C87 Expel
The spirits of Zhu Huan and Loh Ling had been cunningly exposed by Yu Yuan, who had outwitted them with a deliberate plan.
Zhu Huan's body had been struck by Silver Iron Lightning and only fell after a concerted effort from the group.
Loh Ling, caught off guard during her fall, was instantly gravely wounded, her body decaying as she perished.
What if Zhu Huan and Loh Ling had not been unmasked, and had launched a surprise attack while the others were meditating at the bottom of the pit?
This thought left Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui with uneasy expressions.
"Van Ning, isn't it?" Yu Yuan's face was stern as he spoke, "We've met. Now, please leave quickly; you're holding up our progress."
"Leave quickly?"
Van Ning was taken aback. "What do you mean, 'leave quickly'?"
Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui, along with the trialists from Shadowhall and Eastgriffin, shared the confusion.
Was Yu Yuan really sending Van Ning away?
"Was I not clear enough?" Yu Yuan squinted, reiterating firmly, "We don't want someone like you in our group. So let's part ways and not interfere with one another!"
With those words, everyone grasped the situation.
"You're telling me to leave?" A cold light flickered in Van Ning's eyes. "Knowing full well that we have intruders and that the Van family has suffered greatly, you still insist on my departure?"
"I still have two foes at large, their whereabouts unknown!"
"In such a situation, you're choosing to send me away?"
"Is it because you realize I'm not at my best and can't handle you all right now?"
Van Ning didn't wait for Yu Yuan to respond, turning his gaze to Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui, "You two aren't seriously considering following his lead, are you?"
Han Hui wavered.
Zhan Tianxiang, ever the blunt one, shrugged nonchalantly, "Indeed, we're taking his side."
It was evident to all that Van Ning was in a dire state, his spiritual energy greatly depleted and his body wounded.
Even as a prestigious five new moons of the Empire, Van Ning stood no chance against the combined forces of Darkmoon, Eastgriffin, and Shadowhall, particularly with his clan decimated and himself grievously injured.
And Zhan Tianxiang's combat prowess was undeniably formidable!
"Yu Yuan is your leader?" Fan Li's intelligence was unmatched, and with just a simple exchange and the omnipresent clues, he arrived at this astounding realization. "A mere novice from the Yu family of Darkmoon City at the Early Spirit Accumulating Stage commands your allegiance? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"
"Zhan Tianxiang!"
"Han Hui!"
"You've seen what I'm capable of; you should trust my strength and judgment. I'm the one who can successfully lead you out of this perilous place!"
Fan Li volunteered himself, hoping to leverage his esteemed reputation and formidable power within the Empire, as well as his family's resources, to gain the confidence of Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui.
With their backing, and the endorsement of Eastgriffin and Shadowhall, Yu Yuan would be no threat at all.
"You're nothing but a lost dog. How dare you presume to lead us?" Yu Yuan's words were cutting and merciless, leaving no room for dignity. "Spare me the display of your sly and vicious tricks. You and your kin were deceived by two foreign souls, nearly leading to your total annihilation. And you think you can lead us?"
"Do you even qualify?"
"Besides, who's to say you didn't trade your clansmen's lives for your own sorry existence?"
"How can you stand there and speak so boldly?"
In the treacherous expanse of the forbidden area, with hostile spirits lurking, survival was uncertain for anyone.
In such dire circumstances, Yu Yuan, the prodigy of the five great families, cast aside any concern for his own status.
"Van Ning, this is where we part ways."
Zhan Tianxiang chuckled and was the first to echo Yu Yuan's sentiment, "Good luck to you. May our paths cross again."
Han Hui gave a respectful curtsy, adding, "Master Fan, please take care."
Then, she and Zhan Tianxiang signaled to the team's cultivators to align themselves with Yu Yuan.
Van Ning, scion of the five great families and the Empire's fifth crescent, was forsaken.
He stood alone, engulfed by the howling cold wind.
Yu Yuan's scornful mockery went unchallenged by Fan Li, who chose not to retaliate or further stir animosity between Yu Yuan, Zhan Tianxiang, and Han Hui. He remained silent, for he knew that somehow, Yu Yuan had secured their trust.
He noticed that the other trial participants from Eastgriffin and Shadowhall raised no objections to Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui's decision.
This indicated that the trial participants from both Eastgriffin and Shadowhall genuinely recognized Yu Yuan's leadership.
With the situation as it was, he harbored no illusions of victory and simply resigned himself to his fate.
"The future is long. As long as I remain in the forbidden zone and still draw breath, our paths will cross again." After some time, Van Ning found his composure, changed into fresh clothes, and straightened himself up. He no longer hurriedly followed Yu Yuan and the others.
He was, of course, lying.
Nearly all of his Van family members had perished because of him.
He needed to survive.
Deep down, he valued his own life above all his kin who had joined the trial.
Furthermore, the family elders had implied that should he face grave danger in the latter two months of the trial, he could sacrifice his own people to ensure his survival.
He believed he was simply acting preemptively.
Having already shaken off the two spirits from Waning Moon City, he wasn't as disheveled or injured as he appeared.
His act was deliberate, to make it known that he had fought valiantly to the bitter end and suffered grievous wounds.
He certainly didn't want anyone to realize that at the crucial moment, he had sacrificed his clansmen, withdrawn with ease, and completely evaded the two spirits.
"Darkmoon City, Yu Yuan. Whatever you discern, you cannot escape the inevitable."
...
"Having someone like Van Ning among us would be more troublesome than dealing with another Loh Ling or Zhu Huan."
Half an hour later, Yu Yuan spoke up, addressing Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui, "He's not as injured as he appears. The blood on him doesn't seem to be his own. His panic and eagerness warrant scrutiny. What I see in his eyes is calmness, not chaos."
Zhan Tianxiang let out a sly chuckle, offering no comment.
Han Hui, taken aback, asked, "You mean to say that what Van Ning has shown us isn't his true condition?"
"He hasn't spoken a single truth," Yu Yuan affirmed with a slow nod. "The man is full of deceit. Having him in our midst is a disaster waiting to happen. Rather than constantly watching our backs, it's better to be decisive! In the forbidden zone, his status as the Van family scion counts for little."
"I'm well aware of what kind of person Fan Li is. If you want him gone, you have my full support," Zhan Tianxiang declared.
"That settles it," Yu Yuan said, offering no further explanation.
Two days later.
The violent and surging spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly overwhelmed the area, enveloping Yu Yuan and his companions who had been away for quite some time.
In the midst of the tumultuous spiritual energy, Yu Yuan felt uncomfortable, his normally sharp senses now impeded.
The chaotic spiritual energy significantly weakened everyone's vision, perception, and touch.
Moreover, the group had to expend energy to fend off the wild spiritual forces to prevent their own Qi from becoming disrupted.
"We need to find a place to regroup and avoid being exposed in the open," Yu Yuan advised after a moment's consideration, realizing that many in the group were struggling as much as he was, and relayed his command.
Consequently, the weary travelers, who had been navigating the wilderness for an extended period, selected a nearby depression and settled into a few carved-out stone caves.
Even inside, the stone caves were inundated with the ferocious spiritual energy.
Yu Yuan settled himself down to meditate. This time, he did not reach for his white paper fan; instead, he produced a Spirit Stone and began his cultivation practice in the early stages of the Spirit Accumulating Stage.
