C662 Friends!

Zu Ann, adorned with a crest and bearing an ancient visage, was enveloped in a seven-colored divine glow.

Sky Fiends, ghosts, and archdemons flocked to his side, each formidable in their own right.

Yet, in his presence, they became as docile as domesticated cats, displaying a level of obedience that was nothing short of astonishing.

In the palm of his hand, Zu Ann appeared to be holding a diminutive mirror.

Abruptly, he ceased speaking. His penetrating gaze, capable of ensnaring one's spirit, fixed upon the Fallen Star Eyes.

As the moonstone crystal began to show cracks, all Terra Fiends and malevolent entities vanished, leaving only Zu Ann's piercing eyes.

His gaze reached out silently from the depths.

Liu Ying coughed up another mouthful of blood and instantly realized that Zu Ann, concealed deep underground, had pinpointed her location. With just a mere thought, he could send a remnant soul through the crystal, threatening to shatter her very soul.

"Who is this person?" Liu Ying's mind was in turmoil.

A moment later, a profound uncertainty surged within her.

Illuminated by the moonstone, Zu Ann's daunting gaze was not fixed on her.

He was not looking at the owner of the Fallen Star Eyes, nor at the one who had uncovered and exposed him.

Zu Ann's attention was on Yu Yuan.

Liu Ying glanced over to see Yu Yuan wearing a rueful smile. He sighed, bowed respectfully with his fists clasped, and spoke with a tone laden with complexity, "I never imagined we would meet again in such a manner."

No one understood the dread his former comrade inspired more than he did.

Zu Ann had long presided over Rosy Cloud Island as merely a Lunar Spirit, while his resplendent Solar Spirit remained at the pinnacle of the Everlands, atop Skyreach Peak.

Skyreach Peak was also where Zu Ann achieved the merge with his Primordial Spirit after advancing to the Unbound realm.

Now in the late period of the Unbound realm, Zu Ann was on the cusp of refining his essence into a primordial spirit.

Having merged with Skyreach Peak, he observed the mortal world through the Mirror of Fates, overseeing the Everlands with the detached gaze of a deity.

Zu Ann's real body was rumored to have been stationed at the Star River in the extraterrestrial realm for ages, safeguarding a critical location to fend off invasions by the Otherkin.

Esteemed by the three great upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep, Zu Ann was a figure of reliance in numerous situations.

Legend had it that with the Mirror of Fates in his possession, Zu Ann, from his perch atop the highest peak of the Everlands, could detect and pinpoint the lurking evils, Terra Fiends, and other hidden threats within the realm.

Should he sense a presence endangering the Everlands, he needed no permission from the five supreme forces to eliminate the threat.

The five great supreme sects placed immense trust in him, refraining from questioning his actions, even when those he dispatched were from the upper sects, Devil Palace, or Shadow's Keep.

Yet now, this formidable individual was deep beneath the Scarlet Dunes, surrounded by the very Earth Fiends, ghosts, Sky Fiends, and Otherkin he was meant to destroy. What could this mean?

Had Zu Ann turned his back on the upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep to side with Boulderdawn?

Deep underground, Zu Ann's appearance suggested he was indeed in his real body.

"That girl..." Zu Ann murmured, his voice faintly emanating from the fractured moonstone.

A cold dread gripped Liu Ying's heart as she realized that with Zu Ann speaking, her fate was no longer hers to command.

She was acutely aware that a wrong answer from Yu Yuan could prompt this ancient-faced man, adorned with a crest, to obliterate her spirit.

Yu Yuan extended his hand, gently encircling her delicate waist.

Liu Ying tensed, unaccustomed to such intimacy from a man. Her exquisite face betrayed her discomfort, and she felt a peculiar sensation stirring within.

Yet, despite the turmoil in her Heart Lake, she harbored no real resistance.

Her cheeks turned a soft pink, her gaze grew hazy, and the budding affection within her heart quietly swelled in response to Yu Yuan's touch.

Yu Yuan wrapped his arms around her ample waist, drawing her into his embrace. Initially, she was tense, her body rigid with nerves, but she soon relaxed, allowing herself to be coaxed into intimate gestures.

As the beauty nestled into him, her scent was intoxicating. Yu Yuan's smile radiated warmth. "Her name is Liu Ying, from the Starmoon Sect! Mr. Zu, with your ability to observe the entire world, if you would but glance my way, you'd recognize the nature of our relationship."

"The girl who accompanied you down the mountain on Rosy Cloud Island last time was not this one," Zu Ann remarked with a huff. "You neglect your medicinal studies for flirting. Can you honestly say you're living up to your master's hopes for you?"

Hong Qi, the God of Medicine from Yu Yuan's past life, was a dear friend to Zu Ann, which was the only reason he had been entrusted with the red metal key.

To Zu Ann, Yu Yuan was a junior in this life, one of the very few individuals he took an interest in and cared for. Watching Yu Yuan flit between Yuan Lianyao and Liu Ying, he couldn't help but feel the young man lacked dedication to his cultivation.

"Mr. Zu," Yu Yuan began, bowing respectfully, "I implore you to be lenient. You know I wouldn't dare fabricate tales. I will ensure she behaves appropriately."

"You'd best leave the Scarlet Dunes soon and steer clear of the Moonfall Sanctuary to avoid trouble," Zu Ann warned with a cold snort.

"Mr. Zu, about Yingye from the Ethereal Void Sect... he's somewhere underground. Could you do me a favor and see to his demise?" Yu Yuan asked brazenly.

"Understood. And tell that girl to stop being so curious, to avoid seeing things she shouldn't," Zu Ann instructed, directing his final words to Liu Ying.

As he finished speaking, the moonstone shattered, and Liu Ying's body went limp, collapsing into Yu Yuan's arms—she had been frightened by Zu Ann.

Through her "Fallen Star Eyes," she had glimpsed Zu Ann's visage, but she couldn't quite place the identity of this impressive man adorned with a crest. All she knew was that without Yu Yuan's protective embrace, she would have been dead.

"Here, take this Soul Essence Pill and calm your spirit. No more looking around," Yu Yuan said as he offered her the pill and assisted her to sit on a stone platform. "His name is Zu Ann."

"Zu Ann!" Liu Ying's complexion turned ashen. "Is that the Zu Ann from Skyreach Peak?"

Yu Yuan gave a slight nod.

"How do you know him? Do you realize that Zu Ann, the progenitor of Skyreach Peak, holds a higher status in the Everlands than even my master and the Sect Master of the lower sect?" It was clear that Liu Ying had learned of this extraordinary individual from her master and was aware of the formidable presence of Zu Ann, who operated without the constraints of any sect.

"Let's not dwell on how I know him for now. What's important is that you mustn't divulge what you've just seen to anyone," Yu Yuan instructed, pausing before adding, "and that includes your master."

"I understand. Isn't it enough that I heed your advice?" There was a hint of plaintiveness in Liu Ying's eyes.

"There's a good girl, just follow my lead," Yu Yuan said soothingly as he stroked her hair. "Take the pill and let its power work through you. I'm aware that using your lifeblood to observe him has taken a toll on you. Don't put it off."

"He wields the Mirror of Fates, which surpasses the Fallen Star Eyes in its capacity to penetrate the fabric of the cosmos. It's no wonder I nearly perished trying to observe him with my Fallen Star Eyes." The thought of having recklessly exposed herself to the gaze of Zu Ann, the very same from Skyreach Peak, filled Liu Ying with dread.

That such a personage would appear in the Scarlet Dunes, surrounded by a throng of alien souls and malevolent entities, was unsettling.

"Could he be the orchestrator of the archdemon's retaliation? The Terra Fiend who shattered the remnant soul's outer defenses might also be acting under his command," Liu Ying exclaimed with urgency.

Yu Yuan nodded again, his expression grave. "It's unlikely that Yingye will survive."

"So, Zu Ann would really go so far as to slay the Eighth Sage of the Ethereal Void Sect just because you asked?" Liu Ying's voice was laced with astonishment.

"He will."

Yu Yuan's confidence was unshakeable as he spoke.

Zu Ann had been his closest ally in a past life; he understood him well and knew his nature.

He harbored no doubts that Zu Ann would eliminate both Yuan Lianyao and the so-called Eighth Sage of the Ethereal Void Sect at his behest.

Now, his concern lay with why Zu Ann was present in the Scarlet Dunes.

Why were Terra Fiends, goasts, and other strange beings so willing to heed Zu Ann's command?

Zu Ann had long been guarding the crucial points within the Extraterrestrial Star River. Is it possible that Zu Ann himself breached these defenses, unleashing numerous oddities into the Star River?

If so, Zu Ann would find himself at odds with the five supreme sects. Given the state of affairs, he would be branded a traitor of the Everlands.

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