C398 Yu Yuan's Worries

"Oh?"

Yu Yuan turned his head, adopting an even more relaxed posture as he leaned against the ship's railing. The scattered dust of Spirit Stones on the deck was testament to his diligent cultivation of late—no signs of laziness to be found. With a casual flick of his sleeve, the remnants of Spirit Stone powder by his legs were carried off by the wind.

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

Yu Yuan flashed a nonchalant smile, then pulled out a fresh Spirit Stone and cradled it in his hand, his gaze fixed on Wu Pei with a hint of curiosity. "You're in the late period of the Profound Break Stage. Just one step away from condensing your Spiritual Sense and advancing to the Penetrating Stage. Keep up the effort. You might not have Sheh Si's natural talent, but the resilience of your physique is quite remarkable."

Wu Pei was taken aback.

The way Yu Yuan spoke to him, with that tone and demeanor, felt oddly disconcerting—as if a senior member of a sect was addressing a studious and hardworking junior. Yet, Yu Yuan was clearly his junior in both cultivation level and age.

"How do you know my physique is more robust than Sheh 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 Skill from the Evil Sect. There are countless sects in this world, but the Evil Body Refining Skill is renowned for its effectiveness in body tempering," Yu Yuan candidly admitted. "I can sense the explosive power coursing through your veins and arteries. The resilience and strength of your organs and bones far surpass those of Sheh Si and Hu Tianyang."

After a brief pause, he added, "And for the time being, you're even stronger than Yan Lu."

The Devil Palace was home to a vast array of Spiritual Spells, many of which were designed for physical conditioning.

In his previous life, unable to cultivate, Yu Yuan had some interactions with the Devil Palace's elite cultivators but hadn't delved into the foundational cultivation techniques of the sect.

Nevertheless, he was aware that Wu Pei before him must be practicing some formidable Devil Palace techniques.

"So you're saying my physical prowess is only temporarily superior to Yan Lu's?" Wu Pei's face remained composed, but a spark of competitive zeal flared in the depths of his eyes, signaling his eagerness for a challenge.

"You've already ventured into the Devil Palace and undergone deep cultivation there," Yu Yuan said, unfazed by Wu Pei's demeanor. "Yan Lu has yet to set foot on the Quietus Continent. Once he does, and enters the Devil Palace as you did, he'll surely strengthen his physique at those unique training grounds. He's bound to make significant strides."

Wu Pei was taken aback. "You seem to know a great deal about our sect, don't you?"

"I've only heard some rumors," Yu Yuan replied with an increasingly nonchalant air, offering no further explanation. He shifted his attention away from Wu Pei, instead toying with a Spirit Stone in his hand, his mind on other matters.

He was indifferent to Wu Pei's attempts at conversation, his own future training, and any silent rivalry with Yan Lu.

His thoughts were on the Ember Waters and how many others like them the recent meteor shower might draw to explore its depths.

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

The limitations of his Yellow Court Stage cultivation were both embarrassing and troublesome, and he silently cursed the White-robed Imperial Advisor's haphazard planning.

Hu Tianyang had previously questioned the point of a Yellow Court Stage cultivator like himself going to the Ember Waters—a valid point indeed.

To truly explore the ocean's depths, one must at least reach the Profound Break Stage. At that level, the Profound Gate within the middle dantian opens, allowing for the condensation and collection of Qi and blood, while the eight extraordinary meridians flow freely. This enables a cultivator to breathe underwater as effortlessly as a fish.

At the Yellow Court Stage, with the eight extraordinary meridians unopened, one can only hold their breath for a brief dive.

Thus, with his current level of cultivation, even if he were to travel to the Ember Waters, he couldn't descend to the seabed depths like Yan Lu, Su Yan, and the others in search of fallen star fragments.

Hu Tianyang's mockery, claiming his low cultivation meant he could accomplish nothing in the Ember Waters, wasn't entirely without merit.

The only exception would be if he used special devices to extract oxygen from the water for personal use. Such tools, while not exceedingly rare or costly, could be crafted by many Refiners within the Artifact Sect of the Quietus Continent.

In his past life, he had utilized certain tools that enabled him to explore the depths of the sea, and he knew how to operate them.

But now, he found himself without such tools at his disposal, and Zhou Cangmin had not provided any before his departure.

This left him somewhat troubled. He contemplated whether, upon reaching the Ember Waters, he might find someone or perhaps a sect willing to trade such items for Spirit Stones.

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

Su Yan glided over, her smile gentle, and took a seat beside him.

"I'm not as advanced in my realm as I'd like. Diving into the Ember Waters will be challenging," Yu Yuan admitted, clutching a Spirit Stone and gazing at the sky, "I'm hoping to acquire some unique artifacts with these Spirit Stones once I arrive, to aid in exploring the sea's depths."

"Your progress in advancing your realm has always been swift. Why not aim to break through to the Profound Break Stage before we reach the Ember Waters?" Su Yan's voice was soft, her eyes clear and serene as a secluded mountain lake. Draped in green, her demeanor was increasingly tranquil and refined, whether from practicing the Taiyuan Sect's Spiritual Spell or advancing to the Profound Break Stage.

"The type of artifact you're talking about has to be worn over the mouth and nose. If you're underwater and get into a skirmish, it could easily be lost..."

She shook her head slightly, "That doesn't seem wise. The best strategy is to advance to the Profound Break Stage as quickly as possible. With your talent and aptitude, I believe it's within reach."

Her faith in Yu Yuan was evident.

"Profound Break Stage..."

Yu Yuan chuckled, somewhat self-deprecatingly, "To board the Silver Rainbow Magic Shuttle, leave the Profound Sky Continent, and then enter the sea... it will take no more than half a month to reach the Ember Waters. To ascend from the Yellow Court Stage Middle Period to the Profound Break Stage in just half a month? Su, you might be overestimating my abilities."

"Su Yan, are you kidding?" Yan Lu snickered, no longer scanning his surroundings. He had just arrived in time to catch their exchange, "I'm well aware of Yu Yuan's capabilities, having witnessed them myself. But to rapidly ascend to the Profound Break Stage from the Yellow Court Stage, we both understand the intricacies involved."

"The less gifted you are, the quicker you can break through to the Profound Break Stage."

"In the middle period of the Yellow Court Stage, it's all about either creating or cultivating a small world. I suspect Yu Yuan's talent for cultivation is exceptional, and he's likely to remain immersed in this phase for an extended period."

Su Yan internally scoffed, "Idiot," and chose to ignore Yan Lu.

She had intended to test Yu Yuan, to gauge how many of his apertures he had refined.

Her mention of Yu Yuan's potential to reach the Profound Break Stage in a fortnight was merely a conversation starter, a means to subtly inquire about his current state.

It's widely acknowledged that the number of refined apertures can reveal one's future potential.

Driven by intense curiosity, she had deliberately asked about the state of Yu Yuan's apertures.

But with Yan Lu's interjection, the opportunity seemed lost; any further questioning would likely be futile.

"Lord Devil Envoy! There's a battle up ahead!"

All of a sudden, Sheh Si, who had been intently scanning the horizon from the boat's edge, pointed excitedly and exclaimed, "It's quite fierce! Everyone, look!"

Yan Lu and Su Yan, freshly returned, perked up at her call.

Wu Pei, who had been sitting still, leisurely rose to his feet, equally eager to discover what was unfolding.

He was no stranger to the sea, having traveled to the Quietus Continent, so the ocean itself held no allure.

But the unexpected skirmish, described as intense by Sheh Si, seemed promising.

"Hey!"

At the rim of the Devil Shuttle, Yan Lu took a quick look, his mouth curling into a radiant smile as he called out, "Yu Yuan, didn't you encounter the patriarch of the Van family, Van Chaoguan, in Darkmoon City recently?"

"What about it?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"He's been murdering the innocent," Yan Lu said with a light smirk, glancing back at the cabin. "After leaving Darkmoon City, Van Chaoguan must have stealthily made his way through the sea, visiting the various islands. Many of these islands are uninhabited, untouched by human activity. But there are also islands where mortals, and even cultivators, reside."

Yu Yuan didn't wait for him to finish; he stood up and moved to his side.

Yu Yuan gazed upward, standing to the left of his companion.

"The Silver Rainbow Magic Shuttle!" The Devil Palace's enigmatic Devil Envoy had deliberately slowed their pace, allowing them a more detailed view.

Spread out in a triangular formation across the vast ocean were three islands of varying sizes. The largest, shaped like an avocado, was shrouded in ominous blood clouds.

Van Chaoguan, who Yu Yuan initially encountered as a corpulent figure, now sat atop the blood clouds, his posture erect and robust, his features strikingly handsome.

A thick, pungent scent of blood wafted from the clouds that loomed over the island.

Beams of bloody light, akin to crimson lightning, lanced through the cultivators below.

Every so often, a cultivator would be impaled by this bloody light and perish. In the moment of their collapse, their bodies would shrivel, their blood—rich with spiritual energy—effortlessly stripped away.

With each death, the blood clouds grew denser, and the aura emanating from Van Chaoguan, perched temporarily above, intensified.

"Followers of the Blood God Cult."

Hu Tianyang's face twisted with a hint of revulsion as he spoke of the "Blood God Cult." "Their disciples are ruthless in their attacks, leaving no survivors. However, since this maritime region is unclaimed by any empire, his murderous cultivation here shouldn't pose a problem unless he provokes someone untouchable."

Between the Profound Sky Continent and the Quietus Continent, the sea was dotted with innumerable islands.

Beyond mere mortals, there were hidden sects with strengths comparable to Hidden Dragon Lake.

These smaller sects couldn't challenge the supreme status of the Heavenly Source or Quietus Continents, yet some possessed profound foundations and unique capabilities.

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

It was a frequent occurrence for Blood God Cult disciples to use these cultivators to advance their techniques.

Having his identity revealed, Van Chaoguan had forsaken his leadership of the Van family, likely seeking to return to the Quietus Continent for austere practice within the Blood God Cult.

His mid-journey assaults on various sects and forces, assimilating their Qi and blood, were presumably to amass strength for a breakthrough into the Yin God Stage.

"Yu Yuan, was it you who unveiled his affiliation with the Blood God Cult?" inquired Su Yan.

"It wasn't me," Yu Yuan said, shaking his head. "Someone else couldn't stand him. They clashed when he intervened to rescue Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu. Realizing he was outmatched and not wanting to meet his end, he had no choice but to reveal his hidden abilities, thus exposing his identity."

"The Blood God Cult's reputation is abysmal. With him involved, the Van family has no future in the Empire," Yan Lu remarked.

"Hu!"

Wu Pei suddenly leapt from the Silver Rainbow Magic Shuttle, descending toward the island below and crashing onto the blood cloud.

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