C655 A New Plan

Above the Crystal Boat, the lively chatter of dozens of Spirit Void Sect disciples abruptly ceased.

Lau Ying's face registered surprise as she stared at Yu Yuan in astonishment.

She clearly hadn't anticipated Yu Yuan's fiery response to the Spirit Void Sect woman who had spoken ill of Yuan Lianyao.

She had expected Yu Yuan to offer a defense, perhaps a sharp rebuke—not this level of extremity.

On the Crystal Boat, the woman at the Penetrating Stage, with her delicate features, was taken aback by Yu Yuan's words.

With her oval face, hair swept up high, and white jade ruler in hand, she turned to her companion for confirmation, "Is he speaking to me?"

Her companion, with a grim expression deep as still waters, gave a slow nod, "It appears so."

The woman's breath hitched, her bright eyes suddenly brimming with venomous fury. She aimed the jade ruler at Yu Yuan from a distance.

In a flash, her spiritual consciousness locked onto Yu Yuan, ready to launch the white jade ruler at a moment's thought.

"You, a junior of the Yu family, dare to sully our Spirit Void Sect disciples with such vile language!"

At the prow of the Crystal Boat stood a practitioner in the late stages of the Yin God Stage, his anger uncontainable, spewing curses with a murderous aura.

All the Spirit Void Sect disciples aboard shared looks of profound insult, their animosity collectively kindled.

"Foul language?"

Yu Yuan's mouth twisted into a cold smile, "The real obscenity is what this wretch said about the Lord of Darkmoon City! To spread such rumors in public—she has no shame, and I won't be blamed for calling her out!"

The white jade ruler in the woman's hand glowed with a soft, milky light as her spiritual consciousness wove into it, and it flew from her palm toward Yu Yuan.

"People say those from the Eighth Path are no different from those who've eaten filth," Yu Yuan bellowed with laughter. "Very well, you struck first, so don't blame me for my merciless response."

With a thunderous boom, the dark Evil Cauldron reemerged, spinning in the void. Beams of light shot from the Demonic Marks, targeting the white jade ruler.

As the white jade ruler attempted to escape the Crystal Boat, the woman from the Spirit Void Sect had no chance to react before a blast of black demonic light struck it squarely.

The ruler, far inferior to the Evil Cauldron, lost its sheen upon impact, and fine cracks swiftly marred its surface.

Her face paled, and she nearly coughed up blood.

Aware that Yu Yuan wielded the Evil Cauldron, she had no intention of openly clashing with him.

Her aim had been to save face, to gracefully back down.

Yet, she hadn't anticipated the rogue cultivator from Darkmoon City, unaffiliated with any sect, would be so ruthless as to attack the moment her white jade ruler left the safety of the Crystal Boat.

A single blow had damaged the precious item she'd purchased at great expense, a treasure of Earth Level quality.

Suppressing a cry of despair, she forced the blood back down her throat and looked up to a striking young man atop the Crystal Boat, pleading, "Senior Brother Qu, I implore you to stand up for me!"

She bypassed the elder of the Yin God Stage Late Period on the Crystal Boat, seeking aid instead from a peer, a younger disciple who had only recently entered the Yin God Stage.

Chu Jing gave a subtle nod and, in a blink, positioned himself at the forefront of the Crystal Boat.

"Junior Disciple Qu?"

The late-stage Yin God overseeing the Crystal Boat noted his approach, his expression shifting.

Chu Jing offered a reassuring smile and said, "Allow me to handle this."

After a moment's hesitation, the man nodded his consent.

"Chu Jing!"

From her vantage point among the Fallen Star Eyes, Lau Ying spotted him emerging to take a stand at the very front of the Crystal Boat, her demeanor betraying a hint of discomfort as she explained, "He's the third disciple of the current Spirit Void Sect master, Spirit Void Taoist, and... the most esteemed among them."

In the Spirit Void Sect, each master adopts the title of Spirit Void Taoist upon ascension.

Regardless of their former name, assuming the mantle of sect master comes with a new identity, a custom implicitly upheld within the sect.

As the favored personal disciple of the sect master, Chu Jing's standing within the Spirit Void Sect was, in essence, on par with Lau Ying's.

The Spirit Void Sect, holding the top rank among the seven lower sects, was ambitiously striving to join the ranks of the upper sects, challenging the likes of the Profound Sky Sect, the Primordial Yang Sect, and the Sword Sect.

From this perspective, Qu Jing's status was not only on par with Lau Ying's but subtly surpassed it.

Qu Jing, with a large black umbrella slung over his shoulder and a green Universe Ring on his finger, wore plain clothes devoid of any Spirit Void Sect insignia. His eyes, long and narrow, were perpetually half-closed, as if he were still not fully awake.

As he approached the Crystal Boat, the Spirit Void Sect disciples found their morale bolstered, their expressions instantly invigorated.

"I am Qu Jing," he announced, facing Yu Yuan with a slight bow and a tone of casual conversation. "You've harmed a disciple of my Spirit Void Sect, and for that, there will be a price to pay."

He unhurriedly removed the black umbrella from his back, gripping it firmly in both hands.

The moment his hands clasped the umbrella, Yu Yuan felt the world around him grow heavy as if the very heavens had descended with an invisible, crushing force.

It wasn't just him; Lau Ying and the Fallen Star Eyes beneath them were also compelled to sink incrementally.

With a pained look, Lau Ying protested, "Senior Brother Qu, must you go to such lengths?"

"Our people have been gravely wounded by him, and I had no choice," Qu Jing replied, unmoved. "As you know, the rules of the Boundless Land dictate that sect disciples below the Yang God Stage must not engage in lethal combat. He's neither a sect disciple nor recognized by the Demon Palace; he's merely an unaffiliated cultivator."

"Just a rogue cultivator. If I kill him, so be it."

With those words, Qu Jing unfurled the umbrella.

As the black umbrella opened, it was as if an entire new realm had been unveiled, with misty spiritual energy swirling upwards with the umbrella's ascent.

Yu Yuan looked up to find the night sky had vanished, replaced by an ethereal world filled with palaces, mountains, lakes, creatures, and the thunderous sounds of the Great Dao.

"The Spectral Umbrella!" Lau Ying declared, her voice heavy with gravity. She quickly reached out with her thoughts to the Fallen Star Eyes, urging them to hold steady.

The Evil Cauldron hovering above Yu Yuan's head swiftly expanded in size the moment Chu Jing unfurled his umbrella. The cauldron's opening remained downturned, casting a subtle shroud over Yu Yuan.

With a light chuckle, Yu Yuan turned to Lau Ying and remarked, "I've realized this Spectral Umbrella is quite significant."

Lau Ying's brow furrowed as she sighed softly, "It's somewhat inferior to the Evil Cauldron before it sustained damage. Yet, it seems to surpass the current state of the cauldron. The Spectral Umbrella's rank is comparable to the Fallen Star Eyes beneath my feet. However, the Fallen Star Eyes aren't designed for attack, so their power is somewhat less."

Lau Ying was implying that the Spectral Umbrella Chu Jing wielded was more potent than the Evil Cauldron at present, with offensive capabilities exceeding those of the Fallen Star Eyes.

Moreover, Chu Jing's level of cultivation and combat experience were a notch above theirs.

Chu Jing was also accompanied by the Crystal Boat and a retinue of Spirit Void Sect disciples and elders.

Clearly, the power dynamic between the two sides was uneven.

"I see through your ruse," Yu Yuan declared with a hearty laugh. "You deliberately had me wound that woman, perhaps even egged her on to incite me. Now, you've manufactured a pretext to strike me down."

"The Spirit Void Sect truly exemplifies honor. Today, I've witnessed it firsthand. After your failed ambush, you, as the sect master's prized disciple, have the audacity to confront me openly."

Yu Yuan observed that as Chu Jing opened his umbrella, the woman who had spitefully defamed Yuan Lianyao suddenly found serenity in her gaze.

Gone were the feelings of insult, rage, or vengeful ferocity.

Her tranquility was unsettling.

He quickly surmised that the woman's actions were a calculated move to incite him, to provoke a reaction that would justify Chu Jing's open assault on him in retaliation for her injuries.

Following Taoist Yeyin's lead, it seemed Chu Jing was next in line to execute their scheme.

"A sneak attack?" Lau Ying gasped, "The Spirit Void Sect has been conspiring against you?"

Yu Yuan nodded, "But they didn't prevail."

"Such baseless fabrications won't be believed by anyone," Chu Jing retorted as he stepped out from the Crystal Boat, standing beneath the Spectral Umbrella, his presence commanding like a deity ruling over an ethereal realm. He approached Yu Yuan and declared, "The Evil Cauldron, once unleashed, should never have ended up in your hands."

"If it's not with me, could it possibly be with you?" Yu Yuan scoffed.

"After your demise, I'll select a new owner for the cauldron," Chu Jing stated with a detached air. "Someone like Mo Yan, for instance."

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