn't consider Yin Xueqi a matter of concern. Following Zheng Luanjie's lead, he went into the stone building and descended through a secret passage to the mountain's base.

Before long, he called forth the Baneblade, Bloodhell, from a hidden cave deep underground.

With a mere thought, the red soul orb originating from Qu Yun was summoned, materializing before Lian Hu.

"Take a look at these memories. The Lunar Spirit has delved deep within," he said, gesturing towards Qu Yun's crimson soul sphere to signal Lian Hu.

Lian Hu, not daring to disobey, released his Lunar Spirit from his forehead, which dutifully entered Qu Yun's red soul sphere. There, he witnessed the images buried deep within Qu Yun's memories.

After a considerable time, Lian Hu cried out in terror, "Master, who is trying to harm you?"

Back on Healing Island, he had referred to Yu Yuan as Mr. Hong. Now, in this hidden place, it seemed he had resigned himself to his fate, and after seeing some unsettling images, Lian Hu changed how he addressed him.

"Think about it carefully for me. Who could be manipulating Qu Yun from the shadows?" Yu Yuan demanded icily.

Lian Hu possessed the unique ability to hear people's inner thoughts. The fragmentary Spirit Magic he practiced was fortuitously acquired by Yu Yuan from the Rainbow Ocean. Due to the incompleteness of the Spirit Magic, Lian Hu had only mastered this singular mystique.

This was a secret known only to Yu Yuan and Lian Hu.

Yu Yuan believed that Lian Hu's survival was due to overhearing the intentions of his senior brother and Qu Yun. Knowing they had sent him away on a task as a death sentence, he adamantly refused to go.

Having dodged this calamity, Lian Hu managed to gain the trust of his senior brother and Qu Yun. By understanding their true intentions and hearing their inner monologues, he continuously catered to their preferences and allayed their concerns. As a result, he not only survived but was trusted and relied upon by them once more.

The ability to listen to thoughts was Lian Hu's greatest secret and his most extraordinary trait. Yu Yuan, knowing him well, was confident he would not disclose this secret to anyone else.

Thus, whether it was his senior brother or Qu Yun, their innermost self-talk should have been overheard by him.

Setting aside Qu Yun, who provided no clues even after reviewing all his memories, Yu Yuan could only place his hopes on his senior brother, Zhong Chichen, to uncover the truth.

He waited patiently for Lian Hu to slowly gather his memories and for Lian Hu to voluntarily start talking.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lian Hu exhaled deeply and, with a voice as if he were speaking in a dream, said, "I remember Mr. Zhong saying something that I didn't understand at the time; it just left me puzzled. But now, after seeing the images in Qu Yun's mind, I sense that something isn't right."

Yu Yuan perked up, "What did he say?"

"Not long after Mr. Zhong advanced to the Unbound Stage, he called together some members of the sect and declared that he would be entering a prolonged period of seclusion. He appointed Chu Yao to oversee the sect's internal affairs. As he was making these arrangements, he muttered a few words to himself that I inadvertently... overheard."

Lian Hu's face took on a grave expression.

"He mused, 'First, my master fell victim, then my junior brother, and now... is it my turn? My master realized his own nature was becoming twisted and hastily arranged for my junior brother to succeed him as sect master, fearing he might lose control over himself. So, he went into hiding, but still, he died.'"

"'My junior brother was completely unaware, suffered the worst of the poisoning, and couldn't reverse its effects.'"

"'Is it finally my turn now...?'"

Mimicking Zhong Chichen's tone, Lian Hu recounted these words that had never been spoken aloud, only whispered within Zhong Chichen's heart.

"After that, Mr. Zhong declared his seclusion, and it became exceedingly rare to see him. Within the sect, only Chu Yao had access to him and could visit him." Lian Hu pondered deeply before adding, "Even Qu Yun didn't know where his seclusion was taking place. I also accidentally overheard Qu Yun's inner voice, and he too sensed that something was amiss."

He paused there.

Yu Yuan's gaze darkened as he inhaled sharply and roared, "So, my master also perished because of this!"

Indeed, since awakening in this life, he had found it odd how his master had hastily relinquished the role of sect master of the Order of Healing.

The master appeared to be in too much of a hurry.

Later, his master vanished without a trace. Rumors circulated that he had perished attempting a breakthrough to a higher realm, others believed he succumbed to madness from a failed medicinal concoction, and some whispered he died from poison.

Theories abounded, yet none provided a definitive answer.

Zhong Chichen, his senior brother, was equally evasive about their master's death, merely suggesting that his time had come.

Reflecting on it now, it seemed as though his master, he himself, and his senior brother might have all been victims of a sinister plot within the sect's forbidden area.

Who in the Everlands possessed such power? And who bore such a grudge against the Order of Healing?

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