Chapter 1142: Devouring the Power of Starlight, Eavesdropping

After ensuring again that there wasn’t anything that might reveal his actions, Shang Xia started to slowly circulate his inner qi to shave away at the restriction around his dantian.

Actually, allowing the Crimson Soul Tablet to absorb it would be a much more efficient method. However, Shang Xia wished to rely on himself to destroy the restriction so that he would be able to better study the power of starlight it contained. He wanted to feel the superior properties of the energy for himself.

He had a strong premonition that the special properties contained in the power of starlight would greatly assist in his cultivation the moment he made sense of it. As such, even if he had to waste a little more time, he had no complaints!

No longer hiding his cultivation, he circulated it through his body without hesitation. Due to his powerful abilities to control it, no one would be able to discover his true cultivation realm unless a high-level expert personally arrived to probe out his real strength.

There was also a need to mention that he still had several Illusion Talismans he could use to hide his cultivation in front of the random Star Origin Guards he might run into.

After ensuring that no accidents would happen, Shang Xia slowly pressed his palm into the ground beneath him.

The floor, which was made up of azure stone, started to crack as Shang Xia’s palm that was coated in Six Direction Qi pressed down on it. The cracks slowly webbed outwards as the power of starlight emerged from within. It attempted to stop him from causing more destruction, but the power of starlight was something Shang Xia was looking for.

Maintaining the inner qi in his palm, the Crimson Soul Tablet started to absorb the power of starlight that emerged from the ground to stop him. Starlight flowed into his palm in a strange fashion.

As it continued to steam into him, runes from all over the cell lit up. It started 3 feet around him before the runes continued to light up further and further away. Even the walls started to emit a strange glow.

Shang Xia stopped abruptly the next moment, stopping the Crimson Soul Tablet from absorbing anymore.

Actually, if Shang Xia hadn’t been suppressing the Crimson Soul Tablet from the very start, even the runes outside his cell would have lit up from the power that was being drawn from the Star Observatory.

If that were to happen, either the Stargazers of the Star Origin Guards would be alerted to the increased consumption, or the runes would crumble entirely after the power they contained was overdrawn. Either way, the Star Origin Guards in the Star Observatory would be immediately alerted.

Shang Xia didn’t wish for them to discover his actions so quickly. He still wished to continue absorbing the power of starlight secretly.

After all, wasn’t the best way to prosper keeping a low profile and stealing everything at a steady pace without being noticed?

Maybe it was because he was being extra careful, he wasn’t revealed even after 2 whole days of absorbing the power of starlight.

On the third day, he continued to draw on the power of starlight in his cell. However, the runes on the lower half of his cell were fully activated and he continued to devour the power of starlight for an hour.

On the fourth day, other than the ceiling of the cell that hadn’t been lit up with runes, starlight was pouring into him from everywhere and it lasted close to 2 hours.

On the fifth day, Shang Xia had only been absorbing the power of starlight for barely an hour before he heard the sounds of hurried footsteps in the distance. He quickly stopped.

Other than the people who were moving about when giving out food, there were several people who had been sent to the other cells recently. There were some who were screaming with rage and others who were begging desperately.

However, for there to be so many footsteps all of a sudden, Shang Xia couldn’t help but be alarmed. He was afraid his act of stealing the power of starlight had been discovered.

As the footsteps got closer, Shang Xia had already gathered his energy and was ready to burst out with all his might.

However, the footsteps didn’t stop around his cell. Instead, it continued to go deeper and they eventually faded into the distance.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Shang Xia felt fortunate he would be able to continue. He wasn’t afraid that he would be discovered. Instead, he would feel a sense of loss if he couldn’t allow the Crimson Soul Tablet to absorb the power of starlight.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Soon, he realized where those people were going and he leaped up from where he was sitting. He ran over to the entrance of his cell and carefully extended his divine soul over to where they left.

The barrier leading to the third floor had disappeared, and perhaps it was because those people who rushed over weren’t strong enough to detect his divine soul, or their senses were also suppressed, but he managed to observe the situation without anyone noticing.

Voices came from the third floor.

“... Why... Are you really going to... Sit by... Inner conflict...”

“As long as you say the word...”

As Shang Xia’s divine soul got closer and closer, the voices became clearer and the sentences weren’t as fragmented as before. He seemed to be hearing them talk to a certain person.

Soon after, a voice that wasn’t too foreign to him could be heard in the air. “All of you don’t need to say anymore. When I was sent here, the inner conflict between our Star Origin Guards had already broken out.”

The person who spoke was none other than Liu Jiuzhen! He was the Deputy First Camp Commander, and he was also the captain of the second squad. He was a second tier True Immortal and Shang Xia had seen him on more than 1 occasion. He was someone who personally went to the Spirit Luxuriant World back then.

He was truly imprisoned under the Star Origin. From the way he was talking, it was clear the Star Origin Guards weren’t as organized as they seemed.

Soon after, another voice came. “Deputy Camp Commander rLiu, actually, undercurrents had been flowing in the Star Origin Guards for a long time. If we are a little careless, it might cause a huge disaster! Actually, we came over because of Camp Commander He. She hopes that you can come out to stabilize the situation with the Star Origin Guards of the First Camp and help her pacify the state of the city. As long as you agree, you, and the members of your First Camp that have been imprisoned here, can leave.”

After a short moment of silence, Liu Jiuzhen spoke again, “Where is Xing Xingtian? Tell him to come talk to me. Actually, you can go get He Yingrui to come personally too.”

The other voice no longer continued to question Liu Jiuzhen about his willingness to do what they proposed. Instead, he continued, “Deputy Camp Commander Liu, have you thought about how our Star Origin City was created by the Star Origin Lord and the Star Origin Guards’ thousand or so years of foundations have been built on our blood, sweat, and tears? The moment anything changes within the city, all our hard work will go to waste! How will we be able to face the Star Origin Lord?”

Liu Jiuzhen didn’t seem to care about what he was saying. Instead, he seemed to notice something he was driving at and he yelled, “Why is Xing Xingtian choosing to avoid me? Where is he now?! Did he really find where the Star Origin Lord entered seclusion? What is he planning to do? Hmph, asshole who’s living off us while helping others... Tian Moran, do you already know? You and Xing Xingtian really played a good hand! Why didn’t He Yingrui stop them? Is she really planning...”

“Liu Jiuzhen!” Tian Moran, whose identity had been revealed, interrupted Liu Jiuzhen and snorted with rage, “Hmph, everything is for the Star Origin Lord! Zhuge Xiang has always been hiding the truth from us! Haven’t you suspected a thing? You are Zhuge Xiang’s closest aide... Have you asked him about it personally? Or are you no longer on the Star Origin Lord’s side and are planning to side with Zhuge Xiang?”

After a lengthy silence, Tian Moran spoke again, “Think about it carefully. I’ll be back in a few days... However... There isn’t much time left!”

Hurried footsteps rang out again, and Shang Xia quickly retracted his divine soul. When it was returning from the third floor, he could vaguely hear Liu Jiuzhen’s enraged cry, “All of you are traitors!”

Shang Xia restrained his aura as the footsteps got closer, and he even held an Illusion Talisman in hand.

However, Tian Moran didn’t seem interested in anything else as he rushed out of the main prison, his footsteps fading away.