The sight of this left the remaining six Heavenly God Realm cultivators utterly dumbfounded, frozen in place. Was this real?
They had initially believed Ancient Ancestor Guixuan had merely marked this star domain, leaving them to swoop in and claim the spoils. After all, Ancient Ancestor Guixuan had already ascended to the One-star Heavenly God Realm. Even if the strongest in this Fallen Star Sea managed to defeat him, it would have been a Pyrrhic victory at best. They never anticipated this white-robed man would be in such a peak, unblemished state! His power utterly dwarfed their own! Why bother fighting at all? Even all six of them combined wouldn't stand a chance against this white-robed man.
Amidst the cosmic void, the six Eerie Domain Heavenly God Realm emissaries exchanged wary glances, each lost in their own desperate calculations. The air crackled with an unbearable tension. They, who had always reveled in striking terror into the hearts of other races, were now tasting true fear for the first time.
A tense silence stretched. Then, a gaunt, withered man broke the silence, his voice strained. “Human expert, release us, and we will swear a Star Sea Oath never to reveal a single thing that transpired here. Otherwise…”
Lu Xuan’s lips curved into a faint, amused smile. “Oh?” Even now, these Eerie Domain emissaries dared to threaten him? Quite the nerve, wouldn’t you say?
The gaunt man gritted his teeth. “This time, several of us emissaries descended upon this place with the full knowledge of Venerate Guiming, a revered figure in our Eerie Domain.”
Lu Xuan scoffed, a dismissive wave of his hand accompanying his words. “Guiming? And who, pray tell, is that?”
The gaunt man’s face immediately contorted into a mask of deference. “Venerate Guiming presides over this Tai Chu Star Domain! He is a Half-step Divine Venerate Realm powerhouse!” A Half-step Divine Venerate Realm! He stands at the absolute pinnacle of the Tai Chu Star Domain! The gaunt man pressed on, his voice regaining a hint of its former arrogance. “If all of us perish here, Venerate Guiming will undoubtedly learn of it! And then, what awaits you will be an endless, merciless slaughter. I wonder… will you be able to withstand that…?”
A blatant threat.
Before the words fully left his mouth, Lu Xuan casually backhanded him. A sharp crack echoed through the void! The gaunt man was instantly sent careening a million zhang away, his body slamming violently against the fabric of the starry void.
Lu Xuan said, his voice laced with mild annoyance, “What are you showing off for?”
The very next instant, he appeared before the gaunt man, his large hand descending. A direct Soul Search! A profound hum resonated! Blazing divine light surged, as if a cosmic furnace had ignited, burning with fierce intensity.
Moments later, Lu Xuan slowly opened his eyes, the intricate tapestry of the Tai Chu Star Domain’s cosmic structure now laid bare before him.
“At its heart lie the Ling Xu Star Sea and the Tian Yuan Star Sea.”
“Within these two Star Seas, powerful factions hold sway: the Ling Xu Pill Sect and the Tian Yuan Star Palace, respectively!”
“Their mightiest cultivators can reach the Nine-star Heavenly God Realm, with some even touching the Half-step Divine Venerate Realm.”
“Yet, over countless ages, both these great powers have maintained a dubious relationship with the Eerie Domain emissary, Guiming. While the Ling Xu Pill Sect showed some semblance of resistance, the Tian Yuan Star Palace has, for all intents and purposes, unconditionally cooperated with the Eerie Domain emissaries.”
“This Star Sea is utterly corrupted.” Lu Xuan let out a soft sigh, a rare flicker of lament crossing his unbothered expression. Without a true Domain Master, the Tai Chu Star Domain was utterly defenseless against the Eerie Domain’s insidious invasion. For years, the Eerie Domain had been slowly but surely devouring the Tai Chu Star Domain, yet no one had been strong enough to stand against them. It was a tragedy, for the Tai Chu Star Domain was once considered the very genesis of myriad domains. But now, who even remembered its former glory? Even its Heavenly Dao had long since withered and died!
Lu Xuan withdrew his hand from the Eerie Domain Heavenly God Realm emissary’s head and turned to Ye Chen, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Good news, Second Disciple. The Ling Xu Pill Sect is hosting some grand alchemy convention. Once we’ve wrapped things up here, you might want to consider participating. It would be a fine opportunity to witness the Star Sea’s alchemists in action!”
Ye Chen grinned, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Sounds excellent, Master! It’s been far too long since I’ve had a proper chance to hone my craft! Refining the Fallen Star Sea has already elevated my alchemy to an unprecedented level! I’ve already stepped into the Ancient Ancestor-level of alchemy! He was practically vibrating with eagerness.
A moment later, the gaunt man, still reeling from the Soul Search, fixed his gaze on Lu Xuan. “Now… may we depart? You’ve surely extracted all the information you desired?”
Lu Xuan let out a disdainful chuckle. “You’re dreaming, old coot.” With a casual flick of his wrist, he unleashed a torrent of Heaven-reaching Dao Patterns that instantly enveloped the remaining six Heavenly God Realm emissaries. It was a power utterly beyond their comprehension! A force that transcended anything the six emissaries had ever known.
“What are you doing?!” the gaunt man and the other Eerie Domain emissaries shrieked in utter terror. The mysterious Dao Patterns coiled around their forms, erupting with a potent sealing power that forcibly stripped away their cultivation. Their realms plummeted! Heavenly God Realm! Nine-star Ancient Ancestor Realm! Eight-star Ancient Ancestor Realm! …Until they crashed down to the mere Three-star Ancient Ancestor Realm! The six Eerie Race emissaries felt their blood run cold. Before this white-robed man, they were nothing more than playthings!
Lu Xuan turned his gaze to Ji Fuyao, Ye Chen, and the others, a casual smile gracing his lips. “Consider this some practical training for you all. From a certain perspective, the Eerie Race does present a rather unique challenge among the myriad Daos. Soon, we’ll be heading to the Ling Xu Star Sea and the Tian Yuan Star Sea. Along the way, I’ll ensure you get plenty of practice engaging with the Eerie Race.”
Ji Fuyao’s radiant smile seemed to illuminate the very cosmos. “Thank you, Master!”
Ye Chen, Xuanji Holy Lord, Wuwu, Ah Li, and Qingqiu stepped forward, their expressions resolute. Chen Changsheng’s face twitched with a mix of amusement and mild exasperation. “Master, what about me?”
Lu Xuan merely raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “Do you really want to fight, Third Disciple?”
Chen Changsheng quickly shook his head. “Ah… perhaps not.”
Ji Fuyao let out a bright laugh. “No wonder Master casually swatted a Heavenly God Realm cultivator to death earlier! It seems he even accounted for Junior Brother Chen Changsheng’s… unique preferences. Truly, Master’s foresight is unparalleled!”
Now, it was six disciples, one for each of the de-ranked emissaries! The six Eerie Domain emissaries were stunned speechless, their minds utterly reeling. For countless ages, they had reveled in tormenting humans and other races, inflicting untold humiliation and suffering. But never, in their wildest nightmares, did they imagine they would be reduced to mere stepping stones for a group of youngsters! That’s too much! This was an utter humiliation, an unforgivable disgrace! A stain upon the very honor of the Eerie Domain! But it was all for naught!
Lu Xuan, meanwhile, had already conjured a comfortable recliner, settling back into it with an air of complete nonchalance. Chen Changsheng, ever the pragmatist, promptly followed suit, finding his own spot to recline.
Just then, the gaunt man, his face contorted in a snarl, growled sinisterly, “White-robed human, if anything happens to us, you are all dead!”
Before he could finish, a gleaming spear materialized in Ji Fuyao’s hand. She leveled it at the gaunt man, her voice sharp with indignation. “Who dares speak ill of my Master?!” Her aura was utterly domineering! With a fierce cry, she swept her spear forward! “Heaven-Burning Art!”
Beneath Ji Fuyao’s delicate feet, a Heaven-reaching sea of fire erupted, blazing with such ferocity it seemed capable of incinerating the heavens and boiling the seas. Her three Heavenly Exotic Flames surged, merging with the spear, its might multiplying severalfold! With a single sweep of her spear, a River of Spirit Fire surged forth, engulfing the gaunt man in a torrent of flames.
The gaunt man’s brow furrowed deeply. “A Nine-star Heavenly God-tier cultivation technique! Who are you? And who, for the love of the cosmos, is your Master?!” How could a mere disciple possess such heaven-defying power? And her Master… he must be even more monstrous! If they’re this formidable, why have we never heard of them before? Ancient Ancestor Guixuan, that idiot! The six Eerie Domain emissaries were practically frothing with rage, desperate to unleash a torrent of curses.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Ji Fuyao clashed directly with the gaunt man, their battle erupting in a blaze of power. Fighting across realms! Ji Fuyao, a mere Two-star Ancient Ancestor Realm cultivator! The gaunt man was instantly sent flying, his face a mask of utter disbelief. “How… how is this possible?!”
Ji Fuyao, however, was merely experimenting, trying to discern the most efficient way to annihilate the gaunt man. She murmured, a fierce light in her eyes, “Master once said that the Dao of Spirit Fire, when cultivated to its absolute pinnacle, can refine all things. By that logic, the Eerie Race, too, can be incinerated into oblivion!”
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