Chapter 2145: Eternal Artifact

Shang Xia and the Star Origin Lord had each been making their own calculations. Although from the overall situation, the former fell into a disadvantage because his Fate Stars were exposed, his timely counterattack broke through the Six Essence Heavenly Field’s chaotic streams. For the first time in many years, the internal state of the Heavenly Field was exposed to the gaze of the Sages across the Heaven Observation Star Region, and the long-standing veil of mystery around the Star Origin Lord was likewise torn open.

Of course, his act thoroughly enraged the Star Origin Lord!

Thus, before the void currents torn by Shang Xia’s Falling Dipper had even closed, a streak of light shot at extreme speed out from the Six Essence Heavenly Field. In the blink of an eye, after rending the void, it reached the outer reaches of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field.

In the next instant, the turbulent void surrounding the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field was likewise ripped open.

A figure was revealed within the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field as he ignored the suppression of the will of the heavenly field. Tearing through the defenses, he flew straight at the Essence Luxuriant World that was located at the core of the Heavenly Field.

The surging aura the newcomer emitted showed that he was at the grand completion stage of the Martial Emptiness Realm!

“Huh?! How can you be here?! What’s going on?!”

Soon, another figure of Sage followed closely into the Heavenly Field.

Compared to the one who had just forced his way in, the later arrival seemed to have been invited by the Heavenly Field itself and suffered no repulsion or suppression.

The situation was clear. The latter had clearly come in pursuit of the former. After entering the Heavenly Field, the suppression slowed the intruder’s speed enough that the pursuer recognized who it was.

Upon recognizing the intruder’s identity, the later-arriving Sage gasped in even greater shock.

However, the intruder ignored the inquiry, still pressing rapidly toward the Essence Luxuriant World.

Only then did the pursuer seem to remember her purpose for coming to the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field. She moved quickly, summoning many phantom vines that lashed out to coil around the intruder.

Ever since the fragment of the Essence Mu World had settled in the Heaven Observation Region, with the support of a Dao Field, the remnant of their World’s Will, and the full backing of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, Mei Jingya’s cultivation, which had briefly fallen from a mid-level Sage to a low-level Sage, stabilized at the third star.

Owing to her prior foundation, once she activated her secret arts and supplemented them with the power of her world, she could utilize her former strength when she was still a mid-level Sage.

Even so, her attempt to intercept had only a minimal effect.

The intruder merely released his inner qi when the vines were snapped instantly. He barely slowed down.

From the fact that he had paid no attention to Mei Jingya’s strike and continued straight for the Essence Luxuriant Realm, it was clear he did not view her as any threat at all.

Since they had anticipated a clash with the Star Origin Lord when refining the Starlight Yarn, Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue had naturally not forgotten to invite friendly Sages to lend their strength.

Originally, judging by the cultivation and power displayed by the Sage who had forced his way in, Mei Jingya had no way to match him. Yet, upon seeing an old acquaintance from the Flood Star Region suddenly appear, she instinctively gave chase.

As for striking to intercept the figure... She did it out of instinct after recalling her task to protect the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field.

Seeing the intruder ignore both her questions and her attempt to stop him, Mei Jingya realized that some unknown change must have happened to the Sage from the Flood Star Region. Despite the massive gap in strength, she still felt she had to do something.

In the next moment, however, the boundless starlight bursting from the man’s body robbed Mei Jingya of her vision and completely smothered her divine soul. Everything went dark, and she was nearly sent into a region of chaos.

Mei Jingya knew very well he never had such abilities. He had never been able to wield the power of the stars, and his former cultivation level didn’t match the person she knew either.

Instinctively, Mei Jingya forced open her domain and triggered all the life-preserving protections she carried. Only then did she barely push back a portion of the all-pervading starlight, gaining a brief chance to breathe.

Her shock only deepened. She had seen high-level Sages in the Flood Star Region before. Shan Lao of the Essence Shen Heavenly Field was also at the grand completion stage of the Martial Emptiness Realm.

But whether it was Rong Ding, Qian Hu, or even Shan Lao himself, none of them displayed might comparable to the person before her.

If she had to name someone on the same level, it would only be Shang Xia who still managed to carry out the remnant of the Essence Mu World despite being surrounded by multiple Sages.

Though Mei Jingya’s thoughts were racing, she did not forget that she was in mortal danger. Seizing the brief window, she retreated at even greater speed in the direction she had come.

When she reached the edge of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, she saw a surge of unfamiliar power explode within the boundless starlight ahead. The next second, the region of void that was illuminated with the starlight was devoured and erased, opening up a massive gap.

Mei Jingya knew that Shang Xia was currently engaged in a battle with the Star Origin Lord deep in the void and could not possibly spare his attention to confront another existence at the grand completion stage.

Yet the reality before her left her no choice but to believe that there was another powerful Sage within the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field capable of matching a grand completion stage Sage, the mysterious existence who was stopping the Sage of the Flood Star Region!

Could it be Kou Chongxue?

Impossible, he was outside the Heavenly Field, joining forces with the Giant Ape Emperor to deal with experts from the Illusory Sea of Stars.

There were rumors, instead, of another high-level Sage of the Heaven Observation Star Region present. It could only be Gu Yi of the Essence Ming Heavenly Field.

However, Gu Yi was only at the sixth star, but the power erupting from both combatants clearly possessed the might of a martial intent. There was no way a sixth star Sage could do what either of them were doing.

Moreover, it was unlikely the Sages of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field would invite the perpetual shit stirrer into their Heavenly Field, much less allow him to remain hidden in it.

The aftershocks from the battle made even Mei Jingya, who had already withdrawn to the edge of the Heavenly Field, tremble with fear. She nearly turned around to flee the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field entirely.

Soon, however, the Heavenly Field responded. First, the battle’s aftershocks were quickly nullified by the power of the Spirit Worlds with the Essence Luxuriant World at their core. Drawing on the power of the various strongholds they had built in the void, the shockwaves were further dispersed and the Heavenly Field wasn’t harmed in the slightest.

At last, Mei Jingya was able to clearly see the face of the expert fighting the Sage from the Flood Star Region.

“How... How can Sage Shang be here too?!” Staring at the familiar figure before her, Mei Jingya wore an expression of utter disbelief.

But she was, after all, a Sage. She quickly noticed that the cross-void duel between Shang Xia and the Star Origin Lord was still ongoing, while the Sage before her, whose appearance was identical to Shang Xia’s, radiated an aura distinct from Shang Xia himself.

“It should be a clone. But what kind of clone can wield power to rival an expert at the grand completion stage?!” Mei Jingya felt her understanding of the martial path being shattered one after another.

She also quickly realized that the Sage of the Flood Star Region had likely lost himself and become someone else’s clone, and there was only one suspect in mind, the Star Origin Lord!

Having ordered her thoughts, Mei Jingya’s attention returned to the two combatants.

She soon noticed that the one who seemed to be Shang Xia’s clone had, at the very start, unleashed a martial intent and had managed to block the intruder’s surprise assault.

But as their martial intents clashed and their explosive power neared its end, the clone’s aura began to wane, and he gradually fell into disadvantage during the exchanges, forced onto the defensive.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Fortunately, since the battle was taking place within the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, he had the home ground advantage. He could rely on the assistance of the World’s Will and the Heavenly Field’s suppression to make up for his slight inferiority in raw combat strength.

Even so, the longer the fight continued inside the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, the greater the damage to the Heavenly Field itself.

Thankfully, after the initial clashes of martial intent, it would take time for either side to build up enough energy for such powerful strikes. Neither was going to grant the other that chance.

Mei Jingya quickly realized she had to act and could no longer simply watch.

She once more stirred her inner qi and drew on the power of the remnant of her Essence Mu World. As her aura surged, she didn’t suffer repulsion from the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field.

That was obviously because the two Sages of the Essence Luxuriant World had made prior arrangements.

In the next moment, within Mei Jingya’s expanded domain, vines condensed from world origin tore open the void and whipped toward the suspected Star Origin Lord clone, coiling, lashing, and binding.

Mei Jingya’s harassment could not truly harm the Star Origin Lord’s clone. With a casual blow, he could easily destroy all the vines she had painstakingly prepared.

Even so, Mei Jingya succeeded in diverting part of his attention, allowing Shang Xia’s external avatar to respond more freely to the enemy’s assaults and to limit excessive damage to the Heavenly Field.

Still, as long as the battle continued inside... The damage would continue.

At that moment, an ancient, time-worn phantom of the Crimson Soul Tablet suddenly appeared above the Essence Luxuriant World. The phantom then shrank continuously until it became the same as the item in Shang Xia’s hand, transforming into a four-faced crimson mace.

Although Shang Xia had more than once called forth the true body of the Crimson Soul Tablet in battle, it was undoubtedly the closest it had ever come to perfection.

Swinging it once, it appeared in the region of space around his Dipper Star Formation. It faced no obstruction as it pierced straight through another assault.

For the first time, he heard the Star Origin Lord’s astonishment turn into a cry of fright. “An Eternal Artifact! How do you have an Eternal Artifact?!”