C1745 Three Consecutive Questions

An extremely cold ice flower seemed to bloom between Jee Ningshuang's eyebrows.

The area was inherently frigid. When she posed her question, Yu Yuan felt an even more chilling coldness, causing his smile to freeze on his face.

"She only wants to kill me now," Yu Yuan quickly clarified.

"I'm quite surprised she's still alive. I didn't expect the Demon Phoenix to take an interest in her," Jee Ningshuang hummed softly. With a flick of her Divine Sword, a dazzling sea of starlight emerged. "Why would the Demon Phoenix dare to strike at me?"

Behind her stood Lin Daoke and Han Miaoyuan, embodying the pinnacle of the Boundless Human Race's combat strength, surpassing even the Demon Palace.

"According to Han Miaoyuan, the Demon Phoenix will ultimately oppose all sentient beings, including our Boundless Human Race," Yu Yuan succinctly relayed the situation, informing the lady beside him that the Demon Phoenix, in its quest for the Origin Blood, needed the power of extreme cold and thus sought out Lim Zhuyun.

Lim Zhuyun appeared to be willing to obey the Demon Phoenix.

Yet, the icy divine authority of the vast cosmos was currently in Jee Ningshuang's hands, and the Demon Phoenix had no choice but to attempt to kill her to assist Lim Zhuyun in ascending to divinity.

For this purpose, the Demon Phoenix was willing to incur the wrath of Han Miaoyuan and Lin Daoke, unafraid of confronting the Boundless Human Race.

After all, if the Demon Phoenix could extinguish the Yang Meridian and enable the bloodlines of numerous alien beasts to break through to the Tenth Level, the power at her disposal would surge dramatically.

With such might, she would have no fear of the Boundless Human Race.

Additionally, Yu Yuan was uncertain whether anyone from the Divine Soul Sect aspired to create a new divine seat, such as Taishi or Tianqi.

To prevent any Divine Kings with lingering regrets from targeting Jee Ningshuang, Yu Yuan decided to summon her to the Gray Domain.

Now under Yu Yuan's dominion, the Gray Domain was a sanctuary where Jee Ningshuang could stay safe. Any threat against her within its bounds would be immediately detected by Yu Yuan.

With the Heaven Opening Flare Star and the Dragon Slash Platform at his disposal, he could offer instant aid.

He could also command Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie within the Gray Domain, and perhaps even enlist the help of the Chaos Roc and the Abyss Goanna. With such forces at his command, no one could successfully assassinate Jee Ningshuang in the Gray Domain.

In the Gray Domain, there lurks a beast known as the ground beetle, shrouded in the mysteries of the cosmos.

Yu Yuan suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering something important. "It's a juvenile creature. You might want to try and make contact with it, see if you can glean a deeper understanding of the stellar intricacies through it."

"The ground beetle!" Jee Ningshuang's eyes sparkled with excitement.

As a practitioner of the Starfrost Sword, she had come across a description of the ground beetle in an ancient scroll she'd acquired from the Babel Chamber of Commerce. The texts claimed that this colossal beast was innately connected to the stars.

The literature had led her to believe that the ground beetle had perished in the brutal infighting among its kind, and that such an alien beast no longer existed in the world.

To her surprise, a youngling was still alive, covertly growing to maturity in a hidden corner of the Gray Domain.

"Oh, and another thing!" Yu Yuan exclaimed. "Deep within the heart of the Cold Domain Bear pulses an essence of the extreme cold from the Origin Blood Continent. I have a feeling that if it could evolve to the Tenth Level, it would unveil a completely new Ice Dao Principle!"

"Origin Blood, extreme cold," Jee Ningshuang mused. "But it seems that an alien beast can't break through to the Tenth Level. I've never heard of any alien beast undergoing such a transformation."

"My Yang God is in the Gray Domain right now, attempting just that," Yu Yuan declared with a hint of pride.

Jee Ningshuang gazed at him intently and nodded, affirming, "You're always brimming with innovative ideas, and you have the courage to pioneer new paths. I believe that if anyone can achieve this feat, it's you."

Despite Yu Yuan's ascension to one of the exalted ranks of the Boundless Human Race, in Jee Ningshuang's eyes, he remained capable of the impossible.

Her faith in Yu Yuan was unwavering.

"There's a girl named Elena," she shifted the subject, her lips curving into a delightful arc.

Yu Yuan gave an embarrassed chuckle, "What about her?"

"It's nothing serious. She could have met her end in the Dark Domain, but I rescued her and helped her escape from there," Jee Ningshuang said with a roll of her eyes and a playful huff, "She's quite scared of me, thinking I might have taken her life."

"Elena..."

Memories flooded Yu Yuan's mind as he remembered his fleeting encounters with the Asura girl. Back then, he had just ventured into the outer realms, a time marked by his recklessness.

"It's a relief that she's unharmed. The deaths of the Asura King and Alonso shouldn't involve her."

Realizing that Elena was still alive and had been escorted out of the Dark Domain by Jee Ningshuang, Yu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "I have no romantic ties with her."

"What about the Secular Bird Queen?"

"And Yuan Lianyao?"

"What's the deal with Lau Ying?"

Jee Ningshuang fired off three questions consecutively.

"Uh..."

At a loss for words, Yu Yuan avoided the reproachful gaze of the beauty beside him and massaged his temples. "Here's the thing, after my reincarnation, I didn't immediately recover my past life's memories. I was unaware that I was Hong Qi, and I had forgotten most of what happened three hundred years ago."

"So, by the time I remembered who I was, it turns out I had a few too many close female friends."

"Also, there's nothing between Lau Ying and me. I see her as a little sister, not in the way you're thinking."

"..."

He nervously concocted a story.

Jee Ningshuang watched him with an amused smile, not interrupting his ramblings. She seemed to find this version of him quite entertaining, a stark contrast to the once cold and emotionally guarded Hong Qi. He was now far more endearing.

...

Boundless Human Race, Sword Sect.

Upon his return from the outer realms, Zu Ann didn't head back to Ascension Peak but instead made his way here, seeking out Du Yuan, who remained deeply respected despite his fall from grace.

"Elder Zu."

The venerable Du Yuan, his hair white as snow, bowed to the vibrant Zu Ann. Standing together, Du Yuan's age seemed to press upon him, as if he were on the brink of death.

Zu Ann, however, radiated a youthful vigor, appearing even more youthful and handsome than before, as if he had been reborn.

"Release them," Zu Ann commanded.

"I've already released them."

With a look of bitterness, Du Yuan gestured toward the mountain resembling a honeycomb and spoke to Zu Ann, "We're no longer permitted to detain the Spiritual Swords and Divine Swords within the Sword Cave. Once the seals were lifted, members from the Ancient Desolate Sect, Silver Moon Sect, and Blood God Cult departed from the Sword Cave."

"I'm well aware of that."

Zu Ann nodded, his knowledge courtesy of the Skywatch Mirror. Before leaving the vast expanse, he had already learned that Tan Yuan, Yu Ying, and the other Yang God Stage cultivators had been rescued. "I'm referring to Duan Yihong, whom you've captured in the Outer Sword Prison, and the likes of Zhongli, who are Unrestrained Stage cultivators."

"This..."

A look of difficulty crossed Du Yuan's face as he replied with a heavy heart, "Elder Zu, please forgive me, but that's beyond my capabilities. The newly established Outer Sword Prison isn't under my watch, and it's constantly shifting, so I can't pinpoint its exact location. All I can assure you is that those imprisoned there are not in mortal danger."

"We'll address this after our Sect Master in the Plover Realm issues new directives, shall we?"

Qin Luo had already informed the Sword Sect, Primordial Yang Sect, and Profound Sky Sect that the duel between Han Miaoyuan and Yu Yuan had ended without a victor.

Han Miaoyuan had other matters to attend to and thus departed from the battle, his whereabouts currently unknown.

Qin Luo was cryptic, but Du Yuan, a veteran of the Sword Sect, had a hunch that the Outer Sword Prison battle between Han Miaoyuan and Yu Yuan had ceased due to Han Miaoyuan's evasion.

The implications of Han Miaoyuan's reluctance to fight to the death were clear to Du Yuan.

"I know the location of the new Sword Prison," Zu Ann declared.

Given that he could observe any cultivator or formidable demon through the Skywatch Mirror, the new Sword Prison, no matter how it moved, could not elude his sight.

"Old Ancestor, please don't put me in a difficult position. I truly lack the means to assist," Du Yuan implored, hands clasped in a gesture of respect.

"Very well, I've given you notice. If you're unwilling to release them, perhaps someone else will shatter the Outer Sword Prison once again." With that, Zu Ann drifted away.

Du Yuan was momentarily stunned before he quickly used a secret method to communicate Zu Ann's purpose.

...

In the Epitaxial Realm.

Beru, Leo, and Gheirat, three Ninth Level powerhouses of the Star Race, had escorted Denise back to the entrance of the tunnel leading underground.

"No."

Leo extended his hand, capturing the twinkling starlight that floated up from below, which settled on his Life Altar. "The will of the Yin Meridian has vanished from the tributaries beneath us."

He turned to Denise and inquired, "Can you still sense it?"

Denise, appearing distant and disoriented, shook her head, "It's as if it suddenly disappeared. Even when I reach out with my soul, I can't find any trace of it."

She hesitated, then asked in a low voice, "I'll be okay, won't I?"

"You're merely a vessel for delivering messages; what could possibly happen to you? Consider it a deception by a vast evil spirit and don't overthink it," Beru reassured her, before adding, "We intended to visit the Plover Realm to properly express our gratitude to the Divine Soul Sect. Without Yu Yuan's assistance, we might have all perished in the Gray Domain."

"Indeed," Gheirat reflected.

"In that case, do me a small favor."

A rich, velvety voice wafted from the cave as a new will infused itself into the subterranean Yin Meridian.

"Master Shehun!"

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