C629 A War Was about to Break Out!

Yuan Lianyao's face bore the marks of fatigue, her usually bright eyes now tinged with worry and a sense of helplessness. She descended gracefully, like a delicate flower, and positioned herself between Yu Yuan and Yu Cen.

"Mayor," Yu Cen greeted her with a warm smile.

During Yu Yuan's absence from Asvetaesi, Yuan Lianyao, the "blazing red lotus," had provided exceptional care and numerous conveniences to the Yu family. The patriarch had taken note and held her in high regard.

"It won't be for much longer," Yuan Lianyao sighed softly.

Yu Yuan, taken aback, asked, "Why is that?"

"I've been officially accepted by the Ruby Hand. As per the unwritten rules among the empires, I must step down from any imperial office," Yuan Lianyao explained gently. "Sects hold authority over the empires. Once accepted by the sects of Euwrea or the Land of Quiescence, one is no longer bound to the mortal realm of Aetherius."

Yu Cen nodded in understanding, "Indeed."

The disciples from the various empires, once chosen by the sects of these two continents and having crossed the threshold of Veil Breaking, are often taken to cultivate in the Land of Quiescence or Euwrea.

These individuals then belong to the sects.

They are prohibited from engaging in the conflicts of the empires and are barred from holding significant positions within them.

With the Ruby Hand's guidance, Yuan Lianyao had cultivated her Lunar Spirit, and upon Faang Yao's declaration of her affiliation with the Ruby Hand, she ascended into the ranks of the sect.

By the letter of the law, Yuan Lianyao could no longer serve as the mayor of Asvetaesi.

However, rules can sometimes be rigid and at other times, subject to flexibility...

"Mo Yan of the Devil Palace has escorted Gao Zhengxing, the patriarch of the Gao family, to Asvetaesi. He is set to succeed me as the new mayor," Yuan Lianyao said with a hint of resignation. "The Gao family, for reasons unknown, has pledged allegiance to the Devil Palace, and Gao Zhengxing has only recently cultivated his Lunar Spirit."

"The Gao family..." Yu Cen's brow furrowed, his expression turning grave.

"I encountered Gao Hong from the Erhokadi branch of the Gao family at the Moonfall Sanctuary. Sadly, he perished within the forbidden area. Could there be some animosity between the Gao family and our Yu family?" Yu Yuan pondered aloud.

"When you were delayed in the Moonfall Sanctuary, the Gao family's Gao Zhengxing was among those from the Van and Lin families who relentlessly pressured us," Yu Cen reflected, then added, "To my knowledge, didn't the Gao family have some connection to the Forgeroses?"

"It was only that one of their kin was favored by the Forgeroses and taken in for cultivation," Yuan Lianyao shared, seeming well-informed. "That member of the Gao family didn't achieve much within the Forgeroses. Apparently, he met an unexplained death during an external campaign. Gao Zhengxing, after the empire was renamed to the Shadowlight Empire and the Yan family ascended to the throne, seemed to have secretly pledged himself to someone from the Devil Palace."

Yuan Lianyao paused, then mentioned, "That person appears to be associated with Mo Yan of the Devil Palace."

Yu Yuan's thoughts stirred, and he began piecing together the sequence of events.

The Devil Palace boasted two cultivators at the Primordial Spirit Realm: Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian, and Zhu Zhenlin, Mo Yan's father.

Tan Xiaotian, as the leader of the Devil Palace, was undeniably one of the most influential figures across the Land of Quiescence and the Everlands.

Zhu Zhenlin, a prodigious newcomer, had also ascended to the Primordial Spirit Realm.

With two Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators, the Devil Palace was naturally divided into factions.

The Yan family had risen to power with the support of Tan Xiaotian's dark adepts, enabling them to take control of the empire and transform the Silvermoon Empire into the Shadowlight Empire, all thanks to Tan Xiaotian's influence.

Zhu Zhenlin represented an alternative power within the Devil Palace.

Gao Zhengxing had sworn fealty to Zhu Zhenlin's faction. Given that Mo Yan was Zhu Zhenlin's son, it was a simple task for him to orchestrate Gao Zhengxing's rise to replace Yuan Lianyao as the mayor of Asvetaesi.

Indeed, the Shadowlight Empire was firmly in the grasp of the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.

Gao Zhengxing could assume the role of mayor of Asvetaesi as a subordinate, provided he did not openly align with the Devil Palace or get listed in their genealogy. This move could potentially lead the Gao family to relocate from Erhokadi to Asvetaesi.

Asvetaesi, now thriving due to the Forgotten Ruins, has leaped to the forefront of the Shadowlight Empire's seven great cities, second only in importance to the City of Silvermoon. Becoming the mayor of such a coveted city could significantly bolster a family's stature.

Should Gao Zhengxing secure his position as mayor of Asvetaesi, and with the continued growth of the Forgotten Ruins, he could elevate the Gao family to become the second most powerful in the Shadowlight Empire, just behind the Yan family.

Zhu Zhenlin supports Gao Zhengxing, while Mo Yan has had past conflicts with Yu Yuan, even going as far as to set him up in the Sundering Isles. Given Gao Zhengxing's strained relationship with the Yu family, his mayoral tenure would likely mean trouble for them.

The Zhao family, with Zhao Yafu, a disciple of the Moonfang Tiger, and backed by Shadow's Keep, may be safe from Gao Zhengxing's potential recklessness. In contrast, the Yu family lacks the backing of any significant sect.

Yuan Lianyao expressed her concerns, "The situation is somewhat troubling because my Ruby Hand's Hellbreed has officially ventured to the Extraterrestrial Star River, empowered by the Solar Spirit, to engage in battle. His real body has been summoned to the Ruby Hand for dedicated cultivation. Lord Faang Yao is also in seclusion, striving to attain the Solar Spirit."

In the Ruby Hand, Yuan Lianyao's closest ties are with Faang Yao and Zhou Cangmin. Her father, Yuan Qiufang, doesn't hold a candle to her own standing within the sect.

With Faang Yao in seclusion and Zhou Cangmin battling in the Extraterrestrial, Yuan Lianyao finds herself without the robust support of the Ruby Hand for the foreseeable future.

The Ruby Hand has offered her the use of the teleportation circle in Gavanas to travel to the Land of Quiescence for cultivation. For now, she's to set aside the affairs of Asvetaesi and the Yuan family.

Given the formidable backing Mo Yan has, it seems the Ruby Hand might have decided to step back.

"No wonder Mo Yan came to Asvetaesi," Yu Yuan mused, considering the extraterrestrial situation must be quite volatile due to a series of drastic changes. This would explain why a newly minted Solar Spirit like Zhou Cangmin was hastily dispatched to the Star River for trials and battles. "If you're not in a rush, you might want to stay in the Forgotten Ruins for a bit, gather some intelligence."

The Skyreach Consortium has set up a branch in Gavanas, and the seven lower sects have taken up residence there. With visitors from sects like the Skyblight Cult and Taintborn, the place is a hub of information.

Yu Yuan believed Yuan Lianyao could benefit from spending some time in Gavanas to assess the evolving situation before deciding on her next move.

As for himself, he intended to finalize the medicinal herb business in Thylethlume and wait for news from the Godsblight Marsh, all within Asvetaesi.

The Crucible of Evil, along with the scabbard and sword spirit, were all safeguarded in the marsh by the Untamed.

He planned to discreetly return once Tang Zheng, Ji Ningshuang, and the Golden Elephant God had departed, hoping to retrieve what rightfully belonged to him from the Untamed.

"There's going to be a war," Yuan Lianyao abruptly stated.

The elder's face tensed. "I've heard as much! Mayor, are we truly going to declare war on the Crimson Sun Empire?"

"The Crimson Sun Empire?" Yu Yuan expressed his astonishment.

"Both the former Silvermoon Queen and the current ruler harbored a deep fear of our Hellbreed. When he was with the Crimson Sun Empire, we were at a disadvantage in all respects, losing battle after battle. Now that he's gone, the Crimson Sun Empire is rife with internal strife – it's the perfect opportunity."

As Yuan Lianyao spoke, her gaze drifted toward the Crimson Sun Empire. "The new emperor aims to consolidate his authority using the Crimson Sun Empire, and war is his chosen means to do so."

"War!"

Yu Yuan exclaimed, his thoughts fixated on the Evil Statue sculpted in the Sword Prison, recalling Yan Qiling's words.

Yan Qiling had claimed that the Evil Statue was crafted by the Boulderdawn Sect to manipulate the dynamics of the Aetherius Continent. Through the statue, the Boulderdawn Sect could exert influence over the major empires.

Before the Evil Statue ended up in the Marsh, the empires engaged only in minor skirmishes, and the continent was relatively peaceful.

Now, with the Evil Statue's return to the Moonfall Sanctuary, Yu Yuan had barely set foot back in Asvetaesi when he learned that the Shadowlight Empire was preparing for war against the Crimson Sun Empire.

Could the presence of the Evil Statue be the catalyst?

If the Shadowlight Empire and the Crimson Sun Empire were to clash, might the other empires be dragged in, plunging the entire Aetherius Continent into prolonged warfare?

The Everlands had been tumultuous of late, with deep-seated disputes among the sects and anomalies cropping up in both the strange and forsaken lands.

If strife continued to ravage the Central World, what would become of this realm, known to the extraterrestrial Star-Spawned Terrors and the Star River Otherkin as the Central World?

Sensing the impending turmoil, Yu Yuan was gripped by a sense of foreboding and resolved to take action.

"I need to concoct some pills!"

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