C81 Another One Came

Members of the Lin family were uniformly dressed in green, each with a prominent "Lin" character emblazoned on their chests, making them easily identifiable.

The trial-taker from Wethtalos, however, was clad in grey, with no clear family emblem to be seen.

Lin Zhuyun descended slowly from the sky, her demeanor somewhat subdued and weary. It wasn't until she heard Zhao Yafu's call that she noticed Yu Yuan from Asvetaesi was inside the central cave.

In truth, she had encountered Yu Yuan only twice before—since his awakening. Their first meeting took place in the Yu family's hall, where a frenzied and brutal Yu Yuan nearly murdered her parents with a poison pill. The second time was face-to-face at the entrance to the forbidden area. Now, this was their third encounter.

Confronted with Yu Yuan, Lin Zhuyun's feelings were a tangle of guilt, regret, and predominantly, a mix of hatred, anger, and a fear she was reluctant to acknowledge. In Asvetaesi's grand hall, she had faced unprecedented humiliation and had nearly lost her life. It was only after Yuan Lianyao had whisked her away and submerged her in a foul-smelling tank that the poison invading her body was neutralized.

How could she not harbor resentment?

Yet, in the quiet of the night, when she searched her soul, she couldn't deny that the root of her suffering lay in her father's leniency towards Yin Jue, the machinations of Winter's Bite, and her own feigned ignorance. The seeds of misfortune had been sown by the Lin family, Winter's Bite, and herself—what right did she have to resent others? These reflections only deepened the bitterness within her.

"Wethtalos," Zhan Tianxiang uttered as he and Yu Yuan exchanged a meaningful look. Taking the lead, Zhan Tianxiang inquired, "Lin Zhuyun, what's the name of that trial-taker from Wethtalos? And how did you come to be together?"

"Her?" Lin Zhuyun's brow furrowed slightly. "Her name is Lou Ling. She got separated from Feng Xin of Wethtalos. We happened upon each other and decided to explore together."

"Lou Ling, got it," Zhan Tianxiang responded, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. He then turned to Lin Zhuyun with a smile and asked, "Are you aware of any outsiders who have breached the forbidden area?"

"I figured as much," Lin Zhuyun said, her expression growing somber. "Three members of the Lin family were murdered. We've seen their bodies; they died under bizarre circumstances, and I couldn't determine the cause of death."

"It's precisely because we knew outsiders had invaded that we asked Lou Ling to join us," another member of the Lin family chimed in. "We're concerned that Feng Xin and the other trial-takers from Wethtalos who were separated from her might have encountered danger as well."

The speaker, along with Lin Zhuyun, had previously seen Lou Ling and Feng Xin together at the entrance to the forbidden area, so they didn't suspect her of being an invader.

They also believed that with the presence of external threats, it was imperative for everyone to unite against the common enemy.

Zhan Tianxiang, having recently collaborated with Yan Lu, Su Yan, and Yu Yuan to defeat Zhu Huan, was aware that there might be issues with Lou Ling as well.

"I'll lead you down," Zhan Tianxiang offered after a moment's thought. "It's not just us; trial-takers from the Lee, Yan, and Su families, as well as others from various cities, are all down there."

Lin Zhuyun's eyes sparkled. "Great," she responded. Realizing that an enemy was lurking, her thoughts aligned with Lee Yu's: it was time for everyone to stop scattering and start coming together.

"How did you manage to find this place?" Yu Yuan interjected suddenly.

"We stumbled upon it by sheer luck," the previously speaking Lin family member replied, his tone laced with impatience and cool detachment.

Yu Yuan chose not to engage in a dispute at that moment. Instead, he turned his attention to the visibly shaken Lou Ling, who looked pitifully vulnerable. "You didn't lead the way here by chance, did you?"

A flicker of concern crossed Zhan Tianxiang's face as he considered the implications.

Before the Lin family member could retort, Lin Zhuyun cut him off, her voice tinged with annoyance as she addressed Yu Yuan, "Little Sister Lou was terrified. After encountering us, she became disoriented and tried to flee. In pursuing her, we inadvertently ended up here."

"I see," Yu Yuan said, casting a knowing glance at Zhan Tianxiang. "Go ahead and take them down. I need a moment to recuperate, but I'll follow shortly."

"Remember to come over!" Zhan Tianxiang said with a crestfallen expression.

"Understood, understood. You take them down first," Yu Yuan gestured dismissively, "Just be careful, okay?"

Despite his clear reluctance, Zhan Tianxiang agreed and turned to the trial-takers behind him, "Everyone, stay put right here. No wandering off!"

He was acutely aware that the trial-takers behind him would be of no help whatsoever.

After the incident with Zhu Huan, these people had a clear understanding of the situation. Upon seeing Lou Ling again and overhearing her conversation with Yu Yuan, they recognized the potential danger. In their eyes, Lou Ling was as much of a problem as Zhu Huan, if not a more formidable and fearsome figure.

They nodded subtly, careful not to make eye contact with Lou Ling, fearing she might sense something amiss.

"Follow me."

Having just discovered a cave and not yet begun his cultivation, Zhan Tianxiang swallowed a pill and, acting as a guide, led the Lin family members deeper into the mountain.

Lin Zhuyun gave a meaningful glance to her family members, who promptly followed suit.

Watching Zhan Tianxiang's retreating figure, Lin Zhuyun couldn't help but wonder, "Why does Zhan Tianxiang listen so readily to Yu Yuan?"

She was among the few who knew of Zhan Tianxiang's capabilities. Within the family, he was regarded as a formidable figure, second only to their top five.

She had even heard whispers of Zhan Tianxiang being favored by the Golden Elephant God.

So why would someone of his stature, the leader of Sillserine, be so willing to follow Yu Yuan's lead?

A suspicion that there might be secrets lurking beneath the pit crossed Lin Zhuyun's mind. Despite her inner grumblings, she and the Lin family members didn't pause, continuing their descent.

Lou Ling, the trial-taker from Wethtalos, lingered at the back.

She didn't rush to descend but instead glanced around nervously.

Looking towards the cave entrance where Yu Yuan was and then back to where Zhan Tianxiang had led the Sillserine trial-takers, she asked in a hushed tone, "What are you all doing up here? Why haven't you gone down like everyone else?"

The Sillserine trial-takers avoided her gaze and remained silent.

"The spiritual energy is too diluted down there, making it unsuitable for cultivation," Yu Yuan said calmly, with a smile. "Additionally, there's something peculiar down there. The Moon Shard that fell has many sword-shaped patterns on it. Everyone is eager to understand them, so they've all gathered around."

He had already surmised that the sword-shaped patterns and the sword light that had imprinted on his bones must be connected to the alien soul.

Claiming that the Moon Shard below had such patterns was a ploy to probe Lou Ling.

He wanted to confirm whether Lou Ling, like Zhu Huan, had been overtaken by an alien soul.

As expected.

Once Lou Ling learned of the sword-shaped engravings on the Moon Shard, she stopped inquiring about why it hadn't sunk. She seemed quite eager as she headed in the direction Zhan Tianxiang had descended.

Upon her departure, Yu Yuan was able to confirm that Lou Ling of Wethtalos was indeed like Zhu Huan—an invader.

Time passed.

When Lou Ling was out of sight, the young woman from Sillserine whispered, "Yu, Brother Yu, there aren't any sword-shaped patterns on the Moon Shard below like you said."

"I'm aware there aren't," Yu Yuan replied.

"Then?" she hesitated before asking again, "Is she like Zhu Huan?"

"Yes, the same," Yu Yuan affirmed.

"What do we do now?" the girl asked, her anxiety nearly bringing her to tears. "One Zhu Huan has already left us drained. If another comes, will Brother Zhan be alright?"

"With that group having gone through the ordeal with Zhu Huan and Zhan Tianxiang to guide them, if they still can't manage, then it's their own fault," Yu Yuan said with a detached tone. "They're too weak. If they die, it's what they deserve."

With that, Yu Yuan sat down, took out a pill, and swallowed it.

"Don't disturb me!"

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