C375 Change of Dynasties!

In the decrepit hall of the Huang family, green jade pillars adorned with dragons and phoenixes stood tall. The empire's esteemed female general, Lee Yuchan, the foremost of the empire's five new moons, was bound between two such pillars with ropes woven from golden threads. Dangling from the threads wrapped around Yuchan's body were several tiny fish, their silver scales glinting with a cold sheen. These fish were not mere decorations; they swam at her lower and middle elixir fields, drawing in spiritual energy and vitality as if to bolster their own strength through Yuchan's.

A charm etched with the symbols of the sun, moon, and lightning was affixed to her forehead, restraining her Lunar Spirit from escaping. The valiant general, ensnared by the golden ropes, had her figure accentuated, the contours of her chest highlighted in an almost exaggerated fashion. At that moment, with her long legs firmly planted on the ground, she held her head high with a defiant gaze, her eyes as piercing as frosted daggers. She fearlessly met the hostile stares of many around her.

Nearby, on another jade pillar, the empire's rising star, Lee Yu, was similarly restrained, his head bowed in a detached silence, uttering not a word. The hall was surrounded by more than a dozen figures, some standing, some seated.

Led by Su Yin, Su Xiangtian entered the hall and was immediately taken aback. In addition to Su Kui, Su Kang, Lin Mu, and Van Xuan, there were also Lin Hanyu, the new patriarch of the Lin family, Van Chaoguan, the leader of the Van family, and several influential counselors from the Su, Van, and Lin families. The gathering represented the mightiest force the three great families could muster.

These individuals were dispersed throughout the hall, which should have been the domain of the Huang family in Asvetaesi, now holding Yuchan and Lee Yu captive. Su Xiangtian surveyed the scene, his nose twitching slightly before detecting the unmistakable scent of blood.

It must have been someone who inadvertently wandered from outside the hall or the new owner who purchased the estate after the Huang family met their demise. Either way, they were killed.

"Xiangtian, your timing is impeccable!" Su Kui's towering presence was matched by his booming voice. As soon as he entered, he called out, drawing all eyes to him.

Lee Yuchan, bound to a green jade pillar, caught sight of him and a flicker of recognition crossed her icy gaze. Instinctively, she tried to speak.

She yearned to inquire about her sister's whereabouts, to know if she was still wreaking havoc in the Forgotten Ruins.

But before she could utter a word, a silver fish darted to her mouth and bit down viciously. Blood burst from Lee Yuchan's full lower lip, and she stifled a groan as she felt wisps of her remnant soul slip away from the mud pellet and acupoint in her upper elixir field.

Van Chaoguan, rotund and beaming, watched her with amusement, his eyes narrowing into slits. His gaze lingered on her chest, accentuated by the tight ropes, before meeting her eyes with a smile. "Your sister consorts with demons. Surely, many elders in the Lee family are aware. She does not deserve to lead the empire. With such a family head, the entire Lee clan bears responsibility."

Lee Yuchan, silenced by her injury, could not speak, but her eyes betrayed undisguised loathing for Van Chaoguan. She was well aware of the Van family scion's long-standing desire for her.

Van Chaoguan had repeatedly proposed marriage to her sister, seeking an alliance between the Lee and Van families. Upon learning of his intentions, Lee Yuchan had bluntly rejected him, likening his aspirations to a toad lusting after swan meat and urging him to abandon such fantasies. The Silvermoon Queen had never consented to such an arrangement.

Back then, Lee Yupan was the reigning empress, and the Lee family was the empire's mightiest lineage. The Van family would never dare defy the empress's will.

But now...

As Lee Yuchan pondered her sister's frenzied behavior in the Forgotten Ruins, she couldn't help but worry about the staggering deeds her sister might have committed within those desolate grounds.

Upon her return to Asvetaesi with Lee Yu from the Forgotten Ruins, she immediately noticed that the atmosphere had shifted. Cultivators from the Su, Lin, and Van families had descended en masse and ambushed them as they entered the city. Caught off guard, they were swiftly taken captive.

She had refrained from fleeing in her Lunar Spirit form because Lee Yu had already been captured by their adversaries.

"Xiangtian! Having come from the Forgotten Ruins, can you update us on the situation there?" Su Kui beckoned Su Xiangtian closer and inquired, "We've obtained reliable information confirming that the three shadows behind Lee Yupan are the nefarious demons nurtured by the Lee family for years, including the Terra Fiend and the Moonfiend. Is this true?"

Su Xiangtian gave a confirming nod.

With his affirmation, a collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd, which quickly regained its vigor.

"In light of this, apprehending Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu should be straightforward!" declared Su Kui with a stern demeanor. "The Terra Fiend and Moonfiend clans are the epitome of malevolence! The Lee family, by allying with them, has become the sworn enemy of the Everlands and the Land of Quiescence! Neither Euwrea nor the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep of the Land of Quiescence will tolerate the Lee family's misdeeds!"

The assembly within the hall echoed his sentiment.

Observing the animated crowd, Su Xiangtian's thoughts drifted to the Silvermoon Queen's assertive actions before his departure, and a sense of foreboding settled in his heart. "Are you aware that two Spirit Walkers from the Thunder Sect and Winter's Bite have met their end in the Forgotten Ruins? A seventh-level Silverfrost Dragon was slain, along with numerous Lunar Spirit cultivators," he disclosed.

His words gradually muted the previously spirited crowd.

"The fate of those individuals is irrelevant to us," Van Xuan interjected calmly, lifting his head. "Regardless of the reasons for their demise, they perished for the Lost Lands. Our focus must be on resolving the Lee family issue within the empire. The Lee family's downfall is imperative for us to justify our actions to both Euwrea and the Land of Quiescence."

Lin Mu concurred, "The Lee family's collusion with the devils warrants their annihilation to prevent the empire from being ensnared in their treachery."

Su Kui and Su Kang gave slight nods of agreement.

The representatives from the three major families had clearly formed a pact to make the Lee family their sacrificial lamb. They aimed to convince the sects of both the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea that any collusion with demonic forces was solely the doing of the Lee family, absolving themselves of any connection.

They believed this was the necessary course of action to safeguard the Silvermoon Empire and ensure its continued prominence in this world.

"You have no idea of the empress's true strength," Su Xiangtian said, looking at them with a deep sigh. "In the Lost Lands, the empress is nearly unbeatable. Should she grace us with her presence, none of you would escape with your lives."

Lee Yuchan held her head high, her demeanor one of utter disdain.

She too was convinced that regardless of whether her sister had allied with the demons, her sister's mere presence would spell doom for all the fools gathered here.

"The time of Lee Yupan is over," Su Kui declared with a smile.

Su Xiangtian looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"She's finished. We have reliable intelligence confirming that she's either dead or has been captured," Su Kui stated confidently. "Xiangtian, there's no need for concern. The idea of Lee Yupan making a comeback is out of the question. It simply isn't possible."

At these words, a flicker of panic crossed Lee Yuchan's eyes.

She shook her head incessantly, seemingly unable to accept the reality.

Lee Yu's eyes, too, grew dim with despair.

"The Lee family has been officially purged in the City of Silvermoon," Van Xuan chimed in. "The Yan family led the charge, with outsiders aiding them in eradicating the members of the Lee family."

At that moment, Van Chaoguan burst into a mocking laugh.

Locking eyes with Lee Yuchan, he taunted, "Your dear brother, the one who adored and was most devoted to the empress, has been put to death!"

"Father!" Lee Yu cried out in agony.

Lee Yuchan's face contorted with shock as she thrashed against the green jade pillar.

Meanwhile, the fish-like entities within her lower and middle elixir fields seized the moment, voraciously consuming her spiritual energy and vitality.

Van Chaoguan's expression was dark, his gaze fixed on her with venomous intensity, reminiscent of a deadly serpent.

"In Asvetaesi, I'll deal with the Yu family myself. Don't interfere," he hissed.

At that moment, Lin Mu of the Lin family interjected unexpectedly, "I've made a promise to Winter's Bite."

Su Kui, Su Kang, and Van Xuan remained unfazed.

For them, the annihilation of the insignificant Yu family was hardly noteworthy.

Lin Mu, the Lin family's mightiest, had seized the opportunity during the empire's transition to eradicate the Yu family without a hitch.

"The Yu family?" Su Xiangtian's face subtly shifted as he gave Lin Mu a piercing look, advising earnestly, "I urge you to reconsider."

Lin Mu's lips curled in contempt. "Why overthink the destruction of the Yu family?"

"As you wish," Su Xiangtian replied, dropping the subject.

An old fox like Lin Mu, having given his word to Winter's Bite, was bound to follow through.

Su Xiangtian was aware that he couldn't dissuade Lin Mu or alter the fate of the Yu family, especially with Su Kui and Su Kang adopting a hands-off approach.

His concern lay with Yu Yuan; if Yu Yuan were to learn of this and were still alive in the Forgotten Ruins, who knew what might unfold.

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