C449 Not Helping When You Are in Danger

Lin Zhuyun exerted all her strength as she soared toward the Fallen Star Eyes beneath the sea. Her elegant face, usually so composed, was now beaded with sweat that quickly froze under the influence of the ice energy. A frigid current, born from the spiritual energy she had painstakingly cultivated, shrouded her.

In that moment, Lin Zhuyun cast aside any concern for depleting her spiritual energy; her sole focus was to draw nearer to the Fallen Star Eyes, closer and ever closer. Panic and terror filled her once icy gaze, and her pale lips quivered, teeth chattering uncontrollably as fear consumed her heart.

The two remaining members of Winter's Bite had fallen to a trial-taker from Skyblight Cult, their vitality and spirits now fueling the Bone-Devouring Shuttle. Tang Cen, whom she had depended on, was overwhelmed by the relentless assault of Hou Tianzhao and Chi Yin. Meanwhile, the Nebula Gem, wielded by Lu Baichan, scattered its brilliant light as it was cleaved by the Devil Blade of a Devil Palace youth, teetering on the brink of shattering.

Since her arrival at Winter's Bite from Aetherius, Lin Zhuyun had dedicated herself to rigorous training, seeking rapid advancement in her realm. This was her inaugural participation in a collaborative trial hosted by the major sects. The trials in the Embers Sea were renowned for their safety, a fact well-known to Winter's Bite, which is why they had sent her to gain experience. She could never have anticipated the chaos that would unfold.

The ruthless aggression of Mo Yan, the sudden betrayal of Lin Yue, Hou Tianzhao, Qi Nandou, and others, had left her deeply shaken. Confused and frightened, she couldn't fathom how allies had turned on each other so swiftly. As those she knew perished one by one, the Fallen Star Eyes seemed like a lifeline she was desperate to seize.

"Yan Lu! You must understand that allegiance to a sect supersedes any past loyalties to a nation!" Fei Yi of the Devil Palace chastised Yan Lu through telepathy from the ocean's depths, "Even if that girl shares your homeland, you cannot afford to hold back!"

Yan Lu had eagerly offered to join Shi Si in eliminating Lin Zhuyun. Yet, when the decisive moment came, his lethal strike aimed at Lin Zhuyun's back mysteriously lessened in force upon impact.

Lin Zhuyun managed to evade Shi Si's second assault and made her escape.

Yan Lu believed he had been discreet, convinced that Fei Yi hadn't noticed.

"Fei Yi, I apologize."

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

"There won't be a next time!"

Fei Yi inhaled deeply, his pupils flaring with dark fire as he abruptly gestured towards the Fallen Star Eyes. Shifting the conversation, he declared, "Yu Yuan is currently with Liu Ying from the Starmoon Sect. Accompanying him are Su Yan from the Abyssal Dawn, Du Huang from the Forgeroses, and Kong Banbi from the Sword Sect!"

Yan Lu was taken aback.

"Always remember, a faction is a faction!" Fei Yi huffed coldly, "Since the Devil Palace has chosen you, you must sever any past ties! Forget Yu Yuan, even if he was your closest friend in the Shadowlight Empire, even if he were your own brother, you must not show mercy when the time comes!"

Yan Lu looked utterly bewildered.

He watched as the survivors from the Divine Cult, Taintborn, Skyblight Cult, and Ruby Hand did not hesitate to slaughter members of the Cloudwater Sect, Ebon Star, Sunlit Order, and Winter's Bite. He also noticed some showed reluctance.

It seemed that before joining their sects, they had been acquainted with those they now killed.

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

Yet under Mo Yan's orders, and the watchful eyes of Hou Tianzhao and Qi Nandou, they ultimately struck down those they once knew.

"Is the path of cultivation always this merciless?"

For the first time, Yan Lu witnessed the disciples from the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea in a trial by fire, engaging in bloody strife when faced with peril on their journey of cultivation.

He realized that the intrigue and open conflict on these continents were even more savage than the wars between empires.

Yan Lu sighed inwardly.

"Yu Yuan, will you save her?"

Simultaneously, Liu Ying, having just regained control over the Fallen Star Eyes from the Abyssal Leviathan, softly inquired as she saw Lin Zhuyun rapidly approaching.

Su Yan suddenly turned her head, her gaze distant and contemplative. She wondered to herself, "What would you do?"

Du Huang, Kong Banbi, and the trial-takers from the Sword Sect and Forgeroses all showed their concern.

By now, everyone was aware of the relationship between Yu Yuan and Lin Zhuyun. Despite their enmity on the continent of Aetherius, their engagement had never been officially broken.

Officially, they were still engaged to be married.

Tang Cen, who Lin Zhuyun had relied on for support, was struggling to save himself and had no capacity to attend to her.

The only reason she had managed to approach the Fallen Star Eyes was because Yan Lu, facing such a confrontation for the first time, felt compassion and refrained from delivering a lethal blow.

Her sole hope was to reach the Fallen Star Eyes, to enter them.

If she could gain entry, her chances of survival would significantly improve!

"Yu Yuan?" Su Yan called out softly.

Even the Abyssal Leviathan blinked its contrasting red and white eyes, watching him intently.

"Do not open the cosmic energy barrier, do not let her in," Yu Yuan said calmly and indifferently to Liu Ying. "She has always wanted to dissolve the engagement, viewing the contract as a source of shame since her youth. Following Lin Jingfei's dying wish, upon joining the Yu family, she turned a blind eye to the maltreatment I suffered at the hands of a malevolent servant, nearly causing my death before I could fully awaken..."

His mouth twisted into a smile, a sudden cold and merciless laugh escaping him. "Since she's so eager to break off the engagement, I'll grant her wish. If she dies, the engagement is null and void."

In the silence that followed his words, one could hear a pin drop inside the artifact crafted from Lunar Meteorite.

Kong Banbi looked at him, his face etched with astonishment.

Du Huang gave a slight nod, offering no judgment.

Su Yan stood there, her emotions a complex tangle, somewhat overwhelmed by the situation.

Liu Ying, caught off guard, simply murmured, "Oh."

Outside the Fallen Star Eyes, the radiant screen of cosmic energy remained seamless, not forming a pathway to usher the approaching Lin Zhuyun inside.

The group watched Lin Zhuyun draw nearer, their expressions varied as they stood behind the transparent shield of cosmic energy.

"Thump!"

Yu Yuan, previously at the heart of the Fallen Star Eyes, slowly stepped forward to the forefront of the extraterrestrial meteorite.

With his back to the crowd, he faced Lin Zhuyun through a sheer cosmic energy barrier.

The barrier was crystal clear, allowing him and Lin Zhuyun to observe the subtlest shifts in each other's expressions.

His eyes shone brightly, spirited, with a trace of a smile on his lips. Through the barrier, he spoke softly, "If you perish today, the engagement will be dissolved, just as you desired. And I, who have never been bound by it, will be even more at ease hereafter."

Lin Zhuyun's face was etched with sorrow and despair.

She tried to speak, but no words came out.

She longed to call for help, to plead for her life, to implore Yu Yuan to let her in, but she couldn't bring herself to utter the words.

Overwhelmed by helplessness and loss, her mind was flooded with memories of her haughty demeanor in Asvetaesi and Thylethlume, her disregard for Yu Yuan, and her disdain for the Yu family members.

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

Was she truly unaware of Yin Jue's actions at the Yu family's behest?

Had she ever truly punished Yin Jue, putting an end to his malevolence?

As these thoughts swirled, she gazed at her fiancé, serene and possibly even more advanced in his cultivation, through the transparent cosmic energy barrier, her heart heavy with anguish and regret.

A thin barrier, separating life and death, cutting off all past grievances and affections.

"Yu Yuan! I implore you, let her in! Spare her life!"

Suddenly, Tang Cen's voice thundered through the depths, as he was besieged and bloodied by Hou Tianzhao and Chi Yin.

Like a cornered animal, blood streamed from Tang Cen's eyes as the orbs of fire surrounding him burst in succession.

Despite the distance, he pleaded on Lin Zhuyun's behalf, "It's my fault that Winter's Bite has persecuted you and targeted your family. She's innocent! She is your betrothed in name only. Please, show mercy and grant her a chance to live!"

Lin Zhuyun's slender frame quivered slightly, unable to resist turning to look at Tang Cen.

She likely never imagined that the Sunlit Order's golden boy would go so far as to beg Yu Yuan for mercy on her behalf, willingly shouldering all the blame.

Hou Tianzhao and Chi Yin wore peculiar expressions as their once ferocious assault slowed.

The young man from the Ruby Hand ceased his movements with the fan, his gaze fixed on Yu Yuan with a hint of amusement. He remarked with a tsk, "This is genuinely moving. Tang Zheng, that old cur, is nothing but a mass of conniving schemes, utterly heartless. Who would have thought his grandson would turn out to be such a romantic?"

Chi Yin chimed in, "I've heard that girl is nothing more than a furnace picked out by Winter's Bite for him. A furnace can be sacrificed at any time to aid his cultivation of fire magic. To think that Tang Cen would risk everything to beg for mercy on behalf of a woman from an insignificant family with mediocre cultivation talent."

"I'm so moved, I almost don't have the heart to kill him just yet," Hou Tianzhao said, shaking his head.

Yu Yuan couldn't help but chuckle, "I never expected you to have such deep affection for her. Well, if that's the case, the two of you might as well be a pair of doomed lovers. Lin Zhuyun, you wouldn't want to let such a devoted man embark on that journey alone, would you? Well then, I won't see you off. May you find each other again in the afterlife."

With those words, he disregarded Lin Zhuyun and turned to approach Liu Ying.

"Stay away from her!"

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