C163 You Are Really Bad!!

The sword scars etched into the rock walls of the Soulforge Pool could draw upon the remnant souls and spiritual senses of the mighty. Yu Yuan was well aware of this.

He suspected that the dried-up Soulforge Pool indeed possessed some miraculous quality.

As the White Walker and the Terra Fiend had indicated, the Soulforge Pool was the lynchpin of the Soulforge Matrix, serving as the energy source for the entire formation.

When the bronze coffin burst skyward, the heavenly restrictions were shattered by a fellow sinner from Boulderdawn.

It was likely at that moment that the Soulforge Pool's already scant Soul Power was completely depleted.

Without the Soul Power, the Soulforge Matrix, which resonated with his sword spirit and intimidated the heavens and earth, would become ineffective.

The insights of Qin Yun and Lee Yuchan into the sword scars were evidently being absorbed by the rock wall.

Yu Yuan felt a keen response from the sword light within his arm bone.

Now, the cultivators of the Crimson Sun Empire had converged at the Soulforge Pool.

If played correctly...

"Yu."

Qin Yun of the Midnightshields, with a mournful expression, shook his head and lamented, "Why bother?"

Others might not grasp the full implications, but Lee Yuchan's mind was crystal clear. She frowned slightly and telepathically communicated, "The sword scars on the wall are mysterious and unpredictable. These cultivators from the Crimson Sun Empire could easily become ensnared. If they linger too long, each one might suffer damage to their Lunar Spirit. What then, if the alien souls and goasts arrive?"

She certainly had no fondness for the visitors from the Crimson Sun Empire.

Yet, despite her displeasure, the cultivators from the Crimson Sun Empire were bound by the edicts of the Sunfire Emperor and Zhou Cangmin to eradicate the goasts and alien souls upon their arrival.

Yu Yuan's persuasive words had already enticed them to unleash their remnant souls and spiritual senses, seeking to grasp the true essence of the sword scars.

Their strength was significantly diminished, and facing the imminent arrival of numerous alien souls and goasts, how would they fare if outmatched?

It hardly seemed worth it just to satisfy a grudge.

"Lee, you needn't concern yourself. I have my reasons for tempting them to study the sword scars," Yu Yuan said with a slight squint, conveying his message through thought. He was confident that Lee Yuchan was attuned to his intentions.

"Sword scar!"

Duan Guanlan of the Sunlit Order, along with Wu Zimo, were taken aback for a moment, yet they refused to be outdone.

Even Yu Yuan, who usually found them disagreeable, set aside his disdain and focused on deciphering the profound truths of swordsmanship hidden within the sword scar.

Yu Yuan wasn't mistaken.

Duan Guanlan and Wu Zimo were considered prodigies within the Crimson Sun Empire. From a young age, the Sunlit Order had selected them and bestowed upon them intricate spells.

Before they had ventured to the Euwrea Continent or joined the sect, they were confident they would become the sect's Seeds of Wisdom in the future.

However...

It wasn't until they advanced to Veil Breaking and were inducted into the sect by a Guru from the Sunlit Order that they realized they had been naive, merely frogs at the bottom of a well!

The Crimson Sun Empire and the Aetherius Continent were that well!

Within the Sunlit Order, the number of disciples chosen from Aetherius, the Land of Quiescence, and Euwrea was not large, but each was exceptionally talented.

The two of them were merely among the many.

In the Sunlit Order, they held no special status and were even ranked towards the bottom among their peers.

This harsh revelation hit them hard—they were only geniuses within the Crimson Sun Empire.

In the vast expanse of the Everlands and within the prestigious Sunlit Order, they were quite ordinary and not deemed worthy of the sect's full investment.

Even the distribution of cultivation materials by the Sunlit Order was based on each individual's realm, talent, and contributions to the sect.

The resources they received for their cultivation in the Sunlit Order were, in truth, insufficient.

Their return to the Crimson Sun Empire was motivated by the hope of securing a collection of magic items and pills through their family's influence, items that could aid in their advancement. They aspired to swiftly progress from Veil Breaking to Subtlety and catch up with their fellow disciples.

The Moonfall Sanctuary, once a renowned site on the Aetherius Continent and throughout the Everlands, presented a chance for fortune after its mysterious transformation. Seizing the opportunity, the two convinced their family elders to take a gamble and explore this chance at destiny.

The sword scars held an immense allure for them!

"Brother Yu, you're truly..."

With a sweet smile and picturesque eyes, Su Yan spoke in a clear, melodious voice, "You're quite the troublemaker!"

Yu Yuan turned to look at the familiar face before him, which inevitably brought to mind someone from his past life. "What's the matter?"

"Troublemaker, sure, but..." Su Yan bit her lip, fighting back a laugh, "But it's actually quite nice."

Qin Yun's Lunar Spirit was gravely wounded by the sword scar, and Lee Yuchan coughed up blood, all of which Su Yan witnessed with clarity.

She had realized the sword scar was amiss, knowing it could inflict severe damage on cultivators above the Subtlety Stage. Yet, for those with lesser cultivation, it posed no threat.

Yu Yuan had set a trap that the cultivators of the Crimson Sun Empire had fallen into, much to her delight.

Upon looking at Yu Yuan again, her heart fluttered with subtle ripples, and she found herself increasingly fond of him.

Her thoughts drifted to Lin Zhuyun, the empire's jewel just as renowned as she was. She remembered Lin Zhuyun's forlorn departure, lost in her own world, and the complicated history between Lin Zhuyun and Yu Yuan.

She resolved that if she could safely return to the empire, she would do everything in her power to repair the relationship with the Yu family.

For the sake of Yu Yuan alone, the Su family would be willing to humble themselves and make amends.

"Hey!"

Yu Yuan called out, stepping beside Wu Zimo with a mischievous grin. "You might as well save your effort. With your level of cultivation, you won't be able to decipher the true mysteries hidden within the sword scar."

"And another thing..."

Yu Yuan cast a glance at Duan Guanlan, about to speak when his expression turned to one of astonishment.

Duan Guanlan stood there, his face a mask of bewilderment, with a flicker of crimson light dancing in the depths of his eyes.

The Sunlit Order disciple, transfixed by the sword scar on the wall, seemed to have a genuine reaction, as if he were completely absorbed by it.

Yet, there was something ominous about the red glow in Duan Guanlan's eyes, who had advanced to the late Veil Breaking Stage. It carried an air of malevolence and eeriness.

Wu Zimo was at a loss as she examined the sword scar on the wall. Just as she was about to lose her temper following Yu Yuan's taunting, she realized something was amiss.

Staring at her fellow disciple Duan Guanlan, she was initially bewildered. But after a moment, clarity dawned on her, and she exclaimed anxiously, "Senior Brother Duan, the spell you're practicing is strictly forbidden by our sect!"

Yu Yuan couldn't help but laugh. "A cultivator from the Sunlit Order secretly practicing the Ruby Hand's Crimson Soul Spell!" he said. "The Crimson Soul Spell is meant to be cultivated starting from the late Veil Breaking Stage, allowing for the chance to condense spiritual sense before reaching the Subtlety Stage. It's quite amusing that a disciple from the Sunlit Order in Euwrea is practicing a spell from the Ruby Hand of the Land of Quiescence."

It seemed that no one else was aware that Duan Guanlan had been clandestinely practicing the Crimson Soul Spell to keep pace with his fellow disciple.

He must have indeed condensed a few strands of spiritual sense early on; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to penetrate the sword scar and grasp its intricacies.

Yet, with this revelation, his standing within the Sunlit Order was now in jeopardy.

"What a shame," Qin Yun of Midnightshields remarked with a sigh after taking a closer look.

He recognized that Duan Guanlan would no longer be counted among the disciples of the Sunlit Order.

"Good thing your own cultivation level is modest, or what then?" Yu Yuan said to Wu Zimo with a sardonic smile. "Senior Sister Wu, could you be following in his footsteps, secretly practicing a dark adept's spell to hasten your advancement? That would indeed be most intriguing."

With a sudden burst, a gush of thick red blood erupted from Duan Guanlan's mouth.

He collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.

"Young Master!"

Simultaneously, another Lunar Spirit expert from the Duan family appeared to have forcibly escaped the binding of the sword scar. After the dispersion of the Lunar Spirit, he regained consciousness.

This towering figure from the Duan family, clad in a crimson robe, radiated with a ruddy glow.

In the instant his Lunar Spirit coalesced, Yu Yuan flashed a grin and remarked, "That's one way to do it!"

The elderly Duan, whose Lunar Spirit had manifested, bore the unmistakable guise of a dark adept from the Ruby Hand.

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