C1228 The Sixth Seal!

An ordinary stone suddenly burst into brilliance, shining as clear and bright as a diamond.

Within the stone, a necklace sparkling with starlight came apart, its components transforming into individual stars that moved mysteriously inside the stone.

Occasionally, one could spot two tiny points of light, barely discernible to the naked eye, appearing within different stars before swiftly shifting to others.

The inconspicuous stone had become a Star River. Leo, with Xu Jingyao of the Sunlit Order in tow, entered this Star River, guiding him through various stars.

Yu Yuan watched in utter astonishment, marveling at the spectacle.

He recognized the necklace that had disintegrated inside the stone as the "Starfall Sea," previously sold by the Skyreach Consortium in Ionodios.

The former owner of this holy weapon was apparently the High Priest of the Starborn, a symbol of high status and identity.

Tan Junshan had intended to purchase it for Liu Ying, but ultimately, Leo acquired it.

However, Leo had once mentioned that he would gift the item to Liu Ying once he had fully grasped the subtleties of the Starfall Sea.

Yu Yuan pondered to himself in amazement at the Starfall Sea's incredible properties.

"Yu Yuan, buy me some time. I can hold him off for at least half a day," Leo's voice emanated from the diamond-like stone, calm and confident.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Flares resembling shooting stars appeared within the luminous stone, manifesting in many stars.

Clearly, Xu Jingyao had unleashed the Flame Spear, attempting to shatter the Star River created by the Starfall Sea to return to the real world before him.

Yu Yuan watched intently as the stars within were perforated by the meteor-like flames.

Yet, in a flash, the Shattered Star, riddled like a honeycomb, was restored to its pristine state.

Hiss!

Brilliant cosmic energy from the Kuvrepros Astral Domain converged from all directions, merging into the stone, seemingly aiding the Star River within to maintain its wholeness.

"Leo..."

Standing outside, Yu Yuan gazed at the enigmatic stone, sensing the miraculous methods employed by the young man blessed by the stars and born with an Altar of Rebirth.

To Yu Yuan, Leo within the Star River seemed like a supreme deity, masterfully wielding the rules and commanding all creation.

The microcosmic Star River within the stone was Leo's divine domain, where he held sway over all.

Xu Jingyao, wielder of the Flame Spear, likely stood little chance of gaining the upper hand within the vast depths of the extraterrestrial Star River he had forged.

"Starborn, Leo, truly a natural altar!"

Pei Yuling, with his striking looks and tall stature, witnessed Xu Jingyao vanish and a rare stone materialize beside Yu Yuan. Narrowing his eyes for a closer inspection, he immediately understood what had transpired.

Pei Yuling marveled, his eyes darting about as he lavished praise, "Incredible, far surpassing my expectations! Such skill and blood magic might even eclipse the Voidweavers, those adepts of space magic."

He tilted his head back, gazing at the stars of Kuvrepros, as his remnant soul unfurled.

Ripples of spatial energy emanated from him, rippling outward in every direction.

"Of course!"

Pei Yuling chuckled, nodding and clapping, "Every star within the little worlds of the Domain, each with its own core, carries Leo's essence. The Altar of Rebirth within Leo has now linked to its counterpart here; he can harness the power of all the stars in this realm and conjure a myriad of arcane mysteries."

He offered his critique without any hint of intent to rescue Xu Jingyao.

Currently, Gheirat, the sovereign of this realm, had ensnared Wei Zhuo and seemed to have gained a slight advantage. Zhu Huan, under the joint assault of two platinum Shura, was faring no better.

The Great Sage Beru had even tapped into his lifeblood to unleash his innate abilities, leaving Cao Jiaze in dire straits.

The Shura warriors, clashing with the Human Race's Solar Spirits, had already secured the upper hand, leaving many Solar Spirits either dead or wounded.

Judging by the unfolding scene, Xu Jingyao's covert operation against Leo had utterly collapsed.

Yet Yu Yuan sensed that it shouldn't have ended this way.

Pei Yuling had yet to exert his full strength, merely employing the Mirror of the Infinite to contain the well. When Xu Jingyao was pulled into the Star River, Pei Yuling made no move to interfere.

Upon entering, he made no attempt at a rescue.

This individual was a master of the true essence of space magic, and his level of cultivation had likely reached the Unbound Realm. If Pei Yuling were to truly take action and destroy the illusory Star River conjured by the Starfall Sea, then Leo might not be able to indefinitely contain Xu Jingyao.

Yet, there was no response from him.

Besides him, Cao Jiaze, who had been calling out continuously, and the Unbound Cultivator from the Ebon Star who was covertly protecting him, also remained absent.

To defeat Leo, Beru, and Gheirat, relying solely on Zhu Huan, Wei Zhuo, and a non-cooperative Pei Yuling was evidently insufficient.

Clearly, there were other forces at play!

Yu Yuan's eyes gleamed as he gripped the Dragon Slaying Stage in one hand and the sheath of the Titanblade in the other, intently observing each battlefield while stealthily employing his remnant soul and vitality to sense the surroundings.

He was convinced that there were formidable Ebon Star experts either lying in wait for the right moment to strike or on the verge of arrival.

The elder generation, including Wei Zhuo, Pei Yuling, and Zhu Huan, who was noticeably struggling, showed no signs of distress. Each appeared more composed than the last.

What were they counting on?

Yu Yuan couldn't see it, nor could he figure it out, but he instinctively sensed that something was amiss.

Beru stood suspended in the void, encircled by thousands of massive boulders. No longer bracing his chest with both hands, he swung his arms contentedly. The boulders, as large as houses, seemed to be imbued with boundless divine strength as they crashed towards the Solar Spirit Bodies of the human race and struck the devices they wielded.

Others pummeled the more prominent palaces, causing Cao Jiaze to continuously spit blood.

The enchanted robe Cao Jiaze wore had lost its luster and was now stained with blood.

Sensing the dire situation, Cao Jiaze lacked the strength and capacity to shield the other Solar Spirit warriors.

The palace he occupied was shrinking, while three others took turns shielding him, aiding in deflecting Beru's relentless assault.

Despite the retreat and ongoing battle, Cao Jiaze remained composed.

Yu Yuan's lower elixir field at the Golden Sanctum Acupoint repeatedly refined the pure spiritual energy, stirring up an unusual tide.

He paused, his concentration deepening as he attuned himself to the sensation. Abruptly, he realized that a terrifyingly powerful sea of spiritual energy seemed on the verge of manifesting.

Yet, he had no clue as to its origin.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The myriad of massive stones encircling Beru suddenly burst into a frenzy of explosions.

Without any forewarning, a mysterious pagoda-shaped palace materialized behind Beru.

Brilliant beams of spiritual energy struck Beru's waist and the back of his head in rapid succession, shattering the bones of the venerable Starborn Great Sage in an instant.

Bathed in blood, Beru plummeted like a severed kite, accompanied by the blood-stained stones.

"Great Sage!"

"Old sir!"

The voices of Gheirat and Leo echoed across the desolate battlefield, emanating from the stones near Yu Yuan.

In a flash, Leo emerged from within the stone, appearing beside Yu Yuan for just an instant before vanishing once more.

Beneath the falling Beru, a vortex shimmering with stars materialized in the Star River, conjured by Leo's power.

Standing amidst the cosmic energy swirl, Leo extended his hand in grief, attempting to buoy the esteemed Great Sage.

Within the pagoda-like palace, a figure stood aloof and detached, hands clasped behind his back.

This pagoda was the sixth Mark of the Celestials, its engraved arrays and patterns keeping both the structure and its bearer concealed for extended periods.

The Unbound Realm cultivator Cao Jiaze spoke of, his secret protector, was not in the vicinity, nor was he en route.

He had always been present.

Yet, he remained unseen and undetected, the existence of the sixth Mark of the Celestials eluding all but himself.

Unless he chose to reveal his presence.

"Fu Xuanwen."

Upon glimpsing the figure within the pagoda, Yu Yuan, perched atop the meteorite, found his lips parched.

Fu Xuanwen, a late-period cultivator from the Ebon Star, had waged battles across the extraterrestrial Star River for decades, perhaps not returning to the Everlands even once in a hundred years.

Yu Yuan had not anticipated that Fu Xuanwen would be the one to first arrive as Cao Jiaze's Dao protector in the extraterrestrial realm.

...