C1788 Confusion

In the Oblivion Starfield, within the Plover Realm, Lin Daoke sat motionless at the Galaxy Crossing, his eyes closed, never to open again.

Van Heqing, Yue Mu, and other Great Sword Immortals were scattered around him, occasionally speaking among themselves, glancing at newcomers transported from other realms, and discussing the vast expanse of the universe and the situation in the outside world.

Lin Daoke alone seemed detached from all worldly concerns, as if he were simply awaiting the arrival of Shehun.

Nothing seemed capable of drawing his attention or stirring his long-dormant heart, except for battles among the most formidable.

With a whoosh, two figures who had traveled from the vast reaches of space and passed through the Green Fluorescent Realm materialized at the Galaxy Crossing.

Yue Mu greeted them with a beaming smile. "Hey, isn't that Jun Chen, the esteemed first guest of the chamber of commerce? And Fong Zhong, what brings you here, old man?"

Jun Chen and Fong Zhong had arrived at the Galaxy Crossing, a place one could enter but never leave.

Jun Chen, with a frosty demeanor, did not utter a word to the Great Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect seated before him; instead, he flew off toward the Void Divine King, Jiaang Miaojie, and their companions.

His father, Duan Yisheng, had been imprisoned, and these Great Sword Immortals had played a part in it. Were it not for Lin Daoke's presence, Jun Chen might have drawn his sword against them on the spot.

"Jun Chen, remember the rules of the Plover Realm: once you've come, you cannot think of leaving. I'm warning you, don't act rashly and violate the Sword Sect's rules," Yue Mu called out to his retreating figure.

Jun Chen ignored the warning completely.

Fong Zhong, sporting a goatee and a sleazy grin, warmly greeted each of the Great Sword Immortals. "Hi there, Old Van, it's been ages! Didn't I look out for you when you were overseeing the Crack Archipelago for the Sword Sect? It's true what they say, you can't judge a book by its cover! I even went out of my way to gather quite a collection of rare spiritual materials for you."

"Little Qing Momo, was it through the Chamber of Commerce that you acquired the core material for your Green Flower Sword?"

"And Xue Jiu, why the long face? Do I owe you money? Seven hundred years ago, you were gravely injured beyond the heavens, your Yang God shattered. Weren't we the ones who procured the healing pellet for you from the Medicine God Sect?"

"You lot are always so keen to hang on every word from Han Miaoyuan."

Fong Zhong, once the leader of the Wind Chanters, recounted the favors the Great Sword Immortals had received from the Chamber of Commerce.

The Great Sword Immortals he called out wore embarrassed looks and avoided his gaze.

With a resigned sigh, Van Heqing stood up and gave a polite bow. "Let's agree to disagree. There's no need to dredge up the past. When your Chamber of Commerce faced challenges in the Crack Archipelago, and someone dared to flout your rules on Babel Island, I didn't hesitate to draw my sword in your defense."

"Let's leave the past in the past," Fong Zhong said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I didn't come to the Plover Realm this time to stay. I just brought a few updates for you all."

He shared news of the suppressed Yin Meridians in Horror Land and how the soul of the Origin Realm God had been consumed by the Soul Summoning Flag wielded by Extreme Intelligence.

He also mentioned the alliance between Tan Xiaotian and Extreme Intelligence, and the formidable swordplay of Ji Ningshuang.

While Fong Zhong spoke, Jun Chen had joined Yuv Qian, Green Incubus, and Jiaang Miaojie, briefing them on the latest developments in the vast expanse.

"Elder Han has vanished, Tan Xiaotian is increasingly drawn to the abyss, and Extreme Intelligence now controls the Origin Realm, even forging a new gateway. Perhaps it's time for you to reassess your allegiances?" Fong Zhong spoke to Van Heqing and Yue Mu, but his gaze remained fixed on Lin Daoke, aware that the Great Sword Immortals took their cues from him.

Yet Lin Daoke remained still, eyes closed, signaling no change in his stance.

"Ji Ningshuang truly hasn't disappointed us!"

"To be honest, she embodies the Sword Sect's excellence far more than Old Gu ever did! Old Gu is just too cautious with his life. The less he dares to fight, the quicker he meets his end!"

"The grace of the Starfrost Sword is truly breathtaking! I must return to the Vast Expanse to witness her vanquish the Asura!"

The Great Sword Immortals present were unabashed in their praise, lavishing compliments on Ji Ningshuang without mentioning anyone else.

Fong Zhong refrained from further idle talk. He understood that Lin Daoke remained unmoved after hearing the account, steadfast in his opinion.

Even Fong Zhong himself couldn't sway Lin Daoke; no one could. Tired of the futile effort, he promptly departed from the Galaxy Crossing.

"All is well."

The refined Void Divine King smiled lightly in response to Jun Chen's remarks.

"Yu Yuan is truly surprising!" Jiaang Miaojie exclaimed with sparkling eyes to the Void Divine King beside her, "How did the elder of such profound wisdom from the older generation just take his leave with the Soul Summoning Flag and the newly constructed Origin Realm Gate?"

After a moment's reflection, the Void Divine King replied earnestly, "Out of respect."

"Respect?"

Aside from those in the know like Yu Qian, the statement left the elders and youths of the Divine Soul Sect, along with the Ninth Level warriors from various races, utterly perplexed.

In that moment, the Heavenly Devil Yu Qian's form quivered, and he slowly ascended.

Without leaving the barrier of the Plover Realm, he gazed from the heights at the Epitaxial Realm within the same Starfield.

Following his lead, those who were either native to the Plover Realm or had teleported from elsewhere also turned their attention to the Epitaxial Realm.

...

In the Epitaxial Realm.

Gathered at the entrance to the deep cavern leading to the subterranean Yin meridian were Old Beru, the Son of Stars Leo, Gheirat, Brie from the Dark Elfkind, Rebecca of the Banshee Clan, and formidable beings from various races.

All eyes were fixed on the cavern's entrance.

A brilliant purple light beam erupted from within, with countless luminous strands of lightning weaving the principles of the soul throughout the beam.

Eerie sounds that resonated with the soul emanated from the light, casting a solemn air over the assembled powerhouses.

Their souls seemed ensnared by the sound and the pillar of light, yearning to break free from their physical forms and submit to the light's enslavement.

"Shehun!"

"It's Lord Shehun!"

"This aura, it's as if the supreme power of the vast expanse is forging a divine seat!"

"No, it's not just forging; it must have succeeded!"

The crowd buzzed with speculation, their eyes fixed on the cave where the phenomenon had manifested. They could feel an external force pouring in from another dimension, seeping into the depths of the Epitaxial Realm.

Beru approached the cave's mouth, peering intently inside. He could just make out a graceful purple soul shadow that slowly solidified into reality.

It was as though flesh and bone were being channeled from elsewhere into the subterranean Yin Meridians, culminating in a mysterious rite of corporeal construction.

Nine Stars Sage Beru was awestruck. Suddenly, he found himself concerned for Denise, fearing her essence might be mingled within the flesh and bones below.

"She made the right bet. She's reaped great rewards from the vastness. Now, Yu Yuan has taken her to the Gray Domain. By my calculations, she should have encountered the ground beetle by now, luckier than any of you."

Shehun's voice, rich and soothing, rose from the depths of the cave, clearly perceiving Beru's thoughts.

"Ah!"

Gheirat exclaimed with joy, promptly kneeling and clasping his chest, "I am grateful for your generosity!"

"She earned it. Her courage to venture with me into the vastness warrants such a bounty." As Shehun's form took shape, the beings of the Epitaxial Realm seemed to become extensions of her vision, her soul's consciousness reaching out to encompass this world and the adjacent stars.

Through this connection, she observed the Great Sword Immortal and the Void Divine King within the Plover Realm.

"Sword Sect, Lin Daoke!"

Her soul's unique oscillations emanated from the Epitaxial Realm, crystal clear to those attuned to such spiritual frequencies.

Anyone within the Oblivion Starfield capable of perceiving the Epitaxial Realm with their soul could hear her message.

And they would instantly know that upon the success of her form's consolidation, she would emerge from the subterranean cave.

Then, she set off for the Plover Realm to challenge Lin Daoke.

This earth-shattering battle that had captured the attention of the mightiest from across the Eon Realm was about to unfold.

...

Whoosh!

The Heaven Opening Flare Star gradually came to a halt.

Nearby, clusters of star energy swirled into whirlpool storms, gently pulsating with a terrifying power capable of annihilating the cosmos.

The pale golden Tia Main Planet shimmered within these storms, occasionally obscured by their tumultuous movement.

Thirty-six massive whirlpool storms ejected colossal amounts of energy outward, constantly shifting positions, making the pale golden Tia Main Planet appear to drift unstably.

"It's arrived!"

In a flash, Yu Yuan maneuvered the Dragon Slash Platform, instantly moving from the Tia Main Planet to his current location.

Standing on the Heaven Opening Flare Star, he gazed upon the Tia Main Planet, now shrouded by thirty-six whirlpool storms and occasionally bathed in divine light. He could feel the seemingly boundless energy erupting from it.

"I'm eager to discover the source of these thirty-six whirlwinds' energy."

The star energy in the Gray Domain was more potent than any other star he had visited, yet it was also more disordered and diverse.

This was because the thirty-six whirlwinds continuously siphoned energy from the external world, funneling it into this region before dispersing it.

It spread across the entire Gray Domain!

The Tia Main Planet, of course, received special attention, absorbing more star energy than any other celestial body within the Gray Domain.

The reason the Spinosaurus lay dormant in the deep sea, and why Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie had brought forth the Ninth and Eighth Level dragons, was tied to this phenomenon.

"The boundary!"

The voice of the Spinosaurus's soul echoed in Yu Yuan's heart, "A portion of the star energy is being drawn from the fringes of this world into the Gray Domain. Some of the energy is so peculiar, even after much contemplation, its origins remain a mystery to me."

The unique bond between the Spinosaurus and him would persist unless one of them decided to sever it forcibly.

It had once deliberately concealed itself, avoiding detection by Yu Yuan, to prevent him from sensing its movements and breaking the blood tie that connected them.

At that moment, it seemed to have discerned Yu Yuan's confusion and proactively offered its answer.

Yu Yuan's eyebrows shot up. "The border!"

He involuntarily recalled the border he had encountered alongside Taishi and Taixu. It was a place of eerie silence and bitter cold, where the energy of the Stars Realm was exceedingly sparse, rendering it inhospitable for intelligent races.

The ruins of stars and palaces within the Realm suggested that a fierce and bloody battle had once raged.

Could it be that, in the beginning, the energy of the starry sky was evenly distributed along the world's edges, just as dense as in other regions?

Was it because of the Gray Domain, the ancient Spinosaurus, and those thirty-six colossal whirlwind storms?

"I told you, only a portion originates from the border!" the little Spinosaurus reiterated.

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