C1301 Heaven Shocking Illusion Technique
In a remote corner of the Outer Battlefield, a group of Silver Scale Clan warriors clad in their natural armor, shimmering with an icy metallic sheen, were making their way back to the Silver Sand Starfield. Out of nowhere, a luminous silver peak emerged from the void at their side. The peak wasn't towering, yet it was covered in vast swathes of peculiar patterns that, upon closer inspection, resembled water ripples, hinting at the intricate essence of flowing water.
"The Water-Silver Holy Mountain!" exclaimed the lead Silver Scale Clan warrior, his excitement palpable as he trembled with anticipation. "The legends spoke of a Water-Silver Holy Mountain in the Deep Starfield. Could it be that fortune has smiled upon us and revealed its location?"
"Leader! Our warriors have scoured this shattered Starfield for years and never found the Water-Silver Holy Mountain!" another warrior chimed in.
"Our luck has finally turned!" The Silver Scale Clan warriors erupted in cheers. Their distinctive bloodline allowed them to extract tiny fragments of silver from the so-called "Water-Silver Holy Mountain," integrating it into their innate armor to enhance their combat prowess. Unable to contain their excitement, they promptly decided to alter their course.
...
Ten million miles away, a Fire Lizard Tribe was vigilantly protecting a dark red meteorite. They employed their Bloodline Secret Technique to draw out the sulfur-scented flame essence from the meteorite beneath them. Occasionally, sparks would merge into their bodies, causing numerous bumps to form on their skin.
This dark red meteorite originated from a fractured Realm within the Deep Starfield, a place once rife with volcanic eruptions. When the Realm split, it gave rise to many such meteorites. Every few years, the Fire Lizard Tribe would gather their kin to this site, extracting the lingering flame essence from the meteorites to purify their bloodlines.
"Hmm?" A slight Fire Lizard Tribe warrior, armed with a sharp utensil, let out a piercing scream. "Look! Over there!" His cries caught the attention of the other tribe members in the midst of their cultivation.
Following his gaze, they beheld a galaxy afar, where enchanting, colorful ripples danced. Within these undulating waves, they spotted intertwining rivers of fire. The heart of these fiery rivers flowed with intense magma—a veritable fountain of life for the Fire Lizard Tribe.
Without hesitation, every member of the Fire Lizard Tribe sprang into action. "Charge! Let's move quickly!" They infused a surge of potent blood energy into the meteorite beneath them, which caused the dark red stone to roar to life and soar through the void.
Members of the Fire Lizard Tribe swung their sharp blades with fervor, as if energized by a potent elixir.
...
At the base of a chilly meteorite, seven striking members of the Mondnacht Clan abruptly opened their eyes.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One by one, they stepped out, positioning themselves atop the sleek meteorite. Guided by their bloodline, they gazed intently into the distance.
A crescent moon, casting a soft lunar glow, had emerged seemingly from nowhere.
The radiant crescent hung silently amidst meteorites of varying sizes in the void ahead.
Its light was so pure that merely gazing upon it seemed to enrich the bloodlines of the Mondnacht Clan.
"The Moon Armor!"
The seven Mondnacht Clan members shouted in unison and swiftly made their way toward it.
...
Boom!
A hulking man of the Rock Clan, his physique as solid as granite, hurtled through the air.
His eyes blazed with fervent greed, fixated unwaveringly on what lay before him.
It was as if the treasure of his dreams had materialized, tantalizingly within reach.
He began to lose himself, succumbing to a creeping madness.
...
The Galaxy Crossing, held by the Profound Sky Sect and shaped like a scallop shell, also soared through the sky.
Xu Jingyao, bearer of the Fire God Spear, shuddered and cast his gaze into the distance.
He spotted an enormous crimson meteorite that had suddenly materialized, housing a solar nucleus marked with crimson lightning. Both he and the Artifact Soul resonated with it almost simultaneously.
Zhu Huan snapped out of a trance, focusing intently, and also caught a glimpse of the colossal solar nucleus.
"Something's amiss. It's highly unlikely for such an immense and intact solar nucleus to appear in the fragmented Deep Starfield," Zhu Huan murmured.
"Hmm!"
Wai Zhuo of the Thunder Sect let out an astonished cry upon noticing a storm of lightning and thunder swirling in a distant region thousands of miles away.
He sensed the profound truths of the thunderous Dao emanating from it.
After a brief pause, Wai Zhuo announced, "My friends, I must take my leave for a moment!"
With no further explanation, the sect leader from the Boundless Great World transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished.
Cao Jiaze was left bewildered, staring blankly at the spot where Wai Zhuo had disappeared, squinting but seeing nothing.
Above the meteorite, the Yang Gods and Unrestrained Stage cultivators from various factions seemed to be possessed, ignoring Cao Jiaze's pleas and warnings as they left one by one. Although they flew off in different directions, Cao Jiaze had the distinct impression that their paths would converge. It was as if they were destined to meet again somewhere down the line.
In the Lissom Realm, Diggs of the Dark Elfkind gazed upon the menacing flora. Nearly a thousand visitors from other races were impaled and suspended in midair, their bloodied bodies a grim spectacle. A deep sense of anticipation shone in his gray-green eyes. He and Pei Yuling now stood on the surface, a stark contrast to the depths below.
Beside them, a towering tree with razor-sharp branches grew ominously. Currently leafless, its branches thrust aggressively in all directions. Pei Yuling looked up to see the tree's immense height, dwarfing the gradually forming mountains of the Lissom Realm. Its sprawling branches had already claimed a thousand acres of sky.
The tree's gray-brown limbs appeared to siphon vitality and energy from every plant in the Lissom Realm, using it to fuel its own growth and expansion. "What an enormous tree," Pei Yuling remarked in awe.
"Big? You think this is big?" Diggs chuckled derisively, casting a condescending glance at Pei Yuling. "Right now, it's merely a seedling. Once it reaches its full size, you'll see that the entire Lissom Realm cannot contain it!"
Pei Yuling was taken aback. "Really?"
"Its roots are anchored in the Lissom Realm, drawing sustenance from it. But its branches will stretch out endlessly, reaching into every corner of the Deep Starfield. They'll pierce through massive meteorites, resembling stars within a realm, drawing strength from them to amass power," Diggs explained with evident pride, his eyes sparkling with an unusual gleam.
Pei Yuling was left speechless by the revelation.
"Just wait and see. All creatures active in the Deep Starfield will be drawn here. Regardless of their original location or activity, they'll fall under the Divine Butterfly's illusory spell, lured by treasures beyond their wildest dreams," Diggs continued.
"All we need to do is wait quietly, and they will come to the Lissom Realm, one after another."
Diggs gazed at the enigmatic tree, utterly entranced. "Then, they will nourish it, allowing it to mature and bear fruit!"
"That fruit could grant me eternal life, sparing me from ever aging!"
...
Chen Qinghuang's statement deeply shook everyone, prompting a newfound understanding of Diggs, the lifespan limits of all creatures, and the Hannya Divine Tree.
Beru was beside himself, murmuring, "He didn't lie. He was right; he found the legendary divine tree. If we had believed him back then, if he could have broken the lifespan barrier, there would have been nothing wrong with him leading the Dark Elfkind as their patriarch."
Realizing his old friend's actions were not misguided, Beru was filled with remorse.
Because even he had thought Diggs had lost his mind at the time.
He believed Diggs had been seduced by malevolent thoughts, losing his way, which led to the horrific sacrifices and a grave mistake that ultimately cost him his life.
"The Hannya Divine Tree really exists?" Yan Qiling whispered to himself.
"The Hannya Divine Tree..."
Yu Yuan murmured, repeating the words, a sense of familiarity creeping in.
It seemed he had once heard about the Hannya Divine Tree's origins, but when he tried to recall the details, nothing came to mind.
"Huh!"
His attention was drawn to a group from the Crypt Clan.
He watched as more than a dozen Seventh and Eighth Level warriors from the Crypt Clan hurried toward the Lissom Realm, their breaths ragged with fervor.
Despite their proximity to other Crypt Clan members, these individuals seemed oblivious to their presence, completely disregarding them.
As if some extraordinary treasure had appeared in the distance.
"How is this possible? Are they blind?"
Yan Ziyang of the Ghost Spirit Sect was startled by the bizarre scene. "They didn't even glance our way. Something feels off."
Beru, Leo, and others also sensed the oddity, their brows furrowing.
The empress looked impassively at the three Star Race clansmen before her and said without emotion, "Without my power guiding you, you would be as deluded as they are, lured by a non-existent treasure and rushing to your deaths in the Lissom Realm. Then, you too would become nourishment for the Hannya Divine Tree to flourish."
"Ah!" Denise exclaimed, her face draining of color in fright.
Leo furrowed his brow in deep thought, then after a moment, he gave a slight nod. "So it was your assistance."
"All life within the Deep Starfield is under the influence of the Divine Butterfly's illusion, all drifting towards the Lissom Realm," Chen Qinghuang said, her lips curling into a wry smile. "The moment they start moving, they draw closer to the Lissom Realm and are inevitably ensnared by it."
"Should we just observe the changes?" Yu Yuan asked.
"Some have not been misled, but sadly, they cannot prevent the others from straying."
Her Majesty the Empress's gaze transcended the spatial distance, as if in a blink, she was peering directly at a specific realm. "If you wish, you can reach out to that young man named Cao Jiaze. He's quite distressed, floundering about like a headless fly, clueless and helpless in his urgency."
"Cao Jiaze!" Yu Yuan called out.
In the next instant, through the Empress's power, he saw the image of Cao Jiaze and the silhouettes of those departing.
Among those who had departed and were now lost in the Divine Butterfly's illusion were Yuan Lianyao and Faang Yao.
Zhu Huan and Wai Zhuo were unexpectedly part of that group as well.
"Even cultivators at the Unrestrained Stage are unable to break free!"
