C409 Unrestricted!

"They seem quite close."

Aboard the Winter's Bite's flying carpet, Tang Cen was in no rush to descend into the sea. His journey to the Embers Sea was solely to accompany Lin Zhuyun, without any other objectives.

Watching the girl from the Starmoon Sect extend her hand to Yu Yuan and dive into the sea without any hesitation, Tang Cen was taken aback.

At the Sunlit Order, even with his grandfather Tang Zheng's influence, Tang Cen wouldn't dare claim to be the top of the new generation.

That's because within the Sunlit Order, there was another extraordinary talent, one who had reached the eighth level of the Golden Sanctum acupoint, drawing the attention of all!

Even Tang Cen felt inferior.

Liu Ying's birth in the Sunblessed Empire was marked by an omen that caused the Starmoon Sect to revolve around her like stars. They had eagerly awaited her arrival, almost as if welcoming her birth.

Tang Cen was not the foremost of his generation in the Sunlit Order.

Liu Ying, on the other hand, was undeniably the leading figure of the Starmoon Sect!

In fact, there may have been no one in the history of the Starmoon Sect who could outshine Liu Ying, whose very birth caused the stars to dazzle and the earth to stir.

Liu Ying stood out not only among the seven lower sects but also as one of the most brilliant individuals in present-day Euwrea.

Tang Cen was aware that without the backing of the Sunlit Order, he was clearly outmatched by Liu Ying.

Inside the Sunlit Order, the one who had mastered the eighth level of the Golden Sanctum was acknowledged by the sect as the future bearer of the primordial spirit, and it was rumored that even Liu Ying took an interest in him.

Yet, Liu Ying never showed him the slightest bit of favor, leaving him without any affection.

This indifference was a source of embarrassment for both the individual and the Sunlit Order.

Liu Ying was undoubtedly set to become the next helmswoman of the Starmoon Sect.

If he could capture Liu Ying's favor, the Sunlit Order would effortlessly subsume the Starmoon Sect.

Could there be a more advantageous deal?

Thus, the Sunlit Order collectively anticipated Liu Ying's reciprocation of interest.

Regrettably, Liu Ying showed no interest in him.

Tang Cen had never harbored any feelings for Liu Ying, largely due to the presence of another. Yet, witnessing Liu Ying reach out to Yu Yuan amidst the crowd at the Embers Sea, inviting him to join her in the waters, struck a chord with Tang Cen.

For one, Liu Ying had shown no interest in that other person, having clearly rejected his advances.

Secondly, Yu Yuan was the woman Tang Cen admired, his betrothed in name.

What irked Tang Cen was Lin Zhuyun's concern for her betrothal; she maintained a deliberate distance from him, both publicly and privately, to avoid any impropriety.

Lin Zhuyun valued her reputation and candidly admitted she didn't want to be the subject of gossip.

Her concern for her image was so great that, due to the marriage contract, she refrained from any physical contact with Tang Cen.

Did Yu Yuan ever care?

First, he was seen enjoying Su Yan's company on the Silver Rainbow Shuttle, with Shi Si eagerly awaiting her turn.

Now, he was openly exchanging flirtatious glances with Liu Ying!

With these thoughts, Tang Cen's anger simmered, and his gaze grew heavy as he said, "Lin Zhuyun, from what I can tell, he's never given a second thought to the marriage contract. He doesn't care about you in the slightest! That contract holds no sway over him; he does as he pleases!"

Lin Zhuyun, head bowed, responded softly, "What are you implying, Senior Brother Tang?"

"Could it be that deep down, you've always cared for him?" Tang Cen's vitality was in turmoil as he pressed on, "You are concerned about that marriage contract! You're avoiding suspicion and keeping your distance from me because he still holds a place in your heart, doesn't he?"

At this point, Tang Cen was nearly beside himself with rage, his vitality from the Profound Gate churning fiercely.

If the woman he loved was bound by another's marriage contract, that was one thing; he was confident he could resolve it.

But if she harbored feelings for another, never giving him a second thought, that was an entirely different issue.

"Senior Brother Tang, that's not it. You're misunderstanding," Lin Zhuyun quickly interjected, lifting her head.

"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, only you know!" Tang Cen took deep breaths, trying to force himself to stay calm. "See you at the bottom of the sea!"

In that moment, Tang Cen's resolve to kill was unshakable. "Fiancé? Will you still care about that once he's dead?"

Like a fierce inferno, Tang Cen plunged into the sea.

The fiery intensity didn't wane as he entered the water. With a hissing sound, he made his way toward the Starmoon Sect's dive point.

Watching him, Lin Zhuyun was momentarily lost in thought before she sighed softly, transforming into a streak of icy light and descending into the sea.

Following suit, the trial-takers from the seven lower sects began entering the sea after those from the Skyblight Cult, Taintborn, and Colddeath.

The sect elders who had led them here chose various islands to settle on, where they cultivated using Soul Crystals and Psicrystals.

Others, aware that there was still time, departed, planning to return when it was time to pick everyone up.

Faang Yao conjured a large fireball, stepping into it and drifting away.

Python Queen Xu Zixi, noticing that everyone above had either left or settled down, turned and made her way back to the Skullcairn.

Inside the Skullcairn, a massive crow watched her with open eyes.

With no outsiders present, the crow remained in its real body form, sprawled lazily on the ground with its wings relaxed.

In the vast pavilion, the presence of this lone evilkind was marked by its scent permeating the air.

"Is he the one who took Yu Zhu from the Serpent Spine Mountains to the Forgotten Ruins?" the crow asked in a piercing voice, "His mastery of Evil Body Refining is quite impressive."

Facing the crow, Xu Zixi responded with an easy smile, "Yes, he was the one who led Yu Zhu out. And it's largely thanks to him that Yu Zhu acquired the Shura's eyeball from the Dark Realm, allowing her to align with the Way of Heaven in the Forgotten Ruins."

"The little guy helped Yu Zhu?" the crow expressed skepticism.

Xu Zixi kept the true details to herself, not revealing that Yu Yuan had acquired the sword spirit of a Moon Slayer cultivator and, with the residual sword light within the sheath, managed to suppress and even annihilate the Shura's residual soul from the Dark Realm.

After her discussion with Zhou Cangmin, she decided that some things were best kept secret.

As a result, neither Shadow's Keep nor Devil Palace were privy to the details.

The representatives from the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep had only scrutinized Yu Yuan with their remnant souls because Yu Zhu, the future Dark Deity, was brought forth from the Serpent Spine Mountains by Yu Yuan himself. Both the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep placed unprecedented importance on Yu Zhu, seeing her as another Moonfang Tiger on the Land of Quiescence.

A Dark Deity could profoundly affect the grand scheme of the Everlands.

Yu Yuan, being trusted by Yu Zhu, was seen as a wildcard by the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.

They needed to monitor him closely to ensure he didn't disrupt Yu Zhu's progression and jeopardize their grand plans.

Initially, Yu Yuan struggled to adjust to the sea, his eyes stinging from the saltwater.

But in time, he acclimated.

Beneath the waves, he discovered a vibrant world teeming with colorful fish, turtles, snakes, and corals.

Wearing a conch-shaped breathing apparatus, Yu Yuan experienced a slight tremor in his body as he attempted to breathe. Soon, tiny bubbles emerged from his skin.

"Primal Body!"

A smile of delight spread across Yu Yuan's face, and he laughed naturally.

He had received the breathing device from Ann Ziqing, but now he placed it back into the Bracelet of Holding.

Liu Ying, who had been by his side, was startled and quickly looked over.

"Pop!"

A ring of starlight burst forth from Liu Ying, forming a dazzling cosmic energy shield around her. She then pulled Yu Yuan into the shield with a strong tug.

Caught by inertia, Yu Yuan was pulled close to her within the cosmic energy shield.

Their clothes, drenched by the sea, clung to their bodies, and they could feel each other's skin pressed together. Yu Yuan, with his heightened sensitivity, could discern the softness of Liu Ying's waist where they touched.

"What happened?" Liu Ying asked, pushing him back slightly and giving him a reproachful look. Inside the cosmic energy shield, she questioned, "Why did you put away the breathing device? How will you survive underwater?"

Without having reached the Veil Breaking Stage, the middle elixir field's Profound Gate remained closed, and the eight extra-channels couldn't circulate properly. It stood to reason that he shouldn't be able to breathe.

Without the ability to refine the oxygen from seawater and draw it into his heart and lungs, he would perish.

"Because I suddenly realized, not having a breathing device doesn't really matter," Yu Yuan said with an easy smile. Inside the cosmic energy shield conjured by Liu Ying, sound carried in a way that seemed to come from all around, which he found amusing. "The moment I plunged into the sea, I discovered that my skin could refine the oxygen from the seawater and channel it into my heart and lungs."

"Skin, pores?" Liu Ying exclaimed in surprise.

Yu Yuan gave a slight nod.

Liu Ying quickly grasped the concept, "Ah, it's the Primal Body!"

Individuals with the Primal Body could draw spiritual energy through the pores across their entire body. While they typically inhaled spiritual energy through their mouth and nose, their pores could also take in spiritual energy into the elixir field and acupoints in a distinct manner.

Advanced cultivators would, over time, develop the Primal Body through rigorous body refinement.

A rare few are born with the Primal Body, capable of absorbing spiritual energy through their pores.

They could similarly draw oxygen from seawater through their pores and into their lungs.

Once Yu Yuan explained, Liu Ying immediately realized that he was naturally endowed with the Primal Body. Underwater, he could breathe freely without any breathing apparatus, even before reaching the Veil Breaking Stage.

She had been fretting over nothing.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" She gave Yu Yuan a reproachful look and released his hand, saying irritably, "I was concerned you'd struggle underwater. Even with a breathing device, you'd likely inhale a few gulps of water before getting used to it. Had I known you had the Primal Body, I wouldn't have felt the need to pull you into the sea during the Fallen Star Eyes."

"I didn't know that the Primal Body could survive underwater," Yu Yuan protested, looking wronged.

"Fine, fine."

Liu Ying glared at him, noting that he didn't shy away from her touch, and huffed, "Since you have the Primal Body, I needn't be so cautious with you. Get moving. Sustaining the cosmic energy shield down here is incredibly taxing. Plus, the shield creates a vacuum by keeping out the seawater, making it even harder to descend."

Yu Yuan realized that within the cosmic energy barrier, both he and Liu Ying were suspended in the sea, unable to descend further.

Moreover, Liu Ying appeared to be continuously casting a spell to amplify the gravity, preventing them from rising to the ocean's surface.

Suddenly, a fierce blaze of fire streaked across the sky from a distance.

Liu Ying, who was just about to urge Yu Yuan to leave the protective barrier, caught sight of the fiery trail heading straight towards them. Her face shifted with concern as she hastily added, "Wait, that's Tang Cen from the Sunlit Order!"