"Since the bitter fruit has ripened, it is time to settle this karma!"
Master Kongwu's voice remained devoid of sorrow or joy, the last trace of his displeasure having vanished. As a true Buddhist Expert, his mind was unburdened by worldly attachments. Thus, his reaction held none of the fury that Shenwu Emperor Tianye had displayed. On the contrary, he saw it as a marvelous opportunity.
"Such serendipity, truly ineffable!"
The shattering of the Third Star Ring was a matter for the Star River Alliance to handle; it held little bearing on him. The Void Kun's emergence was certainly unforeseen, but as he didn't cultivate Fallen Power, subduing the creature wouldn't significantly boost his strength. It simply wasn't his Dao.
His true prize, however, was Wuwu. This disciple cultivated the Dao of Self, a path that resonated perfectly with his own. Wuwu was an excellent seed. A talent ripe for shaping! Over countless eons, he had nurtured many who walked the Dao of Self, yet none possessed the sheer purity of Wuwu. Therefore, he must have Wuwu!
As for the White Robe Star Venerate, eliminating him was merely a convenient way to settle a karmic debt, nothing more. The Void Kun, too, could be subdued as an afterthought. If other Ancient Ancestors showed interest, he might even consider a trade.
With that thought, Master Kongwu began to condense a wisp of his avatar. His true body was currently in secluded cultivation; naturally, it wouldn't make an appearance. Moments later, a wisp of his essence began to rapidly evolve into a physical form. A Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm avatar!
He simply refused to believe the White Robe Star Venerate could possibly destroy a Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm clone! Master Kongwu murmured to himself, "This white-robed man is absolutely not an Ancient Ancestor." After all, the Fallen Star Sea harbored only a handful of Ancient Ancestors. The very fabric of Heaven and Earth couldn't sustain any more!
Meanwhile, within the First Star Ring, other powerful factions were equally stunned. Numerous experts stood sentinel near the First Star Ring, their gazes fixed on the distant Tianchen Empire.
"The Third Star Ring… shattered too!"
"What an Era of Chaos this has become!"
"This bodes ill indeed! Could the Fallen Star Sea be on the brink of another cosmic storm?"
A premonition of Heaven and Earth Anomaly stirred in the hearts of many powerful figures. At their level of cultivation, they could all faintly perceive the shifts in Heaven and Earth. The shattering of both the Third and Fourth Star Rings would inevitably cause the power of the Dark Void to surge. This would introduce countless variables into this corner of the starry sky! This mysterious, profound force had already engulfed the Third and Fourth Star Rings, and there was no guarantee it wouldn't spill over into the First.
Just then, a resonant voice boomed forth from Shenwu Emperor Tianye: "Heh heh... The Star River Alliance has failed its duty once more! With two great Star Rings shattered, this starry expanse grows increasingly unstable."
From within the Star River Alliance, the Alliance Leader's voice echoed, "My daughter, Qingqiu, has already gone to investigate! I shall provide you all with a satisfactory explanation."
Elsewhere, at Sixth Prince Yun Zeng's encampment.
Liu Ruyan lay languidly on a silken sickbed, her lithe form subtly shifting. A delicate blush painted her cheeks, and a few beads of fragrant sweat glistened on her brow. Yun Zeng leaned down, kissing them away, savoring the taste. For some time now, Liu Ruyan had been feigning illness, refusing to rise. Yun Zeng's hand, slipping beneath Liu Ruyan's thin gown, began a slow, gentle kneading. Liu Ruyan let out a soft, alluring moan.
At that precise moment, "Ahem, ahem, ahem." A dry cough cut through the air. His Ya Fu, Ju Shou, strode in. Yun Zeng hastily pulled his hand back, casting an embarrassed glance at Ju Shou.
Ju Shou's expression was grim. "Another major incident has rocked the Fallen Star Sea. The White Robe Star Venerate shattered the Third Star Ring and annihilated the Tianchen Empire. It's fortunate I prevented you from personally moving against him during this period, or the consequences would have been dire."
At this, Yun Zeng lifted Liu Ruyan's fair, slender hand and kissed it. "This is all thanks to my Ruyan," he declared, oblivious. "If not for tending to her, I might well have fallen to the White Robe Star Venerate myself."
Ju Shou merely sighed. That was not what he meant. Liu Ruyan offered a sweet smile. "It is merely my husband's good fortune."
Yun Zeng beamed, utterly delighted.
Ju Shou sighed, a deep weariness in his voice. "To think, I was the one who conceived the Star Ring concept, and Ancient Ancestors forged these Four Great Star Rings. They have stood across the starry expanse for untold ages, yet now, two have been utterly destroyed. I have a profound premonition," he continued, "that the Fallen Star Sea is on the cusp of a great storm."
"Ya Fu, why do you say that?" Yun Zeng asked.
Ju Shou explained, "Such Heaven and Earth Anomalies signal chaos in the Fallen Star Sea. And in an Era of Chaos, heroes are bound to emerge!"
Yun Zeng burst into boisterous laughter. "That hero is me! Hahahaha!"
Liu Ruyan's lips curved into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile. Heh heh. The Fallen Star Sea is indeed about to face a storm, she mused internally. But it will be a storm I, Liu Ruyan, unleash! I shall become the strongest among Ancient Ancestors! I shall become the King of the entire Fallen Star Sea! She secretly hoped that Shenwu Emperor Tianye's true body would depart the First Star Ring, and remain absent for a very long time. That would grant her countless opportunities to rise! In her eyes, Yun Zeng and his brothers were nothing more than idiots!
A short while later, Ju Shou departed, his gaze sweeping beyond the First Star Ring. "In this boundless Star River," he murmured, "who will truly command its ebb and flow?"
Soon after, from the direction of Cold Mountain Temple, "BOOM!" Master Kongwu had finally completed the condensation of his avatar! A Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm manifestation! Immediately, a Buddhist cultivator, clad in resplendent Golden Monk Robes, emerged from Cold Mountain Temple. Golden Buddhist Dao Mysteries surged around him as he tore through space, activating Spatial Array Patterns to instantly traverse towards the Tianchen Empire.
"White Robe Star Venerate," his voice resonated, calm yet absolute, "I have come to settle the karma between us."
Meanwhile, on the Tianchen Empire's ravaged battlefield, Ji Fuyao and her three junior siblings were unleashing a whirlwind of destruction! The Tianchen Empire's forces were utterly routed, none able to withstand even a single strike from Ji Fuyao's group! Lu Xuan, meanwhile, leaned leisurely against the massive Void Kun, looking utterly bored.
Just then, "BOOM!" "CRACK!" From an immeasurable distance, a colossal golden Buddha figure traversed the void, blazing like a miniature sun. Its path, stretching from the First Star Ring, through the Second, and finally to the Tianchen Empire, materialized into a towering, golden grand avenue of light. This was a grand path forged from profound Buddhist Dao Mysteries! Master Kongwu strode along this luminous path, his form radiating divine splendor, moving with astonishing speed. In an instant, he descended!
"BOOM!" A terrifying, oppressive power cascaded outwards like a tsunami. Master Kongwu's Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm avatar, an impossibly vast figure larger than the entire Tai Chu Realm, stood towering above the void, its presence reflecting across the starry sky, forcing all observers to squint or avert their gaze. On the battlefield, everyone froze in stunned silence! Master Kongwu's avatar had truly descended! What unfathomable realm was this? They felt as though Master Kongwu could, with a mere thought, decide their very lives and deaths!
Master Kongwu gazed down at Lu Xuan, his voice utterly devoid of emotion. "White Robe Star Venerate," he stated, "the situation is thus, and karma has been forged. You shall fall, and I shall take your disciple. I will ensure he is well cared for."
Lu Xuan's face twitched. Ugh... This is tough, he thought. And this avatar is a Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm expert! The very next instant, the Void Kun, without a moment's hesitation, surged forward, directly charging at Master Kongwu, ready to crush him!