C725 The Opportunity to Break Through
When Yuan Lianyao spoke, the phantom quivered slightly.
The Land of Terror was exceptionally welcoming to souls.
Her Lunar Spirit, if it were in the outside world, wouldn't be as distinct as it was here.
In this place, she could clearly display even the most nuanced facial expressions.
Her eyes conveyed panic and unease, betraying a hint of nervousness.
The ambush by Yingye in Gavanas and the death of the Ethereal Void's Eighth Sage hadn't shocked her much.
What truly unsettled her was Yu Yuan...
Rumors abounded that Yu Yuan had forsaken the Everlands, becoming labeled as a traitor by the three great upper sects: the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep!
The label of 'traitor' associated with Yu Yuan weighed heavily on her.
Upon learning of this, her father, Yuan Qiufang, and Faang Yao, whom her father had meticulously groomed, issued stern warnings.
They cautioned her to sever ties with Yu Yuan as much as possible.
And to avoid meeting him at all costs!
As she listened to her father and Faang Yao, her mind was adrift in uncertainty. She didn't know where to turn or how to navigate her relationship with Yu Yuan.
In that moment, she realized that she had unwittingly become emotionally entangled with Yu Yuan.
Though she was somewhat older than Yu Yuan by age.
From the time she met Yu Yuan and began interacting with him, she always found him mature beyond his years. Yu Yuan was composed and insightful, rarely acting on impulse, and he had his own unique way of thinking.
These qualities were what she found so admirable and captivating.
But now...
Faang Yao's intent in sending her to the Land of Terror to refine her Lunar Spirit was clear: he wanted to keep her away from Yu Yuan.
She was acutely aware of this.
But fate is unpredictable. Faang Yao could never have foreseen that Yu Yuan would make his way to the Land of Terror from Afnetalos during the Subtlety Stage.
The moment she laid eyes on the Crucible of Evil, her father's warnings and Faang Yao's advice were cast aside, forgotten in an instant. Nothing else mattered.
She extended her hand, reaching out with the soul of her Lunar Spirit to feel the warmth of Yu Yuan's palm.
She gazed at the man before her with the eyes of a Lunar Spirit, entranced.
Then, she assured herself that even if this man had betrayed the Everlands, he was meant to be hers!
"I share some history with Zu Ann."
Yu Yuan paused, then spoke, "I am skilled in alchemy. The legacy I carry comes from a departed God of Medicine. That God of Medicine was a close friend of Zu Ann. Back on Rosy Cloud Island, I reached the summit and encountered Zu Ann, who recognized me as the successor to the God of Medicine."
"Subsequently, I was targeted out of malice by individuals from the Thunder Sect and Ethereal Void Sect in Afnetalos, which forced me to leave the city on my own."
"As for why Zu Ann turned his back on the Everlands, I'm not privy to the reasons. However, outside Afnetalos, he truly did shield me from a multitude of Sky Fiend creatures."
"..."
Despite the woman before him being the "blazing red lotus," Yu Yuan withheld the full truth.
The truth was too startling to reveal.
He couldn't disclose to Yuan Lianyao that he was, in fact, the God of Medicine.
He opted to share only a portion of the story, one that edged closer to the truth, to help Yuan Lianyao understand what had transpired, why he chose to leave Afnetalos, and how he came to be in his current predicament.
After hearing his account, Yuan Lianyao was both stunned and enraged. "You were the one who identified the toxic smoke concocted by the God of Medicine, and were wrongfully accused of being the poisoner, which left you no choice but to flee the city!"
"I will report this to Lord Faang Yao upon my return as a Lunar Spirit. With Lord Faang Yao and the state preceptor intervening, your name will be cleared of these misunderstandings!"
Yuan Lianyao's emotions surged, her ephemeral Lunar Spirit rippling with intensity.
Like grasping a life-saving elixir, she was determined to exonerate Yu Yuan from the rumors, to draw him back into her fold.
Bringing him back into her camp felt akin to bringing him back to her side, to the Yu Yuan she favored.
She even resolved that if Yu Yuan returned and once again gained the recognition of the five great sects, she would shamelessly declare to all that Yu Yuan was the man she, Yuan Lianyao, cherished!
Yu Yuan gently shook his head.
Yuan Lianyao's actions had moved him, yet he was aware that anything she did now would be futile. "No need for that."
"What do you mean, no need?" Yuan Lianyao demanded.
With a smile, Yu Yuan looked up from her slightly cool hand to her face. "The process no longer matters. What they've seen is me alongside Zu Ann and the archdemon Green Willow. These two are indeed the ones who orchestrated the Songbird Empire's change of rulers."
"It was Zu Ann who marshaled numerous Sky Fiends, Otherkin, archdemons, and Terra Fiends to besiege the city."
"Therefore, no explanation from me can alter the situation now."
"And frankly, I'm not too concerned about it anymore."
As he spoke, Yu Yuan carefully chose his words. "Moreover, perhaps the new era has truly arrived. Although it's come a bit prematurely and I'm not quite ready, that is the reality."
He thought of the stirring image of Chen Liangquan bringing a multitude of hybrids into Afnetalos and felt a premonition.
The whole world seemed on the brink of a monumental transformation!
Chen Liangquan had pioneered a new epoch, accomplishing what no one before him had—and perhaps no one after him would.
Quiet shifts were happening at the Root of the Lunar Meridian in the Land of Terror, which might one day bring forth the mythical God of Ghosts.
Boulderdawn, having retreated to the extraterrestrial Star River, was enlisting Otherkin as disciples and commanding a faction of Sky Fiends.
With their overwhelming strength, they were advancing through the Everlands like a thundering Voidfarer.
The dawn of a new era had come!
This era would not be dominated by the three great upper sects, the Devil Palace, or Shadow's Keep.
Many established norms and structures were bound to be completely redefined in the years to come.
"A new era?" Yuan Lianyao asked, bewildered.
"Just watch and see," Yu Yuan said with a smile. "For the time being, you should keep your distance from me. The Ruby Hand may shift their stance in the future. I believe there will come a day when we can interact as we used to."
"Interact how we used to?" Yuan Lianyao was puzzled.
Yu Yuan was about to respond when his expression subtly changed.
He received a telepathic message from the cauldron spirit of the Crucible of Evil, "Master, numerous ghost spirits have flooded into Shadow Mountain and encircled White Bone. The leader appears to be another Spectre from the Land of Terror! It's a clash between two mighty Spectres! But White Bone's forces are not present on this mountain, putting him at a disadvantage."
"I sense that my moment to break through has arrived," Yu Yuan declared.
