C485 The Twin Sisters

As Yu Yuan stood there in astonishment, a pair of twin sisters stepped into the room shoulder to shoulder, instantly brightening the dim space.

"Enjoy your chat, little bro. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to look me up," Feng Zhong said with a hearty laugh. After the sisters entered, he remained outside, closing the door behind them, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "Truly enviable."

The room, previously dim due to the sole unopened window, seemed to come alive with light as the sisters burst in. It wasn't just the radiant jade and gemstone ornaments they wore that shone, but also their identical, striking features.

The two women looked remarkably similar, with nearly indistinguishable figures. However, the allure in their eyes was unique enough to tell them apart at a glance. One of the sisters had a bold, fiery gaze and was dressed in a rose-red gown with a plunging neckline that revealed her fair décolletage. Upon entering, she gave Yu Yuan a warm, sweeping once-over, more like the hostess than an unexpected guest.

Her sister, by contrast, had eyes brimming with shyness and wore a modest white dress, hardly daring to make direct eye contact.

Yu Yuan squinted slightly, in no rush to speak, his lips curling into a smile as he observed the unexpected arrival of the twin sisters. Both were at the Veil Breaking Realm, and he sensed that their vitality was not particularly robust, indicating their cultivation might be less than exceptional.

The jewelry they adorned, the lustrous jade and gemstones, glittered brilliantly. Yet, there was no trace of spiritual energy swirling within—these were mere trinkets for mortal adornment, not the priceless, multifunctional spiritual artifacts they appeared to be.

"Do you sisters seek me for a reason?" Yu Yuan eventually asked, his mouth quirking in a casual smile.

Aboard the Sea Wanderer, he felt no concern for sudden confrontations, especially given the sisters' modest realms. His ease was palpable, with no fear of unexpected incidents.

"Just reached the Veil Breaking Realm, and I'm still impressed by a Bracelet of Holding..." Zhang Manman murmured internally, suspecting that Tong Laoqian had developed a peculiar sense of humor with this setup. She doubted that Tong Laoqian, the big devil, would be acquainted with someone like Yu Yuan, a low-realm individual with seemingly little backing. "My name is Zhang Manman, and this is my sister, Zhang Miao."

She gestured toward the girl who shyly avoided Yu Yuan's gaze and said, "Here's the thing. We've nearly run out of soulstones, and we can't stand those disgusting stares on the deck. You don't seem like a bad guy to me. Would you mind letting us sisters crash at your place for a bit?"

"When we reach the Sundering Isles, we'll give you half the soulstones we owe. How does that sound?"

The timid sister finally lifted her head, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Yu Yuan stood by the bed with his arms crossed, his expression inscrutable.

The cabins on the Sea Wanderer didn't restrict the number of occupants. Regardless of how many people stayed, the fee in soulstones remained the same.

Yet, cultivators who roamed the earth typically preferred not to share a room, unless they were from the same sect or family. And even those from the same sect or family didn't like to have others around during personal cultivation—unless they were Dao companions.

The sisters, Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao, were quite attractive. Their modest adornments suggested they might indeed be struggling to afford the steep soulstone fee.

The fact that these two women suddenly sought to share his room was quite thought-provoking.

With a long journey ahead and time to spare, Yu Yuan pondered briefly before flashing a radiant smile and accepting their request. "I'll keep the bed, but make yourselves at home. Once we get to the Sundering Isles, don't worry about the soulstones. Just lend me a hand with something small."

"What kind of favor?" Zhang Manman asked cautiously. "We're not strong in our cultivation; we can't handle fighting or killing."

"It's truly a minor thing," Yu Yuan assured her with a smile.

"If we can't agree, can we compensate with soulstones?" Zhang Manman pressed for confirmation.

Yu Yuan nodded. "That's fine."

"Great."

Zhang Manman breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to lock the door from the inside. She patted her chest and said with a grateful smile, "I knew it. You're a good-hearted guy. Now we've got a decent place to stay, no more roughing it on the deck."

Zhang Miao offered a faint smile, found a secluded corner, and pulled a clean cushion from her leather bag. Tossing it to the floor, she sat down, her head bowed in silence.

The sparse spiritual energy that permeated the air began to swirl stealthily toward her elixir field.

She was already deep in meditation, cultivating in silence, not responding to her sister's remarks.

Yu Yuan, driven by curiosity, inquired, "I didn't spot you and your sister on the deck when I boarded. Where did you come from?"

"Let's not dwell on it. We were kicked out by a big devil," Zhang Manman replied with a hint of bitterness. "As you arrived, we were pleading with someone else, who refused us. We just happened to be by the window, watching you get on board. Hearing that you chose the second level and promptly paid with a soulstone, we thought we'd take our chances."

"Oh," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a nod, deciding not to probe further. "You and your sister are free to do as you wish."

With that, he settled on the edge of the bed, leaning against the wooden wall as he had before Feng Zhong's arrival, not eager to begin his cultivation. Instead, he pondered Feng Zhong's words.

The information Feng Zhong, the Windspeaker, had provided about the Embers Sea was largely fabricated.

Yet, Hei Xun's breakthrough to the Unbound Realm, his command over the unified Blood Altar, and his successful breach of the Everlands' wall to surge into the extraterrestrial Star River had taken Yu Yuan by surprise.

The upper sects, the Devil Palace, and the Shadow's Keep, all had peak cultivators stationed in the Everlands year-round.

Hei Xun had stirred up such a commotion in the Embers Sea, merging with the cosmic giant beast and revealing the Abyssal Leviathan in its true form. Had he truly managed to escape?

Were the powerful cultivators of the Unbound Realm and the primordial spirit realm from the five major forces merely spectating?

"There must be external powers aiding Hei Xun, a collaboration from within and without... Could it be the Boulderdawn Sect? As the cauldron spirit mentioned, the arcane spells Hei Xun employed were the legacy of the Boulderdawn Sect. And now, the Boulderdawn Sect, once extinct in the Everlands, has been resurrected and is swiftly gaining strength in the extraterrestrial realms."

"Was it the Boulderdawn who helped him, enabling his safe departure?"

"Or perhaps, when Hei Xun first ventured into the Extraterrestrial Star River with his Solar Spirit Body, he met the formidable members of Boulderdawn and fell under their spell. Under their direction, he became the Guardian of the Devil Palace in the Embers Sea, plotting over the Blood Altar and the Abyssal Leviathan."

"Are the Pale Reaper, Peach Madam, and the Crane Rider connected to Boulderdawn?"

"If Boulderdawn could facilitate Hei Xun's escape from the Everlands, rendering the three upper sects, Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep powerless, then the strength Boulderdawn has amassed extraterrestrially must be truly remarkable!"

"..."

These thoughts raced through Yu Yuan's mind like lightning.

"Kind brother, what's your name? Where are you from?" Zhang Manman asked as she gracefully seated herself at the small table in the center of the room, her bright eyes shimmering with curiosity as she gazed at him. "Are you also headed to the Sundering Isles? Do you know anyone there? Which island will you be visiting?"

Yu Yuan felt his train of thought derailed, slightly irked. "I hail from the Shadowlight Empire. My name is Lee Qi." He hoped Zhang Manman would take the hint from his curt response and not press further with questions.

"Shadowlight Empire, Lee..." Zhang Manman's expression shifted subtly. "The Lee family? Then, do you know General Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu?"

Yu Yuan's eyes brightened. "Hmm?"

"No way! Are you related to the Lee family?" Zhang Manman's interest piqued, her excitement palpable. "General Lee is my savior!"

She gestured towards Zhang Miao, "My sister is quite fond of Lee Yu!"

Zhang Miao, quietly seated in the corner, opened her eyes, which seemed to speak volumes of sorrow and resignation. She spoke softly, "Sister, don't make things up. He's out of my league."

"That was true in the past," Zhang Manman continued, her words flowing freely. "But times have changed. The Lee family has fallen from grace, obliterated within the Shadowlight Empire, no longer royalty. What's there to be out of reach? Moreover, he, like us, fled to the Sundering Isles alongside General Lee."

"When we get to the Sundering Isles, who knows? We might just run into them," said Yu Yuan with a hint of optimism.

Zhang Miao let out a melancholic sigh. "Our humble origins hardly make us a match for their esteemed company."

Yu Yuan was taken aback, his mind racing. Could it really be such a coincidence?

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