C422 Each for Their Own Camp

The Fallen Star Eyes glided through the depths of the sea.

This relic from the Silver Moon Sect had been repurposed as a transport vessel. Guided by Lau Ying, it roamed in search of scattered practitioners from various sects.

Regardless of their affiliations, Lau Ying welcomed any cultivator she detected aboard.

Practitioners from the Cloud Water Sect, Ancient Desolate Sect, Blood God Cult, and Filthy Spirit Sect now stood atop the Fallen Star Eyes.

In its original state, the Fallen Star Eyes was tenfold its current size, but beneath the waves, it was much smaller—merely twenty meters in length and five to six meters wide.

The cultivators aboard, like passengers on a submarine cruise, were enveloped in a soft starlight barrier, spared from the intrusion of seawater and the need to channel their spiritual energy.

A somber mood weighed heavily on every face.

Some had stepped onto the Fallen Star Eyes with knowledge of the sea's treachery, their companions having met with unexplained deaths or disappearances.

The uninformed quickly grasped the gravity of the situation upon arrival.

They were aware of the mysterious light screen that trapped all the sea's trial-takers, preventing their escape to the surface.

They feared an otherworldly predator lurking in the depths, preying on practitioners, consuming their vitality.

They also knew that even the Raven Lord of the Demon Palace and Lord Heixun of the Devil Palace were at a loss.

Their predicament might be even more dire than that of the practitioners.

"Liu..."

Yan Lu approached Lau Ying, who sat in meditation on a pristine stone platform, her eyes closed in repose. He hesitated, words failing him.

Lau Ying, attuned to the stone platform with her soul, sensed his presence and opened her eyes. Recognizing Yan Lu, she inquired, "What is it now?"

"Any word on Yu Yuan?" Yan Lu pressed.

At the mention of Yu Yuan, Su Yan—the sole survivor from the Taiyuan Sect—and Fei Yi from the Devil Palace, along with Sheh Si and others, all showed looks of concern.

More than a dozen others from the Cloud Water Sect, Ancient Desolate Sect, Blood God Cult, and Filthy Spirit Sect exchanged uneasy glances.

How many times has this happened now?

Why does that kid from the Devil Palace keep pestering Lau Ying for news about Yu Yuan?

Is Yu Yuan truly that significant?

"Brother Yan, I've explained this to you numerous times already."

Lau Ying's spirit drifted away from the stone platform before her, her hand massaging her forehead as she spoke with a note of weariness, "My Fallen Star Eyes glide beneath the sea, evading the stirrings of mighty creatures and wandering souls. This precaution is to avoid crossing paths with the one who hunts our kind."

"Merely maintaining this is a drain on my energy. On top of that, I have to look after you all, ensuring you can navigate freely upon the Fallen Star Eyes."

"With these responsibilities, I then have to seek out fainter life force and soul disturbances to locate any other survivors."

There was a touch of resignation in Lau Ying's voice as she explained.

"I get it, I really do."

Yan Lu scratched his head, a bit sheepish, "I understand you're exhausted, that you've poured so much of your heart and energy into this. But we both know how immensely helpful Yu Yuan could be to us if he were here!"

"And who is Yu Yuan, exactly?" A short, muscular young man from the Ancient Desolate Sect grumbled, his patience wearing thin, "I'm sick of that name!"

The youth's dark hair was braided into small plaits that rested on his shoulders, giving him a wild and untamed look.

His exposed arms, muscles rippling like a torrential flood, conveyed the impression that a single punch could shatter stone.

"Yu Yuan..."

Among the Blood God Cult, a boy with the delicate features of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old stood out. His lips were red, his teeth white, and he was strikingly handsome.

He was flanked by older cult members, a constant presence by his side.

"I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."

He whispered to himself, his slender eyes occasionally flashing with blood-red light, lending him an air of sudden menace.

The seasoned Blood God Cult disciples at his side kept their silence.

"We've never come across that name."

Over with the Filthy Spirit Sect, a woman in garish attire stood out, her plain features adorned with numerous vials and jars.

The containers, sealed tight, emitted eerie, hair-raising shrieks intermittently.

Yan Lu, a trialist of the Devil Palace, had repeatedly brought up the name "Yu Yuan" to Lau Ying, insisting that Yu Yuan was key to helping everyone.

He urged Lau Ying to focus her search on Yu Yuan rather than scattering her efforts looking for others.

For members of the Ancient Desolate Sect, Blood God Cult, and Filthy Spirit Sect, their descent had led to separation from their fellow disciples.

It was possible that some of their senior brothers and sisters who had descended with them were still alive, hidden somewhere, waiting to be detected by Lau Ying's Fallen Star Eyes and rescued.

Yan Lu's emphasis on finding Yu Yuan had ruffled some feathers, as it seemed to undermine their own interests, causing resentment.

Yet Lau Ying, the bearer of the Fallen Star Eyes, did not fault Yan Lu. In fact, she appeared to take his advice seriously and was discreetly searching for Yu Yuan as he desired.

Their growing discontent and bitterness were palpable.

"Whether you've heard of him or not, whether you know him or not, it doesn't matter!" Yan Lu declared confidently, standing before Lau Ying. "If I say he can help us, then he can!"

As a disciple of the Devil Palace, the pinnacle of power in the Boundless Land, he held little regard for the Cloud Water Sect, Ancient Desolate Sect, Blood God Cult, Filthy Spirit Sect, or any other sect, regardless of their strength compared to his own.

"Let's calm down," Lau Ying soothed gently. "I've been keeping an eye out for Yu Yuan. You don't need to keep reminding me."

"Yan Lu, that's enough. We need to maintain unity at this time," Fei Yi interjected.

With a huff, Yan Lu ceased his ranting, grumbling under his breath, "A bunch of ingrates!"

Meanwhile, in a different expanse of the Ember Waters, Tang Cann, Lim Zhuyun, and a group of young cultivators from the Sword Sect, Primordial Yang Sect, Profound Sky Sect, Fiend Sect, and Red Devil Sect were convening.

They were all enclosed within an enormous pearl.

The elliptical pearl, glowing with iridescent light, resembled a goose egg.

A maiden from the Profound Sky Sect, with a dignified aura, floated cross-legged. Beams of light rose behind her, blending with the pearl, as she seemed to be guiding its movement.

Tang Cann stood among three trial-takers from the Primordial Yang Sect, listening as they discussed the disappearance of the rest of their sect members.

In total, there were fifteen trial-takers from the Primordial Yang Sect. Hailing from various peaks within the sect, they possessed average cultivation talents and were merely ordinary disciples, none renowned as prodigies.

Now, only three of the original fifteen remained. The others were likely lost to misfortune.

"Don't panic. We're in the Ember Waters, and the esteemed cultivators from the Demon Palace and Demon Palace are right above us," Tang Cann reassured them. "The upheaval beneath the sea won't last. Once those above notice the anomaly, they'll surely delve into the depths."

Beside Lin Zhuyun, the two surviving disciples from the Cold Yin Sect remained silent, their eyes fixed on Lin and Tang Cann, clinging to the hope of making it through.

"It's okay," Lin Zhuyun murmured soothingly.

"I think we'd be wise to flee the Ember Waters immediately!" bellowed a burly young man from the Red Devil Sect, his earlobes adorned with copper rings and his chest bared. "Profound Sky Sect sister, you should activate the Rosy Jenny and get us out of here, fast."

The girl seated cross-legged in the void shot him a look and rolled her eyes, chiding, "Typical Devil Dao, always looking out for themselves, so selfish! With the sea in chaos and countless cultivators perishing, if there are any survivors, shouldn't we attempt a rescue?"

"Rescue?" The Red Devil Sect youth flashed a wry smile. "We need to save ourselves first! Don't tell me you think we won't run into that creature. While it's not yet focused on us, we should make our escape."

"Exactly!" agreed the members of the Fiend Sect, eager to depart without delay.

The Profound Sky Sect girl was about to respond when her expression shifted to one of delight. "Look, survivors are making their way to us!"

Within the Rosy Jenny, the trial-takers from various sects followed her gaze in unison.

And there, a young man clutching a sword sheath, with an odd fish trailing behind, approached them at a leisurely pace.

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