C215 Old Friend and Disciple

"Huff! Huff!"

The colorful miasma cloud in the Serpent Spine Mountains relentlessly pursued Zanas. Any living creature it encountered—be it Alien Bugs, spirit animals, or cultivators—was swept up into the toxic cloud. Soon, the Alien Bugs and spirit animals vanished without a trace. For some unknown reason, the entity lurking within the miasma cloud seemed to have its ferocity awakened, as if it had gone mad, relentlessly preying on living beings.

Zanas, desperate and cornered, scurried across the Serpent Spine Mountains, seeking out desolate and abandoned places to hide. He was acutely aware of his grave injuries from the shattered flags. His actions against numerous young herbalists from various empires, who were involved in advancing their craft, had incited widespread fury. He knew that neither the Sacred Hands nor the cultivators from the empires would show him any mercy. Once fearless, the severely wounded Zanas now had no choice but to live with his tail between his legs.

"What in the world is happening?" Zanas was utterly baffled. He couldn't fathom why the mysterious force within the miasma cloud would inexplicably target his flags while sparing Yu Yuan and the younger ones by his side. He was convinced that the youngster Bai Shenshen called Yu Yuan was sabotaging him from the shadows. "How can a mere novice with such a humble background command it to spare him? According to my master, once it breaks free, it could spell disaster for the Serpent Spine Mountains!"

"..."

"I don't know what you're talking about." On the other side, Yu Yuan remained serene and composed, offering a smile as he appraised the disciple of an old acquaintance. "The Songbird Empire truly deserves its top ranking on the continent. Even a cultivator from the Binders of Shadows wouldn't dare provoke them." He deliberately steered the conversation elsewhere.

"If you don't know, then so be it," Chen Qingyan responded with ease, not pressing Yu Yuan for an answer. She was content knowing the truth for herself. Whether Yu Yuan acknowledged it or not was of no consequence to her.

She trusted only her own judgment.

"Miss Chen, I'm Bai Shenshen from Sacred Hands. I'm so relieved you're here."

Bai Shenshen sat on the ground, managing a weak smile. "Zanas from the Binders of Shadows and his three disciples were up to something in the forbidden area of the Serpent Spine Mountains. As a result, a cloud of miasma that had been dormant for centuries suddenly began to move."

Her eyes were dull with despair as she continued, "Many people died. Zanas has killed many promising herbalists."

"It wasn't Zanas."

Liu Zaihe, a descendant of the King of Wraiths, with his typically aloof demeanor, inhaled deeply before speaking, "There's a terrifying creature within that miasma! As the cloud passed, my very soul quivered with unease! What could possibly be in the Serpent Spine Mountains that's so horrifying?"

At this, Bai Shenshen's face turned pale. "It may not originate from the Serpent Spine Mountains!"

"Don't worry," Chen Qingyan said, her voice still light. "Whatever that thing is, its origins are unknown. Even if it emerged from the Serpent Spine Mountains, it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Sacred Hands. The world is vast and full of wonders. Many peculiar and enigmatic places naturally give rise to unusual beings."

"You're right, Miss Chen," Bai Shenshen quickly concurred.

Sacred Hands had always kept to themselves on the Aetherius Continent, and other empires and sects generally didn't provoke them.

Their sect held an exceptionally unique status.

If Liu Zaihe could prove a connection between the anomaly and Sacred Hands, then the deaths of the young herbalists from various nations would be blamed on them.

Sacred Hands could not bear such infamy.

"Bai Shenshen, who is he?" Chen Qingyan asked with a playful smile.

Unable to extract any information from Liu Zaihe, she decided to try a different approach.

"Oh, you're asking about Yu Yuan?" Bai Shenshen had no intention of concealing the truth. "His name is Yu Yuan, hailing from Asvetaesi in the Silvermoon Empire. He's from the Yu family, renowned for their cultivation of medicinal herbs."

"The Yu family?" Chen Qingyan paused, her gaze clouded with confusion. "I've never heard of them before."

She eyed Yu Yuan with suspicion. "You're not a herbalist, are you?"

"Not at the moment," Yu Yuan replied with a slight bow, his manner courteous. "I've come to Sacred Hands specifically to take part in the herbalist examination."

"You might as well forget it," Chen Qingyan said with a light laugh, her hand covering her mouth. "You just don't strike me as a herbalist."

"Oh, is that so?" Yu Yuan touched his nose and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

The remaining young herbalists were still enveloped in sorrow.

Among them, some had lost companions, while others were frightened by the oddities within the miasma and had not yet recovered.

Even Liu Zaihe's complexion was somewhat ashen.

Only Yu Yuan and Chen Qingyan seemed unaffected, chatting away as if the recent deaths had no impact on their spirits.

"Miss Chen, have you only just arrived?" Bai Shenshen, having regained some energy, slowly rose to her feet. "I urge you and the young master of the Liu family to seek refuge at the Sacred Hands sect as soon as possible. You both hold esteemed statuses, and with the recent surge of bizarre incidents in the Serpent Spine Mountains, we wouldn't want anything to befall you."

Chen Qingyan glanced at her, then at Yu Yuan, and nodded gently, "That sounds wise."

"Everyone, follow me!"

Bai Shenshen's voice rang out, addressing the young herbalists who had been spared the harsher trials of life, "Death is irreversible, but I will report their passing to our sect elders. The Binders of Shadows and Zanas will surely hold those responsible to account!"

The young herbalists, previously paralyzed by fear, began to rise one by one.

Yu Yuan, however, understood that if the Binders of Shadows and the Order of Healing were already at odds, then the Sacred Hands sect would have no means through the Order of Healing to reprimand Zanas for their actions in the Serpent Spine Mountains.

In essence, Bai Shenshen's words were empty.

Seeing everyone getting to their feet, Bai Shenshen offered a few words of comfort before leading the group towards the Sacred Hands' location in the Serpent Spine Mountains.

Yu Yuan remained motionless.

"Yu Yuan?" Bai Shenshen paused, looking puzzled. "Why aren't you coming?"

"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll decide later whether to head to Sacred Hands for the herbalist examination," Yu Yuan said with a slight smile. "Miss Chen made a good point. I'm not really a herbalist, nor do I have any particular talent for it. I came here merely to join in the excitement and have a little fun."

"You?" Bai Shenshen was slightly irritated.

She had previously urged Yu Yuan to hurry back because she sensed that something was amiss with the Serpent Spine Mountains.

Now, having seen the eerie miasma cloud, her fear had set in. She worried that Yu Yuan might perish on his return journey, which is why she invited him to accompany her to Sacred Hands.

To her surprise, Yu Yuan boldly declined.

"I appreciate the kind offer. If destiny wills it, we shall meet again."

With those words and a radiant smile, Yu Yuan departed with an air of nonchalance.

He was heading towards Zanas, right where the miasma lingered.

That place was also the forbidden area of the Serpent Spine Mountains, a desolate land fraught with peril.

"Yu Yuan!" Bai Shenshen cried out.

But Yu Yuan didn't look back.

"Bai Shenshen, you all go on ahead. I'm aware of Sacred Hands' sect location," Chen Qingyan said after a brief pause, deciding to follow Yu Yuan and part ways with the rest.

She drifted off like a wisp of smoke, leaving the others exchanging bewildered glances, unsure of what to do next.

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