C98 To Cultivate to Fight

"Why must you stir the pot, young lady?"

Su Chang, one of the fortunate ones, asked in a soft voice as Su Yan approached.

He was the eldest among the Su family's trial participants, with a cultivation level only in the early stages of the Yellow Court. His prospects for significant advancement were slim.

His presence here was due to his maturity and steadiness, qualities that made him a valuable ally to Su Yan elsewhere.

"I'm not stirring anything up."

Facing him, Su Yan regained her composed and gentle demeanor, speaking deliberately, her smile gone, replaced by a serene expression. "I'm afraid my uncle's decision was misguided."

Su Chang's eyebrows lifted slightly. "You're not planning to change something, are you?"

"I need to reassess our ties with the Yu family," Su Yan declared with conviction. "If Yu Yuan perishes in the forbidden area, the status quo remains. But if he survives and emerges alive, we must seriously reconsider our relationship with the Yu family."

"What did you just do?" Su Chang inquired, intrigued.

"I gave Yu Yuan a little assistance to irk Lim Zhuyun," Su Yan replied with a shrug. "Nothing more than gifting her a Mind-nourishing Pill to spoil her mood."

"Remember, Lim Zhuyun is his betrothed, at least nominally. If the Lim family and she come around, there's still a chance for reconciliation between our families," Su Chang pointed out.

"That's precisely why I must eliminate that possibility," Su Yan stated.

Su Chang looked at her, astonished. "Don't tell me you've taken a liking to him?"

"Not at all," Su Yan said, shaking her head gently. "I simply recognize that Yu Yuan is bound to be a key figure in the Empire. The Lim family has always been at odds with us, the Su family, always striving to outdo us. Our past opposition to the Yu family was rooted in his engagement to Lim Zhuyun, wasn't it?"

"And isn't it true that we feared the marriage would solidify, drawing the Yu family into the embrace of the Lim family?"

After a moment's reflection, Su Chang remarked, "You young ladies certainly have a wealth of thoughts. But I believe we should set all that aside for now and focus on how to overcome the Moon Demon challenge."

Upon the mention of the Moon Demon, Su Yan fell into a sudden silence.

It took her a while before she spoke softly, "I've been overthinking it. If the legends of the Empire lurking in the shadows are true, then the external situation might be dire."

"Could the Empire actually change due to the Moon Demon?" Su Chang asked, fear and unease in her voice.

...

Yu Yuan ingested another Mind-Nourishing Pill, the pill's medicinal power coursing into his mind, transforming into a cooling stream that revitalized his soul.

Throughout this time, Yu Yuan continued to practice the Soul Forging Technique in silence, skillfully using the Soul Arts to fully integrate the pill's nourishing effects into his Heavenly Soul.

The previous lethargy that weighed on him was cleansed in an instant, leaving his mind crisp and alert.

Time passed, unmarked.

Once the power of the Mind-Nourishing Pill had fully diffused into his mind and dissolved, Yu Yuan shifted his focus to practicing the Evil Body Refining Skill.

The already tumultuous Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth began to churn even more violently in response to his hand-seal transitions.

Strands of Spiritual Qi, tinged with grey, dark brown, and white, all carrying impurities, rushed towards Yu Yuan.

It was only when the pain hit him that Yu Yuan remembered the proximity of the other families' cultivators. He ceased his practice at once and moved further into the wilderness.

Lee Yu, among the remnants of the Lee family, quietly opened his eyes.

He was acutely aware of the disturbance in the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, as well as Yu Yuan's actions.

"All is well."

With a gentle exhale, Zhan Tianxiang reassured him, "I'll go check on him. Don't worry, leave it to me. I've grown accustomed to this."

"Was he just cultivating?" Lee Yu inquired, intrigued.

"Yes, at the early stage of the Spirit Accumulating Stage, focusing on refining his physical form," Zhan Tianxiang replied with a smile. "The commotion was quite significant, wasn't it?"

Lee Yu nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it was."

Although Yu Yuan had stopped in time before others detected anything amiss, Lee Yu, the Empire's most formidable of the new generation and the sole practitioner at the Profound Break Stage present, had keenly felt the wild surge of Spiritual Qi.

Moreover, the Spiritual Qi was on the verge of seeping into Yu Yuan's body.

At the early stages of the Spirit Accumulating Stage, could his unrefined physique endure the onslaught of such chaotic and violent Spiritual Qi?

This Qi was laced with toxins and a variety of bizarre forces.

Even at the Profound Break Stage, he wouldn't dare to draw such complex Spiritual Qi into his dantian or use it to replenish his vitality. How could Yu Yuan possibly risk it?

"Don't worry, trust me, he'll be alright," Zhan Tianxiang assured.

Lee Yu cautioned, "Stay alert. While others may face danger, his safety is paramount. Should anything seem amiss, shout out, and I'll be there at once."

Zhan Tianxiang nodded in understanding. "Understood."

He then stealthily moved towards the direction Yu Yuan had taken.

Yan Lu, Su Yan, and the solitary Van Li all sensed the departure. Roused from their meditations, they cast a glance at Zhan Tianxiang.

Before long, the turbulent Spiritual Qi that had been a source of irritation began to coalesce and drift away as if drawn by some unseen force.

The Qi was heading towards the very spot where Yu Yuan and Zhan Tianxiang had previously departed.

Soon after, Yu Yuan's cries, akin to a pig being slaughtered, shattered the silence.

The sound jolted the cultivators from their practice, prompting them to rise instinctively, eager to discover the source of the commotion.

"Zhan Tianxiang, you didn't ambush Yu Yuan during his cultivation, did you?" questioned a member of the Yan family, outraged. "Yu Yuan is the one who saved us all!"

"It's okay," Han Hui reassured as she stood up, addressing the crowd's concerns, "Yu Yuan has just entered the Spirit Accumulating Stage and is undergoing his first round of body refinement."

"The first round of body refinement?" they echoed, exchanging puzzled looks. Yu Yuan's situation seemed to be shrouded in enigma.

Who else at the early Spirit Accumulating Stage would undergo such an intense refinement, emitting cries of agony?

And what about the chaotic and violent Spiritual Qi from the heavens and the earth?

"Let's not fret over Yu Yuan," Lee Yu commanded, having received Zhan Tianxiang's assurance.

At his word, those filled with complaints and questions settled back down.

Listening to Yu Yuan's agonized howls and staring into the frigid night sky, many reflected on their recently fallen comrades, the legends of the Empire, and the elusive Moon Demon.

Anxiety, despair, and fear clung to everyone's hearts, an inescapable presence no matter how they tried to shake it off.

Yu Yuan's heart-wrenching cries gradually subsided into silence.

The night stretched on endlessly, with each person quietly battling their inner turmoil while persisting in their cultivation.

At last, daylight returned.

Dawn broke, yet no sun rose; the sky was a blanket of gray, as if a veil obscured the sun's rays.

Zhan Tianxiang, offering his support to a pallid Yu Yuan, made their way slowly from a distance.

"Yu Yuan has something to say," Zhan Tianxiang announced.

All eyes immediately turned to Yu Yuan, their attention captured.

Lee Yu was among them, watching intently.

"Cough, cough. Here's the thing," Yu Yuan began, his head drooping as he leaned on Zhan Tianxiang for support, his voice barely above a whisper, "Stay away from the forbidden area's entrance. It's a death trap. To go there is to court death."

"How can you be sure?" Lee Yu inquired.

"I should be upfront; I have no evidence, no absolute certainty," Yu Yuan admitted openly. "It's just a hunch that there's immense danger and horror lurking at the entrance to the forbidden area."

"Your damned instincts have never led me astray," Zhan Tianxiang said with a wry smile.

​