Chapter 324: Yuxi

Not far away, a stout man clung desperately to an enemy’s left leg, his lower body severed, yet he stubbornly refused to release his grip.

A golden-robed man stood nearby, battered and bloodied, his Long Sword shattered into fragments. Half his torso hung split open, yet he continued frenzied attacks to create an opening for his comrades, sustained only by his unyielding resentment until death.

Nine opponents confronted them – superior in both number and strength, all wearing matching uniforms bearing a crescent moon emblem. They pressed their assault relentlessly.

Luo Fan’s chest tightened painfully as he witnessed the Fatty’s desperate struggle. Blue light flashed. Heaven-shaking screams erupted as three Mingyue Gate experts fell dead by Luo Fan’s hand, startling the remaining attackers.

“Who dares challenge… you… identify yourself!”

Ignoring the shouts, Luo Fan knelt beside the blood-smeared Fatty. “Release him. He’s gone.”

The dying man lifted his fading gaze. “Who…?”

“A friend of Cheng Lingyu.”

The Fatty trembled, tears mixing with blood as he turned toward his companions. Both the golden-robed man and a slender figure wept silently.

The thin figure helped the golden-robed man sit beside the Fatty. Both bore mortal wounds, their breathing shallow and labored.

“Tell Cheng Lingyu… protect Qu Wei…” The golden-robed man’s clouded eyes could no longer discern shapes.

With final effort, the Fatty rasped, “And… Revenge…” His head lolled sideways before the last syllable fully escaped his lips.

“Fatty!!”

The thin man’s anguished wail pierced the air as Mingyue Gate fighters encircled Luo Fan, killing intent radiating from their forms.

“Slay this whelp!”

Six attackers charged, including a Blood Martial First Level expert. Luo Fan’s eyes turned glacial. Surging blood energy cracked the earth and shattered the void. Five assailants exploded into crimson mist; only the Blood Martial practitioner survived, thrown back with grievous wounds.

“You… Blood Martial Realm?!”

The fleeing expert fell dead moments later, Luo Fan’s finger having pierced his skull.

The thin man stared in stunned disbelief. Nearby, Jin Miaoyi clutched Fang Zhuqing’s hand, murmuring Qu Wei’s name through blood-flecked lips.

“Jin Miaoyi! Don’t die!” Fang Zhuqing shook his fading friend. “How can I face Qu Wei… Cheng Lingyu…?”

But no plea could mend Jin Miaoyi’s shattered body. With final breath, he followed the Fatty into darkness, leaving only bitterness and regret.

Luo Fan sighed deeply. Had he recognized Cheng Lingyu’s comrades sooner, Jin Miaoyi might have lived. Now only remorse remained.

Fang Zhuqing knelt brokenly beside his fallen brothers, wishing death would claim him too. After offering quiet condolences, Luo Fan assisted in burying Miao Sanxu and Jin Miaoyi, disposed of nine Mingyue Gate corpses, then finally turned to demand answers.

Fang Zhuqing said sorrowfully, “Yunyang City has fallen under Mingyue Gate’s control, supported by the Heavenly Fire Sect. Many sects and forces have surrendered to them. Jin Miaoyi of the Flying Dragon Gang comes from the Jin family, which still holds some influence in Yunyang City – making them Mingyue Gate’s main target. When Fatty and I heard Mingyue Gate was attacking the Jin family, we rushed to help, only to end up like this. We planned to leave Yunyang City together to find Qu Wei and Cheng Lingyu, to start anew… but now…” His voice trailed off with a sigh.

Luo Fan responded, “This is fate’s design. What will you do now?”

Fang Zhuqing shook his head despondently. “They’re all dead. I want to seek out Qu Wei but can’t face her shame. As for Cheng Lingyu, with my current status, I doubt Lou Ri City would even admit me.”

“Stay with me temporarily,” Luo Fan suggested. “I promised Cheng Lingyu I’d help find his father.”

“You’ve met his father? Still no news?”

Luo Fan shook his head as they continued toward Yunyang City, questioning Fang Zhuqing about Cheng Lingyu’s relationships with him, Qu Wei, and others.

Shortly after their departure, a handsome figure materialized beneath a nearby tree, his robes fluttering as he watched Luo Fan’s retreating silhouette.

“Cheng Lingyu,” the figure murmured, “you’ll return here eventually. This path is unavoidable. I’ll be waiting.” With that, he vanished like mist, leaving no trace of his mysterious disappearance.

…

In the infinite cosmic expanse, an ancient Taixu warship plied the void, its hull shimmering with divine patterns that pulsed with heavenly power. A star-emblazoned banner fluttered atop its mast, constellations glowing as they absorbed star power from distant celestial bodies to fuel its journey.

Though weathered by time, the thousand-zhang-long vessel’s special construction – reinforced with seven-layered divine patterns – withstood both temporal erosion and cosmic storms. Star cannons etched with complex starlight patterns lined its decks, their terrifying aura reminiscent of ancient ferocious beasts.

Within a cabin, a handsome thirty-year-old man lay unconscious, a carved jade bead hanging from his neck. Beside him sat a woman of ethereal beauty, her elegant features belying an illusionary quality as she stared at the pendant.

Cheng Yun dreamed of his long-deceased wife Yu Zhen – her gentle smile, her tender eyes. Waking with a start, he instinctively called her name before realizing his unfamiliar surroundings.

“Where is this? Who…?” He jerked upright upon noticing the woman, only to be paralyzed by her mesmerizing gaze.

“What relation was Yu Zhen to you?” Her voice held mature grace despite her youthful appearance.

“My wife…” Cheng Yun averted his eyes, overwhelmed by her deadly allure – the irresistible charm of someone with transcendent cultivation level.

“Where is she?”

“Died in childbirth.” His face darkened with sudden panic. “Lingyu’s in danger!”

An invisible confinement force stopped his attempt to rise. “Calm yourself,” the woman commanded. “Explain everything.”

After futile struggles, Cheng Yun demanded, “Who are you? Why am I alive?”

“I’m Yuxi.” She indicated the jade bead. “You activated Yu Zhen’s spacetime seal near death. We’re aboard the Taixu warship, far from your world.”

Cheng Yun gaped. “What’s the Taixu warship? Where are we?”

Yuxi stood, her lithe form radiating allure. “See for yourself.”

Suddenly freed, Cheng Yun discovered his cultivation level had surged tenfold to Soul Martial’s late stage. “My strength…?”

“Healing medicine,” Yuxi explained simply.

The cabin’s divine patterns blazed with immortal energy as they proceeded to the deck. Yuxi’s footsteps bloomed lotus flowers from condensed starlight, her movements transcendently graceful.

Cheng Yun stared at the alien vista – an endless starscape surrounding the massive warship shielded by a special defense barrier.

Yuxi pointed at a distant azure sphere. “Your homeworld – a fate star, beautiful yet fleeting.”