C306 Stepping on the Waves

The Golden Ship sliced through the air with a piercing whistle. As Wang Jinlin and Wei Wujiang made their appearance on the deck, Su Yan couldn't help but steal glances at Wang Jinlin. Each time she did, a flicker of murderous intent would surface in the depths of her clear eyes, which she fought to suppress.

She had confided in Yu Yuan, hoping he would use alternative methods to quietly eliminate Wang Jinlin, whom she couldn't dispose of herself. But this was not the way it was supposed to happen.

In full view of everyone, Yu Yuan on the mid-lake island had the audacity to challenge Wang Jinlin openly. By what right?

The teleportation circle in the Forgotten Ruins was constructed under the watchful eye of Chong Xiao, with significant investment from the Ethereal Void Sect. Chong Xiao, one of the eight Sages of the sect and a cultivator of the Solar Spirit level, had considerable influence.

As Chong Xiao's hand-chosen disciple, Wang Jinlin wielded substantial power over the teleportation circle. His arrogance in the Forgotten Ruins was bolstered by this authority.

Even the cultivator from Winter's Bite and the thundercloud had to regard him with respect due to his status and their need to use the teleportation circle. The Ethereal Void Sect, being the foremost among the seven lower sects and possessing their own teleportation circle, provided Wang Jinlin with a strong backing.

Despite her loathing for him, Su Yan knew that Yu Yuan would need to rely on covert tactics and individuals like Qin Yun to successfully assassinate Wang Jinlin. And it had to be done without drawing attention, to avoid the wrath of Chong Xiao and the endless complications that would follow.

Her father, Su Xiangtian, had advised her to plan carefully, also wary of Chong Xiao's influence. But now...

With all eyes on the mid-lake island, Yu Yuan was brazenly confronting Wang Jinlin. Had he lost his mind?

A pang of regret washed over Su Yan. She feared that Yu Yuan's meaningful glances might be detected by prying eyes, potentially entangling her and the Su family in the fallout.

"Come down?" On the Golden Ship, Wang Jinlin, resplendent in his blue robe and nonchalantly resting his hand on the hilt of his glaive, pointed at Yu Yuan on the island and turned to Wei Wujiang with a smirk. "Is this man a fool?"

"You have to admit, he really was a fool back in Asvetaesi," Liu Wei said with a soft laugh by the lake, drawing everyone's attention.

Liu Ying, of the same Liu family lineage, looked on in surprise.

"Stop this nonsense!"

Liu Wei's expression turned stern as he rebuked, "You're well aware of what the seven great sects are plotting. Why leave the safety of the Golden Ship to venture onto that island?"

After all, he was Liu Ying's elder by name, and both the Winter's Bite and Starmoon Sects were part of the lower sects.

Liu Ying, holding the Fallen Star Eyes, was tasked with scouting the Forgotten Ruins for the Starmoon Sect. He understood and accepted this as her duty.

Yet, as a member of the Starmoon Sect, Liu Ying's proximity to Shen Feiqing on the mid-lake island was questionable, to say the least.

"I was already here when the commander arrived unexpectedly," Liu Ying retorted, her lips pursed in defiance, giving little regard to his status. She gestured towards the storm clouds and the orb of ice above, "The esteemed elders above should be able to see and sense this."

A thunderous voice from within the clouds affirmed, "Indeed, that is the case."

Liu Ying shot Liu Wei a sidelong glance and continued, "Another thing, the Liu family has always had a faint sense of kinship. You should be aware that although I was born into the Liu family, I was raised under the Starmoon Sect's wing. I don't feel a strong connection to the family, so don't assume that just because you're my elder, you can dictate my actions."

"And certainly don't presume to blame me!"

Despite being in the late period of the Veil Breaking Stage and a whole realm behind Liu Wei, she stood her ground fearlessly.

She, with the Fallen Star Eyes in hand, was fated to lead both the Starmoon and Star Sects.

Liu Ying and Liu Wei may share the same family roots, but their future roles and statuses on Euwrea were worlds apart.

Moreover, it wouldn't be long before she advanced beyond Liu Wei's level of cultivation.

Having no strong ties to the Liu family, why should she heed Liu Wei's reprimands?

In Asvetaesi, Liu Wei, who once looked down on the Yu family with arrogance and a sense of superiority, was now openly challenged by his younger relative. Momentarily taken aback, he finally said, "I'm only looking out for your best interest."

"No need," Liu Ying stated icily.

Liu Wei felt a touch of embarrassment, yet upon reflection, he chose to remain silent.

"I'm coming down."

A bolt of golden lightning streaked down from the heavens, landing squarely between Liu Wei, Lei Xiao, and the Abyssal Dawn cultivators. Notably, there were no Blackfang Legion soldiers in the vicinity.

Wang Jinlin of the Ethereal Void sect held the glaive in his right hand. He brought his index and middle fingers together and ran them lightly along the blade. A spray of golden light followed his touch. As his fingers traced the surface, golden dragon scales, resembling leaves, began to emerge on the bright blade. The glaive itself seemed to widen, transforming into something akin to a dragon's tail sheathed in golden scales. In Wang Jinlin's grasp, the weapon emitted a dragon's wail, a haunting mix of agony and screams.

"My name, Wang Jinlin, was given to me by my master after his victory over a dragon," he declared with a radiant smile, his demeanor proud. He looked up at the Silverfrost Dragon, now in human form above, and offered a slight bow. "My intention isn't to insult the Nagas; I'm merely stating a fact."

The Silverfrost Dragon remained motionless in the air, her dragon eyes flashing with rage. She cast a brief glance at Wang Jinlin before her gaze fixed on Wei Feng, huddled in a corner of the Golden Ship.

The Dark Phoenix lineage! Without that Dark Phoenix and the treachery of those archdemons now entrenched in Shadow's Keep, we Nagas might still reign supreme over the Everlands, soaring nobly through the heavens rather than lurking in the ocean's depths.

Her animosity shifted, settling on Wei Feng.

"So, you're Yu Yuan?" Wang Jinlin asked, brandishing the glaive that now revealed layers of golden dragon scales, and pointed it leisurely toward Yu Yuan on the mid-lake island. "Have you mustered the courage of a bear and the boldness of a leopard?"

Yu Yuan offered a wry smile, about to respond, when he noticed the imposing figure in black heavy armor, resembling a bear in stature, yanking the reins around the neck of the Blackfang Beast. The creature, larger than a liger, turned its fierce gaze upon Wang Jinlin.

"Blackfang Legion, Le Baixiong!" the armored giant announced his name with a thunderous roar.

His hand, clutching the reins, released hundreds of blood-colored crystal lights, each finer than a strand of hair, which surged eagerly into the eyes of the Blackfang Beast.

The Blackfang Beast he mounted had eyes that terrifyingly blazed with deep red flames.

Wang Jinlin held the Dragon Scale Sword in his hand, pointing it towards Yu Yuan's weapon. The tip of the sword hissed menacingly.

Yu Yuan could barely make out the hundreds of blood-colored crystal lights colliding with the smaller golden sparks at the tip of the Dragon Scale Sword, bursting and burning away.

He was well aware that the moment Wang Jinlin's Dragon Scale Sword was aimed at him, the attack had already been launched.

Wang Jinlin, in his state of Subtlety, could channel his refined spiritual sense along with the dragon's breath and vitality of the Dragon Scale Sword to strike him from across the lake.

Le Baixiong recognized his venomous intent and offered his assistance by revealing his identity.

"General Le! Don't you think that's a bit excessive?"

Liu Wei let out a cold snort and casually released several beams of ice light that merged with the tip of the Dragon Scale Sword, aiding Wang Jinlin in dissolving Le Baixiong's fierce vital energy.

"And where is he?" Le Baixiong inquired.

"Yu Yuan brought this upon himself. Who else can he blame?" Liu Wei countered, then a sinister scheme took shape in his mind. "General, you, a traitor to the empire, are actually helping Yu Yuan. And your commander is right there with Yu Yuan, who not so long ago saved Wei Feng..."

Liu Wei broke into a sly chuckle, "The Blackfang Legion seems quite taken with this young man from Asvetaesi. Could there be some hidden reason?"

At these words, Su Yan, Liu Ying, Qin Yun, Yan Yu, and others who held Yu Yuan in high regard sensed trouble brewing, their expressions turning grave.

If Liu Wei from Winter's Bite were to mislead the crowd into believing that Yu Yuan had ties with the Blackfang Legion, then Yu Yuan might not make it out of the Forgotten Ruins alive.

The Yu family could be dragged down by the association.

The Blackfang Legion, with Shen Feiqing at their side, was not only a renegade faction of the Sunblessed Empire but also key to the Mysterious Realm coveted by the seven major sects!

Should Yu Yuan be perceived as conspiring with the Blackfang Legion in this affair, he would indeed be facing dire consequences.

"I merely intervened against injustice," Le Baixiong declared.

Liu Wei asked with a sly grin, "Is that truly the case?"

"It is indeed," Yu Yuan interjected, then glanced at Liu Ying and added, "This mid-lake island isn't a place for you to linger. You should head up first."

He gestured upward.

As if by stealth, night had descended once again.

"Okay." Without any fuss, Liu Ying summoned her Fallen Star Eyes and soared into the sky.

Yu Yuan turned to Shen Feiqing, pondered for a moment, and then, with a step onto the rippling waves, he made his way toward Wang Jinlin.

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