C410 Soaring Under the Sea

Tang Can transformed into a fiery streak, racing through the sea at breakneck speed.

Yu Yuan, even submerged, could sense the scorching heat wave drawing near.

Under the influence of the Scorching Sun Spell, the seawater around Tang Can appeared to boil from the intense heat.

In no time, Tang Can halted abruptly before the radiant barrier.

A crimson halo enveloped him, making him shine with a brilliant light even beneath the waves.

His aura mirrored the protective qualities of Lau Ying's barrier, effectively repelling the surrounding water.

"Yu Yuan!" Tang Can's voice, focused like a beam, pierced through the water to reach its target.

"Senior Brother Tang, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Lau Ying's voice, light and soft, carried a hint of amusement. "Beneath these waves, the Demon Palace and the Demon Palace have their sanctuaries. The Ember Waters are not the Heavenly Source Continent; this isn't the private domain of the Primordial Yang Sect. Here, we abide by the local customs."

Her words served as a caution to Tang Can against causing trouble in the depths.

The Demon Palace and the Demon Palace had established clear rules: exploration in the Ember Waters was permitted, but fighting and taking lives were strictly forbidden.

"The underwater realm of the Ember Waters is vast," Tang Can said, his gaze fixed on Yu Yuan rather than Lau Ying. "I advise you not to wander aimlessly. Should you stray beyond the designated boundaries and catch my attention, remember, no one will intervene if I decide to eliminate someone without the backing of a sect."

His strategy was evolving.

If his initial fiery assault, fueled by concentrated spiritual consciousness, had failed, he would simply adapt his approach.

After all, no matter how formidable or enigmatic Yu Yuan might be, he was still merely a practitioner at the Yellow Court Stage.

How could Yu Yuan's Yellow Court Stage prowess stand against him, a cultivator at the Penetrating Stage armed with a powerful relic?

Previously, a direct clash of spiritual consciousness had yielded no advantage, suggesting Yu Yuan might possess a soul talisman, a protective gift from a powerful entity, which shielded him from the burning essence of his Spirit Stone.

The Ghoul Glyph Sect was known to craft such talismans, capable of integrating into the soul's sea of consciousness to withstand a single onslaught of spiritual force.

But that was it—just one defense.

Tang Can was convinced that in a true confrontation, Yu Yuan wouldn't stand a chance against him.

After uttering those words, Tang Can transformed into a blaze and swiftly soared away.

"It seems this fellow has taken a disliking to you."

Lau Ying's brow furrowed slightly as she clarified, "He's not wrong. The seabed of the Ember Waters does have its boundaries. The Demon Palace and the Devil Palace only concern themselves with conflicts within those limits. If you venture beyond those safe zones in search of wonders, the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace won't care about your fate."

"I'm aware," Yu Yuan said, unfazed.

He was well-versed in the rules of the Ember Waters; Lau Ying's explanation was unnecessary.

In his past life, he had piloted a flying spiritual vessel capable of submerging into the ocean depths to probe its secrets on several occasions.

The seabed of the Ember Waters was shallow, strewn with innumerable celestial fragments. Many precious star shards were claimed by the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace the moment they plummeted to the ocean floor, leaving no opportunity for others to lay hands on them.

The waters were expansive, with some extraterrestrial fragments landing in even more remote locations, outside the jurisdiction of the Ember Waters.

These fragments, mostly of lesser value, had been assessed by the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace, who then left them to rest on the ocean floor.

Trialists venturing into the Ember Waters were generally prohibited from straying too far. Those who flouted the rules and crossed into distant areas were essentially signing their own death warrants.

Their well-being, or lack thereof, was of no concern to the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace.

In truth, Yu Yuan held deeper knowledge of the Ember Waters' secrets...

Back when he was the Sect Master of the Medicine God Sect, he learned from an old ally in the Demon Palace about three hidden enigmatic sites within the Ember Waters.

These areas, overseen by the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace, were invisible to their Devil Souls and Demon Eyes.

The three enigmatic sites were imperceptible to both sight and soul sense. Should any mishaps occur, their circumstances would remain unknown to all.

As told by that individual, the Demon Palace had exploited these secret spots to silently dispatch the trialists from the three major upper sects of the Heavenly Source Continent.

Subsequently, the upper sects had no one to hold accountable for their losses.

This was a secret not even Lau Ying was privy to.

Suddenly, a stealthy glimmer of icy light emerged.

Beneath the sea, Lim Zhuyun, clad in green, was as cold as a bead of ice.

"Crack crack!"

The seawater swiftly froze into ice around her still form.

Like a deity encased in crystal, she gazed at Yu Yuan, her frosty lips barely parting. "Our engagement remains intact. I ask that you respect my reputation in the presence of others. If you truly cannot restrain yourself, I would hope you discuss the matter with my father upon your return to Darkmoon City and annul our engagement, granting me my freedom."

"You wish," Yu Yuan bellowed with laughter from within the Starlight Barrier. "I suggest you abandon all hope. I relish the thought of making you envious."

"Yu Yuan! You're crossing the line!" Lim Zhuyun's voice was a cold rebuke.

"Hehe! Who's crossing the line? I think you're the one overstepping," Lau Ying retorted with a smirk, her eyebrows arching defiantly within the Starlight Barrier. "Are you upset because I've involved him? Lim Zhuyun, as his betrothed, you drew Tang Can's gaze the moment you set foot in the Cold Yin Sect. Now, all members of the seven lower sects are aware of Tang Can's affection for you."

"You've maintained a proper distance from Tang Can, yet you haven't outright rejected his advances within the Cold Yin Sect, have you?"

"You're well aware of who Tang Can is! You know his favor can bring you many advantages within the Cold Yin Sect! The Great Elder has showered you with precious pellets and spirit medicines, hasn't he?"

"Because you clearly understand that without Tang Can's admiration, you wouldn't receive such lavish gifts from the Cold Yin Sect!"

"So what's your game? You bask in the perks of Tang Can's attention while fretting over the engagement, fearful of gossip."

"What do you call that?"

"It seems to be... playing the harlot while trying to erect a shrine to chastity!"

Yu Yuan was taken aback.

Lau Ying's counterattack was unexpectedly sharp and biting, overturning his previous perception of her.

His fiancée, usually not one for words, might have been rattled by the exposure of the truth, her anger causing the ice encasing her body to burst apart.

Lim Zhuyun trembled at Lau Ying's words, pointing at her, struggling to speak. Yet, despite her efforts, not a single word escaped her lips.

"Am I speaking the truth? You know it in your heart!" Lau Ying proclaimed triumphantly, pulling Yu Yuan along as they floated away under Lim Zhuyun's watchful eyes.

"Do you resent me for berating her?"

Once they were a good distance away, Lau Ying released her grip and sheepishly stuck out her tongue.

"I never took her seriously. Her petty schemes were clear to me back in Darkmoon City," Yu Yuan said, shaking his head dismissively. "Ignore her. I'll hold on to our marriage contract for now, just to irk her and her father."

"She's not a match for you," Lau Ying remarked. "Su Yan from Taiyuan Sect is far superior. And her? She feigns detachment, but she's full of guile, exploiting Tang Cann to access the Cold Yin Sect's resources while pretending to be oblivious to their actions against our Yu family and me."

She scoffed, "A little digging, and I uncovered the Cold Yin Sect's dirty secrets."

"The Cold Yin Sect's deeds are trivial," Yu Yuan chuckled. "The Lim family won't find a place at the heart of the Devil Moon Empire anymore. By the time I return to Darkmoon City, they might be in ruins."

"I had my suspicions when you arrived on the Silver Rainbow Magic Shuttle, and with Aunt Xu's high regard for you. Your ties with that figure from the Red Devil Sect in the Absence Relic are no coincidence—I've been aware," Lau Ying admitted knowingly. "But most crucially, that girl Yu Zhu is now the ruler of the Absence Relic."

Envy spread across her face as she spoke, "A nascent Demon God!"

"Enough envy, Lau Ying. You too have the potential to achieve the status of Primordial Spirit," Yu Yuan laughed, stepping out of the Starlight Barrier. He immersed himself in the sea, his Primordial Spirit body gradually adjusting to the buoyancy. It was his first serious attempt at learning how to survive in the ocean, and he found it fascinating.

Relying solely on his own cultivation and physical strength, he drifted through the vast sea. Everywhere he went, he encountered something novel and intriguing, which he found immensely fascinating.

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