C1420 Years of Companions

With a whoosh, Yu Yuan materialized on the Phoenix Feather Fan, a smile breaking across his face as he glanced at Qi Nandou.

A shiver ran down Qi Nandou's spine, and he involuntarily shuffled backward.

"Are you scared of me as well?" Yu Yuan chuckled.

"On that treasured ship, you..."

Struggling to maintain a smile, Qi Nandou spoke with a forced casualness, "It seems you're not worried about being marked. But I, being from the Skyblight Cult, fear drawing Mr. Yun's attention."

Prompted by Hou Tianzhao's warning, he too had sensed the presence of unseen 'eyes' quietly observing this stretch of sea.

A brief reflection led him to suspect the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, or the powerhouses of the Ruby Hand.

As a Skyblight Cult disciple, he needed to be cautious under such scrutiny, preferring not to entangle himself too deeply with Yu Yuan.

After all, Mr. Yun was known for his pettiness.

And, due to certain events, he was not exactly Mr. Yun's favorite.

For his own sake, as well as that of his seniors, he had to tread carefully.

"You killed Lee Tihai, who belonged to our Skyblight Cult. And I am still in training there. I trust you understand my predicament," Qi Nandou sighed.

On the fan, many young dark disciples watched Yu Yuan with a mix of fear and admiration.

Yet now, they were noticeably quieter, no longer boisterous.

It was Qi Nandou's words, along with the deaths of Lee Tihai and others, that had sobered them.

"I see," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a nod, turning to Hou Tianzhao. "I have a few questions for you. What do you say?"

Hou Tianzhao, portly and wide-eared, didn't respond immediately, instead casting his gaze skyward.

His eyes flickered with meaningful flames, betraying his apprehension.

"You're thinking too much," Yu Yuan remarked, somewhat taken aback by Hou Tianzhao's demeanor. "Rest assured, for a good while, those venerable figures atop the Holy Mountain won't bother me."

Hou Tianzhao immediately felt much more relieved. Then he whispered, "Are you really watching me?"

"Now, I suppose it doesn't matter anymore." Yu Yuan responded with composure, "Can we step aside for a private word?"

"Sure!"

The Phoenix Feather Fan remained untouched where it was, as Hou Tianzhao rose and flew out. He and Yu Yuan together plunged into the depths of the sea, reaching dozens of fathoms below in an instant.

A ring of luminescent white light emanated from the Dragon Slaying Stage, enveloping both him and Yu Yuan.

"Even a primordial spirit or a Dark Deity would find it difficult to eavesdrop on our conversation," Yu Yuan confidently explained, gesturing to the glowing barrier. "Of course, they could break through this wall, but in the instant they do, I would be alerted and sense it."

Hou Tianzhao's demeanor visibly relaxed at his assurance.

The next moment, he swung his hefty fist, striking Yu Yuan's chest with considerable force.

Boom!

Spiritual energy and a spray of blood light burst forth. Hou Tianzhao, his fist nearly fractured, grimaced and yelped in pain.

"Damn! The Evil Body Refining technique you've mastered is truly fearsome! It's only been a few decades, how did you turn into such a behemoth? Junior Sister Yuan and Master Fang, when they spoke of your exploits, I was skeptical at first!"

"Now..."

While wincing in pain, he channeled his fiery fury, his palm swirling with billowing clouds of fire, and he launched another punch.

Boom!

A titanic force, laden with explosive fire energy, morphed into six streams of fiery light, surging straight for Yu Yuan's chest.

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

The six streams of fiery light burst like a series of infernal tempests beneath Yu Yuan's skin.

After being rocked by six successive shocks, Yu Yuan simply smiled and nodded, "Now you're putting some muscle into it."

Hou Tianzhao, a practitioner of the Spirit Walk Realm, found it challenging to rattle Yu Yuan's formidable physique, even when wielding fire magic, vital energy, and Soul Power.

The six fiery blasts detonated in his chest, merely causing his internal organs and sternum to shudder six times without fracturing, leaving him unscathed.

"When I saw you slay Lee Tihai with such ease, I realized your true combat strength must far exceed your apparent level," Hou Tianzhao admitted candidly.

If it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have resorted to the Ruby Hand's "flame explosion" dark arts, nor would they have imbued their punch with six different flame attributes. But having seen with his own eyes how effortlessly Yu Yuan had dispatched Lee Tihai, who was in the middle period of the Solar Spirit Realm, he was convinced that Yu Yuan could easily handle him.

"Ah, I still can't gauge the true extent of your strength," Hou Tianzhao said, shaking his head in dejection as he watched the fiery punch. "Come on, indulge me. Just how powerful are you now?"

"Do you really want to know?" Yu Yuan asked with a smile.

Hou Tianzhao eagerly nodded.

"Well, my Solar Spirit is somewhat unique, as you may know. To give you an idea, my Solar Spirit alone is on par with a ninth-level Monster Lord. Yes, I'd say the majority of ninth-level Otherkin warriors from the extraterrestrial realms wouldn't stand a chance against my Solar Spirit," Yu Yuan explained, his smile widening. "And that's without factoring in the Dragon Slaying Stage or the Crucible of Evil, not to mention my real body."

"You're not joking? By that logic, even a cultivator from the Everlands at the Unbound Realm wouldn't be able to touch you?" Hou Tianzhao was astounded.

"Pretty much. So forget Lee Tihai; even if Yun Hao himself showed up, he wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me."

Yu Yuan rubbed the corner of his eye and looked in the direction of the Skyblight Cult and Terror Claws. "Yun Hao's Skytaint Orb is also suppressed by my Crucible of Evil. If he were to face me wielding the Skytaint Orb, with no external forces intervening, I could defeat him and force him to flee in disgrace!"

He spoke with overwhelming confidence and authority, bolstered by his trials beyond the stars and the evolution of his Solar Spirit. Yun Hao was no longer a concern to him.

"As for Yun Hao, White Bone won't let him off easily. I have no interest in seeking him out for a confrontation. As long as he doesn't foolishly provoke me, I'll leave him be." After a brief explanation, Yu Yuan shifted the conversation, "How's Yuanyuan doing? She interacted with me quite a bit while in Brugeth. Has anyone been causing her trouble?"

"I knew you were going to ask that," Hou Tianzhao said with a laugh. "The thing you were concerned about did happen. Thankfully, our Ruby Hand has grown stronger than before, and our Sect Master has a firm resolve, managing to quell the dissenting voices. The Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep don't want to upset us over such a trivial issue, fearing it might cause resentment, so..."

He trailed off, but Yu Yuan understood the implications. Given the complex situation in the Everlands and the advancement of the Ruby Hand's sect master to a primordial spirit, they feared pushing the issue might provoke a rebellious spirit within the Ruby Hand. So, they chose to join forces with the Boulderdawn Sect and the merchants instead.

"I'm relieved she's alright. How is she doing?"

Yu Yuan and Hou Tianzhao went on to discuss Yuan Lianyao, Faang Yao, and Zhou Cangmin, as well as the Hellbreed. They were aware that Yuan Lianyao's Solar Spirit was undergoing refinement once more.

After trading the solar nucleus with Yuan Lianyao, the Hellbreed set out to find a breakthrough to the Unbound Realm.

Zhou Cangmin truly was an extraordinary talent. Shortly after his return to the Ruby Hand, he achieved multiple breakthroughs in his cultivation. Now, he was on the cusp of entering the Unbound Realm, which seemed to be beckoning him.

"The Hellbreed is eager to meet with you. But there are many inconveniences when it comes to traveling to the Extraterrestrial World," Hou Tianzhao finally added.

"I'll head to the Frozen Hellscape. Send him a message. If he wishes to meet, he can come to the Frozen Hellscape discreetly," Yu Yuan responded.

Back in the Moonfall Sanctuary, Yu Yuan and Zhou Cangmin had hit it off right from the start. At that time, Yu Yuan had not yet revealed his identity as the God of Medicine, Hong Qi, and Zhou Cangmin was unaware of the many secrets he harbored. Zhou Cangmin had since taken both the Yuan and Yu families under his wing.

Yu Yuan had always remembered Zhou Cangmin's kindness. He later casually shared the marvels of the Extraterrestrial World and his various experiences, which left Hou Tianzhao longing to refine his own Solar Spirit as soon as possible.

Before parting, he learned the precise location of the Frozen Hellscape from Hou Tianzhao.

He soared directly from beneath the sea.

After returning to the Phoenix Feather Fan, Hou Tianzhao remained in a state of shock. When Qi Nandou and the dark disciples from the Land of Quiescence questioned him, he was unresponsive for quite some time.

"Tianzhao!"

"Brother Hou!"

It took him a good while to snap out of his daze from their calls.

"Everyone, focus on your cultivation and strive to reach the Solar Spirit Realm as soon as you can!"

Hou Tianzhao inhaled deeply, his face alight with longing, and declared, "The dawn of this new era is ripe with opportunities. Our generation will see the rise of many Solar Spirits and a good number of Unbounds. We must venture out and see the world beyond; it's far more thrilling and splendid than the Everlands!"

"You haven't been indoctrinated by him, have you?" Qi Nandou asked, astonished.

"Ha! We need to step up our game and not be left in the dust!"

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