C1217 He Was Set on Fire

Yu Yuan clearly saw the fear and unease in the eyes of his peers and immediately deduced that his and Chen Qinghuang's disappearance from the Dim Starfield had become an open secret. This included the imminent rebirth of the Secular Bird from within Chen Qinghuang. A sense of calm washed over Yu Yuan.

He turned to Elena, who was standing at the cabin entrance, and said with a smile, "Stay there."

Elena looked puzzled.

Yu Yuan took a deep breath, his stature rising slightly. He soared above the water screen set up by Li Xin, darting through the air before descending onto the fragmented earth. The Yang God Stage experts on the ground looked on in shock.

Cao Jiaze's brow furrowed as he gave the damaged ship another probing glance. Despite using his spiritual weapon to investigate, he couldn't discern what lay hidden within the cabin. Was Chen Qinghuang there? In what condition? He had no idea.

With a thought, four resplendent palaces descended, settling on the four corners of the fractured earth. Cao Jiaze, uncertain of the warship's interior, signaled Jiang Xingwen and Weixian with a shake of his head to refrain from any hasty actions.

"Yu Yuan, is the Empress of the Luan Bird Empire the Secular Bird?" Cao Jiaze turned, reassuring Li Xin not to worry. He then flew toward the broken ground but didn't land. Instead, he entered one of the palaces and spoke with the ease of friends chatting, "You might not be aware, but recently, two nests of the Secular Bird were discovered in the Boundless Land—one of Destruction and one of Regeneration."

He fixed his gaze on Yu Yuan's eyes, which were devoid of any disturbance, their tranquility almost oppressive.

"It seems you have a deeper understanding of the races from the outer realms than most," Yu Yuan said coolly, nodding earnestly. "Indeed, it's not that the Secular Bird is on the verge of regenerating from within her. Rather, the moment she appeared in the Boundless Land, the Secular Bird's regeneration was already complete."

After receiving a positive response, the Yang Gods in attendance instinctively turned their gaze toward the ship.

"Did she suffer a heavy blow from the Blood Devil Clan in the Dim Starfield?" inquired Weixian of the Cold Yin Sect, his laugh tinged with malice. "I bet even if she's really in the cabin, she wouldn't have much fight left in her. Don't be scared, everyone. This kid loves to bluff. If the Secular Bird were truly formidable, she would have made her presence known by now."

As soon as he finished, cultivators like Jiang Xingwen, who had long harbored resentment towards Yu Yuan, glowered menacingly.

"Cao Jiaze, I want him," Yu Yuan declared, extending his hand as though he hadn't heard Weixian's comment or seen the hostility in the eyes of Jiang Xingwen and the others. He pointed decisively at Chu Yao, the "Little Medicine God," and stated in an uncompromising tone, "He stays, and I'll show you a clear path."

Chu Yao looked up sharply, his face a portrait of anxiety and discomfort. Surrounded by the crowd, he felt no sense of security and instinctively sought Cao Jiaze's protection.

"That's not going to happen," Cao Jiaze replied crisply, with no intention of bargaining. "Yu Yuan, or Senior Hong if you prefer, I will not hand over my companions to you, no matter your confidence or plans. I'm not interested in your grievances or history, but you'll never take anyone from me."

Gratitude shone in Chu Yao's eyes.

Li Xin, Jiang Xingwen, and the other cultivators silently nodded, reassured that their allegiance was well placed.

Had it been Xu Jingyao of the Primordial Yang Sect, his resolve might not have been as steadfast. Faced with a tangible threat, the outcome could have been quite different.

"Is that your stance?" Yu Yuan asked earnestly.

"It's my decision," Cao Jiaze affirmed.

"Very well," Yu Yuan nodded, observing Chu Yao's evasive gaze and Jiang Xingwen's ferocious demeanor, as if she were ready to leap into battle. He smirked coldly. "Fools blinded by the insincere affections of Mingdu City, still trapped in their delusional love, yet they manage to cultivate into Yang Gods," he said, shaking his head with a hint of worry. "Su Yan, I truly worry for you if you're to be taught by such a fool."

"Shut up! What right do you, a colossal traitor, have to judge me?" Jiang Xingwen seethed with anger.

Cao Jiaze was filled with doubt, struggling to comprehend Yu Yuan's actions. He couldn't fathom why Yu Yuan had abandoned the battleship to land on this shattered expanse of earth.

"Yu Yuan!"

Beneath the stationary battleship, the Asura girl Elena's face suddenly took on an expression of urgency.

"A War Drum?" Yu Yuan inquired with a smile.

Elena trembled and then nodded vigorously. "They're closing in!"

The Asura Clan's quasi-relic, the "Blood Boiling War Drum," along with an entire legion of Asuras, was already en route. The one commanding the war drum was at least a Ninth Level Bloodline Platinum Asura.

This was the very legion Yu Yuan had gone to great lengths to avoid, but now...

"Don't worry, we didn't draw them here," Yu Yuan said sarcastically, glancing at the four palaces that sparkled with dazzling brilliance in the void.

Cao Jiaze could never have imagined that, in addition to an Asura army, there were also members of the Star Race nearby.

Beru, Gheirat, and Leo were among them.

His information was outdated; he had assumed that the Star Race's three key figures were still advancing toward the Epitaxial Realm.

Yu Yuan's emergence and his desire to protect Li Xin had made the grand palaces he summoned far too conspicuous. They were bound to attract the Asura army and figures like Beru and Leo.

"Are you prepared for battle?"

Yu Yuan looked at Cao Jiaze with a smile, his gaze sweeping the area before offering a piece of advice: "Do your best to send out a message, advising your Unrestrained Stage cultivators to change course. The Epitaxial Realm? Heh, there's no longer any need to go there, because Xu Jingyao will be joining us."

"You?!" Li Xin exclaimed, startled.

"Yes, I'm aware," Yu Yuan replied, unfazed.

He had a last-minute change of heart.

Due to Chu Yao's involvement, Cao Jiaze's assembly, and the revealing of their location by the Heaven Palace Seal, he figured that since things had escalated, he might as well stir up even more trouble.

If the human practitioners bore no ill will against Chen Qinghuang, they wouldn't be able to rouse her from her slumber.

Then, they would have to contend with the non-humans.

With Chen Qinghuang's demigod-level power, she would be invincible in the Illusion Starfield as long as she awoke at the pivotal moment.

"Prepare for battle? Against whom?" Cao Jiaze sensed trouble brewing.

"A formidable Asura army, wielding the Quasi-Sacred Bloodthirsty War Drum. I've been steering clear of them, not wanting to engage, but your Heaven Palace Seal drew their attention," Yu Yuan said with a sly smirk. "They're also after Leo, Beru, and Gheirat—the ruler of this realm—whom you sought to ambush in the Epitaxial Realm."

Cao Jiaze's eyes darkened instantly.

The Yang God experts from the Boundless Land were visibly shaken by his revelation.

Leo, Beru, and Gheirat were supposed to be in the Epitaxial Realm, weren't they? Why was there an Asura army in the vicinity as well?

Despair gripped their hearts.

"A traitor is always a traitor!"

Jiang Xingwen's voice was icy as she fixed her gaze on Yu Yuan, forgetting the aid he once provided her in Horror Land. "He's aligned with the Star Race! They've conspired with the Divine Soul Sect, and Beru has even been to the Boundless Land, tainted by their collusion!"

"Instead of casting aspersions, perhaps you should consider how to confront the Asura army that's on its way," Yu Yuan retorted.

"The Asura King Sabonis was gravely wounded by the Divine Soul Sect in the Plover Realm. What advantage do you expect to gain if the Asura arrive?" Cao Jiaze inquired, puzzled.

"I may not gain any advantage, but it's unlikely those Asura guests can do much against me," Yu Yuan said with a smile. "You, on the other hand, are numerous and a more conspicuous target. I suspect you'll be their primary focus."

"That's self-defeating," Cao Jiaze said with a frown.

"I'm fine with that."

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