C91 Painful Cultivation!

"Van Le!"

Under the icy moonlight, Lee Yu and his group caught sight of the young master of the Van family.

Standing alone in the silver-white expanse, Van Le's clothes billowed in the biting wind.

His disguise removed, he reclaimed his usual striking looks. His unique aura blended with the moonlight, giving him an ethereal presence.

Young women from prominent families and girls from other cities gazed at him under the moon, their eyes filled with enchantment.

"I've been waiting for you."

Van Le exhaled softly, his eyes brimming with sorrow. "I am the sole survivor of the Van family. Not long ago, I encountered Zhan Tianxiang, Han Hui, and Yu Yuan from Asvetaesi. Yu Yuan found me bothersome and expelled me. Alas, I feared I would never escape the forbidden area."

He sighed deeply, his words laced with exaggerated anguish.

Only then did he turn his attention to Lee Yu and the others.

Lee Yu remained stoic, not even uttering a single 'oh'.

"Yu Yuan really isn't someone you can warm up to!" Lee Yuan remarked with a cold huff. "If he hadn't interfered, our combined forces would have been more secure."

Yan Lu of the Yan family, with his arms crossed, added, "Though Yu Yuan may be unsociable, he's got real talent. He's willing to abandon even us, so what chance did you have?"

"I don't see any issue with him not wanting to join you," Su Yan chimed in.

Lin Zhuyun remained silent, waiting.

Van Le was taken aback.

He had expected many to criticize and rebuke Yu Yuan, dragging Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui into the fray. Yet, aside from Lee Yuan of the Lee family, the reactions of the others were not at all what he anticipated.

It didn't take long for him to surmise that Yu Yuan must have had some dealings with them, prompting him to ask, "Did you and Yu Yuan come across those alien entities?"

"Much as I hate to admit it, without Yu Yuan, we would have been in dire straits," Su Yan spoke up again. "Especially since Lee Yu hadn't returned at that point, and we were struggling to fend off the alien souls."

Yan Lu, Lin Zhuyun, and many others gave subtle nods of agreement.

In their hearts, they recognized Yu Yuan's abilities.

But they disdained his character.

"Van Le, if you join us, you must follow my lead," Lee Yu finally said. "If you're unwilling, feel free to leave on your own."

Lee Yu often hesitated to take charge. He disliked the thankless task of leadership.

But this situation was different.

Everyone here represented the empire's future. Should the alien souls invade, the empire's destiny might be extinguished.

As the new hope of the Lee family, it was his duty to step up and ensure their survival.

He was also aware of Van Le's potential for trouble, likening him to a bad apple that could spoil the bunch.

Hence, his bluntness.

He even thought that if it weren't for his concern for the Lee family's reputation, he would have made the same decision as Yu Yuan.

To expel Van Le!

"What are you saying, Boss Lee?" Van Le chuckled nervously. "Of course, I'll follow your lead. Can Yu Yuan compare to you? He can't command me, but you certainly can."

"Good," Lee Yu responded coolly, nodding.

...

The nights under the cold moon at the Moonfall Sanctuary grew ever longer.

The unruly spiritual energy, fueled by the howling winds, ravaged the earth and its inhabitants.

The journey toward the entrance of the forbidden area became increasingly arduous.

They frequently had to pause for rest and meditation.

Those who had attained the Golden Sanctum level, like Zhao Yafu, Zhan Tianxiang, and Han Hui, could still cope. They didn't need to stop as often to rest and replenish their spiritual energy with soulstones.

Such was the way for Soul Awakening practitioners.

In the cave where Yu Yuan was, another agonizing scream echoed, reminiscent of the Fellbeasts of the Land of Quiescence being flayed.

Silence soon returned.

This time, Zhan Tianxiang didn't rush to check on him. Instead, he and Han Hui stood at the entrance of another cave.

"Is Yu Yuan practicing the dark arts?"

Han Hui could no longer contain her curiosity. "The normal cultivation for someone in the Soul Awakening Realm shouldn't be so harrowing, right? Legend has it that only those practicing the dark arts endure such excruciating pain during their training."

"I'm sorry, I can't give you an answer," Zhan Tianxiang said with a smile.

"Is he going to slow us down?" Han Hui asked with a slight frown. "Lately, we've all been accommodating him. After each cultivation session, he's left heavily injured and barely clinging to life, which has been slowing us down."

"At first, that was the case," Zhan Tianxiang acknowledged, shifting the conversation with a smile. "But now, he's not holding us back. It's the others in the Soul Awakening Realm, from both my Sillserine and your Asenalenor, who are slowing us down."

"Does he need your help to move forward?" Han Hui inquired, puzzled.

"There are some things you don't know, and there's no need for you to," Zhan Tianxiang replied with a grin. "Believe me, he's adapted to this harsh environment better than anyone else. I even believe that anyone below the Golden Sanctum level fighting him in the forbidden area would undoubtedly perish."

Han Hui looked at him as if he were a fool. "What are you talking about?"

Zhan Tianxiang offered no explanation.

Throughout this time, after each of Yu Yuan's cultivation sessions, it was Zhan Tianxiang who supported and moved him forward with the main group, not Zhao Yafu.

He understood better than anyone that Yu Yuan had never once used a trace of spiritual energy to shield himself.

The rest, including Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui, had to channel spiritual energy to protect their elixir field to avoid inadvertently absorbing the violent and impure spiritual energy that could harm their organs and bones.

Yu Yuan, gravely injured and on death's doorstep after each session, was assisted by Zhan Tianxiang. Sometimes, his wounds would even bleed.

Yet, Yu Yuan never harnessed his spiritual energy to fend off the tumultuous spiritual energy or to carefully guard himself. The chaotic spiritual energy that could injure anyone present permeated his flesh and bones without eliciting any reaction from him.

It was as though he was entirely immune.

What did this imply?

As long as he was in the Moonfall Sanctuary, he wouldn't need to be distracted by defending against the invasive chaotic spiritual energy.

Moreover, Zhan Tianxiang had a creeping suspicion that Yu Yuan could absorb and purify the wildly chaotic spiritual energy in the out-of-control forbidden area, discarding the dross and seizing the essence.

"I'm fine now," Yu Yuan's voice emerged, faint as a wisp of air, as if he were on his last breath.

Without a moment's hesitation, Zhan Tianxiang burst into his cave and saw Yu Yuan, battered and bleeding. He couldn't help but admire, "You're far tougher than I am."

"We might be marked," Yu Yuan suddenly declared.

"What?" Zhan Tianxiang's face paled.

Yu Yuan, head bowed, examined his arms, feeling the searing burn of the sword light. "Types like Zhu Huan and Lou Ling are probably skulking around nearby. They must know where we are," he explained.

After the initial surprise, Zhan Tianxiang's face twisted with a mix of emotions. "How do you know?"

"Just a feeling."

"I despise your feelings the most because they always turn out to be true," Zhan Tianxiang grumbled, eyeing Yu Yuan, who was severely wounded from his training. "Are you up for it? Can you still deliver the final blow?"

"If we buy some time, it shouldn't be a problem," Yu Yuan responded.

"There's something I need to discuss with you," Zhan Tianxiang said, taking a deep breath. He began to recount the legend of the empire's impending change during the lengthy, cold night. "That entity, it should be called a Moonfiend."

"Moonfiend!"

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