Chapter 2481: Masked Figure
Keling narrowed her eyes at Yuan the moment she noticed him—or rather, noticed the lack of presence surrounding him, as though she were staring at a ghost instead of a living person.
’Who the hell is that? Even though I cannot sense his presence, my instincts are screaming at me to not approach him!’ Keling swallowed nervously when she realized that she felt fearful toward this individual that she wouldn’t have even noticed if it weren’t for Meixiu.
Keling was a renowned cultivator, famed for her unshakable will. Those who knew her often claimed she was incapable of fear—that she could face even the most terrifying trials with a smile.
Yet at this very moment, she felt a fear so instinctive and overwhelming that she didn’t even dare probe the unknown figure with her divine sense.
"W-We need to leave immediately..." Keling mumbled in a low voice, as if not wanting to attract the masked man’s attention.
She grabbed Meixiu’s arm and forcefully dragged her away.
"Master, what are you...?" Meixiu muttered in surprise at her odd behavior.
As if reacting to the sound of Meixiu’s voice, the masked figure suddenly turned to look in their direction—or more specifically—at Meixiu.
"?!?!"
Keling’s eyes trembled the moment the masked figure’s gaze met hers... or so she thought.
Without the slightest hesitation, she grabbed Meixiu and fled at full speed, her entire body drenched in cold sweat.
However, before they could get far, the masked man suddenly vanished from his spot and appeared directly before them, blocking their path.
’Void Manipulation?!’ Keling hastily stopped herself, nearly tripping over in the process.
Then, before they could even exchange a word, Keling withdrew her weapon—a massive bow that was larger than her own tall frame and pointed it at him.
"What do you want from us?!" Keling roared, sounding like a cornered mother desperately trying to protect her helpless daughter.
Despite being an expert at the sixth level of God Ascension while the masked man before her was only at the third level, she felt not the slightest trace of confidence facing him.
On the other hand, Meixiu felt no sense of danger from his presence. If anything, she felt strangely reassured, as though she instinctively knew he would never harm them.
"SPEAK!" Keling demanded in a forceful voice.
"I..."
"Yuan?"
Meixiu suddenly stepped around Keling and approached the masked man. Even though it had been years since they last met, she would never forget his eyes or how he would look at her with love.
Yuan smiled behind his mask and calmly nodded, "It’s me."
"W-Wha—?" Keling’s jaw dropped to the ground.
"Yuan!"
Meixiu leapt forward without hesitation, arms wide, and wrapped herself around him in a fierce embrace.
"I’ve missed you..." she mumbled in a low voice.
"Me too."
A long moment of silence later, Yuan asked, "What are you doing here? Are you the only one here?"
"I heard the Demon Sealing Clan was doing something important and wanted to take a look," she replied. "And I came here alone with my master."
"Your master, huh?" Yuan adjusted his gaze slightly to look at Keling, who was staring at them with a bewildered face.
’Why does she look so familiar?’ Yuan wondered inwardly after seeing her face more closely.
Then he noticed her large physique and bulging muscles, reminding him of a certain individual.
"What’s your relationship with Kelan?" he asked.
However, Keling was too stunned to respond, so Meixiu responded in her stead, "She’s Keling, Kelan’s elder sister."
"I see..."
Eventually, Keling regained some of her composure and put away her weapon.
"So you’re Yuan... I have heard a lot about you from my useless brother and my disciple," she said.
"I apologize for pointing my weapon at you just now. You look too suspicious with that mask."
Yuan shook his head.
"It’s fine. I can tell that you just wanted to protect Meixiu. Thank you for caring for her."
"It’s my responsibility as her master," she said, her chest slightly raised.
"Yuan... about this situation..."
Meixiu finally spoke about the elephant in the room.
Yuan turned to the Demon Sealers tangled in combat and sighed, "I’ll deal with it."
The very next moment, Yuan leaped directly into the center of the action, where Yan Hara’s supporters and Qian Chu’s supporters were clashing with the intent to kill.
"That’s enough." Yuan spoke in a calm voice that echoed throughout the area.
Even if the Demon Sealers wanted to continue fighting, Yuan’s voice carried an immense amount of Soul Strength that shook their souls to the extent of stunning them, which temporarily restricted their movements.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"This is none of your business, so keep your nose out of it!"
"If we stop now, they will kill Senior Yan!"
The Demon Sealers angrily shouted at him after being interrupted.
To their surprise, Yuan started chuckling, as if he found the situation amusing.
"What the hell is so funny, you bastard?!"
Yuan turned to look at Yan Hara’s supporters and said, "You have been so busy fighting that you failed to notice Yan Hara’s brilliance."
"What...?"
Yuan gestured toward the display and said, "Take a look for yourself—whether Yan Hara is in trouble or not."
Everyone present turned toward the display at the same time.
"T-This is—!"
To everyone’s shock—especially Qian Chu’s supporters—Yan Hara was not only holding her ground against over a hundred demons by herself, but she was even beginning to gain the upper hand as she sealed the demons one by one.
"How is that possible?! Even if she possesses the Divine Paragon’s techniques, how can she use them so frequently?! Where the hell is she getting so much Demon Sealing Aura from?!"
At this moment, Yan Hara appeared to possess an inexhaustible supply of Demon Sealing Aura, unleashing the Divine Paragon’s techniques one after another without the slightest pause.
It was common knowledge that, unlike spiritual energy, Demon Sealing Aura could not be enhanced through treasures and external resources. The only way to strengthen it was through painstaking effort and time.
Yet somehow, Yan Hara had managed to improve her Demon Sealing Aura to such a terrifying extent within an impossibly short period of time.
"Is that really the Yan Hara I know, or someone else disguised as her?!"
