C663 Rescue

The Starskiff soared through the sky at breakneck speed, pursued relentlessly by a flood dragon. Its gleaming silver scales occasionally detached and transformed into razor-sharp blades of light, slashing through the disciples of the Ethereal Void Sect.

This flood dragon was no ordinary beast; it was a seventh-level archdemon, with combat prowess on par with human cultivators at the Spirit Walk stage.

Qu Jing had taken his position at the rear of the Starskiff, Spectral Umbrella in hand. Whenever the flood dragon's lethal scales came hurtling toward them, he would swiftly deploy the Spectral Umbrella to shield the Starskiff.

Han Xu, who commanded the Starskiff, was merely at the Lunar Spirit stage and stood no chance against the seventh-level flood dragon. Were it not for the little world within the Spectral Umbrella, which the flood dragon seemed to dread, fearing its scales might be lost to it forever, the casualties among the Ethereal Void Sect disciples aboard the Starskiff would have been catastrophic.

"Seventh-level archdemons are a rare sight on the Aetherius Continent, yet this one fixates on us," Han Xu mused, his brow furrowed in concern. "What's odd is that despite our distress signals, it seems other sects' disciples are facing similar troubles, and no one has come to our aid."

Qu Jing, ever the picture of drowsiness, replied, "It's not just us. Other sects are facing crises too. Jinghai messaged me that he and his Thunder Sect companions have ventured in the opposite direction. And it's the Golden Bone Tribe and our own human kin who are aggressively pursuing Jinghai and the Thunder Sect."

Han Xu responded with astonishment, "What has given rise to such a multitude of hybrid creatures, archdemons, and Terra Fiends in the Scarlet Dunes?"

Their intelligence had suggested that their mission to the Scarlet Dunes to dispel evil would not likely involve encounters with formidable beings, only a handful of fifth and sixth-level archdemons, Terra Fiends, and ghosts.

Indeed, the most fearsome entities were rumored to reside in the Moonfall Sanctuary, Godsblight Marsh, Land of Terror, and Rainbow Ocean. Consequently, those who ventured into the Scarlet Dunes to dispel evil did so without the protection of powerful elders.

No one anticipated that what began as a seemingly effortless "Dispel Evil" operation would abruptly escalate in difficulty, with seventh level archdemons emerging.

Qu Jing, puzzled, abruptly tuned into the urgent soul voice emanating from the Spectral Umbrella's artifact soul.

Qu Jing's face paled slightly. "Yingye is calling for help!"

"Where is Yingye calling from?" Han Xu demanded.

"He's in the Scarlet Dunes," Qu Jing replied with a furrowed brow, glancing down at the ground. "More precisely, he's being targeted by a terrifying entity beneath us. He believes he's doomed and has used the leaf, which is the core of his life's cultivation, to connect with the Spectral Umbrella. He's requesting to use it."

"We can't allow that!" Han Xu interjected forcefully. "If we give him the Spectral Umbrella, we won't stand a chance against the evil dragon's assault!"

Qu Jing shared this hesitation.

The seventh level evil dragon had been kept at bay by the presence of the Spectral Umbrella, allowing them to use the Starskiff to fight and retreat simultaneously.

Without the Spectral Umbrella, Qu Jing doubted his own ability to safely escape the evil dragon's pursuit, let alone protect his fellow sect members.

Lost in thought, Qu Jing slowly sat down.

"What happened?" Han Xu inquired, puzzled.

"Yingye has died," Qu Jing uttered, his voice quivering slightly. Even his usually stoic demeanor was shaken by the news. "In the brief moment I hesitated, just after Yingye had established contact with the artifact soul of my Spectral Umbrella, he was suddenly gone."

"Ah!"

Although Han Xu was both older and more advanced in his cultivation than Qu Jing, he lacked Qu Jing's composure in the face of adversity. He nearly screamed, clutching his hair in a panic. "Who could have killed him? Yingye was a master of stealth and evasion, even in his Spirit Walk state!"

"It's not just about power at the same level. Even an eighth level Solar Spirit cultivator would find it challenging to kill him, despite being stronger!"

The news of Yingye's death and Han Xu's outcry left all the disciples of the Ethereal Void Sect in shock.

"That Yu Yuan from Asvetaesi claimed Yingye was in the Scarlet Dunes, yet I received no such information," Qu Jing, the sect's future leader, regained his composure swiftly and remarked, "Yu Yuan also mentioned he had a confrontation with him. It seems Yu Yuan was his intended target in the Scarlet Dunes."

"At the very least, he was one of the targets."

After a brief pause for thought, Qu Jing added, "Considering his skill at evading capture, the fact that he met his end underground—and with all three souls extinguished—indicates that his assailant possessed a level of cultivation and strength far beyond his own. Only someone capable of completely overpowering him could have dispatched him with such ease."

Qu Jing, who had only just taken his seat, stood abruptly and issued a decisive command, "Evacuate the Scarlet Dunes! The situation here is beyond our control!"

...

Fallen Star Eyes.

Having taken a Soul Essence Pill and allowed herself some time to recuperate, Liu Ying's spiritual sense began to coalesce. Moments later, she reopened her eyes.

She immediately noticed Yu Yuan gazing into the distance, bathed in the evening's rosy light.

"What's on your mind?"

Liu Ying, captivated by the sight of his silhouette, found herself lost in thought before curiosity got the better of her.

Somehow, after Yu Yuan had embraced her and declared their closeness to Zu Ann, she felt their bond had deepened.

Her heart brimmed with happiness and anticipation.

Maybe that's why just the sight of Yu Yuan's profile filled her with such joy.

"How are you feeling?" Yu Yuan asked, turning to face her with a radiant smile in the fading light.

His smile was so dazzling that Liu Ying felt overwhelmed by his enigmatic allure, her emotions rippling through her like waves on Heart Lake, leaving her flustered and unable to meet his gaze.

"I'm alright, no major issues," she replied, her gaze dropping slightly.

"Find Zhao Yafu, Zhan Tianxiang, and Kong Banbi for me," Yu Yuan requested without ceremony, pausing to reflect before continuing, "And Lin Yue and Hou Tianzhao as well. I need to notify them to leave the Scarlet Dunes as quickly as possible."

Once she heard his words, Liu Ying snapped back to reality, the unsettling image of Zu Ann underground flashing through her mind, "Understood!"

The first thing she did was not to assist Yu Yuan in locating Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu, but rather to use a mystique to establish contact with an elder of the Starmoon Sect.

A particle of thought settled into a moonstone, causing the Fallen Star Eyes at her feet to suddenly blaze with light. The cosmic energy within the array flowed, transmitting the message.

Then, she steered the Fallen Star Eyes, tuning into the presence of Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu as she made her way toward them.

As dusk turned to night, the perils of the Scarlet Dunes multiplied tenfold.

Gliding low with the Fallen Star Eyes, Yu Yuan could occasionally hear the harrowing screams of those on the brink of death, shattering the night's calm with their piercing cries.

"The lesser sects from the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea have suffered devastating losses and are currently under attack."

"The flood dragon is in pursuit of the Starskiff, and it seems Qu Jing is struggling to fend it off."

"The Golden Bone Tribe, in combination with humans, have targeted Qi Jinghai and others from the Thunder Sect, relentlessly pursuing them with the apparent intent to leave no one from the Thunder Sect alive in the Scarlet Dunes."

"And there's more..."

Using the device that allowed their minds to connect, Liu Ying relayed to Yu Yuan the scenes she witnessed, impressing upon him the gravity of the situation in the Scarlet Dunes.

Yu Yuan listened intently, nodding occasionally in understanding.

Half an hour later, the Fallen Star Eyes descended upon the location of Kong Banbi from the Sword Sect. There, Yu Yuan observed Kong Banbi and a group of Sword Sect disciples arrayed in a formidable sword circle.

Inside the circle, sword light streaked through the air like lightning, the blades' radiance sealing off the heavens. The sword circle was thick with the essence of sword's will.

More than a dozen Spirit Swords encircled a large man covered in golden fur.

Beneath the golden fur, the man's physique resembled solid granite, clearly indicating that he was no ordinary person but likely a hybrid Otherkin or directly from the extraterrestrial Star River.

The towering man, encased by the sword circle, was showered in golden sparks.

He laughed heartily, showing no concern as he swatted casually at the Spirit Swords as if they were mere flies.

The Spirit Swords he swatted at would bend instantly, and the disciples controlling them within the sword circle would grunt and fall to the ground, hastily consuming a pill to recuperate.

"This isn't a half-breed; this is a pure Otherkin from beyond the stars!"

Liu Ying stood above the Fallen Star Eyes, looking down at the battle below. "Zu..."

She began to say Zu Ann's name but stopped herself, realizing it wasn't appropriate, and quickly fell silent.

With a meaningful glance and subtle movements of her lips, she conveyed to Yu Yuan that Zu Ann was stationed at the Star River beyond our world, keeping watch for the Otherkin to prevent them from entering the Everlands.

Yu Yuan caught on to her silent messaging, nodded in understanding, and said, "He's waiting for someone to come and counterattack the Sword Sect."

"Fallen Star Eyes! Liu Ying!"

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