C551 Fellbeast Surged In!

"I am Weixian of Winter's Bite!"

The elder, his long grayish-white hair draped over his shoulders and an Ice Shard jade pendant hanging at his waist, cupped his fists and called out to Yu Yuan.

"Crack!"

The ice split open, and Lin Hanyu suddenly emerged from his frozen state, coming to his senses.

"Elder Weixian, I truly had no idea!"

As soon as Lin Hanyu regained consciousness, he knelt down, bowing deeply and pleading for mercy.

Weixian's face remained impassive. He pointed and asked, "Do you recognize them?"

Lin Hanyu had been oblivious to his surroundings, unable to see anything while encased in the ice power. Following Weixian's prompt, he turned his head, and his expression instantly turned grim.

"Yu Yuan!"

He hissed the name through clenched teeth.

"Heh!"

Weixian smirked, his fingers curling like hooks as he suddenly grasped Lin Hanyu's neck and hoisted him into the air.

Strands of icy spiritual energy infiltrated Lin Hanyu's body, rendering him immobile.

Holding him aloft, Weixian sneered and turned his gaze back to Yu Yuan, "What about the well-being of your future father-in-law? Do you care or not?"

Yu Yuan was dumbfounded, pointing to himself, "Are you speaking to me?"

"Who else would I be talking to?" Weixian retorted.

Yu Yuan glanced at Yuan Lianyao beside him and then at Tong Laoqian behind him, scratching his head, "I thought you were addressing them."

Weixian huffed, "Ms. Yuan's renown has indeed grown significantly of late. I've heard much about her."

He then cast a dismissive look at Tong Laoqian, "As for the demon of the Forgotten Ruins, hardly worth mentioning."

Despite Yuan Lianyao's current level of cultivation not matching Tong Laoqian's, Weixian remained wary due to her affiliation with the respected Ruby Hand.

As for a demon like Tong Laoqian, Weixian considered him insignificant unless he attained the rank of Solar Spirit.

As an elder of Winter's Bite, Weixian had led the sect's disciples to the Forgotten Ruins to refine their combat skills right from the start of the Ethereal Void's teleportation circle construction.

Tong Laoqian, along with other malevolent entities lurking deep within the Forgotten Ruins, were precisely the prey they hunted.

Tong Laoqian, Qi Hongyi, and the Golden Fiend, among others, were compelled to flee the Forgotten Ruins and seek refuge elsewhere. Weixian played a significant role in their expulsion.

Without a sect's backing, Tong Laoqian, who fought alone, didn't catch Weixian's attention as a serious threat.

"He's an elder of the Winter's Bite Sect, always in league with the Chief Elder, who is second only to the Sect Master," Tong Laoqian murmured, his expression grave as he explained, "He's in the late period of Spirit Walk and has been seeking the chance to condense the Solar Spirit. I've had dealings with him in the Lost Lands in the past, and I must admit... I came out worse for wear."

As he concluded, the landlord, resplendent in his opulent attire and adorned with copper coins, appeared noticeably uncomfortable.

Back in the day, Tong Laoqian, confident in his superior cultivation level, had engaged Weixian in battle.

At the time, Weixian was merely in the early period of Spirit Walk, while Tong Laoqian was in the middle period.

During that confrontation, Tong Laoqian was certain of victory, but due to Weixian wielding a higher-tier weapon, he suffered a significant setback. Despite his tenacious resistance, he ultimately retreated in a humiliating defeat.

That battle was a turning point for Tong Laoqian, teaching him that cultivation level wasn't the sole measure of combat prowess.

Since then, Tong Laoqian dedicated himself to gathering the empire's fortunes, scouring the Huangling Ancestral Tomb for years, and eventually succeeded in crafting the Jade Tower.

Regrettably, by the time he completed the Jade Tower, Weixian had progressed from the early to the late period of Spirit Walk.

Weixian, a scion of the Chief Elder's lineage within Winter's Bite, enjoyed the robust support of the sect, which facilitated faster breakthroughs in his cultivation and an upgrade in the quality of his armaments.

Tong Laoqian was well aware of his own limitations and recognized that Weixian, a century later, would be an even more formidable adversary.

If they were to fight again, he would be defeated even more soundly.

"Senior Weixian, right?"

Yu Yuan paused at a street corner, gazing across the distance at Weixian, who was holding Lin Hanyu by the neck, "Since you're from Winter's Bite and you know who I am, you should also be aware of the significance of the ground you're standing on."

Weixian let out a cold snort.

Yu Yuan continued, "As for my future father-in-law, do as you please with him."

With those words, he turned and left the city alongside Yuan Lianyao and Tong Laoqian.

"It's all because of Lin Zhuyun," Yuan Lianyao murmured with a sigh, "Life is so unpredictable, and the shifts in circumstances are utterly astonishing. Just two years ago, Lin Zhuyun was cherished by Winter's Bite, esteemed by the Chief Elder. Before entering the Embers Sea, she was still practicing within Winter's Bite, with Tang Cen doggedly wooing her."

"Thanks to her, the Lin family formed ties with Winter's Bite, and Lin Hanyu rose to head the family, his cultivation level advancing rapidly."

"Who could have imagined that today, the Lin family, including her father, would face calamity because of her?" She was deeply moved by the turn of events.

"Every action has its consequences," Tong Laoqian interjected. During his time on Celestial Isle, he had made a point to inquire about the relationship between Yu Yuan and Lin Zhuyun, learning the full story, "That girl became possessed by the Sky Fiend, and after her rampage within Winter's Bite, she turned into their archenemy. They would inevitably disavow any connection with her and regard her as a fiend."

"The Lin family, once under her care, has now become an irritant to Winter's Bite due to her transformation."

"With the rise of the Shadowlight Empire, they would likely remain indifferent as Weixian and Winter's Bite make their move against the Lin family. The Yan family would be only too pleased to see the Lin family stripped of their status within the empire, severing all ties with Euwrea."

Tong Laoqian had a clear perspective on the situation, concluding with finality, "The Lin family's days in the Shadowlight Empire are numbered."

Yuan Lianyao nodded in agreement. "It's inevitable."

As Yu Yuan listened to their conversation, a sense of melancholy washed over him, and he found no joy in their words. Before his heaven soul and earthly soul had awakened, Yin Jue, who had sought to harm him, was nothing more than a pawn of Lin Hanyu. Lin Zhuyun feigned ignorance, only chastising him when the situation became too embarrassing to ignore. Yu Yuan knew he should despise and loathe the Lin family...

Yet, when he witnessed Lin Hanyu being seized like a lifeless dog by Weixian of Winter's Bite, writhing under the torture of their ice power, he felt no satisfaction. Lin Hanyu's death should have been at his hands, and if the Lin family were to fall, it should be by his doing.

"Winter's Bite..." he muttered under his breath with disdain.

In other realms, given his current level and power, confronting Winter's Bite seemed unrealistic. But in the Forgotten Ruins, he still had some tricks up his sleeve and a measure of sway.

Leaving the newly built city was unobstructed, and he quickly made his exit. At the Ethereal Void Sect's teleportation circle, a phantom emerged ghostlike from a small window atop the tallest tower. The phantom, a manifestation of the Lunar Spirit, silently observed Yu Yuan and his companions depart into the distance.

"Sage!" The motionless elder of the Ethereal Void Sect suddenly rose to her feet at the top of the tower.

"The death of Jinlin is rumored to be connected to Yu Yuan," the phantom murmured. "I invested my entire being into Jinlin, hoping he would carry on my legacy. Alas, to think he would perish in the very domain I control during his trials in the Forgotten Ruins fills me with regret."

Wang Jinlin, the hand-chosen disciple of Chong Xiao of the Ethereal Void Sect, had met his end in the Forgotten Ruins a year prior.

"Please, Sage, accept my condolences," the elder said, her head bowed, her voice tinged with anxiety, fearful of what the Sage might do next. "The turmoil in the Forgotten Ruins has settled. Shadow's Keep has persuaded the three upper sects to recognize Yu Zhu as the rightful master of the land. Yu Zhu was led into the Forgotten Ruins by Yu Yuan from the Serpent Spine Mountains, and she has been graced with his favor."

Yu Zhu is the rising star of Shadow's Keep, poised to ascend to Dark Deity status following the Moonfang Tiger. Shadow's Keep, Devil Palace, and the three upper sects are unanimous in their stance: they cannot allow any unforeseen events to prevent Yu Zhu's deification. With the Extraterrestrial Battle looming, we need a new Dark Deity, and the Ethereal Void Sect must not go against the prevailing currents."

She fretted that Chong Xiao might act rashly due to Wang Jinlin's death.

"Yu Zhu is Yu Zhu, and he is himself," Chong Xiao, having arrived, murmured before adding, "Besides, Yu Zhu is currently not in the Lost Lands."

"Please reconsider, Sage!" the elderly woman urged with urgency.

"Rest assured, I have my strategies. There's no need for concern."

...

Upon their departure from the new city, Tong Laoqian released one copper coin after another. Yuan Lianyao enveloped herself in a fiery lotus aura and soared into the sky. Yu Yuan hesitated briefly, choosing not to invoke the Crucible of Evil. Instead, he accepted a copper coin from Tong Laoqian and placed it beneath his feet.

Standing on the coin, he followed the pair toward the mid-lake island where Yu Zhu had been refining her powers.

Shortly thereafter, the marsh echoed with the howls of Fellbeasts.

Cultivators from the seven lower sects were locked in intense combat with the Fellbeasts in several miasma-shrouded, perilous locales.

"Something's amiss," Tong Laoqian declared, his soul consciousness sweeping the area as he hovered in the sky. He shook his head, puzzled, "The Fellbeasts of the Forgotten Ruins were nearly eradicated by the trial-takers from the lower sects after the teleportation circle was established. Many of the beasts had migrated to Godsblight Marsh seeking the Untamed's protection."

"As the Fellbeasts dispersed, those trial-takers shifted their focus to us, the so-called fiends."

"During Qi Hongyi and Golden Fiend's last visit to the Lost Lands, there were hardly any Fellbeasts. The few we encountered were of low rank, their spiritual wisdom yet to be awakened."

In just half a year, how could so many Fellbeasts have suddenly flooded the area?

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

More copper coins cascaded from his sleeves, soaring like golden clouds toward various regions.

Each coin served as his eyes, allowing him to meticulously survey the ranks of the Fellbeasts and the conflicts among the cultivators of the seven lower sects.

After a moment, Tong Laoqian's voice thundered, "They must have come from Godsblight Marsh!"

"What?" Yuan Lianyao gasped, "Are you suggesting that the Fellbeasts invading the Forgotten Ruins have stepped foot from Godsblight Marsh in the last half year?"

"Absolutely! I recognized several Fellbeasts; they're from Godsblight Marsh," Tong Laoqian said, his brow furrowed. "These particular beasts are not of low rank, and their loyalty to the Untamed is unwavering. They've not only arrived but also brought their subordinate Fellbeasts to stake their claims in the Forgotten Ruins, engaging in their own battles."

Yuan Lianyao grew increasingly astonished. "But why?"

"Perhaps the major factions within Godsblight Marsh have secured their positions, and unable to extract more spiritual energy and resources from the Untamed, they've turned their attention here," Tong Laoqian explained.

"This may not bode well," Yu Yuan mused, his brow creased with concern.

Upon his return to the Lost Lands, he found himself unable to reach Yu Zhu, yet there was an unusual influx of Fellbeasts from Godsblight Marsh. Something didn't add up.

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