Chapter 2125: The Corruption Caused By The Lightning Prison

“Tempering the divine soul...” Shang Xia murmured softly to himself, momentarily forgetting to answer the man standing before him.

The Sage across from him, however, showed no sign of impatience. Instead, he simply waited quietly, as though willing to give Shang Xia all the time he needed to recollect himself.

When Shang Xia came back to his senses, he gave the other man a thoughtful glance, but his expression soon shifted into one of friendly interest. He clasped his hands and asked, “I am Shang Xia of the Heaven Observation Star Region. May I know how to address you, fellow cultivator?”

“So it is Sage Shang Xia of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field! I have long heard of you!” The man immediately revealed a look of surprise, returning the greeting with cupped hands. “I am He Jiubin of the Essence Ting World!”

Shang Xia was slightly surprised that the other man truly seemed to recognize him, but he still replied politely, “Sage He, greetings. This is my first time visiting the Lightning Prison, many thanks for your explanation.”

He Jiubin smiled and said, “There’s no need for formality. Experts from other Star Regions often come here to temper their souls. It’s hardly a secret.”

After that, Shang Xia asked him several more questions about the Lightning Prison. The high-level Sage of the Flood Star Region appeared entirely forthcoming, answering each question patiently, and soon the two were conversing with growing ease.

It was then that Shang Xia suddenly brought up the topic of the Lightning Prison’s connection to foreign Star Fields.

He Jiubin seemed to have anticipated this and smiled. “Compared with the infiltration and invasions suffered by other Star Regions, our situation here is quite stable, and we owe that to the existence of the Lightning Prison.”

“Oh?” Shang Xia arched his hands again, his tone turning serious. “I would like to hear more.”

He Jiubin laughed. “There’s really no deep secret. It’s simply that the deeper one goes into the Lightning Prison, the harsher the trials on the soul become. Even cultivators like you and me, dare not step into the prison’s innermost core. And that just so happens to be where this Star Region connects with another Star Field.”

“Since none of us dares to venture into the heart of the Lightning Prison, the experts from their Star Field, who are trapped right at the entrance to that passage, can hardly come through. To enter would mean facing near-certain death beneath the judgment of lightning.”

“I see.” Shang Xia nodded in sudden realization, then asked curiously, “If it is so difficult for those from foreign Star Fields to enter, it is not impossible, is it? I wonder, those few who manage to enter the Flood Star Region, from which Star Field do they originate?”

He Jiubin smiled faintly. “They are from the Nightmare Sea of Stars.”

“The Nightmare Sea of Stars? Nightmare?” Shang Xia repeated the name as though he hadn’t heard clearly.

When He Jiubin nodded, Shang Xia continued to press, “May I ask what’s special about them? Since it’s not impossible to meet one deep in the Lightning Prison, I’d best know how to deal with them.”

He Jiubin chuckled, “I’m ashamed to say, I’ve been lucky. I’ve entered and left this place many times to temper my soul, yet I’ve never personally met one of those Nightmare Sea experts who come from the depths. But I’ve heard from others that they’re masters of nightmare suppression and the art of curses.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Sage He. I’m most grateful.” After expressing his thanks once more, Shang Xia took his leave and flew toward the depths of the sea of clouds in the distance.

According to what He Jiubin had just told him, the depths of the sea of clouds was where the core of the Lightning Prison lay.

Watching Shang Xia’s figure disappear into the mist, He Jiubin revealed a strange smile.

After venturing some distance into the endless cloud sea, Shang Xia suddenly came to a halt. He spread his divine sense in all directions, but detected nothing, except for a faint tingling creeping along his soul.

Could it be that the Lightning Prison truly contained lightning that struck directly at the divine soul?

Though he had spoken cordially with He Jiubin, in truth, Shang Xia doubted almost everything the man had said. Not because he thought it to be false, but because he suspected the other was intentionally misleading him.

It was indeed Shang Xia’s first time in the Flood Star Region, but that did not mean he knew nothing of the Lightning Prison.

Moreover, there was something odd about He Jiubin’s identity. A sixth star Sage was able to travel unhindered in any Star Region, yet their encounter had felt far too coincidental.

And as for his description of the cultivators of the Nightmare Sea of Stars... That was where Shang Xia believed lay the real flaw.

In times like that, when the Chaotic Sea of Stars was under the threat of invasion of foreign Star Fields, any powerful expert ought to be highly vigilant, especially someone of He Jiubin’s level, who surely held great standing in the Flood Star Region.

Yet the man had spoken of the Nightmare Sea of Stars with surprising indifference, as though it were nothing unusual.

Given his cultivation and status, whether he truly had no contact with them or was simply lying, his understanding of such a threat should have been far more detailed.

“There’s something wrong with him,” Shang Xia mumbled to himself.

Yet he could be sure the man wasn’t from another Star Field either, otherwise, Shang Xia would never have failed to sense it.

In that case... What was his purpose?

Those questions swirled in Shang Xia’s mind, keeping him from advancing deeper into the sea of clouds after their parting.

The most direct course would be to withdraw from the Lightning Prison, find another native Sage of the Flood Star Region, and question them. That would clear everything up, especially since Shang Xia had some acquaintances there.

During his stint in the Great Spatial Vortex, he met Mei Jingya of the Essence Mu World in the Towering Star Region, as well as Lightning Master of the Flood Star Region.

Although he didn’t know which Heavenly Field Lightning Master hailed from, the man’s cultivation at the mid-level Sage meant finding him would not be difficult.

In fact, much of Shang Xia’s understanding of the Flood Star Region and the Lightning Prison originally came from him.

It was just that... Shang Xia’s wandering thoughts snapped back to reality and his divine soul, which had just spread outward, vanished as if swallowed by the sea.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Realization struck him as he discovered he had lost control of his surroundings.

Instinctively, the Big Dipper Star Origin in his dantian flared, filling the area around him with his inner qi.

The next instant, he noticed the clouds had turned pitch-black.

Silent flashes of lightning flickered, darted, and danced through the depths of the mist around him, forming what was unmistakably a prison of lightning that closed in on all sides.