C281 The Noble of the Empire!

In a corner, a man sat with a scowl on his face.

Unlike the soldiers of the Silvermoon Empire, his attire suggested that of a cultivator.

Clad in a bright yellow robe, he was quietly seated, holding a Soul Crystal in his hand, drawing in spiritual energy. The clash between the Silverfrost Dragon and the Blackfang Legion seemed to barely register with him.

Even as Yu Yuan and his companions, ensnared by the spiritual energy mist from Lee Yuangui, ascended from the forest below, he remained indifferent.

His displeasure stemmed from the burly man in a hauberk who had ushered Yu Yuan and the others close to him, disturbing his tranquil meditation.

After all, there was no shortage of open space.

Yu Yuan, who had been knocked to the ground and was now steadying himself, heard the man's shout and realized his assailant was named "Van Yan."

"Surnamed Van!"

Yu Yuan silently scoffed. Once he regained his footing, he calmly and quietly observed the Nimbuswing.

Contrary to Van Yan's claims, the Nimbuswing was far from overcrowded.

At over ten meters in length and seven to eight meters wide, the deck was quite spacious, easily accommodating dozens of individuals.

The less than twenty people currently on deck were spread out.

Van Yan's assertion of overcrowding was clearly a ruse, using his spiritual energy to displace them and force the four into an awkward corner, clearly a deliberate act of targeting.

Yu Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he turned his attention to Van Yan.

Without the aid of the heaven soul's insight, Van Yan appeared to him as a burly figure with a bushy beard, donning a hauberk, the very image of a seasoned warrior.

With the surname Van, it was highly probable he had ties to the Empire's Van family.

As Yu Yuan met Van Yan's gaze, the latter glared back fiercely, his eyes as round as gongs.

Without a flicker of emotion, Yu Yuan then surveyed the others. Judging by their attire, if these Nimbuswing passengers were indeed from the Silvermoon Empire, they were certainly from affluent or noble backgrounds.

Their jewelry pulsed with spiritual energy, and their opulent garments, adorned with intricate patterns, bore signs of rune circle enhancements, hinting at additional functionalities.

The man closest to them, who was criticizing Van Yan, appeared quite destitute based solely on his attire.

He was clad in nothing but coarse sackcloth and straw sandals, devoid of any possessions of value, nor did he carry a bag or any sort of container.

He also had no tools on his person.

The sackcloth he wore revealed half of his forearms, which were knotted with muscle and thick, protruding veins, giving them a menacing appearance, like that of a sinister serpent.

Yu Yuan's gaze rested on the man's muscular arms for an extended period.

Seemingly aware of Yu Yuan's prolonged stare, the man, after scolding Van Yan and closing his eyes, reopened them with a steely look and demanded, "Kid, what are you staring at?"

"Nothing at all," Yu Yuan replied with a nonchalant grin.

At that moment.

"Whoosh!"

The seasoned general, who had been briefly conversing with Qin Yun, soared through the air and alighted at the heart of the Nimbuswing, gesturing towards Yu Yuan and his companions as he offhandedly introduced them.

He omitted Wei Feng from his mention, referring only to Yu Yuan, Ning Ji, and Bai Shenshen.

Aboard the ship, aside from the stoic cultivator, many were drawn to Yu Yuan following the general's introduction, clearly intrigued by him.

"Yu scion, did you encounter my nephew, Van Le, inside the Moonfall Sanctuary?" Van Yan bellowed suddenly. "I've been told that my nephew had a disagreement with you in the forbidden area."

Yu Yuan, feigning innocence, turned to Lee Yuangui and inquired, "Elder Lee, who is this?"

"That's Van Yan, a member of the Van family and an officer in the army of the Silvermoon Empire," Lee Yuangui explained, his brow furrowed slightly, indicating a less than favorable view of Van Yan. Nevertheless, he refrained from openly chastising him out of respect for the Van family's standing.

"Ah, the Van family," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a nod, understanding the situation. "Van Le had parted ways with us early on in the forbidden area, leading the surviving members of the Van family back to the Empire ahead of us. I'm not quite sure what happened after that, but Elder Li here, who was at the entrance of the sanctuary, might have some insights."

Van Le met his end at the entrance to the forbidden area, attempting to hasten his return to the City of Silvermoon, where he was slain by the lid of the bronze monument, his soul consumed within.

Van Le's soul was merely one among millions within the bronze monument, and it was among the weakest and least noticeable of them all. Yet, for the Van family, his loss was a devastating blow.

Van Le, who had been one of the "Five Moons," was the only one to perish during the trials in the Moonfall Sanctuary. The others, including Lin Zhuyun, who was presumed dead, were all later confirmed to have survived. They were even escorted to Euwrea by Winter's Bite, from where they sent back a steady stream of good news.

Lee Yu, Yan Lu, Su Yan, and the rest emerged from the Moonfall Sanctuary with their cultivation advanced to the Veil Breaking stage. Zhan Tianxiang, Zhao Yafu, and others began to reveal their burgeoning talents.

The cataclysmic events within the Moonfall Sanctuary led to the deaths of many cultivators from both nations. The Moonfiend's rampage resulted in the ruthless culling of the weaker trial-takers. The survivors, having either gained direct benefits from the forbidden area or having endured harsh trials, all managed to break through to new levels.

The Empress herself had stated that, looking solely at the outcomes, the trials were a stroke of fortune for the Empire! She placed great expectations on the survivors, seeing them as the future mainstays of the Empire.

Yet, joy and sorrow were distributed unevenly among the families. The Van family suffered tremendous losses, with Van Le's death nearly wiping them out entirely.

Van Yan, a member of the Van family, was swayed by someone's account that Yu Yuan had acted oddly within the forbidden area, driving Van Le away and suppressing him, which ultimately led to Van Le's untimely farewell from the main group—and his death.

"The Lin family's previous generation perished because of you?" Van Yan scoffed, rising to his feet and casting a sidelong glance at Yu Yuan. He then turned to Lee Yuangui and said, "Old General, there are rumors that this young man colluded with an alien soul in the Moonfall Sanctuary. The Crimson Sun Empire also claims that many of their cultivators met their end because of him. He's young but harbors a malicious intent. We should thoroughly interrogate him to uncover the truth."

Lee Yuangui's expression soured at the remark.

Yu Yuan let out a derisive laugh and retorted, "If it's true that many cultivators from the Crimson Sun Empire died because of me, wouldn't that make me a hero of our Empire? We are sworn enemies with the Crimson Sun Empire. Regardless of the methods I used, if I caused the demise of their cultivators, the Empress should indeed reward me."

"He's quite the sharp-tongued young man," remarked a female general clad in armor, her figure generously curvaceous. She laughed heartily and introduced herself, "My last name is Yan, I'm Yan Yu, and Yan Lu is my nephew."

Yu Yuan chuckled and offered a respectful bow. "Pleased to meet you, elder."

Yan Lu, normally reserved and serious, had warmed up to Yu Yuan after several battles fought side by side in the forbidden area.

Yu Yuan believed that since Yan Yu was from the Yan family and professed to be Yan Lu's elder, she would likely not target him as Van Yan had.

"Yan Lu speaks very highly of you," Yan Yu said, her demeanor as rugged as any man's. "Unfortunately, that young rascal isn't the head of the Yan family. His praise might have been a bit too enthusiastic, leading our elders to think he's selling himself short. The elders in the Yan family see him and Lee Yu as the future of the empire."

"The fact that you, an unknown, emerged from Asvetaesi and were so esteemed by Yan Lu, has really ruffled some feathers among the elders."

Yan Yu spoke nonchalantly about the peculiar family dynamics, then curiously inquired, "This place is quite a distance from Thylethlume. What brings you here? Also, with the recent dangers nearby, didn't Yuan Lianyao from Asvetaesi warn you to stay put in the city and not venture out lightly?"

"No," replied Yu Yuan.

"Yuan Lianyao has certainly grown bolder," Yan Yu observed, her clothing struggling to contain her ample form. Despite a slight plumpness that gave her a double chin and a round, endearing appearance, she was quite attractive. "She used to be cautious and careful, but now that she has support, she's let her guard down."

It seemed there was some bad blood between her and Yuan Lianyao, as her tone was lukewarm when mentioning the mayor of Asvetaesi.

"Old General!" Van Yan tried to interject.

Lee Yuangui, clearly irritated, huffed and interjected, "I was there at the Moonfall Sanctuary, and I didn't hold Yu Yuan accountable. If he had truly committed an atrocity in the forbidden area that enraged both heaven and earth, and was detrimental to the empire, the emperor would have issued an arrest warrant as soon as he was sighted."

The old general's gaze swept across the faces of those aboard the Nimbuswing and he said, "Without Yu Yuan, the Empire's losses would have been even greater. It would have been impossible for so many to return safely from the forbidden area."

He was well aware that many of Yu Yuan's actions were extremely irritating, and he knew of the intense rivalry between Yu Yuan and Su Xiangtian, which had caused him significant dissatisfaction.

Yet, he also recognized that without Yu Yuan, talents of the Empire such as Lee Yu, Lee Yuchan, Yan Lu, Zhao Yafu, Zhan Tianxiang, and others might have ended up buried in the Moonfall Sanctuary.

The Empress, after several inquiries and a covert investigation, concluded that Yu Yuan's merits outweighed his misdeeds.

Thus, when Yu Yuan once again made a public appearance, he was able to return to Thylethlume unimpeded.

"Remember why we are here."

The old general gave Van Yan a frosty look and said, "Our grand mobilization was not simply because we encountered Yu Yuan, but to prevent the battle at Dragon Lake with that individual from spilling over and affecting our Silvermoon Empire!"

With that, many shifted their gaze from Yu Yuan and began to look off into the distance.

Moments later, a brilliant light, akin to a shooting star, burst forth from the north, piercing the sky.

As the light streaked across, the heavens crackled. Lightning, like serpentine whips, seemed to be yanked down, forming long lashes that struck out across the sky.

"An expert from the Thunder Sect!" Yan Yu inhaled sharply, her expression filled with awe. "Winter's Bite will likely respond. Those lurking in the shadows will probably act soon."

Wei Feng, looking forlorn and helpless, bowed her head as her shoulders quivered ever so slightly.

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