Chapter 1894: Going South?

In the Original Stars Corner, at the site of the great spatial vortex.

This location wasn’t too far from the 6th Starsea Market. Even while concealing his movements, Shang Xia had taken only a few days to arrive.

However, long before he reached the edge of the vortex, he had been forced to halt.

From a vantage point millions of miles away, Shang Xia observed the spatial vortex. Though it no longer seemed to be expanding, its influence on the surrounding space continued to intensify.

The twisting of space caused by the rotation reached as far as where Shang Xia stood, and possibly even farther.

Naturally, the farther one was from the center, the weaker the distortions became. Shang Xia had chosen the closest position that would not cause dangerous interactions between his domain and the warped void around him.

After all, if he ventured too close, his domain would inevitably clash with the unstable space nearby, possibly triggering massive spatial fluctuations.

More importantly, as Shang Xia approached the spatial vortex, he clearly sensed the presence of other hidden Sages lurking within the surrounding space.

Those individuals had clearly been watching the spatial vortex for a long time. Their goal was to monitor its changes, and although they did not reveal their identities or auras, they also did not bother concealing their presence.

Shang Xia could safely assume these presences were not true bodies stationed there long-term, but rather, clones or specialized artifacts entrusted to lower-leveled cultivators.

Shang Xia started to suspect that those observers, given their diverse methods and specializations, might have a platform for sharing findings with one another.

"I’m afraid I’ll need to earn the rights if I wish to find their platform of information sharing..." Shang Xia muttered as he gazed toward the spatial vortex concealed beneath layers of warped void.

With that, his form scattered like mist and vanished.

A moment later, layer upon layer of twisted void was pierced apart.

The hidden experts immediately sensed the violent disturbance. They knew someone was trying to force their way toward the heart of the spatial vortex.

But the intruder’s speed was astonishing, so much so that even their divine senses couldn’t lock onto the figure. All they could perceive was a powerful and overwhelming aura rapidly smashing through layers of void distortion.

Within moments, it had surged from millions of miles away to just a few hundred thousand miles from the spatial vortex.

"Hah, another reckless fool courting death!" One of the divine souls sneered with schadenfreude.

"But that speed... Their strength must be extraordinary!" A second divine soul added with a tinge of wariness.

"A mid-level Sage... Most likely..." A third voice came, now tinged with curiosity.

Several of the previously silent observers showed signs of hesitation.

Becoming a mid-level Sage was a key threshold. Once passed, it signified a fundamental transformation in power, status, and prestige across the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

"So what if he's mid-level Sage?" The first voice sneered again. "Barreling forward like this just proves he's another overconfident fool. Let the spatial vortex’s danger teach him a lesson!"

"Hmph. With that level of cultivation, he might take a hit or two, but he won't suffer much." A fourth divine soul joined in the discussion.

"If he realizes the danger ahead and retreats, should we allow him into our circle?" The third, previously flippant, divine soul asked in a serious tone.

"Only if he can offer something of value." The first voice eventually came.

"Hey, look! He’s reached 500,000 miles of the center... And he hasn’t slowed down at all!" A fifth, new, divine soul exclaimed in shock.

With the reminder, the lingering divine souls turned their full attention to the charging force.

At 500,000 miles, the distortion became far worse. Space was not only twisted but it was fragile to the extreme.

Crossing it was like sprinting across a thawing lake. Everything shattered behind him with each step, and he was one misstep away from plunging into chaotic space.

The closer he got, the higher the risk.

And yet, under their collective gaze, Shang Xia didn’t just maintain his speed. In fact, he seemed to charge faster.

"Is he tired of living? Who is this guy?!" A divine soul exclaimed, tone tinged with disbelief and growing interest.

"You thinking of taking advantage of him if he fails?" The third divine soul who still sounded pretty mischievous, replied. "Forget it. Judging by his speed and aura, this isn't a typical mid-level Sage. I’d wager he’s an expert in the fifth star!”

"Fifth star?! Across all seven Star Regions... No, includes the Heaven Observation Star Region, which makes eight. How many Heavenly Fields have an expert at that level? 10?” The second divine soul asked in a probing tone.

"If we count those with fourth star Sages, there are probably 20 Heavenly Fields with mid-level Sages. But for actual fifth star Sages... 10 is possible, but there’s no more than 15.” The fourth divine soul spoke while spreading his senses.

"So he’s one of the 15 strongest experts across the Chaotic Sea of Stars?" The third divine soul said playfully. "You seem well-informed."

"More than that. He’s already crossed the 300,000 mile mark and hasn’t slowed. Even among fifth star Sages, he has to be among the strongest! I’d bet he ranks in the top 10." The fifth and last divine soul to join the exchange said.

“Oh? Sounds like you know a lot about fifth star Sages! Are you one yourself?" The third divine soul started to stir some shit.

The fifth divine soul snapped back, "What about you? Why are you so quick to point fingers? Are you afraid someone might suspect you of being a fifth star Sage?"

The third divine soul snorted and was about to respond when another exclaimed, "He’s slowing down! Finally!"

"Goodness... he’s within 200,000 miles now!" The fourth divine soul gasped, his voice barely above a whisper.

"200,000 miles... How many of us would dare get that close?" The third divine soul asked with interest.

"Reaching that range isn’t the issue. Most of us could do it. What’s rare is getting there at that speed and staying. What’s even rarer is pushing deeper still." The second divine soul spoke again.

"You’re not wrong." The fifth divine soul agreed. "But you're missing something. The spatial vortex may not look like it’s growing, and the outer region we’re at may seem stable, but the inside has been degrading every day. Danger is escalating rapidly. I don’t know when you last probed the center, but it’s far worse now."

"Seriously?" The second divine soul replied, clearly shaken.

"He’s at one 150,000 miles, and still advancing!" The fourth divine soul reported.

"100,000?! Who is he?!" The first divine soul gasped.

Silence fell across the void. But none of the divine souls left. They were all now thinking the same thing.

Who is this person?

At the shattered edge, 100,000 miles from the spatial vortex, Shang Xia finally stopped.

His domain contracted and solidified, holding firm against the pressures of the surrounding void. Simultaneously, he drew upon the power of the seven suns, unleashing the might of Guided Dipper to resist the pull of the spatial vortex.

His expression was more serious than ever.

It wasn’t the collapsing space around him that brought the frown to his face. It was what he saw at the center of the spatial vortex. It was something far more terrifying than he had ever seen there.

Energy from the surrounding void was continuously being sucked inward. And there, in the center, a towering column of energy was rising. It grew larger and denser by the second.

Shang Xia initially tried using the Crimson Soul Tablet to reverse the suction and absorb some of the energy, but quickly found that he couldn’t even steal a bit of it.

Even at such a great distance, when he channeled the Crimson Soul Tablet, he could clearly connect with the column of energy. The feeling was intense.

Normally, when the Crimson Soul Tablet touched any type of energy, it would be devoured effortlessly, unless the energy was of such poor quality that the tablet simply ignored it.

But this time, despite contact, the Crimson Soul Tablet couldn’t absorb a single wisp!

It was the first time it ever happened! It seemed to suggest that the tablet had reached its limit.

But what truly unsettled Shang Xia wasn’t the unabsorbable energy, it was what was forming inside the column.

There, hidden deep within, was a slowly coalescing spatial gate.

He could only perceive it faintly through the Crimson Soul Tablet, and even then only barely, but it was unmistakably present.

Why is there a gate?

What is its purpose?

Is it a one-way gate?

If that is really the case, is something trying to enter the Chaotic Sea of Stars?!

If something... Or someone emerges... What kind of being could it be?!

Shang Xia considered approaching closer, but the surrounding void was now so dangerous that even he had to treat it with utmost caution.

Even so, he was unwilling to retreat. The column, and more so the spatial gate within it, gnawed at him like a thorn in the throat.

He moved forward, carefully, cautiously, for the first time exploring the broken void at a crawl.

The danger had far surpassed even the depths of the Nebula Forbidden Region.

...

Meanwhile, back in the void millions of miles away, the Sages had completely lost track of Shang Xia.

Truthfully, they had begun losing his trace as early as the 200,000 mile mark.

By the time he entered the 150,000 mile zone, he was gone from all perception.

Despite their failure to sense him, none of them thought he had perished.

"He must have found something."

"He’s definitely found something!"

Two divine souls spoke almost simultaneously.

"It’s no longer a question of whether we’ll allow him into our circle." The third divine soul said. The once-carefree voice changed and he spoke with unprecedented solemnity. "Now... It’s a matter of whether he’s even willing to acknowledge us at all."