Chapter 2172: How Can This Be?!

It was clear that Sage Star Thief had never planned to let Shang Xia go from the very beginning.

Moreover, the moment he struck, he directly drew upon the essence of the Star River. Not only did he intend to roast Shang Xia with the light of billions of stars, but he also accelerated the river’s erosion of Shang Xia’s vitality.

Yet even in the face of such a threat, Shang Xia remained remarkably calm. His domain expanded outward, not rejecting the Star River but instead showing signs of merging with it.

“Hmph, how foolish!”

Sage Star Thief saw through Shang Xia’s intention at a glance and sneered, “For countless ages, many have tried to refine the essence of the Star River within the river itself, seeking to command the power of space and time. But almost all of them met miserable ends. Even the rare few who survived turned into neither man nor ghost. All of them became abominable monsters!”

He spoke carelessly, yet Shang Xia listened intently. Though his expression remained calm, his mind suddenly turned to Wanggui.

Shang Xia had always believed that Wanggui’s mutation had come from modifying himself into a Beast Warrior, which led him to lose almost all sense of reason within the Star River.

But judging by what Sage Star Thief said, the mutation that Wanggui experienced might not have been entirely due to that modification. It was far more likely that his attempt to refine or control the power of space and time within the Star River had caused his final transformation.

Sage Star Thief saw Shang Xia fall silent. Though his domain appeared to be attempting fusion with the river, he had yet to make any genuine progress. The old man chuckled again, “Tempering yourself on the battlefield, are you? Tell me, young friend, how much longer do you think you can last in your current state?”

Shang Xia replied calmly, “I can last far longer than you imagine.”

Sage Star Thief laughed softly. “Oh, I actually believe that! After all, from the moment I first met you until now, quite a bit of time has passed. Even if I don’t know how many times you’ve refined your Starlight Yarn, I would wager that even if it were only once, and even if your cultivation has reached the peak of the Martial Emptiness Realm, your inner qi must be nearly depleted, yes?”

Standing within the raging current of the Star River, Shang Xia replied coldly, “You’re welcome to come and test that yourself.”

Sage Star Thief smiled faintly. “I intend to.”

No sooner had he spoken than the Eternal Golden Boat, which had drifted back earlier, suddenly shortened the distance between itself and Shang Xia. Sage Star Thief, standing on its prow, struck fiercely, aiming to grab Shang Xia in one smooth motion.

Shang Xia let out a cold laugh. His inner qi circulated swiftly as he refined the origin qi stored inside the Crimson Soul Tablet, continuously replenishing his strength. Then, lifting his right hand, he conjured a giant palm that glowed five colors that tore through the river to collide with Sage Star Thief’s attack.

Their clash raised a towering wave that shattered into nothingness, yet the splashing fragments of the Star River spread turbulence far and wide.

Sage Star Thief’s expression turned grim. The sail of his Eternal Golden Boat, woven from the Starlight Curtain, billowed once more, and in the next instant the vessel glided through the Star River, charging directly at Shang Xia.

At this moment, the seething essence of the Star River around Shang Xia hindered his movement, leaving him seemingly unable to evade the incoming boat.

Just as it was about to strike him, Shang Xia suddenly leapt straight, aiming to land on the Eternal Golden Boat itself.

Sage Star Thief’s eyes narrowed. He had not expected Shang Xia to possess the strength to break free of the river’s restraints.

What kind of inner qi does this man possess that allows him to stay within the Star River for so long?!

The thought flashed through the old man’s mind, though his expression did not falter. In fact, Shang Xia’s sudden charge suited him perfectly.

For all that it looked like Shang Xia had been deflecting his attacks, the initiative had always remained firmly in Sage Star Thief’s hands. As the Eternal Golden Boat drew nearer, its power augmented the pressure he exerted on Shang Xia. Indeed, he had forced Shang Xia to break free of the river and attempt a desperate boarding of his immortal boat.

Such an act could only accelerate the depletion of Shang Xia’s inner qi.

Sage Star Thief was certain that Shang Xia hid some secret art that allowed him to endure the Star River’s erosion for such a long time, but the loss, he believed, would ultimately be the young man’s fatal weakness.

No matter what hidden means Shang Xia possessed, he could not possibly drift for centuries through the Star River as the owner of the Eternal Golden Boat could.

Sage Star Thief had patience to spare. Whatever tricks Shang Xia played, he could wait them out.

But just as he resolved to prolong the contest, he had not expected Shang Xia to try boarding his Eternal Golden Boat.

“Reckless fool!” To Sage Star Thief, it was no different from throwing himself into a trap.

At his thought, every formation on the ark flared to life. Several cables shot from both sides of the hull, coiling and whipping through the Star River, determined to ensnare Shang Xia in one smooth stroke.

Yet at the very peak of his leap, just before he collided with the boat, Shang Xia brought his hands together. Between his palms, the dense starlight he condensed coalesced into a long blade.

What shocked Sage Star Thief even more was that, at the instant the blade formed, the surrounding essence of the Star River actively flowed into it. The moment its edge pointed forward, he felt a faint yet terrifying impression.

Time itself is the blade, cutting through everything.

“This is bad, the power of space and time is truly controlled by him!”

Startled, Sage Star Thief’s soul will quaked. He nearly fell under the illusion of the technique.

Not daring to meet that strike head-on, he instinctively retreated into his Eternal Golden Boat, hoping to rely on the vessel’s reinforced hull and defensive formations to withstand the coming blow.

The starlit blade descended like a silvery ribbon. The instant it struck the formations glowing at full strength, it shattered apart.

The wards on the ark seemed intact, and the hull itself showed not the slightest damage.

Shang Xia’s attack had looked vast and majestic, yet it seemed to have achieved nothing.

The next moment, Sage Star Thief’s expression changed drastically as he stood within his Eternal Golden Boat.

In that single instant, the power of space and time seeped into the vessel’s defensive formations and spread rapidly through its hull. Even he had no time to stop it.

“No, how can this be?!”

Abandoning all thought of hiding, Sage Star Thief burst from the ark and, disregarding the damage it would cause himself and poured his inner qi into the ship, struggling to purge the invading power of space and time.