Chapter 2049: You Caught It?!

Even though Yuan Qiuyuan was in terrible shape, his caution had led him to trigger both rank seven talismans Shang Xia had left behind. They not only protected him at the crucial moment but also enabled a counterattack that severed the monster’s attempt to break through Shang Xia’s barrier.

Yet that only seemed to infuriate the humanoid monster standing outside the spatial gate. As it stopped poking the barrier with its tentacles, it hurled its entire body against it.

The barrier dented under the impact, and the creature’s head and face blurred into vague features beneath the veil of light.

The paper-thin barrier looked like it would break with a casual poke. However, that thin screen became the creature’s final obstacle in escaping the Star River.

Just as Yuan Qiuyuan feared the barrier would no longer hold against the assault, Shang Xia’s figure appeared without warning behind the humanoid monster.

Sensing the danger behind it, the creature turned abruptly and a rain of poison liquid started to fall on Shang Xia.

With a mere flick of his sleeves, the space before him started to wrap as each droplet was swallowed into an invisible vortex.

When Shang Xia had been comprehending his martial intent, he had come to wield his Seven Star Mace Technique with ever greater ease.

The humanoid monster clearly knew how formidable Shang Xia was. After another tentacle dissolved and flung more poison, it slid into the flowing river of light, about to merge into it completely.

How could Shang Xia allow it to escape so easily? Raising his hand, he casually sliced down twice. The place where the creature had merged into the Star River seemed cut at both its head and tail, freezing that segment of the river’s flow solid.

Making a quick gesture, the frozen length of radiance began to peel away from the Star River and fly toward him.

Just then, however, something like grease seeped from the frozen flow, and that segment rapidly corroded.

Shang Xia didn’t seem surprised. The hand he had been drawing back stopped and he unleashed Shattered Starry Skies.

Before the frozen segment could be completely eaten away, a mighty surge of Shang Xia’s inner qi crushed the region.

Even so, his expression remained grave. He understood that two or three moves would not suffice to erase an unknown Sage capable of rampaging through the Star River.

Sure enough, not far from him, two rows of tentacles thrust out of the river and pushed the flow apart to either side. The humanoid monster emerged once more, though it looked shrunken compared to before.

Before it could flee, Shang Xia, already prepared, stirred the light in the distance again, raising a small undercurrent within the otherwise placid Star River, dragging the creature over.

The monster had not expected to be caught again, but beyond surprise, it felt terror that Shang Xia could actually draw upon and use the power of the Star River!

Without hesitation, the creature spun around and rushed heedlessly toward the depths of the Star River. It laid its back bare to Shang Xia’s strike and made no effort to shield itself.

Now fully in control, there was no way Shang Xia would let it get away. He had set the simple trap precisely to grab the creature and learn more about the Star River from it.

Even though the creature felt that it had rushed deep into the Star River, space twisted around it, and when it glanced back again, the distance between it and Shang Xia seemed unchanged. The spatial gate was still there, and so was the horrifying powerful Sage.

That was the seventh form of Shang Xia’s Seven Star Mace Technique, Shifting Dipper!

Shang Xia’s use of his techniques had long since escaped the confines of any mere weapon.

Understanding it couldn’t get away, the creature decided to risk it and stake its life on a final attack.

As it was about to crash into him, Shang Xia suddenly asked, “Can you understand me?”

The humanoid monster ignored him, and it looked like it would crash into Shang Xia the next moment.

Yet, the instantly the tentacles were about to touch him, the creature’s vision blurred.

No matter how hard it tried, no matter how hard it stretched, the distance between its tentacles and Shang Xia wasn’t closing. It found itself back in the very spot where it had begun its death-charge, only to start another.

After that, the creature repeated the charge like an endless cycle. It rushed over before snapping back to its original point, repeating it over and over.

By then, the creature also understood it had been trapped in some sort of time loop. It was a shame it could do nothing. It could only try again and again to reach Shang Xia.

Even though it failed to cause the slightest damage, its energy expenditure was real. Shang Xia could even sense that, as the cycle continued, the monster was flagging. Strange fluid seeped and dripped continually from the surface of its body as it continued to shrink.

Eventually, its frame grew limp, as if it had never had bones at all.

Looking at the weakened creature, Shang Xia knew the time had come to seal and capture it. Although he could sustain the loop by borrowing the power of the Star River, the drain on his inner qi was also significant.

As the creature struggled close once more, Shang Xia stretched out his hand and sliced the void.

This time, he didn’t just unleash the Four Constellation Samsara Blade. He combined it with his World Establishing Art, sealing the creature within a separate space in the Star River. He split it off from the surrounding space and prepared to bring it away.

To be precise, he meant to carry the space through the spatial gate to the patch of void where Yuan Qiuyuan waited, the very place the creature had been obsessing over entering.

After they passed through the gate, Yuan Qiuyuan, sensing Shang Xia’s return, hurried forward, though his movements looked awkward.

“Have you gone blind?” Shang Xia raised his eyebrow as he asked.

With a wry smile, Yuan Qiuyuan replied, “I was greedy and didn’t stop fast enough. I tried to peer deeper into the Star River and ended up damaging my eyes. I don’t think I’ll go blind, but it will likely take a long time to recover.”

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Shang Xia nodded. With a casual tug, he grabbed the humanoid monster, seemingly frozen in midair, out from beyond the gate.

“You caught it?” Though his sight was lost for the time being, Yuan Qiuyuan’s divine soul allowed him to move like a normal man. He stepped up to examine the inhuman creature closely.

He had only taken two steps when Shang Xia stopped him. “Don’t come close!”

Seeing the confusion on Yuan Qiuyuan’s face, Shang Xia explained, “This portion of space is something I can barely maintain. If you touch it, the power of space and time will immediately suck away your life force.”

Startled, Yuan Qiuyuan reflexively backed up two steps. “The power of space and time?! You actually...”

“I can’t control it fully.” Shang Xia interrupted, clearly guessing what he meant to say. He added thoughtfully, “Although I borrowed the power of the Star River, my inner qi also contains the power of the stars...”

Sensing he was about to drift into contemplation, Yuan Qiuyuan quickly asked, “Sage Shang, what should we do next? Should we continue studying the Star River here, or return and meet up with the fleet?”

“

Hm

...” Shang Xia returned to reality, and he glanced at the creature that looked motionless as it was sealed in the region of separate space. Eventually, a smile appeared on his face. “Let’s go back. I wonder how the Giant Ape King is faring. We can come back here in the future.”

Yuan Qiuyuan heaved a sigh of relief. He knew Shang Xia had nearly reached the limit of what he could do for him by bringing him over. If Shang Xia intended to continue exploring the Star River beyond the twisted void, then blind as he was, Yuan Qiuyuan would be nothing but a burden. He might even lose his life if he wasn’t careful.

Guided by his divine soul, Yuan Qiuyuan cleared a path through the void, preparing to follow behind Shang Xia.

Surprisingly, Shang Xia placed a hand on his shoulder and muttered, “Don’t walk behind me this time.”

Puzzled, Yuan Qiuyuan heard Shang Xia add, “Don’t spread your divine soul behind us either. Just lead the way ahead.”

Hearing the solemn tone, Yuan Qiuyuan hurried forward a few steps.

Though he could not see for the moment, he was still able to find his way back to the Spirit Ark as a Grand Stargazer.

Shang Xia’s voice came from behind him again, explaining the danger. “The power of space and time sealed in the region of space I brought out is diffusing behind him. If you don’t stand in front of me, the residual energy could still affect you.”

Nodding in understanding, Yuan Qiuyuan quickly increased his pace.

Meanwhile, Shang Xia followed him while sensing everything behind himi with his divine soul. As they walked, he fell deep into thought.