C418 Death Spread!

Strands of sparkling sword light, resembling electric snakes, writhed at the bottom of the sword sheath. An ancient, boundless sword's will erupted from within the sheath and from Yu Yuan's arm bones, enveloping the surroundings with its immense presence. The sword spirit, long dormant, had yet to awaken. Yet the sword's will within the sheath, like threads of crystalline light, threatened to burst forth and pierce the leaden heavens. Without thinking, Yu Yuan pointed his sword sheath skyward!

The sword light remained sheathed, but the mere presence of the sword's will, directed at the sky and the rows of fish bones, was enough to instill fear. The constant tremors in the Otherworld suddenly stilled. The towering stone columns, once quivering, ceased their luminous outbursts.

"Huh..." Yu Yuan, gripping the sheath, looked up at the sky and then at the massive stone pillars standing in the soulstone plaza, his face a mix of amusement and bewilderment. The "big fish," once suppressed and imprisoned here by an ancient archdemon, had been subdued by the sword sheath and ceased its thrashing and turmoil. The sword light had not yet emerged, but the sword's will leaking from the sheath was enough to command silence and respect.

"These stone pillars, with their ancient demonic inscriptions, and the power of the archdemon, seem to pale in comparison to the Moon Slayer," Yu Yuan mused, holding the sheath with a newfound reverence. Without the Divine Sword, the sword's will contained within the sheath was sufficient to tame the big fish that had lingered on the islands of the Embers Sea for countless years, compelling it to behave.

"It seems I'm in no rush," Yu Yuan said with an easy smile, placing the sword sheath upright in a crevice between two soulstones, still pointing to the sky. After waiting and noting that the vibrations within the fish's belly had ceased, he settled down once more. He began to practice the Nine Glories Wheel, continuing to draw in the sunfire, gradually expanding his little world within the Golden Sanctum.

The sunfire condensed into crimson bolts of electricity that surged into the elixir field, shattering and transforming into a sky full of fiery sparks. These sparks descended into the lower layer of the spiritual sea, setting off waves upon waves, causing a tumultuous upheaval. The spiritual energy flowed in layers, crashing towards the edges.

Upon reaching the boundary of the little world, the space expanded forcibly amidst the hissing sounds, under the intense pressure of the spiritual energy and the flames.

The Golden Sanctum acupoint underwent its seventh refinement, harnessing the intense heat of the sunfire along with the refined and robust spiritual energy of the Otherworld, progressing bit by bit.

The sword sheath was positioned in front of him, and the Otherworld remained eerily silent, with no anomalies to be found.

Yu Yuan was able to cultivate in peace, blissfully unaware of the earth-shattering changes that had taken place in the Embers Sea beyond.

...

"The other team that descended with us has vanished without a trace."

Fei Yi from the Devil Palace had been on high alert since the Spirit Sensing Pearl shattered, keeping in constant communication with another group of trial-takers from the Devil Palace. However, he had not made contact with their leader for over an hour now. There had been no response from them.

"The pressure from the sea is mounting," Yan Lu announced, gazing at the ocean surface, his body enshrouded in a faint demonic glow.

"Whoosh!"

A beam of starlight shot recklessly through the air, arriving before them in an instant.

"Starmoon Sect! Liu Ying!"

Shi Si let out a soft huff, eyeing the newcomer who was enveloped in the Fallen Star Eyes and a halo of starlight, and cooed, "What brings you here?"

Yan Lu exclaimed in alarm, "What's happened?"

He could see that Liu Ying's complexion was off; her once radiant eyes, twinkling like stars, now appeared dim. This dullness stemmed from a shattered spirit, not from severe depletion of spiritual energy.

As the favored daughter of the Starmoon Sect and the anointed future leader of the Star Sect, only an encounter with something truly horrifying could bring her to such a state.

This was the Embers Sea. What could possibly happen here?

"All the trial-takers from my Starmoon Sect are dead!"

Liu Ying's declaration resonated with the starlight surrounding her, bursting forth like a spring thunderclap on open ground. The starlight detonated, reverberating through the air and rumbling in their ears.

As soon as Liu Ying spoke, a multitude of starbursts gathered around her voice and exploded like thunder in the depths of the sea, the starbursts detonating next to everyone's ears, their eardrums rumbling from the shock. Their expressions shifted dramatically.

"How is this possible?" Hu Tianyang was the first to exclaim, his words bubbling up as he spoke, "Are you certain? Lord Hei Xun from the Devil Palace and Lord Dusk Raven from Shadow's Keep are overseeing this! A minor skirmish at the sea's bottom is inevitable, but murder... Surely that's not the case?"

"They're not trial-takers, not our kin, nor are they from the evilkind," Liu Ying said, her form shifting as she spoke. "They must be the cruel beings from the extraterrestrial realms! The trial-takers from our Starmoon Sect have met with gruesome deaths!"

Rarely had she felt such a surge of fury since she began her cultivation, a desire to take vengeance now consuming her. The images of Lee Yueyue and her fellow disciples' deaths haunted her, refusing to be suppressed.

She had only heard from her master and the sect elders about the barbarity of extraterrestrial creatures once they descended upon the Everlands, but hearing and seeing were worlds apart. Now, she had experienced their cruelty firsthand.

Her mood was foul, the sense of injustice unbearable.

"How is this possible? Creatures from the extraterrestrial realms appearing in the Embers Sea? That can't be!" Shi Si shrieked in disbelief.

Liu Ying, tired of the back-and-forth, simply pointed upwards. "Try for yourselves. See if you can break through the sea's surface."

"I'll give it a shot!" Hu Tianyang declared, transforming into a demonic light and rocketing towards the sea's surface.

Boom! His body rebounded like a ball against an iron wall, plummeting back down even faster after a blue luminescent barrier flashed. Dazed, his vision swam with stars.

Witnessing this, Fei Yi wasted no time. He yanked the Demon Token from around his neck and urgently infused it with his spiritual sense, sending a distress signal to Hei Xun.

All eyes were fixed on him, the tension palpable.

In that moment, no one questioned Liu Ying any longer. No one dared to doubt her. It was clear that something extraordinary had occurred at the bottom of the Embers Sea, and they all awaited Hei Xun's response with bated breath.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Fei Yi and the ominous card, their anticipation tinged with unease as they awaited Hei Xun's response. It was only a moment, yet it felt interminable.

"No, there's no response," Fei Yi announced with a crestfallen expression. "Lord Hei Xun isn't responding, and the other team... they've been silent for a while now."

"We're finished!" Hu Tianyang was the first to succumb to despair. "We're done for! That blue barrier is blocking everything! Lord Hei Xun probably can't receive any messages. He has no idea what's happening down here in the depths!"

"My Fallen Star Eyes can locate those who are scattered. I'll gather everyone together!" Liu Ying said, casting a contemptuous glance at Hu Tianyang. A thought crossed her mind: If Yu Yuan were here, he'd surely have a plan, a calm approach to our predicament, not just wallow in despair and spread negativity.

She knew without a doubt that despite Hu Tianyang's talents, he couldn't hold a candle to Yu Yuan's accomplishments on the path of cultivation.

"That would be ideal," Yan Lu responded, nodding in agreement before adding, "By the way, I recall Yu Yuan was with your Starmoon Sect. He..." His voice trailed off as his heart sank, and he shook his head, muttering, "No, it can't be. Knowing that kid, he's got the tenacity of a cockroach!"

In the Moonfall Sanctuary, Yu Yuan's keen instincts had always led the way, the first to detect the Moonfiend and sense the anomalies. Yan Lu was confident that even here in the Embers Sea, Yu Yuan's sharp instincts and his array of extraordinary abilities meant he couldn't have met with misfortune.

"You really trust him," Liu Ying remarked, her respect for Yan Lu growing. "You're right. He parted ways with us shortly after descending. I've searched for him but to no avail."

"In that case, make finding Yu Yuan a priority when you're searching for the others," Yan Lu suggested thoughtfully. "He and I have been through thick and thin in the Moonfall Sanctuary. At a time like this, he's crucial. If he's here, he might just be the one to lead us to survival instead of us perishing one by one."

"Yan Lu, you have that much faith in the kid?" Fei Yi asked, taken aback.

"Brother Fei, Yu Yuan, who accompanied me, is truly a rare talent. In the Moonfall Sanctuary, he saved many lives, including my own," Yan Lu said earnestly. "His combat strength and realm might be somewhat lacking, but I'm confident that in our current predicament, he will undoubtedly be of assistance to us!"

Fei Yi was skeptical but nodded, "Let's hope that's the case."

"No need to remind me, I'm already on it," Liu Ying interjected. "The members of the Abyssal Dawn are close by. Follow me!"

Her possession of the renowned Fallen Star Eyes left no room for doubt.

As she soared away with the Fallen Star Eyes, Fei Yi signaled with his hand, and the others hastened to keep up.

Yet, Liu Ying, wielding the Fallen Star Eyes, was incredibly swift, reducing her presence to merely a streak of starlight to those trailing behind.

"Fallen Star Eyes! Liu Ying!" Su Yan from the Abyssal Dawn called out with excitement upon witnessing the starlight zoom past the corals.

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