Splitting the Heavens-Chapter 2250: Nine Palaces
When Shang Xia forced his way into the Essence Ping World, it was basically an announcement that the Star Origin Lord had lost. The War of the Seven Essence Heavenly Field was over.
No matter how reluctant the Star Origin Lord was, no matter how much he wished that the suppression on Shang Xia in the Essence Ping World would allow him to gain victory, it wasn’t going to happen. At his current level, all Shang Xia had to do to get rid of the suppression was expend a little more inner qi.
Pure world origin emerged from every part of the Essence Ping World, and they quickly coalesced to form a blurry figure before Shang Xia.
With an existence of Shang Xia’s level standing in the Essence Ping World, and the destruction it had faced due to Shang Xia’s earlier assault, it was clear the Star Origin Lord was finding it difficult to maintain his appearance.
“I... I lost this battle. I am willing to seal off my cultivation and hide in my Heavenly Field for the next 1,000 years, giving up any chance of advancing to the Ninth Order. What do you think?” The Star Origin Lord’s voice emerged from the lips of the figure that just formed.
Shang Xia simply chucked in response. “You schemed for 1,000 years, plotting against every single Star Field. Now that you’ve lost, you wish to be sealed for 1,000 years... Don’t you think you’re getting off too easily?”
Putting on a casual expression as if Shang Xia should be giving in anyway, the Star Origin Lord continued, “With cultivation at our level, why should we bother with old grudges? Not to mention both of us are eternal existences. Why should we debate on whether 1,000 years is a long time?”
Even though Shang Xia was having a normal conversation with the Star Origin Lord, the destruction of the Essence Ping World never stopped. The Crimson Soul Tablet pieced straight into the World Origin Source in the continent beneath his feet, drawing world origin endlessly.
“Longevity is not true Immortality, and immortality is not indestructibility. It’s not as if experts in the Eighth Order will never die!” Shang Xia eventually muttered.
With his expression slowly changing, the Star Origin Lord grunted in a low voice, “Are you really not willing to let me live?”
“If I failed today... Would you have let me?” Shang Xia snorted.
Understanding there was no way Shang Xia wouldn’t be showing any mercy, the Star Origin Lord no longer bothered with words. The figure that just appeared started to fade away.
At the same time, Shang Xia’s expression turned grave. Staring at the world around him, he looked as though he was about to face a great enemy.
The Star Origin Lord definitely wouldn’t sit still and wait for death. Facing the threat of annihilation, he would definitely go all out. Even though things had currently reached that point, Shang Xia refused to believe the Star Origin Lord had already used up all his trump cards.
Things were exactly as he expected. Not too long after the figure disappeared, another rift appeared at the heavenly screen. Surprisingly, the other side of the rift wasn’t the void of the Seven Essence Heavenly Field. Instead, it was pitch black, emitting a strange aura.
However, after feeling it for some time, Shang Xia found the aura extremely familiar.
Before Shang Xia had time to confirm if it was what he thought, Shang Xia heard a rumble coming from within. Eternity Qi poured out from within, and a frown appeared on Shang Xia’s face.
“You actually opened a path to the Star River in your Heavenly Field? Are you planning to allow it to swallow the Essence Ping World?” Shang Xia gasped. “Do you plan to drag this entire world to its destruction with you?”
Not hearing the Star Origin Lord’s response, the power of the Star River had already poured into the Essence Ping World and sealed off any route of retreat.
Shang Xia couldn’t help but sigh, “Did you already forget? I was able to enter the Star River and stay for extended periods when I was only a Sage. Now that I reached the Eighth Order, gaining the power of eternal life, what can a mere tributary of the Star River do?”
“Heh... Heheh...” A cold laugh that was laced with mockery rang in his ears. “There’s no need to overthink it. Now that I have fused my consciousness with the Essence Ping World, and you’re not willing to let me live, why should I allow you to take over a complete Essence Ping World and the Seven Essence Heavenly Field?”
“Is that it?” Shang Xia raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly.
As his words fell, the heavens and earth in the Essence Ping World started to rumble. The World Origin Source connected to the many continents started to erupt, sending world origin everywhere. The Essence Ping World became a massive cage, and Shang Xia became the only person the cage intended to hold. From the rift that connected to the Star River, the ‘water’ it contained started to pour in, containing the essence of the stars meant to strengthen the prison around Shang Xia.
A maniacal laughter soon filled the world. “Of course that’s not it! You were able to run rampant around the Star River by yourself, but what if an entire Essence World attaches to you and refuses to let go? You’ll sink endlessly into the Star River and endure the erosion from the power of space and time it contains. So what if you have eternal life? That’s not true immortality! Your soul won’t be able to endure the constant erosion from the power of the Star River!”
Facing the Star Origin Lord who had gone crazy, Shang Xia still remained absolutely calm. He didn’t look threatened at all as he raised his head to look at the rift that connected to the Star River.
“Are you planning to take me down with you? This isn’t like your usual style... How can this be your final trump card? I believe you have other tricks hidden up your sleeve, right? Are you just trying to buy time by coming up with this elaborate trap?” Shang Xia mumbled.
After he spoke, he no longer looked at the rift in the heavenly screen. Instead, he looked at the world beneath him that was almost fully swallowed by the Star River and continued, “Let me guess. For your last trick... It’s hidden on the Essence Abundance World that had been dragged out of your Heavenly Field?”
The Star Origin Lord’s voice no longer rang in the Essence Ping World, and it was as though he couldn’t think of a way to deny Shang Xia’s guess.
Shang Xia didn’t care too much as he continued, “You might have forgotten... My External Avatar has also left your Seven Essence Heavenly Field. He’s stationed in the part of the Essence Abundance World that has been extracted. Even though half his body has been destroyed, the part of my soul in him is perfectly alright.”
Shang Xia continued slowly and casually, as though he didn’t care that the Star Origin Lord still wasn’t talking. “Of course... There are also your Essence World Clones. I might have awakened their souls, affecting your control over their Worlds’ Will, but I always felt that you would be able to regain control of them after some time. If I’m not mistaken, everyone who plans to take a share of your Seven Essence Heavenly Field has already rushed over. Maybe you’re planning to use this chance to escape with your soul hidden in one of them. As long as a strand of your consciousness leaves, you will be able to rise again, am I right? How many points should I get for my guesswork?”
He didn’t receive a reply for a long time.
So much time has passed that Shang Xia truly suspected that the Star Origin Lord’s voice was actually covered by the raging torrent of the Star River when it finally came again. “You... You should think about how you can escape.”
To that, Shang Xia simply swept his gaze over the Essence Ping World once. Nodding once, he sighed, “You’re right. It’s about time. This world is impossible to save after it has been swallowed by the Star River.”
Turning around, Shang Xia’s gaze seemed to pierce the void to land directly on where the Star Origin Lord’s soul was. “You might not know, but no matter where I am in the Star River, I will never get lost.”
With that, he took a single step.
Starlight swirled around his body as the current around him started to flow in reverse. It was as if his existence was on rewind Shang Xia disappeared like he had never been there in the first place.
Everything the Star Origin Lord did was wasted.
In the void quite a distance away from the Essence Ping World, Shang Xia reappeared, as though he had been standing there since the creation of their world.
Staring at the rift that was growing larger by the second from the corrosive nature of the power of the Star River, and the world below that was nearly swallowed by the currents, ready to blow at any time, Shang Xia sneered.
The Star Origin Lord wasn’t planning to just send the Essence Ping World into the depths of the Star River forever... From the fuss that was kicked up, the entire Seven Essence Heavenly Field would be swallowed along with it! In fact, the entire region of void in the Heaven Observation Star Region around his Heavenly Field would be destroyed along with them!
If the effects spread even more, even the Ninefold Star Field would be affected!
“Perhaps... That’s what he means by dragging me to death with him? Is that how he’s going to drown everything? Or maybe... He’s planning to use this to scare me off, preventing me from killing him once and for all?” Shang Xia smirked.
“You might have entered the Eighth Order, but at the end of the day, that’s where your knowledge stops! You don’t know what stands above it or the meaning of an existence at the Ninth Order! After all, no one entered the Eighth Order before this. That is why knowledge of everything stops here... You can’t even begin to imagine the path ahead!” Shang Xia mumbled, seemingly to himself, but he also sounded like he was addressing the Star Origin Lord. “I might only know an inkling about the Eighth Order, but at least I know that the actual name of it according to my path is the Eight Trigram Realm. I also know the principles behind the Eight Trigram... Even the Golden Core in my dantian has the Eight Trigrams inscribed.”
After he spoke, Shang Xia reappeared right above the heavenly screen of the Essence Ping World.
At that point, the Star River had been blasting through the Essence Ping World, leaving it riddled with holes. It looked like it would crumble at any moment, allowing the currents of the Star River to rage everywhere else.
Instead of walking away, Shang Xia started to walk to the rift that initially appeared, where the current was the strongest. As he approached, the streams of the Star River brushed against him initially, and the closer he got, the stronger it became. However, it never managed to destroy the layer of thin golden light that surrounded him.
That was the light the Eternity Golden Core in his dantian produced, and occasionally, some strange runes could be seen in the light around him. It was filled with endless mysteries and power.
The golden light protected him perfectly, all the way to the center of the rift where the current was the strongest. As he slowly raised both his hands, the mighty torrent that was pouring from the Star River through the rift was split in half by a giant phantom palm.
Slowly pushing closer to the rift, the palm eventually held the rift shut.
Naturally, it wasn’t a permanent seal. The corrosion of the Star River was always present. Shang Xia’s palm could never exist forever just to seal off the opening.
Shang Xia was no fool. He thought as much. Gesturing into the void, the Essence Worlds in the Seven Essence Heavenly Field in the distance seemed to receive an imperial decree as they started to converge towards the Essence Ping World.
By then, it was clear that the Seven Essence Heavenly Field was destroyed. The region of chaotic void around the Heavenly Field that used to keep everything out dissipated, and everything that happened gradually revealed itself to those outside.
At almost the same time, an obviously repaired Eternal Golden Boat sailed through the void that was slowly calming down. Kou Chongxue, who had already become a high-level Sage, stood at its bow and he stared straight into the once Seven Essence Heavenly Field. He also understood what Shang Xia’s intention was.
Even though the interior of the Seven Essence Heavenly Field used to be massive, containing seven Essence Worlds, Kou Chongxue was able to observe everything within at his current cultivation level.
Without needed any instructions from Shang Xia, the Eternal Golden Boat beneath his feet sent out a massive chain that locked onto the nearest Essence World. Accelerating in the direction of Shang Xia, he hastened the convergence of the worlds.
Shang Xia might have commanded the worlds to gather around the Essence Ping World, but Kou Chongxue knew that helping him could greatly reduce the consumption of his inner qi.
Slightly taken aback when he noticed Kou Chongxue, Shang Xia’s voice quickly rang in his ears. “Patriarch Kou, why are you here?”
“Your External Avatar told me what happened. He told me to assist you with the Eternal Golden Boat!” Kou Chongxue’s reply quickly came.
Raising an eyebrow, Shang Xia mumbled, “Is the hidden threat in the fragment of the Essence Abundance World already taken care of?”
“Your External Avatar is incredible. Even with half his body destroyed, he was able to exterminate the last trace of the Star Origin Lord’s soul hidden in the Essence Abundance World. Of course... Both Sage Wanggui and myself helped.”
Shang Xia wasn’t surprised by Wanggui’s appearance. After all, he had already noticed the presence when he stepped into the Eight Trigram Realm and forced his way into the Seven Essence Heavenly Field.
Almost the same time Kou Chongxue spoke, another Super Star Ship emerged from the void. Wanggui was precisely the expert who was piloting it straight at another Essence World.
Kou Chongxue was shocked when he saw Wanggui, but he quickly guessed his intention and he didn’t say anything else.
Instead, it was Wanggui who noticed Kou Chongxue’s reaction and he spoke first to explain himself, “The Star River Stowaway already left. The Star Origin Lord’s defeat is set in stone. He is afraid Sage Shang will hold him accountable.”
After thanking Wanggui for his assistance, Shang Xia quickly drew Wanggui into his task of blocking the rift.
Opening the rift that is connected to the Star River is much easier than blocking it. Not to mention the rift had enlarged countless times due to the corrosion of the Star River.
Even with his palm blocking it, the rift continued to expand, and the pressure on Shang Xia continued to grow.
According to Shang Xia’s instructions, Kou Chongxue and Wanggui used the Eternal Golden Boat and Super Star Ship to hasten the pull of several Essence Worlds. It helped Shang Xia to save a lot of inner qi, allowing him to focus more on containing the spillover from the Star River.
With five Essence Worlds slowly dragged over to the void around the Essence Ping World according to Shang Xia’s arrangement, Kou Chongxue and Wanggui quickly left with their ships.
At that moment, the chaotic void around the Seven Essence Heavenly Field had completely calmed. If a Sage truly wanted to observe what was happening within, they would be able to send their divine souls over.
Despite that, Kou Chongxue and Wanggui never felt anyone peering into the region of space.
As both of them reached the edge of what was once the Seven Essence Heavenly Field, they stood side by side as they watched the events unfold.
Eventually, Wanggui shot Kou Chongxue a strange look and asked, “Sage Kou, do you know what method he will use to seal the rift?”
Kou Chongxue shook his head in response. “I do not dare speculate on the capabilities of an existence at the Eighth Order. The difference between his cultivation level and us have already reached a point no one can fathom.”
Wanggui nodded slightly and no longer spoke.
It was also then that a golden light started to expand in their vision. An aura of eternity filled the lands, capturing their attention completely.
“This...”
Kou Chongxue’s vision was filled completely by the golden light that expanded a ridiculous amount in just a split second. Looking completely mesmerized, he muttered, “Golden Core of the martial path... I once heard him say something like it. In order to reach the Eighth Order, he needs to congeal a golden core in his dantian using his inner qi. An Eternal Golden Core... Signifying the endless path of martial cultivation!”
“Golden Core of the martial path...” Wanggui mumbled to himself, but he continued to ask, “Wait. How many Essence Worlds can you still feel the presence of?”
Kou Chongxue shook his head in response. “No clue. The golden light has severed my perception.”
“Maybe it’s because my cultivation returned to the peak of the Martial Emptiness Realm, leaving me a step away from the Eighth heaven, but I feel like I can still feel the presence of the Essence Worlds. Even the Essence Ping World, along with the rift that is connected to the Star River. Almost everything is connected to him! Or rather... They formed a connection with his Golden Core. A type of invisible resonance is reached and the worlds seem to be arranging themselves in some sort of formation... It’s similar to the Seven Essence Heavenly Field, but also completely different!” Wanggui sighed.
In the depths of the sea of gold, Wanggui tried to peer into the secrets of the Eighth Order. The more he looked, the more mesmerized he became. However, his eyes were completely bloodshot and crimson tears were streaking down his face.
Realizing he had reached his limit, Wanggui finally turned away.
The next second, the golden light increased in intensity yet again. A golden ring expanded around Shang Xia and started to spread through the Star Region.
Kou Chongxue did the same as Wanggui and looked away in time, but as the golden light of Eternity Energy expanded past them, it suddenly scattered.
With lingering fear in their hearts, Kou Chongxue and Wanggui turned back to look at where the Essence Worlds were. Even though the worlds were no longer present. In their place was several mighty heavenly phenomena, and a single thin stream of the Star River still pouring down.
Wanggui looked at Kou Chongxue who was also filled with disbelief, hoping he could get an answer. “What is this...?”
Obviously, Kou Chongxue also didn’t know what was happening.
“Five Essence Worlds and the fragment of the Essence Abundance World... If we add the Essence Ping World, that was six Essence Worlds. They actually disappeared into such a spectacle... Is an Eighth Order expert truly so powerful?” Wanggui continued to mutter to himself.
Kou Chongxue was equally as perplexed. He had the same confusion as Wanggui, but at the end of the day, he wasn’t as close to the Martial Eternity Realm. He could only take it for what it was. He could only estimate the strength of an expert at their level from the shockwaves of the battle between Shang Xia and the Star Origin lord.
It didn’t take long for the situation to change and Kou Chongxue gasped, “Look!”
Wanggui reacted instantly. He stared at the stream of Star River that was calling and he noticed the void around it turning blurry. Eventually, even that was hidden by the heavenly phenomenon that appeared.
“This... Is it already taken care of?” Wanggui frowned and asked curiously. He instinctively wanted to head over to take a closer look, as if drawn by instinct, but he was quickly stopped by Kou Chongxue.
Snapping awake, Wanggui felt a trace of fear as he hastily retreated several steps, realizing what he had just tried to do. He couldn’t help but begin to retreat further from where he once stood.
In the split second when he started to move to the hidden stream of the Star River, a strange change started in his body.
If Shang Xia was present, he would find it extremely familiar. It was the change that happened when Shang Xia first saved Wanggui from the Star River, the one that turned him into a strange monster.
After Kou Chongxue stopped him, Wanggui quickly noticed the anomaly. He suppressed the changes and regained control of his body, but the fear remained in his heart. He quickly escaped tens of thousands of miles away, until he couldn't feel the slightest trace of the transformation before he stopped.
Even so, Wanggui learned his lesson. He no longer dared to stare for too long, and neither did he dare to approach.
Kou Chongxue knew there were traces of Beast Warrior modifications on Wanggui, and when he saw the transformation happening for the first time, he muttered, “Looks like you won’t be able to enter the Star River again unless you reach the Martial Eternity Realm...”
Wanggui’s expression sank, and he didn’t respond.
Kou Chongxue had a feeling he knew what Wanggui was thinking of. From the current state of things, he had to enter the Star River in order to break through! At the very least, he needed to closely interact with it in order to understand the mysteries of eternal life.
But... If Wanggui’s body couldn’t endure the power of the space and time, transforming every time he got close, he needed the help of another Eighth Order expert in order to do anything!
Wanggui quickly changed the topic. “Sage Kou, I have no idea what Sage Shang is doing now... I don’t understand anything... Do you know what is going on?”
Kou Chongxue shook his head and sighed, “No. However, I heard him mention it once that his cultivation reached the Eight Trigram Realm. I wonder if that’s related to eight different heavenly phenomena...”
“Eight Trigrams? Why Eight Trigrams?” Wanggui mumbled in confusion.
To that, Kou Chongxue continued to shake his head. “I don’t know either. However, from his cultivation path, he has been walking down a different route from the very start. The names of his cultivation levels have also differed from us. He started from the Essence Realm, to the Yin Yang Realm, Triple Command Realm, Four Constellation Realm, Five Elements Realm, Six Direction Realm, Seven Star Realm, and now, the Eight Trigram Realm...”
Wanggui seemed to sink deep into thought. “Looks like he might have received an inheritance from another cultivation path altogether...”
“That doesn’t seem too likely either.” Kou Chongxue hesitated for a moment before he explained.
“How so?” Wanggui frowned.
After arranging his thoughts, Kou Chongxue explained, “He has been experimenting as he went. He didn’t seem too sure about anything when he cultivation. If he received an inheritance, it’s definitely incomplete. At the very least, he needs to verify his path through various means. Moreover, he needs to create every single one of his new secret art or martial art. But despite that, he’s extremely firm on his martial path and he never once doubted himself!”
“Indeed... He is impressive.” Wanggui couldn’t help but praise.
Noticing another change in the distance, Kou Chongxue gaped, “Wait, the heavenly phenomena there is starting to quell. We might be able to see what happened soon!”
Wanggui revealed an awkward smile and he showed no signs of going closer.
As Kou Chongxue went closer to the region with heavenly phenomena that were dispersing, he could feel his inner qi disappearing. Even his cultivation felt like it was falling, yet he failed to perceive any strange changes in the area with his soul.
As his cultivation no longer allowed him to go closer, he eventually turned around and regrouped with Wanggui.
When he returned, Wanggui turned into a certain direction and pointed out, “Look over there.”
Kou Chongxue looked, but what greeted him was an endless landmass. The dissipating heavenly phenomena slowly gathered, turning into a heavenly screen and a massive spatial barrier.
A world of ungodly proportions and never seen before was slowly starting to take shape!
Kou Chongxue gasped in shock. “This... He fused so many Essence Worlds together as one to form a new world?!”
Wanggui added at the side, “It’s not a simple fusion of land. Even from so far away, I can feel the mighty World’s Will that has been nurtured! There is no doubt about it, this is a world that surpasses an Essence World!”
“Is this part of the path of an expert at the Eighth Order?” Kou Chongxue mumbled.
Though he said that, it didn’t seem to be the case. After all, Shang Xia had already entered the Eight Order while the world was barely forming.
The only reason they thought that was because of the way of ascension for those in the Martial Emptiness Realm back then. Be it Wanggui or even many Sages of the other worlds and Star River Stowaways, only through the birth of a higher-level world would they be able to increase the limit of their cultivation. After all... They hadn’t broken through and didn’t experience the blessing of the Grand Star Field. They didn’t know the secrets yet.
In addition... Shang Xia and the Star Origin Lord’s method of breakthrough could both be considered unique. The others would rather gravitate to what they knew...
As they watched the events unfold, Shang Xia’s voice finally rang in their minds. “The birth of the Ninefold Star Field has increased the limit of how strong worlds can be. Even so... The creation of this world is purely an accident!”
Wanggui and Kou Chongxue turned in the direction where Shang Xia’s voice came from, only to see a figure emerging from the void. None of them could understand how he appeared. There wasn’t the slightest spatial ripple.
As usual, Kou Chongxue didn’t hold back. He simply asked, “In that case, this world is...”
Shang Xia turned to look at the embryo of the world forming behind him and he replied casually, “This world was born because it has to stop the flow of the Star River.”
“But it’s still a world one tier higher than an Essence World, right? Is that...” Kou Chongxue continued to ask.
Shang Xia thought for a moment before he explained, “This world is different from an ordinary world. We don’t need to care about the formation of this world at all. Originally, I wanted to call it the Eight Trigram World, but from the looks of it, I think it should be named a Nine Palace World instead.”
“Eight Trigram? Nine Palace?” Wanggui repeated what Shang Xia just said. Thinking back to what Kou Chongxue shared earlier, he couldn’t help but ask, “Sage Shang, this world was born because of your cultivation. However, you named it the Nine Palace instead of the Eight Trigram. Could it be that you have already stepped past the Eighth Order to reach the...”
Shang Xia waved his hands hastily and interrupted, “Sage Wanggui, don’t misunderstand. It’s just a name for this world. In the future, it might be true that I will enter the next level, the Nine Palaces Realm, but I am still only in the Eight Trigram Realm at the moment.”
Observing the new world Shang Xia created from the fusion of the Essence Worlds of the once Seven Essence Heavenly Field, Kou Chongxue couldn’t help but ask, “There are nine clearly segmented regions in this world... Each of them seems to be covered by a special heavenly phenomenon. Is this what you mean by the Nine Palaces?”
Since they were able to get close, Shang Xia’s intention had always been to share with them some pointers on their future path anyway. That was also why he revealed the situation in the newly formed world to the both of them.
He chuckled, “This is something I came up with when cultivating, and it’s just an idea I have...”
Glancing at each other, Kou Chongxue and Wanggui understood that showing them everything within the new world was the best explanation he could give. They also knew its worth. In the end, neither asked more questions as they simply started to comprehend its true meaning.
As for how Shang Xia actually managed to form the new world that encompassed the Nine Palaces... That was purely an accident.
According to his plan, the Golden Core in his dantian already inscribed the image of the Eight Trigrams. Shang Xia planned to follow the Eight Trigrams to form a forbidden region around the seal connected to the Star River.
If he managed to create a forbidden region with the principles of the Eight Trigrams around on the outside, he would enter the Star River personally. With that, he had a feeling he would be able to seal off the rift alone, preventing any hidden threat from the Star River reopening. In order to do so, he also needed to use his Crimson Soul Tablet to act as an anchor, sealing the rift once and for all.
As he tried to follow his initial idea, an accident happened.
Shang Xia discovered that after his advancement, the Crimson Soul Tablet evolved along with him. It became able to absorb the power of space and time pouring from the Star River, and with it infused in the Eternal Artifact, it caused a miraculous transformation.
Maybe it was the resonance between Shang Xia’s Eternal Golden Core and the formation outside that was made from the understanding of the Eight Trigrams, but Shang Xia, who had just broken through to the Eight Trigram Realm, felt that he reached an unimaginable height of power.
Due to that, the Crimson Soul Tablet might have mistaken Shang Xia’s cultivation for reaching a new level...
Or maybe, it was after Shang Xia defeated and killed the Star Origin Lord that he managed to capture an invincible opportunity that was born in the Ninefold Star Field...
Whatever reason it was, at that moment, Shang Xia’s advancement formula to the Nine Palaces Realm appeared on the faces of the tablet. The very first requirement was the ‘Representation of the Nine Palaces’.
Like a divine hand guiding him, Shang Xia transformed the forbidden region he was about to create with the principles of the Eight Trigrams into a world that contained the representation of the Nine Palaces! With that, the foundation for his future advancement to the Nine Palaces Realm had been secured!
According to the Star Origin Lord’s revelation, and the blessing of the Ninefold Star Field that had descended onto him when he entered the Eight Trigram Realm, there was only a single slot for advancement to the Ninth Order in the Grand Star Field! The Star Origin Lord’s preparation for the past 1,000 years wasn’t just to enter the Eighth Order! More importantly, he wanted to get a firm grasp on the one and only slot to advance to the Ninth Order.
As it turned out... Everything he did only served to benefit Shang Xia!
Also... After completing the foundation of his advancement to the Nine Palaces Realm, Shang Xia wouldn’t reveal the secret that only a single expert could enter the Ninth Order. At the very least, he wouldn’t reveal it easily until he stepped into the Nine Palaces Realm.
Staring at the Representation of the Nine Palaces before him, Shang Xia suddenly realized it was a trap.
There was no mistake. The world before him containing the Representation of the Nine Palaces was real. It was 100 percent capable of helping him break through to the Nine Palaces Realm. However, like Shang Xia’s growth from the very beginning in the Essence Luxuriant World, if he broke through with the foundation that was formed in the Ninefold Star Field, it would bind him tightly to it.
The reason Shang Xia retrieved his soul from the Essence Luxuriant World was because he wanted to remove the karmic bond to it! He gave up an opportunity for rapid growth because of it! Now, he wouldn’t allow himself to be bound to the Ninefold Star Field.
As such... Even with the birth of the new world, Shang Xia wouldn’t fully rely on it for his advancement! At most, he would use it as a stepping stone.
During the formation of the new world, if Shang Xia hadn’t resisted the temptation, during the formation of the world, he could have used the Crimson Soul Tablet as a catalyst to push his cultivation further. In fact... There was a real possibility of him stepping directly into the Nine Palaces Realm!
...
After some time had passed, Kou Chongxue and Wanggui finally awakened from their comprehension.
The first thing Wanggui did was to turn to Shang Xia to give him a deep bow. “I will never forget your grace!”
Shang Xia chuckled in response, “There can only be eight experts in the Eighth Order in the Ninefield Star Field. Now, the number of Eighth Order experts we can support increased to nine... However, three slots have already been taken. You will have to do your best if you wish to grab one of the six remaining slots.”
Wanggui’s expression twitched slightly before giving Shang Xia another deep bow before taking his leave.
After Wanggui left, Kou Chongxue turned to Shang Xia with a deep frown. “I recall you once said that there can only be eight slots to enter the Eighth Order in the Ninefold Star Field. Where did the extra one come from?”
“Patriarch Kou, don’t you already have the answer?” Shang Xia laughed out loud.
Taking a deep breath, Kou Chongxue sighed, “Are you really going to leave? Like the time when you broke free of the constraints of our world... Are you going to do the same to the Ninefold Star Field?”
Shang Xia nodded with a smile on his face. “I will leave, but now is not the time. After all, I only just entered the Eight Trigram Realm. Moreover... In the battle against other Heavenly Fields, our Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field isn’t exactly in the best position yet. You just reached the sixth star of the Martial Emptiness Realm and barely became a high-level Sage.”
How could Kou Chongxue not catch his meaning?
“So? Does that mean that you already have a way to enter the Ninth Order? After leaving the Ninefold Star Field... Your spot in the Eighth Order will be vacant, right?”
Shang Xia chuckled, “Yeah, pretty much.”
Kou Chongxue paused for a second before asking again, “Why must you leave?”
“To find an answer.” Shang Xia stated casually.
Raising his eyebrows, Kou Chongxue asked, “Is the answer in the Star River?”
“Possibly, but maybe it’s in the other Grand Star Fields connected to the Star River.” Shang Xia nodded.
Shaking his head, Kou Chongxue didn’t understand what that even meant, but Shang Xia simply laughed softly. He didn’t offer an explanation.
Pointing at the Nine Palaces World behind Shang Xia, Kou Chongxue eventually asked, “Will this Nine Palaces World always remain in existence?”
Looking at the world he created, Shang Xia sighed, “Before I leave, I will definitely get rid of all the hidden threats in this newly formed world. Traces of my advancement to the Nine Palaces Realm will also remain... In the future, you can study it to comprehend the secrets within. This will be the legacy I leave behind in the Ninefold Star Field.”
A frown instantly formed on Kou Chongxue’s face. “Why are you talking like you’re leaving immediately? I thought you weren’t? Are you not going to bid farewell to everyone else? Also, there's something else...”
Shang Xia waved his hand and interrupted, “I’m not leaving forever now, just heading out to understand something. I’ll leave my External Avatar behind. He will take my place in protecting the Ninefold Star Field. Moreover... I have a faint feeling that I can still communicate with him even if I’m somewhere in the Star River. There is no need for goodbyes.”
“Is that how strong the soul of an Eighth Order expert is?!” Kou Chongxue gasped.
With a smile blooming on his face, Shang Xia replied, “Patriarch Kou, you’ll have a chance to enter the Martial Eternity Realm in the future. When that happens, you’ll understand.”
Pausing slightly, he continued, “The Ninefold Star Field has already been established. The bottleneck stopping everyone from entering the Eighth Order is broken. However, you don’t need to be in a rush to break through. You don’t need to worry about competitors either. You can take your time to govern our Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, help it grow further.”
Kou Chongxue’s heart thumped once. “Grow further? Do you mean the auxiliary Spirit Worlds?”
“Not just that. You need to perfect the Essence Luxuriant World as well. After all 36 continents reach a state of perfection with size above 30,000 miles, we can ascend once again. When that happens, your chance to enter the Martial Eternity Realm will arrive.” Shang Xia explained.
Kou Chongxue couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “That’s... A world above an Essence World!”
“In the past, the limit of our Chaotic Sea of Stars was an Essence World! That was why the Star Origin Lord couldn’t push the Essence Ping World further. If we add on the World’s Will and his cultivation, he should have already been able to take the final step. Yet, that wasn’t possible. In the end, he had to change his direction and establish the Seven Essence Heavenly Field instead. Now that the limit has been broken, we can ascended.” After thinking for a moment, Shang Xia continued with a slight hesitation, “Actually... This might be the actual path to advancement.”
After he was done speaking, his figure started to fade. Kou Chongxue could only watch as he disappeared.
Sinking deep into thought at his explanation, Kou Chongxue only noticed when Shang Xia fully disappeared. “You...?!”
Shang Xia’s chuckle rang in his mind despite having already left. “Actually, when the Representation of the Nine Palaces took shape, I already discovered a familiar aura in the Star River calling out to me. I have already been heading over since just now. You have been talking to a projection all along...”
“When will you be back?!” Kou Chongxue yelled, knowing that Shang Xia would definitely be able to hear him despite the distance separating them.
“When I find the source of the calling... When I clear the doubt in my heart... That is when I will naturally reappear in the Ninefold Heavenly Field!”
