C1211 The World Is Difficult

The Dead Silence Stars had been stripped of all their surface and subterranean gold metal deposits, leaving nothing behind.

This world, once choked with pollution and strange energies, had been forsaken for many years.

Currently, practitioners led by Xu Jingyao of the Primordial Yang Sect were dispersed throughout the desolate celestial bodies.

Some were holding Spirit Stones, drawing in the pure spiritual energy to cultivate, while others perused their Spiritual Spell tomes, or silently refined their Spirit Weapons, striving to enhance their quality and bolster their combat prowess.

Gazing into the distance from this barren place, one could make out the Epitaxial Realm, along with the luminous moon and brilliant stars.

They had been in this location for several days, carefully avoiding any rash actions that might disturb the Epitaxial Realm.

Their concern was that a massacre there could draw the attention of Beru and Leo, potentially undoing all their meticulous planning.

"Ugh!"

Xu Jingyao, meditating in silence, was abruptly roused as minute fissures appeared deep within his eyes.

He gazed in astonishment at the distant starry sea. The Fire God Spear, which had been placed in his acupoint after his refinement, had flown out on its own, pressing firmly against his chest.

The Artifact Soul of the Fire God Spear communicated with his own soul, imbuing his eyes with the artifact's formidable power.

The cracks in his eyes, which had appeared so suddenly, were swiftly mended.

Streams of fiery tears, like molten lava, trickled from his eyes, scorching his cheeks and lending a rather fearsome aspect to his expression.

Loo Rui of the Primordial Yang Sect, Wan Jing of the Cold Yin Sect, Huang Baiqi of the Thunder Sect, and others were all startled awake.

Their bewildered gazes converged on Xu Jingyao.

After a short while,

Xu Jingyao, in silence, ingested a pellet that glowed like a fiery gem. A burst of orange flame ignited in his chest cavity.

The intense energy of the flames aided his unique Yang God Body in healing every minor injury.

"Young Master?"

Sensing that something was amiss, Loo Rui moved closer and whispered his inquiry.

Xu Jingyao rose to his feet, retracting the Fire God Spear into his body. After reciting the Spiritual Spell several times to steady his agitated emotions, he finally pointed towards the galaxy he had been intently observing. "Over there, an incomplete form of the Secular Bird is revealed. Despite the vast distance, the sight through the Fire God Spear is almost too much to bear."

"The Phoenix?"

"The Luan Bird Queen?"

Cultivators of the Yang God Stage from various sects were taken aback, rising to their feet in unison.

"We need to adjust our plan immediately."

Xu Jingyao had already reached a conclusion. Without seeking anyone's input, he decisively stated, "Since I can see it, the Nine Stars Sage of the Star Race can surely see it too. Leo, Gheirat, and Beru will be summoned by the Luan Bird Queen to converge on the location revealed by the Phoenix."

After saying this, he glanced at the Epitaxial Realm, shook his head, and added, "We'll leave this realm be for now."

"If the Luan Bird Queen is present, then it's highly likely that Yu Yuan, who disappeared with her in the Dim Starfield, is also here!" Huang Baiqi huffed.

"Yu Yuan..."

Xu Jingyao mulled over the name, his expression shifting subtly as he gave a slight nod.

Moments later, his face broke into a wide grin, and he exclaimed, "Ever since I achieved the Yang God form, I've heard this name so often I've nearly developed calluses on my ears! To think that on my very first venture into the Outland Star River, I would encounter this formidable character, favored by the Divine Soul Sect and recipient of the Optimus Nine Slashes!"

His laughter grew louder, filled with both anticipation and excitement.

...

In the Epitaxial Realm's Lower Continent.

Rong Xun, invited back to the castle by Denise, and Xie Binn were harnessing their findings from the realm to craft wood carvings capable of summoning thunder and lightning. Meanwhile, Han Dan and Kin Haolong were inquiring with Denise about the secret locations within the Illusion Starfield, eager to explore.

Suddenly, Xie Binn's Ice Thunder Mark soared into the sky.

The Ice Thunder Mark, resembling a massive ice sphere, spun gently midair above the castle.

A scene that left the onlookers below speechless slowly emerged from within the ice sphere.

"No, it's the Phoenix! The legendary Phoenix!"

Docter, with his Eighth Level Bloodline, let out a cry of terror, recognizing the starry sky where the Phoenix resided as their very own Illusion Starfield.

The thought of the Phoenix's legend and the realization that one of the stars in that galaxy harbored his illegitimate child and family sent a chill through the formidable warrior of the Star Race.

"Secular Bird?"

Denise uttered these words, her body stiffening like a statue.

Her heart felt as though it had been encased in ice and plunged into a frozen abyss.

"If it is the Secular Bird..."

Xie Binn's hands shook slightly as he attempted to pull down the Ice Thunder Mark. "Then, there's a strong possibility that Yu Yuan is in the Illusion Starfield right now."

"Yu Yuan!"

Rong Xun of the Clouds Sect exclaimed, his emotions a tangled web.

After a moment's thought, Rong Xun said, "If he's with the Secular Bird, then the Star Race in this world might not honor past bonds. They might go out of their way to kill him."

"Ah, he was Hong Qi in a past life, and he's been good to us in this one," Xie Binn said, agitated.

"Perhaps we should go and see for ourselves," Han Dan from the Silver Moon Sect proposed. "The future leader of our sect holds him in the highest regard, and I've yet to meet him due to my years of wandering the heavens."

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

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

Xie Binn nodded in agreement.

...

The remnants of another Star Race warship lay scattered across the dark expanse of space, surrounded by the corpses of its crew.

Leo, Beru the Nine Stars Sage, and Gheirat, three Star Race powerhouses, had flown from their massive carrier ship and were now examining the remnants of the battle with somber expressions.

They had just determined that the attack and slaughter of their kin and the destruction of their warship had happened not too long ago.

Suddenly.

Two Ninth Level and one Eighth Level bloodline experts, each innately possessing the Life Altar, simultaneously sensed something and turned their gaze in unison.

They, too, were in the Illusion Starfield and had witnessed the fleeting glimpse of the Secular Bird, feeling its world-shattering presence.

"Secular Bird!"

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

In the face of the Secular Bird's enigmatic presence in the Illusion Starfield, what significance did the obliterated warship and fallen kin hold?

Reflecting on the Starfields that the Secular Bird traversed a hundred thousand years ago, which subsequently became forbidden lands of death, the current damage to the warships seemed trivial.

"The Secular Bird?"

Gheirat and Leo, familiar only with legends and the indistinct images from ancient scrolls of their clan, were uncertain and thus posed the question together.

Upon asking, the sight of Beru's horrified expression was confirmation enough.

Gheirat felt his bloodline's flow become disrupted.

How could the Secular Bird manifest in the Illusion Starfield under his dominion?

"Forget the Primordial Yang Sect's intruders for the moment!"

Leo, brimming with youthful bravado, was undaunted but quickly regained his composure and declared, "Compared to the atrocities of Haoxuan's Yang God, the Secular Bird is far more formidable. Elder, General Gheirat, our immediate priority is to prevent the Secular Bird from achieving a true resurrection within the Illusion Starfield!"

"Should we alert the Peak experts of the various races about the Secular Bird's reappearance?" Gheirat inquired.

"Absolutely!"

Leo nodded emphatically, aware that their combined strength was insufficient to confront the Secular Bird.

"No! Wait a moment!"

Beru, having regained his composure with difficulty, hastily intervened to halt Leo's actions. After a pause, he suggested, "If Yu Yuan is still with her, I'd like to attempt a dialogue with him first. Yu Yuan departed the Dim Starfield alongside her, and I believe he might persuade her, exerting a restraining influence."

"Elder, why take this approach?" Leo asked, eager to learn.

"This is the Illusion Starfield, Gheirat's realm, a Starfield governed by our Star Race," Beru explained with a grimace. "She might detect our movements and the messages we send. I don't want to provoke her prematurely and become the target of her wrath."

"And if she must express her discontent and fury, I'd rather it happen later, preferably in another Starfield."

"Not in the Illusion Starfield!" Beru exclaimed.

Upon hearing this, Leo and Gheirat calmly reflected and were suddenly covered in a cold sweat.

"Your concerns are valid. We are grateful for your wise guidance."

Gheirat bowed deeply to Beru, humbling his proud stature.

"We should go and have a look," Leo suggested, his tone heavy with concern.

...

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

The fleeting glimpse of the Divine Bird surely alerted the Illusion Starfield's powerhouses. The issue that had been troubling him was now effortlessly resolved; the Epitaxial Realm's safety was no longer in jeopardy.

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

Yu Yuan, massaging his temples, seemed irked. He had a nagging suspicion that the slumbering Luan Bird Queen's actions were intentional.

But why?

Had she awakened?

If so, did she recall everything?

His mind was a tangle of thoughts, unsettling Yu Yuan. He pondered Beru's potential actions upon witnessing the Secular Bird's emergence and what decisions he might make.

Could the Peak expert from the Outland Star River already be en route, intent on swiftly eliminating the Secular Bird?

The battered warship came to an abrupt halt.

Crouched behind the crystal face, Yu Yuan watched as the demon, lost in the vastness of the starry expanse, turned to Elena with a start.

"No, it wasn't me."

The Asura Clan girl, tasked with piloting the Galaxy Ancient Starship towards the Winged Race's territory, shook her head in confusion.

It was at that moment.

Chen Qinghuang's eyes fluttered open, and she rose, as if sleepwalking. Gently, she pushed the cabin door open and glided out.

Elena and the demon's faces registered shock.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Yuan sensed an anomaly. "Stay put and don't move. I'll go check it out," he instructed.

The Luan Bird Queen wouldn't awaken without cause. Her opening her eyes meant that something significant was unfolding in the Illusion Starfield.

​