C637 The Strange Scene in the Forbidden Area

After more than half a year, the prodigious young girl from the Silver Moon Sect had blossomed into an even sweeter beauty.

Bathed in moonlight, Lau Ying seemed like a fairy stepping right out of the lunar glow. As soon as she entered the room, her sweet laughter filled the air.

"Hey, have you advanced to the Penetrating Stage too?"

Lau Ying's playful complaint was followed by a flicker of her spiritual awareness, through which she gauged Yu Yuan's level of cultivation. "How did you manage to cultivate so quickly? You've seemingly breezed right through the Profound Break Stage."

Yu Yuan flashed a brilliant smile. "I'm a born prodigy, after all."

Deep down, he was well aware that his swift breakthrough was greatly aided by the Blood Sacrificial Altar.

"You..."

Upon closer observation, Yu Yuan expressed his astonishment. "Which phase of the Penetrating Stage have you reached?"

"I'm in the late period of the Penetrating Stage. My master has already begun preparations for me to condense the Yin God," Lau Ying boasted, her eyebrows arching with pride. "Your cultivation speed is impressive, but I'm not far behind. When I put my mind to it, breaking through stages comes with ease, almost without any bottlenecks—it all just falls into place."

Her innate talent for cultivation was undeniable; even her previously lackadaisical approach hadn't slowed her progress.

After her experiences in the Absence Relic and the Ember Waters, she recognized the need to enhance her cultivation level. With a bit more dedication and the nurturing of the Silver Moon Sect, she had ascended from the Profound Break Stage to the late Penetrating Stage in just a year or two, and was now preparing to condense the Yin God.

Her pace of cultivation was every bit as remarkable as Yu Yuan's.

"Lately..."

In the midst of Yu Yuan's compliments, Lau Ying swiftly drew closer, gently resting her pale wrist on the back of his left hand.

Caught off guard, Yu Yuan heard Lau Ying whisper, "Can you feel it?"

"Feel what?" Yu Yuan looked at her, puzzled.

With her eyes closed and her breathing measured, Lau Ying spoke in a voice as ethereal as a dream, "There's something calling to me from the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. More precisely, it's calling to the Fallen Star Eyes."

"In my recent meditations, I've been restless. I can sense that call, persistent and elusive. It took me a long time to realize it originated from the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. I haven't even mentioned this to my master. I've heard about your unique connection to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, so I came to seek you out."

Yu Yuan felt a jolt in his heart and exclaimed, "When did this begin?"

"About half a month ago," Lau Ying replied.

"Half a month ago!"

Yu Yuan was even more astonished. On reflection, it was indeed half a month prior that the evil statue had been transported to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area through the spatial corridor opened by Yan Qiling.

The evil statue was crafted in the Sword Prison!

And the Sword Prison itself was the whetstone of the Chopping Moon cultivator, originally a piece of the moon's essence!

Lau Ying's Fallen Star Eyes, which she wielded, also originated from the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, being the most substantial and most coveted fragment of the moon to have fallen there!

Both shared the same lineage; the Sword Prison was the moon's soul, akin to the vital spirit of a Moon Fragment!

"For some reason, standing next to you, holding your hand, my heart finds peace."

Lau Ying, eyes still closed, was intently sensing her surroundings. She soon noticed that the cries that were soon to come would vanish as if by magic upon contact with Yu Yuan's body.

Yu Yuan furrowed his brow in deep contemplation.

He had compelling evidence to believe that the Fallen Star Eyes under Lau Ying's command were being called upon by the evil statue sculpted from the Sword Prison!

The evil statue, with its spiritual will, remotely influenced the Fallen Star Eyes, prompting Lau Ying to feel its presence!

When the statue's malevolent spirit entered his Consciousness Little World, it encountered the three souls of Heaven, Earth, and Man, and its demeanor abruptly shifted, opting to prioritize its own will.

Could it be that the evil statue was also able to sense his presence through the Fallen Star Eyes and Lau Ying?

With this thought, Yu Yuan discreetly engaged the Soul Forging Technique, attempting to establish a connection with the Soul Transformation Pool.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Strands of his spiritual consciousness burst forth from his Niwan acupoint, magically infusing into Lau Ying's sleeve where the diminutive Fallen Star Eyes lay.

Boom!

Suddenly, the Fallen Star Eyes became as if an additional eye for Yu Yuan, akin to another "慧眼" that could peer beyond the earthly realm, transporting him back to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area in a mere moment.

To his amazement, he observed the Soul Transformation Pool, suspended in the void, swirling with gathering souls.

He witnessed the Sword Prison's evil statue, floating in the void like a mountain, with fragments of the moon orbiting it.

Numerous grotesque and terrifying Outland Devaputras flitted about the forbidden area, clashing with imprisoned Soul Spirits, Earth Demons, and the malevolent entities of the Boundless Land.

One Devaputra bore a striking resemblance to the Green Incubus, seemingly the ringleader.

The Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation was in full swing, shrouding the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area and barring anyone from entering or leaving at will.

It was as if the Sword Prison's evil statue, lurking in the shadows, was orchestrating everything, unleashing Heaven Devaputras and a host of bound evil spirits and malevolent souls.

His thoughts shifted, and he glimpsed the four ancient and enigmatic black characters, their light fading, deep underground.

Beneath these characters, a space channel linked to the Outland Star River, where Heaven Demons would sporadically emerge. Upon cautious appearance, they were swiftly corrupted by the evil statue's influence, descending into madness and engaging in brutal combat with the forbidden area's Soul Spirits and the Boundless Land's captives.

The Fallen Moon Forbidden Area was a maelstrom of chaos, impenetrable to outsiders.

Whoosh!

The evil statue crafted by the Sword Prison abruptly pivoted, presenting its kind and serene visage to his view.

The features were nearly indiscernible, as if it had detected his covert scrutiny and offered a faint smile in response—a gesture of amity.

With a thunderous crash, Yu Yuan's spiritual consciousness recoiled from the Fallen Star Eyes, jolting him awake.

Instantly, he felt Lau Ying, who had been resting her wrist on his hand, shudder with terror. Her eyes snapped open, returning to consciousness.

"I saw it, I saw it!" she exclaimed, her words tumbling out incoherently as her hand clutched Yu Yuan's arm fiercely, her grip tightening to the point where her nails nearly pierced his skin.

Yu Yuan, unflinchingly, fixed his gaze on her and inquired, "What did you see?"

"Everything! All of it!" Lau Ying's thoughts were in disarray. "I saw the Devaputras in motion! I saw the Soul Transformation Pool, and a stone-carved statue with two faces. And that statue—it smiled at me! That smile, it was so peculiar. It seemed to be signaling to me, as if it was the one calling out to me!"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, aware that Lau Ying, as the keeper of the Fallen Star Eyes, had witnessed everything just as he had.

"I'm heading to the Crimson Desert very soon!" Yu Yuan blurted out.

"Why?" Lau Ying asked, confused.

"Keep what you've just seen to yourself. Don't share it with anyone, okay?" Yu Yuan implored with gravity.

"I can do that." Lau Ying nodded, though somewhat dazed.

She didn't understand why Yu Yuan needed her to guard such a dreadful secret, yet instinctively, she trusted him.

Her experiences in the Absence Relic and Ember Waters had cemented her trust in Yu Yuan—right or wrong didn't matter.

"Return to the Silver Moon Sect for now. I need to speak with the Demon Palace and inform them of my journey to the Crimson Desert," Yu Yuan said, releasing her hand.

"I'm sorry, I've scratched you." Lau Ying noticed the marks where her nails had dug in and felt embarrassed.

"It's a minor scratch, nothing serious. I have urgent business with the Demon Palace," Yu Yuan reassured her.

Lau Ying, understanding the gravity, nodded. "If you're set on the Crimson Desert, count me in! Just let me know before you depart."

"Sure, but be aware that I'll be leaving shortly."

Yu Yuan had seen the anomalies at the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area and realized that once the evil statue settled within the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation, the attention of the three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and the Demon Palace would swiftly shift there.

They would discover the opened spatial passage and the influx of numerous Devaputras.

Many were aware that he possessed the sword soul of the Chopping Moon cultivator, which could influence the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation, ensuring his entry.

He needed to vanish for a while; otherwise, the Demon Palace, the upper sects, and the Devil Palace would compel him to venture into the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area.

This time, he refused to be anyone's pawn.

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