C56 The Female General

As he finished speaking, a barrage of piercing gazes shot out from the entrance to the forbidden area, originating from the five great families and six cities of the empire, all belonging to women of various ages. Yu Yuan had been referring to women from other places, not merely girls or young ladies, which was significant because among those who had taken offense at Yu Yuan's words were indeed some enchanting women of beauty.

Beside Lee Yu of the Lee family, a woman with an air of valor stood to his left, her displeasure evident as she cast a chilly look in Yu Yuan's direction. Clad in heavy armor adorned with metallic spikes on the shoulders, she exuded an aura of ferocity and bloodlust. Her icy stare was sharp as a knife's edge.

Yu Yuan felt a sudden pain in his forehead and let out an involuntary groan, instinctively glancing back. Among the many stares, the armored woman beside Lee Yu had a gaze so intense it felt tangible, as if it possessed the power to wound.

"Aunt?" Lee Yu, who had remained silent until now, showed a look of surprise for the first time.

The formidable woman in armor let out a soft "Huh," then gave Yu Yuan a thorough look before communicating to Lee Yu via a mental connection, "Keep an eye on this Yu Yuan while you're in the forbidden area. My gaze seemed to have caused him a slight injury."

"It shouldn't have happened," she explained.

Lee Yu reflected for a moment before responding through the same mystical means, "Did you form a soul blade with your focused thoughts?"

"It was an instinctive soul blade," the woman replied mentally. "Below the Subtlety Stage, without a condensed spiritual sense and an unopened upper elixir field in the mud pellet, one wouldn't normally detect a soul blade. His injury came from his heaven soul, which was nicked by my soul blade. This indicates that his heaven soul, even at the Spirit Channel Stage, is sensitive enough to perceive the force of the soul blade within my gaze."

"An extraordinary heaven soul at the Spirit Channel Stage, with a technique for refinement..." Lee Yu mused internally, giving Yu Yuan a few more glances. Initially, he hadn't given Yu Yuan much thought.

It was only after Yan Lu mentioned him, followed by Su Yan's inquiry to Lin Zhuyun, and Lin Zhuyun's peculiar response, that Van Le's curiosity was piqued.

The four moons of the empire, sharing his name, were gathered around a person at the entrance of the forbidden area. Whether by design or accident, their conversation had caught his attention.

Their seemingly casual talk was laced with veiled threats.

As a result, Yu Yuan had become the focus of everyone's attention even before his arrival, drawing the curious gaze of many.

It was a brewing storm of malice.

Lee Yu preferred to stay out of such affairs, but he was far from foolish. In fact, he observed everything with keen awareness.

Yan Lu, Su Yan, Lin Zhuyun, and Van Le had subtly maneuvered Yu Yuan into the spotlight. Lee Yu found himself intrigued by their motives.

After his aunt shared with Yu Yuan the wonders of the forbidden area, he too began to take notice.

As Lee Yu pondered, numerous ladies from prominent families had already begun to openly criticize Yu Yuan.

Yet, amidst the barrage of rebukes, Yu Yuan remained silent.

His head throbbed with pain.

Pressing his fingertips to his forehead, he sensed his heaven soul, experiencing a sensation of tearing.

He had been using the White Paper Fan to delve into the depths of sorrow, gathering his thoughts to refine his heaven soul.

This quiet advancement of his heaven soul kept him invigorated daily.

Even when he overindulged with Yuan Ting and others, a session of cultivation with the White Paper Fan would dispel the fog of inebriation and sharpen his spiritual wisdom.

With a clear mind, he could think with clarity and order his thoughts.

Unmoved by the accusations and scolding, he continued to endure the agony of his heaven soul.

Gradually, the pain subsided.

He quickly realized that the damage to his heaven soul was not as severe as he had feared. With continued cultivation using the White Paper Fan, he anticipated a swift recovery.

"Yu Yuan?"

Yuan Lianyao's brow furrowed slightly, her expression puzzled. "What's wrong?"

The warrior woman's piercing gaze, filled with spiritual sense, had not missed a thing.

However, since the attack targeting the three souls of heaven, earth, and man was quite subtle and difficult to detect, she was not overly concerned.

She was well aware that only when the three souls were sufficiently strong and sensitive could they perceive such a sharp assault and be affected by it.

The lower one's realm, the less sensitive they are, and thus, they are less likely to be harmed.

How could Yu Yuan, a practitioner of the Spirit Channel Realm, be injured?

"I'm fine."

Yu Yuan shook his head and removed the finger from his brow, then asked, "Sister Mayor, who is that woman?"

He was pointing to the woman who had injured his heaven soul.

Yuan Lianyao looked slightly uncomfortable as she inquired, "Why do you want to know about her?"

"Who is she, exactly?"

"She's the Empress's sister, a female general with immense authority in the empire. She's in the late period of Subtlety, on the verge of forging her Lunar Spirit." Yuan Lianyao spoke softly, sharing the woman's background before cautioning him, "You'd best not provoke her. She's claimed more lives than you've ever encountered."

Yu Yuan was taken aback. "Have you suffered at her hands as well?"

Yuan Lianyao, flushed with annoyance, retorted, "She only has her noble birth to thank! If I had grown up in the Lee family, by the Empress's side, would I have lost to her?"

"What's her name?"

"Lee Yuchan."

"Lee Yuchan."

"Alright, I've got it."

Yu Yuan nodded, indicating his understanding, then suddenly furrowed his brow.

The name 'Lee Yuchan' echoed twice—once in his ears, once in his heart.

The voice he heard was undoubtedly Yuan Lianyao's, but who was speaking to his heart?

"It's me."

From a distance, the formidable woman clad in battle armor regarded him with a proud demeanor. "Yu Yuan, as a Spirit Channel cultivator, you have the skill to refine your heaven soul. I'll remember you, and you can remember me. If my injuring you bothers you, feel free to seek revenge whenever you wish."

Lee Yuchan's voice continued to resonate within him.

The clamor of scolding female voices around him was drowned out by the voice that echoed in his heart.

Strangely enough, despite the presence of numerous powerful individuals, some even at the Subtlety Realm, not one of them noticed Lee Yuchan speaking to him.

The fact that no one detected it proved one thing—Lee Yuchan was more formidable than anyone else there.

"Alright, I understand," Yu Yuan repeated.

He was aware that Lee Yuchan could hear him.

"You've already said that once," Yuan Lianyao remarked, somewhat puzzled.

She was unaware that Yu Yuan's second affirmation, "Alright, I understand," was intended for Lee Yuchan.

Having spoken, Yu Yuan turned his gaze to Lee Yuchan.

Lee Yuchan subtly nodded in acknowledgment.

There was an unspoken agreement between them.

"Lee Yu, should Yu Yuan survive an encounter with Van Le in the forbidden area, bring him to see me once he emerges."

"Alright, auntie."

...

"Enough, stop the noise."

Only after the barrage of curses quieted down with Yu Yuan's silence did the old general of the Lee family speak again, his voice weary.

The uproar gradually faded.

"Cough, cough."

The old general coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention. "The rules are known to all. I'm old and lack the energy to elaborate. The Moonfall Sanctuary will be open for six months. For the first four months, avoid fatalities and intentional harm."

"Those who feel it's time and wish to avoid further risk may leave after the initial four months."

"In the final two months, the spiritual energy within the sanctuary will grow increasingly wild, presenting many uncertainties. Even Her Majesty the Empress won't be able to observe the happenings inside."

"Should there be unseen battles and slayings of foes, no one will witness them."

"I trust that the empire's finest will conduct themselves accordingly."

...