Chapter 1827: Trap At The Edge Of The Spatial Vortex

In the vast, boundless void, a figure flickered in and out of view. With each appearance, it crossed tens of thousands of miles in an instant.

Yet even with such speed, the figure remained extremely cautious. Every time it surfaced, it spread its divine sense far and wide into the surrounding void to probe for any danger.

Judging by its direction it was flying, it was clearly heading toward the great vortex in the void.

When the figure was less than 1,000,000 miles away from the vortex, close enough that the spatial ripples emanating from the edge of the vortex could be distinctly felt, the figure suddenly came to a halt.

The starlight filling the surrounding void seemed to stir at that instant, twisting and converging toward the figure’s position. A cold cluster of gathered starlight formed around it, making it appear from afar as if a star had formed out of nowhere, drawing in all the starlight in the surrounding.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

With the space already distorted by the interference of the spatial vortex, the sudden withdrawal of starlight revealed a previously hidden presence.

"Who’s there? I am Shang Xia from the Essence Luxuriant World. Why don’t you show yourself?”

The figure within the starlight, currently absorbing the power of the stars to restore his inner qi, yelled. His voice pierced through the void, echoing across tens of thousands of miles.

But instead of a reply, the hidden presence answered with sudden aggression.

A two-pronged spear tore through the void and, in an instant, traversed tens of thousands of miles to pierce straight into the starry radiance.

Like a punctured bladder, the concentrated starlight scattered before it could be fully absorbed.

Both the weapon and the hand behind it seemed to possess a method for dispersing inner qi.

Clang!

A crisp chime nearly shattered the void.

The two-pronged spear was stopped by a stone rod that emerged from the scattered starlight, but it was withdrawn and it disappeared instantly.

The shroud of starlight dissipated, fully revealing the figure who had been rushing over. Shang Xia, clad in his Origin Star Robe and exuding the aura of a third star Sage, stood in the void. Since his recovery had been disrupted, his aura fluctuated slightly.

"Heh. So it is indeed Shang Xia, Sage of the Essence Luxuriant World. It’s been a few years since we last met. To think that you would advance so quickly... I assume all has been well?” A hand reached from the void to grab the spear. A second star Sage who wore an indifferent look appeared before him.

"Sage Pei Yuanji from the Essence Chong Heavenly Field... So it’s you. I didn’t expect us to meet again here.” Shang Xia casually rested his stone rod across his shoulder, smiling faintly at the man who had just emerged from the void.

"Heh, thanks to you, I had to leave my Essence Chong Heavenly Field in recent years. After chasing the rumors across the Chaotic Sea of Stars, watching your rise is like watching a legend unfold. However, the real question is... Can your legend continue today?”

With that, Pei Yuanji struck without further warning. The two-pronged spear once again tore through space. This time, it appeared right beside Shang Xia and tore through his domain.

His weapon was clearly no ordinary treasure. It possessed some peculiar ability to bypass or shred through defenses.

Watching the incoming weapon, Shang Xia didn’t flinch. He met the attack head-on, swinging his stone rod right into it.

Meanwhile, Pei Yuanji closed the gap, drawing within a thousand miles of Shang Xia. Forming a hand seal, he struck forward in an attempt to shatter Shang Xia’s domain completely.

Raising an eyebrow, Shang Xia was surprised by Pei Yuanji’s confidence in dealing with him as a second star Sage. At the same time, he wouldn’t allow Pei Yuanji to succeed so easily.

The next second, Pei Yuanji yelled, "What are you waiting for?!"

Before his voice had even faded, the space behind Shang Xia turned chaotic and surged toward him at alarming speed.

"Yan Yu?!" Shang Xia cried out in shock as his robe fluttered behind him. The lingering starlight from earlier scattered outward, forming a mighty shield that held the advancing chaos at bay.

At the same time, he quickly withdrew his stone rod and swept it before him to force Pei Yuanji away before darting to the side to free himself from the pincer attack.

Facing a coordinated assault from 2 second star Sages, Shang Xia appeared to be overwhelmed as he disengaged to flee.

As he did so, the energy surrounding him dispersed. His cultivation instantly dropped to the second star, and a talisman turned to ash in the void.

The next moment... The void along his route of retreat began crystallizing into layers of shimmering shields, blocking his escape.

There was actually a third Sage there to ambush him!

"Truly impressive, Sage Shang... To think a mere clone tricked both my comrades..."

A soft laugh echoed in his ears, though it was not really Shang Xia but his Origin Star Avatar.

A hand reached from the crystalline void, aiming to seize the Origin Star Robe for himself. Too bad for the newcomer, a ray of starlight tore through the crystallized space, striking at the intruding wrist.

Pausing momentarily, the hand waved to dissipate the ray of starlight.

However... The brief moment was enough. Shang Xia’s Origin Star Avatar tore through the weakened part of the shield, slipping through the gap.

The crystal shields instantly shattered and the void returned to normal. Shang Xia’s Origin Star Avatar turned into a streak of starlight that merged into a figure speeding towards them and the Origin Star Robe returned to its original owner.

Releasing his aura completely, Shang Xia’s aura that used to be at the peak of the third star surged once again, empowered by the Origin Star Robe. It reached the level of Hidden Star, giving him the strength of a mid-level Sage!

"True Immortal Yuan Ling, greetings. Even though we had a run in a long time ago, it seems like we’re meeting face-to-face for the first time today.” Shang Xia’s true body now stood revealed in the void. Yet his gaze turned to another direction.

Across from him, Pei Yuanji of the Essence Chong World and Yan Yu of the Essence Du World also showed themselves. They stood thousands of miles away as they stared Shang Xia down.

Shang Xia couldn’t help but wonder how they had come to ally with the Essence Ling Heavenly Field, but clearly, they were not his true opponents.

It was then that another figure started to walk over from the distant void. Each step sent ripples through space as Pei Yuanji and Yan Yu both stepped to the side respectfully.

Shang Xia’s expression grew serious with each step he took.

After Gu Yu, Yuan Ling was the second fifth star Sage he was facing!

Also, Yuan Ling wasn’t alone. He had 2 other second star Sages at his side to help him...

“Heh, I was planning to set a trap for you here, but who would have thought our schemes would be seen through so easily?”