C265 Intruder

The figure sprawled on the ground was none other than Zhan Tianxiang, who had previously fought alongside Yu Yuan in the Moonfall Sanctuary. Among the prodigious youths from the seven major cities who took part in the trials, the one Yu Yuan held in highest regard wasn't Lee Yu, Yan Lu, Su Yan, or any of the others—it was Zhan Tianxiang.

Besides Zhao Yafu, Zhan Tianxiang was the one who had benefited most from Yu Yuan's favor.

Having traveled thousands of miles on a golden eagle, Zhan Tianxiang now lay injured on the ground, his body battered from the eagle's crash landing, leaving Yu Yuan deeply shaken.

"Who is he?" Yu Cen asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"He's the young master of the Zhan family, Zhan Tianxiang," Yu Yuan quickly explained. Rushing to Zhan Tianxiang's side, he turned him over and saw fresh blood still oozing from wounds on his chest and back, a dark brown in color.

Yu Yuan also noticed two arrows lodged in the rear of the golden eagle, which he hadn't seen before. The blood seeping from the arrow wounds and flesh was the same dark brown.

"The young master of the Zhan family!" Yu Cen's voice grew heavy with worry. "His injuries are severe, and he's unconscious. His escape must have been thanks to the golden eagle."

"He's unconscious because he's been poisoned," Yu Yuan stated.

Though he hadn't witnessed the event, Yu Yuan deduced from the injuries sustained by both Zhan Tianxiang and the golden eagle that Zhan Tianxiang must have faced a formidable adversary. Before losing consciousness, he likely fled on the golden eagle.

The golden eagle, having been shot several times, suffered grievous injuries just like Zhan Tianxiang.

The golden eagle managed to carry Zhan Tianxiang all this way, only to crash land in the end, likely due to the full onset of the arrow's deadly poison.

"We need to detoxify him first!"

Yu Cen, observing the dark-brown blood, furrowed his brow and declared, "I must inform the guards of Asvetaesi and ensure the mayor is made aware of this immediately!"

The Zhan family was the most powerful clan in Sillserine City, and they were subtly poised to overtake the Van family and ascend to the ranks of the five great families.

Zhan Tianxiang's reputation began to rise after his trials in the Moonfall Sanctuary. The Zhan family greatly valued this young man who had mastered the dark arts and earned the Golden Elephant God's approval, placing immense hopes on him.

Upon his departure from Sillserine, he was ambushed in Thylethlume, struck with a potent poison. Yu Cen realized the urgency of informing Yuan Lianyao immediately. Subsequently, he planned to use the Keep's unique rune circle to alert the Zhan family.

"Grandfather, you relay the message; I'll take care of him," Yu Yuan instructed.

Yu Cen paused, "The poison in his system?"

"Leave it to me," Yu Yuan reiterated.

Yu Cen gave him a penetrating look, nodded, and cautioned, "Take care of yourself."

He found his grandson enigmatic, yet he trusted that Yu Yuan's intentions were in the Yu family's best interest. With no further questions, he left, confident that understanding would come with time.

Alone, Yu Yuan stood between Zhan Tianxiang and the golden eagle, inhaling deeply before summoning with his heaven soul. He then waited.

As dawn approached, Yu Zhu appeared silently, ghostlike in her movements.

Yu Yuan nodded at her, smiling, "Thank you for your help once again."

Yu Zhu's face, dark and plain as if emerging from a bog, carried the scent of damp earth. Her bright eyes, now shining with a sweet smile, shifted to a vibrant green. A gleaming white bone protruded like a sword from her left palm.

With a few casual flicks of the bone, chunks of flesh were expelled from Zhan Tianxiang's chest and back, and the arrows embedded in the golden eagle were cleanly removed. The bone, having turned dark brown, retracted into her palm unnoticed.

Zhan Tianxiang's breathing steadied, the poison that had been ravaging his body miraculously vanished, leaving him unharmed. The golden eagle, once wounded by arrows, now radiated a golden glow.

"All set. Keep a close eye on those exotic herbs," Yu Yuan said, his eyes filled with approval. "Be cautious in your actions; avoid drawing attention. I sense that something might happen soon, especially in the northern part of Thylethlume Town."

Liu Wei and Lei Xiao appeared out of nowhere, prompting Zhan Tianxiang's injuries to set off his alarm bells.

Yu Zhu's eyes, a vivid emerald green, suddenly became reflective, as if a mirror, revealing anomalies within. The figure of Bai Shenshen from the Sacred Hands moved clearly within the depths of her gaze. Since the discovery of the Phaseblossom and the mid-lake island, every move Bai Shenshen made was rapidly replayed in Yu Zhu's eyes.

"What is she doing here?" Yu Yuan exclaimed in astonishment, well aware of Yu Zhu's extraordinary abilities. He knew her eyes could recreate everything they had seen, indicating that Yu Zhu had been covertly observing Bai Shenshen on the mid-lake island.

Yu Zhu shook her head.

"Keep an eye on her," Yu Yuan instructed with a furrowed brow. "She's from the Sacred Hands. Could it be that she's come to Thylethlume because of your disappearance, or because of me? She recognizes those herbs, so I doubt she'll leave without them."

Understanding his concern, Yu Zhu gracefully departed, her feet barely touching the ground.

Soon after, Zhan Tianxiang stirred from his faint state.

"Yu Yuan!" he called out, his voice filled with alarm. "I was ambushed on my way to Thylethlume and nearly killed on the spot! Isn't Asvetaesi under Yuan Lianyao's control? Why are there strangers lurking outside the city, committing murder?"

"Do you know who they were?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"I couldn't make them out. There were six, clad in heavy armor and sinister masks, exuding a fierce and icy aura like soldiers accustomed to slaughter, not cultivators from any sect," Zhan Tianxiang recounted with a grim expression. "It's bizarre; I had no quarrel with them. I sensed their presence, descended on my golden eagle to confront them, and they attacked without warning."

"Heavy armor and masks, like warriors of slaughter?" Yu Yuan pondered. "What about their levels of cultivation?"

"There were those in the Golden Sanctum and Veil Breaking states, with the leader at the Subtlety level," Zhan Tianxiang elaborated. "Their assault tactics were clearly well-planned. Plus, their blades were coated with poison. I felt pain and numbness shortly after being wounded, realized something was wrong, and quickly summoned the golden eagle to escape."

"The poison has been neutralized from your system. What brings you to Thylethlume?" Yu Yuan inquired with curiosity.

"I got word that you emerged from the Moonfall Sanctuary. We're brothers, after all, so I made a point to check on you," Zhan Tianxiang said with a wide grin, his smile undiminished even as fresh blood spurted from the wound on his chest. He seemed utterly unconcerned by his injury as he continued, "Impressive, you've attained the combat prowess of the Golden Sanctum. It's clear you've been diligently cultivating in that forbidden area."

He had been convinced since their parting at the forbidden area that Yu Yuan would surely make it back alive.

When everyone, including the Zhan family elders, speculated that Yu Yuan had likely perished, he had staunchly defended him, advocating for his family to extend the aid to the Yu family that he believed was due.

Regrettably, there had never been any prior contact or dealings between the Zhan and Yu families.

Amidst the deliberate antagonism from the Lin and Van families, and the overt and covert oppression from the Su family, the Zhan family weighed their options and chose not to extend support to the Yu family over a bond formed in the forbidden area with a man they believed to be "deceased."

This stance led to a falling out with the Yu family.

"There have been sightings of heavily armored soldiers with unidentified affiliations lurking around Asvetaesi," Yu Yuan mentioned, his eyes narrowing in contemplation. He sensed that the recent unrest indicated something unknown was unfolding.

"Focus on healing. Once you're better, make your way back to Sillserine promptly," advised Yu Yuan.

"I'm alright. As long as I'm not afflicted by that severe poison, my constitution should have me healed in no time," Zhan Tianxiang replied, glancing at the golden eagle. "It'll be back on its wings soon too. I've visited Sillserine before without incident. But after being ambushed and nearly losing my life just outside the city, I can't let this go unanswered."

Yu Yuan understood the young man's stubborn streak and didn't press further.

They continued their conversation until dawn broke and the sun peeked over the horizon. It was then that Le Feng, the guard captain of Asvetaesi, approached solemnly alongside Yu Cen.

"Sillserine, the young master of the Zhan family was seriously injured? What's the story?" Le Feng inquired.

"Near Asvetaesi, there were strangers clad in heavy armor and masks who nearly killed him," Yu Yuan said with a furrowed brow. "Le, have there been any activities involving outsiders around the city lately?"

"No," Le Feng replied, his concern mounting upon hearing this. "I'll get to the bottom of this! Yu Yuan, it's not safe to linger in Thylethlume. Better to return to Asvetaesi. Inside the city, we can handle things more swiftly; outside, we might be too late."

After a brief pause, he added, "The mayor insists on this as well."

Yu Cen, sensing the oddity of the situation, suggested, "Yu Yuan, perhaps we should... head back to the city first?"

"No, not just yet," Yu Yuan declined with a shake of his head.

...

Two days later, Yu Yuan and an invigorated Ning Ji departed Thylethlume, venturing into the northern lands.

Thanks to a Sunfire Elixir, Ning Ji not only neutralized the chilling currents but also smoothly achieved a breakthrough to the Veil Breaking realm during the process.

Having reached the Veil Breaking level of cultivation, Ning Ji's middle elixir field began to amass vitality, nourishing his body and significantly extending his lifespan.

As they traversed the leveled terrain and noted the charred remnants of shrubs, Yu Yuan recognized the handiwork of Yu Zhu.

Suddenly, he tensed and said, "This isn't good."

"What's wrong?" asked a buoyant Ning Ji.

"We've got trouble," Yu Yuan replied, hesitating before instructing, "Come with me!"

"Let's go!" Ning Ji exclaimed.

Before long, they encountered a scene in a sparse forest where six individuals in heavy armor and masks were besieging Bai Shenshen of the Sacred Hands.

The six assailants exuded a potent scent of blood. Bai Shenshen stood at the center, an arrow lodged in her shoulder and a long, narrow wound across her waist, bleeding profusely as she evaded their attacks.

The hue of her blood was an exact match to that of Zhan Tianxiang's from earlier.

With just a glance, Yu Yuan recognized the six individuals before him as the assailants who had previously attacked Zhan Tianxiang, nearly executing both him and the golden eagle just outside the city.

"Yu, Yu Yuan?"

Bai Shenshen was taken aback upon seeing him. She quickly yelled, "Run! Escape back to Thylethlume and inform Yuan Lianyao in Asvetaesi that I've been attacked!"

"Run?" Yu Yuan chuckled dismissively. "Why should I run? It's they who ought to be fleeing."

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