“Alliance Leader, your daughter Qingqiu killed my clone! I demand an explanation!”
Even Master Kongwu, usually a paragon of Buddhist serenity, found his calm shattered after losing a Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm clone. While the destruction of the Third Star Ring hadn't stirred a ripple in his heart, this personal affront left him seething. He knew he was becoming 'attached,' a cardinal sin for a Buddhist cultivator, but he couldn't help it.
As Master Kongwu's voice echoed, a wisp of divine consciousness stretched out from the direction of the Shenwu Empire. It belonged to Shenwu Emperor Tianye, and it, too, fixed on the Star River Alliance headquarters. “I require an explanation,” he declared. Qingqiu's decision to aid the White Robe Star Venerate instead of eliminating him was baffling to Tianye. Weren't the forces within the First Star Ring supposed to be on the same side?
Moments later, a steady voice emanated from the Star River Alliance headquarters. “I will provide you all with a satisfactory account of this matter.”
“It had better be,” Shenwu Emperor Tianye scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain.
Master Kongwu, for his part, chose not to press the issue further. An oppressive silence descended upon the entire First Star Ring.
The voice belonged to Tianzhao, Qingqiu's father and the esteemed leader of the Star River Alliance.
In a secluded, independent space, Tianzhao sat cross-legged, a rich current of Starry Sky Power swirling around him as he cultivated a profound Starry Sky secret art. The aura of an Ancient Ancestor pulsed faintly from his form. Dressed in simple grey robes, his face was etched with a grave expression. The words of Tianye and Master Kongwu replayed in his mind, stirring a complex mix of emotions.
His daughter, Qingqiu, was a law unto herself. Even as her father, he couldn't force her hand. The fact that she would intervene for the White Robe Star Venerate genuinely astonished Tianzhao. In Qingqiu's heart, there was only one person she truly revered: ‘Sir’!
Pondering this, Tianzhao murmured to himself, “Could it be that the White Robe Star Venerate has some connection to Sir?” A father knew his daughter best, and Tianzhao was certain Qingqiu's decision was inextricably linked to ‘Sir’.
“Sir.”
Images of memory flickered through Tianzhao's mind. Sir, the most powerful Ancient Ancestor in this Starry Sky during the Ancient Epoch. Even a powerhouse like Tianzhao was Sir's disciple! Sir had no name, no personal desires, only a pure heart dedicated to traversing the heavens.
The dominant forces within the First Star Ring had long since seen a complete turnover, yet every single Ancient Ancestor present today had once listened to Sir's teachings. Sir was utterly selfless, openly sharing the entirety of the Star Sea Great Dao with all. For instance, the Star Sea Great Dao that Tianzhao himself cultivated was a path he had forged under Sir's enlightenment.
In this vast Star Sea, countless Great Daos existed, but at the Ancient Ancestor Realm, only one individual could occupy a single Great Dao! The Dao of the Starry Sky that Tianzhao cultivated was precisely one of the Daos contained within Sir's lectures. With a mere thought, Sir could elevate anyone to the Ancient Ancestor Realm!
Qingqiu's current Sword Dao was also Sir's Sword Dao, derived from the concept of One Sword Breaks All Laws. Even the One Sword Sect's Sword Dao, which proclaimed “all things in the world are tied to a single sword,” originated from Sir's Dao.
But then, a grave crisis befell this Star Sea. Sir was besieged by countless enemies and ultimately vanished. This was the genesis of the Fallen Star Sea! After Sir's disappearance, the Star Sea began an irreversible decline, plagued first by Eerie Power, then by Fallen Power. This was also the reason for the construction of the Four Star Rings—their original purpose was to extend the Star Sea's lifespan.
As these thoughts swirled, Tianzhao slowly rose, a flicker of excitement stirring within his heart. If the White Robe Star Venerate truly was Sir returned, then he would not hesitate to stand by Sir's side. And, by extension, by his daughter Qingqiu's side.
Not long after, spirit seals shifted in Tianzhao's hand, and a clone surged forth, stepping into the Star River Alliance headquarters. With two Star Rings shattered and the Void Kun making its appearance, he had a premonition: the Fallen Star Sea would never again know its former tranquility.
Swiftly, Tianzhao's clone arrived at the Star River Alliance headquarters. It was an impossibly vast star, encircled by colossal, shimmering Star Rings. Dense, intricate Dao patterns pulsed across them, magnificent and blindingly brilliant. Within this colossal star stood a palace of immense grandeur and majesty. The many dominant forces of the First Star Ring each held a seat within the Star River Alliance, a system designed for mutual checks and balances.
“Boom!”
Tianzhao's clone settled directly onto the Alliance Leader's throne. As endless Dao patterns illuminated, the many seats throughout the grand hall resonated. Brilliant Dao patterns surged, and one after another, the figures of Ancient Ancestors began to materialize.
“Boom!”
From the east, the clone of Shenwu Emperor Tianye appeared on his throne, his expression stern. From the west, the Ancient Ancestor of Yangzheng Mountain, Banshan Ape, materialized on his own seat.
Then came the others:
Master Kongwu, the Ancient Ancestor of Cold Mountain Temple!
Guixuan, the Ancient Ancestor of Eerie Plateau!
Dao Kuang Old Ancestor, the Ancient Ancestor of Blade Saint Sect!
And several other Ancient Ancestors!
Tianzhao, the Alliance Leader of the Star River Alliance, gazed upon the assembled Ancient Ancestors, a sigh of emotion stirring within him. These very Ancient Ancestors had once been mere listeners beneath Sir's lecturing platform; now, they were the supreme existences within the Fallen Star Sea, wielding the very authority of the Star Sea itself.
A series of images surfaced in Tianzhao's mind...
Banshan Ape of Yangzheng Mountain, originally just a pure-blooded Titan Ancient Ape, had attained the Dao of Strength simply by listening to Sir's teachings.
On that day, Banshan Ape had looked at Sir, respectfully knelt, and asked, “Sir, may you impart the ultimate Dao method?”
Sir, clad in pristine white robes, untouched by dust, had inquired, “The method of eternal life, will you learn it?”
Banshan Ape had replied, “No, no.”
Sir had asked again, “The Dao of Defense, will you learn it?”
Banshan Ape had answered, “No, no.”
Sir had then asked, “What do you wish to learn?”
Banshan Ape had boomed, “The Dao of Strength!”
Many similar scenes played out in Tianzhao's memory.
In the hall, with the exception of Guixuan, the Ancient Ancestor of Eerie Plateau, all others had received Sir's teachings. Guixuan and the Eerie Plateau seemed to have appeared abruptly in this Starry Sky. The Eerie Sect, in turn, was a force under the Eerie Plateau, cultivating with Eerie Power.
A moment later, Tianzhao withdrew his gaze, sweeping it across other parts of the grand hall. There were still several seats that lay dormant, shrouded in a sense of desolation. These had once belonged to the Ancient Ancestors of the Supreme Fox Clan, the One Sword Sect, the Thousand Illusions Sect, and the Immovable Rock Sect. However, these forces had been severely weakened after the conflict over the Bronze Ancient Palace, now relegated to the Second Star Ring.
Just then, a man in black robes entered the hall and respectfully announced, “Esteemed Ancient Ancestors, we have detected movements from the Supreme Fox Clan. Demon Fox Ah Li is suspected to have manifested her ultimate bloodline.”
Hearing this, Banshan Ape's fists clenched, and he knocked them together, producing a booming sound that reverberated through the hall. “It seems they are ready to open the Fox Fortune Holy Land,” he declared.
Shenwu Emperor Tianye frowned. “Tamamo-no-Mae's whereabouts have been unknown for so many years. With the Fox Fortune Holy Land opening this time, one wonders if she will reappear in the world?”
Dao Kuang Old Ancestor scoffed coldly. “She's merely a defeated foe of ours. Even if Tamamo-no-Mae were to appear in her full glory, what of it? The Supreme Fox Clan's tricks, which they believe to be so secretive, are in fact as clear as day to us.”