C548 On the Way Back
Yu Cen once mentioned he had a younger sister named Yu Ying. As a child, she was taken by a passing cultivator in Asvetaesi and was never heard from again.
Externally, Yu Cen maintained that she never returned. However, he confided in Yu Yuan that she did come back once in secret to restore the Yu family, leaving something for her kin deep beneath the earth.
Yet, to uncover what was buried, one would need to reach at least the Subtlety Realm.
Progressing to Subtlety allows one to refine their spiritual sense and synchronize with the aura concealed below, potentially gaining access to the subterranean secrets.
Yu Cen believed she had returned quietly, knowing her end was near, to leave a legacy for her family.
Yu Yuan suspected that Ann Ziqing's presence in Asvetaesi, hidden within the Yu family, was partly to seek out that underground treasure.
Another motive could be linked to Ann Jieshan, who had once emerged in the Moonfall Sanctuary and might still be lurking in Asvetaesi, possibly within the Yu family itself.
With the weakening of the Soulforge Matrix, numerous alien souls and archdemons emerged. Ann Jieshan too shed the rune circle's constraints, awakening somewhere in Asvetaesi before returning to the Moonfall Sanctuary.
"Break through to the Subtlety Realm and forge the spiritual sense as quickly as possible!"
Heading to Celestial Isle, Yu Yuan resolved to shatter the limits of his current state with utmost haste.
With the Blood Altar and the Crucible of Evil at his disposal, and ample vitality to refine, transcending his current realm seemed well within reach.
"Once I attain the Subtlety Stage, my spiritual sense will be sharp enough to explore the enigmas beneath the Yu family's domain. Moreover, with my spiritual sense formed, I should be able to detect the intricate sword spell branded within my arm bone! It's time to decipher the legacy of the cultivator known as Moon Slayer, the sword harboring a dormant sword spirit."
The interplay of sword light and the essence within the arm bone held great potential, but to grasp its subtleties, Yu Yuan knew he needed to ascend beyond his present realm.
The practice of Soul Forging through Enlightenment had refined and enhanced his heaven soul. His perception, intelligence, and thought processes had all seen significant improvements through the cultivation of this technique. It left him with a clearer mind and a more resilient willpower when pondering problems. It even granted him an extraordinary intuition!
He was able to resist the cravings of the Blood Altar within him and break free from the Blood Pool, thanks to his steadfast will and a foreboding intuition. Without the tempering of the Soul Forging through Enlightenment, he might have succumbed to the pull of the Blood Pool without Ann Ziqing's prodding.
The consequences of such an action would surely be dire. Yet, advancing one's realm is not something that can be rushed or skipped over. The Soul Forging through Enlightenment could cultivate a Heart of Wisdom and the Third Eye, but it could never precipitate a fundamental transformation of the heaven soul before the earthly soul. That is to say, he could never use this technique to evolve his heaven soul into a Solar Spirit. No amount of cultivation or achievement would change this.
He had to follow the proper sequence, beginning with the earthly soul and starting from the state of Subtlety. He needed to open the mud pellet acupoint and condense his spiritual sense, gradually refining it to nourish and purify the earthly soul.
Only after the earthly soul had undergone a profound transformation and condensed into a Lunar Spirit could he embark on the Spirit Walk and then strive to attain the Solar Spirit. However, he was confident that his early cultivation of the Soul Forging through Enlightenment and the condensing of his heaven soul would make his future journey to the Spirit Walk Realm and the condensation of the Solar Spirit much smoother.
As dawn broke, Yuan Lianyao, standing atop a lotus flower, escorted him to the Celestial Isle for the second time. Along the way, Yu Yuan stayed alert, wary of potential attacks from rogue cultivators or the elusive Lin Zhuyun.
Thankfully, the trip from Acora Island to the Celestial Isle was uneventful. Upon arriving at a landing point on the Celestial Isle, Jiang Yurong, who had been waiting amidst the fire lotuses, greeted them. "Yu Yuan, why didn't you let us know before you left?" she chided.
"It's an emergency situation. Please don't hold it against me," Yu Yuan said with a dismissive smile.
He and Tong Laoqian had only just arrived on the unnamed island when Gao Qin showed up. This clearly indicated that the Skyreach Consortium had been monitoring him and might have even been pleased to see him leave.
Jiang Yurong's comments were nothing more than an act; she was feigning ignorance.
Since Yu Yuan had no intention of causing a scene, he wasn't inclined to squabble with the Skyreach Consortium. After he and Yuan Lianyao disembarked, he stated, "Upon our return to the island, we are prepared to comply with the Consortium's rules and pay the required soulstones."
The first time he visited, Van Heqing of Sword Island had escorted him with the Shatterblade, and the Consortium had shown great courtesy out of respect for the Grand Sword Immortal.
His discreet departure meant that the previous considerations from the Consortium were now null and void.
This time, returning to Celestial Isle, it was only proper to pay the soulstones.
Having explored the gloomy palace, Yu Yuan had amassed a wealth of treasures. He had soulstones, soul crystals, and psicrystals aplenty, so parting with any number of soulstones wouldn't cause him any distress.
"There's no need for that," Jiang Yurong said as she welcomed them. "The higher-ups have instructed us not to charge you extra for any returns to Celestial Isle before leaving the Sundering Isles via the Consortium's teleportation circle."
Yuan Lianyao gave a light snort. "Is it because the Consortium has implicitly agreed to use Yu Yuan as bait, and they feel guilty about it?"
Jiang Yurong simply smiled and replied, "Since you're already familiar with the island, I won't impose any further." With that, she offered a respectful bow and departed.
"I knew it!" Yuan Lianyao's face, radiant as a blooming flower, was now etched with fury. "They were fully aware of your and Tong Laoqian's departure from the island! They didn't intervene and allowed you both to leave, clearly harboring ulterior motives!"
Yu Yuan remained unfazed. "It doesn't matter. The Skyreach Consortium didn't expel me, after all."
Shortly thereafter, Tong Laoqian arrived, having heard the news.
"Chou Jihai is dead."
Upon his arrival and glimpse of Yu Yuan, Tong Laoqian was overcome with joy. He eagerly shared the latest news, "The commander who was stirring up trouble in the Forgotten Ruins has just made an unexpected appearance outside Celestial Isle. He executed four cultivators on the spot, including Chou Jihai, all of whom wanted Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu dead!"
Yuan Lianyao reacted with a hint of shock. "And what of those two?"
"Shen Feiqing has taken them away," Tong Laoqian informed her.
Yuan Lianyao, taken aback, turned to Yu Yuan and advised, "You might want to reconsider your trip to Godsblight Marsh."
Yu Yuan had mentioned on the journey to Celestial Isle that he planned to visit Godsblight Marsh for cultivation after his return to the Forgotten Ruins. However, with Du Jing lurking in Godsblight Marsh and Shen Feiqing's recent sighting in the Sundering Isles, it was possible she had another presence in the marsh. For Yu Yuan to cultivate there would be exceedingly perilous.
"Any other updates?" Yu Yuan inquired.
"The Sundering Isles' defenders are still in pursuit of the cosmic giant beast and haven't returned," Tong Laoqian, who had stayed on the island for several days gathering information, reported. "Your fiancée has been spotted in the Frozen Hellscape."
"Frozen Hellscape!" Yu Yuan's face registered alarm.
This infamous, bitterly cold and enigmatic place beneath the deep sea harbored the world's coldest ice flames and countless unsolved mysteries. The Sky Fiend that had taken over Lin Zhuyun had initially concealed itself in the Frozen Hellscape. Yu Yuan had also heard that his parents vanished there.
To many, Lin Zhuyun's emergence in the Frozen Hellscape suggested that the Sky Fiend had retreated to familiar territory to avoid detection. Yet Yu Yuan suspected that Lin Zhuyun's repeated failures to find him might be due to the Abyssal Leviathan's directive, prompting her to seek new opportunities in the Frozen Hellscape to grow her power and hasten her escape from the Everlands.
"Let me purchase a few items on the island before I head to the Forgotten Ruins," Yu Yuan resolved.
Tong Laoqian had been eagerly awaiting these words. With excitement, he exclaimed, "Good!"
...
"Yu Yuan has purchased a large quantity of spiritual herbs and seeds on the island," Jiang Yurong reported, standing next to Zhu Peining. "Additionally, he has acquired a significant amount of blood and flesh from frozen Fellbeasts."
Zhu Peining was taken aback. "What does he need all those medicinal seeds for?"
"The Yu family's livelihood is based on cultivating herbs," Jiang Yurong responded.
"The spiritual energy in Thylethlume isn't concentrated enough. The herbs that can grow in the medicinal gardens there won't be of a high tier," Zhu Peining observed, glancing at the list Jiang Yurong had handed her. "Seventy percent of these herbs listed here won't survive in the Thylethlume gardens."
After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Yurong suggested, "The Forgotten Ruins!"
"Exactly! The Forgotten Ruins now have the capability to cultivate these herbs!" Zhu Peining was visibly moved. However, she quickly added, "But the Yu family members lack such expertise. They shouldn't be familiar with the cultivation methods for these advanced herbs."
"I've heard they've had success with cultivating Phaseblossom within the Forgotten Ruins," Jiang Yurong mentioned.
Zhu Peining appeared quite astonished and nodded in acknowledgment before inquiring, "Did that young man truly turn down our Skyreach Consortium's trade offer regarding the Giant Beast Sunsorrow?"
Jiang Yurong expressed her frustration, "He said the deal is off."
Zhu Peining, looking at the mask Jiang Yurong had retrieved and handed to her, fumed, "I had already made promises to others!"
"If Yu Yuan requests to use the teleportation circle, should we grant him passage?" Jiang Yurong sought guidance.
Zhu Peining was about to refuse when she sensed a trace of Feng Zhong's remnant soul.
Her demeanor deflated suddenly, and she reluctantly amended her stance, "If he wishes to leave, let him. We'll waive the soulstone fee for operating the teleportation circle this time only. However, should he return to Celestial Isle in the future and wish to use the rune circle, he will be required to pay with soulstones."
Jiang Yurong nodded in affirmation.
...
The teleportation circle, meticulously crafted by the Ethereal Void Sect at great expense within the Forgotten Ruins, emanated waves of spatial ripples.
With a whoosh, a trio materialized.
