C301 Shen Feiqing
The veil of night had lifted.
A radiant red sun was gently ascending into the sky.
As the sky brightened fully, the Fallen Star Eyes, once prominent in the night, grew increasingly elusive, nearly impossible to discern with the naked eye.
As the Fallen Star Eyes drew near, Yu Yuan on the mid-lake island could no longer make them out clearly.
The serene lake surface, transformed by Yu Zhu's power into a reflective mirror, shifted scenes under Zhou Cangmin's touch, revealing a different, distant place—a battlefield ruin.
The desolate yellow earth was strewn with massive skeletons and jagged stones among the ruins.
Yu Yuan's brows quirked at the sight, and he silently reached out to Yu Zhu with a thought.
He inquired about the strangeness of this place.
"The Absence Relic was named by Feiqing's master," the White-robed Imperial Advisor spoke, unfazed by the nearing Fallen Star Eyes. "It's called a relic because Feiqing's master discovered numerous signs of ancient battles there. I've explored it myself and believe that, long ago, there was a majestic city akin to Darkmoon City deep within the Absence Relic."
"Yet, there's no mention of it in the annals of either the Divine Might Empire or the Silvermoon Empire."
"At present, the practitioners within the Absence Relic are hiding even deeper. Still, no significant powers or organizations have emerged from it."
"This place..."
He gestured towards the battlefield reflected in the lake's mirror, "I stumbled upon it by chance. Those colossal skeletons—they're not human."
"The remains of great demons," Yu Yuan acknowledged.
"Exactly, the bones of great demons," Zhou Cangmin confirmed. "Such immense demon skeletons suggest that the demons involved in the battle were far from ordinary. Before humans claimed dominion over the Boundless Land, Nagas and Demons roamed freely, dominating the Profound Sky Continent."
"In the heart of the Absence Relic, amidst the battlefield littered with great demon bones, it's highly probable that..."
He left his sentence hanging.
After a moment of contemplation, Yu Yuan ventured, "Are you suggesting that the secret realm within the Absence Relic is connected to the Demon Clan? If so, this secret realm must be incredibly ancient."
"It's mere speculation," said the White-robed Imperial Advisor with a smile.
In that instant, Yu Zhu's soulful message was conveyed.
Yu Yuan caught on immediately and relayed to Zhou Cangmin, "She's scouted that area before and found something quite peculiar."
Zhou Cangmin and Xu Zixi's eyes gleamed with intrigue.
As the Fallen Star Eyes descended to a lower altitude, it loomed large enough to be visible to the naked eye, imposing a tremendous pressure on onlookers.
"You shouldn't reveal yourself," Zhou Cangmin said with a furrowed brow to Xu Zixi. "If that Silver Moon Sect girl doesn't take the hint and insists on poking her nose everywhere, I'll have to bring her back down to earth."
Yu Yuan felt the onset of a headache.
He was quite fond of Lau Ying, and they had enjoyed their conversation during the Fallen Star Eyes event.
Had it not been for Wong Jinlin's visit from the Spirit Void Sect, he and Lau Ying might have engaged in a more profound dialogue, possibly reaching an understanding before Zhou Cangmin and Xu Zixi even arrived.
Lau Ying was aware that he had Yu Zhu and Yan Qiling at his disposal.
But now...
The White-robed Imperial Advisor from the Rainier Empire was a representative of the Red Devil Sect, and Xu Zixi, with his Seven Pythons, was in complete agreement with him.
Lau Ying belonged to the Silver Moon Sect.
Together with the Spirit Void Sect, Thunder Sect, Cold Yin Sect, and Taiyuan Sect, they formed the Seven Lower Sects of the Heavenly Source Continent, united against a common foe.
With the Quietus Continent on one side and the Heavenly Source Continent on the other, the natural opposition between them was palpable, even without the outbreak of war.
The addition of the secret realm only complicated matters further.
...
High above the Fallen Star Eyes.
Lau Ying's eyes shone brilliantly as she cast a Spiritual Spell, channeling her energy into the celestial meteorite beneath her feet.
Her gaze became one with the Fallen Star Eyes, granting her a bird's-eye view of the mid-lake island and the surrounding expanse for dozens of miles.
She had already spotted Lau Wei, Lei Xiao, Su Yan, and the others from the Taiyuan Sect approaching.
Among the cultivators present, there were some she had never encountered before, yet she could somewhat infer their identities and backgrounds.
But the island was shrouded in a thick white mist. Even peering through the Fallen Star Eyes, she found herself lost in a haze, unable to discern anything clearly.
It was as if the unique spiritual energy of the entire Absence Relic had been deliberately manipulated, obscuring the natural order of the heavens.
Since gaining control of the Fallen Star Eyes, she had seldom come across such phenomena. This led her to conclude that either a formidable cultivator had activated their own microcosm, isolating the mid-lake island, or an artifact on par with the Fallen Star Eyes was casting its influence over the solitary isle.
In either case, she was hesitant to make any hasty moves.
Unable to witness the marvels of the mid-lake island, she refrained from using the Fallen Star Eyes to descend, fearing she might not be able to withdraw gracefully if necessary.
"After my conversation with Wang Jinlin, that Darkmoon City individual vanished without a trace," she mused quietly. "I can't spot him, and the only place I can't see around here is this mid-lake island. And wouldn't you know it, the island's Void Spiritual Plants are somehow connected to him!"
"He has to be there!"
...
The mid-lake island lay enshrouded in white fog.
Amidst the damp earth, the Void Spiritual Plants, adorned with delicate golden patterns, seemed to pull the sunlight toward the island.
Not even the expansive mist could hinder the plants' relentless absorption of the sun's rays.
Yu Yuan, plagued by a throbbing headache, cast a casual glance at the Void Spiritual Plants.
It was as if he had been electrocuted.
"Ancient Desolate Sect, Ancient Desolate Realm, Void Spiritual Plants, Shen Feiqing..."
Thoughts raced through his mind, each sparking the next with the speed of lightning.
He inhaled sharply, fixing the White-robed Imperial Advisor with a fierce gaze, "Senior, are you aware of the origins of these herbs?"
Zhou Cangmin looked bewildered, "I don't possess knowledge of everything. My expertise lies in the refined arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, not in the cultivation of plants."
Xu Zixi appeared equally baffled, "What's gotten into you?"
Both could see the gravity etched on Yu Yuan's face, his mood far from light.
"These herbs are known as Void Spiritual Plants," Yu Yuan declared.
"Void Spiritual Plants?" Zhou Cangmin pondered, "I've heard of them, but I've never actually seen one. Why do they share such an odd name with the Void True Spell that Feiqing practices?"
"Exactly!" exclaimed Xu Zixi, equally astonished. "Is there a connection between the Void Spiritual Plants and the Desolate True Spell?"
Yu Yuan looked at them, noting their genuine surprise, and said with a bitter smile, "She probably detected these Void Spiritual Plants while channeling the Desolate True Spell."
At that revelation, Zhou Cangmin's eyes widened in realization. "You mean to say she appeared near Elfview because of a mid-lake island that harbors these Void Spiritual Plants?"
"That's my suspicion," Yu Yuan confirmed with a nod.
"Can it be?" Xu Zixi's face showed incredulity. "She would risk everything, leading the remnants of the Tusk Troops here, just for some unripe spiritual grass that shares a name with her practice?"
"You're underestimating the significance of the Void Spiritual Plant to her," Yu Yuan explained, seeing their confusion.
"How significant?" Xu Zixi inquired, his tone grave.
"The Desolate True Spell's major flaw is its unsuitability for prolonged combat. At a certain threshold, a violent backlash occurs, causing her severe injury in an instant," Yu Yuan clarified, his reasoning crystallizing. "The presence of the Void Spiritual Plant could prevent that backlash from harming her at the critical moment."
"And there's more. If I were to destroy these herbs, she could still manage to boost her combat power significantly."
"In my view, you're both fretting over trifles. The real threat is likely the Silverfrost Dragon, currently facing the combined forces of the Thunder Sect and the Cold Yin Sect."
"She has meticulously chosen this terrain as her battlefield, and she's waiting," Yu Yuan stated, his words heavy with an almost unthinkable speculation.
Zhou Cangmin, who was well-versed in pellets but knew little about the hidden properties of herbs, listened in stunned silence to Yu Yuan's theory.
"What is she waiting for?" Xu Zixi inquired.
"She's biding her time for an extended battle. When the Ancient Desolate Realm True Spell is unleashed, it will trigger a horrific backlash!" Despite his frustration, Yu Yuan couldn't help but admire her strategy, "The Void Spiritual Plant will assist her in harnessing that backlash to her advantage! It will significantly boost her combat strength in a remarkably short time!"
Zhou Cangmin was taken aback, "Can that really work?"
"In theory, yes," Yu Yuan confirmed with a nod, then added, "But once the backlash is spent, her condition will be far worse than just severe injuries. She might be left without any strength to counterattack, her body could even rupture, leaving only her soul intact."
Yu Yuan paused, struck by a realization, and exclaimed in awe, "Such a cunning commander of the Tusk Troops. She has indeed secured an escape route for herself."
"Secret realm!"
Zhou Cangmin and Xu Zixi exclaimed in unison.
Leveraging the backlash and the Void Spiritual Plant, she could swiftly deal a crippling blow or even annihilate the Silverfrost Dragon. The Thunder Sect, Cold Yin Sect, and all the other spectators would then retreat into the secret realm, vanishing from sight.
Years, perhaps even decades later, they would emerge from the secret realm, revived and more powerful than before.
This was the elaborate scheme and true intention of Shen Feiqing, the commander of the Tusk Troops!
