C1924 The Base Camp

The inaugural war between the two worlds ended with a resounding victory for the world inhabited by the Beast Gods.

As Andrea spoke the word 'defeat,' her radiant face lost all traces of a smile, her eyes brimming with an icy ferocity. Her stature, towering over that of a human woman, radiated a wild and imperious energy. With a slight grin, she declared, "We've been eagerly awaiting the next battle!"

Her resolve was palpable.

From the moment she learned the truth about the war in the Perish Starfield, she was determined to one day engage the Beast Gods from the other worlds in a true battle.

With a whoosh, she departed the Dragon Slash Platform, drifting among the skeletal remains of foreign champions, softly recounting their tales to Yu Yuan.

"Here lies a Tenth Level warrior of the Dark Elfkind, a Platinum Asura. And there, another Tenth Level warrior from the Star Race."

For tens of thousands of years, Andrea had stood guard in the Perish Starfield, recounting the stories of these bones as if they were treasured family relics.

As a young girl, she was escorted by the Great Demon God Beilstein to view these fallen warriors, absorbing his accounts of their identities and histories.

Many were Beilstein's friends or steadfast followers.

"It was nearly a complete annihilation."

Andrea paused beside a skeleton that, after many years, still faintly shimmered. It was unmistakably a mighty warrior of the Bright Clan who had fallen in combat. "I say 'nearly' because a few experts were reportedly captured by the Beast Gods and taken from our world."

"I suspect..."

Her voice grew heavy with implication, "Their end in that other world is likely more terrible than death itself."

Yu Yuan listened in silence.

Her words painted a vivid picture for Yu Yuan, bringing the brutal ancient war into sharper focus, revealing the mighty of this world overwhelmed by the onslaught of alien beasts.

"Why did the Beast Gods retreat?"

Ji Ningshuang, with the Starfrost Sword slung across her back and radiating an icy aura, inquired with curiosity as she surveyed her surroundings.

"It was because the Great Demon God Beilstein awoke prematurely from his deep slumber upon receiving the dire news."

Standing before Ji Ningshuang, Andrea refrained from referring to Beilstein as her father, stating with gravity, "At that time, the High Priest of the Devaputra Race, unable to fend off the savage Beast Gods, feared their escape from the Perish Starfield would endanger nearby star systems. He had no choice but to rouse him ahead of time."

Upon awakening and hastening to the Perish Starfield, the Beast God from the foreign realm reluctantly withdrew.

Andrea's eyes conveyed a sense of resignation.

"They've been monitoring our world, aware of the Titan spinosaurus's existence and its dreadfulness, thus they seized an opportune moment. When the Great Demon God was amidst the vastness, causing the Titan spinosaurus to plummet into slumber, he too was gravely wounded. During his extended rest to heal his Devil Soul, that's when the Beast God from the other realm made its incursion."

"At that juncture, the Nagas of the vast sea were emerging, with no Dragon God yet born. And the Life Seed of humanity was perhaps just beginning to take root."

As they conversed, Andrea, well-acquainted with the Perish Starfield, took the lead, guiding them toward the far north.

She had slowed her pace, showing no intention of using the Dragon Slash Platform to bridge the void.

Her desire was for Yu Yuan to truly absorb the essence of the Perish Starfield.

"Lord Beilstein, didn't you pursue her?"

Yu Yiyi, clad in the finely crafted armor from the Evil Cauldron, posed the question in a subdued tone atop the Dragon Slash Platform.

In Andrea's presence, she exhibited considerable caution.

"Pursue?"

Andrea shook her head, her voice tinged with bitterness, "Between the two worlds lies a barrier, enigmatic in nature. It may only relax once in thousands or even tens of thousands of years. Until it does, not even my father can traverse it. Only the supreme Beast God of that world can unnaturally ease the barrier."

"Our words..."

She suddenly turned to Yu Yuan.

"Go ahead," Yu Yuan urged gently.

"It took another being in our world tens of thousands of years to discern the pattern of the barrier's relaxation," Andrea revealed without reserve. "That being is the Demon Phoenix of the vast sea."

Yu Yuan gave a slow nod of understanding.

"The Demon Phoenix found a peculiar region bordering the Beast God World, akin to the northernmost reaches of the Perish Starfield."

"It appears she spent a great deal of time there and ultimately discovered a method to traverse the divide."

"She may well be the sole entity from our world to have ventured into the Beast God World."

Andrea shared these secrets as Yu Yuan maneuvered the Dragon Slash Platform, leisurely following her toward the northernmost expanse of the Perish Starfield.

Gradually, he approached the edge of the Starfield, where the presence of its unique energies was nearly imperceptible, and the scattered fragments of stars were no longer visible.

The area was a void of emptiness and chilling silence, a barren expanse.

That changed when five landmasses, akin to floating islands, came into view.

These lands were suspended in the far north of the Perish Starfield, with nothing else in sight.

Atop these islands were palaces and buildings bustling with life, and the Galaxy Crossing was present among them.

Further north, the space turned murky and oppressive, as if his vision and thoughts struck an invisible barrier, unable to push through.

He instantly realized he had reached his destination.

"Lord Shehun!"

"Lady Andrea has returned!"

A diverse array of intelligent beings, clad in various garments, emerged on the five landmasses.

Among them were humans, members of the Dark Elfkind, young Star Race individuals, and numerous hybrids of humans and extraterrestrial races.

Yu Yuan recognized Jiaang Miaojie among them, along with others he knew.

When he had departed the Gray Domain for the Demon Domain, Jiaang Miaojie was still there; how she ended up here was a mystery.

"Ah, that's the Dragon Slash Platform!"

Jiaang Miaojie and Hwa Xin stood shoulder to shoulder, surrounded by a group of strikingly attractive youths, all peering curiously at the edge of the land.

Upon sighting the Dragon Slash Platform, Jiaang Miaojie couldn't help but exclaim in excitement. She was dressed in a snug, dark red fishtail gown, her waist as slender as a serpent, her figure statuesque. With her pale hands shading her eyes, she gazed into the distance and instructed those beside her, "All of you, make sure to greet me properly later."

"Is that Yu Yuan, the most distinguished figure in the Vast Expanse?"

"Is this his first visit?"

The crowd buzzed with chatter.

Hwa Xin, amidst the throng, wore a contemplative frown, choosing not to interject.

"These five lands, the central one is actually the most significant. Initially, our ancestors only managed to secure this single piece," Andrea explained to Yu Yuan as she drew near. "Later, as Taishi, Tianqi, and I ascended to the rank of Divine Kings, we each brought over three more lands from the heart of the Perish Starfield to serve as our divine palaces. Taishi also added one during his last visit."

Out of the five continents, four are exclusively reserved for the Divine Kings.

Only the Divine Kings from the Divine Soul Sect are privileged and powerful enough to select shattered stars from the Perish Starfield, relocate them here, and forge their own private domains.

"Andrea!"

In the heart of a continent, before a palace constructed of granite, Tianqi materialized out of nowhere.

As he appeared, his gaze fell upon the Dragon Slash Platform and Yu Yuan atop it.

Tianqi, who had fortified the palace with secret arts, regarded Yu Yuan with awe. It was as though the figure he had awaited for eons had at last returned to his own creation.

Tianqi beckoned, "Come to me, all of you."

Andrea exchanged a knowing glance with him, gave Yu Yuan a meaningful look, and signaled the Divine Soul Sect disciples and elders from the other continents to fall silent and cease their clamor.

"We should also see what's happening. As soon as Lord Tianqi returned, he sealed his hall. I'm curious about his motives."

Jiaang Miaojie's curiosity was piqued, and she remarked, "Yu Yuan is here too. Let's go and inquire about the situation. Hwa Xin, surely you've lost heart by now. You're not still thinking of challenging him, are you?"

Hwa Xin shook his head, his face etched with bitterness.

...

"The reason I hastened back from the Gray Domain was that I detected something amiss. The barrier between our world and another seems to be weakening."

In the dimly lit hall, Tianqi clutched a lustrous, amber-like crystal ball.

With a grave tone, he whispered, "I recommend we send the younger generation to the Gray Domain at once to escape the impending peril!"

"Andrea, you should inform Reid that the battle you and Lord Beilstein have been anticipating may soon be upon us."

"The Beast Gods must have caught wind of our realm, hence their convergence."

...