Chapter 456: Elemental Star Stones

After Ji Wu arrived, two more streaks of evasion light landed one after another.

At this moment, there were a total of thirty-three people gathered on Stargazing Island, including Qin Sang. This assembly encompassed all the top Foundation Building cultivators from Chaotic Island Waters.

Most of them hailed from the various sects of Small Cold Domain, while the few rogue cultivators present also had some connection to Yinshan Stronghold.

Notably, every individual here was a human cultivator—there were no cultivating demons from Heavenly Demon Hill.

In the past three years of confrontation, no cultivating demons had appeared either.

The only trace of them came in the form of spirit beasts tamed by cultivators, mostly from Yuling Sect. One such person was present today—his name was Mu Zhige. His spirit beast was a golden eagle, rumored to be a descendant of a demon king from Heavenly Demon Hill.

As for the intricate power struggles within Small Cold Domain, Qin Sang had no way of knowing.

Once the last person arrived, the stone doors of the grand hall suddenly swung open on their own.

The crowd halted their conversations, exchanged glances, and silently stepped inside in pairs or small groups.

The hall was paved with golden bricks, illuminated by dazzling pearls.

Despite its magnificent splendor, the only notable furnishings in the hall were a few imposing dragon pillars, nothing else.

At the center stood two people.

Snake Granny and Vice Island Master Xiao!

Such a scene was rare.

Upon recognizing the two island masters, everyone was inwardly astonished. Their expressions turned solemn, and they instinctively adopted a more respectful demeanor.

"Greetings to the two Island Masters!"

Snake Granny leaned on her serpent staff as she approached. Her aged face bore a pair of sharp eyes, carrying a hint of cold menace, bearing some resemblance to snake-bodied men.

As Snake Granny's gaze swept over them, Qin Sang felt a faint unease, even though he knew she bore him no ill will and likely didn’t consider a small figure like him worth noticing.

"You are all outstanding cultivators who have distinguished yourselves in this great battle, each of you decorated with merit and renown..."

For the first time, they heard words of praise from a Golden Core cultivator, and it came from the Island Master of Stargazing Island no less!

Everyone exchanged glances.

Some were secretly pleased, wondering if they were about to receive a reward.

Snake Granny's speech was slow, yet none showed impatience; everyone listened attentively.

"...There is something that requires your action."

Her tone left no room for argument. As she spoke, she paused briefly and cast a meaningful glance at Qin Sang and the others.

"Please instruct us, Island Master!"

Without hesitation, Qin Sang and the rest bowed to accept the order.

So, it wasn’t a reward but a mission.

Though they felt a twinge of disappointment, they also grew wary. If both Island Masters had personally gathered all these elite cultivators, the task was bound to be anything but simple. It might even be incredibly dangerous.

However, their years of battle experience had instilled in them an instinct to obey without hesitation.

Especially since the command came directly from Snake Granny and Vice Island Master Xiao—who would dare question it?

Seeing their swift and disciplined response, Snake Granny nodded in satisfaction.

Mu Zhige of Yuling Sect, being a bold one, asked, "Island Master, are only we required to go, or will our entire squads be involved?"

"Only you."

Snake Granny swept her gaze across them, seemingly seeing through their thoughts. She let out a low chuckle, the meaning behind it difficult to grasp. "This mission does indeed carry great danger. However, for some of you, it might also be a rare opportunity."

Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. They looked at Snake Granny expectantly.

But then, her tone shifted. "Some of you may already know about the existence of Zhitian Peak. It lies directly beneath the beam of light that shone during last night's battle, sealed under a barrier. When the barrier opens, you will be entering it to collect a special material—Elemental Star Stones."

"Elemental Star Stones!"

Before Snake Granny had even finished speaking, someone gasped in astonishment. Forgetting decorum, they impatiently blurted out, "Senior, do you mean the legendary Elemental Star Stones—born of the stars, capable of channeling the power of the cosmic orbit, a treasure beyond compare?"

Everyone turned toward the voice. The speaker was a disciple of the Yuanshen Sect, who called himself Jiu Zhenzi.

Among this group, most had some level of familiarity with one another. Jiu Zhenzi was known for his cold and aloof nature, rarely showing emotion even on the battlefield.

Yet now, his face was filled with shock. It was evident that the Elemental Star Stones were no ordinary treasure.

Qin Sang carefully searched his memory but found that he had never heard of Elemental Star Stones before.

Snake Granny frowned and shot a cold glance at Jiu Zhenzi. "Do you think there is a second kind of Elemental Star Stone in this world?"

"Please forgive me, Island Master. I lost my composure."

Jiu Zhenzi hurriedly apologized, glancing around before quickly stepping in to elaborate on Snake Granny’s words.

"Daoists, if you do not specialize in the study of spiritual arrays, you may not be familiar with Elemental Star Stones."

"There exists a type of spirit array that can channel the power of the cosmic orbit, bringing down the energy of the stars. Its might is extraordinary. The Elemental Star Stones are an essential material for constructing such an array."

"In the present age, these arrays have nearly vanished because the Elemental Star Stones have become impossible to obtain."

"In ancient times, there were legends of great cultivators who could pluck stars and grasp the moon. Some records even mention methods to cultivate Elemental Star Stones, but unfortunately, those techniques have long been lost."

"I only learned of Elemental Star Stones from my elders, and I always believed them to be a mere myth. Never did I expect that they still exist—hidden within Zhitian Peak. The revelation caught me off guard, hence my momentary lapse..."

A rare array material?

Qin Sang’s thoughts stirred. This was unexpected.

He had assumed Zhitian Peak contained some precious natural treasures or legendary pills.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Now, it seemed that the intense conflict between the Tianxing Alliance and Small Cold Domain, which had even drawn Spiritual Infant cultivators into battle, had been waged over Elemental Star Stones. Just what kind of grand array were these factions trying to construct?

"Impressive—worthy of being a Yuanshen Sect disciple. You even know the secrets of the Elemental Star Stones... I presume your Yuanshen Sect has quite a few ancient arrays hidden away, then?"

Snake Granny’s eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced at Jiu Zhenzi.

A tremor ran through Jiu Zhenzi’s heart. He immediately bowed and said, "Please forgive me, Island Master. My cultivation is too shallow to be privy to my sect’s secrets. I do not know whether my sect possesses ancient arrays."

Snake Granny let out a cold snort but did not press the matter further.

Jiu Zhenzi secretly exhaled in relief, only now realizing that his back was drenched in cold sweat.

"These artifacts are called Spirit-Sealing Bangles. Take them."

Snake Granny retrieved a handful of silver bangles and tossed them to Qin Sang and the others. "These Spirit-Sealing Bangles are extremely difficult to refine. You will need them to retrieve the Elemental Star Stones. Be sure not to damage them. If they break, you will return empty-handed."

Qin Sang caught a Spirit-Sealing Bangle and held it up for closer inspection.

This was an artifact that could not be judged by conventional grading standards. Some artifacts were created for specific functions rather than combat, and the Spirit-Sealing Bangle was clearly one of them.

The bangle appeared to be made of pure silver, incredibly thin and delicate, with a tiny crystalline gemstone embedded in its surface. Qin Sang scrutinized it for some time but could not determine its material.

The crystal was flawlessly pure, radiating a clear and pristine light, resembling a star that had descended to the mortal realm.

At first glance, the Spirit-Sealing Bangle looked like nothing more than an exquisite piece of jewelry.

It seemed so fragile that one might worry about breaking it with a mere touch.

After carefully listening to Snake Granny’s explanation of how to use the Spirit-Sealing Bangle, Qin Sang cautiously stored it in his Mustard Seed Pouch. Yet in his mind, he was still pondering something else—Snake Granny’s earlier mention of a reward.