Chapter 1617: Eye Above the Heavenly Screen

Shang Xia and his External Avatar, along with Yan Ming, cautiously circled around the large dark spot on the edge of the great sun.

The sun itself was a massive sphere, and as the trio moved to the opposite side to face the dark spot directly, they realized that the dark spot was much larger than they had thought.

If the sun's fierce light and heat were akin to the midday sun before, then at this moment, it resembled a sunset, leaving behind a vast expanse of orange-red glow.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Yan Ming stared at the giant blazing orb in the void as she mumbled to herself, "If someone really took away a portion of the sun... What would they use it for?"

However, Shang Xia’s attention wasn’t on the sun. His gaze turned into the void on the other side and frowned. "Perhaps we can find the answer there!"

Yan Ming, surprised, followed his gaze and asked, "What did you find?"

Before Shang Xia could reply, she continued, "Oh, a world?"

Her revelation shocked Shang Xia and his External Avatar.

Yan Ming continued, "It's just strange that such a world would exist here in the void, without any chaotic streams to guard it..."

Noticing the perplexed expressions on Shang Xia and his External Avatar, she inquired, "What's the matter with you two?"

After exchanging glances, it was the External Avatar who spoke, "Is this... Did you become a Grand Stargazer?!"

Yan Ming nodded as if it were obvious. "Yeah, after such a long delay, I finally crossed that threshold. Otherwise, how could I have detected a world from such a great distance?"

Shang Xia and his External Avatar quickly congratulated her, "That's indeed cause for congratulations!"

Dismissing the formalities with a wave of her hand, Yan Ming grunted, "Come on, since we're here, we must take a closer look at this strange world. There might really be something to discover."

Although the world was detected by the trio, it was actually very distant. They needed to exert some effort in order to catch a glimpse of its heavenly screen.

The moment they did, they revealed looks of astonishment.

"How can the heavenly screen be so weak?" Shang Xia’s External Avatar was the first to speak.

"It looks like a newly formed world, perhaps a Barbaric World?" Shang Xia speculated with uncertainty.

He had experience attacking a Barbaric World, but his recollection was that such worlds didn't have heavenly screens. In the past, he was sent straight into one by Kou Chongxue through a void tunnel.

Yan Ming, who observed differently from Shang Xia and his External Avatar, suggested, "Shall we get closer and look?"

By then, Shang Xia and his External Avatar were sufficiently curious, though they felt a vague unease. Still, they looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

However, as Yan Ming was about to move forward, Shang Xia’s External Avatar stopped her. "You two stay back, I'll scout ahead."

Turning to Shang Xia in surprise, Yan Ming awaited his response. However, she saw him nodding silently at her while advising, “Be careful!"

The External Avatar waved at them and then sped off in a flash of light, while Yan Ming, with Shang Xia's help, set up a simple observation platform in the void before starting to examine the odd world with her newly improved Stargazing arts.

As Shang Xia assisted Yan Ming, he also kept in constant contact with his External Avatar to track his progress.

While Yan Ming was deeply engrossed in her observations, Shang Xia’s External Avatar had already stealthily approached the heavenly screen and quickly sent back a message. It seemed to be a plane world in the process of ascending from a Barbaric World to an Azure World!

Shang Xia immediately shared this information with Yan Ming.

Yan Ming was initially startled by the news, then seemed to understand something as if she had a revelation. Despite feeling like she knew what was going on, her initial observations seemed to confuse her further.

When Shang Xia saw the shifts in her expression, he couldn’t help but chuckle, "The looks on your faces are quite hard to keep up with."

Turning to shoot him a glare, Yan Ming continued, "This is the ascension of a Barbaric World into an Azure World, which shouldn't be a problem! But the way this world is ascending seems odd."

Surprised, Shang Xia asked, "What's strange about it? And, you've studied world ascensions?"

Ignoring Shang Xia's teasing tone, Yan Ming continued, "Although I haven't been a Stargazer for long, I've witnessed world fragments integrated into our world several times, which the institution’s observatory has thoroughly documented. Moreover, unlike Yuan Qiuyuan and Xin Lu, I have a unique advantage. I've witnessed the entire process of the Azure Ruling World's ascension to a Spirit World!"

While Xin Lu had also visited the Azure Ruling World, she returned with Shang Xia after laying the foundations for their ascension. In contrast, Yan Ming had frequently traveled in and out of the Azure Ruling World World with Zhu Nang's fleet during its ascension process, allowing her to document it in detail.

Shang Xia then adopted a more respectful demeanor. “Please... Share your findings with us.”

Yan Ming shot him a proud look before she started her explanation. "First, if this world is indeed in the process of ascension, then its heavenly screen isn't exhibiting the typical signs of drawing qi from the void, which is strange!"

The existence of a heavenly screen is essentially a window for a world, facilitating the world's breathing of cosmic qi, a fundamental function.

Shang Xia found this odd as well and asked, "Is it not? Could it be because the heavenly screen has just formed and is still fragile?"

Yan Ming shook her head and continued, "There are still several Barbaric Worlds in the Heaven Observation Field, and during my travels in the Chaotic Sea of Stars, I've encountered numerous Barbaric and Azure Worlds. One thing is certain. A Barbaric World on its own may not have the protection of chaotic streams, but once it becomes an Azure World, it must have the protection of chaotic streams."

Shang Xia first thought of the Azure Faith World and their once affiliated worlds. They coexisted in the void of a Heavenly Field, while the space around the Spirit Abundance World contained the Essence Ping World and Spirit Observation World.

However, the former still had the protection of chaotic streams, whereas the latter had too much human intervention.

Yan Ming added, "This ascending world isn't surrounded by chaotic streams, nor are there any signs of forming, which is equally strange."

Shang Xia couldn't help but object, "Have you ever witnessed a Barbaric World's ascension to an Azure World?"

Yan Ming wasn't annoyed by Shang Xia's objection and instead asked, "Has your External Avatar already entered the world?"

Shang Xia replied, "He just went in, but maybe because of the heavenly screen, my connection with him has weakened a lot, and the transmission of messages might be delayed."

Yan Ming frowned before asking again, "Can a Barbaric World in the process of ascending to an Azure World support the presence of a True Immortal? Especially since your External Avatar has high-level True Immortal combat capabilities!"

A chill ran down Shang Xia's spine at her words. He hurriedly used their soul connection to instruct his External Avatar to withdraw from the world as quickly as possible.

But just as Shang Xia sent the transmission, unsure if his External Avatar had received it, the connection between them suddenly became smooth, and he also confirmed that his External Avatar had indeed chosen to exit the world on his own initiative and immediately alerted Shang Xia. "Leave quickly, a supreme expert is deep in slumber here!"

That was the only transmission he received.

Shang Xia immediately connected the dark spot in the sun to the mysterious supreme expert his External Avatar had mentioned.

"Let's go!" Shang Xia, while pulling Yan Ming for a quick withdrawal from the void, hardly had time to retrieve most of the observation platform she had just set up.

He also immediately unleashed the sixth move of his Six Harmony Rod Technique, Heaven Liberation, enhancing his External Avatar’s combat abilities and increasing his speed.

But just then, as Shang Xia was pulling Yan Ming into the depths of the void to escape, a chilling sensation suddenly rose from the depths of his heart, a feeling of dread sweeping over his body.

Shang Xia abruptly turned to look in the direction they had come from, only to see a huge eyeball opening, positioned right where the heavenly screen of the strange world was!

Shang Xia gasped in shock, his scalp exploding in horror, his Six Direction Qi nearly spiraling out of control as if he was about to go berserk.

At the critical moment, Shang Xia, with his many years of cultivation and strengthened will, forcibly diverted his gaze, pulling Yan Ming, who was also subconsciously turning back, to block her view with his body.

At the same time, Shang Xia's inner qi surged, soothing the agitation and anomalies in the energy flowing through his body.

The next second, Shang Xia suddenly felt a searing pain in his head, as if his soul was being torn apart by needles. He discovered that the strand of soul in his External Avatar had been completely eliminated.

Reluctantly reaching into the void, he tore through it, and when he withdrew his hand, the lifeless body of his External Avatar, which had lost all consciousness like a zombie, was pulled back by him.

Grabbing Yan Ming in one hand and his External Avatar in the other, Shang Xia fled through the void.

As Shang Xia and the others finally left that stretch of void far behind, the giant eyeball on the heavenly screen of the strange world slowly closed. Strands of qi began to emanate from the barrier, eventually condensing into a humanoid figure emanating the aura of a True Immortal who looked in the direction where Shang Xia and the others fled before mumbling in a cold void, “Hmm, they escaped quickly. What a shame!"