Chapter 293: The Yellow‑Clothed Youth

"Little junior sister, you can't be serious, can you?" Lin Xuechen forced a stiff, dry laugh twice.

Yuan Yao said, "Of course I'm serious."

Lin Xuechen's body froze, and in a solemn tone he said, "Little junior sister, this matter is not trivial, this place is not ordinary, and the evil cultivators here kill indiscriminately; their hands are stained with fresh blood, they bear sins, and they cannot be cleansed merely by repentance."

Yuan Yao said, "Eldest Senior Brother Lin, I let them repent not to erase their past sins, but merely to make them reflect."

"However, this move…" Lin Xuechen hesitated, "easily invites disaster; by then we may all be in danger."

Zong Yu'er added, "Yao Yao, Eldest Senior Brother Lin's words are unreasonable. This is the territory of evil and demonic cultivators; if we step wrongly, we may invite danger."

Yuan Yao, hearing this, also thought it not without reason.

But she did not want to give up like that.

Song Yan remained silent, but he knew Yuan Yao's temperament.

She would not easily abandon what she wanted to do.

"Let's set aside the matter of letting evil cultivators repent for now," Yuan Yao smiled, "Now I also wish to lay more formation barriers here, in case of need."

"Little junior sister, as long as you understand, that's fine," Lin Xuechen said, also relieved.

In his and Zong Yu'er's view, the little junior sister is still inexperienced, unaware of how many dangers lie in the Two Continents region; occasional immature thoughts are normal.

Yuan Yao crossed her arms, humming in displeasure, "Eldest Senior Brother Lin, don't always think I'm weak; I've at least broken through to the Initial Golden Core, and I'm also ranked sixth on this year's sect‑wide competition disciple list!"

"How could I dare," Lin Xuechen immediately placated, "Senior Brother, I absolutely have no intention of looking down on you; I just think this place is too dangerous."

"We Yuan Yao are quite formidable," Zong Yu'er chuckled.

Both of them teased Yuan Yao a few times.

Yuan Yao lifted her eyebrows slightly, tsunderely saying, "Fine, I trust you."

Beside them, Song Yan also laughed, reaching out to pat Yuan Yao's crown.

At this moment, Zong Yu'er suggested, "I think we need to go gather some information."

"Then I'll go with you," Lin Xuechen said, "let Senior Brother Song watch over the little junior sister."

After the four discussed, they decided that, barring any mishap, they'd meet here in half an hour.

After Zong Yu'er and Lin Xuechen left, Song Yan turned his head toward Yuan Yao, softly asking, "When do you plan to activate the formation for the evil cultivators to repent?"

Yuan Yao was startled for a moment, then smiled, "Eldest Senior Brother, how do you understand me so well?"

"What do you think?" Song Yan replied helplessly.

Yuan Yao said, "I think when Second Senior Sister and the others rescue Brother Ao, they will likely rouse the evil cultivators of Xue Nu Chang, and then those evil cultivators will swarm to attack Second Senior Sister's group."

"So, you plan to act at that moment."

"Mm."

"Prioritize one's own safety above all." Song Yan understood Yuan Yao's thinking, but he still gave a reminder.

Yuan Yao nodded, "Alright."

Meanwhile, the youth bearing a heavy sword also entered the Two Continents region.

The youth was Dongfangxiu.

Dongfangxiu's gaze, sharp as a hawk, scanned the surroundings, as if trying to pull the Carefree Sect party's silhouettes from every corner, but to no avail.

The shops on the street mostly sold blood pills and heaven‑and‑earth material treasures.

There were also a few rag‑clad cultivators, their expressions dazed; at times they shouted like frenzied beasts, at other times they flashed enigmatic smiles, as if mocking the world.

At this moment, a stooped, wrinkled old man, leaning on a cane, shakily approached Dongfangxiu.

Suddenly, two strong‑built young men burst out from the street's diagonal front, their faces fierce like two wild beasts, and they lifted the stooped old man as if picking up a chick; the old man let out a harrowing wail, pleading for mercy as if a pig were being slaughtered.

"Spare me! Let me go!"

The commotion quickly drew the attention of nearby people, but they, as if accustomed, glanced briefly and then went on with their own business.

The two men roughly seized the old man.

Moreover, they brutally snapped his arm because he resisted.

Seeing this, Dongfangxiu furrowed his brows.

Amid the old man's gut‑wrenching, soul‑piercing cries, Dongfangxiu finally could not hold back and said, "Let him go."

The two men didn't initially hear clearly, but a powerful pressure of Nascent Soul Realm strength soon bore down on them.

Boom! Boom!

They were instantly flipped onto the ground; when they tried to rise, the pressure crushed them immobile.

The old man, seeing this, immediately crawled to Dongfangxiu like a lapdog, extended his unbroken hand, seized Dongfangxiu's robe, and, terrified, said, "Little friend, save me!"

At this moment, those who had previously ignored the scene, upon sensing Dongfangxiu's released pressure aura, showed varied expressions and all turned their gaze toward him.

"Nascent Soul Realm cultivator," a youth perched on a nearby roof chuckled and spoke.

Dongfangxiu, sensing danger, looked up and saw the yellow‑clothed youth on the roof, wearing a white rabbit mask with rabbit teeth, looking innocent.

The youth propped his chin with both hands, his head of blue hair unbound, casually falling over his shoulders and drifting in the wind.

"Impressive," the yellow‑clothed youth exclaimed, "I also want to be a righteous cultivator, roaming the world with a sword."

His tone was envious.

The yellow‑clothed youth paused, tilted his head slightly, and astonishingly said, "How about you give me your mask and identity?"

Dongfangxiu furrowed his brows, sneering, "You speak rashly."

"Me, speaking rashly?" the yellow‑clothed youth pointed at himself, "Me?"

Dongfangxiu instinctively felt this person was no ordinary, but a highly troublesome individual.

He did not wish to continue talking, so after he bent down to lift the old man and was about to lead him away, the youth's displeased voice rang out.

"You're a righteous person; how can you save an evil cultivator who specializes in killing?"

Dongfangxiu's steps halted.

But the old man he was supporting paled in shock, and he hurriedly said to Dongfangxiu Dao: "No, I'm not an evil cultivator! Little friend, you must believe me!"

The yellow‑clad youth added, "Is he an evil cultivator? Can't you, a righteous person, see that?"

Dongfangxiu stared intently at the gaunt old man before him, and smelled an abnormal scent of blood on him.

The old man's gaze flickered, clearly showing some insecurity.

Even Dongfangxiu, however dull, sensed that something was off about the old man.

He was about to release his grip on the old man's arm when, unexpectedly, the evil cultivator old man suddenly produced a dagger and slashed toward Dongfangxiu's throat.