Chapter 24 : Reasons

Purple Vein Spirit Tree.

This was a quasi-Fifth Grade Spirit Tree.

The reason it was only quasi-Fifth Grade, and not truly Fifth Grade, was because its fruit had yet to ripen.

Nonetheless, the wood of this tree itself was extremely valuable, serving as the primary material for crafting talisman paper of Fourth Grade quality or above.

However, the Purple Vein Spirit Tree could not be felled by ordinary means.

The special aura it contained needed to be sealed within a specific formation to prevent it from leaking out.

Chen Yuyang was currently circling the Purple Vein Spirit Tree, observing the growth veins of the tree itself to facilitate laying down a corresponding Spirit-Sealing Formation directly on the trunk.

But just as Chen Yuyang was about to begin setting the formation, he sensed a faintly ominous aura.

He looked up.

Three men dressed in red robes were descending from the sky, riding swords.

Leading them was none other than Lin Yu, the Dan Sect disciple who had recently had a dispute with Ling Xi in the plaza.

There was silence, but Chen Yuyang instinctively stepped forward, positioning Ling Xi behind him for protection.

As they landed, a cold smile tugged at the corner of Lin Yu’s mouth.

“Well, well, I was wondering who this was. Turns out it’s the little bitch from the Hehuan Sect.”

“May I ask what business you have with us? Though I believe we are strangers.”

“Kid, I may not know you, but that bitch you’re with—hmph, I’ve got a score to settle with her.”

Ling Xi immediately recognized them too.

Her expression darkened sharply as she scolded:

“What do you want? Didn’t we settle things last time? My master didn’t make things difficult for you, so don’t overstep.”

“You bitch, how dare you speak! Because of you and your damn master, we were all punished when we returned.”

“But fate did grant me a chance to vent my anger—by meeting you here.”

With those words, Lin Yu’s smile twisted into something more sinister, and his gaze openly revealed his murderous intent.

At the same time, his palm pressed onto the hilt of his sword.

“I see you’re all extraordinary people; there’s no need to shed blood over such trivial matters. How about I speak on behalf of my junior sister and apologize, and we can just let the past go?”

Chen Yuyang spoke with a very humble tone.

Hearing this, the three glanced at each other.

Lin Yu paused, surprisingly glancing at Chen Yuyang.

“You’re her senior brother?”

“That’s right.”

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then casually waved his hand.

“Hm—fine. You seem sincere enough. In that case, kneel down and kowtow three times to me. Also, have your little junior sister spend a night with us brothers, and this matter will be dropped.”

“Do you…” Ling Xi’s temper flared immediately, ready to curse.

Chen Yuyang quickly placed a hand on her shoulder, looking calmly at the three men.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive?”

Lin Yu folded his arms arrogantly, eyes full of disdain.

“Excessive? How so? Didn’t your Hehuan Sect scrape by by making others kneel and kowtow? Besides, aren’t the women of the Hehuan Sect just whores? What, you don’t accept that? And what can you do about it, just two Foundation Establishment cultivators, trash…”

Before Lin Yu could finish, a fierce blaze erupted suddenly.

Boom—

The fire instantly engulfed the three.

The speed of the sudden change even stunned Ling Xi.

What was going on?

Had senior brother acted?

But senior brother didn’t move at all!

Ling Xi looked at the expressionless youth guarding her, bewildered.

As the intense flames faded, in the hemispherical crater left behind lay two charred corpses, and a figure protected within a cauldron-shaped spiritual aura.

Lin Yu gasped heavily, staring in disbelief at the boy who still looked somewhat youthful.

Out of the corner of his eye, he also caught sight of his two junior brothers’ grim fates.

His pupils trembled violently.

“You—you dare to…”

Before Lin Yu could finish, Chen Yuyang swiftly drew a talisman from his Xumi Consciousness Sea, holding it between his right hand’s index and middle fingers, and formed a hand seal.

“Broken Moon—Go!”

With a low shout, the talisman turned to ash in an instant, and in the next moment, a cold silver arc pierced through Lin Yu’s body.

The spiritual cauldron dissipated.

Lin Yu’s face froze in disbelief.

A line of blood traced down from his forehead, over his nose bridge, spilling crimson threads.

Then, the body that had been guarding collapsed sideways.

Blood and viscera splattered the ground.

Dead in seconds!

But Chen Yuyang’s actions were not finished. He quickly drew another talisman from his Xumi Consciousness Sea.

“Burning Soul!”

Gray flames engulfed the three corpses the next second.

Though silent, Ling Xi suddenly felt a slight stabbing pain in her mind, and sharp screams echoed in her ears like an auditory hallucination.

W-what was happening?

Ling Xi was utterly stunned.

Only after thoroughly burning their souls to ashes did Chen Yuyang finally exhale slightly.

Even so, he couldn’t prevent another event—golden light shot out from the three burnt corpses.

That was the Dan Sect’s soul-tracking seal left on these three inner disciples.

After death, the soul-tracking seal automatically attaches itself to the closest other soul.

At this moment, all three marks flew toward Chen Yuyang and vanished inside him.

Stopping the attachment of the soul-tracking seals was simple—he only needed to use his spiritual awareness to erase them.

But—As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Chen Yuyang hadn’t yet condensed his spiritual sense, so he couldn’t do it.

This was also why Chen Yuyang initially didn’t want to take action—because these three soul marks attached to him meant that the Dan Sect would know he had killed them.

And that would bring disaster upon both himself and the Hehuan Sect.

However, upon hearing their demands, Chen Yuyang’s murderous intent had already been set.

He delayed only a few seconds to quietly amass strength.

After all, the difference in realms was a reality; no matter how many techniques he had, he needed time to prepare.

“Senior brother… you… you really killed them?”

Ling Xi swallowed hard and wiped cold sweat from her forehead.

Chen Yuyang nodded.

Not only had he killed the three, he had completely incinerated their souls, leaving nothing behind.

“What now? Those soul-tracking seals…”

Ling Xi had also seen what had entered Chen Yuyang’s body and understood what that implied.

Chen Yuyang lowered his head, thinking for a moment, then sighed helplessly.

“Once we leave the Ziyang Secret Realm, I’ll have master expel me from the sect.”

“Are you joking? Senior brother, you killed them to protect me. Master will definitely understand. If you’re expelled because of this, I…”

Ling Xi became excited, clutching Chen Yuyang’s sleeve tightly.

“I know master will understand, but… if I don’t leave, great calamity will befall the Hehuan Sect.”

Chen Yuyang shook his head.

“But they were the ones who attacked first…”

“Do you think the Dan Sect cares who started it?”

Ling Xi lowered her head, biting her lip, speechless for a long moment as tears welled in her eyes.

“Is there really no other way?”

Chen Yuyang shook his head with a helpless smile.

“You can’t say some sudden accident caused these three to die suddenly before my eyes.”

Just as Chen Yuyang finished speaking,

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently, and countless birds startled into flight from the forest.

Ling Xi instinctively grabbed Chen Yuyang’s arm, staring up at the sky in shock.

The heavens above twisted in ominous colors.

Chen Yuyang’s perception was keenest; he sensed a surging spiritual energy erupting from the very center of this secret realm, spreading rapidly throughout the entire Ziyang Secret Realm.

“Senior brother, what’s happening?”

“I don’t know.”

Chen Yuyang shook his head gently.

“Should we go see, Yuyang senior brother?”

Chen Yuyang shook his head.

“No matter what is happening there, since it can cause fluctuations throughout the entire secret realm… this isn’t something we can meddle in or watch.”

“Then what do we do next?”

“My suggestion is to leave the Ziyang Secret Realm immediately.”

“Huh? Leave already? But it’s only been half a month.”

Chen Yuyang turned around and placed his hands on the girl’s shoulders, looking seriously into Ling Xi’s eyes.

This sudden gesture caused the girl’s cheeks to flush slightly.

“Ling Xi, in half a month, we’ve already gained so much.”

“Now that an unexplained disturbance has appeared, the safest choice is to leave here immediately.”

Perhaps moved by the boy’s gaze, the girl obediently nodded.

“Mm, senior brother, you’re right… we’ve already gained a lot… there’s no need to risk it…”

“Good, I’m glad you understand. Now, you must leave right away.”

Chen Yuyang patted her shoulder, feeling relieved.

“Huh? I leave? What about you, senior brother?”

Ling Xi was startled, sensing something unspoken in his words.

Chen Yuyang lifted his head, gazing toward the center of the Ziyang Secret Realm.

“I’ll stay.”

“If there might be danger, senior brother, you should come with me!”

Ling Xi was confused.

Chen Yuyang gently shook his head.

“No, I have to stay.”

“Why?”

“I need to find out what’s happening here.”

“But didn’t you say this isn’t something we can interfere with or just watch?”

“True, but I need a reason.”

Chen Yuyang’s expression grew serious.

“What reason?”

“One that can explain why those three suddenly died.”