C502 A Fat Sheep

While speaking, Yu Yuan removed the bracelet from his wrist and pressed it against his chest.

A yellow pouch peeked out from his sleeve and was then secured around his waist.

Thus, the Mustard Seed Bracelet was supplanted by a storage bag.

"Given my cultivation at the Profound Break Stage, a storage bag is more appropriate," Yu Yuan explained with a turn of his head and a smile. "That's just how it is in the Crack Archipelago. If someone at the Profound Break Stage insists on wearing a Mustard Seed Bracelet without any senior sect members accompanying them, they're practically asking to be preyed upon."

Yuan Lianyao cast a glance at the red jade bracelet adorning her pale wrist. "This Mustard Seed Bracelet was a gift from the Red Devil Sect. Should I put it away too?"

"No, no need," Yu Yuan replied, shaking his head. "Your cultivation at the Yin God Stage makes you more than worthy of such an adornment."

As their conversation continued, the Pirate Ship sailed past a desolate island where two groups of cultivators were locked in conflict.

Spiritual Swords flashed like dragons of lightning, and spells cascaded down like torrents of golden rain. The cacophony of clashing metal was piercing to the ears.

Drawn by the commotion, Yuan Lianyao approached the window to observe. "Oh, quite the spectacle. This island has its charms."

Despite her status as the ruler of Darkmoon City, she had not been embraced by the Red Devil Sect and had spent many years traveling for trials within the various empires of the Profound Sky Continent.

She had never ventured beyond the Profound Sky Continent, nor had she explored the deep sea, and thus had never visited the Crack Archipelago.

It was only recently that she had heard about the archipelago's peculiar dangers from Faang Yao of the Red Devil Sect, sparking her curiosity.

From the window, she watched a fierce skirmish unfolding on a small, bare island, with casualties already mounting, though the cause was unclear.

The combatants, all discernible to her, were at the Profound Break or Penetrating Stages.

"Conflicts like this are commonplace; no need to fuss over them," Yu Yuan remarked calmly. "You, at the Yin God Stage, are certainly entitled to wear a Mustard Seed Bracelet. If I were accompanied by a powerful cultivator, I might consider it too. But if one's cultivation is insufficient and they flaunt their wealth, that's when trouble arises."

As they conversed, the "Pirate Ship" had already sailed past the island. More solitary cultivators were disembarking, some through the deck, others from the windows on the second and third floors. Yu Yuan looked down, a wry smile creeping across his face as he turned to Yuan Lianyao and remarked, "That girl from the Bright Sect is certainly fixated on us."

On the deck, the sister duo, Chung Miao and Chung Mann, frequently glanced up, their gazes fixed on the window where the two stood. It seemed as though they were vigilantly stationed on the deck, biding their time until Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao departed the "Pirate Ship" to tail them.

"That little wretch, she's like a bad penny!" Yuan Lianyao cursed, her expression shifting as she suddenly added, "A few days back, those sisters came knocking on our door, likely to confirm which room we occupied on the fourth floor. This way, no matter how we disguise ourselves, the moment we exit through that window, they'll know it's us."

Yu Yuan nodded in agreement. "That seems to be the case."

The sisters' behavior on the deck was a clear indication they were waiting—waiting for him and Yuan Lianyao to leave the "Pirate Ship" and set foot on one of the Crack Archipelago's islands, so they could conveniently follow suit. Knowing their residence, regardless of any alterations in their appearance, the sisters would be able to identify them the instant they left through that window.

"That younger sister must have a high cultivation level," Yuan Lianyao mused, taking the Bright Sect sisters seriously for the first time. "She knows I've reached the Yin God Stage and yet she boldly keeps her eyes on us. She must be confident in her abilities, convinced she can best me, and she's clearly not intimidated by the Red Devil Sect."

Yu Yuan nodded once more, "It looks like we'll need to deal with this carefully."

He began to harbor suspicions. The mere identity of Lee Qi, a distant relative of the declining Lee family, wasn't enough to warrant such relentless attention from the sisters.

Unless...

A thought struck him, and Yu Yuan scoffed, "That sister must have figured out who I am."

Yuan Lianyao's face paled. "How could that be possible?"

"How she found out is beyond me," Yu Yuan's thoughts crystallized. "Perhaps it's because of your affection towards me, or maybe she's gleaned something from Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu. She might even be aware of the recent events in the Ember Waters and know that I possess the 'Giant Beast Amber'."

"Only then would she dare to challenge you, fully aware of your existence and your mastery of the Yin God Stage."

"Securing the Giant Beast Amber and the Evil Cauldron would make it worthwhile for her to risk the ire of the Red Devil Sect."

Mulling over this, Yuan Lianyao had an epiphany.

The behavior of the sister duo was simply illogical.

They had no reason to exert such effort and stir up conflict over a mere 'Lee Qi'.

But if 'Lee Qi' was actually Yu Yuan, everything fell into place.

"I get it now," Yuan Lianyao inhaled sharply. "They're after you, convinced you're Yu Yuan. It's likely not just those two sisters— the entire Bright Sect could be mobilizing. Without the backing of a powerful sect or the protection of formidable cultivators, and with a valuable treasure in your possession, you're an ideal target!"

"Bright Sect," Yu Yuan chuckled.

Just then,

The sisters on the deck glanced toward the window.

The older sister beamed a radiant smile, energetically waving at him, deliberately accentuating her chest.

The younger sister, Chung Miao, offered a timid smile before quickly bowing her head.

"It seems the Bright Sect really has its sights set on me," Yu Yuan withdrew his gaze from the window, no longer peering out. "They might be more manageable, but if the entire Bright Sect gets involved, things could get tricky."

He had learned that the Bright Sect was actually quite formidable, with a Sect Master who was an Unrestrained Stage cultivator.

In the past, the Bright Sect boasted three Yang Gods, each with exceptional powers.

However, after inadvertently provoking a favored youth of the Devil Palace, the Bright Sect suffered a brutal purge at the hands of the palace's mightiest.

Following that purge, the Unrestrained Stage cultivators of the Bright Sect were forced to flee the Boundless Land, seeking refuge in the far reaches of the cosmos.

Of the three Yang Gods, one perished, another was gravely wounded.

Only one escaped the calamity, thanks to a past fling with the Demon Palace's White Tiger, and thus avoided the Devil Palace's wrath.

That catastrophe was nearly an existential blow to the Bright Sect.

From that point forward, the Bright Sect exercised extreme caution when selecting their targets for cultivation, fearful of repeating past mistakes and provoking the prodigies of powerful factions like the Devil Palace and Demon Palace, which could lead to unforeseen repercussions.

Had Yu Yuan been backed by the likes of the Devil Palace or the Red Devil Sect, similar to Yan Lu and Hou Tianzhao, the Bright Sect might have kept to themselves.

Unfortunately, he had never aligned with any sect, lacking the support of a formidable faction.

By concealing his identity and assuming the guise of Lee Qi, he inadvertently played into the Bright Sect's hands.

Even if he were to be killed, investigators such as Zhou Cangmin and Xu Zixi would be none the wiser about his true identity.

"Shall we head to Red Devil Island first?" Yuan Lianyao mused, then added, "I have a sect token, and Lord Faang Yao mentioned that if I wished to explore, I could visit Red Devil Island along the way. Once there, I can tour the island before being escorted to Babel Island. Red Devil Island is also on this 'pirate ship's' course."

"Red Devil Island?" Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled as he weighed his options and nodded in agreement. "Sounds good."

If nothing drastic had changed, the unnamed island he had chosen before wasn't particularly far from the Red Devil Sect.

Given the Bright Sect's attention and the uncertainty of their intentions, rerouting via Red Devil Island seemed like a sound strategy.

"I was worried you might be too stubborn to avoid confrontation," Yuan Lianyao admitted, relieved.

"The Bright Sect seems hell-bent on a death wish, so I'll take my time dealing with them in the Crack Archipelago," Yu Yuan said, without going into detail. "Before that, I have more pressing matters to attend to. Stirring up trouble with the Bright Sect and those two sisters, drawing more eyes to me, would be less than ideal."

He needed to keep his search discreet.

He didn't want to escalate tensions with the Bright Sect and risk revealing his identity before accomplishing his goal.

"Great, we'll set course for Red Devil Island!"

Seeing him comply and promise not to act rashly brought a smile to Yuan Lianyao's face.

"Okay."

Yu Yuan settled into a serene state, gently closing the window before sitting down cross-legged right where he was.

Over the next several days, he put all other thoughts aside, dedicating himself to the rigorous practice of the Evil Body Refining Skill within the confines of the room. He was preparing himself for the journey to the unnamed island where he would refine pills in the pill furnace and use the Giant Beast Amber to induce another monumental transformation in his blood and Qi.

Then, late one night during his cultivation, Yu Yuan abruptly awoke, drenched in sweat, his eyes emitting an extraordinary light.

A thread of his consciousness slipped into the lower dantian within his Yellow Court Little World.

Inside, eight clusters of Sun Essence Fire blazed like eight fierce suns, radiating with intense brilliance and unleashing infinite light and heat.

With a mere flicker of thought, the eight fiery suns morphed into eight crimson rainbows, undulating across the heavens.

The Sun Essence Fire continued to transform, seemingly drawn by an unseen force.

There was an urge, a longing to break free from his dantian and soar into the external world.

It was there, in the Crack Archipelago, that something had stirred the eight clusters of Sun Essence Fire, creating a resonance between them.

Or to be more precise, that entity was actively seeking out the eight clusters of Sun Essence Fire.

"The eye of the Chaos Roc!" Yu Yuan realized in a flash, his form quivering slightly.

"What happened?" Yuan Lianyao emerged from her quarters, her eyes wide with astonishment. "What Flame Mantra did you practice? I sensed an intense fire suddenly flare up in your dantian."

"It's nothing," Yu Yuan replied with a smile, shaking his head. "We're nearly at Red Devilland."

Abandoning his meditation, he sprang to his feet, retrieved the elegant mask gifted by the Babel Chamber of Commerce, and expertly affixed it to his face. "Let's go!"

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