C290 Fallen Star Eyes
The Fallen Star Eyes hung suspended in the sky.
As Yu Yuan drew nearer, he realized that the extraterrestrial aerolite dwarfed the Golden Ship of the Sunblessed Empire by an unimaginable scale.
Standing beneath the Fallen Star Eyes, he craned his neck upwards, only to find the sky completely obscured.
A vast expanse of silvery white filled his vision.
Liu Ying, with her sweet visage, emerged quietly from the Fallen Star Eyes and stood below the silvery-white meteorite, enveloped in dazzling starlight, her smile radiant as she conversed with Wei Feng.
Unseen to Yu Yuan, the heavens above were aglow with stars that seemed to be drawn towards the Fallen Star Eyes, scattering a shower of starlight.
The colossal aerolite drew in the starlight as effortlessly as a sponge soaks up water.
Within the lustrous meteorite, it seemed as though innumerable stars flowed, their light refined by the Fallen Star Eyes into a translucent Star Wall, safeguarding Liu Ying from harm.
Liu Ying's caution stemmed from the fact that Yu Yuan, from his vantage point in the lofty clouds, had used the Fallen Star Eyes to observe Wei Feng and somehow managed to detect her presence.
From her position, she could see Qin Yun, Yan Yu, Ning Ji, and Wei Feng through the Fallen Star Eyes, all of whom appeared completely normal.
Yet, it was Yu Yuan, absorbed in his cultivation with eyes closed, who suddenly became vigilant and turned his gaze towards her.
Between her and Yu Yuan lay an immense expanse of space, undetectable even to Qin Yun, who had reached the Lunar Spirit realm. Was Yu Yuan's reaction merely her own misperception?
But as Yu Yuan's look of surprise intensified, she was convinced that she had been discovered.
It was Yu Yuan's unexpected alertness that left Liu Ying uncertain of his capabilities, prompting her to harness the strange power of the Fallen Star Eyes to fortify her defenses upon landing.
Even as she spoke with Wei Feng, her eyes occasionally darted towards Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan, under her watchful gaze, couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Shortly after descending from the Nimbuswing and parting ways with Bai Shang, Yu Yuan was aware that Yan Qiling had quietly departed.
Yan Qiling had already moved to engage with the Blackfang Legion, seeking an opportune moment during the conflict at Dragon Lake, the Thunder Sect, and Winter's Bite to coordinate a strike with Yu Zhu.
The Fallen Star Eyes, with their boundless applications, hung high in the heavens, overseeing the myriad lives below.
He was convinced that Liu Ying must have realized Yan Qiling was absent when she boldly descended with the Fallen Star Eyes.
Liu Ying, wielding the Fallen Star Eyes, surely knew that only Yan Qiling posed a slight threat to her.
Once Yan Qiling had departed, Liu Ying, realizing her location was compromised, chose to descend through the void, confident in her safety.
Even with Qin Yun present, he would be powerless against her, the bearer of the Fallen Star Eyes.
She extended an invitation to Wei Feng to leave stealthily.
Wei Feng flatly refused.
"Sister, the Starmoon Sect and the Sunblessed Empire have never had dealings before," Liu Ying said, her smile pure and sweet. "Since the Starmoon Sect chose me, the Liu family and I were bound to part ways. The Way of Heaven is merciless. Eventually, I will cast off all ties and achieve greatness within the Starmoon Sect."
"That's why I'm not with them. I can take you away."
Liu Ying's face was a picture of earnest concern.
As she spoke, she descended enveloped in a cascade of brilliant starlight.
Her garments shimmered like willow catkins in the wind, and upon closer inspection, one could see that the colorful ribbons were actually solidified starlight.
She was encased in this radiant starlight, like a transparent pen holder shielding her within.
Beams of brilliant starlight fell from the Fallen Star Eyes atop her head, lighting up the dim realm as if it were broad daylight.
Though Liu Ying was only in the middle period of the Veil Breaking Stage, her descent was akin to a deity gracing the mortal plane.
Her celestial glow, reminiscent of a moon palace fairy, bestowed upon her a halo of sanctity, aloofness, and an ethereal presence.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Wei Feng's face was a mask of ice, unmoved by the entreaty. The black dagger, previously seized by Yu Yuan, was once again clutched in her palm, emanating a captivating glow.
Liu Ying halted her descent, hovering ten meters above the ground, surrounded by resplendent starlight. She gazed at Wei Feng with curiosity and said, "Your Majesty, there are others who yearn for your survival. You're well aware of your own rarity and uniqueness. You were meant to soar beyond this world."
"Shut up!" Wei Feng commanded with an icy tone.
Liu Ying let out a soft sigh, "You possess a talent equal to mine, yet it remains hidden. If your fearsome talent hadn't been discovered by His Majesty, you would still be his cherished niece. Instead, you're someone he guards against, fearing you might one day seek vengeance."
"I told you to shut up!" Wei Feng snapped again, her voice cutting through the air.
Regrettably for Wei Feng, Liu Ying paid no heed to the threat, continuing unabated, "Your unique talent, if taken to the Land of Quiescence, would surely be the center of everyone's attention."
Wei Feng attempted to interrupt a few times, but realizing Liu Ying was paying her no mind, she eventually resigned herself to silence.
Yu Yuan, Qin Yun, and Yan Yu, also under the influence of the Fallen Star Eyes, were utterly perplexed.
Wei Feng had a level of cultivation talent comparable to Liu Ying's?
At Liu Ying's birth, the heavens themselves seemed to tremble, with starlight cascading down as if the cosmos shifted ever so slightly in recognition of her arrival.
It appeared that the Starmoon Sect had foreseen her birth long ago, lying in wait within the Sunblessed Empire for six months.
They were awaiting her arrival.
As soon as she was born, the Starmoon Sect immediately enveloped the Liu family, with whispers that the leader of the Star Sect had secretly traveled from Euwrea to baptize her.
From the outset, the Starmoon Sect regarded her as the next leader of the Star Sect to be nurtured.
Now, even the Fallen Star Eyes were under the Starmoon Sect's control.
Such talent was a rarity in the world.
Wei Feng, on the other hand, practiced the rudimentary spells of the Poison Cult, and her physical development was quite rough. Aside from her decisive and venomous nature, she had not demonstrated any particularly remarkable abilities.
What talent could she possibly have that would place her on the same level as Liu Ying?
Leaving aside Qin Yun and Yan Yu, even Yu Yuan, who had experienced two lifetimes, couldn't discern anything extraordinary about Wei Feng.
In fact, he had scrutinized her closely after capturing her and found nothing out of the ordinary.
He was inwardly astonished as to why Liu Wei, Lei Xiao, Wei Wujiang, and others were so intent on capturing Wei Feng alive and taking her away.
"Why didn't you summon the Fallen Star Eyes earlier?"
Yu Yuan interjected suddenly, "Wei Wujiang was present, as was the elder entwined with seven pythons, not to mention the many strong figures from the Sunblessed Empire. If you had brought out the Fallen Star Eyes then and coordinated an attack with them, the likelihood of success would have been quite high."
Yan Qiling was formidable, but Yu Yuan, familiar with the Fallen Star Eyes, realized that if Liu Ying had called upon this artifact and collaborated with the Sunblessed Empire's experts, Yan Qiling might not have come out on top.
He had this notion that the Fallen Star Eyes could limit Yan Qiling's strange power to invert space, significantly diminishing Yan Qiling's fighting capabilities.
"Your name is Yu Yuan, correct? Wei and Ms. Xu both know you," Liu Ying's eyes sparkled, "I've heard that my good-for-nothing brother, Liu Zaihe, had dealings with you in the Serpent Spine Mountains. My brother has disappeared, yet here you are, alive and well. Can you tell me what became of him?"
"He's dead," Yu Yuan stated plainly.
"Dead? Who killed him?" Liu Ying pressed.
"The Songbird Empire, Chen Qingyan," Yu Yuan replied with a smirk.
At that, Liu Ying's brows knitted together for the first time.
Among the prodigies of the Aetherius Continent, Liu Ying from the Sunblessed Empire was certainly among the elite, easily ranking within the top ten.
Yet, Chen Qingyan of the Songbird Empire, hailing from the continent's most formidable empire, was undoubtedly among the top five, perhaps even the top three!
Chen Qingyan's family, the Chen family, was the preeminent family on the continent.
The woman who mentored Chen Qingyan and the sect she represented were even more formidable than the Starmoon Sect.
Chen Qingyan was rumored to be a once-in-a-millennium swordsmanship prodigy.
Her spirit was clear, capable of communing with various sword spirits, and she possessed an innate, exceptional perceptiveness and extraordinary intuition.
Whether in sensing overarching trends or in combat, she held a distinct edge.
Legend has it that when Chen Qingyan was inducted into the Sword Sect, the sect's ancient and illustrious grand formation began operating on its own.
Within the Sword Cave of the Sword Sect, a myriad of swords seemed to cry out in jubilation, as if to welcome her arrival.
"If she truly is the killer," Liu Ying said with a serene detachment, "then my good-for-nothing brother is dead, and that's that. I'm not pained by his loss; it doesn't concern me."
While speaking, Liu Ying gestured for Yu Yuan to come closer.
Yu Yuan was taken aback.
In the blink of an eye, another radiant barrier from the Fallen Star Eyes cascaded down, enveloping Yu Yuan.
Before Yu Yuan could grasp what was happening, he was overcome with vertigo and whisked into the sky.
Liu Ying watched with a smile, then glanced at Wei Feng before she too returned to the Fallen Star Eyes.
Qin Yun's face twisted with shock. As he tried to rise, an overwhelming force slammed down upon him, pinning him to the ground, rendering him immobile.
Then, without a sound, the Fallen Star Eyes ascended once more into the heavens.
Qin Yun, Yan Yu, Ning Ji, and Wei Feng could do nothing but watch in frustration.
"Why would Liu Ying coerce Yu Yuan into the sky?" Ning Ji asked urgently.
"I'm not sure," Wei Feng replied, shaking her head in bewilderment.
Yan Yu called out desperately, "Yan Qiling, where are you?"