The next morning, the group made their way back to the sect. Yu Chen led them with his usual composed demeanor, while Li Ming lingered near Hua Rong, fumbling for words as he tried to strike up a conversation. Wei Yu, however, had been uncharacteristically quiet since the night before, lost in thought.
Suddenly, Hua Rong nudged him playfully, snapping him out of his daze.
"Yo, that speech you gave last night was something else! You should consider being a motivational speaker," she teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"A what?" Wei Yu asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Never mind," she said, waving it off with a chuckle.
Beside her, Li Ming huffed impatiently. "Can't you hear? She said you should be a—" He faltered mid-sentence, realization dawning as the words escaped him. His face flushed crimson, and he turned away abruptly, crossing his arms. He remained silent for the rest of the journey.
Hua Rong who was too stunned to speak "..."
Before sunset, they reached the sect. Without wasting a moment, Hua Rong excused herself, declaring her intention to focus on cultivating seriously. Li Ming, true to his dramatic nature, vanished like a gust of wind without even a word of goodbye.
Now, only Wei Yu and Yu Chen remained, walking side by side through the sect grounds. Neither spoke, the silence between them heavy and awkward. Yu Chen stole a glance at Wei Yu, noting his uneasy expression. He let out a soft chuckle, breaking the stillness.
"What's wrong?" he asked lightly.
"Nothing!" Wei Yu blurted, his response a little too quick to be convincing.
"Really? Nothing?" Yu Chen's tone was gentle, but his sharp eyes studied him intently. "Wei Yu, why does it feel like you've been growing distant lately?"
"Distant? Me? Not at all!" Wei Yu protested, his voice rising slightly as he put on a forced smile. "Shizun, I've just been... worried about my cultivation, that's all!" He added hastily, sensing his initial answer lacked weight.
"Oh? So you're that eager to surpass me?" Yu Chen teased, his lips curling into a smirk. "Looks like I'll need to put in some extra effort too."
Wei Yu flushed, scrambling to change the topic. "Shizun, what do you think about the case?"
Yu Chen's expression sobered as he considered his question. "I think there's more to this than meets the eye. Someone is definitely pulling the strings from the shadows."
"Any guesses?" Wei Yu asked, though his own thoughts mirrored Yu Chen's. He had also suspected there was more to the situation but had pushed the matter to the back of his mind out of sheer laziness.
"The culprit might be a demon," Yu Chen mused, his brow furrowed. "Yan Bo's uncle was one, after all. But what was their purpose?"
"Maybe the Yan family had something they wanted?" Wei Yu suggested.
Yu Chen shook his head. "If it were an artifact of power, I would have sensed it. No, there's something deeper at play here." Frustration flickered across his features. "Those demon bastards," she muttered under her breath.
Turning to Wei Yu, Yu Chen's expression softened into an amused smile. "What's this? Don't tell me you're offended on behalf of the demons?"
Wei Yu's face turned bright red. "Shizun, of course not!" He fidgeted awkwardly before taking a deep breath. "Actually, there's something I need to tell you..."
Yu Chen tilted his head slightly, his curiosity piqued. "Oh? And what might that be?"
Wei Yu hesitated, then finally began, "The reason I was able to cultivate so fast is—"
"Yu Shixiong! Come quick! Something's happened to the Sect Leader!"
The urgent cry interrupted Wei Yu's confession. A young disciple came rushing toward them, his face pale and his voice trembling with panic.
Both Yu Chen and Wei Yu stiffened, the weight of the situation sinking in immediately. Yu Chen turned sharply toward the disciple.
"What happened? Speak clearly!" he demanded.
"The Sect Leader collapsed while meditating!" the disciple gasped, his words spilling out in a frantic rush. "The elders are trying to help him, but it's bad—really bad!"
Without another word, Yu Chen grabbed Wei Yu's arm, and the two of them dashed toward the Sect Leader's quarters, their earlier conversation forgotten in the face of this new crisis.
As they approached the Sect Leader's chambers, the area was bustling with activity. Disciples and elders alike were gathered, their faces etched with worry. Murmurs of speculation buzzed through the air.
"Is it an attack?"
"Could it be related to the recent demonic activity?" A disciple asked.
Yu Chen pushed through the crowd, Wei Yu trailing close behind. Inside, Chen Jiu lay on a simple yet regal bed, his face pale and beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. Several elders surrounded him, their hands glowing faintly as they channeled spiritual energy in an attempt to stabilize him.
"Shizun!" Yu Chen called, bowing briefly before stepping closer. "What is his condition?"
Elder Zhou, a senior member of the sect, looked up with a grim expression. "It's as if his spiritual energy is being drained by something... or someone. But we can't identify the source. He collapsed while meditating on the barrier wards—there's no sign of external injury or poison."
Besides Elder Zhou, Chen Yuxuan was standing near, his mother sitting near Chen Jiu, tears streaming down her cheeks. Chen Yuxuan only rolled his eyes as he saw his mothers cringe behavior. But his eyes carried a hint of worry for his father.
Wei Yu clenched his fists. "Could this be connected to the demons we encountered earlier? Yan Bo's uncle?"
Yu Chen's eyes narrowed. "It's too soon to say, but the timing is suspicious. Elder Zhou, has the barrier of sect been tampered with?"
Elder Zhou shook his head. "The barrier is intact... for now. But the Sect Leader must recover quickly, or the protection it provides could weaken."
"If the barrier weakens, the demons will attack," an unfamiliar voice declared, cutting through the tense silence. Wei Yu turned sharply, his gaze landing on the speaker. The man had pitch-black hair tied neatly in a ponytail, his crimson robes flowing like blood in the air. His expression was as cold as the wind on a winter's night.
"Xian Yu? What are you doing here?" Chen Yuxuan, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, his tone laced with irritation.
Xian Yu's lips curled into a faint sneer. "The sect leader is gravely ill. Only my blood can save him. Do we really have the luxury to quarrel at a time like this?" His sharp voice carried the weight of authority.
Chen Yuxuan waved his fan lazily, his face twisted in annoyance but offering no further argument.
Wei Yu stared at Xian Yu, recognition dawning on him. Xian Yu... He was the undefeated champion of the sword-wielding competition! Compared to him, Wei Yu barely scraped by. This man's power was undeniable, though Wei Yu still believed no one could surpass his revered shizun.
Xian Yu strode purposefully toward the alchemist. Without hesitation, he bit down on his thumb, hard enough to draw a stream of crimson. Blood dripped into a small cup, which the alchemist mixed with other ingredients before administering the concoction to Chen Jiu.
"Why is his blood special?" Wei Yu asked Yu Chen in a hushed voice, his curiosity piqued.
Yu Chen's tone was calm but solemn. "He's from the Heaven Clan. They once had pure golden blood, but over generations, it's been diluted by human lineage."
Wei Yu's eyes widened in awe. "So, Xian Yu is from the Heaven Clan!"
Yu Chen hummed in agreement, his expression unreadable.
Nearby, Mrs. Jiu clutched her husband's hand tightly, her eyes glistening with fear. "Doctor, why isn't he waking up?" Her voice trembled with desperation as she stared at her unconscious husband.
The alchemist hesitated before replying, his face grim. "This... his condition isn't responding to the Heaven Clan's blood."
"What nonsense!" Chen Yuxuan's voice thundered through the room. "Is there no other way?"
"There is," the alchemist admitted cautiously. "But it requires the blood of a mixed-blood descendant."
The room fell into a stunned silence. A mixed-blood? It was as implausible as finding a phoenix feather in a mundane world. Chen Yuxuan's fury boiled over; he grabbed the alchemist by the collar, his fan slipping to the floor.
"Do you think this is some kind of joke, you incompetent doctor?!" Chen Yuxuan spat.
Before things could escalate further, Yu Chen stepped in, prying Chen Yuxuan's hands away. "Calm down. Let him explain!"
The alchemist, seemingly unfazed, straightened his robes with an indignant hmph. "I am not joking. This is the only viable solution."
Chen Yuxuan stepped back, glaring daggers at the man, before suddenly turning and pointing an accusatory finger. "He's a mixed-blood!" He gestured at Yu Chen, his tone sharp and commanding.
The room collectively gasped. Shock rippled through the gathered crowd, and even Elder Zhou found himself at a loss for words. Finally, he spoke, his voice shaky, "Chen Yuxuan, this is absurd! Do you have any proof of such a claim?"
A sly smirk tugged at Chen Yuxuan's lips, his features almost too beautiful in their confidence. He waved his fan dismissively, his fox-like eyes gleaming. "Oh, I have proof. Yu Chen's father was my uncle, but his mother... well, she was nothing more than a lowly concubine with an unknown past."
Wei Yu could no longer contain his anger. "Don't slander my shizun! That doesn't prove anything!"
Chen Yuxuan's smirk only widened. "Slander? Hardly. I conducted my research. His mother wasn't just some unknown concubine. She was a slave from the Demon Kingdom."
Yu Chen's composure finally snapped. "Presumptuous!" His voice echoed in the room, his fury like a storm breaking loose. This accusation was an insult too great to bear.