C86 Great Retreat

Several days later, Lee Yu ventured back into the wilderness alone.

"Brother Yu!"

Upon seeing him, Lee Yuan and the rest of the Lee family were on the verge of tears.

Their wait had been agonizingly long.

Relief washed over Yan Lu, Su Yan, Lim Zhuyun, and the others at the sight of Lee Yu. They had been fraught with worry these past days, fearing the emergence of soul-snatching entities like Zhu Huan and Loh Ling, and whether they could prevent their escape even if they managed to defeat them. Yu Yuan had already departed with the people from Darkmoon, Eastgriffin, and Shadowhall.

Now, with Lee Yu's arrival, armed with the powerful soul sacrifice ball, he was set to take Yu Yuan's place as the steadfast anchor for the group.

"What's the situation?"

Once everyone had settled, Lee Yu surveyed the crowd with a detached look and a slight frown. He had surmised that in his absence, some Lee family members weren't by Lee Yuan's side, indicating that something unexpected had occurred. Yet, he knew the cultivation path was fraught with peril, and death was a constant risk. His nature was unsentimental; the death of a family member wouldn't sway his resolve.

"It went like this."

Lee Yuan, aware of his temperament, didn't wait for probing questions and promptly relayed all the events that unfolded during Lee Yu's absence.

Throughout the account, Lee Yu remained stoic, not interrupting with inquiries. He only showed a flicker of surprise upon hearing that Yu Yuan had obliterated the souls that fled from Zhu Huan and Loh Ling. As for Yu Yuan's exposure and sudden strike against Zhu Huan, Lee Yu was utterly unfazed.

"Is that the case?"

After Lee Yuan finished, Lee Yu turned his gaze to Yan Lu.

Yan Lu nodded, "Pretty much. He harbored some ill will towards Yu Yuan, uttering a few unfair remarks, but the rest is accurate."

"Ah," Lee Yu responded, unruffled. "It appears that Yu Yuan of Darkmoon City has been quite helpful indeed."

"And you? Have you encountered anyone similar?" Yan Lu inquired with curiosity.

"I did encounter one from Waning Moon City," Lee Yu replied nonchalantly. "He attempted to ambush me, but the soul sacrifice ball gave me an early warning. It took some effort, but I managed to eliminate him."

"And his soul?" Yan Lu pressed on.

"He was refined by the soul sacrifice ball," Lee Yu announced.

At his words, a wave of excitement swept through the crowd.

They had labored intensely, combining their efforts to defeat Zhu Huan and Loh Ling, enduring great hardship and even paying with their lives to ultimately triumph.

Lee Yu, on the other hand, had single-handedly slain one, obliterating his soul with ease.

This reassured everyone who had been waiting that their patience was not in vain, affirming that their decision to stay had been incredibly wise.

With Lee Yu and the soul sacrifice ball present, what was there to fear from the invading spirits?

Moreover, Lee Yu was the Lee family's strongest new generation expert, the future mainstay of the empire.

His presence guaranteed that the empire and the Lee family would spare no expense to protect him.

Thus, sticking with Lee Yu was undoubtedly the most prudent choice.

"We shouldn't linger in the forbidden area for long."

Lee Yu, the one they all had high hopes for, furrowed his brow and said, "Yu Yuan's judgment is astute and sensible. We should abandon the rest of the Forbidden Area Trial and make our escape now."

"Why?" Su Yan inquired, puzzled.

"The spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth is undergoing a massive shift. A tumultuous surge of spiritual Qi from the depths of the forbidden area is about to engulf us," Lee Yu explained. "Additionally, my aunt has yet to appear, and something about that feels off. For the sake of everyone's safety, we must evacuate promptly."

His decision echoed that of Yu Yuan.

...

Yu Yuan and his companions ceased their exploration of any further caverns, focusing solely on their journey across the silvery expanse.

The night stretched on, seemingly without end.

As they traveled, the group felt the chill of the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area intensify, growing colder than when they had arrived.

The deep night brought howling winds that sounded like the cries of ice spirits.

"How odd, the nights seem to be growing longer," Zhan Tianxiang remarked, gazing at the sky where the crescent moon seemed eternally suspended. "We're not undergoing this trial in the dead of winter. The weather in our Silvermoon Empire isn't usually this capricious."

He was at a loss.

"Indeed, there is something unusual," Han Hui agreed softly, nodding. "The prolonged cold nights, the frigid climate—it's all highly abnormal. But..."

"But what?" Zhan Tianxiang asked, taken aback.

Han Hui didn't respond right away, her brow creased in deep thought.

After a considerable pause, Han Hui's face suddenly darkened. "Have any of you heard of an ancient legend from the Empire?"

"Which ancient legend?"

Yu Yuan's curiosity was piqued. He halted and turned back to face her.

"An ancient legend? About the Empire?" Zhan Tianxiang looked puzzled, massaging his forehead. Then, his face drained of color as he exclaimed, "Han Hui, you don't mean—that can't be what you're talking about, can it?"

Han Hui gave a grave nod.

The rest were still in the dark, pressing the two to clarify quickly.

Zhan Tianxiang took several deep breaths, steadying himself. Just as he was about to elaborate, he was interrupted by a noise. "Someone's coming!"

Tension gripped everyone in an instant.

The howling wind carried a distinct sound of something cutting through the air, drawing rapidly closer.

Each person channeled their Spiritual Energy and readied their weapons, bracing for combat.

"Yu Yuan, if we're up against the likes of Luo Ling or Zhu Huan, we'll handle the annihilation of their flesh and blood. You take care of any escaping spirits," Zhan Tianxiang instructed, his voice steady amidst the looming threat. "Rest assured, we'll go all out. Their flesh and blood will be obliterated."

He saw Yu Yuan, in the early stages of the Spirit Accumulating Stage and without the Silver Iron Lightning, as unsuited for direct combat.

With that in mind, it was best to conserve energy and strike only when necessary.

Yu Yuan understood his role. "Alright, I'll sit out the initial clash targeting the physical bodies."

United in their strategy, they steeled themselves for the impending struggle.

Yet when the figure finally emerged, the tense and anxious group was dumbfounded.

It was Van Ning from the Van family.

The renowned beauty of the Empire's younger generation now stood before them, a solitary figure in tattered, blood-stained clothing. His hair was unkempt, his face grimy—resembling nothing less than a beggar on the run, devoid of any former grace.

"It's you!" Van Ning's eyes blazed with recognition upon seeing them. "Have you encountered anyone from Waning Moon City? Have you been attacked by their people?"

"But you encountered trial participants from Waning Moon City who were possessed by foreign souls?" Han Hui suddenly realized.

"You've encountered them too?" Van Ning inhaled sharply, a flicker of pain in his eyes. "It's likely that none of my Van family who joined the trial survived. Only I managed to escape from those two. And they're still after me."

"Two individuals caused so many casualties?" Zhan Tianxiang raised an eyebrow.

"We failed to recognize who they really were. They struck when we were completely unguarded," Van Ning said, clearly distressed. "We were ambushed during our cultivation. In a mere moment, half of our group was slaughtered."

Upon hearing this, both Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui instinctively turned to look at Yu Yuan.

A chilling possibility crossed their minds.

Had it not been for Yu Yuan exposing Zhu Huan's true identity and having Lou Ling infiltrate their ranks, those two could have launched a deadly attack during one of the group's night-time cultivation sessions.

How many lives would have been lost?

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