Chapter 511 - 256: Wen Wenyue of Youhuang City

Ink-colored sky drops myriad starlight.

Below lies the renowned Cyan Nether Mountain Range of Jiuli State, transforming into a winding silver dragon in the night, with faint frost drifting between its peaks, as if cast by an immortal’s hand, scattering crushed jade.

The long night stretches endlessly.

Liou Yuan and his companions, who were still a night’s journey away from Youhuang State, naturally couldn’t just focus on the road.

During the flight, the three discussed the news about the deaths of Yan Yingsi and Lv Zexuan from the Outer Sect of Five Extremes Mountain.

"I heard that shortly after we left, the top expert of the Outer Sect, Lv Zexuan, and the Blood Butterfly Clothes from Wind Chasing Division, Yan Yingsi, both failed to break through Foundation Establishment and passed away in their Outer Sect residences." Wei Miaomeng lamented this matter the most.

In terms of talent, aptitude, and disposition, which of the two who failed, Yan Yingsi and Lv Zexuan, were not superior to herself.

Both of them fell, yet she, with the worst aptitude, luckily passed the Foundation Establishment barrier.

Liou Yuan listened silently, not responding immediately.

He was definitely the first among them to know this news.

For on the night Yan Yingsi passed away, he saw her soul about to dissipate outside the Five Elements Array, and they bid goodbye.

Lao Xiuyuan naturally knew about this, and speaking of it, Yan Yingsi was still his colleague in the Wind Chasing Division, and they had acted together multiple times.

Hearing this, he sighed and said softly, "Foundation Establishment consists of two major life-and-death barriers, Opening the Mansion and Sinking Star."

"It’s inherently a life-and-death barrier, so naturally, some succeed, and some fail."

"Before formally breaking through Foundation Establishment, even I dare not claim absolute success."

"It bears a certain relation to aptitude and disposition, but it’s not absolute that talents with high levels of both can pass these two barriers."

"Mr. Lao makes sense." Liou Yuan responded softly, having almost died at the Sunken Star Pass himself.

The Opening the Mansion barrier can indeed be overcome with aptitude, but the Sinking Star barrier has too many variables.

Once the Heart Demon arises, even a genius might fall into it.

"Indeed, there is destined fate in the unseen, and my success in breaking through Foundation Establishment was a matter of luck." Wei Miaomeng was humble.

Lao Xiuyuan knew more inside information than Liou Yuan.

Having nothing else to do, he shared what he knew about why Yan Yingsi and Lv Zexuan fell.

"Junior Sister Lv Zexuan, in her early years, challenged Lan Chenyu multiple times unsuccessfully, losing to him more than ten times."

"Later, after Lan Chenyu succeeded in Foundation Establishment and entered the Inner Sect, she finally had the chance to become the best in the Outer Sect."

"Elder Bi Yunxiang knew about this and once remarked that Lan Chenyu might become an obstacle for Junior Sister Lv Zexuan’s Foundation Establishment."

"At the time, I didn’t understand the deeper meaning of Elder Bi Yunxiang’s words until I heard about Junior Sister Lv Zexuan’s death, realizing Elder Bi Yunxiang was referring to the Heart Demon of Sunken Star Pass."

Liou Yuan understood the meaning in Lao Xiuyuan’s words and softly responded, "To be defeated by the same person ten times, I’m afraid Lv Zexuan’s obsession with beating Lan Chenyu has penetrated her bones."

"Which then affected the Sunken Star Pass, giving the Heart Demon an opportunity."

"Alas, Senior Sister Lv Zexuan, that’s her Taoist heart being crushed by Senior Brother Lan Chenyu."

Once the Taoist heart is thwarted, the Heart Demon at Sunken Star Pass is bound to be several times stronger than that of ordinary cultivators, ten times at least.

Thus the reason for Lv Zexuan’s death becomes clear.

"Then what about Junior Sister Yan Yingsi?" Wei Miaomeng tilted her head, asking about Yan Yingsi who fell along with Lv Zexuan.

Liou Yuan was also curious about the reasons for Yan Yingsi’s fall and perked up his ears, waiting for Lao Xiuyuan’s response.

"Ah, her." Lao Xiuyuan, being too familiar with Yan Yingsi, shook his head at this, and said regretfully, "With her disposition, she definitely could’ve passed the Sunken Star Pass."

"But she was too competitive and ambitious. Clearly only with Four-Star Star Acupoint, she could have absolutely no issue with taking a Class C Cultivation Technique to open a Fifth-Grade Qi Mansion."

"But she, being dissatisfied with mediocrity, insisted on charging towards Fourth Grade during gas mansion condensation, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Qi Mansion and a fate of body and Tao both perishing."

Upon hearing this, Liou Yuan’s eyes blurred momentarily.

He recalled the scene of Yan Yingsi’s soul appearing before his Five Elements Array.

Indeed, the Qi Mansion within was Fourth Grade but constantly leaking True Essence.

This proved that she indeed had the possibility of condensing a Fourth-Grade Qi Mansion, but in the end, limited by aptitude, couldn’t fully cross that step, dying at the doorstep of Foundation Establishment.

"So she was only Four-Star Star Acupoint," Liou Yuan murmured aloud.

From his first contact with Yan Yingsi until now, Liou Yuan always had the implicit belief that she was a Five-Star Star Acupoint.

After all, no one would have thought a woman with Four-Star Star Acupoint could overwhelm many disciples during Outer Sect training, becoming the best in that batch.

She earned the title Blood Butterfly Clothes purely with her decisive, daring, and fighting spirit.

But blessings and disasters are from the same door.

Due to her disposition, her Four-Star Star Acupoint matched the quality of Five-Star Star Acupoint.

Yet due to her disposition, she died during Foundation Establishment.

"What a pity!" Upon hearing the truth, even Liou Yuan couldn’t help but sigh.

"Had she not been so eager to advance, wanting to further improve upon the foundation of a Fifth-Grade Qi Mansion, she would definitely have successfully condensed it."

But when Liou Yuan contemplated further.

If there’s a chance to charge towards a Fourth-Grade Qi Mansion, yet only settles for a Fifth-Grade Qi Mansion, Yan Yingsi wouldn’t be Yan Yingsi.

Liou Yuan recalled the scene of Yan Yingsi’s soul dissipating.

Before she died, her face showed such calmness that sadness welled up in his heart.

"What a crazy lady," Liou Yuan cursed.

Talking about the fall of two prodigies, Wei Miaomeng marveled at her own good fortune.

While Liou Yuan and Lao Xiuyuan expressed boundless regret.