Chapter 1846: KNOCK KNOCK, WE’RE COMING IN

Outside a certain spatial vortex on the surface of the Nebula Forbidden Region.

By then, Sage Jin had already put away the golden Star Ship and was hovering in the void above the vortex, side by side with the other three Sages.

Drawing a three feet long Talisman Sword made of wood from his sleeves, he flicked lightly on it with a single finger. The next second, smaller wooden Talisman Swords detached from the main sword and landed in the hands of the other three.

"This is another set of Guardian-Ward Talisman Swords I crafted.” Sage Jin said. “If we’re separated after entering the Nebula Forbidden Region, the resonance between the swords will allow us to regroup quickly."

All of them took the sword but made no comment.

Sage Jin wasn’t surprised and simply added, "The dangers inside the forbidden region are deeply intertwined. A single misstep could trigger a chain reaction. Please, be extremely cautious. Do not touch anything unknown casually, doing so could bring immense trouble."

He had already warned them twice before, showing just how much he feared what lay inside.

The other three naturally understood. Though they remained calm on the surface, each had already raised their guard.

"Everyone, I’ll go in first," Sage Jin declared while nodding once to the others before allowing himself to fall straight into the vortex below.

He made no effort to control his descent. He dropped like an ordinary mortal free falling.

That was also something he had emphasized to the others. When passing through the spatial vortex into the Nebula Forbidden Region, any leakage of inner qi might disturb the vortex and lead to unpredictable outcomes.

As Sage Jin’s figure vanished into the swirling current, to everyone’s surprise, Yuan Ping was the second to step forward. With a faint smile, she said, “I’ll go next then.”

Like Sage Jin, she withdrew her aura, suppressed her inner qi, and fell into the spatial vortex like a mere mortal.

Only Zhuo Gudao and Shang Xia remained floating in the void, yet neither seemed in any hurry to follow.

"I heard..." Zhuo Gudao began suddenly, "... That not long ago, you were hunted by Sage Yuan Ling and two other Sages. You were forced to enter the great spatial vortex... However, you managed to emerge unharmed and even made significant gains. Is that true?”

Though phrased as a question, Shang Xia clearly didn’t take it as an innocent inquiry.

"Oh?" Shang Xia said while raising an eyebrow. "Is Sage Zhuo particularly interested in that matter?"

Zhuo Gudao smiled. "When that great spatial vortex suddenly expanded, countless eyes across the Chaotic Sea of Stars noticed. Everyone is wondering if a secret is contained within.”

Shang Xia grunted once before looking at Zhuo Gudao from the corner of his eye. “Seems like you already know something. Care to enlighten me?"

Zhuo Gudao cast him a meaningful glance. "You truly discovered nothing?"

Shang Xia blinked, meeting his gaze. "What am I supposed to discover?”

Zhuo Gudao turned his eyes to the distant void and said in a low voice, "There’s long been a rumor that the great spatial vortex may be linked to the destruction of the Heaven Observation Sect over a thousand years ago."

Shang Xia's heart skipped a beat. He gasped in shock. "Is that so? But I thought the Heaven Observation Sect fell because all the major powers in the Chaotic Sea of Stars joined forces to eliminate it?"

Zhuo Gudao chuckled. "They say that before you even reached the Martial Emptiness Realm, you frequently traveled through the Heaven Observation Field and learned much about many worlds out there. Let me ask you... Among the Sages you’ve met or heard of, have any reached the high-level?"

Those at the sixth star or higher...

Shang Xia thought carefully, then shook his head. "The strongest among those I’ve met was Yuan Ling and Gu Yi. Both were fifth star Sages. Sage Jin also used to be a fifth star Sage. Of course, the sea of stars is vast, and I’ve only recently advanced. I’ve likely only met a fraction of the Sages in existence.”

He had, in fact, noticed the pattern before, but given his limited exposure, he never drew conclusions.

Now that Zhuo Gudao had brought it up, it suggested something deeper was at play.

Zhuo Gudao shot him a faint smile. "The Chaotic Sea of Stars may be vast, but it does have an end. And while there are many worlds, there aren’t as many as you think. I’ll tell you this... The vast majority of Sages across the Heavenly Fields never reach the high-level."

Shang Xia frowned. "How is that possible?"

Zhuo Gudao ignored his doubt and continued, "Advancing to the Martial Emptiness Realm typically grants a lifespan of about 1,000 years. The ones who break through are all extraordinary talents with ample fortune and opportunity. Now think about it... When the Heaven Observation Sect fell more than 1,000 years ago, do you think all the existing Sages had been qualified to participate in that massive war?"

Shang Xia was stunned. Zhuo Gudao’s comment awakened a troubling realization. Only Sages and existence above that could have fought in the war that caused the Heaven Observation Sect’s fall.

If that was over 1,000 years ago, and if those same people were involved, why were most of them still only mid-level Sages?

Shouldn’t their lifespans have run out long ago?

And could a mere mid-level Sage really have wiped out a sect as powerful as that?

If he was right, then either someone else destroyed the Heaven Observation Sect, or the current batch of Sages never participated in the legendary war.

Just as Shang Xia fell into deep thought, Zhuo Gudao smiled and suddenly stepped forward, letting himself fall into the vortex.

"Young Friend Shang, I’ll be going ahead."

Startled, Shang Xia turned just in time to see him vanish.

"Why did he tell me all that? What really happened during the fall of the Heaven Observation Sect? Who was that mysterious power that destroyed them? What connection does it have with the great spatial vortex and the stalled cultivation of current Sages? And was Zhuo Gudao truly just expelled from the Essence Observation World by the Star Origin Lord?"

His thoughts churned wildly as his eyes settled on the swirling vortex below.

Somehow, he sensed that the Nebula Forbidden Region might be tied to those very mysteries, and that Zhuo Gudao had deliberately hinted at something before entering.

Shang Xia shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Regardless, since the Nebula Forbidden Region produced Hollow Heaven Stones, he had no choice but to enter anyway.

He leapt into the vortex, carefully restraining his inner qi as he fell.

The world spun around him as the starry clouds around him shattered like glass. The next second, he discovered he had already entered.