C502 The Fat Sheep

As they conversed, Yu Yuan deftly removed the bracelet from his wrist and pressed it against his chest. A yellow leather storage bag then emerged from his sleeve and was fastened around his waist, effectively replacing the Bracelet of Holding.

"With my Veil Breaking level of cultivation, it's more appropriate to use the storage bag," Yu Yuan explained with a smile as he turned to face her. "That's just how it is in the Sundering Isles. If someone of Veil Breaking strength wears a Bracelet of Holding without the accompaniment of sect elders, they're basically a sheep waiting for the slaughter."

Yuan Lianyao glanced at the red jade bracelet adorning her pale wrist. "This Bracelet of Holding was a gift from the Ruby Hand. Should I stow it away as well?"

"No need," Yu Yuan replied, shaking his head. "Your Lunar Spirit cultivation is fitting for such a bracelet."

Their conversation unfolded as the Sea Wanderer sailed past a desolate island where two groups of cultivators were locked in a heated battle. Spirit Swords flashed like lightning dragons, and spells poured down like a deluge of sunsilver rain, with the clashing of metal sounding painfully sharp.

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

Despite being the ruler of Asvetaesi, her earlier years of trials and travels were confined to the various empires of Aetherius, as she had not been embraced by the Ruby Hand. She had never ventured beyond the Aetherius Continent, never explored the deep sea, nor visited the Sundering Isles until recently, when Faang Yao of the Ruby Hand had briefed her on the peculiar and perilous nature of these islands. Thus, her curiosity about the Sundering Isles was piqued.

From the window, she watched a skirmish unfold on a small, barren island. The fight was intense, with casualties already mounting, though the cause remained unclear. She could make out that the combatants were cultivators of the Veil Breaking and Subtlety levels.

"Such battles are commonplace; there's no need for concern," Yu Yuan remarked calmly. "At your Lunar Spirit level, you're certainly entitled to wear a Bracelet of Holding. If I had a senior cultivator accompanying me, it wouldn't be an issue. But if one's cultivation is insufficient and they flaunt their wealth, that's when trouble arises."

As he spoke, the Sea Wanderer had already sailed past the island. More and more independent cultivators were leaving, some through the deck and others from the windows on the second and third floors.

Yu Yuan looked down, a cold smirk escaping the corner of his mouth. He turned to Yuan Lianyao and said, "That girl from the Nightbane Sect really has her sights set on us."

On the deck, Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao, the sister duo, repeatedly glanced up at the window where they stood. It seemed as though they were vigilantly waiting on the deck, eager to follow Yuan Lianyao and him once they disembarked from the Sea Wanderer.

"That little wretch, she's like a bad penny!" Yuan Lianyao spat out, her expression shifting as she suddenly added, "A few days ago, those sisters came knocking on our door, likely to confirm which room on the fourth floor we're staying in. That way, no matter how we disguise ourselves, they'll know it's us as soon as we leave through the window."

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

The sisters' behavior on the deck was a clear indication that they were waiting. Waiting for him and Yuan Lianyao to leave the Sea Wanderer and set foot on one of the Sundering Isles, so they could then tail them. Knowing their whereabouts, regardless of any changes in their appearance or disguises, the sisters would be able to confirm their identities the moment they left through that window.

"That sister must have a high level of cultivation," Yuan Lianyao remarked for the first time, taking the Nightbane sisters seriously. "Despite knowing I've reached the Lunar Spirit level, she's still bold enough to keep tabs on us. She must be confident in her own abilities, believing she can best me and that she's not intimidated by the Ruby Hand."

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

He began to harbor suspicions. The identity of Lee Qi alone, a distant relative from the declining Lee family, wasn't significant enough to warrant such dogged attention from the sister.

Unless...

At that thought, Yu Yuan let out a cold snort and declared, "She must have figured out who I am."

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

"How she found out, I can't fathom," Yu Yuan mused, his thoughts suddenly crystallizing. "Perhaps it's due to your affection for me, or maybe she's learned something from Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu. She might also be aware of the recent events in the Embers Sea and know that I possess the Sunsorrow from the giant beast."

"Only then would she dare to challenge you, fully aware of your existence and your mastery of the Lunar Spirit stage."

"If she could seize the Sunsorrow and the Crucible of Evil, taking the risk and offending the Ruby Hand would be worthwhile for her."

With this line of reasoning, Yuan Lianyao had an epiphany.

The behavior of the two sisters was simply too illogical.

They had no reason to go to such lengths for someone like Lee Qi.

But if Lee Qi were actually Yu Yuan, everything would fall into place.

"I get it now," Yuan Lianyao inhaled sharply. "They're after you. Once they're convinced you're Yu Yuan, it's not just the sisters we're talking about. The entire Nightbane Sect could be mobilized. Without the backing of a powerful sect or the protection of formidable cultivators, and carrying such valuable treasures, you're an incredibly attractive target!"

"Nightbane Sect," Yu Yuan chuckled.

At that moment,

The sisters on the deck turned their attention to the window.

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

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

"It looks like the Nightbane Sect really is after me," Yu Yuan withdrew his gaze from the window, no longer peering out. "They might be manageable on their own, but with the Nightbane Sect backing them, things could get tricky."

He was aware that the Nightbane Sect was not to be underestimated, with a Sect Master who was a cultivator of the Unbound Realm.

In the past, the Nightbane Sect boasted three Solar Spirits with exceptional powers.

However, after inadvertently provoking a favored youth of the Devil Palace, the sect suffered a brutal purge at the hands of the Devil Palace's might.

Following that ordeal, the Unbound Realm cultivators of the Nightbane Sect were compelled to flee the Everlands and take refuge in an extraterrestrial hideaway.

Of the sect's three Solar Spirits, one perished and another was gravely wounded.

Only one survived, spared by the Devil Palace due to a past fleeting romance with the White Tiger of the Shadow's Keep.

That calamity was nearly catastrophic for the Nightbane Sect.

Since then, the Nightbane Sect has been exceedingly careful in selecting their partners, ever fearful of repeating history and provoking the ire of the Devil Palace or Shadow's Keep's prodigies, which could lead to dire, unforeseen consequences.

If Yu Yuan were like Yan Lu or Hou Tianzhao, with the backing of the Devil Palace and the Ruby Hand, perhaps the Nightbane Sect would tread more carefully.

Yet, he had steadfastly refrained from aligning with any sect, lacking the support of a formidable sect behind him.

Assuming the guise of Lee Qi only served to put the Nightbane Sect more at ease.

Even if they were to kill him, Zhou Cangmin, Xu Zixi, and other inspectors who might look into the matter in the future could be told by the Nightbane Sect that they were unaware of his true identity.

"Shall we head to Demon's Scar first?"

Yuan Lianyao mused for a moment before responding, "I carry a sect token, and Lord Faang Yao mentioned that if I wished to explore further, I could visit Demon's Scar en route. Once there, we can look around and arrange for an escort to Celestial Isle. Demon's Scar is also a stop on the Sea Wanderer's course."

"Demon's Scar?" Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled as he weighed his options and nodded in agreement, "That sounds good."

Unless there had been a monumental shift, the unnamed island he had once chosen wasn't particularly far from the Ruby Hand.

Given the Nightbane Sect's attention and the uncertainty of their capabilities, rerouting via Demon's Scar seemed like a wise strategy.

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

"As for the Nightbane Sect, if they're intent on digging their own graves, I'll deal with them leisurely in the Sundering Isles," Yu Yuan said without going into detail. "Before that, I have more pressing matters to attend to. Kicking up a storm with the Nightbane Sect and those two sisters, attracting more unwanted attention, would be less than ideal."

He needed to keep a low profile while searching for what he sought.

Before accomplishing his goal, he didn't want to escalate tensions with the Nightbane Sect and risk revealing his identity.

"Great, we'll set our course for Demon's Scar Island!"

Yuan Lianyao was visibly pleased that he had heeded her advice and wasn't going to act recklessly.

"Understood."

With that, Yu Yuan settled into a serene state, gently closed the window, and sat down in meditation.

For the following days, he cast aside all other thoughts and dedicated himself to strengthening his body with the Evil Body Refining Technique within the confines of the house. He was preparing for his journey to the unnamed island where he would use the furnace to concoct pills and employ the Sunsorrow from the giant beast to once again revolutionize the realm of vitality.

One deep night, as Yu Yuan was immersed in his cultivation, he was abruptly roused, drenched in sweat, his eyes emitting an extraordinary glow. A tendril of his consciousness slipped into the lower elixir field of his little world. Inside the Golden Sanctum of this little world, eight clusters of sunfire blazed like eight fierce suns, radiating boundless light and warmth.

With a mere flicker of thought, the eight incandescent suns morphed into eight crimson rainbows, dancing across the heavens. The sunfire continued to transform, seemingly drawn by an unseen force. There was an unmistakable longing to break free from his elixir field and soar into the external world.

It was within the Sundering Isles that something appeared to have stirred the eight clusters of sunfire, creating a resonance between them. Or perhaps, that entity was actively seeking out the sunfire.

"The eye of the Abyssal Leviathan!" Yu Yuan realized in a flash, his body quivering slightly.

"What's the matter?" Yuan Lianyao emerged from her resting quarters, her gaze filled with astonishment. "Which fire magic were you practicing? I just sensed an intense flame erupting within your elixir field."

"It's nothing," Yu Yuan replied with a smile, shaking his head. "We're nearing the Demon's Scar."

He ceased his meditation and rose abruptly, retrieving the finely crafted mask gifted by the Skyreach Consortium. With practiced ease, he affixed it to his face and declared, "Let's go!"

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