C408 Heading down the Sea

Two remnant souls surged into his consciousness like a beacon and a torch.

Yu Yuan was unaware of the depths of the cultivators from Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, but as their thoughts infiltrated his being, he instantly felt their presence.

The dark adept's remnant soul, akin to a black lantern, permeated his Mindscape from the crown of his head.

Yet, just before reaching the mud pellet acupoint, Yu Yuan's heaven soul stirred.

At that moment, the Soulforge Pool, nestled in a secluded nook of Moonfall Sanctuary, stirred to life.

Beneath the Soulforge Pool, in a singular space emblazoned with the ancient black inscription 'To Know All is to Suffer All,' the characters shone like a fierce black sun, casting an enigmatic and age-old, bizarre and peculiar glow.

Yu Yuan, who had not yet advanced to the Subtlety Realm, was not free to access his mud pellet acupoint, as if divine iron chains guarded the entrance.

A black lantern oscillated beneath the skin of his brow, unable to find its way in.

Frustrated, the dark adept's remnant soul turned its attention to his corporeal body.

Simultaneously.

The archdemon's torch-like thought meandered around the Profound Gate of Yu Yuan's middle elixir field before rushing down into the Golden Sanctum of his lower elixir field.

This time, Yu Yuan sensed the archdemon's torch-like thought boldly manifesting within the little world of his Golden Sanctum.

Ceasing his practice with the Nine Glories Wheel, the Golden Sanctum's little world was no longer graced by the spectacle of nine suns suspended aloft. Instead, spiritual energy swirled, forming a vortex that slowly refined the previously absorbed spiritual energy.

The archdemon's condensed torch drifted within this miniature realm.

Shortly thereafter, the torch-like thought emerged once more, flanking the dark adept's soul lantern, left and right, as they fluttered through his flesh.

Yu Yuan remained motionless, holding his breath, allowing the cultivators from Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, along with the devil soul and remnant soul, to conduct their inspection.

The remnant souls of the two were distinctly separate, each wary and on guard, never making contact.

Soon after, a black lantern and a torch found their way into his left and right arms. Yu Yuan was astounded to discover that the crimson sword light and sword's will, nestled in his arm bones, had slipped into his acupoints and concealed themselves before the spiritual sense of the cultivators from the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep could penetrate.

The sword light, originating from the Moon Slayer cultivator, possessed its own awareness and cunningly evaded detection.

Eventually, the dark adept from the Devil Palace and the archdemon from Shadow's Keep retracted their probing remnant souls. It was unclear if they had discerned anything of note.

Beside him, Liu Ying and Tian Wanrou continued their soft-spoken conversation, oblivious to the undercurrents. The trial-takers from the Starmoon Sect were equally unaware, their chatter uninterrupted.

Tian Wanrou was inquiring about Yu Yuan's acquaintance with Xu Zixi and his connections to the cultivators of Shadow's Keep. Liu Ying recounted how both Xu Zixi and Zhou Cangmin had been seen in the Forgotten Ruins, and Yu Yuan had stumbled upon them by chance. She omitted the deeper ties between Zhou Cangmin, Xu Zixi, Yu Yuan, and Yu Zhu.

In that moment, Yu Yuan felt a subtle tremor. He was acutely aware of the prolonged scrutiny from the dark adept and the archdemon, though it had, in reality, been but a fleeting instant.

His gaze shifted to Xu Zixi. The Python Queen, emerging from the Skeleton Pavilion, offered Yu Yuan a wry smile and a look that conveyed her inability to thwart the curiosity and clandestine surveillance from the dark adept and the archdemon.

Xu Zixi, a practitioner of the Spirit Walk Stage, was powerless to intervene even within the Embers Sea, revealing a stark truth. The archdemon held a rank and status far above her own within Shadow's Keep.

An eighth-level archdemon? A Solar Spirit cultivator of the Devil Palace?

With this realization, Yu Yuan understood why Liu Ying and Tian Wanrou remained completely unaware.

A dark adept of the Solar Spirit level and an eighth-level archdemon were leagues beyond the capabilities of Liu Ying and Tian Wanrou. Aside from Xu Zixi, who was attuned to the Spirit Walk stage, the subtle movements of their remnant souls eluded the others. To perceive such nuances, one would have to be of a similar level or not too far behind in strength.

For instance...

Yu Yuan suddenly realized that Faang Yao of the Ruby Hand, who had been speaking animatedly among the members of the Skyblight Cult and Taintborn, had fallen silent. His deep red eyes, which seemed to burn with an inner fire, were now fixed on him.

Faang Yao's expression betrayed his confusion.

This kid looks somewhat familiar. Haven't I seen him somewhere before? Why did his arrival immediately draw the attention of those two, prompting them to stealthily probe him with their remnant souls? What's this young man's background?

Faang Yao's interest wasn't piqued by anything inherently special about Yu Yuan; it was the scrutiny from the two formidable cultivators of the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep that aroused his suspicion.

Yu Yuan couldn't help but smile wryly to himself.

He hadn't anticipated that the one time Faang Yao would take such serious notice of him in this life was not due to his own merits, but rather the peculiar behavior of the cultivators from the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep that had triggered Faang Yao's wariness.

"Everyone, into the sea—now!"

An impatient, icy voice echoed from within the Devil Palace.

At this command, the disciples of the Skyblight Cult and Taintborn, prodded by their elders, shot towards the sea.

Splash! Splash!

Figures from Colddeath also leaped into the waters.

Behind the Fallen Star Eyes, the trial-takers from Ethereal Void, Thunder Sect, Winter's Bite, and the other seven lower sects didn't hesitate. Following the dark adept's directive, they descended swiftly, selecting their entry points into the sea with precision.

"We should head down as well," Liu Ying said with a charming smile. The Fallen Star Eyes dropped significantly as she glanced at her fellow disciples. "You all can breathe freely underwater, so there's no need for me to worry about you."

With that, she turned to Yu Yuan, "You're coming with me."

"Everyone, dive in!" Tian Wanrou called out, leading the way as she soared ahead.

Instead of plunging into the sea, she chose a small island and gracefully alighted upon it.

She would wait on the island for the trial-takers to arrive one by one.

At this moment, the young disciples of the Starmoon Sect gestured to Liu Ying, pointing in a direction before diving in, swiftly disappearing beneath the waves like fish.

Before arriving at the Embers Sea, they had all spent time in the waters of the Euwrea Continent, gaining experience in aquatic environments.

As the leader, Liu Ying was well-acquainted with the others, and they had even rehearsed this moment, so there was no cause for nervousness.

When only Yu Yuan and Liu Ying remained above the Fallen Star Eyes, she smiled and asked, "Ready?"

Yu Yuan retrieved a conch-shaped breathing apparatus from his Bracelet of Holding and secured it over his mouth and nose. He nodded at Liu Ying, signaling all was well.

Liu Ying extended her hand to him, saying, "I'll take you down with me."

"Oh, alright."

Yu Yuan was not one to sweat the small stuff. He took her hand, and following her lead, they both leaped into the depths.

As they descended, the Fallen Star Eyes rapidly shrank, transforming first into a pebble and then a pinpoint of starlight. In the instant Liu Ying hit the water, it vanished into her body.

"Is that Liu Ying with the Fallen Star Eyes? Isn't that Starmoon Sect girl known for her arrogance? Is that guy her sect brother?"

"It doesn't seem like it. Odd, he doesn't carry any of Starmoon Sect's spell aura. His physique has a hint of the Terror Claws about it."

"It is rather peculiar."

Members of the Skyblight Cult, Taintborn Sect, and those from the distant Forgeroses began to whisper among themselves.

Tian Wanrou stood on an island, her expression tinged with curiosity.

Had that girl truly changed her ways?

Since being recognized by the Starmoon Sect as a beacon of hope, she had never shown any affection towards anyone, especially not men. So why would she willingly take Yu Yuan into the sea?

What qualities did Yu Yuan possess to earn such favor from Liu Ying?

In Tian Wanrou's eyes, Liu Ying was the sect's prized jewel, the very best, embodying the future of the Starmoon Sect.

Yet, despite appearing gentle and detached, Liu Ying was known to keep others at arm's length, her pride impenetrable.

Tian Wanrou was utterly baffled by Yu Yuan's uncharacteristic closeness.