Chapter 1695: Troubled

After returning from the Spirit Abundance World, Shang Xia quickly called for Ren Huan.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

“Rank seven talisman paper? I have absolutely no confidence in making them!" Ren Huan said, looking troubled as he hesitated to take the bolts of Star Devouring Silk Shang Xia handed over.

Ren Huan was considered a talented talisman paper craftsman in the institution.

Even so, Ren Huan's progress in crafting talisman paper couldn't keep up with Shang Xia's advancement in the art of talismans. At the moment, Ren Huan barely managed to craft rank six talisman paper. He often relied on using high-quality spiritual treasures as a base before using a little mid to low-grade treasures as filler. Only then was he able to produce rank six talisman paper.

There was no doubt about it. The production cost for rank six talisman paper was extremely high.

"It’s all about effort. These 2 bolts of Star Devouring Silk are pretty much half-complete products. All you need to do is to process it a little...” Shang Xia was about to persuade his Ren Huan to give it a bold try, but before he could finish, he was interrupted.

"I know my limits. If we're really to try making rank seven talisman paper, please wait till I become a True Immortal...” Ren Huan sighed.

Shang Xia was taken aback, only then realizing that Ren Huan's cultivation had already reached the fourth element of the Martial Dipper Realm. He would have hopes of attempting a breakthrough to the Martial Void Realm in the future. Especially with the Spirit Luxuriant World’s imminent ascension.

Although slightly disappointed, Shang Xia understood it wasn’t Ren Huan's fault. On the contrary, Ren Huan was being extremely responsible by giving him a heads up.

Having no other choice, Shang Xia thought of another plan. "By the way, do you know anyone here skilled in embroidery?"

Ren Huan frowned, and his expression became a little strange at Shang Xia’s question.

Raising an eyebrow, Shang Xia snapped, “What’s with that stupid look? Hurry up and say it.”

With a somewhat mischievous smile, Ren Huan whispered, "Don’t you know that Hall Master Chu is extremely skilled at that?”

"Her? She's a Formation Grandmaster! I need someone to embroider some high-level runes...”

Ren Huan chuckled mischievously, "Why don't you ask her yourself?" With that, the institution’s finest craftsman didn't even say goodbye but turned and ran as though he was escaping from a terrifying monster.

Shang Xia fell into deep thought. With no immediate prospects to get his hands on rank seven talisman paper, it seemed as though he had no choice but to stop and attempt to combine the runes on the Star Origin Lord Robe first.

Before Shang Xia could go and consult Chu Jia about his plans, a transmission talisman emerged from the heavenly screen and landed in his hands.

Looking through it, Shang Xia sighed with resignation.

The transmission came from Sun Haiwei and it concerned the Star Devouring Silkworms.

Previously, Shang Xia handed a batch of Star Devouring Silkworm larvae to Sun Haiwei for incubation. They had also designated a restricted space within a starship, infusing it with world origin from an Essence World to attempt the incubation.

Later, as Sun Haiwei and others returned to the Spirit Luxuriant World and all the larvae matured. However, the world origin Shang Xia provided was exhausted.

Now, as the silkworms began to grow, without sufficient supply of world origin, their quality would start to decrease. Not only would the silk they produce be considered rank six spiritual treasures, but increasing their level back to rank seven creatures would take a great deal of effort and several generations of breeding.

Having just returned from the space around the Spirit Abundance World, it wouldn’t be easy for Shang Xia to obtain more world origin from an Essence World. Not to mention he was already a Sage and his presence attracted a considerable amount of attention everywhere he went. Even sneaking into the Essence Ping World to steal a little world origin would be quite difficult.

With no other option, Shang Xia retrieved a jade Spirit Sealing Bottle and squeezed a drop of his blood into it before throwing it back into the Spirit Luxuriant World.

While world origin from an Essence World was hard to come by, Shang Xia, was a Sage and his dantian had the Big Dipper Star Origin. It was as good as, if not better than world origin from an Essence World.

However, sending even a small amount of his energy back into the world wasn’t easy. Finding an object that could carry and seal his inner qi was challenging, and it was also the reason he used a drop of blood. He used it as a carrier which could simplify the sealing process.

Shang Xia then sent out another Transmission Talisman, inviting Chu Jia to collaborate on completing the Variant Talisman runes on the Star Origin Lord Robe.

After sending out the transmission, another came from the Star Observatory. Zhu Nang had returned with a Star Ship from outside the Star Curtain.

Shortly after Shang Xia's advancement to the Seven Star Realm, Song Zhen and Zhu Nang left for the sea of stars again. They were accompanied by Xin Lu, a Grand Stargazer. He didn’t expect them back so soon.

A few days later, Zhu Nang and the others quickly returned and found Shang Xia.

"Brother Song and Lady Xin asked me to inform you that there seem to be signs that the ruins in the void around the Spirit Tip World are opening... They are organizing a force to explore it. Brother Song got me to ask if you are able to venture out of the Heaven Observation Field now?” Zhu Nang said everything in one breath, waiting expectantly for Shang Xia's response.

However, Shang Xia was momentarily stunned.

Right... As a Sage, was he able to leave the Heaven Observation Field?

Obviously not!

It wasn't that he couldn't, but he didn't dare!

The Star Curtain was clearly meant to keep outsiders from entering, and it didn’t stop those inside from leaving.

Sages from outside the Star Curtain definitely couldn’t enter, and it would stop the spying of foreign Sages to a certain extent.

An expert like Shang Xia could easily find a gap in the Star Curtain and leave whenever he wished.

However... Once he left, the weakness in the Star Curtain would be so great that foreign Sages would also be able to enter through it.

He didn’t dare to risk opening a gap in the Star Curtain that could be used by foreign Sages... It seemed unreasonable, but that was the reality of the existence of the Star Curtain.

By forcefully breaking through to the Seven Star Realm, Shang Xia managed to alter the predicament the Spirit Luxuriant World faced. However, the Star Curtain became a cage that prevented him from venturing out!