C309 An Unreasonable Hatred
Beneath the night sky, a formidable woman clad in greenish-gray battle armor stood with an air of defiance.
She was Lee Yuchan, the female general of the Silvermoon Empire.
Her weapon, the Blue Profound Sword, was a national treasure, on par with the Nether Gold as a Heaven Level artifact.
The still Blue Profound Sword radiated a fierce sharpness, as if it could slice through the heavens themselves.
Lee Yuchan hovered above, accompanied by a vivid red figure standing on blossoming lotuses, both wearing grave expressions.
Yuan Lianyao's stunning face was devoid of any smile, her mood sour.
She believed Yu Yuan had a knack for stirring up trouble.
The sight of the Great Cultivators swarming around the lake sent shivers down her spine.
How could Yu Yuan remain so composed in such a situation, daring to challenge a disciple of the Yang God from the Spirit Void Sect?
She couldn't fathom what was going through Yu Yuan's mind.
"Why have you come?"
Yu Yuan looked on in astonishment at the Cloud Sail, which had returned from the distance.
Aboard the Cloud Sail, the stoic old general, Lee Yuangui, remained silent.
"Silvermoon Empire!"
The name was murmured by many, both openly and in whispers.
Yet, the majority viewed the Cloud Sail and the visitors from the Silvermoon Empire with apathy.
Even the Divine Might Empire, when compared to the Heavenly Source Continent's seven great sects, knew to keep a low profile—much less the less influential Silvermoon Empire.
Members of the Su family from the same empire, upon spotting Lee Yuangui, Lee Yuchan, and Yuan Lianyao, promptly nodded in acknowledgment.
"Nether Gold is a Heaven Level Weapon of the Spirit Void Sect. How could you, with such a vast difference in cultivation from Taoist Chongxiao, go into battle without a weapon to match?" Lee Yuchan, armored for war, her face as cold as ice in the moonlight.
Her gaze was as piercing as the blade she wielded.
Upon her arrival, she was taken aback by the sight of the Tusk Troops' commander meditating on the mid-lake island.
Shen Feiqing of the Divine Might Empire, a woman she had always looked up to as a paragon, was unexpectedly petite—a stark contrast to her fierce reputation.
"Yu Yuan!"
Zhan Tianxiang stood on the deck of the Cloud Sail, his teeth bared as he called out with a booming voice.
He wasn't alone; Zhao Yafu and Lee Yu were there as well.
Yu Yuan, however, was utterly bewildered.
The situation with the Absence Relic, tied to the secret realm, was something the Silvermoon Empire likely knew little about.
After Lee Yuchan had seen the might of the Divine Might Empire, the formidable Soul Wandering Stage cultivators from the Thunder Sect and the Cold Yin Sect, and the Seventh Level Silverfrost Dragon, why would he risk meddling in these murky waters?
He had already left, yet here was the Cloud Sail, descending once more.
His return was puzzling—bringing along Li Yu, Zhan Tianxiang, and Zhao Yafu—did he intend to lead them to their deaths?
Aboard the Cloud Sail, Zhao Yafu frantically waved her arms, as if terrified he wouldn't notice her. "Yu, I'm right here! Look, I'm here!" Her cheeks were a rosy flush, her vigorous hand-waving slicing through the air with a piercing screech.
The Silverfrost Dragon, now in human form and hovering midair, fixed its gaze on her, and its eyes abruptly shifted. For reasons unknown, the presence of Zhao Yafu seemed to disrupt its dragon breath, causing it to grow erratic.
How could a mere girl at the Profound Break Stage unsettle a dragon's breath?
Yu Yuan's confusion only deepened at the sound of Zhao Yafu's clamoring.
The Blue Profound Sword had been in Lee Yu's possession all this while, his life force pulsing through its blade day and night.
If Yu Yuan were to wield the Blue Profound Sword, he could certainly harness its edge, but the hidden divine powers of this Heaven Level Spirit Treasure would likely remain dormant.
Could this sword truly penetrate Nether Gold?
He eyed the Blue Profound Sword, indecision gnawing at him.
All those gathered, Su Yan included, were oblivious to the deeper implications of his peculiar behavior, clueless as to his true intentions.
His challenge to Wang Jinlin and the ensuing battle with the Spirit Void Sect disciple were merely a ruse to keep the crowd at bay while Shen Feiqing prepared to assimilate the Void Spiritual Plant.
As the White-robed Imperial Advisor had put it, it was all in the name of amusement.
Though he had vowed to Su Yan to slay Wang Jinlin on her behalf, there was no need to rush the deed.
The Cloud Sail had once again made its appearance, bringing with it a host of individuals deeply connected to him. This turn of events left him, who had initially sought to challenge himself against Wong Jinlin in a mere bout of play, feeling as though he was trapped on a tiger's back with no easy way down.
"There's no need for the Blue Profound Sword," Zhao Yafu chimed in cheerfully, her head peeking out from within the Cloud Sail, as she eagerly jostled forward.
Her gaze shifted abruptly to Wong Jinlin. A dragon's roar, meant for only a select few souls, was stealthily transmitted through the profound gate at her middle dantian. This roar, laden with boundless enchantment, unleashed waves of sound that swiftly ensnared Wong Jinlin.
The golden dragon scales hidden within him burst forth into a dazzling radiance, returning to the Spiritual Sword known as "Nether Gold." The essence and scales of the Five-clawed Golden Dragon spiraled out of control, rendered useless to anyone.
Even the Silverfrost Dragon, transformed into a human figure in the heavens, showed a stark change in countenance. Her dragon blood churned as if a cauldron set to boil.
To her horror, the blood around her dragon heart seemed to be set ablaze. It took a relentless casting of spells and the deployment of three secret dragon arts to quell the trembling heart and the blood threatening to boil over.
"The girl from the Zhao family!" exclaimed several Dragon Servitors who had stealthily arrived and were lurking in the shadows.
The Dragon Servitors, upon hearing the dragon's roar emanating from Zhao Yafu's middle dantian, were overwhelmed with discomfort. Several of them, despite being far more advanced in their cultivation than Zhao Yafu, now found themselves bleeding from every orifice. Exposed and desperate, they hastily consumed healing pills to tend to their wounds.
In an instant, countless eyes converged upon Zhao Yafu. Despite her tender age and merely being at the Middle Period of the Profound Break Stage, she had, through some miraculous secret technique, managed to subdue "Nether Gold," causing both the Silverfrost Dragon and the many Dragon Servitors of Hidden Dragon Lake considerable distress.
"Eh!" Yu Yuan's eyes suddenly sparkled with intrigue.
This was a chance that couldn't be squandered – time would not come again!
With renewed vigor, he coiled his power and launched his fist at Wang Jinlin.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
In an instant, seven punches burst forth, unleashing the savage force of the Desolate Demon.
The flesh that had lost the protection of the golden scales was torn asunder, blood and tissue scattering in the air.
Wang Jinlin's breastbone caved in under the assault, blood gushing from his mouth.
Having surpassed the Profound Break Stage, his sinews and bones had been repeatedly tempered. His dantian was open, allowing his Qi and blood to converge at the site of impact, attempting to counter Yu Yuan's ferocious onslaught.
Yet, he couldn't withstand the severity of Yu Yuan's blows.
The pain was so intense that Wang Jinlin, whose three souls had sunk into despair, was jolted awake.
Upon regaining consciousness, he was shocked to find that the Nether Gold in his grasp did not shield him from harm as his master had promised.
Feeling the shattered bones in his chest, ribs, and spine, and the blood surging from his mouth, Wang Jinlin was consumed by madness.
"Kid, we have no quarrel, yet you provoked me and now seek my demise!" Wang Jinlin was on the brink of insanity, feeling wronged. "I truly don't understand how I've provoked you. Was it because of Junior Sister Liu's Fallen Star Eyes that you were told to leave?"
"That's not it," Yu Yuan replied, pausing his assault upon seeing Wang Jinlin's return to consciousness. With a fierce grin, he added, "Frankly, you're just a thorn in my side."
Blood streamed from the corner of Wang Jinlin's mouth, his complexion ashen, as the volcanic fury within him erupted.
He, who considered himself of high value, had been granted Nether Gold by his master, earning respect from various sects across the Heavenly Source Continent. Peers like Wai Wujiang had even sought his friendship.
Such arrogance had bred a habit of disdain towards others.
Now, a nobody had emerged, declaring him an eyesore and beating him to a pulp in his confusion.
Wang Jinlin's indignation was so profound, it was as if his heart was hemorrhaging.
