C449 Not Saving Him When He Was about to Die!

Lim Zhuyun exerted all her strength as she soared toward the Fallen Star Eyes amidst the sea.

Beads of perspiration coated her cool, delicate face, quickly turning to ice under the influence of the chilling force.

A frigid current, born from her painstakingly cultivated spiritual energy, shrouded her.

In that moment, she cast aside concerns of depleting her spiritual reserves, her only desire to draw nearer to the Fallen Star Eyes, ever closer.

Fear and panic filled her once icy gaze, her pallid lips quivering, teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Terror consumed her heart.

The remaining two members of the Cold Yin Sect had fallen to the Fiend Sect's challengers, their bodies fueling the Bone Devouring Shuttle's sinister power.

Tang Cann, her pillar of support, was overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught of Hou Tianzhao and Chi Yin.

The Rosy Jenny, steered by Lu Baichan, was being torn asunder by the Devil Blade wielded by a youth of the Devil Palace, its imminent shattering a foregone conclusion.

Guided from the Profound Sky Continent to the Cold Yin Sect, Lim Zhuyun had dedicated herself to rigorous training, seeking rapid advancement.

This was her first foray into a collaborative trial of this magnitude among the great sects.

The Ember Waters trials were known for their safety—a fact well-known to the Cold Yin Sect, which had prompted them to send her for experience. She had not anticipated such an ordeal.

The ruthless aggression of Mo Yan, Lin Yue, Hou Tianzhao, Chi Nandou, and others had left her profoundly shaken.

Still reeling with confusion and fear, she couldn't fathom how allies had turned on each other in an instant.

As she witnessed the fall of those she knew, the Fallen Star Eyes seemed a lifeline she was desperate to seize.

"Yan Lu! Remember, once you pledge allegiance to a sect, past loyalties must be forgotten!" Fei Yi of the Devil Palace admonished from the ocean's depths, his voice carrying to Yan Lu, "Even if that girl shares your homeland, you must not hesitate!"

Yan Lu had stepped forward, eager to join Sheh Si in eliminating Lim Zhuyun.

But when the decisive moment came, Yan Lu's resolve wavered. The lethal strike aimed at Lim Zhuyun's back lost its potency upon contact, betraying his reluctance.

Lim Zhuyun narrowly escaped Sheh Si's second onslaught and fled.

Yan Lu had thought his actions were covert, undetectable to Fei Yi.

"Senior Brother Fei, I apologize."

With his head bowed, Yan Lu offered his regrets, "Being new to this, I'm still adjusting to such situations. I assure you, next time, I won't hold back!"

"This won't happen again!"

Fei Yi inhaled sharply, his gaze blazing with a demonic fire as he abruptly pointed towards the Fallen Star Eyes, his tone shifting, "Yu Yuan is there with Lau Ying from the Silver Moon Sect. Accompanying him are Su Yan from the Taiyuan Sect, Du Huang from the Ancient Desolate Sect, and Kong Banbi from the Sword Sect!"

Yan Lu was taken aback.

"Always remember, allegiance is everything!" Fei Yi scoffed. "Now that you're chosen by the Devil Palace, you must sever any past ties! Forget Yu Yuan, even if he were your own brother, when it's time to cross swords, mercy is not an option!"

Yan Lu was utterly bewildered.

He observed Lin Yue, Chi Yin, Hou Tianzhao, Chi Nandou, and the survivors from the Blood God Cult, Filthy Spirit Sect, Fiend Sect, and Red Devil Sect. He saw them mercilessly slay members of the Cloud Water Sect, Profound Sky Sect, Primordial Yang Sect, and Cold Yin Sect, despite some showing a reluctance to do so.

It appeared that before joining their sects, they too had known those they now killed.

Perhaps their relationships were akin to his own with Yu Yuan.

Yet, under Mo Yan's command and the watchful eyes of leaders like Hou Tianzhao and Chi Nandou, they ultimately delivered the fatal blows to those they once knew.

"Is the path of cultivation always this merciless?"

Yan Lu was witnessing for the first time the savage struggles that disciples from the Heavenly Source Continent and Quietus Continent faced during what were supposed to be trials.

The internal strife of these continents proved even more brutal than the wars between empires.

Yan Lu sighed inwardly.

"Yu Yuan, will you save her?"

Simultaneously, Lau Ying, having regained control of the Fallen Star Eyes from the Chaos Roc, softly inquired as she noticed Lim Zhuyun swiftly approaching.

Su Yan abruptly turned her head, gazing into the distance as if lost in thought, and wondered, "What would you do?"

Du Huang, Kong Banbi, and the trialists from the Sword Sect and Ancient Desolate Sect showed their concern as well.

By now, everyone was aware of the relationship between Yu Yuan and Lim Zhuyun. Despite becoming adversaries on the Profound Sky Continent, their betrothal had never been dissolved.

Officially, they remained engaged to be married.

Tang Can, once Lim Zhuyun's pillar of support from the Primordial Yang Sect, was now struggling to save himself, let alone her.

Her narrow escape in approaching the Fallen Star Eyes was thanks to Yan Lu's first-time experience of such a confrontation, which stirred a sense of mercy within him, sparing her a lethal blow.

Her sole hope now was to draw near and gain entry to the Fallen Star Eyes.

With permission to enter, her odds of survival would soar.

"Yu Yuan?" Su Yan called out in a soft whisper.

The Chaos Roc blinked its mismatched red and white eyes, also watching him intently.

"Do not open the star power barrier; do not allow her entry," Yu Yuan instructed Lau Ying with a calm and detached demeanor. "She has longed to annul the marriage, viewing the contract as a disgrace since her youth. Upon her arrival at the Yu family, she indulged in the malice of a vile servant, nearly causing my death before I could fully awaken..."

His mouth twisted into a smile, suddenly breaking into laughter.

It was a laugh devoid of warmth, merciless. "If she so desperately wishes to be free of the engagement, I'll grant her wish. With her death, the engagement too will end."

Silence enveloped the group inside the Fallen Star Eyes after his declaration, so profound that the softest sound would have echoed.

Kong Banbi gazed at him, his expression one of utter astonishment.

Du Huang gave a slight nod, offering no judgment.

A complex mix of emotions swirled in Su Yan's heart, leaving her somewhat bewildered.

Lau Ying, momentarily taken aback, simply murmured, "Oh."

Outside, the radiant barrier of star energy cast by the Fallen Star Eyes remained intact, not a single fissure in sight, nor did it transform into a passage to usher in the approaching Lim Zhuyun.

The onlookers, each with their own thoughts, watched Lim Zhuyun draw near, all separated by the transparent shield of star energy.

"Thump!"

Yu Yuan, positioned at the heart of the Fallen Star Eyes, took measured steps until he stood at the very forefront of the celestial meteorite.

With his back to the crowd, he faced Lin Zhuyun across a sheer veil of star energy. The barrier, crystalline and see-through, allowed them to witness even the subtlest shifts in each other's expressions.

His eyes sparkled with vitality, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Through the barrier, he murmured, "Your death today means the engagement is annulled, just as you desired. As for me, I've always been unbound, never shackled by our betrothal. Now, I'll be freer than ever."

Desolation and despair washed over Lin Zhuyun's features.

Her mouth opened, words teetering on the brink of utterance, yet none would come.

She longed to cry out, to plead for her life, to beg Yu Yuan for mercy and entry, but her voice failed her.

Overwhelmed by helplessness, her mind was besieged by memories—of her haughty demeanor in Darkmoon City and Elfview, her dismissive glances towards Yu Yuan, her contempt for the Yu family.

Deep down, she had always scorned the Yu family, and even more so, this confused fiancé.

Was she truly oblivious to Yinn Jue's actions within the Yu family?

Had she ever truly reprimanded Yinn Jue, quelling the miscreant's malice?

These recollections, juxtaposed with the sight of her fiancé, serene and seemingly more advanced in his cultivation, filled Lin Zhuyun with a bitter mix of sorrow and remorse.

A mere barrier, thin yet insurmountable, severed life from death, love from hate.

"Yu Yuan! Please, let her in! Spare her life!"

Out of nowhere, Tang Cann's voice thundered through the depths, his body ensnared and bloodied by Hou Tianzhao and Chi Yin's assault.

Like a cornered beast, blood seeped from Tang Cann's eyes as the fiery orbs encircling him burst in succession.

From a distance, he interceded on Lin Zhuyun's behalf, "It's my fault—the Cold Yin Sect targeted you and acted against the Yu family because of me! She's your betrothed in name only. I implore you, show mercy and grant her a chance to live!"

Lin Zhuyun, trembling, turned involuntarily to gaze at Tang Cann.

She had never anticipated that the esteemed scion of the Primordial Yang Sect would plead with Yu Yuan on her behalf, assuming full blame.

Hou Tianzhao and Chi Yin wore peculiar expressions as their once fierce attacks began to wane.

The young man from the Red Devil Sect, who had been vigorously wielding his treasure fan, suddenly came to a halt. He gazed at Yu Yuan from afar with a keen interest and remarked, "This is truly moving. Tang Zheng, that conniving old cur, is all about heartless schemes and cold calculations. Who would've thought his grandson would turn out to be such a romantic?"

Chi Yin cut in, "I've heard that the woman is merely a cauldron chosen by the Cold Yin Sect for him. A cauldron is expendable, meant to be sacrificed at any moment to aid in his Flame Mantra cultivation. To think that Tang Can would go to such lengths, pleading for the life of a woman from an insignificant family with mediocre cultivation talent."

"I'm overwhelmed with emotion. So much so that I'm reluctant to kill him just yet," Hou Tianzhao said, shaking his head in mock despair.

Yu Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. "I never expected you to have such deep feelings for her. Well, in that case, you two might as well be desperate lovebirds on the run. Lim Zhuyun, surely you can't stand the thought of letting a man who cares for you so deeply embark on that final journey alone? Well then, I won't see you off. May you find each other again in the netherworld to continue your love story."

With those words, Yu Yuan dismissed Lim Zhuyun and turned to approach Lau Ying.

"Stay away from her!"

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