C193 Whoever Fails will be the One to Die

Lee Yuangui and Su Xiangtian, the future pillar of the empire, suddenly wore strange expressions on their faces. The look of gratification in their eyes faded away quietly.

Yuan Lianyao, known within the empire as the "blazing red lotus," watched her beautiful face drain of color. She had a bad feeling about what was unfolding.

The memory of Yu Yuan's reckless actions and the subsequent killings in the city were deeply etched in her mind. She was acutely aware that Yu Yuan possessed a level of cruelty and ruthlessness that far surpassed his peers. And despite only being at the Soul Awakening Realm, Yu Yuan's control over various prohibitions endowed him with a terrifying lethality in this world. Su Xiangtian and Lee Yuangui were mistaken to assess Yu Yuan by conventional standards.

"Brother Yu!" Zhao Yafu exclaimed in alarm. She glanced at the man with the human head and dragon body before urgently turning to Yu Yuan, stammering, "Then, then..." She couldn't bring herself to finish her thought.

Both the Yu and Zhao families were prominent within the Silvermoon Empire. Lee Yuangui and Su Xiangtian represented the empress and the empire itself. To defy these two men was to defy the empire's decree and to stand against the empire!

Despite her boldness, Zhao Yafu felt a wave of fear at the thought of her entire family's safety. Though she was loath to part with the man with the human head and dragon body and was filled with guilt, the potential death of her entire family forced her to make a swift decision. The man, with a serene smile, nodded at her gently, signaling his understanding and lack of concern.

"Why?" Su Xiangtian was genuinely surprised, as if seeing Yu Yuan for the first time. "He, along with Ann Jieshan, are enemies of the Empire. Why didn't you kill them when you had the chance? Is it because one of them has reached an understanding with you, and the other has granted Zhao Yafu an inheritance?"

He was well aware of the events that had transpired. Pressing Yu Yuan to make such a decision was also to ensure that there would be no objections from others.

After secretly communicating with his daughter, he even suspected that she had developed feelings for Yu Yuan, which had noticeably altered his perception of the young man. As for the minor squabbles between the Su and Yu families, he was confident they could be easily resolved upon his return to the Empire.

Su Xiangtian's discomfort was palpable after Yu Yuan's refusal. It was a bitter pill to swallow, feeling as though his good intentions had been dismissed with disdain.

"This individual, and that one as well, will still be subdued within the forbidden area," Yu Yuan mused. "However, due to certain choices they made previously, their souls need not be shattered. I assure you, they will not escape the Moonfall Sanctuary and wreak havoc upon the Empire."

"Yu Yuan!" Van Hen huffed, "Are you aware that the Terra Fiend, the Wraith Ape, and the tree monster, along with all the alien soul archdemons converging at the entrance to the forbidden area, had already unleashed a bloody slaughter within the Empire before their arrival?"

"Their past actions are irreversible! Therefore, they deserve to perish in the forbidden area, not merely be restrained and imprisoned!"

"Yu Yuan, correct? I hail from Asenalenor. These Aberrant Souls and Demon Spirits, once they break free, they immediately embark on a killing spree. The Empire has suffered greatly at their hands. Numerous cultivators from our families have perished because of them. Countless mortals and entire towns have been brought to ruin."

"Yu Yuan, since you have access to the sword's will, as a citizen of the Empire, it is your duty to eliminate them!"

"What are you waiting for?"

"..."

The surviving cultivators of the Silvermoon Empire all chimed in, recounting the numerous atrocities committed by Fides and the other alien souls before they stepped foot into the forbidden area. Moreover, throughout the Empire's history, artifacts like the crescent pendant and the blood light had occasionally broken free from their confines, causing harm to the citizens.

Amidst their fervent speeches, the man with the human head and dragon body simply scoffed in contempt. Ann Jieshan, too, let out a cold snort.

Yu Yuan responded, "In truth, I do not control the sword's will. Whether you believe that is up to you."

No sooner had he spoken than, to the astonishment of all, the sword's will targeting the man with the human head and dragon body plunged into the depths of the pool.

The man, now free, flashed a sinister smile. "Indeed, we have slain many within the Silvermoon Empire! But tell me, didn't your Silvermoon Empire also depend on us when it was first founded?"

He turned abruptly to the old general. "The Lee family, how did you establish the Silvermoon Empire? Surely, you must know something about rising above the many families to create a nation?"

Lee Yuangui was bewildered.

"Humph!" The burly man bellowed with arrogance, slowly ascending into the air. "In the beginning, the Lee family took the initiative to awaken us one by one. We aided the Lee family's ascent, contributing to the rise of the Silvermoon Empire. The earliest promise from the Lee family was to one day return us to the forbidden area!"

"It was your Lee family ancestors who first broke their word!"

"After the Silvermoon Empire grew powerful, the Lee family reneged on their promise. They even secretly conspired with cultivators from the other two continents to suppress us once more!"

"The Silvermoon Empire, the Lee family, you were the first to betray us!"

Ann Jieshan, now inhabiting a corporeal form, nodded in agreement.

This appeared to be the stark reality!

The revelations from the burly man and Ann Jieshan were so astonishing that even Lee Yuangui, Su Xiangtian, and the others were dumbfounded.

The creation of the empire and the rise of the Lee family were events of a distant past.

Who would have imagined that the establishment of the Silvermoon Empire and the Lee family's ascension to the throne were significantly aided by these alien souls?

"Do not be swayed by these alien souls!" Van Hen thundered. "Demons and devils excel at such beguiling speech! Yu Yuan, why didn't he die? Why didn't the sword's will penetrate him?"

Yu Yuan, still reeling from the shock, observed the burly man and then Ann Jieshan, feeling convinced to a large extent.

Deep down, he never saw himself as a subject of the Silvermoon Empire, which allowed him to view the situation as an outsider.

He had gleaned some insight into the origins and temperament of the burly man with the human head and dragon body through the sword spirit.

The burly man was known for his ferocity and bloodlust, yet he was unlike White Walker and Fides; he wasn't one to spout nonsense.

Assuming his words were true, then it was the Silvermoon Empire and the ancestors of the Lee family who had exploited and then betrayed them.

Their lifting of the ban and subsequent rampage in the Silvermoon Empire could be seen as an act of retribution for their grievances.

With this in mind, Yu Yuan regained his composure and addressed the agitated Van Hen, "I'm truly sorry. The truth is, I have no control over those sword's wills."

The sword's wills dissipated from the burly man's back and the base of his skull as they sensed a shift in his mental state.

His murderous intent had vanished, along with any malevolent thoughts, prompting the sword's wills to depart.

Yet, due to his altered mindset and his burgeoning disdain for Van Hen of the Van family...

"Chi! Chi!"

A flurry of sword's wills transformed into vibrant rainbows, streaking towards Van Hen.

"No, don't!"

"Stop this madness!"

Su Xiangtian and Lee Yuangui's faces paled as they cried out in alarm.

Yuan Lianyao swiftly extended her hand, seizing Yu Yuan's arm with a deathly pale face, and commanded sternly, "Keep your cool!"

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