C98 Fighting to Survive

"Why stir up trouble, young lady?"

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

He was the eldest trial-taker among the Su family's group, with his cultivation at the early period of the Golden Sanctum. It was highly unlikely he would achieve much more in the future.

His presence was due to his mature and steady nature, which allowed him to assist Su Yan elsewhere.

"I'm not stirring up trouble."

Facing him, Su Yan regained her serene and gentle demeanor. She spoke deliberately, her smile gone, replaced by a deep calmness in her eyes. "My uncle's decision may have been a mistake."

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

"I need to reassess our relationship with the Yu family," Su Yan stated firmly. "If Yu Yuan dies in the forbidden area, nothing changes. But if he survives and emerges alive, then we must seriously reconsider our stance with the Yu family."

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

"I gave Lin Zhuyun a Mind Mender to annoy her," Su Yan replied with a shrug. "Just a little discomfort, nothing more."

"Lin Zhuyun is his betrothed, at least in name. If the Lin family and Lin Zhuyun reconcile, there's a chance our families could make amends in the future," Su Chang pointed out.

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

Su Chang looked at her, astonished. "You're not falling for him, are you?"

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

"And isn't it because we fear that if the engagement comes to fruition, the Yu family would fall into the Lin family's embrace?"

After a moment's thought, Su Chang said, "You young ladies certainly have a lot on your minds. But let's set that aside for now and focus on how to deal with the Moonfiend."

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

It took her a moment before she spoke softly, "I may have overthought it. If the legends of the Empire lurking in the shadows are indeed true, then the external world might also be in a dire state."

"The Empire wouldn't actually change due to the Moonfiend, would it?" Su Chang asked, her voice laced with fear and unease.

...

Yu Yuan ingested another Mind Mender pill.

The medicinal strength of the pill surged into his mind, transforming into a cooling stream that nourished his soul.

Throughout this time, Yu Yuan continued to practice "Soul Forging through Enlightenment" in silence. With the extraordinary Spirit Magic, he fully integrated the healing effects of the pill into his heaven soul.

The previous sense of drowsiness and listlessness was cleansed in an instant, leaving his mind crystal clear.

Time passed, unmeasured.

Once the power of the Mind Mender had fully dispersed into Yu Yuan's mind and completely dissipated, he shifted his focus to practicing Evil Body Refining.

The already tumultuous divine force began to churn violently due to the alteration in his spell.

Streams of spiritual energy, tinged with gray, dark brown, and white, and laced with impurities, rushed towards Yu Yuan.

Feeling the onset of pain, Yu Yuan suddenly remembered the nearby trial-takers from various families. He quickly ceased his practice and moved towards a more remote expanse of wilderness.

Lee Yu, one of the Lee family survivors, opened his eyes in quiet awareness.

He was acutely aware of the disturbance in the divine force and Yu Yuan's actions.

"All is well."

Zhan Tianxiang exhaled softly, reassuring him, "I'll go check on him. Don't worry, I've got this. I'm used to it by now."

"Was he cultivating just now?" Lee Yu inquired with curiosity.

"Yes, he's in the early period of Soul Awakening, refining his physical body," Zhan Tianxiang replied with a smile. "Was the disturbance a bit too noticeable?"

Lee Yu nodded, "Indeed, it was quite significant."

Though Yu Yuan had timely ceased his practice before others noticed anything amiss, Lee Yu, as the most formidable of the new generation of the Empire and the only one at the Veil Breaking Stage present, had sharply sensed the frenzied flow of spiritual energy.

Moreover, this surging energy was unmistakably on the verge of infiltrating Yu Yuan's body.

In the early stages of Soul Awakening, a body that hadn't been thoroughly tempered could hardly endure the onslaught of berserk and chaotic spiritual energy, especially when it was laced with toxins and a myriad of peculiar forces.

Even someone at the Veil Breaking Stage, like himself, wouldn't dare to draw such complex spiritual energies into his elixir field, let alone use them to replenish his vitality. How could Yu Yuan dare to do so?

"It's okay. Trust me, he'll be alright," Zhan Tianxiang assured.

Lee Yu cautioned, "Keep a close watch. While others may face danger, he must remain safe. If anything seems off, give a shout, and I'll be there at once."

Zhan Tianxiang nodded in understanding, "Got it."

He then stealthily followed the path Yu Yuan had taken.

Yan Lu, Su Yan, and Van Le, who was practicing in solitude, all became aware of his departure. They emerged from their meditative states and cast a glance at Zhan Tianxiang.

Shortly thereafter.

The berserk and chaotic spiritual energy that had been a source of irritation began to coalesce and drift away as if drawn by an unseen force.

It was heading precisely in the direction Yu Yuan and Zhan Tianxiang had gone.

Moments later, Yu Yuan's cries, reminiscent of a pig being slaughtered, tore through the air.

The cultivators were jolted by the chilling sound, instinctively rising to their feet, compelled to investigate the commotion.

"Zhan Tianxiang, you didn't attack Yu Yuan during his cultivation, did you?" a survivor from the Yan family exclaimed indignantly, "Yu Yuan is the one who saved us all!"

"It's alright," Han Hui stood up, somewhat exasperated, and clarified for everyone, "Yu Yuan has just begun his first round of body refinement in the Soul Awakening Realm."

"The first round of body refinement?"

The group exchanged bewildered looks, finding the situation surrounding Yu Yuan increasingly enigmatic.

Who else in the early Soul Awakening Realm would undergo such a harrowing refinement process?

And what about the chaotic and berserk divine force?

"Let's not worry about Yu Yuan," Lee Yu declared, having been reassured.

With his words, the group, filled with grumbles and questions, settled back down.

Listening to Yu Yuan's anguished howls and staring into the frigid night sky, many were reminded of their recently fallen comrades, the legends of the Empire, and the Moonfiend that had fled.

Anxiety, despair, and fear clung to everyone's hearts, impossible to shake off.

Over time, Yu Yuan's heart-wrenching cries finally fell silent.

The night stretched on endlessly. People held their negative emotions at bay while persisting in their cultivation practices.

At last, daylight returned.

In the morning, no sun rose; the sky was a dull gray, as if a veil obscured the sunlight.

Zhan Tianxiang, supporting a pale Yu Yuan, walked slowly toward the group from a distance.

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

All eyes immediately turned to Yu Yuan.

Lee Yu was no exception.

"Cough, cough. Here's the thing," Yu Yuan began, his head drooping as he leaned on Zhan Tianxiang, speaking with little strength, "Don't head to the entrance of the forbidden area. That entrance is a point of no return. To go there is to embrace death."

"What do you mean by that?" Lee Yu inquired.

"Let me be clear, I don't have any evidence or absolute certainty," Yu Yuan admitted openly. "It's just a gut feeling that there's immense danger and horror lurking at the entrance of the forbidden area."

"Your blasted intuition has never let me down before," Zhan Tianxiang said with a wry smile.

​