C398 Yu Yuan's Worries

"Oh?"

Yu Yuan turned his head, adopting an even more relaxed posture as he leaned against the boat's railing.

The ground was littered with soulstone dust, evidence of his diligent cultivation in recent days without a hint of laziness.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the soulstone powder by his legs scattered in the breeze.

"Does being a disciple of the Devil Palace really matter?"

Yu Yuan flashed a casual smile, then took out a fresh soulstone and held it in his palm, eyeing Wu Pei with interest. "You've reached the late Veil Breaking period, just one step away from condensing your spiritual sense and advancing to Subtlety. Keep pushing yourself. Your talent may not rival Shi Si's, but the resilience of your physique is noteworthy."

Wu Pei was taken aback.

The way Yu Yuan spoke to him felt somewhat off, as if a sect elder was addressing a hardworking disciple. Yet, in both age and cultivation level, Yu Yuan was clearly his junior.

"How did you discern that my physique is more robust than Shi Si's and Hu Tianyang's? What makes it so unique?" Wu Pei inquired further.

"You've probably noticed that I practice the Evil Body Refining technique from the Terror Claws. There are countless sects in the world, but the Evil Body Refining technique is particularly renowned," Yu Yuan admitted openly. "I can sense the explosive power coursing through your veins and arteries. The strength and resilience of your organs and bones far surpass those of Shi Si and Hu Tianyang."

He paused briefly before adding, "You're even stronger than Yan Lu at the moment."

The Devil Palace boasts an extensive array of spells, with numerous techniques dedicated to body tempering.

In his past life, unable to cultivate, Yu Yuan had interacted with dark adepts but hadn't delved into the Devil Palace's foundational cultivation methods.

Nevertheless, he was certain that Wu Pei before him had been practicing a formidable Devil Palace spell.

"You're suggesting that my physical strength surpasses Yan Lu's only temporarily?" Wu Pei's face remained composed, yet a spark of competitive zeal flickered in his eyes, hinting at his eagerness to prove himself.

"You've already visited the Devil Palace and undergone deep cultivation there," Yu Yuan remarked, unfazed by his demeanor. "Yan Lu hasn't yet set foot in the Land of Quiescence. Once he does, and undergoes the same rigorous training in the Devil Palace's unique cultivation sites as you have, he's bound to make significant strides."

Wu Pei was taken aback. "You seem quite familiar with our sect, don't you?"

"I've only heard a few rumors," Yu Yuan replied with a nonchalant air, offering no further explanation. He stopped paying attention to Wu Pei, instead amusing himself with a soulstone in his hand, his mind on other matters.

He was indifferent to Wu Pei's attempt at conversation, his own future cultivation, and the silent rivalry with Yan Lu.

His thoughts were preoccupied with how many others like them the recent meteor shower would draw to explore the depths of the Embers Sea.

"Venturing into the deep sea is no simple feat."

His Golden Sanctum level of cultivation was causing him both embarrassment and a headache, and he was inwardly cursing the High Oracle's haphazard planning.

Hu Tianyang had previously questioned the point of someone at the Golden Sanctum level going to the Embers Sea.

His point was valid.

After all, to delve into the sea's depths, one must at least reach the Veil Breaking Realm.

At the Veil Breaking stage, the middle elixir field opens, allowing a cultivator to condense and gather vitality. Additionally, the eight extra-channels can flow freely, enabling the cultivator to breathe underwater as effortlessly as a fish.

At the Golden Sanctum level, the eight extra-channels remain closed, limiting one to holding their breath for brief stints under the sea.

Thus, with his current level of cultivation, even if he were to travel to the Embers Sea, he couldn't dive to the depths like Yan Lu and Su Yan to search for fallen Starshards.

Hu Tianyang's mockery that his low level of cultivation rendered him useless in the Embers Sea wasn't entirely unfounded.

Unless one had special equipment to extract oxygen from the water for personal use.

Such devices weren't exceedingly rare or expensive; many forgers on the Land of Quiescence could craft them.

In his past life, he had used such tools to navigate the depths of the sea and knew how to operate them.

But now, he lacked such equipment, and Zhou Cangmin hadn't provided any before his departure.

This was a source of frustration for him, and he contemplated whether he might find someone or a sect in the Embers Sea willing to trade such a device for soulstones.

"What's the matter? You seem troubled."

Su Yan glided over gracefully, her smile gentle as she took a seat beside him.

"I'm a bit behind in my cultivation level. Diving into the Embers Sea could prove challenging," Yu Yuan said, clutching a soulstone and gazing up at the sky, the blue expanse dotted with white clouds. "I plan to use the soulstone to acquire some unique artifacts once I arrive. With their enigmatic powers, I hope to explore the depths of the sea."

"You've always progressed quickly through the realms. Why not aim to break into the Veil Breaking Realm before we reach the Embers Sea?" Su Yan's voice was soft, her clear eyes reflecting the serenity of a secluded lake. Draped in green, her demeanor was the epitome of tranquility and grace. Whether it was her practice of the Abyssal Dawn's spell or her advancement into the Veil Breaking Realm that lent her such poise was anyone's guess.

"The artifact you're talking about has to be worn over the mouth and nose. If it gets lost during a battle at sea..."

She shook her head gently, "It doesn't seem like the best plan. The most effective strategy would be to advance to the Veil Breaking Realm as quickly as possible. With your talent and potential, I'm confident you can achieve it."

Her faith in Yu Yuan was evident.

"Veil Breaking Realm..."

Yu Yuan chuckled, a touch of disbelief in his voice. "Traveling by Silver Rainbow Shuttle, we'll leave the Aetherius Continent and, within at most half a month, arrive at the Embers Sea. To ascend from the middle period of the Golden Sanctum to the Veil Breaking Realm in just half a month? Susu, you might be overestimating me."

"Su Yan, you must be joking?" Yan Lu interjected with a snide chuckle, having overheard their conversation. "I'm well aware of Yu Yuan's prowess, having witnessed it myself. But the idea of advancing swiftly to the Veil Breaking Stage from the Golden Sanctum Realm is filled with intricacies that both of us understand all too well."

"The less gifted the individual, the easier it is to make a breakthrough."

"The middle period of the Golden Sanctum is all about reconstruction or creating a little world. I suspect Yu Yuan's innate talent for cultivation is exceptional, which means he's likely to spend a considerable amount of time immersed in this stage."

Internally, Su Yan berated Yan Lu as a fool and chose to ignore him, unwilling to engage further.

Her intention was simply to probe Yu Yuan, eager to discover how many acupoints he had refined in the Golden Sanctum.

She mentioned that Yu Yuan was on track to break through to the Veil Breaking realm within half a month, but that was just a starting point. She aimed to subtly inquire about Yu Yuan's current state.

It was common knowledge that the number of Golden Sanctum acupoints one refined could indicate their future potential.

Driven by intense curiosity, she deliberately broached the subject to find out exactly how many Golden Sanctum acupoints Yu Yuan had refined.

But after Yan Lu's interjection, it seemed unlikely she would get her answer.

"Lord Dark Herald! There's a battle ahead!"

Out of nowhere, Shi Si, who had been intently scanning the horizon from the boat's edge, pointed excitedly and called out, "It's quite fierce! Everyone, take a look!"

Yan Lu and Su Yan, having just returned, perked up at her exclamation.

Wu Pei, who had been sitting still, rose languidly, clearly intrigued to find out what was unfolding.

He was no stranger to the sea, having visited the Land of Quiescence, so the ocean itself didn't pique his curiosity.

Yet the sudden emergence of a battle, described as intense by Shi Si, seemed promising.

"Hey!"

At the edge of the Warp Spindle, Yan Lu took a quick look, his mouth quirking into a radiant smile as he called out, "Yu Yuan, didn't you meet the head of the Van family, Van Chaoguan, in Asvetaesi recently?"

"What about it?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"He's slaughtering the innocent," Yan Lu replied with a slight upturn of his lips, glancing back at the cabin. "After leaving Asvetaesi, Van Chaoguan must have stealthily made his way through the sea, appearing on the various islands scattered across the vast waters. While many islands are deserted with no activity, others are home to mortals and cultivators alike."

Before Yan Lu could finish, Yu Yuan had already risen to stand beside him, looking up intently.

The Silver Rainbow Shuttle slowed its pace, allowing them a closer look, as per the mysterious Dark Herald's instructions from the Devil Palace.

In the endless sea, three islands of varying sizes were arranged in a triangular formation, with the largest resembling an avocado, shrouded in dense blood clouds.

There, Van Chaoguan, who had initially appeared overweight but later revealed a tall, robust, and striking figure, was seated atop the crimson blood clouds.

A thick blood cloud hung over the island, emitting a pungent stench of blood.

Streaks of bloody light, like crimson lightning, pierced the cultivators on the island.

Occasionally, a cultivator would be impaled by the bloody light and die. As they collapsed, their bodies shriveled, and their blood, rich in spiritual energy and vitality, was easily stripped away.

With each death, the blood cloud grew denser, and the aura emanating from Van Chaoguan, who hovered above, intensified.

"Followers of the Colddeath Sect."

Hu Tianyang's face twisted with a hint of disgust when he spoke of "Colddeath." "Their disciples are ruthless, always slaughtering without mercy. However, this maritime area belongs to no empire. He's here, killing for cultivation—so long as he doesn't provoke the wrong people, there shouldn't be any major issues."

Countless islands were scattered between Aetherius and the Land of Quiescence.

Besides mortals, hidden sects like Dragon Lake existed there.

These sects, though minor forces unable to challenge the supremacy of Euwrea or the Land of Quiescence, had their own unique strengths.

Such sects, with their modest power, often went unnoticed.

It was not unusual for disciples of the Colddeath Sect to use these cultivators to advance their spells.

Having his identity exposed, Van Chaoguan renounced his leadership of the Van family, likely seeking to return to the Land of Quiescence for austere cultivation within the Colddeath Sect.

His attacks on various sects and forces en route were to assimilate their vitality into his own, amassing strength for an assault on the Lunar Spirit Realm.

"Yu Yuan, was it you who revealed his affiliation with the Colddeath Sect?" inquired Su Yan.

"It wasn't me," Yu Yuan replied, shaking his head. "Someone else took issue with him. During his conflict with that person while rescuing Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu, he knew he was outmatched and, not wanting to die, he resorted to using his hidden abilities, thus exposing his identity."

"The Colddeath Sect has such a terrible reputation that the Van family can no longer hope to achieve anything within the Empire because of him," Yan Lu remarked.

With a whoosh, Wu Pei suddenly leapt from the Silver Rainbow Shuttle, descending toward the island below and landing squarely atop the blood cloud.

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