C11 Meeting the Fifth Prince

Baosan didn't share Wei Ying's inclination to look after Wei Lulin, so he felt no obligation to consider Lulin's feelings at the moment. He concentrated on accelerating and deliberately steered clear of the Grade Nine Magical Beast's territory.

In a relatively short time, he had led Wei Lulin beyond the reach of the Grade Nine Magical Beast.

Lulin estimated that at Baosan's current pace, they should manage to make it back to Lindorin Town before nightfall.

With a bit of luck, they might even enjoy a hot meal. Unfortunately, their plans were thwarted. Just as Baosan was exiting the territory of the Grade Nine Magical Beast and about to enter the domain of the Grade Ten Magical Beast, they stumbled upon a group of people.

The group consisted of seven individuals.

Upon seeing them, Baosan's expression turned grim, and he halted in his tracks.

"Fifth Prince, Yao Yafeng!" Baosan said with a heavy tone, eyeing the seven people before him, particularly the young man in his twenties at the center, clad in a purple-gold robe and exuding a remarkable presence.

The Fifth Prince, Yao Yafeng!

Wei Lulin's expression grew somber at the mention of the name.

The surname Yao signified membership in the royal family of Yao Country, and Yao Yafeng was a figure of renown there.

The current king of Yao Country was not a distinguished leader; otherwise, the three great families would not entertain thoughts of rebellion. However, he had two sons with exceptional promise.

Both princes possessed extraordinary cultivation talents, with the Fifth Prince, Yao Yafeng, standing out among them. He boasted a Middle Level Grade Eight cultivation talent, as well as superior intellect and strategic acumen.

In Yao Country, aside from the royal family, there were three major families: the Xie family, the Wei family, and the Jiaang family, ranked by their strength.

While the Yao Country Royal family held the top position among the four major powers, their lead was not pronounced. Of all the benefits in the country, the royal family claimed only thirty percent, with the three great families dividing the remaining sixty percent among themselves.

The Xie family, renowned for their bloodline heritage, commanded nearly twenty-five percent of the benefits. The Wei family, known for their Pill, held twenty percent, and the Jiaang family, celebrated for their weaponry, possessed fifteen percent. The final ten percent was distributed among other significant and minor powers.

The three major families and the Yao Country Royal family were evenly matched in strength, which meant that none could gain a decisive advantage. To vie for more control and dominate the country, the three families engaged in countless covert and overt battles with the royal family, some escalating into large-scale, bloody conflicts. These confrontations ultimately led to severe losses for all involved.

To prevent further damage, the four powers ceased their open confrontations, yet they continued to scheme in the shadows, particularly targeting those with exceptional cultivation talents.

Wei Lulin knew this all too well.

After undergoing the Talent Test and being identified as possessing a High Level Grade Eight cultivation talent, the Wei family patriarch, Wei Bochen, and the family's experts didn't celebrate. Instead, they immediately concealed the news and assigned three Body Refining Stage experts to guard him closely.

Had it not been for the subsequent damage to his meridians that rendered him incapable of cultivating, Wei Lulin might have faced countless assassination attempts over the past year.

Now, having unexpectedly encountered the Fifth Prince and his entourage, Wei Lulin braced himself for an imminent and fierce confrontation.

"The Wei family!" Yao Yafeng, with his striking features, exclaimed with a hint of excitement upon seeing Baosan and Wei Lulin.

"Fifth Prince, this is Baosan from the Wei family's secret guard. He's reached Level Six of the Body Refining Stage and possesses a secret method to enhance his strength. He's not to be underestimated," cautioned Yao Yafeng's guard, sensing his charge's eagerness.

Given Yao Yafeng's esteemed status, the guards could not risk him sustaining any harm, for they knew the consequences would be dire.

"And who is this other individual?" Yao Yafeng inquired, his gaze shifting from Baosan to Wei Lulin, his expression tinged with curiosity.

Baosan, a formidable member of the secret guard, accompanied by an ordinary person in the Endless Forest, was indeed a puzzling sight for Yao Yafeng.

"Fifth Prince, the man is Wei Lulin, a once-in-a-century talent from the Wei family. However, he is now considered a rare 'waste' by the same measure," the guard informed him.

Wei Lulin had become a source of shame for the Wei family, and the royal family would certainly not pass up an opportunity to further disgrace them.

Wei Lulin, their strength is overwhelming. I fear we may have to fight for our lives. Whether we can escape with our lives is now a matter of fate!" Baosan assessed the strength of both parties and realized he stood no chance against them. His only option was to find a way to flee.

"I understand, Baosan. Go ahead and run; don't worry about me." Wei Lulin expressed his understanding of Baosan's decision to leave him behind at such a critical moment, harboring no resentment. In such a life-or-death situation, Baosan was clearly overwhelmed.

"Since they are from the Wei family's secret guard, we'll show no mercy and take them out." Yao Yafeng, noticing Baosan and Wei Lulin whispering, deduced their intent to escape. A glint of cold determination flashed in his eyes as he stepped back and issued the command to kill.

"We need to split up and run!" Baosan yelled, seeing the Yao family's experts draw their weapons. He quickly accelerated toward the edge of the Endless Forest.

Wei Lulin, however, did not follow Baosan. Instead, he turned and headed straight into the territory of the Grade Nine Magical Beast, having his own strategy in mind.

As an ordinary person with no cultivation talent, Wei Lulin knew he couldn't outrun the Yao family's experts, and a confrontation with a Grade Ten Magical Beast would mean certain death.

But heading into the territory of the Grade Nine Magical Beast was a different story. First, as someone unable to cultivate, he posed no threat to Yao Yafeng and his men, who might not risk chasing him into the perilous domain of the Grade Nine Magical Beast.

Second, Baosan had taken the safest route to avoid the beasts when they had previously left the territory. If not for that, they would have surely encountered more of the creatures.

Wei Lulin remembered the route vividly, a possible boon from the heavens to compensate for his damaged meridians.

Moreover, Wei Lulin discovered that since absorbing a new set of memories, his clarity of thought and memory had significantly improved, allowing him to remember anything he saw at a mere glance.

Ultimately, Wei Lulin resolved to go back to the cave of the Sun Opening Fruit Tree to duplicate and apply the Meridian Grass, aiming to advance into the Qi Refining Stage swiftly.

The seasoned warriors from Yao Country were taken aback by the divergent paths chosen by the two individuals, unsure of whom to pursue.

"Forget about that waste of space. Focus on hunting down the Wei family's covert guards," Yao Yafeng commanded, making the call to pursue them with the utmost expediency.