C689 The Human Heart Cant Bear

"Are those people out of their minds?"

Lau Ying's lips curled into a wry smile as she rolled her eyes and cast a sidelong glance toward the Blue Sky Shrine. With a scoff, she said, "How could anyone think Yu Yuan released the Soul Igniting Nether Fog? Don't they realize that if Yu Yuan were truly responsible, he would have immediately informed the Luan Bird Empire?"

The consequences would have been dire if Chen Langzhi hadn't discovered the news of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog in time!

She was acutely aware that it was Yu Yuan's recognition of the lethal fog that had allowed them to contain it swiftly, preventing a widespread disaster.

Yet...

"He's the God of Plagues!"

"The Babel Chamber of Commerce doesn't call him the God of Plagues for nothing!"

"Exactly! Wherever he shows up, disaster follows! This Yu Yuan is the prime suspect!"

"There's no doubt that Yu Yuan of Darkmoon City is connected to the calamity that struck Luan Bird City!"

Accusations thundered, impossible to drown out.

At the Blue Sky Shrine, Qi Jinghai of the Thunder Sect was still present. He hadn't departed with the majority of the sect's elders and disciples. Now, he was deep in discussion with many who had remained.

Chen Langzhi's eyes narrowed, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he smiled and said, "It's Qi Jinghai."

Yu Yuan furrowed his brow. "I haven't provoked the Thunder Sect, have I?"

"By assisting Xie Binn in refining his Heavenly Soul, you've already crossed swords with the Thunder Sect." Chen Langzhi steered the Golden Carriage higher into the sky for a clearer view, "Qi Jinghai stayed behind because he's still fixated on Xie Binn's Ice Thunder Mark. With Xie Binn at the Blue Sky Shrine, Qi Jinghai is on guard."

"But to suddenly pin it on you, I never anticipated such a startling reaction."

Chen Langzhi was genuinely taken aback.

From his vantage point at the Soul Wandering Stage, he could look down and see the seething crowd, many of whom had no ties to the Thunder Sect or Qi Jinghai.

It was Qi Jinghai's words, a few pointed deductions, that gave the desperate a scapegoat, and they heaped the blame on Yu Yuan.

Jin Xiaolie of the Babel Chamber of Commerce was equally taken aback. "Yu, it seems you're not exactly winning hearts," he remarked.

"Give a dog a bad name and hang him," Yu Yuan replied with a wry smile. "I need you two to stand up for me. I spotted the Soul Igniting Nether Fog and, fearing for the lives in Luan Bird City, I immediately had the city's general relay a message to Senior Chen. Without my warning, this city would have seen many more deaths."

"My good intentions have led to their suspicion?"

Yu Yuan was suffocated by frustration.

In his past life, he and Zu Ann were best friends. He suspected Zu Ann was behind the release of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog, but with three hundred years having passed and Zu Ann's fate unknown, he chose, after much deliberation, not to align with him.

In this life, he shared deep bonds with Zhan Tianxiang, Lau Ying, Xie Binn, and Lee Yu.

Unwilling to watch friend after friend perish to the Soul Igniting Nether Fog, and unable to bear the thought of the grand Luan Bird City descending into hell on earth, he revealed the origin of the fog to Chen Langzhi, hoping to protect those he cared about and ensure the city's safety.

And what was his reward?

A chorus of agreement with Qi Jinghai?

Brimming with indignation, Yu Yuan felt on the verge of collapse. He quelled his inner turmoil and managed to say, "I hope Senior Chen and Senior Jin won't disappoint me."

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Figures darted from the Blue Sky Shrine, riding their Spiritual Swords into the sky.

These people, having been informed by the Luan Bird City guards and the Chen family, knew the threat of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog had been contained and wouldn't spread further.

Assured of the city's safety, they swarmed the Babel Chamber of Commerce branch to confront Yu Yuan.

Xie Binn, Lau Ying, Zhao Yafu, and Kong Banbi, seeing the crowd stirred up by Qi Jinghai's incitement, couldn't hold back and hurried over.

In a flash, over half of the practitioners stationed at the Blue Sky Shrine dashed toward the Babel Chamber of Commerce branch.

Across from the shrine, Ann Ziqing's legs swung gracefully as she gazed at the surging crowd with her deep, enigmatic eyes. A smirk played on her lips as she let out a mocking chuckle.

Below her stood Lin Yue, Han Ling, and others from the Blood God Cult.

Upon hearing that the Soul Igniting Nether Fog was under control, they had left their post at the Blue Sky Shrine and now caught sight of their revered goddess.

As a result, Han Ling, Lin Yue, and the remaining members of the Blood God Cult came to a halt.

"You should stay out of the Cloud Lake affair," Ann Ziqing said, her voice light with amusement.

Lin Yue nodded in agreement. "Of course, we trust Yu Yuan."

"Damn it! They're nothing but a pack of mad dogs!" Hou Tianzhao spat out curses as he watched Qi Jinghai glide through the sky with ease. "Is he really the next master of the Thunder Sect? I've never dealt with him before. How could he be so malicious?"

A flash of crimson flickered in Ann Ziqing's eyes. "Yu Yuan lacks the backing of a sect. Many see him as vulnerable and easy to bully."

With that thought, she shifted her seated posture to better face Cloud Lake and the chamber's branch, whispering to herself, "I'm curious to see how you'll handle this situation."

From her elevated vantage point, her powerful cultivation allowed her to take in the entirety of Luan Bird City at a glance.

She could see every move Yu Yuan made at the branch, clear as day, whenever she focused her attention on him.

Ann Ziqing, still observing Yu Yuan from the shadows, was filled with anticipation.

She eagerly awaited the choices he would make and the stir he was bound to cause.

Elsewhere, Yu Yuan's expression was dark as he stowed the Evil Cauldron in his purple palace, all while keeping an eye on the approaching crowd and communicating with the Artifact Soul within the cauldron.

His mood had taken a twisted turn.

As he faced the onslaught of angry and hateful stares, one thought kept surfacing in his mind: 'I should never have bothered with the lives of others!'

"I hail from the Profound Sky Sect, my name is Fung Xiujuan."

A stately woman in her forties, with a visage of refined beauty, stood atop an inverted zither. She made her presence known in the skies above Cloud Lake, exuding an air of superiority.

Her physique was rather voluptuous, yet her cheeks were surprisingly petite. The zither beneath her feet radiated a brilliant treasure-like glow, clearly no mundane object.

Without traversing the lake, she materialized in the sky above the Babel Chamber of Commerce branch. From across the expanse of water, her eyebrows knitted in a frosty scowl, she demanded answers from Yu Yuan.

"You're so young, without a sect or master, you shouldn't even know of the 'Soul Igniting Nether Fog.' And even if you've heard of it, there's no way you could discern that the exceedingly subtle mist is the fog's nascent stage!"

"Unless, of course, you've encountered the 'Soul Igniting Nether Fog' before, seen it with your own eyes!"

"Or perhaps, someone in the city has tipped you off, using you as a mouthpiece to spread word of the 'Soul Igniting Nether Fog,' stirring panic among the populace!"

"Without the dread of the 'Soul Igniting Nether Fog' spreading, neither Taoist Qiyu nor the sect representatives at the Blue Sky Shrine would have dared take such risks!"

"Now, Taoist Qiyu is dead, along with many others!"

"Yu Yuan, you owe us a clear explanation! You must account for how you came to know of the 'Soul Igniting Nether Fog,' and how you so swiftly identified it!"

Identifying herself as Fung Xiujuan, this practitioner from the Profound Sky Sect, like Chen Langzhi and Jin Xiaolie, was in the late stages of the Soul Wandering realm.

Her affiliation with the Profound Sky Sect, one of the preeminent powers of the Boundless Land, imbued her with an inherent sense of superiority over Chen Langzhi and Jin Xiaolie.

Astride her zither, she floated above the lake, not even acknowledging Chen Langzhi and Jin Xiaolie with a greeting. It was clear she regarded them as beneath her notice.

"Explain? To whom? To you?" Yu Yuan scoffed, standing erect atop the pavilion, her presence as piercing as an unsheathed sword. "Oh? Do you think you're so formidable just because you hail from the Profound Sky Sect?"

"Let me handle this," interjected Chen Langzhi, catching sight of Yu Yuan. Without waiting for a response, he stepped forward to face off against Fung Xiujuan, swiftly gesturing with his eyes for Yu Yuan to stay cool.

He intended to clarify the situation himself, to dispel the suspicions of those gathered.

"Chen Langzhi! The audacity of this kid is astounding!" Fung Xiujuan bellowed. "I'm aware of his connections to the Demon Palace. Out of respect for them, I won't go as far as to kill him. However, I need to uncover what he's privy to! The most straightforward approach is to deploy my Yin God to delve into his Consciousness Little World and unveil the truth."

While she was speaking, the female practitioner from the Profound Sky Sect manifested her Yin God.

Transforming into an exquisitely beautiful woman adorned in vibrant garments, her Yin God made its way towards the acupoint on Yu Yuan's forehead.

​