C601 I Am the Fish Meat

Zhan Yun guided Yu Yuan down from the Sword Prison, positioning herself between Zhao Jie and Chung Miao.

Zhao Jie offered up a reddish, slightly yellowed pellet. Zhan Yun accepted it, swallowing it down before she could even address Zhao Jie and Chung Miao, when the master's displeasure echoed through the air.

Looking up at the snow-white robe billowing in the Sword Prison's midair, Zhan Yun smiled and remarked, "That simply won't do."

Elsewhere, Lim Zhuyun, shrouded in emerald flames, had just unleashed a chilling moon, aiming to claim the Sword Prison. Yet, the master's words caused her to momentarily hesitate.

"This is Yu Yuan. You should recognize him."

With a subtle nod to Zhao Jie and Chung Miao, Zhan Yun gestured towards Yu Yuan and introduced him, then addressed the master once more, "He doesn't hold much value to my Bright Sect. But, I'm aware there's a significant number who wish him dead or alive."

Her gaze swept over Yan Qiling, Lim Zhuyun, Zhongli, Zhao Yafu, and the rest.

"To claim him, you'll need to offer something in return."

Zhan Yun's demeanor was serene, seemingly unfazed by the master's wrath, boldly stating, "You're well aware of the formidable power of the Soul Seed I've cast. Should I wish his death, a mere thought to trigger the soul mark would scatter his soul to the winds, beyond anyone's salvation."

Her confidence was palpable.

Realizing Yu Yuan's exceptional worth, she had disregarded the master and targeted Yu Yuan with the Bright Sect's enchantment within the Sword Prison, intent on a lucrative gain.

Only Zhan Yun, with the Bright Sect's unique enchantment, could evade the sword's edge and its intent's malice.

It was precisely this insight into Yu Yuan's value that had spurred her to take such a gamble.

Now that she had what she wanted, she wouldn't simply undo the soul mark and let Yu Yuan, this prize, slip from her grasp due to the master's mere words.

"Zhan Yun, I'll take the boy off your hands. Name your price!"

The freed elder of the Nagas, having taken Loong Yang's place, now sat aloft in the floating palanquin, calling out, "Whatever the Bright Sect desires, we can discuss it!"

Loong Yang exclaimed in shock, "Father, him?"

"Silence!" Loong Jie shot her a fierce glare, cutting off her attempt to intercede.

A single drop of Loong Jie's dragon blood seeped into the microcosm of Yu Yuan's vital energies, revealing to him the Blood Sacrificial Altar, intricately crafted from Giant Beast Amber. Loong Jie was acutely aware of the altar's immense worth.

He suspected that even Zhan Yun of the Bright Sect might be oblivious to the anomaly within Yu Yuan, unaware of his true value.

"Zhan Yun, if you desire him, he's yours," came the voice of the master from within the snow-white robe, "But the Evil Cauldron, that sheath, and his Mustard Seed Bracelet must be surrendered to me."

"The Evil Cauldron?!" The Bright Sect's leader, recently freed from years of confinement in the Sword Prison, gasped in disbelief.

She whirled around, her gaze piercing into Yu Yuan, her curiosity piqued. "Just how many treasures does this young man carry?"

"Sect Master, as far as I know, he possesses the Evil Cauldron, the Giant Beast Amber, and the sword sheath," Chung Miao quickly chimed in, eager to share the intelligence she'd gathered from the Crack Archipelago.

"Evil Cauldron, Giant Beast Amber, and the sword sheath!" Zhan Yun inhaled sharply, her eyes shifting as she regarded Yu Yuan anew. "With such precious artifacts, could he be a Demonic Seed from the Devil Palace?"

"He has no master," Chung Miao said, her lips curling into a slight smile.

"How peculiar," Zhan Yun mused, her suspicions rekindled.

Following Loong Jie, the rotund elder dressed in the garb of the Babel Chamber of Commerce, a master of spatial secret arts, chuckled. "I'm indifferent to his possessions, but the man himself... he intrigues me."

The fat old man was the first to emerge from the Sword Prison, having been in covert communication with the one in the snow-white robe.

His disciple, now serving the master of this place, was once a pivotal figure within the Babel Chamber of Commerce. Upon his departure from the Sword Prison, a brief exchange with his disciple through a secret art allowed him to surmise the master's significant background, naturally drawing him into a sense of kinship.

Xi Quan, a practitioner of the Withered Sword technique, gave Chen Qingyan's shoulder a reassuring pat and added, "I'm interested in him as well. Zhan Yun, let's hear your price—I'm in."

Yu Yuan's legacy stemmed from the renowned Chopping Moon cultivator. As a standout disciple of the Sword Sect, she was somewhat familiar with the tales and reputation of this fellow sect member. Considering Yu Yuan as an informal disciple of the Sword Sect, and factoring in her connection to Chen Qingyan, she decided to get involved.

"Let's do this: I'll forego the items you initially promised me," Yan Qiling spoke up, addressing the host directly. "Yu Yuan and I go way back—he assisted me in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. Hand him over to me, and I'll leave the Desolate God Great Swamp immediately, ensuring that not a word of what transpires here leaves with me."

"If Zhan Yun won't release her, there's nothing I can do," the voice from within the empty white robe responded.

The room fell silent as a debate over Yu Yuan's fate ensued.

Yu Yuan, who had remained quiet, listened to their banter with a mix of amusement and disbelief. Zhan Yun, Loong Jie, and the enigmatic host were discussing him as if he were mere merchandise, openly negotiating his exchange as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In his two lifetimes, he had never been treated quite like a magical artifact.

"And then there's her," Loong Jie interjected, gesturing toward Zhao Yafu. "I intend to take this girl back to Hidden Dragon Lake. Name your terms—what's the price for her departure?"

The man in the white robe replied, "Loong Jie, you're well aware she's been taken as a direct disciple by the Sky Tiger of the Demon Palace. Not even the Sky Tiger can peer into this Great Swamp. If you kill her and it remains a secret, there's no issue. But if you were to take her to Hidden Dragon Lake, have you thought through the potential repercussions? Are you and Hidden Dragon Lake prepared to face the wrath of the Sky Tiger?"

At these words, a ripple of concern spread across the faces of many in attendance. The Demon God Sky Tiger, notorious for its ferocity, had a record of formidable victories in the Outland Star River. Even the most fearsome Big Devils who roamed those celestial streams held a wary respect for the Sky Tiger.

Particularly, this place was indeed home to a Great Demon of the Demon Palace!

"These five little ones are off-limits to everyone."

The green snake hissed sharply in the ancient tongue of the Demon Clan, clearly stating its position.

"You're no longer the leader of that extraterrestrial Demon Clan's grand army!" Loong Jie exclaimed in fury.

The green snake remained silent, meeting Loong Jie's gaze with its own chilling, somber, and ferocious eyes.

"Crack!"

Just then, the Sword Prison behind them began to fracture.

As Yu Yuan drew in the dense sword energies and glimmers into his scabbard, much of the now-unused Sword Prison showed signs of damage from the internal conflicts with the Big Devil.

But why were there cracking sounds from the Sword Prison after everyone had departed?

"Crack! Crack!"

Chunks of stone tumbled down as if an invisible chisel was meticulously sculpting something right before their eyes.

In no time, a divine statue with two heads and four arms began to emerge.

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