C239 No Need to Worry!

"Who is that young man?"

Shi Yuxuan, the current sect master of Sacred Hands, had his eyes brighten as he gazed toward Yu Yuan deep within the valley, his expression subtly shifting. As the sect master, he was well aware of Yu Yuan's location—the entrance to the underground prison was right there.

The prison housed many Poison Masters who had committed unspeakable crimes in the history of Sacred Hands.

These Poison Masters were allowed to live out their days due to their past merits, enjoying their twilight years.

Additionally, many of these Poison Masters' bodies were riddled with bizarre poisons, making them difficult to kill. It was deemed better to let them pass naturally, allowing their bodies to process the toxins.

The valley was riddled with caves, yet Yu Yuan stood out among them.

Yu Yuan appeared youthful, but Shi Yuxuan noticed that many cultivators in Gloomhollow were taking an interest in him.

Even Chen Qingyan, upon her hasty arrival in the valley, first set her sights on him.

What was the reason for this?

With a heart full of questions, Shi Yuxuan observed the thinning miasma cloud surge back after Chen Qingyan and Liu Zaihe entered, shrouding Gloomhollow once more.

He turned to the sect's elders and the disciples responsible for evaluating young herbalists, asking, "Who is that young man in the deep valley?"

All shook their heads, claiming they had never seen him before.

Shi Yuxuan's curiosity deepened.

...

Gloomhollow, nestled in the Serpent Spine Mountains, had become a place where those inside longed to escape, while those outside were eager to enter.

With the Shadowflame Blight Array and the dense toxic smog serving as formidable barriers, even Shi Yuxuan hesitated to venture in. Yet Chen Qingyan, with Liu Zaihe in tow, had boldly made her way inside.

"Yu Yuan!"

Upon her entrance, her eyes immediately found Yu Yuan, and a smile seemed to play across her face beneath her green veil.

"Boom!"

Liu Zaihe, forced against the Snakeskin Scabbard, hit the ground with a thunderous impact, his lips quivering and his complexion ashen.

Wisps of grayish-brown whiskers sprouted from Liu Zaihe's skin and flesh, leaving him gaunt and withered. His vitality appeared to have been drained, and even his normally bright and clear eyes had lost their luster.

Lying on the ground, Liu Zaihe gazed at the people in the valley with a cold dread in his heart. He had witnessed firsthand how, before the Shadowflame Blight Array was activated, members and counselors of the Hu family were reduced to blood and bones upon setting foot in Gloomhollow.

The cultivators like Hu Yue from the Hu family were of too low a level to endure the toxic assault. Those who had narrowly escaped eventually succumbed to the poison that they had inhaled into their lungs.

His own survival was owed to external aids, such as the Wyrmwhisker Poison Pill he had ingested. After a harrowing escape, Chen Qingyan had coerced him back into this perilous land. He was utterly distraught.

"Why would you do this?" he implored, looking up at Chen Qingyan from the ground, his heart brimming with desolation and helplessness.

Chen Qingyan, stepping down from the Snakeskin Scabbard, held it in her jade-like hands as if grasping a mystical serpent. After exchanging greetings with Yu Yuan, she addressed Liu Zaihe's question with earnest, "I simply wanted to come in and have a look. Since you've consumed a Wyrmwhisker Poison Pill, which can absorb various toxins, I figured I could make use of you."

"Aren't you concerned about the elder of my Liu family?" Liu Zaihe inquired.

"The King of Wraiths?" Chen Qingyan replied with a soft laugh, "Firstly, my sect and the master I serve are more powerful than your ancestor. Secondly, you're in possession of the Wyrmwhisker Poison Pill, which is notorious in its own right, and you've claimed it was a gift from your family. I suspect your family will be quick to disavow any connection to you."

Liu Zaihe found himself at a loss for words.

"As for the origin of the Wyrmwhisker Poison Pill, it's of no concern to me," Chen Qingyan continued, denying him the opportunity to respond. "You'd best look out for yourself. I won't harm you here in Gloomhollow, but neither will I concern myself with your fate."

As she spoke, she made her way directly toward the depths of the valley, where Yu Yuan was located. Two beams of bloody light, controlled by Ann Jieshan from beneath the earth, continued to massacre the cultivators within the valley.

Chen Qingyan, undaunted, clutching her Snakeskin Scabbard, smiled at Mei Qiurong from the Ebon Star Sect. "Senior Mei, do you still remember me?"

Mei Qiurong, gripping the yellow gourd in one hand and the Mark of the Celestials in the other, had been watching her since she entered Gloomhollow. Tasked by the Ebon Star Sect to bring the Mark of the Celestials, Mei Qiurong had treated the cultivators from the Thunder Temple, Binders of Shadows, Loong Tianxiao, and others with arrogance and disdain, considering no one her equal.

Yet, upon Chen Qingyan's arrival, Mei Qiurong's brow furrowed, and she consciously toned down her haughty demeanor. She even managed a strained smile for Chen Qingyan. "Young lady, what brings you to Gloomhollow? Heed my advice: protect yourself and avoid reckless actions."

She cast a glance at the gaunt little girl behind her, whose back was adorned like a peacock's tail with white bones. "She's a mutant secretly bred by the Sacred Hands here in Gloomhollow, the most formidable creature in the Serpent Spine Mountains! Her background eludes me for now. She's full of deadly poison, so be extremely cautious!"

"Furthermore..." Mei Qiurong let out a sigh.

"Deep beneath Gloomhollow, there's a dark disciple who fled from our Ebon Star Sect. He's quite a handful. Those two relentless beams of bloodshed are his doing."

"Your Sword Sect is an upper sect of Euwrea, just like ours. I hold great respect for your master, so we should unite against our common foes."

Her tone and manner with Chen Qingyan were starkly different from her interactions with others. Although Chen Qingyan was young and her cultivation and combat prowess paled in comparison to Mei Qiurong's, her association with the renowned Sword Sect and her formidable master prompted Mei Qiurong to adopt a different facade.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Mei. My visit to Gloomhollow is simply to broaden my knowledge," Chen Qingyan replied with composure, neither submissive nor arrogant. She glanced at the slender girl, her curiosity piqued. She wondered, "Is she the source of the toxic miasma? Was she the one behind the slaughter elsewhere? How does she know Yu Yuan so well?"

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Qingyan spoke up, "Senior Mei, please continue with your tasks. Don't mind me; I'm merely an observer."

Mei Qiurong appeared taken aback.

Yu Yuan, standing at the entrance of the subterranean cavern, watched Chen Qingyan enter with a peculiar look on his face, yet he remained silent.

The other survivors in the valley were gripped by fear and anxiety, their attention fixed on the murderous glow of blood, leaving them no capacity to concern themselves with Chen Qingyan. Regardless of her identity, her reasons for being there, or her intentions, they were indifferent.

For them, the blood glow, still claiming lives under Ann Jieshan's control, was the true horror.

Only the gaunt little girl met Chen Qingyan's gaze with a look of cold indifference when she entered and looked her way.

Even the usually composed Chen Qingyan felt a shiver run down her spine after that glance. She then made a deliberate detour towards Yu Yuan.

Chen Qingyan intentionally kept her distance from the girl, making her way to Yu Yuan.

Mei Qiurong observed her while also fixating on the two streams of blood glow, her heart pounding with urgency.

As Chen Qingyan moved past the thin girl, carefully avoiding the openings emitting poison, and reached Yu Yuan's side, Mei Qiurong's expression darkened as she asked in a low voice, "Do you know them?"

Chen Qingyan nodded and responded frankly, "We just met recently outside the valley. We were supposed to enter Gloomhollow together, but the Serpent's Coils were so daunting, I couldn't find a way to break through, so I waited outside."

"Just met recently?" Mei Qiurong murmured before her tone turned serious. "Chenchen, that young man, Yu Yuan, has a mysterious past. I suspect he has ties to the dark disciples of the Land of Quiescence. This Gloomhollow has a Nightstorm, and the toxic smog didn't attack him."

"And there's more..."

"That malevolent creature secretly nurtured by the Sacred Hands!" She gestured towards the lean figure, adding, "I sense some unclear connection between him and Yu Yuan! Chenchen, we both hail from the upper sects of Euwrea, so we must be vigilant to avoid being misled by dark forces!"

Chen Qingyan let out a light laugh and tilted her head back slightly, revealing a glimpse of her porcelain neck.

Her neck, as white as jade, seemed to emit a soft, pearly glow, compelling one to believe that her face, concealed beneath a green veil, must be of unparalleled beauty.

Yu Yuan gazed at her, momentarily spellbound, captivated by the dazzling whiteness of her neck.

"There's no need for Senior Mei to trouble herself," Chen Qingyan said, her voice taking on a sudden chill.

Mei Qiurong of the Ebon Star, taken aback by Chen Qingyan's response, fell silent.

Chen Qingyan's reputation preceded her, and Mei Qiurong was all too aware of the foul and eccentric temper of Chen Qingyan's master. Even without any direct encounters, she could sense that Chen Qingyan was not someone to be trifled with.

Despite possessing a Mark of the Celestials and having a cultivation realm and prowess far surpassing Chen Qingyan's, Mei Qiurong dared not provoke her. She understood that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Chen Qingyan's future achievements within the Sword Sect would likely eclipse her own.

"Is she the one from the miasma cloud?" Chen Qingyan asked in a hushed tone, standing shoulder to shoulder with Yu Yuan, eyeing the frail girl with curiosity. "Yu Yuan, do you know her? Is your ability to enter Gloomhollow because of her mother?"

At that moment, the survivors of Gloomhollow were still on edge, each one evading the relentless pursuit of the blood light.

Mei Qiurong, who had made her way to Ann Jieshan and was nursing an injury, held back despite having the yellow gourd and the Mark of the Celestials. It seemed she was biding her time.

Clutching the Snakeskin Scabbard, Chen Qingyan appeared brimming with confidence, undaunted by the many formidable presences within the valley.

Upon hearing her question, the petite, gaunt girl with emerald eyes suddenly fixed her gaze on them.

Chen Qingyan's inquiry was met with an unusual gravity, as if it held the weight to determine the fates of many within the valley and the future of Yu Yuan's relationship with her.

No one but Yu Yuan could grasp the gravity of the situation—that a single misstep in response could spell doom for all in Gloomhollow, including himself.

Only Yu Yuan was privy to the fact that neither Mei Qiurong nor Ann Jieshan represented the true terror lurking within Gloomhollow.

—She was the one.

—