C504 Uneasy

Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao ventured to Demon's Scar after setting sail.

In a room adorned with numerous crystal balls on the fifth floor of the Sea Wanderer, Jiang Yurong reported to Zhu Peining, "He utilized a mask, and neither the sisters nor Tong Laoqian could discern his true identity."

Zhu Peining, previously meditating with closed eyes, rose slowly and remarked, "Pei Zhen is a force to be reckoned with on Demon's Scar. Her presence on the island should ensure the red lotus is well looked after."

"You're not concerned about Yu Yuan?" inquired Jiang Yurong.

"That harbinger of mischief is up to no good, what's there to worry about?" Zhu Peining said with a gentle smile. "I've recently reviewed his escapades since his departure from Asvetaesi. Despite numerous perilous trials, the scoundrel has yet to face defeat. Isn't that odd?"

"How can that be? His power is so meager!" exclaimed Jiang Yurong.

"It seems improbable, but it's the truth," Zhu Peining admitted, finding it perplexing. "He began at a lowly level, yet it's as if he's favored by fortune itself, reaping rewards from Moonfall Sanctuary, Serpent Spine Mountains, Forgotten Ruins, and Embers Sea."

"It's baffling," Jiang Yurong stated.

After some contemplation, Zhu Peining offered, "Throughout the annals of Everlands, there have been those like him, seemingly chosen by destiny. Such individuals often emerge triumphant from obscurity, their ascent unstoppable."

Jiang Yurong, astounded, asked, "You believe he's one of those rare few?"

Zhu Peining nodded slowly, "It appears so."

"And the trade association?" Jiang Yurong pressed, surprised once more.

"I'll verify it. If he continues to shine brightly in the Sundering Isles, I'll brief the trade association in full," Zhu Peining declared, her demeanor turning grave. "Throughout history, those blessed by such fortune have achieved greatness. Even those who now command the extraterrestrial seas, instilling awe among the various races, were once as he is now in their youth."

Jiang Yurong's body quivered.

...

With a whoosh, a gleaming copper coin shot through the air beneath the clouds like a bolt of lightning.

Tong Laoqian stood above. Having departed from the Sea Wanderer, he made a beeline back to Demon's Scar.

Shortly thereafter, he voluntarily halted his approach a fair distance from Demon's Scar.

Beneath the clear blue sky and fluffy white clouds, a striking red drum burst forth from between the three dormant volcanoes on Demon's Scar.

With just one look, Tong Laoqian took the hint. He sighed and decided to land on an unnamed island close to Demon's Scar.

"Pei Zhen and that drum are more than I can handle."

Tong Laoqian was wise to the situation. He surmised that Yu Yuan had likely disguised himself and, like many other independent cultivators who had ventured into the sea, had discreetly left the ship and stealthily made his way to Demon's Scar.

Aware that Yu Yuan was on the island, he was nonetheless powerless.

With Pei Zhen stationed there, and being of the same Spirit Walk realm, even getting slightly close would trigger a warning.

As a lone cultivator, he dared not cross the Ruby Hand or provoke Pei Zhen.

He could only observe from a neighboring island, biding his time and waiting for Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao to emerge.

...

"Have you met that sect disciple named Xiao Yun?"

Upon entering the room, Yuan Lianyao pressed for answers, "I noticed she gave you a peculiar look. And you, you gave her a glance too."

The Red Stone Pavilion was stark and bare, devoid of any furniture or chairs.

She walked in and promptly unrolled her meditation cushion, taking a seat.

Yu Yuan found a spot on the warm ground, leaning against a pillar, and began, "Back in the Embers Sea, Xiao Yun, like Hou Tianzhao, was a trial-taker for the Ruby Hand. It's odd, I'm wearing this mask and even Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao can't recognize me, nor can Tong Laoqian see through it, yet her reaction was so out of the ordinary."

"So we've encountered each other in the Embers Sea," Yuan Lianyao mused with a furrowed brow, "Could she have possibly recognized my identity?"

"I don't know," Yu Yuan replied, shaking his head.

"Forget about it, it's not important," Yuan Lianyao said without pressing the issue. "Given how much the state preceptor values you, Pei Zhen recognizing you will make our movements smoother. Besides, my father's lineage within the Ruby Hand has always been caring towards me."

She had arrived at the Demon's Scar before Yu Yuan, and Pei Zhen had shown up shortly after her arrival.

Pei Zhen revealed that the one who passed on the "Crimson Soul Spell" to Yuan Qiufang and left behind the "Flame Halberd" after his demise was her Master Uncle.

This connection made her and Yuan Qiufang akin to senior sister and junior brother. She had even made a point to meet him after he joined the Ruby Hand.

Yuan Lianyao, Yuan Qiufang's daughter, was now demonstrating a talent that surpassed her father's. Her future accomplishments within the Ruby Hand were destined to exceed those of Yuan Qiufang.

Pei Zhen held her in high regard and had great expectations for her.

The Ruby Hand, not being a sect of the Euwrea Continent, rarely interfered with the private lives or conduct of its members.

Thus, Yuan Lianyao was indifferent to her reputation as long as she could concentrate on her cultivation and continue to advance.

She deemed Yuan Lianyao unrefined because Yu Yuan seemed too weak to be of any assistance.

In her eyes, Yu Yuan didn't even qualify to keep Yuan Lianyao company in leisure!

"As for what Pei Zhen thinks, it doesn't concern me," Yu Yuan said with a smile. "After all, I won't be staying at the Demon's Scar for much longer."

While speaking, his eyebrows quivered, and the Golden Sanctum within his lower elixir field stirred once more.

The eight clusters of sunfire seemed eager to escape once again, causing Yu Yuan's expression to darken.

At that moment, Pei Zhen, who had brought Xiao Yun back to her dwelling, heard some odd things from the girl with the melon-shaped face.

Xiao Yun informed her that the sallow-faced man accompanying Yuan Lianyao was supposedly someone who had died long ago.

The individual in question was a cultivator from the Songbird Empire.

Xiao Yun hailed from the same empire and was acquainted with this person. She was aware that they had been killed on the spot during a trial.

According to Xiao Yun, the deceased had attained the cultivation level of Lunar Spirit.

However, Yu Yuan, who appeared out of nowhere, was at the Veil Breaking Realm. His face was identical, but his cultivation level did not match.

Pei Zhen pondered the situation and realized that the person who had died must indeed be dead. The one who appeared alongside Yuan Lianyao was merely donning a mask designed to deceive.

"The cultivation of the Veil Breaking Realm is shrouded in secrecy. It's curious why it's so significant to the red lotus."

While Pei Zhen was still contemplating, she suddenly experienced an unusual sensation.

She called down a drum, invisible to the average person, from the skies above Demon's Scar.

The drum, once towering like a mountain, shrank to the size of a palm in an instant.

Pei Zhen tapped her finger on the drumhead.

Rip!

A streak of flame traced across the drum.

Using her fire magic, Pei Zhen probed the drum, her face creasing with astonishment.

"Sunfire!"

In a flash, she was standing before Yuan Lianyao's pavilion, communicating telepathically.

Yuan Lianyao was taken aback. "Your identity has been revealed."

As she spoke, she reached out and, from several meters away, the door swung open.

"Was it Xiao Yun?" Yu Yuan was astounded.

The next moment, Pei Zhen flashed into the room, and the door silently closed behind her.

The elderly lady, who had previously been mocking Yu Yuan, now looked at him with curiosity, scrutinizing him carefully. "You must be the young master of the Yu family from Asvetaesi that Zhou Cangmin spoke of. After the uproar in the Embers Sea, everyone thought you had left for another place."

She let out a soft chuckle. "No one expected you to actually come to the Sundering Isles."

Yu Yuan responded, "I was compelled by circumstances, I hope you understand, elder."

Pei Zhen dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. "No worries at all. Xiao Yun and I share a connection. She recounted in detail your exploits in the Embers Sea after arriving at Demon's Scar. Even Hou Tianzhao, that rascal, holds you in the highest regard."

"How did she recognize me?" Yu Yuan wondered.

Pei Zhen explained that it was only the mask on his face that Xiao Yun had recognized.

After a brief pause, she added, "Within the Embers Sea, an eye from a cosmic giant beast fell onto the Sundering Isles, and many are in search of it. There seemed to be something unusual about you. Could it be related to that eye?"

Yu Yuan was taken aback.

Yuan Lianyao gasped, "An eye from a cosmic giant beast landed on the Sundering Isles?"

"Yes," Pei Zhen confirmed with a nod. "That eye is no ordinary eye. Deep within its core, it harbors the endless divine glow of the burning sun. The ability to refine the sun and moon and to devour the stars is a unique power of the cosmic giant beast. The one that emerged in the Embers Sea had one eye that refined the burning sun, while the other contained the Lunar Essence."

Yu Yuan remained silent.

Pei Zhen went on, "The specifics are unknown to us. We only know that the eye ended up in the Sundering Isles. The Sunlit Order, our Ruby Hand, and others who practice fire magic are all searching for its location."

"And just now, I detected sunfire emanating from you!" Her excitement was palpable.

"If I'm not mistaken, the sunfire within you must have been condensed from that eye, correct?" Pei Zhen inhaled deeply. "The Ruby Hand will not let the Sunlit Order get their hands on that eye, no matter what. Yu Yuan, I believe you could join forces with our sect to secure that eye!"

"To refine the divine glow of the burning sun into the eye itself!" Yuan Lianyao shuddered. "Such an object must be of extraordinary value!"

Pei Zhen declared, "If utilized properly, this item could serve as the primary material for the Sunlit Order to forge a Divine Artifact. They are our archenemies, and that eye is of great significance to us as well!"

"Is the Abyssal Leviathan truly dead?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"To tell you the truth, our information is quite limited," Pei Zhen admitted, shaking her head. "The most knowledgeable about the situation is the Dusk Raven from Shadow's Keep. He was the closest to the Embers Sea at the time and witnessed much more. The others, like you, had already withdrawn from the Devil Palace during the Merging of Dao Star."

"What concerns me is that the Abyssal Leviathan isn't dead; it's still out there in the Everlands," Yu Yuan said with a grave expression.

"Why would you think that?" Pei Zhen asked, taken aback.

"That eye... it felt like it was constantly searching for me!"

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