Splitting the Heavens-Chapter 2170: Star Rinsing Muslin Pt.2

“Time in the Star River flows ten times slower than in the Star Fields?” Shang Xia looked toward Sage Star Thief standing upon the golden boat and could not help but ask.

The old man appeared surprised by Shang Xia’s reaction and raised his eyebrows in shock. “Young friend, since you have already begun refining the Starlight Yarn, it is clear that your aim is to craft the Starlight Curtain, the very sail used upon an Eternal Golden Boat. Surely you must know that not all such vessels can equally withstand the erosion of the power of space and time within the Star River.”

Shang Xia’s heart sank slightly. He worried that his earlier astonishment might have exposed something, but he quickly composed himself and coughed lightly, “To be honest with you, senior, I truly did not know. I only entered the Star River at another’s request, to refine this single piece of Starlight Curtain.”

Sage Star Thief’s eyes flashed with subtle intrigue, and he said meaningfully, “So it seems that young friend must share quite a deep connection with that person.”

Shang Xia could tell there was more hidden behind those words, but he chose not to pry. Instead, he continued calmly, “Senior... Can you please enlighten me further?”

Sage Star Thief smiled. “The so-called Eternal Golden Boat is not truly an Eternal Artifact, as you might have guessed. It is merely a vessel crafted to sail the Star River, resisting the currents of space and time, to extend the lifespan of those on board.”

He went on, speaking in a measured, patient tone. “Of course, every Eternal Golden Boat can resist the river’s flow, but their resistance to temporal decay varies greatly. The measure of their strength lies in both the number and the quality of the Eternal Artifacts embedded within the vessel.”

“Eternal Artifacts?”

Shang Xia’s thoughts stirred, and he immediately asked, “Then is the Starlight Curtain considered one of them?”

Sage Star Thief chuckled softly, “Yes, the Starlight Curtain counts as an Eternal Artifact, though it is not a naturally born one. It is one of the few that can be forged artificially, and thus its grade is relatively low.”

Shang Xia pressed on, “What about the Star Core then?”

At that, the old man chuckled, “Young friend... Seems like you’re not entirely ignorant of Eternal Artifacts after all.”

He then raised a hand toward the distant void, where countless suns burned like scattered embers in the Star River. “What you call the Star Core does not refer to the cores of those great stars in the sea of stars, it refers instead to the refined essence drawn from the stars that exist within the Star River itself.”

Shang Xia nodded as if realizing something. “Then these Star Cores must be of extremely high quality among Eternal Artifacts, no?”

To that, the old man smiled again and shook his head. “Not quite. The Star Core is indeed superior to the Starlight Curtain, but it is still considered a rather common treasure here. To be precise, most Eternal Golden Boats capable of navigating the Star River use Star Cores as their primary Eternal Artifact.”

Shang Xia understood immediately. “In other words, the majority of Eternal Golden Boats experience time flow ten times slower than in the Star Fields?”

Sage Star Thief, realizing that Shang Xia had only a fragmented understanding of such matters, explained patiently, “Not exactly. The ability of an Eternal Golden Boat to slow the flow of time for its occupants depends primarily on its Eternal Artifacts, but also on the quality of the ship’s construction. Generally, vessels built with Star Cores as their foundation slow time by about seven to twelve times compared to outside. The difference depends on both the number and the size of the Star Cores used.”

Shang Xia nodded thoughtfully, then smiled and offered a compliment. “In that case, senior’s vessel must surely be of the finest quality.”

The old man laughed heartily, his face glowing with pride. “Hahaha! This ship beneath my feet is not the highest of quality, but among the many companions I have met during a century of wandering the Star River, few have possessed one superior to mine.”

Shang Xia raised his eyebrows in shock. “Are there many of these Eternal Golden Boats within the Star River?”

Sage Star Thief revealed a meaningful smile. “Not many, but they’re not really rare either. Encountering one is exceedingly difficult, just as it is a rare fortune for me to meet you now. Yet, when something extraordinary occurs within the Star River, many fellow voyagers will be drawn here, each on their Eternal Golden Boat.”

Shang Xia’s heart stirred. “Something extraordinary? May I ask what sort of event could be considered so?”

But the old man merely chuckled and shook his head. “Young friend, you’ve been suspicious of me since the moment we met, always questioning me about the river’s secrets. I have hidden nothing that I know. Yet why is it that when I wish to ask you a few questions, I receive no answer?”

Shang Xia fell silent for a moment, then quickly composed himself. “That is my oversight. However, senior’s knowledge clearly surpasses mine, especially regarding the Chaotic Sea of Stars. I doubt there is much I could tell you that would be of use.”

No sooner had he spoken than Sage Star Thief asked a question that caught him completely off guard. “Young friend, are you connected to the Heaven Observation Sect? Are you refining the Starlight Curtain for them?”

“Huh?” Shang Xia’s instinctive reaction surprised even himself.

The old man nodded as though confirming his suspicion. “I thought as much! So, the Heaven Observation Sect truly possessed profound foundations. Even under the combined suppression from us all, they still managed to endure and preserve their legacy. No wonder they once wrested a superior Star Core from our hands.”

Seeing Shang Xia’s silence, Sage Star Thief smiled faintly. “Ah, forgive an old man. 100 years of lonely wandering and one rarely meets a fellow traveler in this river. I have spoken too much.”

His words revealed more secrets than Shang Xia could count, yet Shang Xia did not believe it was simple carelessness. Whether from solitude or design, the man clearly desired conversation.

Even so, Shang Xia replied evenly, “I have no direct connection with the Heaven Observation Sect, nor is this Starlight Curtain being cleansed for them. As for the Heaven Observation Sect, at present, I believe only the Star Origin Lord himself remains.”

“Star Origin Lord?” The old man paused, then sneered. “What arrogance! The Heaven Observation Sect may have been powerful in its time, boasting many Sages, but even their sect master back then never dared call himself the Star Origin Lord!”

Shang Xia thought for a moment, then asked, “Then, within the Heaven Observation Sect of old, who had the right to bear that title?”

Sage Star Thief didn’t even need to think for long. He replied simply, “Only one who was invincible within and beyond the sect, one who stood closest to the threshold of the Martial Eternity Realm!”

Shang Xia uttered softly, “If that’s the case, then he truly deserves to be called the Star Origin Lord.”

The old man frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Shang Xia replied calmly, “That man reached the peak of the Martial Emptiness Realm several centuries ago. Since then, he has ceaselessly sought the next level, and by my estimation, he has already changed his method of ascension at least three times.”

Sage Star Thief’s eyes widened in shock, and he muttered in disbelief, “Three times? But he has a Star Core, surely, he knew the art of constructing an Eternal Golden Boat. Why would he not enter the Star River to prolong his life? Why waste 1,000 years of vitality in the Chaotic Sea of Stars?! Could it be... Did he really find another path to the Martial Eternity Realm?”

“Another path?” Shang Xia caught onto that word instantly, his imagination racing.

Then the old man suddenly looked up. “You said he changed his method three times... What path is he using now?”

“Uh...” Shang Xia hesitated. “That is not something he would easily reveal. But as of now, he has forcibly fused five separate Essence Worlds into a single Heavenly Field. From the original Three Essence Heavenly Field, it’s now the Six Essence Heavenly Field with six Essence Worlds.”

“Six Essence Heavenly Field?!”

Sage Star Thief stared at him before gasping in shock. “Are you certain he fused six Essence Worlds into a single region?”

Shang Xia smiled faintly. “Since you once entered the Chaotic Sea of Stars a millennium ago, surely you can return to see for yourself.”

“I will... And I won’t be the only one to verify it.” He fell silent for a moment, muttering under his breath, “That makes no sense. No region of space should be able to contain six Essence Worlds... unless...”

“Unless,” Shang Xia said quietly, “The Star Origin Lord has forsaken his human identity, replacing a World’s Will with his soul.”

The old man’s eyes widened in stunned silence. For a long moment, he said nothing. Yet Shang Xia could see the light flickering rapidly in his gaze as his mind worked furiously to assess the possibility.

Finally, Sage Star Thief exhaled slowly, his expression a mix of awe and dread. “To think he would attempt such a reckless, desperate method to advance. I must admit, I could never compare to him.”

Shang Xia couldn’t help but ask, “Then do you believe it could truly succeed?”

The old man sighed, “Perhaps. I do not know anymore.”

Noticing that the man seemed to have lost all enthusiasm for conversation, Shang Xia quickly changed the subject. “Senior, you did not arrive here by coincidence, did you? Were you specifically seeking out the Chaotic Sea of Stars?”

Sage Star Thief seemed to awaken from his thoughts. He laughed loudly. “Of course I came for that! But not merely for the Chaotic Sea of Stars itself, rather, for the new Star Sea World that has merged with it! 1,000 years ago, more than a dozen Eternal Golden Boats herded eight separate Star Sea Worlds through the Star River, planting the seeds of fusion with the Chaotic Sea of Stars. And now, those seeds have borne fruit! Do you think we would miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?”