C205 Sacred Hands
The Serpent Spine Mountains straddle the border between the Crimson Sun Empire and the Moonfall Sanctuary. This expansive range boasts peaks of varying heights, most of which are verdant and teeming with a diverse array of flora. Spirit Birds and other creatures thrive among these peaks, and from above, the lakes nestled within resemble exquisite sapphires.
In truth, the Serpent Spine Mountains are not claimed by any nation. The area is sparsely populated, making it a challenge for common folk to establish a lasting presence. Nonetheless, due to its proximity to the Crimson Sun Empire and the presence of a cultivator sect that has long maintained amicable relations with the empire, many perceive the mountains as being under the empire's domain.
The sect known as Sacred Hands, however, does not recognize such claims. Although friendly with the Crimson Sun Empire, Sacred Hands has long secluded itself within the Serpent Spine Mountains, eschewing contact with the laypeople and instead forging close ties with other cultivators and prominent families.
Across the entire Aetherius Continent, Sacred Hands is regarded as a singular entity, famed for being the sole sect capable of offering heavenly pills for sale. There are whispers of a profound connection between Sacred Hands and the Order of Healing from the Land of Quiescence.
The Order of Healing, revered across the Everlands and both the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea, stands apart as a remarkable sect, untouched by the turmoil of war that plagues the continents, forever preserving its neutrality.
Sacred Hands, concealed within the Serpent Spine Mountains, assumes a role akin to that of the Order of Healing on the Aetherius Continent. Both the Crimson Sun Empire and the neighboring Silvermoon Empire are keen to cultivate amicable relations with Sacred Hands.
The Su family, a lineage of alchemists from the Silvermoon Empire, makes it a tradition for each new family head to seek an audience with Sacred Hands, desiring their endorsement and blessings. This is largely because the Su family possesses an array of exceedingly rare medicinal materials that are only available through Sacred Hands.
Not just the Su family, but many nations across the Aetherius Continent have families like them, who breed herbalists to serve their empires, and maintain close ties with the Sacred Hands.
The Serpent Spine Mountains are the sole birthplace of numerous rare spiritual herbs and scarce medicinal ingredients.
Most of these precious plants scattered throughout the Serpent Spine Mountains are under the watchful eye of the Sacred Hands' cultivators, and harvesting by outsiders is strictly prohibited.
However, given the vast expanse of the Serpent Spine Mountains, there are always reckless souls who fearlessly seek out these rare herbs on their own.
Some cultivators, possessing advanced skills and living in solitude, are not intimidated by the prospect of antagonizing the Sacred Hands. The sect has no recourse but to tolerate their actions.
When foreign visitors from notorious sects of other continents, such as Colddeath, Ruby Hand, or Binders of Shadows, arrive, the Sacred Hands are even more at a loss.
Take, for instance...
A gaunt old man, leaning on a snake-headed cane, stood before a swamp billowing with green miasma. His neck was adorned with eerie Ghoul Glyphs, clearly marking him as a member of the infamous Binders of Shadows, much like Chou Wan.
The elder, resembling a bamboo stick, was all skin and bones, his snake-headed cane resembling a desiccated serpent.
This man, known as Zanas, was at the pinnacle of the Lunar Spirit Realm, just one step shy of advancing to the Spirit Walk Realm.
Within the Binders of Shadows, his status was even higher than that of Chou Wan.
At this moment, he stood with his hands on the cane, his predominantly white eyes gazing ahead, a chilling smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
The veins on his hands, clutching the cane, began to bulge, winding like serpents beneath his skin.
Wisps of dark green blood seeped from his middle elixir field, transforming into oily green spirit snakes that slithered toward the swamp below, as if probing for something.
In the swamp, shrouded by the hovering miasma, two men and a woman were scattering a mix of green, black, and yellow powders.
Two men and one woman, all originating from the Binders of Shadows, were his hand-chosen disciples. In the depths of the swamp, Alien Bugs and spirit snakes would occasionally surface, only to quickly dive back down and move beneath the earth, aiding the visitors from the Binders of Shadows in their search for peculiar treasures.
The region reeked of foul odors, with poisonous miasma floating in the air, sometimes condensing into droplets and falling like a fine rain.
A mile away, there was a small, dry hill protruding from the ground. Atop this hill stood a woman in flowing blue attire. She was dressed with simple elegance, her visage beautiful, and in her hand, she held a green jade bottle. With a slight furrow in her brow, she gazed distantly at the master and disciples of the Binders of Shadows, her expression one of distaste.
This woman hailed from the Sacred Hands. Her cultivation level was only at the early period of the Subtlety Realm, yet her proficiency in alchemy was strong. While gathering herbs in the vicinity, she happened upon Zanas and his three disciples from the Binders of Shadows. Upon inquiring about their intentions, she learned they were on a quest for spiritual herbs within the Serpent Spine Mountains. She felt helpless to intervene.
The Binders of Shadows were a formidable sect within the Land of Quiescence, known for their ruthless and venomous tactics, not to be trifled with by the Sacred Hands. Zanas's herb gathering in the Serpent Spine Mountains was something neither she nor the Sacred Hands could prevent.
However, after covertly observing for some time, she noticed that wherever Zanas and his disciples collected herbs, the already polluted and foul-smelling areas of the Serpent Spine Mountains grew even more noxious, with persistent miasma beginning to emerge. When the wind carried the miasma elsewhere, it resulted in the widespread death of the carefully cultivated herbs of the Sacred Hands.
Out of anger, she reported the matter to her sect's elders, but the response she received was to continue watching quietly and not to interfere excessively.
She understood that while the Sacred Hands held an esteemed position in Aetherius, they were still significantly outmatched by the cultivation sects of both the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea.
The Binders of Shadows were rumored to have a profound connection with the previous master of the Order of Healing in the Land of Quiescence. The former master of the Order of Healing had only recently taken up his position when he tragically lost his soul to the perils of alchemy, sending shockwaves throughout the Everlands.
Despite his brief and hurried existence, he left behind a legacy of astonishing deeds. Rumors swirled that in his later years, he had turned to dark practices, crafting poisons and poison pills that brought untold suffering to countless cultivators across both the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea, instilling fear and trembling in their hearts.
It was believed that this individual was responsible for the meteoric rise of the Binders of Shadows from an obscure sect to a dominant force, rivaling the likes of the Ruby Hand and Colddeath.
The Sacred Hands Sect, where she belonged, was said to share an ancient bond with the Order of Healing. This connection might explain why her sect's directives were so explicit: keep a watchful eye, report any news immediately, but refrain from any rash actions or interference with the Binders of Shadows' affairs.
"Hmm!" She let out a soft exclamation. With her heightened spiritual sense at the Subtlety Realm, she detected another soul stirring nearby. "Who could it be? If the Binders of Shadows discover them, they're in for misfortune." After a moment's hesitation, she swiftly departed.
Half an hour later, she stood amidst a field of yellow flowers, confronting a dashing youth who seemed to sway with the breeze. "Halt!" she called out sharply.
The youth stopped, a smile playing on his lips as he gave her a thoughtful look. "Sister, are you with the Sacred Hands Sect?"
"Who are you?" Bai Shenshen asked, taken aback. "Are you a cultivator from the Crimson Sun Empire? Didn't your elders and sect warn you that the Serpent Spine Mountains are under our jurisdiction? Outsiders seeking to train here must first seek our permission."
"I am not from the Crimson Sun Empire," the young man replied with a shake of his head and a smile. "I have traveled here from the Silvermoon Empire, crossing the Moonfall Sanctuary. My name is Yu Yuan, of the Silvermoon Empire's Yu family."
"The Yu family? From Asvetaesi?" Bai Shenshen gasped in astonishment.
Yu Yuan responded with a light chuckle, "Indeed."
"You've crossed the Moonfall Sanctuary?" Bai Shenshen suddenly remembered something, her face turning pale, "I heard the Moonfall Sanctuary was quite tumultuous recently. Many perished within its bounds."
The Serpent Spine Mountains are in close proximity to the Moonfall Sanctuary. Following a significant upheaval, the master of the Sacred Hands sect decreed a strict ban on entry, forbidding anyone from probing into the Moonfall Sanctuary's anomalies with their spiritual sense or remnant soul.
Thus, Bai Shenshen and her fellow cultivators from the Sacred Hands were aware of a major incident occurring at the Moonfall Sanctuary, but the specifics eluded them.
Yet, the revelation that Yu Yuan had traversed from the Silvermoon Empire through the Moonfall Sanctuary was startling.
Even more astonishing was the fact that this young man before her bore the Yu surname and hailed from the distinguished Yu family of Asvetaesi.
"I was quite fortunate; I didn't run into any trouble and made it through with ease," Yu Yuan said with a smile.
"If you're a member of the Yu family, then you must know Yu Jue?" Bai Shenshen inquired, after taking a moment to compose herself.
"Yu Jue is my father."
"Ah!"
