C291 Under the Sky
Yan Yu's cries failed to summon a response from Yan Qiling.
Qin Yun's brow furrowed as he gazed up at the Fallen Star Eyes, now just a speck in the sky, and said with resignation, "This meteorite is beyond our reach, high in the heavens."
Not even the Divine Might Empire's gilded treasure ship could ascend to such heights.
Only a grand practitioner at the Soul Wandering Stage, journeying with their Yin God, might venture deep into the clouds.
"Miss Wei, why would Lau Ying from the Silver Moon Sect want to take Young Master Yu?" Ning Ji inquired.
Since Yu Yuan had helped him advance to the Profound Break Stage and overcome the internal chill poisoning his body, Ning Ji had come to see Yu Yuan as a pillar of support.
He was wholeheartedly devoted to serving both Yu Yuan and the Yu family.
He knew well that Yu Yuan was the linchpin of the Yu family; any misfortune befalling him would spell disaster for them all.
"I thought she would coerce me," Wai Feng mused, leaning against a tree and staring into the night, her mind awash with perplexity.
The Fallen Star Eyes flickered among the myriad stars before vanishing, leaving no clue as to which was the silver celestial stone.
"No more shouting," she advised Yan Yu, who persisted in his calls. "Whoever was helping us from the shadows on the treasure ship, they're gone now. The magic of the Fallen Star Eyes is such that it reveals all the mighty beings below. Even a Yang God cannot hide from its scrutiny."
With this revelation, Yan Yu abandoned his efforts.
A Yang God was an exceptionally rare and powerful being in the Boundless Land, seldom seen on the Profound Sky Continent.
On both the Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents, many Yang Gods remained in seclusion, their divine forms traversing the cosmos, clashing with Heavenly Devils and foreign tribes in pursuit of refinement.
If the Fallen Star Eyes could detect even a Yang God, then surely Lau Ying would know whether Yan Qiling was nearby.
Her decision to descend meant she was certain of her advantage.
"Miss Wei Feng, why do so many from the Divine Might Empire seek to capture you?" Qin Yun shifted the conversation. "I'm somewhat familiar with the Empire, but your name, Wei Feng, is new to me."
Yan Yu and Ning Ji cast concerned glances toward Yu Yuan as they worried about his well-being.
Wei Feng remained silent.
The stars in the night sky appeared to have grown larger, shining like bright lamps. The starlight they emitted varied—some hot, some cold, some violently turbulent.
As the starlight reached the Profound Sky Continent, it seemed to be drawn in by an otherworldly magnetic field.
The beams of starlight grew strikingly visible, changing direction as they plummeted, many streaking toward this very area.
They fell upon the vast expanse of the silver-white wilderness.
Yu Yuan stood atop a meteorite, cold and firm beneath his feet. Without even calling upon his Heavenly Soul, he could distinctly sense the starlight, each ray carrying a unique aura, as it touched down on the meteorite.
The meteorites, like sponges, soaked up the starlight one by one.
High above, fierce winds howled, yet none of the fearsome gales reached the ground below.
He was well aware that he stood beneath the canopy of stars, atop the Fallen Star Eyes, far removed from the solid earth.
Clouds, thin and cottony, dotted the surroundings, seemingly ready to vanish at the slightest touch.
The esteemed lady from the Silver Moon Sect, one of the top talents of the Profound Sky Continent, wore a sweet smile. Seated atop a stone dais, she leisurely twisted a string of translucent purple grapes in her hand, savoring the flesh and casually discarding the skins, all the while eyeing him with curiosity.
Behind the young woman, a series of white jade dwellings stood, their architecture ornate with intricate designs.
Gazing into the distance, Yu Yuan surmised that the so-called Fallen Star Eyes might even surpass the size of Elfview.
The strange energies that warped space and sustained the illusion of the Fallen Star Eyes in flight were all derived from the starlight shed by the cosmos.
This phenomenon was not only a marvel within the Boundless Land but would also persist in the endless expanse of the galaxy.
Yet, he wondered how much starlight was necessary for the Fallen Star Eyes to continue their celestial journey.
"Why have you summoned me here?"
After a brief period of reflective silence, Yu Yuan broke the quiet, "The Fallen Star Eyes of the Silver Moon Sect are truly enigmatic. To witness them is indeed a rare privilege. But if you're intent on capturing someone, shouldn't Wei Feng be your target?"
"You're not aware, but had I actually brought Wei Feng here instead of you, I would have likely courted trouble," Lau Ying replied, popping a grape into her mouth and savoring it before playfully sticking out her tongue to flick the grape skin to the ground.
Near the silver-white meteorite, jade-like dwellings dotted the landscape, with fruit rinds and shells littering the ground.
The young lady from the Lau family, a prized jewel of the Silver Moon Sect, seemed to take her Fallen Star Eyes for granted. She ate carelessly, leaving behind a mess without bothering to tidy up.
Thankfully, the meteorite land of the Fallen Star Eyes was naturally cool, preventing any sour odors from the discarded fruit scraps.
Yu Yuan, standing dozens of meters away, surveyed his surroundings before retracting his gaze and strolling over to her as they spoke.
Lau Ying squinted playfully, her eyebrows arching like crescent moons, exuding a mischievous charm.
She observed Yu Yuan silently, continuing to savor her grapes without interruption.
Yu Yuan approached, but she remained still, her face alight with curiosity, seemingly eager to see what he would do next.
Yu Yuan took a seat on a stone bench adjacent to hers. Numerous such benches were arrayed in front of the jade-built homes, all within easy speaking distance, as if designed for comfortable conversation.
Once seated, Yu Yuan suddenly reached out towards Lau Ying.
Caught off guard, Lau Ying's lithe form erupted in a cascade of starlight.
Boom!
The Fallen Star Eyes quivered with the tremors of her inner shock.
"You!"
Lau Ying grimaced, her adorable little fangs on display as the overwhelming radiance of starlight around her swiftly withdrew.
She then fixed a fierce glare on Yu Yuan, holding the bunch of grapes from which he had forcefully plucked several, "You're stealing my food!"
"Amethyst grapes, these are quite the delicacy," Yu Yuan remarked, popping a grape into his mouth. He chewed nonchalantly, immediately sensing a surge of pure spiritual energy that flowed effortlessly into his lower dantian, blending seamlessly with the nebulous spiritual aura within the Yellow Court Little World.
The spiritual essence from the Amethyst Grapes could merge effortlessly into anyone's lower dantian, requiring no conscious refinement, and in time, would integrate into one's own spiritual energy.
Yu Yuan's gaze held a touch of complexity as he ate the Amethyst Grapes he had boldly taken from Lau Ying's hands.
In his past life, he had a fondness for Amethyst Grapes as well.
Regrettably, back then, he was unable to open his lower dantian, which meant the spiritual energy from the grapes merely circulated through his meridians before quietly vanishing.
He had appreciated only the sweet and sour flavor of the Amethyst Grapes, without reaping their full benefits.
Now, upon tasting the Amethyst Grapes once more, he realized that beyond their delightful taste, these grapes, known as spiritual fruits, had finally bestowed upon him their intended benefits.
Lau Ying looked at the diminished handful of grapes in her grasp, her expression one of sheer dismay.
She herself couldn't indulge in these grapes at her leisure.
Such spiritual fruits were scarce even within the Silver Moon Sect. It was only because her master was aware of her fondness for them that he had made a special arrangement for their delivery.
But they were not to be had in endless supply.
The audacity of this Young Master Yu from the Yu family, whom she had brought up to size up, was astonishing; he dared to pilfer and consume her possessions right under her nose!
Just as Lau Ying was on the verge of an outburst, Yu Yuan interjected, "Consider it a loan. Once I've cultivated more, I'll repay you."
Before Lau Ying could gather her wits, Yu Yuan, having savored their sweetness, unexpectedly snatched several more glistening Amethyst Grapes. "At the Yellow Court Stage, the mild spiritual Qi stored in these fruits is immensely beneficial to my cultivation. Your cultivation at the Profound Break Stage is more about physical endurance and restraint, preventing you from maximizing the potential of these fruits."
In a moment of distraction, Lau Ying noticed four more grapes had disappeared from her hand.
She hastily consumed the last three, her cheeks bulging as she angrily tossed the grape stems at Yu Yuan, muttering curses under her breath, nearly choking in her frustration.
Yu Yuan flashed a smile, realizing that the once haughty and icy girl from the Fallen Star Eyes had a charming, naive side to her.
It seemed that the aloofness she had shown upon her arrival was merely a facade, not her true self.
Here, in her own domain, she was free to be her authentic self.
With a "Pfft!" Lau Ying finished the fruit and spitefully spat the grape skins onto Yu Yuan, huffing, "When she was with the Tusk Troops, she was ruthless, taking the lives of many. Members of the Lau family, individuals from other clans, even those uninvolved—she spared no one. Her Majesty's trust only made her more domineering than I ever was, and few within the Divine Might Empire held any affection for her."
"When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. She's in a bind now, and those she once wronged are all too eager to kick her when she's down."
As she spoke, she mysteriously produced a pear and took a vicious bite.
After her bite, she gave Yu Yuan a smug look, as if to say, "I've already taken a bite, try to take it from me now."
Yu Yuan couldn't help but chuckle, "I'm still working on the grapes."
Beneath the starry sky, atop a meteorite, he found his fondness for this girl from the Lau family, a direct descendant of the Mighty Spirit King, growing unexpectedly. He pondered over Lau Ying and Wai Feng, wondering who was more in the wrong.
Before long, he concluded that Wai Feng's readiness to kill Zhan Tianxiang and her near fatal attack on Bai Shenshen might be the true mistake.
Lau Ying, on the other hand, despite being thrust into the heavens and having her spiritual fruit taken by him, didn't call for violence.
The girl, adored by the Silver Moon Sect, was surprisingly naive and good-natured.
This was a revelation to him.
"Wai Feng is the Emperor's niece, but the imperial throne was seized from her father, the Emperor's own brother," Lau Ying said, gnawing on her pear. "She's always known that the Emperor is the enemy who killed her father. He's aware of it too, but he overlooked her because she hadn't shown any unique talents before, posing no threat to him."
"Now, things have changed. Her enigmatic master, hidden in the Desolate Swamp, has somehow begun to unveil her latent talents."
"In the Demon Palace, within the northern reaches of the Quietus Continent, her master has awakened the blood of the Demon Phoenix."
