C429 Abandonment

The name Yu Yuan had become his personal nightmare, relentlessly tormenting and gnawing at him.

When the Skyblight Cult, Ruby Hand, and Sword Sect decided to depart with Yu Yuan via the Nebula Gem, the mood within the orb shifted. It began with an elder brother from the Ebon Star suggesting that Lu Baichan keep her distance from the golden bull associated with the evilkind. By following his advice, Lu Baichan implicitly endorsed Yu Yuan's perspective and reasoning—that the robust vitality of the evilkind would make them prime targets for extraterrestrial threats. Was she, along with the Ebon Star's concurrence, inadvertently negating herself? Was she to blame for the conflict with Yu Yuan that led to his departure with a peculiar fish?

As time passed, Tang Cen noticed a growing silence among the Ebon Star members. Their glances towards him and the Sunlit Order carried a hint of blame, which greatly irked him. It was already a challenge to encounter Liu Ying, who arrived aboard the Fallen Star Eyes, only to find out that the passengers were still preoccupied with Yu Yuan. They seemed to eagerly anticipate an encounter with Yu Yuan on the Nebula Gem rather than with anyone else.

"The Nebula Gem of the Ebon Star is piloted by Lu Baichan, whose realm and cultivation surpass mine," Liu Ying declared, her spirits lifting after her initial disappointment. She posed a question to the group: "Would you prefer to leave the Fallen Star Eyes and join the Nebula Gem?" Her gaze was particularly fixed on the survivors from the Cloudwater Sect and the Forgeroses.

The more passengers aboard the Fallen Star Eyes, the greater the strain on Liu Ying. Proposing that some of them leave was a strategic move to lighten the load. Given that the Cloudwater Sect and the Forgeroses were both aligned with the seven great lower sects of Euwrea, their affinity with the Ebon Star and the Sunlit Order was to be expected. Besides, the Nebula Gem was capable of transporting people...

"I won't go!" declared Du Huang, a stocky young man with braided hair. He scoffed dismissively, "Tang Cen is not the easiest person to deal with. Plus, the Nebula Gem is no match for the Fallen Star Eyes! It's slower and lacks offensive capabilities. We're not going there!"

At the Cloudwater Sect's side, a rather attractive woman named Luo Yiyi chuckled and shook her head. "Sister Liu, we're counting on you. You can't just shake us off."

The members of the Colddeath and Taintborn Sects remained notably silent.

"Well, if that's the case..."

Liu Ying drew out her words, sighing in resignation, "Then let's not stick together. Everyone should just look out for themselves."

No sooner had she spoken than the Fallen Star Eyes abruptly shifted direction!

All the trial-takers aboard the Fallen Star Eyes wore surprised smiles.

Shouldn't the survivors beneath the sea band together against a common foe?

Why did Liu Ying decide to part ways upon encountering trial-takers from the Ebon Star and Sunlit Order, especially after noticing Yu Yuan's absence from their ranks?

"I can't take on any more people, and they conveniently have the Nebula Gem," Liu Ying explained after a brief pause, "Besides, I'm not fond of Tang Cen from the Sunlit Order or that woman, Lin Zhuyun."

At her words, Su Yan, Yan Lu, Shi Si, Hu Tianyang, and the others suddenly understood.

They had all traveled to the Embers Sea on the Silver Rainbow Shuttle with Yu Yuan. When Yu Yuan accepted the invitation to the Starmoon Sect's island, they had gotten a sense of the complex dynamics between Yu Yuan, Lin Zhuyun, and Tang Cen.

By expressing her distaste for Tang Cen and Lin Zhuyun, Liu Ying was clearly aligning herself with Yu Yuan.

What was the nature of their relationship, especially since she had been arm in arm with Yu Yuan when they entered the sea?

At that moment, Su Yan's gaze towards Liu Ying was filled with a mix of confusion and resentment.

"Ah!"

The older cultivator from the Ebon Star Sect's face fell as he watched the Fallen Star Eyes depart. He urgently called out, "Junior Sister! What's going on with Liu Ying?"

The Fallen Star Eyes was their key to breaking through the Azure Veil, their beacon of hope!

Yet, upon realizing Yu Yuan wasn't among them, Liu Ying had hesitated only briefly before soaring away.

Watching the Fallen Star Eyes vanish like a shooting star, the Ebon Star Sect members shouted out in desperation.

Tang Cen and the Winter's Bite followers' expressions grew increasingly grim.

"I..."

Lu Baichan opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately, no words came out.

She had heard Liu Ying's words and knew that Liu Ying disliked Tang Cen. Lin Zhuyun was clearly allied with Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan's departure was primarily due to Tang Cen, but she wondered... did she not share in the blame?

Since it was her actions that drove him away, how could she possibly face Liu Ying to plead her case?

"If only Yu Yuan were still in the Nebula Gem, how wonderful that would be."

A timid girl from the Ebon Star Sect murmured.

Her words echoed the sentiments of the other Ebon Star members, including Lu Baichan.

Tang Cen and Lin Zhuyun's faces darkened as they stood in silence.

...

Within the Ethereal Vial.

Qi Nandou of the Skyblight Cult proposed ignoring Liu Ying and the others, confident that the object he possessed could rival the might of a seventh-level heavenly artifact. He hoped for a swift and decisive breakout from the Azure Veil's confines.

Yu Yuan simply responded, "Let's wait a bit longer."

Qi Nandou didn't press the issue and, after cheerfully consenting, concentrated on maneuvering the Ethereal Vial.

Hou Tianzhao of the Ruby Hand developed a keen interest in the Abyssal Leviathan, sidling up to Yu Yuan with an endless stream of questions.

Unable to detect any strong vitality yet perplexed by its ability to float, Hou Tianzhao was intensely curious about the creature's classification within evilkind.

Despite his prolonged scrutiny, Hou Tianzhao couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"Great news!" Qi Nandou suddenly exclaimed with excitement, "The Fallen Star Eyes! I've located the Fallen Star Eyes!"

The Ethereal Vial sped through the ocean depths like a bolt of silver lightning.

Kong Banbi's eyes sparkled at the announcement.

At that moment, all the Sword Sect trial-takers by his side were equally stirred with anticipation.

Yu Yuan flashed a grin and nodded. "With the Fallen Star Eyes, we should be even more secure! As long as we're careful not to attract the attention of the Tears of the Azurefiend before we approach the Azure Veil, we stand a good chance of staying alive."

"Tears of the Azurefiend?" Hou Tianzhao was taken aback. "Is that what they call that extraterrestrial object? Wait, that doesn't sound right. You're talking about the Tears of the Azurefiend as if it's an actual thing!"

"Tears of the Azurefiend!"

Kong Banbi from the Sword Sect abruptly rose from his seated position.

Swoosh!

In an instant, he teleported in front of Yu Yuan, startling Hou Tianzhao into a defensive stance. His face turned pale as he yelled, "Kong Banbi! What are you trying to do?"

"Is what you're referring to the Tears of the Azurefiend?" Kong Banbi ignored him, his gaze fixed intently on Yu Yuan. "Are you certain? The Tears of the Azurefiend that's been found on an island in the Embers Sea? The same one responsible for countless deaths, that's the Tears of the Azurefiend?"

"Kong Banbi! What's gotten into you?"

"What in the world is the Tears of the Azurefiend?"

His fellow disciples from the Sword Sect had never seen him so perturbed, and his reaction frightened them as well.

But Kong Banbi was deaf to the calls of his peers.

His focus remained solely on Yu Yuan, demanding a precise answer.

"Do you know about the Tears of the Azurefiend?" Yu Yuan inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"I once came across a note written by a predecessor in the Sword Sect's Ancient Sword Pavilion. It mentioned that the Tears of the Azurefiend was the remnant of the Blood Altar from the Azurefiend!" Kong Banbi exclaimed.

"Since you're already aware, there's no need for further explanation," Yu Yuan replied with a nod. "Indeed, it's the Tears of the Azurefiend."

"How could the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep dare!" Kong Banbi bellowed in fury.

"Fallen Star Eyes!"

At that moment, Qi Nandou's loud cry diverted everyone's attention.

"Yu Yuan!"

"Yu Yuan is alive! He's inside that glaze bottle!"

"At last, we've found him!"

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