C1211 The World Was Difficult

The Dead Star's surface and depths had been stripped of all Sunsilver ore, leaving nothing behind. For years, this world, devoid of the protective wall and saturated with psionic power, had been forsaken.

At present, cultivators from the Sunlit Order, led by Xu Jingyao, were dispersed across the desolate Dead Star. Some held soulstones, drawing in the pure spiritual energy to further their cultivation, while others pored over ancient spell books or quietly honed their spiritual weapons, seeking to enhance their quality and bolster their combat prowess.

From a distance, the Dead Star offered a glimpse of the towering Zekrica, the luminous moon, and the brilliant stars. The cultivators had been on this planet for several days, careful not to make any rash moves that might disturb Zekrica.

They feared that a massacre in Zekrica could alarm Beru and Leo, potentially undoing all their meticulous planning.

"Ugh!" Xu Jingyao, meditating in silence, was jolted awake as fine fractures suddenly appeared deep within his pupils. He stared in horror at the distant cosmos; the Flame Spear, which had been placed in his acupoint after a ritual, flew out and pressed against his chest.

The artifact soul of the Flame Spear communicated with his own, amplifying the Divine Artifact's power within his gaze. The cracks in his eyes, which had appeared so swiftly, were just as quickly mended. Streaks of fiery tears, like molten flame, streamed from his eyes, scorching his cheeks and giving him a rather fearsome appearance.

Lu Rui of the Sunlit Order, Wan Jing of Winter's Bite, and Huang Baiqi of the Thunder Sect were all startled by the commotion. Their puzzled gazes converged on Xu Jingyao.

After a brief pause, Xu Jingyao silently consumed a pill resembling a Fire Crystal. A burst of orange flame ignited within his chest, the intense psionic power aiding his unique Solar Spirit Body in healing every minor injury.

"Little Master?" Lu Rui sensed something amiss and approached Xu Jingyao, his voice low with concern.

Xu Jingyao rose to his feet, reabsorbing the Flame Spear into his acupoint. After silently reciting the spell several times to steady his turbulent emotions, he gestured toward the Star River he had been intently observing. "Over there, an incomplete form of the secular bird is revealed. Even from this vast distance, gazing upon it through the Flame Spear is almost too much to bear."

"Phoenix?"

"The Songbird Queen?"

Cultivators of the Solar Spirit Realm from various sects were taken aback and rose to their feet in unison.

"We need to adjust our plan immediately."

Xu Jingyao had already reached a decision in his mind. Without soliciting anyone's opinion, he declared, "Since I can see it, the Starborn's Starfallen Oracle can surely see it too. Leo and Gheirat will be mobilized by Beru to draw near to the location revealed by the phoenix."

With that, he glanced back at Zekrica, shook his head, and added, "This realm is no longer our concern for the time being."

"If the Songbird Queen is present, then Yu Yuan, who disappeared with her in the Dark Star Domain, is likely here as well!" Huang Baiqi interjected with a huff.

"Yu Yuan..."

Xu Jingyao pondered the name, his expression shifting subtly as he nodded in contemplation.

After a moment, his face broke into a broad smile as he exclaimed, "Ever since I forged my Solar Spirit Body, I've been hearing this name so much, my ears could develop calluses! To think that on my first venture into the extraterrestrial Star River, I'd encounter this formidable character, esteemed by Boulderdawn and bestowed with the Nine Celestial Slashes!"

His laughter grew, filled with anticipation and excitement.

...

In Zekrica's Lower Continent, Rong Xun and Xie Bin, who had been invited back to the castle by Denise, were crafting thunderwood carvings capable of summoning lightning and thunder, using the treasures they had gathered in Zekrica. Meanwhile, Han Dan and Jin Haolong were inquiring with Denise about the secret locales of Kuvrepros, eager to explore them thoroughly.

Suddenly, Xie Bin's Glacial Storm Seal rose into the air.

The Glacial Storm Seal, resembling a massive ice sphere, gently rotated in the midair above the castle.

A breathtaking scene unfolded within the ice sphere, leaving the onlookers speechless.

"No, the phoenix! The mythical phoenix!"

Dogget, possessing an eighth-level bloodline, let out a cry of terror. He recognized the starry sky where the phoenix resided—it was their very own Kuvrepros!

Recalling the legends of the phoenix, he thought of a particular star within that galaxy, where he had secretly settled his illegitimate child and family. This formidable Starborn warrior felt a chill run through him.

"Phoenix?"

After uttering these three words, Denise stood motionless, her body rigid as a statue.

Her heart seemed to freeze and sink into an icy abyss.

"If it is the phoenix..."

Xie Bin's hands shook slightly as he attempted to pull down the Glacial Storm Seal, "Then there's a good chance that Yu Yuan is currently in the Kuvrepros."

"Yu Yuan!"

Rong Xun of the Obsidian Thunder Sect exclaimed, his emotions becoming tangled.

After a moment of contemplation, Rong Xun said, "If he's with the phoenix, the Starborn of this world might not hold onto past sentiments and will likely try everything to kill him."

"Ah, he was Hong Qi in the past, and he has been kind to us in this life," Xie Bin said, agitated.

"Perhaps, we should go and see for ourselves." Han Dan from the Starmoon Sect proposed, "The future leader of our Star Sect holds him in the highest regard. I've been wandering the extraterrestrial realms all year and have yet to meet him."

"I'm from the Moon Sect. I've fought alongside Mr. Tan for many years, and he thinks very highly of the lad," Jin Haolong added.

"Shall we go and see what's happening?" Rong Xun suggested.

Xie Bin nodded in agreement.

...

The remnants of another Starborn warship scattered across the void, the Dark Nebula now strewn with Starborn corpses.

Leo, the Starfallen Oracle Beru, and Gheirat, three Starborn powerhouses, arrived, inspecting the battlefield with somber expressions.

They had just ascertained that the massacre of the warship and its people had occurred not too long ago.

Suddenly.

Two ninth-level and one eighth-level bloodline cultivators, each innately possessing the Altar of Rebirth, simultaneously sensed something and turned their gaze in unison.

In the Kuvrepros as well, they had witnessed the fleeting glimpse of the phoenix and felt its world-shattering presence.

"Phoenix!"

Beru moaned as if a great deal of his strength had been sapped away, his body, brimming with vitality, involuntarily shuddering.

But what was the significance of a destroyed battleship and fallen kin compared to the awe-inspiring emergence of the phoenix in the Kuvrepros?

Reflecting on the Astral Domains the phoenix traversed 100,000 years ago, which had since become forbidden areas of death, the current damage seemed trivial.

"The phoenix?"

Gheirat and Leo were familiar with the legend, having glimpsed a vague image in their clan's ancient scrolls, but they were uncertain, so they asked together.

After posing the question, Beru's expression of terror gave them their answer.

Gheirat felt his bloodline's flow become disrupted.

How could the phoenix appear in the Kuvrepros he ruled?

"Forget the Sunlit Order's intruders for now!"

Leo, brimming with youthful boldness, was initially fearless but quickly regained his composure, declaring, "Compared to the atrocities committed by the Solar Spirit, the phoenix is far more formidable. Elder Beru, General Gheirat, our immediate priority is to prevent the phoenix from achieving a true resurrection in the Kuvrepros!"

"Should we immediately alert the pinnacle warriors of the various races about the phoenix's return?" Gheirat inquired.

"Absolutely!"

Leo nodded emphatically, aware that their combined strength was no match for the phoenix.

"No! Wait a moment!"

Beru, having regained his composure, hastily intervened to halt Leo's action, pondering before speaking, "If Yu Yuan is still with her, I'd like to attempt a dialogue with him first. Yu Yuan left the Dark Star with her, and I believe he could persuade her, imposing some restraint on her actions."

"Elder, why take this approach?" Leo asked, seeking guidance.

"This is the Kuvrepros, Gheirat's domain, the Star River governed by our Starborn," Beru explained with a pained expression. "She might detect our movements and the messages we send. I'd rather not provoke her prematurely and become the target of her wrath."

"If she must express her discontent and fury, I'd rather it happen later, in another Astral Domain."

"Not here in the Kuvrepros!"

Beru asserted.

Upon hearing this, Leo and Gheirat contemplated the situation with newfound sobriety, a chill running down their spines.

"Your concerns are valid. Thank you for your wise guidance."

Gheirat bowed respectfully to Beru, humbling his proud head.

"Let's go check it out," Leo said, his mood heavy.

...

Amidst the clutter within the ship, Yu Yuan occasionally glanced at the still-unconscious Chen Qinghuang.

The fleeting glimpse of the Divine Bird had surely alerted the powers of Kuvrepros. The issue that had been troubling him was now effortlessly resolved; he no longer needed to worry about the downfall of Zekrica.

One minor issue was settled, only to be replaced by a greater one.

Yu Yuan rubbed his temples, visibly irked. He had a nagging suspicion that the slumbering Songbird Queen might have orchestrated this intentionally.

Why would she do that?

Had she awakened?

If so, did she recall everything?

His mind was a tangle of distracting thoughts, leaving Yu Yuan restless. What would Beru decide upon witnessing the emergence of the secular bird? And had he realized Yu Yuan was there?

Could the supreme Mighty from the extraterrestrial Star River already be en route, intent on swiftly eliminating the secular bird?

The wrecked warship came to an abrupt halt.

The fiend, lost in the vastness of the Star River, snapped out of his reverie and turned to Elena.

"No, it wasn't me."

The Shura girl, tasked with piloting the Voidfarer towards the Astral Domain, shook her head in confusion.

At that moment,

Chen Qinghuang's eyes fluttered open. She rose as if in a trance, gently pushed the cabin door open, and floated out.

Elena and the fiend's faces contorted with shock.

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, sensing an anomaly. "Stay put and don't move; I'll go out and see what's happening," he instructed.

The Songbird Queen wouldn't have awakened without cause. Her opening her eyes meant that something significant must be unfolding in Kuvrepros.

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