C74 Can You Accompany Me to Go Crazy?

The sword soul issued a warning!

A faint whisper of a soul within the sword's radiance urged him to distance himself from the main force and flee solo.

If he didn't flee, death was certain.

Yu Yuan's face darkened as he pondered deeply.

He had confirmed one thing—the sword soul had detected the presence of the outsider who trespassed into the forbidden territory.

The soul within the sword's glow could not only issue warnings but also foresee impending events. Could this imply something more?

Was the sword soul acquainted with the intruder?

Recalling the recent burning sensation from the sword light, Yu Yuan's mood soured further.

"To leave the main group behind..."

A chilling possibility struck him, sending shivers down his spine.

Could it be that the intruder had deliberately orchestrated the convergence of individuals from the five major families and the seven grand cities?

To capture them all in one devastating sweep?

This thought alone made Yu Yuan's skin crawl, the sense that the invader might soon emerge and slaughter them all.

The audacity to gather everyone indicated the intruder's absolute confidence in annihilating them all at once.

Only with overwhelming superiority over the trial participants would the intruder bother to save time and trouble by herding them together.

If his hunch was right, then Lee Yu, who had ventured off alone, might actually be in a safer position.

Those trial participants who heeded Lee Yu's warning and converged here had unwittingly walked into a snare, sealing their own fate.

"Ah, what misfortune."

With a heavy heart, Yu Yuan began to reassess the situation, contemplating his next move.

Half a day later.

Zhan Tianxiang from Shadowhall, along with his family's cultivators, had found their way here.

Upon arrival, he was stunned to see the congested pit bottom, with so many people that they had carved out caves in the adjacent rock walls for cultivation. "What's going on here?"

"Zhan Tianxiang, your Shadowhall didn't run into Lee Yu?" Yan Lu called out.

Zhan Tianxiang looked bewildered. "No, we didn't."

"Oh, so you just happened to come this way." Yan Lu nodded, "Shadowhall is fortunate, not having encountered Lee Yu and yet managing to find your way here."

"What's happened?" Zhan Tianxiang asked, his expression grave.

"An outsider has breached our defenses, resulting in casualties within the Lee, Su, and even our own Yan families," Yan Lu disclosed.

"Understood," Zhan Tianxiang acknowledged gravely, grasping the gravity of the situation. He quickly commanded his kin, "Stay away from the pit's bottom. Choose a cave or carve out a new one for yourselves."

Members of the Yan family, privy to the Forbidden Area Trial's dark past, grew ashen-faced and complied without hesitation.

Yu Yuan, observing in silence, felt a growing respect for the leader of Shadowhall.

"Regrettably, the invader's strength was overwhelming. So formidable that even a united front met with annihilation," he observed, scanning the area. "Trapped by the invaders from above, escape seems an impossibility in this cursed place."

While some had taken to chiseling out caves above the pit floor for cultivation, the central hole that could connect to other caverns remained eerily unoccupied.

In times of peril, it's instinctual for people to cluster together, seeking safety in numbers.

Lee Yu, upon his departure, hadn't overthought the situation, instructing his family to remain at the pit's base.

The Lee family's inaction inadvertently made them a focal point, attracting others to their location, resulting in an ever-growing congregation.

"This is not sustainable," Yu Yuan decided, unable to stand idly by any longer. He rose to his feet, declaring, "Let's not huddle at the bottom. We need to ascend and seek out the caves that connect to other tunnels."

He addressed the citizens of Darkmoon City with his directive.

Zhao Yafu and Yu Feifei promptly rose, their actions signaling their unwavering trust in Yu Yuan's judgment.

Yuan Tine, visibly perplexed and riddled with doubts, questioned, "Why leave when everyone is gathered here?"

"Brother Yuan, do you trust me?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Without question," Yuan Tine affirmed, recalling the instructions of Patriarch Yuan Lianyao to prioritize Yu Yuan's counsel in critical times.

Yuan Tine's most commendable trait was his deep trust in Yuan Lianyao's wisdom, a trait that had not gone unnoticed. It was precisely for this reason that Lianyao, among the many in the Yuan family, had selected him to lead this expedition alongside Yu Yuan.

Yuan Lianyao was well aware that any other member of the Yuan family who had ascended to the Yellow Court Stage would likely be too proud to acknowledge Yu Yuan's authority.

"Thank you, Brother Yuan, for your trust," Yu Yuan said, genuinely impressed with Yuan Lianyao for choosing Yuan Tine over any other family member. "If you're with me, let's find a new place to cultivate. This area is too crowded, and the spiritual energy is too dispersed for effective training."

"Okay, sure," Yuan Tine agreed with a nod.

His agreement prompted the others, who had been on the fence, to take action. As a result, the group from Darkmoon City began to rise, one by one, ascending the stone steps.

"What are you up to?" a member of the Lee family exclaimed in surprise.

Su Yan, Yan Lu, Zhan Tianxiang, Han Hui, and other faction leaders turned their attention to the movement, curious and confused. They couldn't fathom what Darkmoon City was plotting in the dead of night.

"We're heading to the cave above to cultivate," Yu Yuan clarified. "Should an enemy invade, if they don't come from the pit's surface but through another tunnel, we'll be positioned to send a warning promptly."

"Don't worry, we all understand that our survival depends on sticking together."

"You realize we need sentinels, someone stationed above to relay messages swiftly," he added, adopting a stance of readiness to take on a significant burden for the safety of all.

"Whatever," the Lee family members responded indifferently.

Su Yan, Yan Lu, and the rest wore perplexed looks but didn't dwell on it, choosing instead to follow Yu Yuan and the Darkmoon City contingent.

They believed that Darkmoon City, with its meager strength, would be quickly overpowered by invaders in the upper caves. This would give them time to prepare and meet the enemy with full force.

On the opposite edge of the pit, a solitary figure watched Yu Yuan with a vacant gaze, his eyes betraying a sense of indifference to everything around him. Yet, as he continued to watch, a sudden flash of green sparked deep within his pupils.

In the fleeting moment when the green light burst forth, his vacant gaze turned sinister and piercing, as if he were the most ruthless and unforgiving of beasts.

But in the blink of an eye, he was back to normal.

Yet Yu Yuan, descending the stone steps with his back to the crowd, felt a chill run down his spine as his hair stood on end. His refined Heavenly Soul instinctively detected a terrifying threat of death.

He glanced over his shoulder, drawn by intuition, and fixed his gaze on that individual.

At the bottom of the pit, dozens of eyes were trained on him.

Yan Lu, Zhan Tianxiang, Han Hui, and Su Yan all wore peculiar expressions, deep in thought and observing him.

He focused on the one with the hollow look and inquired in a hushed tone, "The man in the south corner of the pit, dressed in grey with a wooden gourd at his waist, do any of you recognize him?"

At this distance, and with such a soft voice, those below likely couldn't hear.

"The man's from Waning Moon City, but I don't know his name," Yuan Tine responded after a moment's consideration. "I remember seeing him at the entrance, standing with Fong Xin. He arrived here alone half a day ago, mentioning he had gotten separated from Chief Fong Xin. Since his arrival, he hasn't spoken a word, appearing to be in meditation, yet also surveying others."

"Han Hui knows him. Didn't Eastgriffin City find a mural before being driven out by Waning Moon City?" Zhao Yafu chimed in. "He was involved in the altercation that followed. His name, though, escapes me."

"Yu Yuan, what's your interest in him?" Yuan Tine inquired, puzzled.

"Just now, he seemed intent on killing me. The murderous vibe was so intense it made my skin crawl," Yu Yuan explained with a furrowed brow. "Brother Yuan, take the others up first. Sister Zhao and I will linger a bit longer."

"He wants to kill you?" Yuan Tine exclaimed in alarm. "How can we leave you behind?"

"It was merely a fleeting thought," Yu Yuan reassured him with a smile. "After all, I did shame many women at the entrance, Fong Xin included, didn't I?"

"That's true," Yuan Tine conceded.

"Please, Brother Yuan, lead my sister and the rest to safety in a cave above," Yu Yuan requested earnestly.

"Alright," Yuan Tine ascended.

Once everyone from Darkmoon had scaled to the top of the pit, Yu Yuan abruptly spoke, "Zhao, stick with me. Keep an eye on my signals and be ready to strike down that Waning Moon City scoundrel with everything you've got."

"To kill him?" Zhao Yafu exclaimed in horror.

"Yes, with full force. A deathblow," Yu Yuan affirmed with ironclad certainty.

Zhao Yafu's lips quivered. "Have you lost your mind? He's our ally! And it hasn't been four months yet; you're violating the Forbidden Area's rules! Breaking the rules means death!"

"I'm asking you, are you willing to join me in this madness?"

"Fine, fine, I'll do as you say!"

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