Splitting the Heavens-Chapter 2134: External Avatar And Talisman Seed
Before leaving the Flood Star Region, Shang Xia also received the solemn gratitude of Ting Lei and the rest.
Only then did he learn that the spatial passage deep within the Lightning Prison was not always open.
After every outbreak of a lightning storm within the Lightning Prison, that rift would vanish for several years before appearing again, and even after reappearing, it would take several more years to stabilize enough for the experts of the Nightmare Sea of Stars to pass through.
In other words, the battle Shang Xia fought in the depths of the Lightning Prison had not only prevented several Nightmare Sea of Stars’ experts from invading via their living puppets, but had also earned the Flood Star Region a dozen or more years.
The three from the Flood Star Region originally wished to keep Shang Xia as a guest to show their hospitality, but he declined with courtesy and soon took his leave.
Although his trip to the Lightning Prison to draw upon the Nightmare Sea of Stars’s origin qi had been fairly smooth, the journey there and back had taken nearly a full year. By the time he returned to the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, it would be the 37th year of the Essence Luxuriant Calendar.
...
Just as he returned, he sensed some faint fluctuations coming from the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, and his soul perceived an excited roar reverberating deep in the void.
“Oh? Did it finally succeed?” Shang Xia did not seem surprised as he sped to the Spirit Frost World.
In the void outside the heavenly screen of the Spirit Frost World, the Giant Ape King... No, the Giant Ape Emperor, was pounding its chest in excitement.
It raised its head and roared happily, and under the heavenly screen, every spiritual beast tribe, along with their beast kings, felt the horrifying pressure coming from the Giant Ape Emperor outside the heavenly screen. Due to the suppression, they couldn’t even raise their bodies from the ground. They could only look into the skies from time to time as they heard the cries of joy.
Not only were those in the Spirit Frost World alerted... Even in the other Spirit Worlds, and the Essence Luxuriant World... Everyone who had reached the Martial Dipper Realm felt the change. They could feel a stirring in their souls and those who were True Immortal could clearly hear the roars of the Giant Ape Emperor despite the distance between them.
In truth, the Giant Ape Emperor had broken through to the seventh rank earlier. However, it recalled Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue’s instructions clearly not to rush out of seclusion. It had to stabilize its foundations, especially the bloodline it had devoured from the Eagle Emperor before it could emerge.
That was why it took so long. The moment it reappeared. The Giant Ape Emperor vented all its pent up emotions in a loud series of roars.
“Alright, you’ve had your fill by now. It’s time to rest a bit. If you keep roaring, I’m afraid everyone in the Heavenly Field won’t be able to sit still from the noise!” Kou Chongxue’s voice traveled through the turbulent void currents to the Giant Ape Emperor.
The excited roaring cut off at once. The Giant Ape Emperor glanced back at the heavenly screen and it seemed to understand something. It leaped into the chaotic streams surrounding the Spirit Frost World.
In the chaotic streams encircling the Spirit Frost World, Kou Chongxue saw the Giant Ape Emperor and he cupped his hands. With a smile on his face, Kou Chongxue chuckled, “Congratulations!”
The Giant Ape Emperor awkwardly imitated the gesture. “Thank you!”
He quickly noticed that only Kou Chongxue had come this time and asked, “Where is Sage Shang?”
Kou Chongxue smiled. “He...”
“I just came back and I heard you making such a racket, as if you’re afraid others won’t know the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field has gained a new rank seven beast emperor...” Shang Xia’s voice suddenly arrived, cutting off Kou Chongxue.
Both man and beast turned to see Shang Xia stride out from the depths of the void. Each step he took seemed to violently compress the space beneath his feet.
Seeing him, the smile on Kou Chongxue’s face grew wider. “This trip didn’t take too long after all. Looks like your journey to the Flood Star Region went fairly well?”
Shang Xia raised a hand and tossed an item to the Giant Ape Emperor as a congratulatory gift for his advancement, then replied, “It wasn’t long, but what I experienced was anything but little.”
With that, the two men and one beast gathered together, and Shang Xia roughly recounted his experiences in the Flood Star Region.
“The Flood Star Region calls the Nightmare Sea of Stars’ secret art the Nightmare Suppression, and you call it a mere possession?” After hearing Shang Xia’s account, Kou Chongxue was intrigued by the new term he used for the Flood Star Region’s living puppet technique.
The Giant Ape Emperor rumbled, “I don’t like living puppets, I don’t like possession!”
It sounded like it was voicing its feelings, but both Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia understood what it truly meant. A being like the Giant Ape Emperor, who had just advanced to the seventh rank and possessed an extremely powerful physical body, might become a preferred vessel for the Nightmare Sea of Stars experts to make into a living puppet.
The instincts of spiritual beasts were often astonishing.
Shang Xia patted the Giant Ape Emperor’s massive body. “Don’t worry. I can deal with them.”
He did not say it out of arrogance. Rather, after having crossed blades with the experts of the Nightmare Sea of Stars, his confidence had only grown.
But the Giant Ape Emperor shook its head. “We can’t rely on your protection forever.”
Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia exchanged a smile, and Shang Xia continued, “Then your soul needs to be strong enough.”
The Giant Ape Emperor shook its head, and Shang Xia understood that he meant it didn’t know how.
After thinking for a moment, Shang Xia explained, “I’ll pass you a secret art. Try cultivating it and see whether it has some effect.”
With that, Shang Xia taught the Giant Ape Emperor, word by word, a relatively simple and easy-to-understand part of the Man and Heaven Synergy Chapter. He then explained it line by line, mixing in his own insights from cultivating the secret art over the years.
Once it received the secret art that might help against any invasion of the soul, the Giant Ape Emperor who just emerged from cultivation couldn’t wait to get back to it.
At the same time, Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia decided to leave.
“The Spirit Frost World can’t support the Giant Ape Emperor’s presence for long. I’m afraid we need to think of other solutions.” On their way back to the Essence Luxuriant World, Shang Xia suddenly brought it up.
Kou Chongxue smiled. “It’s only at the first star... The Spirit Frost World can hold on for quite a while. At worst, we’ll have the Heavenly Field offload some of the burden from their Spirit World when the time comes.”
Naturally, that wasn’t what Shang Xia was trying to say.
He couldn’t help but quickly push the topic back to what he intended to as he continued in a low voice, “How long can our Heavenly Field hold on? We have three Sages and if we add my External Avatar, the current Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field may soon be nearing its limit. If this continues, the whole Heavenly Field will be overwhelmed.”
Kou Chongxue waved a hand dismissively. “It’s too early to talk about that. Besides, in recent years, both the growth of our Essence Luxuriant World and our Heavenly Field have never stopped. All problems will solve themselves.”
Surprisingly, Shang Xia shook his head and refuted, “This trip to the Flood Star Region benefited me greatly. Next, I will prepare to accelerate my push to the Eighth Order...”
Kou Chongxue frowned. “There’s no need to rush. We still have plenty of time...”
“I gained a lot in the Flood Star Region this time. Although the exact method of advancing to the next level is not fully clear, I have already grasped the general direction. Time waits for no one! Moreover, on my way back, I went to the Void Mirage and found several new breaches in the sealed area. There were traces of a great battle in the surrounding void. I fear that the grand formation that seals the passage can no longer hold on for long...”
Kou Chongxue was silent for a moment and he muttered, “I fear our earlier suspicions were true. The Illusory Sea of Stars has more than one passage into our Heaven Observation Star Region. Do they truly not understand the consequences of inviting the wolf into their home?”
Shang Xia sighed, “Unless the benefits involved far outweigh the consequences. Well, at least to those who are doing it...”
Kou Chongxue pondered briefly and understood what Shang Xia was implying. “You still suspect the Star Origin Lord?”
With the Essence Luxuriant World already in sight, Shang Xia did not continue the topic with Kou Chongxue. Instead, he smiled. “Looks like the transformation of my External Avatar has been completed. I only wonder how powerful the Talisman Seed will be!”
