Chapter 2159: Sage Yuan Ling and the Essence Chang Heavenly Field

After Sage Xi finished speaking, his gaze burned toward Shang Xia in expectation, waiting for his reaction.

But Shang Xia merely replied with calm indifference. “What you’ve said is indeed the first time I’ve heard of it. Yet to me, such a secret remains only that, a secret. The invasion of all eight Foreign Star Fields is already a foregone conclusion. Even knowing all this now, what difference would it make? Do you truly expect me to sever the void passages linking each Star Region to the foreign Star Fields?”

Hearing that, Sage Xi was momentarily stunned and was left speechless.

Shang Xia, however, did not dwell on the matter further. He did not oppose the idea of giving a rank five Stargazer inheritance to Sage Xi and his Essence Lun World. After all, he had already more or less guessed Sage Xi’s true purpose in seeking such an inheritance.

Still, that did not stop Shang Xia from making the man work for it. After all, the guy wouldn’t value his inheritance if Shang Xia gave it away so easily.

Seeing Sage Xi momentarily flustered, Shang Xia took the initiative and asked, “What exactly is going on with Yuan Ling?”

Sage Xi looked slightly surprised by the question but quickly composed himself. “Sage Yuan Ling did indeed inherit the inheritance of the Heavenly Manor Sect, which once ruled over the Essence Chang Heavenly Field. For some reason, he also obtained the lingering blessing of Essence Chang World’s Will. Combined with his already-complete martial foundation, the dual empowerment allowed his cultivation to explode in the past century.”

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

He hesitated, then added for clarification, “The Essence Chang Heavenly Field was the predecessor of what we now call the Essence Worlds Ruins. But during its fall and transformation into a Forbidden Region, both the space it contained expanded significantly.”

Shang Xia mused aloud, “So there really was still a remnant world origin and a surviving World’s Will in the ruins?”

Xi immediately understood what he meant and nodded. “Most likely, it was left behind by Sage Li Jing, the last Sage of the Essence Chang Heavenly Field. Before attempting his breakthrough to the Eighth Order, he deliberately created a preservation mechanism for his sect’s legacy. That’s why, even centuries or millennia after the collapse, both his martial heritage and a wisp of the World’s Will remain.”

Shang Xia raised an eyebrow. “Sage Li Jing was the last Sage of the Essence Chang Heavenly Field? He already reached the grand completion stage? That would mean that his attempt to advance failed then. Is the fall of the Essence Chang Heavenly Field connected to the failed ascension?”

He asked the questions in quick succession, but Sage Xi seemed prepared and answered each patiently. “Yes, Sage Li Jing had indeed reached the grand completion stage and comprehended a martial intent. He also trained a newly advanced Sage as his successor. He did not take that risk recklessly.”

“As for the outcome, it ended in failure. When he forcefully tried to ascend, the Heavenly Field began to collapse, eventually disintegrating completely into the Essence Worlds Ruins.”

“During that catastrophe, many experts from their auxiliary worlds escaped, and with help from other Heavenly Fields, fragments of those lesser worlds were rescued. As for the main world, almost no one survived. Not a single world fragment was preserved. The Heavenly Manor Sect, including Li Jing and his newly advanced disciple, perished without leaving a trace.”

When Sage Xi finished, Shang Xia fell silent, thoughtful for a long moment before slowly saying, “If that’s so, how can you be certain that Li Jing failed?”

Sage Xi was taken aback. “How could he not have failed? The Heavenly Field collapsed! The Essence Chang World had reached a level of perfection! It had 36 continents, each more than 30,000 miles across, with abundant Holy Lands, Elysiums, and seven auxiliary Spirit Worlds, all near their peak of growth. Beneath them existed countless Azure Worlds and Earth Stars. Its accumulation and stability were unmatched in the history of the Crowned Star Region. Yet all of that shattered in an instant.”

Shang Xia nodded lightly. “Then there is still no direct proof that Li Jing’s attempt failed. No witnesses, no remains, nothing.”

Sage Xi opened his mouth, then faltered. After a long pause, he grunted hoarsely, “Then you believe that if Li Jing did succeed, the price might have been the destruction of the Heavenly Field?”

Shang Xia smiled faintly. “I doubt that, over all these centuries, not one Sage in your Crowned Star Region has ever considered that possibility.”

This time, Sage Xi fell silent, offering no reply.

Shang Xia smoothly shifted the subject back. “Then what does Sage Yuan Ling, who inherited the Heavenly Manor Sect’s legacy, think of Li Jing’s ascension?”

Sage Xi quickly snapped back to reality. “

Ah

, Yuan Ling firmly believes Li Jing failed.”

Shang Xia’s smile deepened. “If he truly inherited the legacy of the Heavenly Manor Sect, surely the other Sages of the Crowned Star Region must have coveted it as well, especially since the remnants of the Essence Chang World still existed?”

“Of course they did,” Xi replied gravely. “Otherwise, how could that residual world origin and World’s Will has been used by us to reconstruct a new one?”

Shang Xia raised an eyebrow. “So Yuan Ling’s infiltration of the Essence Chang Floating Continent, triggering its destruction and the fall of the Dao Field, was for that?”

Sage Xi’s eyes flickered as he said lightly, “The collapse of the Essence Chang Floating Continent was not his doing alone. His intention was merely to absorb the remaining World’s Will to enter the grand completion stage.”

He paused, then added in a pointed tone, “It was your sudden appearance that caused Yuan Ling’s overreaction, and everything that followed. And, if I’m not mistaken, there is quite the grudge between you two, isn’t there?”

Shang Xia simply smiled, offering no answer.

Sensing he might have gone too far, Sage Xi wisely stopped there.

But Shang Xia broke the silence with a casual grin. “At least, this news is far more valuable to me than your so-called secret about the Heaven Observation Sect.”

Sage Xi’s eyes lit up immediately. “Then Sage Shang agrees to my request?”

Shang Xia chuckled. “Even if I wished to, I currently have no inheritance on me. I know next to nothing about stargazing myself. But I can write a letter of introduction. You may send someone to the Heaven Observation Star region on your behalf to pick it up.”