C239 No Need to Worry!

"Who is that youth?" Shi Yuxuan, the current leader of the Medicine Sect, peered intently at Yu Yuan, who stood in the remote depths of the valley, his expression subtly shifting. As the sect master, he was well aware that the cave Yu Yuan stood before was the entrance to the sect's prison.

This prison held the most notorious Poisoners in the sect's history, whose crimes were too egregious to record.

These Poisoners were allowed to live out their final days in relative peace, a nod to their past merits. Moreover, many of them had bodies riddled with bizarre and potent poisons, making it nearly impossible to kill them. It seemed more humane to let nature take its course, allowing them to pass naturally and neutralize the toxins within them.

The valley was riddled with caves, yet Yu Yuan chose to stand by that particular one.

Yu Yuan appeared as youthful as ever, and Shi Yuxuan couldn't help but notice that the seasoned practitioners of Chilly Wind Valley were all taking an interest in him.

Even Chen Qingyan, upon her rushed entry into the valley, had immediately sought him out.

Why was this?

Overwhelmed with confusion, Shi Yuxuan watched as the thinning miasma, which had dissipated with the arrival of Chen Qingyan and Lau Zaihe, began to billow back, cloaking Chilly Wind Valley once again.

He turned to the sect's elders and the disciples responsible for evaluating young alchemists and inquired, "Who is the young man down in the valley?"

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

Shi Yuxuan's suspicions only deepened.

...

Chilly Wind Valley, nestled in the Jade Peak Mountain Range, had become an enigmatic place—those inside sought to leave, while those outside were desperate to enter.

Faced with the dual barriers of the Ghosts Poisoning Array and the thick, toxic smog, even Shi Yuxuan hesitated to venture in. Yet Chen Qingyan, with Lau Zaihe in tow, had boldly plunged into the valley.

"Yu Yuan!"

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

"Boom!"

Lau Zaihe, who had been restrained against the snakeskin scabbard, hit the ground with a thunderous crash, his lips quivering and his complexion ashen.

Grayish-brown dragon whiskers sprouted from within Lau Zaihe's skin, leaving him gaunt and withered. His vital essence appeared drained, and his once bright, clear eyes had lost their sparkle.

Lau Zaihe lay on the ground, a chill settling in his heart as he gazed upon the people in the valley. He had witnessed firsthand how, before the Ghosts Poisoning Array was even activated, members and guest elders of the Hu family were reduced to bloody puddles upon setting foot in Chilly Wind Valley. In an instant, they were nothing but bleached skeletons.

The Hu family members, like Hu Yue, lacked the cultivation strength to resist the toxic assault. Those who had narrowly escaped met their end after inhaling the toxic smog, succumbing one by one.

His own survival was thanks to certain external aids, such as the Dragon Whisker Poison Heart Pill he had ingested. After a harrowing escape, Chen Qingyan had taken him captive, forcing him back into this perilous place. He was so distraught he could have wept.

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

Chen Qingyan gracefully descended from the snakeskin scabbard, holding it as if it were a mystical serpent. After exchanging a greeting with Yu Yuan, she addressed Lau Zaihe's question with a serious tone, "I simply wanted to see for myself what lies within. You ingested a Dragon Whisker Poison Heart Pill, which can absorb strange toxins. It's convenient to make use of you for this."

"You're not concerned about the elder of my Lau family?" Lau Zaihe challenged.

"The Mighty Spirit King?" Chen Qingyan let out a soft laugh and replied, "Firstly, my sect and the master behind me are far stronger than your ancestor. Secondly, you possess the Dragon Whisker Poison Heart Pill, which is notorious in its own right. You claim it was a gift from your family. I suspect they'll be quick to disavow any connection to you."

Lau Zaihe found himself at a loss for words.

"As for how you acquired the Dragon Whisker Poison Heart Pill, it's of no interest to me," Chen Qingyan continued, cutting off any further response. "You'd best look out for yourself. I won't harm you here in Chilly Wind Valley, but I'm also indifferent to your fate."

Speaking thus, she made her way directly toward the depths of the valley, where Yu Yuan was located.

Two beams of bloody light, under the control of Ann Jieshan, continued to massacre the cultivators within the valley.

Unfazed, Chen Qingyan, clutching her snakeskin scabbard, smiled at Mei Qiurong of the Profound Sky Sect, "Senior Mei, do you still remember me?"

Mei Qiurong, grasping a yellow gourd in one hand and the Heaven Palace Seal in the other, had been observing her since her arrival in Chilly Wind Valley.

Sent by the Profound Sky Pavilion, Mei Qiurong, armed with the Heaven Palace Seal, had been strutting before the practitioners from Thunder Temple, Ghoul Glyph Sect, Loong Tianxiao, and all others, looking down on everyone.

But Chen Qingyan's presence prompted Mei Qiurong to finally furrow her brow and consciously temper her haughty demeanor.

She even managed a strained smile for Chen Qingyan, "Girl, what brings you to Chilly Wind Valley? Heed my advice: protect yourself and avoid rash actions."

Her gaze shifted to the gaunt little girl behind her, whose silhouette resembled a peacock's fanned tail, and she said, "She's an oddity secretly nurtured here by the Medicine Sect, the most formidable beast in the Jade Peak range. Her background is a mystery to me; she's all venom, so be extra cautious around her!"

"Furthermore..."

Mei Qiurong let out a sigh.

"Beneath the valley, there's an evil cultivator who fled from our Profound Sky Sect. He's quite the thorn in our side. Those two relentless, murderous beams of bloody light are his doing."

"The Sword Sect and our Profound Sky Sect are both esteemed upper sects of the Heavenly Source Continent. I hold your master in high regard, and we should unite against our common foe."

"..."

Mei Qiurong's tone and approach with Chen Qingyan were distinctly different from her interactions with others.

Despite Chen Qingyan's youth and lesser cultivation and combat prowess, Mei Qiurong's demeanor shifted instantly, knowing she hailed from the renowned Sword Sect and had a formidable master.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Mei. My visit to Chilly Wind Valley is simply to broaden my experiences," Chen Qingyan replied with composure and respect. She cast a glance at the thin little girl, her curiosity piqued, and mused, "Could she be the source of the toxic miasma? Was it her who wreaked havoc elsewhere? And how does she know Yu Yuan so well?"

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Qingyan spoke up, "Senior Mei, please continue with your business. There's no need to mind me; I'm merely a bystander."

Mei Qiurong looked on in surprise.

Yu Yuan stood at the mouth of the subterranean cavern, watching Chen Qingyan stride in with a peculiar look on his face, yet he remained silent.

The other survivors in the valley, gripped by fear, kept their eyes fixed on the murderous glow of blood, too preoccupied to spare a thought for Chen Qingyan. Her identity, her reasons for being there, her intentions—none of it mattered to them. The bloodlight under Ann Jieshan's control, still reaping lives, was the true horror.

Only the gaunt little girl met Chen Qingyan's gaze with a cool, indifferent look when she entered and caught her eye.

Feeling a prickle on her scalp from the girl's stare, Chen Qingyan, who had been composed until then, made a deliberate detour towards Yu Yuan.

Chen Qingyan intentionally steered clear of the girl, making her way to Yu Yuan.

As Mei Qiurong watched her, she also kept a worried eye on the two streams of bloodlight.

Once Chen Qingyan had navigated past the thin girl and carefully sidestepped the openings oozing poison, Mei Qiurong's expression darkened, and she asked in a low voice, "Do you know him?"

Chen Qingyan nodded, responding candidly, "We've just recently become acquainted. We were supposed to enter Chilly Wind Valley together, but the formidable Ghosts Poisoning Array blocked the way, and I couldn't find a solution, so I waited outside."

"Just recently?" Mei Qiurong murmured, then spoke with gravity, "Lass Chen, that Yu Yuan fellow has a mysterious past. I suspect he has ties to the nefarious individuals from Quietus Continent. This valley harbors the Yin Wind, and yet, the toxic smog doesn't assail him."

"And there's more..."

"The vicious creature secretly nurtured by the Medicine Sect!" She gestured towards the slender figure, adding, "I sense some unclear connection between him and Yu Yuan! Lass Chen, we both hail from the esteemed upper sects of the Heavenly Source Continent. We must be vigilant to avoid being misled by malevolent forces!"

Chen Qingyan let out a light laugh, tilting her head back slightly to reveal a stretch of her neck as smooth and pale as carved jade.

The milky glow emanating from her neck seemed to hint that the face hidden beneath her azure veil was nothing short of breathtaking.

Yu Yuan gazed at her, momentarily spellbound, captivated by the graceful arc of her neck, as flawless as carved white jade.

Senior Mei need not concern herself," Chen Qingyan said, her voice suddenly turning frosty.

Mei Qiurong of the Profound Sky Sect, taken aback by her response, fell silent and closed her mouth.

She was all too familiar with Chen Qingyan's background and the notoriously difficult temperament of her master. Having never interacted with Chen Qingyan, she suspected that Chen Qingyan was no more pleasant.

Despite possessing a Heaven Palace Seal and having a realm and cultivation far surpassing Chen Qingyan's, she dared not provoke her.

She understood that Chen Qingyan's standing within the Sword Sect and her future accomplishments would surely eclipse her own, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

"Is she the one from the miasma clouds?"

Chen Qingyan's voice dropped to a whisper as she stood shoulder to shoulder with Yu Yuan, eyeing the frail little girl with curiosity. "Yu Yuan, are you acquainted with her? Was it her mother who allowed you entry into Chilly Wind Valley?"

At that moment, the survivors of Chilly Wind Valley were still in peril, each one dodging the hunt of the blood light.

Mei Qiurong, heading toward Ann Jieshan and nursing her injuries, held the yellow gourd and the Heaven Palace Seal but did not rush to make her move.

It seemed she was waiting for something.

Clutching the snakeskin scabbard with a confidence that belied her fearlessness of the valley's many formidable inhabitants, Chen Qingyan posed her question.

The diminutive, gaunt girl with piercing green eyes suddenly turned her gaze upon them.

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

Apart from Yu Yuan, no one could grasp the gravity of the situation—that a single misstep in response could lead to a tragic end for all within Chilly Wind Valley.

Including Yu Yuan himself.

Only Yu Yuan was aware that neither Mei Qiurong nor Ann Jieshan posed the greatest threat within Chilly Wind Valley.

—She did.

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