C667 What a Coincidence!

"Thank you, Master Tan."

Liu Ying's eyes sparkled with mirth, reminiscent of a crescent moon. With a mere thought, the Fallen Star Eyes, crafted from an extraterrestrial aerolite, soared away from this realm.

In an instant, it had traversed dozens of miles.

"Ditdite, oh, what grandeur in your words," Tan Junshan's voice, laced with sarcasm, echoed once more from the crescent moon. "The Ethereal Void Sect certainly knows how to flex its power. I've spent many years beyond our world, yet I've never seen your Sages engage in any large-scale, bloody conflicts."

"The Ethereal Void Sect earns respect for preserving its strength, but does it lack a certain... ferocity?"

"The Ethereal Void Sect's top ranking among the seven lower sects is a testament to its strategic choices. You've managed to dodge every devastating battle, engaging only in skirmishes that barely scratch the surface."

"And yet, within the vastness of the Everlands, you presume yourselves to be so remarkable."

"Tsk tsk."

Not long ago, Tan Junshan, who had courteously addressed Yu Yuan through the Fallen Star Eyes, now ridiculed the Ethereal Void Sect with biting mockery.

Ditdite's face turned a steely shade, yet he remained silent.

He sensed that any attempt to counter Tan Junshan's words could spare his life but would certainly leave him gravely wounded.

Tan Junshan was baiting him, waiting for him to lash out with imprudent words, ready to deliver a lesson he would never forget.

...

Several hours later, the Fallen Star Eyes had left the contentious area and halted at the fringe of the Scarlet Dunes.

Gazing down from its vantage point, the towering, majestic city standing between heaven and earth came into view—Afnetalos.

At that moment, if Liu Ying wished, she could effortlessly guide the Fallen Star Eyes out of the Scarlet Dunes and towards Afnetalos.

Yu Yuan's initial plans were derailed by the sudden appearance of the Thunder Chariot and Ditdite's ill will.

He had intended to notify Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang, then advise Hou Tianzhao and Lin Yue to leave early to avoid perishing in the Scarlet Dunes.

Now, aware that remaining in the Scarlet Dunes would make him a relentless target of Ditdite, he had no choice but to heed Liu Ying's advice.

Left with no other choice, he decided to heed Liu Ying's advice and withdraw for the time being.

"What realm has your Master reached?"

Yu Yuan turned and calmly gazed across the Scarlet Dunes, shimmering under the relentless sun. "Sage Ditdite and those recent arrivals at the Spirit Walk level seem quite wary of him."

"Unbound," Liu Ying declared with a hint of pride on her youthful face. "The late period of the Unbound realm! It's widely believed that he's the strongest in our Starmoon Sect. He seldom returns to the Everlands, but this time, he came specifically because the Abyssal Leviathan stirred him into action."

After a brief pause, Liu Ying added, "The cosmic giant beast that broke free from the Everlands was under his surveillance."

Yu Yuan felt a jolt of surprise.

A late-period Unbound cultivation was on par with Zu Ann's strength, wasn't it?

Had Tan Junshan returned from the extraterrestrial realm simply because the Abyssal Leviathan launched an attack on him from afar?

Or had he sensed something amiss with the Scarlet Dunes?

Zu Ann had forsaken the Everlands, allowing the Stoneborn to flood in. Had the three great upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep become aware of this betrayal?

Perhaps Tan Junshan had even surmised that Zu Ann was lurking deep underground, the instigator of the turmoil in the Scarlet Dunes, and that's why he had appeared here?

"Where is Master Tan now? Are we truly going to meet with him?" Yu Yuan inquired once more.

"No, Master Tan left instructions in my Heart Lake. He advised us to seek refuge in Afnetalos to escape the impending disaster," Liu Ying explained, squinting as she gazed toward the distant, towering cityscape. "Through the Fallen Star Eyes, I've observed a multitude of sects' experts steadily making their way into the Scarlet Dunes."

"That many?" Yu Yuan exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, it's not just from this region. Members from the Skyblight Cult, the Ruby Hand, and both the upper and lower sects are all converging on the Scarlet Dunes via various paths," Liu Ying said, her brows furrowed with concern. "The disturbance beneath the surface is going to spark a fierce and bloody battle within the Scarlet Dunes."

Yu Yuan felt a profound sense of alarm. "A clash between the native cultivators of the Everlands and the extraterrestrial Star-Spawned Terror and Otherkin?"

"That should be the case."

Liu Ying harbored a growing concern. "The Moonfall Sanctuary is in turmoil, and the Godsblight Marsh is no different. Places like the Land of Terror and Rainbow Ocean seem to be restless as well. Master Tan must be right; this is a major crisis for our world. If we fail, the very fabric of our world could change."

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

As she spoke, a fleet of sword-shaped boats, each carrying a swordsman from the Sword Sect, soared toward the Scarlet Dunes.

The swordsmen standing on the boats exuded a sword's will so intense that it seemed to warp the very space around them.

"Chen Qingyan, why haven't you shown up in the Scarlet Dunes this time?" Yu Yuan murmured to himself.

"What's your relationship with her?" Liu Ying quirked an eyebrow. "I've heard rumors that your involvement with her is quite complicated, suggesting a significant history."

"No, there's no special relationship between us," Yu Yuan deflected smoothly, offering a sheepish grin. "We've only met twice, once in the Serpent Spine Mountains and then in the Godsblight Marsh."

"She's been commanded by her master to undergo rigorous training within the Sword Sect for a year, effectively under confinement," Liu Ying revealed after his explanation. "You won't be seeing her anytime soon. She disobeyed the sect's orders within the Marsh, failing to evacuate in time, and nearly caused a disaster."

At this point, Liu Ying gave him a piercing glare.

"What's wrong?" Yu Yuan asked, baffled.

"I heard that you entered the extraterrestrial Sword Prison because of her!" Liu Ying huffed.

Yu Yuan was momentarily taken aback.

He suddenly realized that their relationship had taken a turn toward the ambiguous after a moment of closeness prompted by his fear for Liu Ying's safety from Zu Ann.

Since that incident, Liu Ying had looked at him with a newfound tenderness in her eyes, reminiscent of how Ji Ningshuang had looked at him three hundred years ago.

"Whether she's involved or not, I had to go to the extraterrestrial Sword Prison," Yu Yuan sighed. "Someone from Shadow's Keep, acting on orders from the Skyreach Consortium's elder chairman, specifically requested my presence at the Godsblight Marsh because they knew I possessed the sword sheath. Having entered, how could I possibly escape that fate?"

After some thought, he realized it was unwise to linger in the Scarlet Dunes for too long.

"Let's head to Afnetalos."

"Okay."

Liu Ying showed no interest in prying further as she maneuvered the Fallen Star Eyes back towards Afnetalos.

Along the way, she earnestly suggested that Yu Yuan should join a formidable sect to formally pursue his cultivation.

The Sword Sect or the Ruby Hand, for instance.

She believed that with the swordsmanship mantra from the Moon Slayer cultivator, if Yu Yuan could get a recommendation from the Sword Sect and catch the eye of a Grand Sword Immortal like Ji Ningshuang, becoming their hand-chosen disciple, it would afford him an extra layer of protection in the vast Everlands.

Van Heqing of the Sword Sect, Liu Ying thought, would be an excellent choice.

If the Sword Sect didn't appeal to him, the Ruby Hand was also a strong option. Equally formidable as the Ethereal Void Sect, it rivaled the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep in stature.

Yu Yuan, if favored by the Ruby Hand and made an official disciple, would find his future endeavors much more convenient.

Yet, Yu Yuan shook his head at her suggestions.

Deep down, Yu Yuan felt that ever since he had acquired the White Paper Fan and begun practicing the Soul Forging through Enlightenment, he was inherently a member of the Boulderdawn.

He even attributed his acceptance by the sword spirit of the Moon Slayer cultivator to his practice of the Boulderdawn's Spirit Magic.

Similarly, in the Embers Sea, the artifact soul of the Crucible of Evil had recognized him for the same reason.

Having been covertly aligned with the Boulderdawn from the start, it didn't seem right to switch allegiance to the Sword Sect or the Ruby Hand.

The world was already in disarray, and it was uncertain whether the three upper sects, along with the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, could maintain stability.

Since he was a practitioner of Boulderdawn's mystique, a meeting with his extraterrestrial brethren seemed inevitable.

"First, I must protect myself and avoid revealing my abilities too soon, lest I meet an untimely end," Yu Yuan resolved.

"Young Master."

Ann Ziqing's sweet laughter unexpectedly broke the silence.

Yu Yuan was taken aback. Glancing downward, he noticed a young girl clad in purple standing alone on the vast expanse of land below. She stood tall and slender, beckoning to him with a gentle wave of her hand.

Upon further observation, Yu Yuan recognized the spot where Ann Ziqing was positioned as the very same location where Chen Langzhi, the Imperial Envoy, had previously driven the Golden Carriage deep into the earth.

The coincidence was uncanny.

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