Chapter 1527: Joining Hands

When Shang Xia first entered the region of space around the Spirit Tip World, he had a few exchanges with Guan Ziqing, a sixth tier True Immortal, through the void.

Even though Shang Xia was only a fifth tier True Immortal, he didn’t feel like he was at a disadvantage.

It was then that Shang Xia, representing the Spirit Luxuriant World, initially laid the groundwork for an alliance with the Spirit Tip World.

Years had passed since then, and shortly after Shang Xia entered the region of space around the Spirit Tip World again, he was detected by Guan Ziqing.

However, there was a sense of how things had changed. Guan Ziqing's cultivation still remained at the sixth tier, but Shang Xia had comprehended his martial intent and reached the grand competition stage. He even started planning for his future ascension to the Seven Star Realm.

Since neither was concealing their aura, Guan Ziqing recognized Shang Xia as he approached.

Guan Ziqing was initially surprised to realize Shang Xia's true level of cultivation, and couldn't help but feel a strange sense of inferiority.

As for Shang Xia, he was equally surprised. He hurriedly emerged from his Star Ship, facing the aging, white-haired Guan Ziqing, who was smiling at him through the void, he exclaimed, "Senior, what happened?"

Guan Ziqing's earlier melancholy had vanished, replaced by a serene demeanor. He smiled and replied, "My end is near, and vitality is fading. If one wishes to maintain their peak combat capabilities, they can't afford to care too much about their physical shell."

Shang Xia still appeared solemn. He had seen high-level warriors die of old age. He couldn’t help but think back to the oldest and most experienced instructor in the institution, Zhang Haogu. His respected senior and the elder who helped him when he was still weak had completed his life’s journey a few years ago.

Although Shang Xia had personally slain many warriors in the Martial Void Realm and witnessed their demise, it was his first time actually seeing someone living to the point where their natural lifespan was about to end.

Guan Ziqing seemed to be able to perceive Shang Xia’s thoughts and said, "True Immortal Shang, you might not know, but I was actually from the same generation as Yan Yu from the Essence Du World. He managed to cross the bottleneck to enter the Martial Emptiness Realm, where his lifespan would be more than 1,000 years, but I did not. I was stuck in the fifth tier of the Martial Void Realm for 200 years and even though I managed to break through at the very end, I’m afraid I can't hold on much longer."

Shang Xia sighed softly. He cupped his fists at Guan Ziqing and sighed, "I apologize for disturbing you, True Immortal Guan.”

Guan Ziqing waved his hand and replied with a smile, "I'm used to it! Now that my path ahead is cut off, I no longer enter seclusion. Because I often resist the advances of the Essence Du World, I often patrol my world and it has already become a habit. If I don’t stroll around the void around my Spirit Tip World, I’ll feel uneasy.”

Shang Xia revealed a respectful look and he nodded slowly. "It seems that in recent years, the Essence Du World hasn't managed to take much advantage of your Spirit Tip World. It’s most likely because of your efforts."

"There are no intact eggs under a toppled nest," Guan Ziqing responded with a wave of his hand. "If we want the Spirit Tip World to remain independent and not be conquered, my efforts alone wouldn’t be enough. It’s the result of our world’s united effort."

At this, Guan Ziqing seemed to recall something. He smiled and continued, "Of course, now that your Spirit Luxuriant World has formed an alliance with my Spirit Tip World, your efforts also help hold off the Essence Du World. Since you just arrived... It seems like your were the reason behind the turmoil in the Essence Du World, right?”

True Immortals in the grand completion stage weren’t easy to meet. Even though there were many more of them than Martial Emptiness Realm Sages, it wasn’t as though they were easy to find.

In a short time, the Essence Du World suffered infiltration and sabotage by a foreign True Immortal at the grand completion stage, and Shang Xia appeared in the vicinity of the Spirit Tip World soon after. Guan Ziqing was almost certain that if the news from the Essence Du World was true, then it had to be the work of the person before him.

Shang Xia did not deny it, instead speaking with a tone of regret, "It's just unfortunate for your world’s spies in the Essence Du World. Because of my whimsical actions, your world’s arrangements have been affected.”

Guan Ziqing waved his hand and sighed lightly, "Since the ascension of their world, our undercover agents never caused much trouble...”

After some more exchange of pleasantries, the relationship between them became a little more harmonious.

It was then that Guan Ziqing said, "Previously, a True Immortal from your world with several mid to high-level cultivators came on 2 large-scale Star Ships and have been resting in the void. They mentioned something about waiting for someone from your world to meet them...”

Shang Xia burst into laughter, "Meet them? They are actually waiting for me."

Guan Ziqing's expression did not change, clearly having already known that Song Zhen and others had something to hide.

At that point, Shang Xia had already invited Guan Ziqing onto his Star Ship. With Guan Ziqing's guidance, the two set off in the direction of the Spirit Tip World.

"There is one more thing I need to inform you," Guan Ziqing began, glancing at Shang Xia before he continued, "My Spirit Tip World has encountered some difficulties in certain matters and we need the help of an experienced Stargazer. Thus, we invited Stargazer Xin who came with your ship, to visit our world."

"Of course, for someone with her skills to help us, our Spirit Tip World will certainly offer something in return."

Shang Xia nodded causally. "Oh? May I know what your world needs her for?"

Guan Ziqing explained, "It's to locate an ancient ruin rumored to be thousands of years old, which supposedly contains another path to the sea of stars. If we can find that ruin, what we gain from it is secondary. The key point is, with that, my Spirit Tip World, facing threats from the Essence Du World, will finally have a way to retreat safely and communicate with other worlds.”

Shang Xia listened without further question.

Together, the two traveled, enjoying deep conversations along the way.

Guan Ziqing, older and more experienced, and Shang Xia, younger yet had a terrifying achievement in his cultivation and a unique understanding of martial arts, realized they had much to discuss.

Time flew by in such focused exchanges. When the faint resistance from the Spirit Tip World’s Will began affecting Shang Xia, they realized they could already see the heavenly screen. Shang Xia also spotted the Star Ship and Spirit Ark some 30,000 miles from it.

At that moment, Song Zhen, who had been stationed on the Star Ship, seemed to notice Guan Ziqing and Shang Xia returning from the depths of space and immediately sped towards them.

At the same time, both Shang Xia and Guan Ziqing sensed something almost simultaneously and turned their heads to look in the same direction.

Meanwhile, Song Zhen, who was accelerating towards Shang Xia, heard a clear voice from Shang Xia, "Don't come over, bring the ships away from the Spirit Tip World’s heavenly screen.”

Seeing Shang Xia safe, Song Zhen stopped his movement, turned, and returned to the ships.

He always followed Shang Xia’s commands without question. Even to the point of personally using his own energy to assist the ship’s formation master in activating the formation to quickly drive the ships and arks away.

With a third tier True Immortal personally taking action, the effects were obvious.

The ships activated in the void and rushed away from the heavenly screen.

Meanwhile, Guan Ziqing rushed to the Spirit Tip World, standing right above the heavenly screen.

Shang Xia’s speed couldn’t possibly be slower than Guan Ziqing's. However, he was an outsider nonetheless. Standing alongside Guan Ziqing would not only fail to help him but might also affect his combat effectiveness due to the rejection of the World’s Will.

Thus, Shang Xia stopped thousands of miles away, at a distance where he wasn’t too affected by the suppression.

The next moment, Shang Xia noticed complex runes emerging on the heavenly barrier of the Spirit Tip World, forming a formation around their world, channeling the power of the World’s Will into Guan Ziqing.

Shang Xia distinctly felt Guan Ziqing’s energy surging, even surpassing him in his current state. He reached a level Shang Xia hadn’t quite reached.

Shang Xia immediately understood how the Spirit Tip World had managed to withstand the suppression from an Essence World that housed a Sage.

However, as Shang Xia observed Guan Ziqing adapting to the surging energy within him, he also sensed Guan Ziqing’s vitality draining at an abnormal rate!

The realization hit him immediately. Guan Ziqing’s lifespan wasn’t reaching its end naturally!

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Just then, as if sensing Shang Xia’s intense gaze, Guan Ziqing turned and smiled at Shang Xia from afar. “He’s here!”

Shang Xia immediately withdrew his gaze and looked into the void just in time to see it rippling. It seemed to come alive as though it wanted to swallow Guan Ziqing, himself, and the Spirit Tip World whole.

Sage Yan Yu has arrived!