C1966
In the Perish Starfield, on the fringes of the Starry Border, the Bright Clan and the Star Race enjoyed a harmonious relationship, thanks to the close personal ties between their leaders. These two extraterrestrial tribes now shared a piece of land.
Within a spire-shaped palace, members of the Bright Clan—Cadorath, Canli, and Chen Liangquan—convened with the Star Race's Barol, Beru, and the father-daughter duo, Gheirat and Denise. They were either Tenth Level Peak experts or Ninth Level Warriors, each one distinguished and revered.
It was rare to find a Bloodline Warrior below the Ninth Level brave enough to leave the Gray Domain to defend this territory. Each one was battle-hardened, having been tempered between life and death over many years.
"You shouldn't have come," the Great Sage Beru said, his gaze heavy with disapproval as he addressed Denise. "No one can predict when the Beast Gods of the Desolate Realm might decide to launch a full-scale invasion. Even the Divine Soul Sect can't pin down the Desolate Realm's movements."
"You're on the cusp of ascending to Tenth Level Bloodline Keeper status, so you should have remained in the Gray Domain instead of venturing to the Perish Starfield."
Beru shook his head, his face etched with regret. "Leo is no longer of use. You represent the future of our Star Race!"
Gheirat glared at Denise, adding, "We have plenty of Ninth Level Bloodline Warriors. Most will never have a shot at reaching the Tenth Level in their lifetimes. If they fall in battle, it's a loss, but not a tragedy. But you, Denise, you're the seed of our Star Race."
Leo, once hailed as the Son of the Stars, suffered a catastrophic loss. In an attempt to manifest the coordinates of the Origin Blood Continent using the ground beetle in the depths of the Gray Domain, he was overcome by the will of the deep sea, resulting in the explosion of his Life Altar and the forfeiture of his innate talents.
With Leo's potential squandered, Denise had become the Star Race's most promising candidate to reach the Tenth Level after Barol. Beru, concerned about the risks Barol might face in the looming war, had forbidden Denise from joining them. Yet, defying his wishes, she had stubbornly arrived alongside Canli of the Bright Clan.
"I also need the experience that only battle can provide," Denise murmured.
"You don't understand at all. Once the Beast Gods invade, the Perish Starfield will become a nightmare," Beru said with a furrowed brow.
"Alright, alright."
Cadorath, delicate as a porcelain doll, snapped out of her reverie and said, "If the Beast Gods truly enter, Canli and Denise had better head straight back to the Gray Domain as soon as the war starts. Beilstein told me about the last war that took place in the Perish Starfield."
Her finely sculpted face grew somber at the memory.
"It's worse than you can imagine. Bloodline Warriors of the Tenth Level and Ninth Level experts had almost no survivors. Even I am not confident I could survive being besieged by a multitude of Beast Gods."
"Don't be fooled into thinking that the Beast Gods are an easy foe."
Many who had come to the Starry Border were under the impression that the Beast Gods were weak, due to the sight of several of their corpses floating between realms, a tactic used by Andrea to inspire the troops.
Cadorath certainly didn't share that view. She pondered aloud, "Sometimes, I even think that the supreme Titan spinosaurus created the Gray Domain just to ensure the safety of all beings in this world."
"What do you mean?" Beru, the most learned among them, inquired.
"The Titan spinosaurus is aware of the Desolate Realm. I've heard that after its return from the abyss, it too wished to venture into the Desolate Realm."
"The Gray Domain was specifically crafted by the ancient spinosaurus. He's nearly invincible there."
"He might have intended to relocate the species of this world to the Gray Domain for the upcoming battles with the abyss and the Desolate Realm. What the Divine Soul Sect is doing now might also be part of the old spinosaurus's initial vision," Cadorath explained succinctly.
After a brief pause, the young girl, ranked just below Beilstein among the celestial powerhouses, suddenly said, "I truly envy those two dragons."
Barol, who had been quiet until then, looked at her with astonishment.
"I am not immortal."
Cadorath sighed, "No matter how hard I work, no matter how much I try to stop time, I know it's just a struggle against destiny. I am not Beilstein, nor am I Reid. I have a mortal body, and I too will age and die."
"I have a sense of it too," she said, casting a glance at Beru.
The Great Sage Beru, who shared her plight, understood her feelings all too well. Upon catching her gaze, he nodded back with a wry smile.
"I've seen a glimmer of hope in Loong Jie and Zhong Chichen!"
Cadorath inhaled deeply, her voice vibrant with excitement: "They are flesh and blood, not Starry Behemoths, not Devaputras, nor the exalted Primordial Spirits of humanity. If they can achieve eternal life through Yu Yuan, then... it's possible for me as well!"
Her eyes shone with longing for the Life Keychain.
Beru began to speak, but was interrupted.
Barol, the leader of the Star Race, gave him a look and hesitated before saying, "You must at least reach the Tenth Level first."
The Great Sage shook his head, his smile tinged with bitterness.
...
"Tian Yin!"
A sudden bellow echoed through the area, jolting all the stationed powerhouses.
The shout, laden with accusation, left the peak experts of various races inwardly astonished. Who would be so tactless as to stir up trouble at such a delicate time?
Leaders and high-ranking Bloodline warriors from the intelligent races emerged, each searching for the source of the outcry.
The towering Oracle Divine King, his expression stern, burst forth from his palace.
At that moment, Andrea, resolute, had taken Xuanli to a secret location of the Outland Devaputra to refine the "Soul Essence," preparing him for his ascension.
Taishi and Taixu had recently returned to the Gray Domain to accommodate the human cultivators who had traveled from distant lands.
They also took the opportunity to gauge the current state of affairs in Hao Ran.
Meanwhile, Yu Yuan's true self was in deep seclusion within his specially constructed palace, unseen for some time.
Before departing, Andrea had cautioned Tianqi and the other foreign powerhouses to avoid disturbing him unless necessary.
Tianqi was acutely aware that Yu Yuan's true self was out of sight, possibly contemplating whether to unlock his sealed memories and seek a method to ascend to Primordial Spirit without any external aid.
At this moment, the Divine Soul Sect held an extraordinary position in the heavens, and Tianqi couldn't imagine anyone foolish enough to stir up trouble.
Could it be one of the supreme beings from the vast Perish Starfield?
Tianqi searched the skies for the source of the sound, eager to see who dared to be so audacious.
"Ugh!"
Cadorath, equally disturbed, narrowed her eyes and gazed into the distance from the lands of the Bright Clan and the Star Race. She was the first to spot three figures.
Cadorath was taken aback, her expression one of bemusement. "Those three are actually still alive."
"Who are they?" Canli inquired.
"The ones Yu Yuan hunted down. They've been hiding in some Starry Forbidden Ground. After tens of thousands of years, they've never dared to show themselves, and now they choose this moment to emerge," Cadorath mused with a chuckle, shaking her head. "Perhaps they're convinced that Beilstein won't be returning anytime soon."
At her words, Barol of the Star Race's demeanor shifted, seemingly recognizing the newcomers' identities.
"Cadorath, Rebecca, Brie, your tribes were once decimated by him, and now you stand as his allies!"
The voice of the person shouting carried from thousands of miles away, yet it echoed throughout the Divine Soul Sect's stronghold.
The individuals he named were all chieftains of their respective tribes and all Tenth Level Bloodline Keepers.
Hearing his voice and his accusations, they too began to piece together his identity.
