C289 Open the Third Eye!

In the tranquil forest, Yu Yuan sat in solitude in a secluded spot, connecting with Yu Zhu through his heaven soul. At his behest, Yu Zhu was likely observing the celestial battle from her vantage point in the war zone. She was naturally suited to that region, able to harness every blade of grass, tree, and the mist-enshrouded marshes to her advantage. It was her harmony with the Way of Heaven in that locale that prompted Yu Yuan to bring her from Gloomhollow and settle her in that foreign land. Her boldness in making grand claims and challenging the Su family to cultivate exotic flora was also a testament to her presence.

The moon shone brightly, casting a pristine glow, while stars twinkled in the vast night sky. Yu Yuan was deeply engrossed in the wondrous realm of Soul Forging through Enlightenment, his thoughts flitting as he attempted to trace the special "line" to perceive Yu Zhu's aura. Yet, having not attained the state of Subtlety, his spiritual sense was unrefined, and his remnant soul could not extend outward. It was the assistance from the singular space beneath the Soulforge Pool that enabled his thoughts to resonate with his surroundings.

Whenever he practiced Soul Forging through Enlightenment with his heaven soul or used it to sense other entities, he could acutely detect the presence of the phrase "To Know All is to Suffer All" inscribed in ancient black script, suspended at the base of the Soulforge Pool. This occasion was no different.

As his fleeting thoughts neared the brink of connection with Yu Zhu, Yu Yuan's brow subtly twitched. Opening his eyes, he fixed his gaze upon an inconspicuous star amidst the night sky. Among the array of dazzling stars, the one he observed was neither the brightest nor the largest. Yet, while engaging with the Soul Forging through Enlightenment and reaching out with his heaven soul, he experienced an eerie sensation of being watched. The source of this feeling was the unremarkable star that flickered intermittently, much like a human blinking.

"Strange..." Yu Yuan muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he intently watched the star that seemed impossibly distant.

Suddenly, Yu Yuan's mind was jolted, and a vague phantom in his consciousness snapped into sharp clarity. This phantom was none other than his heaven soul, which had been progressively refined by the Soul Forging through Enlightenment.

The ethereal and indistinct heaven soul, for reasons unknown, seemed to be suffused with an external remnant soul, rapidly gaining clarity. The myriad threads comprising the heaven soul sparkled with the lucid glow of wisdom.

Yu Yuan, gazing skyward, had a deeper darkness shimmering in the depths of his somber eyes. Within those depths, four tiny black dots, the size of grains of rice, emerged mysteriously.

Were these four black dots to be magnified a millionfold, one would discern that they were the ancient black characters floating in the singular space at the bottom of the Soulforge Pool: Wisdom, Extreme, Necessity, Destruction. Each character was akin to an entire world!

In that moment, the four ancient black characters in the singular space deep within the Moonfall Sanctuary seemed to cast their psionic power onto the Soul Power within Yu Yuan's eyes as he visualized them, bestowing upon him a profound ability.

A thought suddenly sparked in Yu Yuan's mind, branding itself into the recesses of his earthly soul. "Open the Third Eye!" he commanded.

Instantly, the four black dots within Yu Yuan's eyes swelled. They became like four dark suns, merging into his gaze. Concurrently, the inconspicuous star Yu Yuan was intently observing began to magnify. It was as if an unseen force was drawing it closer, making its true nature visible to him.

It was no star at all! The seemingly ordinary and dim "star" was, in fact, a colossal silver meteorite, strikingly similar to those he had encountered in the Moonfall Sanctuary, easily identifiable at a glance. The sole distinction was that this massive meteorite in the heavens occasionally burst forth with dazzling starlight. Within it, a powerful stellar brilliance pulsed, like the breath of a living being.

A motionless, star-like meteorite hung mysteriously in the night sky, resembling an eye that sporadically opened, scrutinizing him...

Deep in the forest, Yu Yuan's eyes shone with an eerie blackness, his expression dark and foreboding. A memory surfaced: the Fallen Star Eyes, the revered treasure of the Starmoon Sect, one of the seven great lower sects of Euwrea. This treasure had its origins in the Moonfall Sanctuary, a remarkably peculiar aerolite that had descended from the extraterrestrial realm.

This meteorite was acquired by a formidable member of the Starmoon Sect. After being transported from the Moonfall Sanctuary, it underwent meticulous smelting by the sect's skilled forgers over several decades. Infused with a hundred metals and the essence of celestial bodies, it was ultimately forged into the Fallen Star Eyes.

The Fallen Star Eyes are revered as a heavenly ninth-level artifact, believed to have the potential to ascend to the divine realm. Its designation as a heavenly artifact stems from its unique ability to see beneath the earth, akin to the watchful eyes of the stars in the heavens.

In addition to its ability to observe scenes from millions of miles away, the Fallen Star Eyes can also mask the bearer's presence, making them seem as if they have vanished into the cosmos. Those who wield the Fallen Star Eyes can traverse the void at enigmatic speeds.

Legend has it that the Fallen Star Eyes can even transport a cultivator through the vast barriers of the Everlands and into the frigid, desolate realms beyond the Star River.

Among the myriad wonders of the Everlands, the Fallen Star Eyes of the Starmoon Sect are particularly renowned. However, this artifact is primarily for reconnaissance, concealment, and flight, lacking formidable offensive capabilities. Hence, it is acknowledged as a heavenly ninth-level artifact.

As if responding to his prolonged gaze, a figure emerged from beneath a stone on the peculiar aerolite—a sweet-looking young girl. Yu Yuan, with his exceptional memory, vividly recalled seeing her before on the Golden Ship.

The girl, reminiscent of a celestial maiden from the Moon Palace, stood solitary upon the aerolite, as if peering down upon the mortal realm from beyond the Nine Heavens. Her appearance was met with astonishment by those in the world below.

She blinked in bewilderment, her star-like eyes brimming with wonder. Suddenly, the aerolite, previously distant in the heavens, began plummeting toward Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan was momentarily dazed, and the state of "Opening the Third Eye" that he had been sustaining vanished. When he looked again, he witnessed a meteor descending from the sky.

"Soul Forging through Enlightenment allows me to open the Third Eye by utilizing the four ancient black characters within the singular space under specific conditions," Yu Yuan mused, a sense of elation washing over him. He realized that as his heaven soul's cultivation deepened, the enigmatic "Soul Forging through Enlightenment" was beginning to unveil its remarkable secrets.

Upon activating his Third Eye, he astonishingly perceived a meteor beyond the Nine Heavens, and there was someone on it!

"Eh!"

Qin Yun appeared from several hundred meters away amid exclamations.

Standing beside Yu Yuan, they both gazed at the meteor streaking towards them. Qin Yun mused, "Why would there be a meteor seemingly targeting us?"

Even for a seasoned practitioner like Qin Yun, who had reached the late stages of the Lunar Spirit, it was impossible to discern anything unless the Lunar Spirit had departed their body and they had scrutinized it closely.

"There's someone on that meteorite."

Yu Yuan inhaled sharply, "A young girl. She was aboard the Golden Ship! If I'm not mistaken, that aerolite might be..."

"The Starmoon Sect's revered treasure—the Fallen Star Eyes," Wei Feng interjected.

Yu Yuan gave her a nod of acknowledgment, "Yes, it's likely the Fallen Star Eyes."

"What?" Yan Yu's face drained of color, "How could the Starmoon Sect's treasured artifact appear here? To my knowledge, the Fallen Star Eyes are exceedingly rare. It's improbable that the Starmoon Sect would misplace it."

"The Fallen Star Eyes naturally find their way to the deserving," Wei Feng replied with composure. "How did you manage to detect the Fallen Star Eyes? At night, it blends with the stars, eluding even the God of Ghosts. Regardless of your level, even those in the Spirit Walk would struggle to find it without their Lunar Spirit venturing deep into the cloud heights."

The lofty heavens brimmed with perilous and bizarre forces, constraining even a Lunar Spirit like Qin Yun.

Only those truly in the Spirit Walk realm could traverse the high reaches of the cloud depths.

"Who is the girl?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Her name is Liu Ying," Wei Feng said, her expression growing somber. "She was once my dearest friend."

"It's her, that explains it. She alone would be favored by the Starmoon Sect to wield the Fallen Star Eyes," Yan Yu had an epiphany, "I never expected her to be on the Golden Ship. I've only ever heard her name, never having met her in person."

"She's arrived," Qin Yun whispered.

One by one, everyone looked up, eager to catch a glimpse of the girl from the Liu family, whom the Starmoon Sect considered their most precious gem, arriving with the Fallen Star Eyes and wondering what she intended to do.

"With the Fallen Star Eyes in her possession, she'll be just fine," Yan Yu remarked, her face awash with envy. "The Golden Ship may be valuable, but it pales in comparison to the Fallen Star Eyes. The ninth level heavenly Fallen Star Eyes are the Starmoon Sect's most prized treasure, far surpassing the Sunblessed Empire's Golden Ship."

With a whoosh, a silver aerolite, massive as a mountain range, suddenly decelerated and came to a gentle halt.

Liu Ying, with her sweet demeanor, poked her head out from the aerolite and, with a playful giggle, said to Wei Feng, "Sister, I can whisk you away in secret if you're willing."

"There's no need," Wei Feng declined crisply.

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