"Come with me." Master Kongwu's gaze was fixed solely on Wuwu. Wuwu remained silent, his eyes darting to Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan spoke with a faint, unbothered tone, "Hey, are you just going to pretend I'm not here?"
Only then did Master Kongwu turn his attention to Lu Xuan, pointing at Wuwu. "What is your relationship with him?" Lu Xuan replied simply, "My disciple."
Master Kongwu's brow arched, a hint of dismissiveness in his voice. "He's my disciple now." Lu Xuan blinked, a silent question mark hanging over his head. Wuwu's face twitched, a silent groan.
Ji Fuyao, Ye Chen, and Xuanji Holy Lord exchanged bewildered glances. What in the world? Stealing a disciple right from under a master's nose? This was truly unprecedented, a brazen act they'd never witnessed.
The other powerful observers were equally stunned. Shouldn't the White Robe Star Venerate be punished first? He had just shattered the Third Star Ring! Why was Master Kongwu's attention so fixated on Lu Xuan's Buddhist disciple instead?
A moment of stunned silence. Only then did Master Kongwu's divine sense sweep across the surroundings. He spoke slowly, "White Robe Star Venerate, you shattered the Third Star Ring. This is a grave offense. However, if you hand over your disciple, I will overlook the destruction of the Third Star Ring. Furthermore, should anyone trouble you in the future, I will guarantee your safety!"
As his voice faded, everyone present was taken aback. Especially the numerous overlord-level forces of the Third Star Ring! No one had anticipated Master Kongwu would propose such a condition. It was an offer that seemed impossible to refuse! What was one disciple compared to the protection of an Ancient Ancestor? This was something countless powerhouses and factions could only dream of!
A'li, from the Fox Clan, shook her head faintly. "I don't think the White Robe Star Venerate will agree." Behind her, a Grey-robed Old Woman's lips curled into a sinister smile. "I, for one, hope he doesn't agree. That way, our Fox Clan can draw more of the Ancient Ancestors' attention. It would be quite beneficial to us."
A'li countered, "I believe we and the White Robe Star Venerate shouldn't exploit each other, but rather cooperate." The Grey-robed Old Woman scoffed, "A'li, you don't understand the treacherous nature of humans. You might think that way, but this White Robe Star Venerate might be trying to use Xiao Yin to gain access to our Bronze Ancient Palace. I find this man suspicious!"
A'li could only sigh.
At this moment, Master Kongwu looked at Lu Xuan and asked, "Well? What have you decided?"
Lu Xuan's lips curved into a slight smile as he glanced at the Void Kun. The Void Kun's colossal body vanished from its spot, instantly surging towards Master Kongwu's massive Buddhist Avatar.
Master Kongwu's expression darkened considerably. He was an Ancient Ancestor! How could anyone in the Fallen Star Sea dare to defy an Ancient Ancestor?! It seemed their kind had not walked the star-filled cosmos for countless ages, causing the world to lose its reverence.
In an instant, Master Kongwu slammed his palm towards the starry sky. All the residual power within the shattered Star Ring converged, transforming into an endless torrent of starlight. A colossal golden hand materialized, crushing down directly upon the Void Kun!
The Void Kun utterly ignored it, opening its abyssal maw wide and biting down on the immense golden hand! Chomp! The colossal golden hand was devoured whole!
Everyone stared, dumbfounded. The White Robe Star Venerate truly showed no respect to an Ancient Ancestor! First, Shenwu Emperor Tianye's Ancient Ancestor Eye had been shattered. Was he now going to shatter Master Kongwu's Buddhist Avatar as well?
The next instant, the Void Kun lunged, biting directly into Master Kongwu's enormous Buddhist Avatar. A flicker of genuine rage finally crossed Master Kongwu's face. "White Robe Star Venerate, consider your actions carefully. Continue this, and you and I will face grave consequences..."
Lu Xuan merely shrugged, offering no response. The Void Kun, with another massive bite, swallowed Master Kongwu's left shoulder whole! Then it continued to devour his power relentlessly! Master Kongwu's colossal Buddhist Avatar began to collapse.
Simultaneously, the Third Star Ring met its ultimate demise. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The heavens and earth were filled with dazzling starlight and divine radiance, like an endless shower of cosmic sparks. Countless eyes watched this scene, utterly awestruck. The lofty Buddhist Avatar of Ancient Ancestor Master Kongwu was being devoured, piece by piece!
"Very well! A fragment of my true self will descend immediately to sever you!" Master Kongwu's form grew incredibly dim, a voice devoid of overt rage echoing across the void.
At these words, everyone was utterly aghast. Master Kongwu was going to unleash a fragment of his true self to kill the White Robe Star Venerate! It's over! All of it! They could only pray that Master Kongwu's wrath wouldn't spill over onto them!
They recalled that last time, when the White Robe Star Venerate shattered the Fourth Star Ring, Shenwu Emperor Tianye had only projected a wisp of his divine thought through his Ancient Ancestor Eye, not a full fragment of his true self! How terrifyingly powerful would an Ancient Ancestor's fragment be? No one dared to imagine! The White Robe Star Venerate had truly bitten off more than he could chew this time!
In the distance, A'li's expression subtly shifted. "How will the White Robe Star Venerate deal with this? What level of power will Master Kongwu's fragment possess?" The Grey-robed Old Woman muttered, "I hope the White Robe Star Venerate doesn't die! If he does, we'll be in a difficult position." A'li remained silent.
Just then, the Void Kun returned to Lu Xuan's side, rubbing its massive body against him like a child seeking praise and affirmation. Lu Xuan patted the Void Kun's head, a faint smile gracing his lips.
Meanwhile, Ji Fuyao and the other three disciples continued their relentless slaughter! The battle raged on!
Lu Xuan's 'Dao and Stance' enveloped this corner of the starry sky, weakening every single member of the Tianchen Army. Emperor Lian Qianli stood rooted to the spot, his mind a desolate wasteland, utterly lost and despairing. "Why did it come to this?" "Why? Why..." He simply couldn't comprehend it!
Simultaneously, the vast and magnificent celestial phenomenon caused by the Third Star Ring's destruction alarmed an increasing number of major powers. Near the Second Star Ring, numerous powerhouses stood tall in the starry sky, gazing towards the Tianchen Empire's battlefield.
All of them were utterly shocked. Not long ago, the Fourth Star Ring had been shattered. That had already been a monumental event in the Fallen Star Sea! Who could have imagined that today, the Third Star Ring would also be destroyed! With this, the entire Fallen Star Sea was left with only two Star Rings: the First Star Ring and the Second Star Ring!
For a moment, many powerhouses found it hard to accept! This was simply a cataclysmic change! Moreover, Master Kongwu's imprint, which had manifested as a Buddhist Avatar, had barely appeared before it was shattered! And the one who had annihilated this Buddhist Avatar was the Great Demon from the Dark Void, the Void Kun!
Many powerhouses felt their scalps tingle with dread! Their sense of security, built over countless ages, had abruptly vanished. As forces within the Second Star Ring, they had always been high and mighty, looking down upon the beings of the Third and Fourth Star Rings, even if they weren't Ancient Ancestor-level Forces themselves. But now, it seemed they were all sharing the same cosmic space? This was something they found difficult to accept. Having grown accustomed to their lofty existence, how could they possibly cultivate alongside mere 'ants' in the same realm?
But that wasn't even the most crucial point. The most crucial point was: if the Fourth and Third Star Rings could be shattered, what about the Second Star Ring? Could it be that... Their scalps prickled again, and they dared not even complete the thought.
A short while later, the numerous major powers within the First Star Ring were also alerted. From the peak of Ling Mountain within the Cold Mountain Temple, Master Kongwu's voice resonated: "Since the grave consequences have manifested, then let us settle this karmic debt!"