Chapter 2160: Entering the Star River Again

After parting ways with Sage Xi, Shang Xia did not linger for even a moment. He flew swiftly across the void, leaving the Crowned Star Region behind. Only after sweeping his divine soul across the surrounding void several times, confirming that no one was following him, did he finally exhale lightly and slow down.

Earlier, after he had left the Essence World Ruins, Shang Xia’s transaction had appeared to be solely with Sage Xi. Yet as time went on, he had sensed several other Sages approaching from different directions, as well as multiple probes of divine souls cast into the void nearby.

It was clear that Sage Xi had only been the one sent to deal with him openly, while several others had been secretly involved behind the scenes.

Even as Shang Xia departed, cultivators of the Crowned Star Region continued to shadow him from afar, tracking his movements through the void, right up until he crossed beyond the borders of the Crowned Star Region.

“The depth of the Crowned Star Region’s dealings with the Simple Sea of Stars runs far deeper than I imagined...” Shang Xia couldn’t help but think to himself.

After leaving the Crowned Star Region, Shang Xia shifted his flight path, heading toward the region of the void where the Dipper Star Formation resided.

That area lay near the edge of the Chaotic Sea of Stars, also the route he had planned to take to the Star River.

In truth, Shang Xia had always suspected that, regardless of which direction one departed from the Chaotic Sea of Stars, so long as one delved deeply enough into the starry void, the Star River could eventually be found.

But since the location of his Dipper Star Formation had already been exposed during his earlier confrontation with the Six Essence Heavenly Field and the Star Origin Lord, it was only proper for him to make a trip there to reinforce and adjust its defenses.

Even though, in reality, the Dipper Star Formation was not as crucial to him as others might think, since it was already being used as part of a grand deception, he had to play the role to the fullest.

Because of his detour to the Crowned Star Region, his flight through the void had taken quite a wide arc.

By the time he reached the region of space where the Dipper Star Formation was, he quickly noticed subtle fluctuations in every direction around it.

It was obvious that ever since his so-called Fate Stars had been revealed, multiple Sages had laid down various surveillance methods, some obvious, others hidden. Yet Shang Xia could almost immediately tell that none of them belonged to the Star Origin Lord.

Shortly after he arrived, his divine soul detected a familiar aura.

“Could the Star Origin Lord have been waiting here specifically for me?”

Though they were still separated by a vast distance, that did not hinder their ability to communicate through their divine soul.

In their current situation, Shang Xia’s relationship with the Star Origin Lord had become peculiarly strange. Once bitter enemies, they could now converse with a degree of candor and even trust.

This time, however, the aura before him belonged not to the Star Origin Lord’s true body, but to a newly created clone that had the strength of a mid-level Sage.

“You’ve come too late,” the Star Origin Lord’s clone said coolly. “Had I not been keeping watch here for you, your Fate Stars would already have been desecrated by those skulking in the shadows.”

Shang Xia chuckled lightly. “Then I must thank you for protecting my Fate Stars on my behalf.”

Though the clone’s expression was somewhat stiff, due to it carrying only a portion of the Star Origin Lord’s soul, his tone carried a trace of curiosity. “You don’t seem to care much for your Fate Stars. Don’t tell me you’ve truly managed to conceal its arrangement from my true self, or have you found a way to weaken your dependence on it?”

The Star Origin Lord’s clone paused for a moment, then added with suspicion, “You’re not bluffing, are you?”

Shang Xia shrugged and replied casually. “Star Origin Lord, what business do you have to wait here for me anyway?”

The avatar replied calmly, “I’m here to tell you one thing. If you fail to return from the Star River this time, your Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field will merge into the Heavenly Field where my true body resides. My so-called Six Essence Heavenly Field will then become the Eight Essence Heavenly Field, and my true body will finally cross the threshold into the Martial Eternity Realm.”

Shang Xia’s expression darkened slightly. “Is that supposed to be a threat?”

The Star Origin Lord’s clone said, “My true body believes you’d be more interested in whether he can truly break through.”

Shang Xia merely smirked in response.

Drawing a deep breath, the clone spoke gravely. “It seems the other guess was closer to the truth. You truly possess a complete and clear martial inheritance, enough to give you the confidence to enter the Eighth Order yourself.”

Shang Xia smiled faintly, then asked, “When did your Six Essence Heavenly Field become the Seven Essence Heavenly Field? And since when did you merge another world into it?”

The clone returned his smile. “Once you return from the Star River, you’ll find out.”

Shang Xia wasted no more words with the Star Origin Lord’s clone. He clasped his hands in a brief salute. “Then I shall take my leave.”

With that, he turned around and departed without hesitation.

He did not even bother to make any adjustments to the Dipper Star Formation’s defenses, nor did he show the slightest worry that it might be destroyed by others. It was as though he truly believed that the Star Origin Lord’s clone would remain there to safeguard it for him.

For the first time, the Star Origin Lord’s clone showed an expression of genuine shock. He stared after Shang Xia’s departing figure for a long while before muttering, “Is he really not worried at all?”

Still somewhat unconvinced, he finally acted.

A surge of powerful energy rippled through the void and after a long buildup, a violent torrent of spatial energy burst forth, crashing directly into one of the seven stars in the Dipper Star Formation, believed to be Shang Xia’s Fate Stars.

In an instant, the radiant sphere’s light twisted and dimmed, as if a portion of its brilliance had been swallowed by nothingness.

The next moment, the star endured another impact. Its light faded even further, and its position in the void shifted thousands of miles off course.

After delivering that single blow, the clone ceased his attack and simply waited in silence.

Yet moments passed, and the scene he had expected where Shang Xia returned in fury, never came. His expression flickered with uncertainty. “Could it be that he truly doesn’t care about his Fate Stars at all?”

The Star Origin Lord’s clone barely managed to suppress the urge to strike again.

But his brief act of aggression seemed to have shattered a fragile stillness.

From various directions across the void, at least three separate attacks suddenly erupted, some bright, some hidden, some weak, some powerful, all targeting the stars to be Shang Xia’s Fate Stars.

“Preposterous!” The Star Origin Lord’s clone bellowed in fury. Brilliant streams of starlight tore away from him, transforming into illusory projections that rushed out to intercept the attacks streaking toward the seven bright stars.