The projection followed Ma Jian and Yu Xinen down a long black tunnel. It was hard to even make out the barest outline of their bodies in the low light.
But eventually at the very end, the space opened up to a strange and surreal area. There were cages and dungeons cells about, lining a wide, circular room. The floor was barred as well, with cells below. And even above, there were cages that hung with shackles dangling. Some of them were occupied but mostly by skeletons and corpses. Poor prisoners that Yu Yanlin had thrown down there and forgotten.
But there were also prisons that still drew breath. Their eyes veering toward the Demon Queen, hands stretching out through the bars desperate for her attention. Yu Yanlin didn't remember them being there. It seemed that she was making good use of this hidden dungeon.
But Yu Xinen wasn't interested in any of those and continued forward. There was a small little hall at the end of the circular room. She continued in that direction.
This tunnel was even darker than the last and Yu Yanlin thought for a moment that the connection had severed and dissipated. Eventually there was light once more. It was subtle and dim, lighting a small space where Yu Xinen and Ma Jian were standing. A solid wall obstructed their path and they stopped there for a moment, looking onward.
Yu Xinen formed a set of hand seals. After a breath of time the wall stuttered and parted from the center, separating to reveal another compartment. No light was ahead of them, only a long black expanse.
Ma Jian moved ahead, her mouth forming words a bit difficult to discern at first. A spirit light flickered into view and lit up the secret, hidden space.
Yu Yanlin couldn't even remember where this hidden compartment was. But it was clear that his sister had been making good use out of the space. In the low light they could see that there was a person there, a prisoner bound.
It was hard to make out his features, with shackles that held him to the wall. His hair was long and matted, falling over his face. Talismans hung from the chains around his body, as though holding something at bay.
Yu Yanlin was struck by a sense of familiarity but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He asked Su Zui casually, "Who is this?"
Su Zui frowned at the demon king's side. "I do not know his name but your sister refers to him as a Bound Deity."
That was unfortunately a term unfamiliar to Yu Yanlin. They continued to watch the projection.
The Demon Queen's visage twisted into a scathing glare. She stomped up to her prisoner and kicked him in the gut. There was barely a response. The man was slack, not too different from being dead. It didn't stop Yu Xinen and her ruthless assault on him. She was barking and it was a pity that the projection did not include any sound.
The prisoner continued to remain slumped in his binds and eventually, the Demon Queen tired of howling at something no better than a doll. She reached into her robes and pulled out a brilliant red jewel that beheld small sparkles of gold dancing within.
It was the Butterfly Eclipse. Another Sacred Star Jewel.
Yu Yanlin frowned. The Yu Clan had recovered a total of three Sacred Star Jewels over the course of their reign. The Butterfly Eclipse did not count among their numbers. Moreover, while the Jewels had a terrifying power within them, drawing such power out was either impossible or incredibly difficult. They were likened to priceless treasures over anything else.
In fact, the reason why Yu Yanlin's spell worked currently was because he wasn't accessing the power of the Dawn Star directly, and instead was using it as a medium.
The Demon King couldn't quite fathom what his sister was doing with the Butterfly Eclipse. So he watched intently. Yu Xinen knelt in front of her prisoner and said something, holding out the Butterfly Eclipse.
The chains quaked, the bound man seemed to react to the sight of the Butterfly Eclipse. For the first time, he looked up. Dark vacant eyes twinkled with a bit of life. And the golden specs within the Butterfly Eclipse began to vibrate and glow.
The power within the Sacred Star Jewel was being activated.
Yu Yanlin made a quick and decisive decision there.
The array around the lake began to tremble, glowing even stronger.
Su Zui backed up with alarm, "Your Majesty, what in the world are you…?"
Yu Yanlin did not give him the chance to respond. A light began to surround the Dawn Star that floated above the lake. The demon king clenched his teeth, feeling his whole body strain with the blaze of power.
The bright light exploded. And for a moment all was deafened around them.
A dizziness assaulted Yu Yanlin. He felt weak on his feet but he refused to stumble, at least not in front of Su Zui. The Dawn Star seemed to lose some of its brilliance as it slowly floated back ashore, plopping down into the demon's hand.
Su Zui groaned as he rubbed his temple, "What have you done?"
"I overloaded the Dawn Star with foreign energy that it would not accept," Yu Yanlin calmly explained. His powers were drained and he felt a little bad that he would have to seek Zhang Wang out again to sate his needs. "It should temporarily disrupt the true power of all the Sacred Star Jewels."
Su Zui frowned at the explanation, "Is such a thing even possible? Will Your Majesty grace me with knowledge about the true power of the Sacred Star Jewels?"
"It's only temporary and the disruption is slight at best. It is possible because all the Sacred Star Jewels are technically fragments of the same Divine Treasure," Yu Yanlin said but he did not disclose anything about their true power. The demon king looked at the dull cloudy sheen of the Dawn Star and pocketed the thing for good measure.
Su Zui hummed but he did not press for details. Instead he brought attention to something else, "Did Your Majesty believe that his royal sister has found a way to use the true ability of the Butterfly Eclipse? I thought the true power of the Sacred Star Jewels could only be used by the gods who have long abandoned this world."
Yu Yanlin did not miss the way Su Zui was speaking exceptionally politely. The demon king did not relent everything so easily. "I am merely taking precautions."
A smile pulled on Su Zui's lips. "Your Majesty's intentions are truly mysterious."
To that, the demon king smiled, "As are your own. But enough of that. I've accomplished what I had set out to do today. We shall part and meet again at the changing of seasons. Do not dare to go into hibernation this time. For now, go and investigate the identity and origins of Yu Xinen's prisoner."
Su Zui chuckled a little nervously at the mention of hibernation, "Ah…yes…But I hope Your Majesty understands that I cannot work as efficiently in cold weather."
"It's fine. Do what you can."
And with that, Su Zui was dismissed. The violet-eyed demon quickly slid out of sight, leaving Yu Yanlin to his lonesome.
The air nipped at his skin and he shivered against it. Would it be bad to wake Zhang Wang in his slumber for sex? Yu Yanlin thought absently as he looked up at the deep black sky.
Lately, he'd been feeling as though he was overstepping his boundaries in one way or another.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on what or how. Human customs and intricacies still confused him and Zhang Wang hadn't been as forthcoming as Yu Yanlin would have liked. He knew that he needed to broach the topic with the Immortal of a Thousand Blossoms himself but the problem lies therein.
What was the topic that he needed to broach?
That was a mystery he'd yet to figure out.
Emotions were an oddity indeed. But it was better than the gray drawl that he felt during his iron rule.
With a sigh, his breath fogged against his face. Yu Yanlin needed to return. Taking in the sight off the lake, now still, for one more moment, he wrapped the blindfold back around his eyes.
Xunfeng Peak had been a torrent of trials starting with the eccentric sect leader who had a strange infatuation with Zhang Wang. Yu Yanlin had to admit, it might have been the first time in his life he'd been made so uncomfortable by a person through their words alone.
Sikong Yong was bad enough but now that there was Sikong Ren and Hou Ruyen to add into the mixture of people that Yu Yanlin had to deal with.
Truth be told, he was feeling on edge.
The reason being escaped him. Yu Yanlin was long used to sharing quarters with strange personalities and those that wished him the worst. He'd always been able to casually shrug off their behaviors and words. He felt no animosity to those who criticized him or those who wanted to get under his skin.
That feeling changed when it was directed toward Zhang Wang.
Of course, it seemed that every whirlwind of emotions that assaulted Yu Yanlin seemed to originate from that one Immortal of a Thousand Blossoms.
It was truly interesting.
Yu Yanlin hummed and finally made his trek back to the Virtuous Phoenix Sect.
Or so had been his intention. Yu Yanlin stopped in his tracks.
Another strange emotion welled up in Yu Yanlin's gut. It took him a moment to realize that it was dread.