C240 He Was on the Verge of Going Crazy!

"We..."

Yu Yuan's voice trailed off as he began to speak, seemingly at a loss for words.

He gazed at her.

Her eyes, a pair of clear, emerald green, were like a secluded, icy lake hidden deep within a valley—remote and detached, exuding a bone-chilling cold.

Yet, in the moment Yu Yuan's eyes met hers, it was as if a warm current had unexpectedly stirred within that icy expanse.

Since her emergence from the miasma, she hadn't uttered a single word.

Many in the valley speculated that she, suffused with poison, lacked the ability to speak even in her human form.

But words could never confine a being of High Rank.

An enigmatic entity like her, a remarkable creation of the universe, could convey all she wished with nothing more than a glance.

The messages in her gaze surpassed spoken language, more direct and intuitive!

Now, the mix of anxiety, anticipation, fear, and unrest in her eyes was strikingly evident.

"What is she so afraid of?"

Chen Qingyan discerned a multitude of emotions within her gaze, feeling an inexplicable pang of sympathy for the slight, dark-haired girl who had taken human shape. She seemed to harbor an ocean of grievances, as if she had endured countless desolate, sunless days and nights.

Her innate intelligence and exceptional intuition allowed her to perceive far beyond what the average person could see in the depths of those verdant eyes.

"What has she been through? What has transpired between Yu Yuan and her? It's all so inscrutable. Yu Yuan, with his Spirit Accumulating Stage cultivation, has spent years in the secluded Darkmoon City of the Silvermoon Empire. What sort of entanglement could there possibly be between them?"

Chen Qingyan was awash with curiosity.

Meanwhile, Yu Yuan, having opened his mouth, fell into a prolonged silence, wordless.

To everyone's astonishment, the twin beams of bloodlight that had been ravaging the valley's cultivators vanished quietly into an underground cavern, never to reemerge.

The victims had been drained of their life force, their bodies shriveled like sun-parched husks.

Those who remained were like startled birds, gasping for breath in their weariness.

Then, more and more people began to take notice of Yu Yuan's unusual demeanor, casting surreptitious glances his way.

Loong Tianxiao, who had been outside the valley, now not only watched Yu Yuan but, after a moment's hesitation, started to approach him.

He was aware of the unspoken agreement between Yu Yuan and Ann Jieshan, and he was confident that Ann Jieshan wouldn't harm Yu Yuan. When Chen Qingyan arrived and joined Yu Yuan, he realized one thing—sticking with Yu Yuan was the safest bet.

"She..." Yu Yuan began to speak once more.

His words were not just for Chen Qingyan; Mei Qiurong, Loong Tianxiao, Kuan Xianyun, and even Ann Jieshan, who might have been concealed underground, were all ears. But the one who mattered most was her.

"She's the one I'm most concerned about. I should've been here sooner, but I was held back by irresistible circumstances," Yu Yuan said, his attention solely on her. "I've been delayed far too long. Once I finally had the time and the opportunity, I came immediately. Yet, I was still too late."

Regret was etched across his face as Yu Yuan let out a soft sigh, his heart brimming with remorse.

"What?" The listeners were all baffled, struggling to grasp his meaning.

Yu Yuan knew, however, that she would understand at least some of what he said.

Then, he witnessed an astonishing brilliance erupt from the depths of her emerald eyes. In that moment, it was as if she had been given a new lease on life. All her previous emotions—panic, unease, fear, resentment—seemed to be cleansed away by Yu Yuan's declaration. The gloomy shroud that had enveloped her was now cleared away as if by a fierce gale under the blazing sun.

Chen Qingyan could even see a faint glimmer of a smile in her green eyes, a smile that radiated an unexpected sweetness and innocence.

"How odd, truly odd," Chen Qingyan whispered to himself, perplexed. "Despite being a venomous creature, having taken so many lives, being so inhuman..."

Suddenly, a piercing "Chi la!" rang out as a searing beam of light burst forth from Lau Zaihe's chest, swift as a rainbow and fierce as a flame meteor, its sharpness cleaving the sky.

The intense light struck the frail, dark girl's chest with such unexpected speed and ferocity that the protective shell there shattered instantly. The girl, who had transformed from the miasma into human form, was hurled against the solid rock wall behind her by the force of the blast, her white bones emitting a chilling series of cracks.

The incident occurred so abruptly that no one had a chance to react.

As everyone regained their composure, they were met with the sight of her, impaled by a gleaming red short spear that had pierced her chest and pinned her to the rock face.

With her head bowed, she gazed at the short spear, reaching out with a small hand in an attempt to grasp it and pull it free.

A burst of crimson light erupted from the short spear lodged in her chest.

In a flash, her chest was a mangled mess, and the hand that had reached for the spear suddenly became limp, dropping feebly to her side.

Yu Yuan, who had just spoken, found his mind a void, his spirit adrift in confusion.

He stared, dumbfounded, at Lau Zaihe, who had been paralyzed on the ground from the Dragon Whisker Poison Heart Pill, now slowly rising. Then his gaze shifted back to her, skewered by the bright red spear against the wall, and he felt on the verge of madness.

"How could this happen? How could it?"

A tidal wave of sorrow crashed into his heart, a pain so intense he had never known its equal.

She had only just begun to ease her suffering and the weight of three centuries of gloom. She had just begun to feel a glimmer of joy from his explanations, only to be struck down by such a devastating blow.

Her chest cavity was punctured, the unyielding spear wreaking havoc within her.

No matter how fierce or resilient, such a treacherous assault could drive one to wish for death.

Yu Yuan could sense that she lacked even the strength to struggle or mount an immediate counterattack.

What profound injury had she suffered? How immense was her agony?

"He was the one you brought here!"

Yu Yuan's eyes, as if stained with blood in an instant, bore into Chen Qingyan with an intense glare. "Did you really think that just because he carried the Dragon Whisker Poison Heart Pill, he could traverse the Ghosts Poisoning Array? It was only because of me! Because of our past, I signaled her to let you pass, and that's the only reason you and Lau Zaihe were able to enter!"

"Yes, it was me. It was at my request that she allowed passage."

Yu Yuan's speech grew disjointed as he continued to fix his gaze on Chen Qingyan, instilling a profound sense of dread and anxiety in her. She quickly attempted to clarify, "Yu Yuan, I—I didn't understand what was happening! Lau Zaihe showed no unusual signs after taking the Dragon Whisker Poison Heart Pill. I truly had no idea what was going on!"

"Heh!"

Out of the blue, Lau Zaihe, who was gradually rising to his feet, burst into a robust laugh.

The sound of his laughter boomed like a great bell, making everyone's eardrums vibrate intensely.

That laughter, unmistakably, did not belong to Lau Zaihe. It resonated with the vitality of a middle-aged man brimming with Qi and blood.

In that instant, all eyes in the valley snapped towards him.

Yu Yuan, teetering on the edge of madness, found a sliver of sanity in the wake of Lau Zaihe's thunderous mirth and turned his gaze to him.

Lau Zaihe, gaunt and withered, was surrounded by tendrils of grayish-brown "dragon whiskers." His cheekbones were hollow, giving him the appearance of a skin-draped skeleton.

Yet, the Qi and blood that should have been depleted surged with renewed vigor as he stood once more.

It was as though an unseen conduit had channeled a fresh infusion of life force into his being, revitalizing the core of his middle dantian.

His emaciated frame seemed to inflate, swiftly regaining strength and substance.

After several rounds of laughter, he not only returned to his former self but, with the influx of Qi and blood, grew even more robust and towering than before.

He was transformed.

"Someone has been inside him all along!" Loong Tianxiao, after observing for a moment, had an epiphany and exclaimed, "Could it be Ann Jieshan?"

Ann Jieshan was known for employing the secret arts of the Blood God Cult.

He had remained concealed underground, recently unleashing two streaks of bloodlight, wreaking havoc on the cultivators within the valley. Yet, during Yu Yuan's conversation with her, he was eerily silent.

Was it possible that Ann Jieshan had been biding his time, waiting for her to let her guard down after Yu Yuan's words?

Even formidable figures like Loong Tianxiao and Kuan Xianyun had noticed the dramatic shift in the black and skinny girl's emotions when Yu Yuan spoke. It was this seismic emotional shift that exposed a critical vulnerability, presenting them with an opportunity for a lethal strike.

Yu Yuan's words had shattered the defensive front that the little girl had vigilantly maintained.

Overwhelmed by her emotions, she failed to prepare a defense in time, leading to her peril.

"Of course, it isn't Ann Jieshan." A smile played on Mei Qiurong's lips as she breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly confident of her impending triumph. "As per our agreement, I will bind and subdue Ann Jieshan, who lurks beneath us, and take him back to our Profound Sky Sect. As for her, she's yours to handle."

Mei Qiurong's remarks were aimed at Lau Zaihe.

Chen Qingyan's face registered shock as she glanced between her and Lau Zaihe.

"Lass Chen, this matter doesn't concern you," Mei Qiurong assured her with a smile. "Rest easy. We have no intention of harming you. For millennia, the Profound Sky Sect, Primordial Yang Sect, and Sword Sect have been the stalwarts of the Heavenly Source Continent. Our bond is as steadfast as the mountains."

"Lass Chen, I'm grateful to you for helping me enter," Lau Zaihe said, his smile gentle as he regarded her with the affectionate gaze of an elder. "Without you, breaking through the outer poison array would have been a significant challenge. At the very least, it would have risked revealing my identity and compromised my ability to deliver a fatal blow to that alien entity. That would have been less than ideal."

"Thus, the Sword Sect deserves recognition for its indispensable role in this grand undertaking to purge evil."

He chuckled heartily as he stroked his imaginary beard.

Then, his expression turned peculiar as he reached for the non-existent beard on his chin, admitting with a touch of embarrassment, "Age has caught up with me. I forgot this body isn't my own. This young whippersnapper doesn't even have a whisker to his name."

Mei Qiurong and he continued their conversation, their laughter echoing as if no one else was present.

In Chilly Wind Valley, everyone but Chen Qingyan seemed to fade into the background.

"Sir, from whence do you hail? What is your true identity?"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, striving to maintain his composure as he fixed his gaze on Lau Zaihe, his question deliberate and measured.

He was certain that the Lau Zaihe before him was an imposter.

The Lau Zaihe caught in mid-laughter pinched a greyish-brown "dragon whisker" between his fingers, crushing it to dust.

"The Lau Zaihe," with a smile plastered across his face, watched Yu Yuan struggle to contain his seething rage. "Why not take a guess?"

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