C216

Yu Yuan ventured forth alone.

He had visited the Serpent Spine Mountains in secret during his previous life.

This special region on the Aetherius continent, rich with magic plants and herbs, was not unfamiliar to him.

Back then, he was accompanied by a cultivator, and the Sect Master of the Sacred Hands personally welcomed him, introducing him to the many forbidden areas and mystical locations within the mountains.

Those memories, etched deep into his earthly soul, would never fade.

Thus, this journey to the Serpent Spine Mountains, despite a new identity, felt like a return to familiar grounds.

"It looks like that's Gloomhollow."

He furrowed his brow as he gazed at the drifting miasma. "Gloomhollow is a forbidden area of the Serpent Spine Mountains. The Sacred Hands strictly prohibit their disciples from entering. This is because it imprisons several of the sect's elders who once crafted poison pills."

"The magic circles and barriers in Gloomhollow were set up by the Order of Healing at the request of the Sacred Hands."

"Is the miasma trailing Zanas, or did it detect something amiss in Gloomhollow and head there on its own?"

Yu Yuan couldn't quite puzzle it out.

Suddenly, on high alert, he swiftly turned around.

"Stop hiding and show yourself."

He called out softly, his brow creased with a look of surprise.

He had an inkling of who it might be.

Sure enough.

Chen Qingyan, tall and clad in a green veil, approached silently like a breeze. Her eyes, bright with astonishment, met his. "You actually sensed my presence?"

"Why couldn't I?" Yu Yuan retorted.

"Given your lower realm and uncondensed spiritual sense, it should be highly unlikely for you to detect me." Chen Qingyan paused, then stealthily assessed his position before asking, "Are you heading to Gloomhollow?"

Yu Yuan, taken aback, replied, "How did you know?"

"By the direction you're facing, it must be Gloomhollow." Chen Qingyan's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I've been to the Serpent Spine Mountains several times but have only heard of Gloomhollow's reputation. I've asked to explore it many times, only to be turned down by the Sacred Hands."

"You've got quite the nerve, planning to head to Gloomhollow without uttering a word!"

Yu Yuan remained silent, offering only a peculiar smile as he gazed at her.

"Would you take me with you?" implored Chen Qingyan.

"No," Yu Yuan shook his head. "Gloomhollow is a strange place, teeming with peril. If I take you, I fear you might slow me down or even endanger me."

A spark of extraordinary excitement flickered in Chen Qingyan's beautiful eyes, as if she had just heard the most ludicrous joke. After a brief pause, she burst into a delightful, songbird-like laughter. "I would slow you down? Ha! Your name is Yu Yuan, correct? You're quite the character. You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"I don't," Yu Yuan replied evenly.

"I didn't think you would," Chen Qingyan said dismissively, waving her hand with a forgiving air. "I won't hold it against you, since you're clueless. But just so you know, here in Aetherius, among the Serpent Spine Mountains, my peers are the ones who would slow me down."

Yu Yuan smiled. "Where does this confidence come from?"

"You'll find out," Chen Qingyan replied, unbothered. "Your cultivation may be modest, but there's something unusual about you. The dust you created helped Bai Shenshen and the others escape a disaster. And there's more..."

She paused, her gaze intensifying as she looked at Yu Yuan.

Feeling somewhat perplexed, Yu Yuan asked, "What is it?"

"That cloud of miasma from the Binders of Shadows concealed a fearsome entity," Chen Qingyan's expression turned grave. "That presence unnerved me on an instinctual level. Yet you—I saw it clearly—you weren't afraid, were you?"

Yu Yuan thought to himself, I'm not afraid of what I've nurtured.

"You're not afraid of it, and it..." Chen Qingyan inhaled sharply, "it seemed reluctant to engage with you, quickly moving on after a brief hesitation. I get the sense it was avoiding you, almost as if it didn't want to be near you."

As she spoke, she found her own thoughts almost too strange to believe. Was she overthinking things?

The young man before her was merely at the Soul Awakening Realm. His body's vitality was exceptionally rich, and his soul was unusual, but what truly unsettled her was the presence of an extraordinary intelligent life form. Beings like the Star-Spawned Terror, the formidable Terra Fiend, or the powerful Aberrant Soul were all apex existences in the hierarchy of life, comparable to human cultivators and naturally endowed with incredible abilities. Could such an entity really steer clear of this boy?

She almost laughed at the absurdity of her own thoughts. Was it merely her anxiety playing tricks on her? Yet, in the next moment, her composure was shattered. She witnessed the youth from Asvetaesi, who had always been so serene, suddenly look grave, his eyes wide with astonishment. Instantly, she trusted her intuition and judgment, "My feeling might just be right!"

"Ridiculous," Yu Yuan's spirit quivered, his expression shifting from shock to composure in an instant, "If what you're suggesting is true, and that thing is so terrifying, it wouldn't shy away from me." Deep down, he had a newfound respect for Chen Qingyan, baffled by how she had discerned the peculiar connection between him and that entity.

"Your discernment has always been impeccable, and the disciple you've chosen is indeed perceptive," he mused silently.

"It's fine if you don't acknowledge it," Chen Qingyan said, not pressing the issue further. Just as she hadn't probed deeper upon discovering the dust originated from Yu Yuan, she proposed, "I simply wish to journey to Gloomhollow with you. Let's partner up. I assure you, I won't be a burden. What do you say?"

Yu Yuan's lips twitched into a smile, and after a brief pause, he nodded, "Alright then."

Chen Qingyan beamed, "Why the sudden agreement?"

"You're quite an interesting girl," Yu Yuan replied frankly.

"Interesting... girl?" Chen Qingyan was taken aback. "You sound like an old man, like my master. How old are you, anyway? If I'm not mistaken, you're probably even younger than me. And yet you call me 'girl'?"

"Your master, old and arrogant?" Yu Yuan chuckled. "Would you dare to say that to your master's face?"

"I wouldn't dare," Chen Qingyan confessed candidly. "Not a single cultivator in Aetherius would dare speak of my master in such a way. On the continents of Quiescence and Euwrea, there are very few who can match my master, let alone surpass him."

Yu Yuan nodded in agreement. "I believe you."

"Really? You believe me?" Chen Qingyan expressed her astonishment.

"Yes, I do. Seeing how terrified Zanas is of you, it's clear you come from a significant lineage," Yu Yuan said, resolving the matter. "Let's head to Gloomhollow together. But on the way, you'll need to follow my lead."

"Why shouldn't you be the one following me?"

"Because, in the Serpent Spine Mountains, I happen to be a bit more formidable than you."

"Perhaps you've yet to witness my prowess in swordsmanship. Alchemy is merely a hobby of mine! The swordsmanship I practice is incredibly lethal!"

"I'm well aware of your fondness for alchemy; maybe it's even a guilty pleasure of your master's. But remember, in the Serpent Spine Mountains, combat strength isn't the sole criterion for power!"

"How did you know that my alchemy could be a guilty pleasure of my master's?"

"I guessed."

"Try guessing something else?"

"No more guessing!"

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