C408 Bringing down the Sea

Two soul thoughts, akin to bright lamps and torches, surged into his consciousness in an instant.

Yu Yuan was unaware of the profound depths of the cultivators from the Devil Palace and Demon Palace who presided over the Ember Waters. Yet, at the moment their thoughts entered his body, he immediately sensed their presence.

The soul thought from the Devil Palace cultivator resembled a black lantern, infiltrating his soul sea from the crown of his head.

But just as it neared the Niwan acupoint, something within Yu Yuan stirred.

Simultaneously, in a secluded, shadowy corner of the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, the Soul Transformation Pool began to stir.

Beneath the pool, in a peculiar space marked by the four ancient characters for "High Perception," a mysterious and eerie glow emanated, as if from a fierce black sun.

Yu Yuan, who had not yet advanced to the Penetrating Stage, found his Niwan acupoint inaccessible, seemingly shackled by chains of divine iron.

The black lantern, after a moment's hesitation beneath the skin of his forehead, failed to find entry.

Frustrated, the Devil Palace cultivator's soul thought diverted, seeking passage through Yu Yuan's flesh and blood.

Concurrently, the great demon's torch-like thought hovered at Yu Yuan's middle dantian, circling before descending into his lower dantian, the Yellow Court.

This time, Yu Yuan could sense the great demon's thought, as bright and bold as a torch, manifesting within his Yellow Court Little World.

With the cessation of his "Glorious Heavenly Wheel" practice, the Yellow Court Little World no longer displayed the phenomenon of nine suns suspended in the sky. Instead, it was a vortex of spiritual Qi, slowly processing the previous influx of energy.

The torch, a manifestation of the great demon's thoughts, drifted within this miniature realm.

Shortly thereafter, the torch-like thought emerged once more, joining the black lantern formed by the Devil Palace cultivator's soul thought, flitting through his corporeal form, one on each side.

Yu Yuan, with bated breath and utmost concentration, remained motionless, allowing the formidable cultivators of the Devil Palace and Demon Palace, along with their Devil Soul and demon thoughts, to roam freely.

Their soul thoughts were distinct and wary of each other, careful never to intertwine.

Soon, a black lantern and a torch made their way into Yu Yuan's left and right arms, respectively.

Yu Yuan was astounded to discover that the scarlet sword light and sword intent, nestled in his arm bones, had slipped into his acupoints and concealed themselves before the soul consciousness of the Demon Palace and Demon Palace's Great Cultivators could infiltrate.

The sword light from the Chopping Moon Great Cultivator possessed its own awareness and cunningly evaded detection.

Eventually, both the Great Cultivator from the Demon Palace and the Great Demon from the Demon Palace retracted their probing soul consciousness.

It remained unclear whether the two Great Cultivators had discerned anything.

Meanwhile, Lau Ying and Tian Wanshuang's soft conversation continued by his side, oblivious to the oddity, just as the Silver Moon Sect's cultivators chattered away, equally unaware.

Tian Wanshuang was inquiring about Yu Yuan's acquaintance with Xu Zixi and his connections with the Demon Palace's cultivators.

Lau Ying was explaining that both Xu Zixi and Zhou Cangmin had been seen in the Absence Relic, and Yu Yuan had stumbled in by accident. She carefully omitted the deeper ties between Zhou Cangmin, Xu Zixi, and Yu Zhu.

At that moment, Yu Yuan felt a subtle tremor in his form.

He was acutely aware of the scrutiny from the Demon Palace's Great Cultivator and the Great Demon, which to him, seemed to stretch on interminably.

In reality, it was over in the blink of an eye.

His gaze instinctively found Xu Zixi.

The Python Queen, emerging from the Withered Bone Pavilion, offered Yu Yuan a rueful smile and a knowing look, conveying her inability to shield him from the Great Cultivator of the Demon Palace's curiosity and the clandestine soul search.

Xu Zixi, at the Soul Wandering Stage, was powerless to intervene in the Ember Waters, revealing a stark truth.

The Great Demon of the Demon Palace held a rank and status far surpassing her own.

An Eighth Level Great Demon?

A Yang God Great Cultivator?

With this realization, Yu Yuan understood why Lau Ying and Tian Wanshuang remained in the dark.

The might of a Yang God cultivator and an Eighth Level Great Demon far exceeded Lau Ying and Tian Wanshuang's capabilities. Only Xu Zixi, with her Soul Wandering Stage prowess, could sense their subtle soul movements; anyone else would need to be of a similar or not significantly lesser strength.

For instance...

Yu Yuan suddenly noticed that Faang Yao of the Red Devil Sect, who had just been holding forth among the Fiend Sect and Filthy Spirit Sect members, had fallen silent. His eyes, deep red like burning embers, were now fixed on him.

Faang Yao looked confused.

This kid looks familiar. Where have I seen him before? Why did his arrival immediately draw the scrutiny of those two, prompting them to probe him with their soul senses?

What caught Faang Yao's attention wasn't anything extraordinary about Yu Yuan, but rather the observation of Yu Yuan by the two formidable cultivators from the Devil Palace and Demon Palace.

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

He hadn't anticipated that in this lifetime, the one thing that would make Faang Yao take such serious notice wasn't his own exceptional qualities, but the unusual actions of the cultivators from the Demon Palace and Devil Palace that put Faang Yao on alert and filled him with suspicion.

"Everyone, into the sea—now!"

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

At that command, the disciples from the Fiend Sect and Filthy Spirit Sect, herded by their seniors, shot into the sea.

Splash! Splash!

Members of the Blood God Cult followed suit, leaping into the waters.

Behind the Fallen Star Eyes, practitioners from the Spirit Void Sect, Thunder Sect, Cold Yin Sect, and the other seven lower sects didn't hesitate. As soon as the Demon Palace's high cultivator spoke, they selected their spots and dove into the sea, some plummeting straight down, others headfirst.

"We should go too."

Lau Ying's smile was radiant as the Fallen Star Eyes swiftly descended. She glanced at her fellow senior disciples and said, "You can all breathe easily underwater; I won't have to worry about you."

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

"Everyone, down you go," Tian Wanrou called out, leading the way by flying out ahead.

She didn't dive into the sea but instead chose a small island and settled on it.

She planned to stay on the island, waiting for the trial participants to resurface one by one.

At that moment, the young disciples of the Silver Moon Sect exchanged a look with Lau Ying, pointed to a spot, and dived in. They were soon visible beneath the waves, swimming with ease.

Having spent time in the oceans and lakes of the Heavenly Source Continent before arriving at the Ember Waters, they were all well-versed in the art of water entry.

Lau Ying was the leader, and they were all well-acquainted with each other, having rehearsed together previously, so there was no hint of nervousness among them.

As Yu Yuan and Lau Ying stood alone above the Fallen Star Eyes, she offered a smile and asked, "Ready?"

Yu Yuan retrieved a conch-shaped breathing apparatus from his Mustard Seed Bracelet, secured it over his mouth and nose, and gave Lau Ying a reassuring nod.

Lau Ying extended her hand. "Let's go down together."

"Sure," Yu Yuan agreed without fuss. He took her hand, and with her lead, they leaped into the Fallen Star Eyes.

As they descended, the Fallen Star Eyes rapidly shrank, transforming first into a small stone, then a flicker of starlight, which entered Lau Ying's body just as she plunged into the sea.

"Is that Lau Ying with the Fallen Star Eyes? The girl from the Silver Moon Sect who's known for her pride? And that guy, is he her fellow disciple?"

"It doesn't seem like it. Odd, he doesn't carry the Silver Moon Sect's Spiritual Spell aura. His build suggests a hint of the Evil Sect."

"It is rather peculiar."

Disciples from the Evil Sect, Filthy Spirit Sect, and those from the distant Ancient Desolate Sect quietly exchanged thoughts.

Tian Wanying stood on an island, her expression betraying her confusion. Had that girl truly changed?

Since being recognized by the Silver Moon Sect as their beacon of hope, Lau Ying had never shown affection towards anyone, especially not men. So why would she now willingly take Yu Yuan's hand and dive into the sea with him?

What was it about Yu Yuan that could attract Lau Ying's favor?

In Tian Wanying's eyes, Lau Ying was the sect's jewel, the best of the best, the embodiment of the Silver Moon Sect's future. To the world, Lau Ying appeared gentle yet indifferent, but she was fiercely proud and kept strangers at a great distance.

Tian Wanying found Lau Ying's unusual closeness to Yu Yuan utterly baffling.