C34 What Do You Think?
Yuan Lianyao gazed at the cascade of flames, her spirits lifting. Struggling to her feet, she surreptitiously guided the falling lotuses.
The lotuses writhed among the scattered stones.
From various angles, Zhao Dongsheng, Zhao Xi, and others watched Zhao Zhenghao.
Zhao Zhenghao subtly shook his head, signaling them to refrain from any hasty actions.
Meanwhile, Ann Ziqing refrained from violence, opting instead for a gentle conversation with Yu Yuan.
Zhao Zhenghao was uncertain about the extent of the turmoil Ann Ziqing might stir up in Asvetaesi.
Nor could he discern who was behind the towering inferno or whether they could contain the Colddeath.
Thus, he believed the most prudent approach was to observe and wait.
Yu Cen maintained control over the Yu family, urging them to avoid any impulsive behavior.
He had noted Ann Ziqing's unexpected warmth towards his grandson, Yu Yuan, after revealing her identity, even extending an invitation to join the Colddeath.
The patriarch recalled Yu Yuan mentioning a master from the northern reaches of the Land of Quiescence who had imparted arcane knowledge across vast distances.
Could there be a connection between the Colddeath and his grandson's master?
Despite the Colddeath's fearsome reputation, it was a formidable sect beyond the Aetherius Continent, no less esteemed than Winter's Bite.
If Yu Yuan could become a core disciple of the Colddeath, it might not be an adverse development.
Hence, Yu Cen also chose to watch and wait.
"This is somewhat unexpected," Ann Ziqing remarked, having noticed the abrupt shift from afar. She furrowed her brow, giving Yu Yuan a penetrating look, and smiled. "Could it be that Yuan Qiufang's anomaly is your doing, Young Master?"
"Yuan Qiufang!" Zhao Zhenghao was visibly shaken, his eyes flashing with intensity as he addressed Yuan Lianyao. "Mayor, your father... he's still among the living?"
"How could that be?" Huang Fan, positioned at a cave entrance, was visibly taken aback. "Yuan Qiufang was pronounced dead!"
Yu Cen was also taken aback, "He's still alive!"
Zhao Zhenghao, Huang Fan, and Yu Cen were contemporaries of Yuan Qiufang, once the patriarchs of the four great families.
In their time, Yuan Qiufang was the undisputed leader. His methods were domineering and fierce, yet his cultivation was so powerful that he overshadowed everyone.
Before Yuan Qiufang's rise, the Yuan family was not the head of the four great families; the Zhao family held that distinction.
His emergence shifted the dynamics within Asvetaesi, catapulting the Yuan family to the forefront, not only becoming the preeminent family but also taking a firm grip on the reins of Asvetaesi.
His groundwork also paved the way for Yuan Lianyao, of the second generation, to smoothly succeed as the mayor.
He also rose to be the one who overpowered Zhao Zhenghao, Huang Fan, and Yu Cen, becoming another Subtlety of Asvetaesi.
The older generation revered Yuan Qiufang, fully aware of his volatile nature and that he was capable of anything.
Moreover, he had always made a formidable impression on those around him!
Upon hearing that he was still alive and holding his own against the Lunar Spirit from Colddeath outside the city, many from the older generation started to entertain new ideas.
"He's on his way."
Yu Yuan looked up, gazing into the distance, and spoke softly.
All eyes followed, turning skyward.
"Junior Sister!"
The piercing cry of the Lunar Spirit from Colddeath echoed through the layers of blood-red clouds, filled with terror.
Blood-colored clouds coalesced in the void, forming a colossal blood-colored giant dozens of feet tall.
The giant's body was crafted from dense blood, with the Lunar Spirit as its soul.
A river of fire, teeming with fire runes, flowed across the crimson sky.
As the river of fire passed, it crackled and burned through the blood-red firmament, as if setting ablaze the red cotton cloth veiling the heavens, reducing it to ashes.
The blood sacrifice magic circle began to fracture, and the sky could no longer be concealed.
The sun blazed overhead!
In the afternoon, the radiant sun broke through the torn sky.
Seeing the tide turning against it, the Lunar Spirit from Colddeath enveloped itself in layers of scarlet blood, tightly encasing its form.
The newborn Lunar Spirit lacked the protection of a special magic circle. Venturing out in broad daylight, it risked being scorched by the intense sunlight, an excruciatingly painful experience.
He had managed to shield himself by utilizing the residual power of the blood sacrifice rune circle, cloaking himself in layers of crimson vitality to stave off harm.
"I'm afraid your senior brother's Lunar Spirit will be difficult to refine successfully," Yu Yuan said with a serene demeanor. "He will have to endure the same pain and trials that Yuan Qiufang faced. Should he fail to ascend to the Lunar Spirit state, the spirit will disintegrate, reverting to an earthly soul. His cultivation level will plummet to Subtlety, and he'll suffer from the taint of blood."
Yu Yuan shook his head, expressing regret. "Even if he retreats to Colddeath to meditate and purify his spirit, overcoming the challenge of the inner demon is far from certain."
"Next time he attempts to reach the Lunar Spirit state, the memory of this defeat will haunt him. It's even more probable that he won't overcome this obstacle, and his cultivation level will remain fixed at Subtlety for life."
Those listening to his meticulous breakdown of the repercussions of failing to achieve the Lunar Spirit state were struck by an odd sense of enlightenment, as if receiving guidance from a seasoned elder who had trodden the path of cultivation for years. Yet, Yu Yuan was merely at the Spirit Channel level.
"My apologies, Junior Sister," lamented the Lunar Spirit of Colddeath in a sorrowful tone, before darting towards the cave on Mount Aureum where his physical body resided.
With the blood sacrifice rune circle torn apart and its mystical properties lost, the lingering vitality could no longer shield his soul from the harsh daylight for an extended period.
He needed to rejoin his physical form and consume the Spirit Elixir, to maintain control as the Lunar Spirit disintegrated back into an earthly soul. Any mishap during this process could result in more than just a demotion in realm—it could spell the complete dissolution of his soul.
Thus, despite his deep-seated animosity towards Yuan Qiufang and the anger and frustration boiling within, he had no choice but to temporarily suppress these emotions.
"Swoosh!"
After circumventing the blood-colored giant encircled by the river of flames, another giant from the opposite side of Mount Aureum stealthily made his way toward the cave at the mountain's midsection to seek out his original form and to anchor the Lunar Spirit.
"What a useless piece of trash!" Ann Ziqing muttered under her breath.
"Sigh!"
At that moment, the river of flames that Yuan Qiufang had become was drifting over the heads of the onlookers.
Although Yuan Qiufang's figure was nowhere to be seen, the aura emanating from the river of flames was unmistakably his—overbearing and fierce.
"I never would have guessed he was your father," Yu Yuan remarked, surprised.
He had assumed that the elder practicing the dark arts of the Ruby Hand was either a senior fellow disciple of Yuan Lianyao or a clandestine devotee that Yuan Qiufang had placed within the city.
"How could my father have changed like this?" Yuan Lianyao wondered aloud, her voice tinged with confusion. Despite her attainment in the Subtlety Realm, she could sense an incredibly fearsome presence within the river of flames.
The intensity of this power was something her father, now in a diminished state, should not have been capable of unleashing.
"Young Master, what have you done to him?" Ann Ziqing asked, her voice laced with astonishment. "Not long ago, I inflicted serious injuries on him, forcing him to take refuge within the confines of a low mountain. Back then, he was significantly weaker than he is at this moment! He shouldn't possess such strength! Had he been this formidable before, it would have been exceedingly difficult for me to harm him so grievously."
Disguised as a purple-clad maid, Ann Ziqing had been discreetly monitoring Yu Yuan's every move, sensing that something was amiss.
Yu Yuan and Ning Ji had been adamant about visiting Yuan Lianyao at the Keep, and Yu Yuan had even engaged in extensive discussions with her. Ann Ziqing was also aware that Yuan Lianyao had twice visited the Yu family in secret to meet with him.
Harboring suspicions, she kept a vigilant eye on the Keep while her elder brother and the Huang family orchestrated the blood sacrifice magic circle.
Her vigilance paid off when she spotted Yuan Qiufang, accompanied by several Yuan family elders, sneaking out in the dead of night.
Their objective was clear: to sabotage the blood sacrifice magic circle.
Ann Ziqing silently took care of all the Yuan family elders scattered throughout Asvetaesi who were intent on disrupting the magic circle, with the exception of Yuan Qiufang.
When she attempted to kill Yuan Qiufang, the dark arts he had mastered from the Ruby Hand, combined with his previous cultivation level, prevented her from finishing him off immediately.
Despite this, she inflicted severe injuries on Yuan Qiufang, forcing him to take refuge deep beneath a low mountain. There, he used the Ruby Hand's mystique to conceal himself and narrowly escaped death.
Aware that the blood sacrifice magic circle was operational and eager to attend to matters in the valley, she had no choice but to depart.
She had assumed that once the "blood sacrifice magic circle" was activated, its formidable power, along with her senior brother's Lunar Spirit inspection, would enable them to pinpoint Yuan Qiufang and eliminate the gravely wounded man.
Everything was unfolding just as she had planned.
Yet, unexpectedly, things took a turn.
Her senior brother did indeed locate Yuan Qiufang using the magic circle's power and attempted to finish him.
What she hadn't anticipated was that Yuan Qiufang, even in his weakened state, would summon a strength far greater than what he had shown in battle with her, and he ended up severely wounding her senior brother.
"Young Master, how did you manage that?" she asked Yu Yuan, her curiosity piqued.
"Sorry, I'm not at liberty to discuss that," Yu Yuan replied, shaking his head. He continued, "My grandfather's broken knees were likely a result of the Huang family's actions, possibly with assistance from the Colddeath. Hence, it's quite difficult for me to side with them."
"The incident involving the old man's knees has nothing to do with the Colddeath," Ann Ziqing clarified earnestly. "That was the work of someone else hired by the Huang family. Had the Colddeath been involved, the elder's fate would have been far worse than merely broken legs."
"There's more."
Ann Ziqing turned to gaze at Huang Fan and the other Huang family members in the distance. "The insignificant Huang family is hardly worth mentioning. If you, Young Master, would consent to accompany me to the Colddeath, I would personally take action and, right before your eyes, exterminate every last member of the Huang family, both within and beyond the city walls."
"What do you say?"
