C2 Completely

The next day dawned.

"Elder Yinn, there's really no need for you to target Yu Yuan. I'm willing to wait a bit longer," Lim Zhuyun spoke amidst the verdant mountains and clear waters, her figure clad in green, standing as serene as a bamboo in a secluded glen.

The mist swirled around her like a white ribbon dancing in the breeze, casting her in the ethereal light of a sprite dwelling in the mountain streams, a celestial maiden amongst the clouds.

"I simply cannot fathom what the late matriarch of the Lim family was thinking to betroth you to Yu Yuan," Yinn Jue said with a respectful bow. "The Lim family is renowned, ranking among the top five noble houses of the Silvermoon Empire, while the Yu family is confined to the modest Darkmoon City, not even the mightiest there."

He paused, his gaze intense with awe and aspiration, and continued, "As for you, Miss, you've already demonstrated exceptional talent in your cultivation, earning the attention of the Cold Yin Sect, one of the seven esteemed lower sects of the Heavenly Source Continent! You, young lady, are fated to ascend, to become a fairy of the Heavenly Source Continent! The entire Lim family will reap the rewards of your ascension!"

"Why the old lady refused to annul the engagement and insisted on your promise to wed into the Yu family, even to her last breath, is beyond me."

Lim Zhuyun's brows knit together in a gentle furrow, her heart filled with the same bewilderment. "I'm at a loss as well," she murmured.

The disparity between the Lim and Yu families within the Silvermoon Empire was stark.

Yet, she was the Lim family's cherished jewel, the pride of their lineage. Shortly after her birth, she was selected by a wandering master of the Cold Yin Sect, who imparted to her the sect's Spiritual Spells and ensured she received guidance from esteemed teachers.

Whispers abounded that the Cold Yin Sect's Great Elder saw great potential in her and was merely waiting for her to transcend the Yellow Court Stage and reach the Profound Break. Then, he would personally escort her to the Heavenly Source Continent to become his direct disciple.

The Profound Sky Continent was home to six grand empires and countless mortals.

But to be favored by an Immortal Master of the Heavenly Source Continent, to "ascend" and join the ranks of cultivators on that exalted plane, was a chance one in a million.

She was that rare fortunate soul, and moreover, one favored by the Great Elder of the Cold Yin Sect, a revered figure among the seven great lower sects of the Heavenly Source Continent.

She was fated to soar through the clouds and ascend to the heavens in her lifetime.

The Lim family swelled with pride because of her.

Yet, the Lim family's Matriarch, against all opposition, had promised her to Yu Yuan of the Yu family while she was still unborn—a child not yet brought into the world.

The reason remained a mystery.

The Matriarch offered no explanation.

As she neared her destined rise to greatness after her birth, word from Silvermoon City painted Yu Yuan as a fool, a simpleton, sending the Lim family into an uproar.

They ridiculed the absurdity of the marriage contract, and she, too, felt the sting of deep humiliation.

Since childhood, the name Yu Yuan had haunted her, driving her to tears as she repeatedly demanded of the Matriarch, "Why?!"

Pushed to the brink, threatening to take her own life, she finally cornered the Matriarch, who confessed, "It was a lost wager, and I... honor my bets."

The Lim family was once thrown into chaos over this affair. Yet, even as the Matriarch faced death, she held fast to her word, insisting that the marriage agreement be honored.

Six months before the wedding, she preemptively moved into the Yu family's home amidst their time of crisis, both to assess Yu Yuan's character and to aid the family in their troubles.

Upon truly meeting Yu Yuan, any illusions she held shattered, and her heart plunged into a chasm of ice.

The Yu family's patriarch, in gratitude for her aid, revealed a secret: the Yu family possessed an Ice Soul Crystal from the Nether Abyss, preserved for eons.

Should she honor her vow and wed Yu Yuan as agreed, the Ice Soul Crystal would be hers as a dowry, a boon for her cultivation.

As a practitioner of the Cold Yin Sect's Spiritual Spell, she recognized the Ice Soul Crystal as an unparalleled treasure.

On both the Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents, such a crystal was a marvel, one that would solidify her cultivation at the Yellow Court Stage and propel her to prominence within the Cold Yin Sect, eclipsing her peers and the so-called prodigies.

With only three months left until the wedding, try to bear with it. I'm honoring the Matriarch's last wish by marrying Yu Yuan. Once that's done, the Ice Soul Crystal will be in our grasp, and I'll simply add the role of the Yu family's granddaughter-in-law to my list of titles. Grandpa Yu has assured me he won't meddle in my affairs.

The thought of Yu Yuan's soul being extinguished and facing slander herself left Lin Zhuyun feeling agitated. Yet Yinn Jue was genuinely looking out for her and remained unwaveringly devoted to the Lim family. She found it hard to rebuke him.

"You are like the moon in the heavens; how could you take the name of wife to that imbecile, Yu Yuan?" Yinn Jue's body shook with fury, his face a mask of icy menace. "The moment you shine on the Heavenly Source Continent and within the Cold Yin Sect, this will become an indelible blemish on your life!"

"Even being tied by a marriage contract is a disgrace to me, a blemish in itself, let alone an actual marriage!"

"That fool Yu Yuan, his life is worthless. He should not be the cause of your shame on the Heavenly Source Continent! His death aligns with the wishes of both the Lim family and the Cold Yin Sect!"

"I am merely carrying out my duties," Yinn Jue declared, his voice a low growl, the murderous intent in his eyes nearly spilling over.

"The Cold Yin Sect desires this as well?" Lim Zhuyun asked, taken aback.

Yinn Jue gave a firm nod. "The Cold Yin Sect's aim isn't just the death of Yu Yuan, but also to ensure you refine the Ice Soul Crystal. And there's more..."

"What more?"

"The Yu family must be eradicated from Darkmoon City and the Silvermoon Empire. Every individual bearing the Yu surname must be purged!"

"Why must it come to this?"

"There are other plans for your marriage from your future master," Yinn Jue hesitated before continuing softly, "The Great Elder intends to wipe away any past stains from your life. He wants you to be unsullied, to be worthy of that person. Moreover, forcibly taking the Ice Soul Crystal isn't honorable, so it must be done thoroughly, leaving no chance for escapees to spread their lies."

Lin Zhuyun, still a child in many ways, was profoundly shaken by Yinn Jue's words. It was her first encounter with the world's darker, bloodier aspects.

"The Great Dao is heartless. To the Cold Yin Sect, you are destined to be a vital member. A minor family from Darkmoon City is nothing but an ant, easily squashed." Yinn Jue's voice was detached. "The Yu family has only themselves to blame, specifically Yu Yuan. He should never have gotten engaged to you."

He curled his lip in a sneer. "A toad lusting after swan meat! The Yu family patriarch knew full well his grandson was a fool, yet he coveted your talent for cultivation, hoping you'd bear the Yu family's future generations? Pure fantasy! They deserve their fate—all of them wiped out."

"Elder Yinn, what... what are you going to do?" Lin Zhuyun came to her senses, her scream tinged with terror.

"Yes, I spoke frankly with you today, Miss, in hopes that you would concern yourself with nothing and feign ignorance," Yinn Jue replied impassively. "Rest assured, I will handle everything perfectly. Just wait a few days to receive the Ice Soul Crystal, then focus on your cultivation until the Great Elder of the Cold Yin Sect arrives to guide you."

"How can this be? Why is this happening?" Lin Zhuyun murmured, her voice hollow with shock.

Yinn Jue looked at her and said, "You'd best get used to the harshness of this world sooner rather than later. Otherwise, you'll be overwhelmed in the Cold Yin Sect and vulnerable to treachery from your peers."

In the midst of their conversation, a blue-clothed maid dashed over like a swift bird, causing leaves and branches to scatter in her wake.

"Xiao You, what's the rush?" Yinn Jue snapped.

"Elder Yinn! Miss! The Yu family's fool survived the night—he didn't pass away!" The maid's voice was loud and tinged with panic. "He didn't just survive; it's as if he's truly come back to life!"

"What!?" Lin Zhuyun and Yinn Jue cried out in unison.

In the ancestral home of the Yu family, Yu Yuan—or Hong Qi, as he was also known—never anticipated that upon awakening from a deep slumber, he would find himself in a world three hundred years later.

"The Reincarnation Pill didn't completely fail after all; it merely postponed my reincarnation. So, I wonder if this was within my Senior Brother's expectations or not. Did he truly wish for my death, or was it his intent for me to be reborn three centuries later?"

Reborn Yu Yuan's mind was still clouded, bombarded by a flood of new memories threatening to overwhelm him.

"I am both Hong Qi and Yu Yuan! Yu Yuan is my reborn self, a result of my Heavenly Soul and Earth Soul's delayed return during reincarnation, which left me living in a perpetual haze. Three centuries ago, I was the Sect Master of the Medicine God Sect on the Quietus Continent, but my inherent meridian obstruction prevented me from cultivating."

With this realization, he quickly assessed his current state.

"Hahaha!" Yu Yuan burst into uproarious laughter.

The very afflictions that had once driven him to despair and to the desperate act of concocting the Reincarnation Pill had vanished with his rebirth!

He was confident that in this life, his meridians were clear, paving the way for his journey on the cultivation path.

The ten grand stages of cultivation included Pulse Opening, Spirit Accumulating, Yellow Court, Profound Break, Penetrating, Yin God, Soul Wandering, Yang God, Freedom, and Primordial Spirit.

In his past life, as Hong Qi, he never advanced to true cultivator status due to his blocked meridians, not even achieving Pulse Opening.

Without the ability to cultivate, his lifespan was bound by the natural order, capped at a mere century, after which his physical form would deteriorate and succumb to an early demise.

Despite expending vast wealth and resources on countless divine pills, he could never free himself from the constraints of his sealed meridians, and he died without ever becoming a true cultivator.

His brief existence, scarcely a century long, was devoted to the creation of myriad spiritual pills using the Earthcore Inferno of the Medicine God Sect.

Lacking the prospect of cultivation, he leveraged his exceptional alchemical gifts to rise to the position of Sect Master of the Medicine God Sect, earning the reverence of numerous sects and empires across the Heavenly Source, Quietus, and Profound Sky Continents.

At the twilight of his life, he sought to craft the Reincarnation Pill for a chance at rebirth. However, in the final step, he was betrayed by his senior brother, Zhong Chichen.

The human soul, the heavenly soul, and the earthly soul had parted ways before the cycle of reincarnation. Only the human soul managed to pierce through the fabric of space and time, and after more than two centuries, it emerged as Yu Yuan.

The Earth Soul, bearer of memories, and the Heavenly Soul, the source of wisdom, took an additional seventeen years to find their way back, finally making the trio of souls whole.

"Young Master, is that really you?"

The laughter drew the purple-clad maidservant to the room. Upon opening the door, she found Yu Yuan sitting up, a stark contrast to his previous prostrate state from the night before.

"Yes, it's me," Yu Yuan confirmed.

The maidservant's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes brimming with wonder and tears of joy. "Young Master, you're alive! And how... how can you speak so clearly?"

Before her stood Yu Yuan, his eyes bright and animated, devoid of any previous confusion.

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