C492 A Fly on the Ground
Early morning on Rosy Island found Yu Yuan walking shoulder to shoulder with Yuan Lianyao as they disembarked from the Pirate Ship. Hostile stares followed his every move, prompting him to shake his head and chuckle in bemusement.
Whispers and loud conversations filled the air, all centered around how he had stumbled into good fortune to catch the eye of Yuan Lianyao and be brought into her inner circle.
Yuan Lianyao, under the personal escort of Faang Yao from the Red Devil Sect and with the safety assurances of the Babel Chamber of Commerce, was the subject of many covert glances. Her stunning beauty and renowned reputation, coupled with rumors of her romantic escapades, fueled rampant speculation.
It's often the case that those who can't have what they desire grow bitter with envy. The rogue cultivators who lusted after her and yearned to claim a piece of her found themselves seething with jealousy upon realizing her apparent intimacy with Yu Yuan.
"Being in your company really does attract animosity," Yu Yuan remarked with a light laugh, his demeanor relaxed as he stood on Rosy Island.
He observed that cultivators from the first, second, and third floors were steadily disembarking. Those from the higher floors were fewer in number; the more advanced practitioners often spent half a month or more in a single cycle of Qi Circulation, preferring not to squander their time wandering but rather to remain in seclusion for meditation and cultivation.
Old Cash, from the fourth floor, had already made his way onto Rosy Island. He now stood under the cool shade of a coconut tree, leisurely fanning himself with a banana leaf while scanning his surroundings.
Chung Miao and Chung Mann, the sister duo, had also left the ship and were currently by Old Cash's side. Chung Mann chattered away to Old Cash, who responded with laughter, clearly not taking her too seriously.
As Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao descended together, the sisters took notice of their arrival from a distance, prompted by the murmurs of others. From tens of meters away, Yu Yuan caught a glimpse of Chung Miao.
"Activate the Eyes of Insight!"
With a focused intention, he covertly executed the Soul Forging Technique's Spiritual Spell. His eyes took on a profound and enigmatic depth as he gazed upon the practitioner of the Bright Sect's secret arts known as the "Spirit."
"Awaken the Eye of Insight!" Yu Yuan's mind became as reflective as a polished mirror, perceiving the smallest details.
His face subtly shifted!
Through the Eye of Insight, his sister Chung Miao was transformed, no longer appearing as she once did!
Chung Miao's lower dantian had clearly opened!
This signified that Chung Miao had reached the Penetrating Stage, perhaps even the Yin God Stage!
In stark contrast to her sister Chung Mann, whose Qi was turbid and meridians frail, this "Spirit" harbored a deep and powerful energy in her lower dantian. Her Qi and blood were extraordinarily vibrant! Her sinews and bones had undergone exceptional refinement, and her organs resembled dragons and serpents, each a conduit of meticulously woven Qi and blood.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed the Qi and blood branching out like a spider's web.
A single line traced from her neck to the point between her eyebrows.
"A single thread connects the lower, middle, and upper dantians, indicating a solid foundation in her cultivation. The Niwan acupoint is shrouded in mist, obscuring the truth," Yu Yuan mused, then deactivated his Eye of Insight as if nothing had transpired. He turned to Yuan Lianyao with a smile and suggested, "We should be on our way."
Yuan Lianyao was spot on. The sisters, Chung Miao and Chung Mann, had indeed practiced the secret arts of the Bright Sect.
The younger sister was a "spirit cultivator," with a robust foundation. By exploiting her sister's allure to strengthen herself, she would eventually harness her sister's tragic demise to forge her own Yang God.
With this realization, Yu Yuan's gaze upon Chung Miao was filled with revulsion.
Such practitioners, lurking in the shadows, were beneath his concern.
He intentionally steered clear of Old Cash and the sisters, leading Yuan Lianyao towards another part of Rosy Island.
"How odd..."
Chung Miao stood poised behind her sister, a picture of timidity, yet her heart was anything but calm.
For the first time, Yu Yuan's gaze instilled a sense of unease in her.
His look stripped her bare, as if she stood naked under his scrutiny, her deepest secrets laid bare.
"With his level of cultivation, he shouldn't discern much. Even the Flame Lotus's secrets are likely beyond his grasp, let alone my true origins," Chung Miao reassured herself internally.
"Before nightfall, the Pirate Ship will set sail once again. Those who fail to board will find the Babel Chamber of Commerce absolves itself of any responsibility!"
It was at this moment that Chiang Yurong, standing on the ship's deck, declared the rules.
As she spoke, members of the Babel Chamber of Commerce descended onto Rosy Island like a flock of birds, quickly making their way along a predetermined path into the heart of the island.
Yu Yuan's feet brushed against the pristine white sands as he strolled along the shoreline, his movements seemingly without purpose.
Yuan Lianyao, her skirt delicately lifted, revealed jade-like calves that playfully kicked up water. She followed in his footsteps, splashing energetically in the shallow waves.
The esteemed Lord of Darkmoon had disembarked with no particular agenda in mind; he was simply there to enjoy a breath of fresh air.
As he walked, Lianyao suddenly kicked up a spray of water with her alabaster feet, showering Yu Yuan ahead of her. He turned, and she giggled with glee, a rare display of her carefree spirit.
From afar, solitary cultivators on the ship and those who had disembarked watched her youthful antics and laughter, which rippled through their hearts, drawing their gazes time and again.
Each one harbored a secret envy of Yu Yuan, wondering what this newcomer, who had joined their voyage midway, possessed to charm such a vivacious Flame Lotus.
"Hu!"
Simultaneously, a gaunt middle-aged man with pallid skin soared toward the island's core.
His demeanor was haughty, and without descending from the ship in stages, he took to the skies as soon as he appeared.
Like a ghostly pale streak of lightning, he vanished from sight just as the onlookers took notice, plunging into a secluded spot deep within Rosy Island.
"He's formidable," Yu Yuan noted, his voice low, "on par with Old Cash, likely at the Soul Wandering Stage."
"Don't mind him," Yuan Lianyao dismissed, unconcerned about the stranger's identity or power. "The Babel Chamber of Commerce has given their word; I am to be safe on Rosy Island."
"Mm, sticking with you, I can sidestep a lot of trouble," he remarked, fingers grazing the Mustard Seed Bracelet on his wrist. "Otherwise, this trinket alone could spell doom for me."
After disembarking, they reached Rosy Island, where the Babel Chamber of Commerce turned a blind eye to the skirmishes and strife.
Without Yuan Lianyao at his side, Yu Yuan, who was merely at the Profound Break Stage, would quickly become prey upon setting foot on Rosy Island—his Mustard Seed Bracelet ripe for the taking, his life easily snuffed out.
"You're just aimlessly roaming the island?" Yuan Lianyao inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Something like that." Yu Yuan ambled along the sandy beach with a nonchalant air, his gaze drifting as if in search of something—or perhaps just casually taking in the sights.
Yuan Lianyao's spirits were high, soaking in the fierce sun and the sea breeze as she wandered the beach with him, feeling utterly serene and content.
The pair strolled along the coast, gradually distancing themselves from the Pirate Ship.
Yet, Yu Yuan was aware that the overseers of the Babel Chamber of Commerce surely had means to monitor Yuan Lianyao's every move from aboard the ship.
"Really..."
With a soft sigh, Yuan Lianyao stepped away from the sea, her bare white feet leaving the water's edge.
She gazed into the distance with a slight furrow in her brow, eyeing a massive seaside boulder. "Is he looking for trouble?"
Behind the uniquely shaped, jagged stones, three figures emerged, grinning broadly.
One of them eyed Yuan Lianyao's chest with a covetous gleam and cheekily remarked, "We wouldn't dare cross the Red Devil Sect, nor would we dare cross City Lord Yuan after the Babel Chamber of Commerce's assurance."
Yuan Lianyao huffed, "Then what brings you here so furtively?"
"We may not dare touch you, but that doesn't mean we can't deal with him."
The man guffawed, gesturing towards Yu Yuan, "A descendant of the dilapidated Lee family still has the audacity to flaunt a Mustard Seed Bracelet and strut about the marketplace. Isn't he just asking for it? On the ship, we abide by the rules of the Babel Chamber of Commerce and keep our hands to ourselves. But now that he's on Rosy Island, well, he's fair game."
