The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

Chapter 578

Taking advantage of the chaos, Dongfang Wan'er's figure vanished into the thick fog like a ghost. She moved swiftly along the ground, stopping behind a protruding rock. The view from here was excellent, allowing her to observe both sides in their fierce confrontation while also enabling her to retreat at any moment. She held her breath, gripped her longsword tightly, and warily scanned her surroundings.

Just as tensions were running high and a fight was about to break out, a melodious flute tune suddenly drifted from afar. The flute's sound was plaintive and ethereal, as if it floated from the distant sky or rose from the depths of one's heart. Everyone felt an invisible force coming from the flute's sound; their wrists went limp, and their weapons fell to the ground.

As the mist gradually dissipated, a young man in white robes slowly walked through the thin fog. He held a jade flute in his hand, his face was handsome, and a gentle smile played on his lips, as if the tense scene before him was nothing more than a child's play. He walked to the center of the crowd, looked around, and smiled, saying, "Please don't be impulsive, everyone. It's all a misunderstanding." His voice was clear and melodious, possessing a magical quality that made people want to believe him.

Ying Yi narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the suddenly appearing white-robed youth. He noticed a jade pendant engraved with flowing cloud patterns hanging from the youth's waist. The pattern was completely different from the Big Dipper on the jade pendants of the others from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, yet it subtly revealed some connection. Dongfang Wan'er also cautiously peeked out from her hiding place, her heart filled with doubt. Who exactly was this white-robed youth? What was his relationship with the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion? And what new situation would they face? The morning mist spread again, enveloping everyone's figures, adding an even more mysterious veil to this unknown future.

The setting sun of late spring stained the bluestone streets crimson. The three factions' conflict had raged for seven days, the shattered banners and blood-stained bricks telling tales of the carnage. Just as everyone was catching their breath, wondering when the chaos would end, a white figure stood out like a crane among chickens, piercing through the smoke of battle. The white-clad youth, his wide sleeves fluttering, landed steadily on the ruins. The jade crown binding his hair reflected a cold light, yet a warm, gentle smile played on his lips.

"Wait, everyone!" The young man's clear voice pierced the tense air. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, his posture upright as a pine tree. "I am Yun Yi, from the secluded Yunlan Valley. Since entering the Central Plains, I have heard of the constant strife and suffering here. I have come to do my part to resolve this conflict." Before he finished speaking, a commotion arose in the crowd. Disciples from various sects whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with wariness and suspicion.

From the shadows, a dark figure flashed out like a ghost. It was Shadow One, the top assassin of the Dark Pavilion, a notorious assassin organization feared throughout the martial world. He exuded a chilling aura, his eyes like poisoned blades, and coldly spoke: "You country bumpkin, how can you prove you have no ill intentions? These conflicts in the martial world cannot be resolved so easily. Are you perhaps plotting something, trying to profit from this?"

Yun Yi remained unfazed by the hostile questioning. Instead, he chuckled softly, his slender fingers gently tracing the jade pendant at his waist. The pendant was warm and translucent, its cloud patterns carved with lifelike detail, faintly shimmering with light. "This jade pendant is a token of my Yunlan Valley. Seeing it is like seeing the Valley Master." He paused, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes. "Furthermore, I once shared a life-or-death bond with the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. This connection is enough to prove my sincerity. I have come here not for fame, not for profit, but solely to restore peace to the world."

Just then, a graceful figure emerged from the shadows like a night-blooming cereus. It was Dongfang Wan'er, the mysterious mistress of the Wan Hua Lou, who rarely appeared in the martial world. Now, dressed in a fiery red gauze dress, her gaze sharp as an eagle, she sized up Yun Yi: "Easier said than done. Jade pendants can be forged, and origins can be fabricated. Without proof, who can believe you?" Her words carried a hint of sarcasm, clearly unconvinced by Yun Yi's claims.

Faced with the doubts, Yun Yi remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged. "Believe it or not, watch my next actions. Facts speak louder than words, and I believe you are all reasonable people." He looked around at the crowd, his gaze firm and sincere. "Why don't you all stop for now and come with me to Yunlan Valley for a discussion? Many unknown secrets are hidden there, and many truths will become clear when we get there."

Shadow One's knuckles ground blue-white from the sword hilt, while the silver ornaments behind Dongfang Wan'er's ears trembled slightly with her breath. In their silent gaze, the air seemed to freeze. The groans of the dying man by the broken wall, mixed with the smell of scorched earth, filled their nostrils, reminding them that this battle had dragged the three factions into a desperate situation—half of the Xuan Yin Sect's disciples perished in the fire, the Iron Blood Alliance was out of supplies, and even the carefully cultivated spies of the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion had been exposed one after another.

"Master, don't believe it so easily..." The guard behind Yingyi whispered his advice, but Dongfang Wan'er stopped him with a raised hand. She stared at the shimmering light of the jade pendant at Yun Yi's waist and suddenly remembered Yunlan Valley, which was recorded in the Wanhua Pavilion's secret scroll: it was a mysterious place that was not even marked on the Tianji Pavilion's star map. It was rumored that the valley contained ancient secret techniques that could reverse the course of fate, but it was also said to be associated with the eerie ballad, "Step into Yunlan, and life and death are both empty."

Yun Yi seemed to see through their concerns. He gently patted the horse's neck, and the white horse, as if sensing their presence, knelt down, a strange medicinal fragrance wafting from its raised mane. "If you are worried about your safety, you can take this Heart-Protecting Pill before entering the valley," he said, flicking seven emerald-green pills from his fingertips, which traced meteor-like trajectories in the air. "This pill is made from thousand-year-old spiritual plants from Yunlan Valley and will keep you safe for seven days."

Ying Yi caught the pill in mid-air, brought it to his nose, and sniffed it lightly. His pupils suddenly contracted slightly—this familiar fragrance was exactly the same as the Soul-Suppressing Incense he had smelled twenty years ago in the Gu King's Tomb in Southern Xinjiang. At that time, he was still a novice assassin who had witnessed his fellow disciple die fighting against hundreds of Gu after taking the Soul-Suppressing Incense, yet his body did not decompose for seven days. This discovery sent a chill down his spine, and he became even more wary of Yun Yi.

Just as everyone hesitated, a rumbling sound like muffled thunder suddenly came from the horizon. Dust billowed from the distant mountain path, obscuring the sky; the remnants of the Iron Blood Alliance were charging towards them with torches. "Too late!" Yun Yi jerked on the reins, his white horse rearing up, its front hooves almost grazing Ying Yi's face as it landed. "Follow me through the secret passage in the back mountain!"

Dongfang Wan'er acted decisively, whipping out her soft whip to grab the nearest disciple and leap onto the roof: "Dark Pavilion, listen to my command! Form the Big Dipper Formation to cover the rear!" Ying Yi stuffed the pills into his robes, drew his cold iron sword with a backhand, and as the blade sliced ​​through the night, he caught a glimpse of Yun Yi's back as he rode away on horseback—a dark red ribbon was faintly visible beneath the young man's wide sleeves, its binding method identical to that of the "Blood Moon Token," the missing token of the Xuan Yin Sect's leader.

The morning mist grew thicker, and the group followed Yun Yi onto a moss-covered stone staircase. Suddenly, a mechanism clicked as it turned beneath their feet, and the cliffs on either side slowly closed in. Dongfang Wan'er was about to use her lightness skill to retreat when she saw a ghostly blue rune light up in Yun Yi's palm, and ancient totems instantly appeared on the stone walls. As the runes and totems resonated, the mist ahead surged, revealing an ancient glass bridge floating in the clouds.

"Beyond this bridge lies Cloud Wave Valley." As Yun Yi turned, the morning light pierced through the clouds, casting a strange golden glow in his eyes. Ying Yi gripped his sword hilt, noticing a faint tattoo beneath the boy's sleeve—a blooming crimson lotus, identical to the mark of the "Rebirth Cult," the cult that had been destroyed ten years prior. Meanwhile, Dongfang Wan'er, walking at the forefront, had already stepped onto the seemingly beautiful yet deadly glass bridge.

The moment Dongfang Wan'er's toes touched the glass bridge, the entire bridge emitted a humming sound like a dragon's roar. The seven-colored glass bricks swirled with eerie light beneath her feet, like countless pairs of peering eyes. She instinctively took a half-step back, her soft whip already wrapped around her wrist, but then she heard a piercing cracking sound from the bridge—countless spiderweb-like cracks spread from where she had landed, each crack oozing a ghostly green poisonous mist.

"Watch out!" Before Yingyi's startled shout could even finish, the white marble railings on both sides of the bridge shattered with a deafening roar, and twelve crimson pillars of fire shot into the sky. A hideous human face vaguely emerged from the flames, its gaping maw emitting a piercing scream, and waves of heat carrying the stench of sulfur rushed towards them. Dongfang Wan'er spun and leaped into the air, her red silk coiling like a serpent around the hanging lanterns atop the bridge. The lamp oil instantly boiled, transforming into a rain of fire that poured down from the sky.

Shadow One drew his longsword, and the moment the sword energy touched the flames, it emitted a piercing metallic scraping sound. His pupils contracted sharply—this flame could actually devour internal energy! Even more bizarrely, a semi-transparent barrier extended from the bridge, enveloping the entire glass bridge. He swung his sword, the impact numbing his tiger's mouth, but the surface of the barrier only rippled, like a stone falling into a deep pool.

"Hahaha!" Yun Yi's laughter mingled with the soft sound of a jade flute, echoing in the mist. The young man leaned against the blue stone lion at the bridgehead, toying with a gilded bell between his fingers. "Yunlan Valley has always only welcomed those with destiny. This 'Thousand Illusions Tribulation Fire Array' is merely the first test." As he spoke, his sleeve slipped down half an inch, revealing the dark red silk thread wrapped around his wrist, its patterns identical to the human face patterns in the pillars of fire on the bridge.

Suddenly, the glazed bricks emitted a blinding white light, forcing Dongfang Wan'er to close her eyes. When the light faded, she was horrified to find herself amidst the ruins of the Wan Hua Lou—dozens of corpses lay among the charred beams and pillars, all her most trusted subordinates. "Lord, save me..." A bloodstained hand suddenly grabbed her ankle, and the dying guard coughed up black blood, "It's...it's Yunlan Valley..."

"A mere trick!" Dongfang Wan'er bit her tongue, the sweet, metallic taste of blood dispelling some of the illusions. She lashed out her soft whip, catching a distant eaves, and was about to use it to leap away when countless silver needles suddenly rained down from the sky. Each needle was engraved with the face of a Wan Hua Lou disciple, their mournful eyes causing her hand holding the whip to tremble slightly.

Outside the bridge, Yingyi's veins bulged with anxiety, and ice flowers condensed on his cold iron sword. He tried to break the formation with hidden weapons, but all the flying stones turned to dust the moment they touched the barrier. Even more strangely, the Heart-Protecting Pill in his arms began to heat up, and strange runes could be seen appearing on the surface of the pill even through his clothes.

Just as Dongfang Wan'er was about to be engulfed by the illusion, a blue light tore through the blood mist. Yun Yi's jade flute swept across, its clear, melodious sound like a phoenix's cry, and the illusion melted away like spring snow. "I told you, this is just a trial." The young man's voice remained gentle, but when he turned around, Ying Yi clearly saw a blood-red glint flash in his eyes—those were clearly the demonic eyes that only appeared when practicing evil arts.

The glass bridge suddenly trembled violently, and hundreds of skeletons rose from beneath it, their empty eye sockets burning with eerie green flames. Dongfang Wan'er wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and a crimson barrier of red silk danced around her. Gazing at the jade pendant flickering at Yun Yi's waist, she suddenly recalled the Wan Hua Lou secret scroll: Yunlan Valley would appear every hundred years, and each appearance would inevitably unleash a bloodbath upon the martial world...

Ghostly green flames flickered wildly in the skull's eye sockets, and putrid bone claws nearly touched the soft whip around Dongfang Wan'er's neck. The ice blade on Ying Yihan's iron sword shattered continuously; for every skull slain, three more re-condensed from the mist beneath the bridge. The air was thick with the nauseating stench of corpse oil, and black viscous fluid seeped from the glazed tiles under the skulls' trampling, as if the entire bridge had become the flesh and blood of some living thing.

Yun Yi suddenly held the jade flute to his lips, and the patterns on the flute's surface glowed crimson like blood vessels. As the ethereal melody began, the skeletons' movements abruptly froze, and the will-o'-the-wisps in their empty eye sockets began to twist and deform, transforming into terrified human faces. "Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe—" the young man shouted, and the jade flute burst forth with a blinding golden light. The skeleton horde disintegrated inch by inch in the intense light, turning into black smoke that drifted away in the wind.

Dongfang Wan'er's red silk ribbon remained in a defensive posture, while the corpse water dripping from Ying Yi's sword tip corroded a deep pit in the ground. The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously took half a step back—the spell Yun Yi had just used clearly carried the remnants of the Rebirth Sect's "Soul-Capturing Sound," yet the Yunlan Valley emblem on the jade flute left no room for doubt.

"Just a routine trial in the valley." Yun Yi smiled as he tucked the jade flute back into his waistband. A faint scent of blood lingered where his wide sleeves swept across the ground. Ying Yi's pupils constricted sharply. He keenly noticed the faintly visible incantation tattoo behind the boy's ear, which perfectly matched the pattern on the flaming face from before. Just then, blood suddenly seeped from the glazed bricks behind Yun Yi. The crimson blood meandered like a living thing, forming a array. A ferocious six-pointed star appeared at the center of the array, each tip dripping with scalding blood.

"Not good!" Yun Yi's expression changed drastically, and cold sweat seeped from under his jade crown. "This magic array has been activated ahead of schedule. It seems that someone doesn't want us to enter the valley smoothly." Before he finished speaking, the blood array suddenly burst out with a piercing shriek, the bridge trembled violently, and the pillars of fire on both sides reignited. This time, what appeared in the flames were not human faces, but countless upside-down skulls.

Ying Yi leaped onto the bridge's crossbeam, his cold iron sword imbued with full power, aiming for the core of the blood array. However, the blade was repelled by some invisible force. Dongfang Wan'er flicked her soft whip, wrapping it around Yun Yi's wrist. The silver bells on the red silk jingled melodiously, temporarily suppressing the blood array's suction. "You knew this would happen!" she gritted her teeth and roared, only to see Yun Yi's hands flashing, forming hand seals, beads of blood from his fingertips drawing ancient runes in the air.

"Now is not the time for questioning!" A golden mark appeared on Yun Yi's forehead, and his whole body seemed to be enveloped in a halo. "Form the Three Talents Formation!" As soon as he finished speaking, the blood formation suddenly increased threefold, completely enveloping the three of them. Ying Yi felt his internal energy being frantically drained away like water from a burst dam, and the Heart-Protecting Pill in his arms began to heat up, turning into a stream of light and disappearing into the blood formation.