C527 The Two of Them Were Still Fine

After more than half a year, Lee Yu was noticeably more gaunt.

His cultivation had ascended to the middle phase of the Profound Break Stage, surpassing even Yu Yuan.

Yet...

Upon his initial foray into the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, he was the sole cultivator at the Profound Break Stage.

Back then, Yu Yuan, venturing out from Darkmoon City for his first trial in the Forbidden Area, hadn't even reached the Yellow Court Stage!

Within the Forbidden Area, Lee Yu shone as the brightest young star of the Silvermoon Empire, the most luminous among the "Five Moons."

Time flew, and over two years later, he had advanced only a minor realm, from early to middle phase.

In contrast, Yu Yuan, Yan Lu, Zhan Tianxiang, Zhao Yafu, and others had undergone transformative breakthroughs to the Yellow Court Stage, with their statuses undergoing dramatic shifts.

Life's fortunes are indeed unpredictable.

The once dazzling figure now appeared forlorn on Babel Island.

As Yu Yuan approached him with a beaming smile, Lee Yu hesitated, his demeanor restrained, seemingly eager to sidestep the encounter, to depart for good.

"Lee Yu!"

Yu Yuan approached enthusiastically, quickly closing the distance and warmly clasping his shoulder, leading him toward the hall selling various medicinal pellets. "What's the matter? Hit a bottleneck in your cultivation? Need some medicinal aid? Which grade?"

Without further ado, he ushered Lee Yu along, his companion slightly unsteady on his feet.

Even during their harmonious times in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, Yu Yuan had never been this affable.

What more now?

Since the renaming of the empire and the fall of his family, Lee Yu had weathered many storms en route to the Crack Archipelago, witnessing the fickleness of fortune and the true nature of people...

Those who once approached him with deference and eagerness now wore unfamiliar faces of estrangement.

Those faces... they had brought him much shame.

Accustomed to pride and detachment, he had slowly adapted to exclusion, to the sting of mockery and scorn, and even to being the target of unknown assailants and attempts on his life.

Those who once pleaded with him now shunned him like venomous snakes and scorpions. Those who had been allies of the Lee family turned out to be the most merciless when the family fell from grace.

Yu Yuan, unlike the rest, didn't shy away or distance himself. Instead, he drew closer, his warmth and friendliness surpassing that of the past.

Not a single one remained!

"Who are you?"

With silver hair cascading over his shoulders, Chiu Jihai locked eyes with Yu Yuan. The sword he carried was casually slung over his shoulder, its hilt angled toward Yu Yuan, betraying a subtle yet unrestrained sword intent.

The sword intent felt like a persistent, icy drizzle, piercing to the bone as if it were seeping into one's very soul.

Yu Yuan came to a halt, his steps ceasing as he turned to face the newcomer. "And who might you be?"

"Chiu Jihai, of the once-great Silvermoon Empire, from Hao Yue City." The silver-haired man's lips curled into a slight smile, his dark eyes brimming with resentment. "The Chiu family was once a prominent name in the empire, guarded by two venerable Yin Gods at its zenith."

His teeth clenched audibly as he spoke.

"In a single night, the Chiu family was eradicated! The Silvermoon Queen, with the aid of three sinister shadows, uprooted us entirely, sparing not even the women and children!"

A fierce bloodlust flared in Chiu Jihai's eyes. "As a child, I was fortunate to be training overseas with my master, which saved me from that fate."

Yu Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he glanced at Lee Yu.

Lee Yu simply stated, "The Chiu family was secretly conspiring with the Rainier Empire."

Yu Yuan nodded in understanding, then replied with a smile, "Such tragedies are not uncommon on the Profound Sky Continent. I won't pass judgment on right or wrong. Now that the Lee family has lost its power, I can understand your desire for vengeance."

Chiu Jihai gave a contemptuous snort. "I've already slain many of the Lee clan!"

Lee Yu interjected, "Many of our kin, sensing trouble, fled to the Boundless Sea. This man intercepted several groups and slaughtered dozens."

"It appears you haven't struck down any key figures," Yu Yuan remarked with a tsk.

"As long as there's a single member of the Lee family out there, and I know where they are, they won't escape my grasp," Chiu Jihai said with a chilling smile. "I've been on the trail of that Lee family female butcher, along with this Lee Yu, for some time. You were fortunate enough to make it to Babel Island last time, but I refuse to believe you'll never leave."

"And her?" Yu Yuan asked, taken aback.

Lee Yu's eyes darkened with sorrow, and he remained silent.

"She must still be searching for medicine!" Chiu Jihai bellowed with laughter. "That woman was already injured before our encounter! I only added to her pain. It was only by risking further damage to her Yin God that she managed to flee to Babel Island! Her wounds are no simple matter to heal; ordinary pellets won't do a thing."

At those words, Yu Yuan immediately caught on.

He pieced it together and surmised that Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu's journey to the Crack Archipelago must have been fraught with more difficulties than his own.

Upon their arrival, they likely had their identities exposed, and with the downfall of the Lee family known, they would have been targets for many.

Lee Yuchan, who had achieved the Yin God Stage before Yuan Lianyao, might have been a person of significance in the Empire back then.

But in the treacherous waters near the Crack Archipelago, and on the merciless Quietus Continent, the female general's Yin God Stage cultivation would hardly suffice.

Pursued and injured, then further wounded by Chiu Jihai, her arrival on Babel Island must have been a dire moment.

"Alright, alright," Yu Yuan said, giving Lee Yu's shoulder a reassuring pat. "Don't fret too much. Back when I was training in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, before my return to the Empire, I was aware of the covert support you and your aunt provided for the Yu family."

Lee Yu's lips twitched, words pressing at the back of his throat, yet he restrained himself.

He wanted to ask why Yu Yuan, knowing full well how he and his aunt had repeatedly aided the Yu family, keeping the Su and Lim families at bay, would turn against the Lee family in the Absence Relic.

"If you dare to assist them, forget about leaving Babel Island unscathed," Chiu Jihai declared icily.

Yu Yuan flashed a grin and shook his head. "If you knew how I got onto Babel Island, you wouldn't be so sure of yourself."

With that, he firmly pulled Lee Yu along with him into the hall where pellets were sold.

Chiu Jihai, looking sour, was determined to follow and stir up trouble.

A Chamber of Commerce deacon, who had been observing from a distance, had just bitten into a hefty chunk of beef and was picking his teeth with a slender bone. Seeing Chiu Jihai about to intrude, he called out in a drawl, "Chiu Jihai, enough's enough. Give it a rest."

Chiu Jihai looked taken aback. "Brother Gao?"

He was acquainted with the deacon, and every visit to Babel Island included a chat with him, along with a discreet exchange of Spirit Stones for insider information.

He had thought their relationship was solid, especially since the deacon hadn't intervened when he was harassing Lee Yuchan and bothering Lee Yu.

What had changed?

"Don't put me in a tough spot," the tooth-picking deacon huffed. "Quit your pestering; it's getting you nowhere. That kid, Lee Yu, seems to be on good terms with that guy, so drop it before you embarrass yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chiu Jihai demanded.

"Can't you understand plain speech?" The deacon's face turned steely, his patience worn thin. "You, Chiu Jihai, aren't in any position to mess with him! Got it now?"

Chiu Jihai felt a jolt of alarm and blurted out, "He, he is who?"

"Reflect on what he just told you," the deacon grunted, dismissing him. He then followed Yu Yuan into the pellet-selling hall, adding, "If it weren't for your past deeds, I wouldn't have even bothered to warn you."

Chiu Jihai stood there, dumbfounded.

It was only after the man had been inside the hall for quite some time, and as he pondered every word Yu Yuan had said, that he suddenly came to a startling realization, exclaiming in horror, "No way! It can't be him, can it?!"

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