C86 Big Retreat!

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

"Brother Yu!"

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

Their wait had been agonizingly long.

Yan Lu, Su Yan, Lin Zhuyun, and the rest felt a wave of relief wash over them at the sight of Lee Yu.

Their concerns had plagued them day and night.

They feared the return of individuals like Zhu Huan and Lou Ling, who might possess others with alien souls, and they were anxious that even if they could defeat them, they might not prevent the alien souls from escaping.

This was especially worrying since Yu Yuan had already led the people from Asvetaesi, Asenalenor, and Sillserine away.

Now, with Lee Yu's arrival, armed with the formidable Soul Orb, he was poised to take Yu Yuan's place as the steadfast anchor of the group.

"What's the situation?"

Once everyone had settled, Lee Yu surveyed the group with a detached expression and furrowed his brow slightly.

He had deduced that in his absence, some Lee family members had strayed from Lee Yuan's side, indicating that something untoward must have occurred.

Yet, the journey of cultivation is fraught with peril, and the specter of death looms over all.

His nature was unemotional; the death of even a family member would not sway his Sacred Heart.

"Here's what happened."

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

Lee Yu remained impassive throughout, interjecting no questions.

He showed a flicker of surprise only when Lee Yuan mentioned that Yu Yuan seemed to have obliterated the alien souls that had fled from Zhu Huan and Lou Ling.

The revelation of Yu Yuan's swift action in unmasking and eliminating Zhu Huan didn't elicit any surprise from him.

"Is that the case?"

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

Yan Lu confirmed, "That's essentially correct. Aside from expressing some ill will towards Yu Yuan and a few unfair remarks, the rest is accurate."

"Ah," Lee Yu responded nonchalantly, "it appears that Yu Yuan of Asvetaesi has indeed been quite helpful."

"Have you encountered anyone like that?" Yan Lu inquired with curiosity.

"I did encounter one from Wethtalos," Lee Yu replied casually. "He attempted to ambush me, but thanks to an early warning from the Soul Orb, I managed to expend some effort and eliminate him."

"What about his soul?" Yan Lu inquired once more.

"It was refined by the Soul Orb," Lee Yu replied.

At these words, everyone in the room was visibly uplifted. They had struggled mightily to defeat Zhu Huan and Lou Ling, enduring great hardship and even paying with their lives to ultimately succeed. Yet Lee Yu, acting alone, had effortlessly vanquished one and scattered his soul to the winds. This reassured the waiting group that their patience had been worthwhile and that their decision to stay had been extremely wise. With Lee Yu and the Soul Orb present, what was there to fear from the invading alien souls? Moreover, Lee Yu was the Lee family's strongest new generation expert, the future pillar of the empire. His presence guaranteed that the empire and the Lee family would spare no expense to protect him. Thus, standing with Lee Yu was undeniably the smartest choice.

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

Lee Yu, the man they all pinned their hopes on, furrowed his brow and said, "Yu Yuan's judgment is very astute and sensible. We should also set out immediately, abandon the rest of the trials in the forbidden area, and focus on escaping."

"Why?" Su Yan asked, puzzled.

"The divine force has undergone a massive shift. A tumultuous flood of spiritual energy from the depths of the forbidden area is about to engulf us," Lee Yu explained. "Additionally, my aunt Lin Zhuyun has yet to appear, which I find unsettling. For the sake of everyone's safety, we must evacuate without delay."

He and Yu Yuan had reached the same conclusion.

...

Yu Yuan and his companions ceased their exploration of any further caverns, opting instead to hasten across the silver-white expanse.

The night stretched on, seemingly without end. Those traveling felt the chill of the Moonfall Sanctuary intensify, far colder than on their journey in. The night air, particularly after dark, was pierced by a biting wind that seemed to echo with the cries of ice specters.

"How odd, the nights seem to be growing longer," Zhan Tianxiang remarked, gazing at the perpetually curved moon above. "Our trial isn't taking place during the winter. The climate of the Silvermoon Empire isn't usually this capricious."

He was at a loss.

"Indeed, there is something peculiar," Han Hui agreed softly. "The nights are unseasonably long and bitterly cold, which defies all logic. But..."

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

Han Hui didn't respond right away; instead, she furrowed her brow in deep thought. After a long pause, her expression abruptly shifted. "Have any of you heard of an ancient legend from the Empire?" she asked.

"What 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 perplexed, rubbing his forehead. Then, his face drained of color as he exclaimed, "Han Hui, you don't mean, you couldn't possibly be referring to...?"

Han Hui gave a solemn nod.

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

Zhan Tianxiang took several deep breaths to steady himself. He was about to explain when he suddenly heard a noise. "Someone's coming!" he warned.

The group tensed up immediately.

Amid the howling wind, the distinct sound of something cutting through the air grew rapidly closer.

Everyone channeled their spiritual energy and drew their weapons, bracing for combat.

"Yu Yuan, if it's someone like Lou Ling or Zhu Huan, we'll take care of blasting their flesh to bits. You handle any alien souls that try to flee," Zhan Tianxiang instructed with remarkable calm in the face of the unknown threat. "Don't worry, we'll go all out. We can definitely annihilate them."

He knew that Yu Yuan, still in the early stages of Soul Awakening and without Lunar Lightning, wouldn't be much help in a direct confrontation.

So, it made sense for Yu Yuan to conserve his energy for the finishing blow.

Yu Yuan understood his role. "Alright, I'll sit out the initial clash against their physical forms."

With a plan in place, they prepared for a tough battle.

But when the figure finally appeared, the group, tense and on edge, was taken aback.

It was Van Le from the Van family.

The famously handsome Van Le, a standout among the Empire's younger generation, now stood before them alone, his clothing in shreds and stained with blood. His hair was a mess, his face grimy; he looked more like a beggar fleeing disaster than the elegant figure he once was.

"It's you!" Van Le's eyes shone with recognition upon seeing them. "Have you encountered anyone from Wethtalos? Have you been attacked by people from Wethtalos?"

"But you encountered a trial-taker possessed by an alien soul?" Han Hui suddenly realized.

"Did you encounter them as well?" Van Le inhaled deeply, a hint of anguish in his gaze. "It's likely that all members of the Van family who took part in the trial are dead. I'm the only one who managed to escape from the clutches of those two. And they're still after me."

"Just the two of them claimed so many lives?" Zhan Tianxiang raised an eyebrow.

"We failed to recognize who they really were. They caught us completely off guard." Van Le's mood was somber. "We were ambushed during our spiritual practice. In a mere moment, half of our group was slaughtered."

Hearing this, Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui instinctively turned to Yu Yuan.

A chilling possibility crossed their minds.

Had Yu Yuan not exposed Zhu Huan's true identity and had Lou Ling not infiltrated their ranks, those two could have struck in the dead of night while everyone was immersed in their cultivation.

How many would have perished?

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