Chapter 2186: Enough Talk!

Shang Xia had originally been worried that once he left, the Essence Mu World, soon to recover, might become prey for the Star Origin Lord and his Six Essence Heavenly Field.

Although Kou Chongxue was certain that the Sages of the Heaven Observation Star Region would never stand idly by and allow the Star Origin Lord to seize the Essence Mu World, and would surely unite to fight him when the time came, Shang Xia knew better.

He understood that the high-level cultivators of the Heaven Observation Star Region all had their hidden agendas. Whether they could truly work together against the Star Origin Lord was far from guaranteed.

Worse still, the overall strength of the Heaven Observation Star Region had been in decline for years, especially after Shu Guan and the Essence Jing Heavenly Field foolishly opened their gates to the Illusory Sea of Stars’ invasion. Both the man and his world were destroyed, and the aftermath had only further weakened the Star Region, particularly in terms of its high-end combat power.

Even so, this journey to the Star River was something Shang Xia could no longer postpone. The arrow was already drawn and he had to release it.

Fortunately, from the advancement formula that the Crimson Soul Tablet had deduced, Shang Xia had discovered another possibility. It suggested that not only he, but all those who sought advancement, including the Star Origin Lord himself, were waiting for the moment when the foreign Star Fields would merge into the Chaotic Sea of Stars to form a new Super Star Field!

There was no way the oldest shit stirrer in their Star Region would not be an exception.

Shang Xia could only hope that his journey through the Star River would be completed before that great fusion took place, and that the Star Origin Lord would not move against the Essence Mu World too soon.

When leaving the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, he concealed his aura as best he could, though he doubted it would truly deceive the Star Origin Lord.

He traversed the edge of the Chaotic Sea of Stars and plunged into the depths of the starry void in the shortest time possible.

Even so, along the way, Shang Xia encountered far more ambushes than before, as well as scenes of growing chaos, signs of foreign Star Field forces running rampant across the void.

By then, these invaders could act openly within the Chaotic Sea of Stars. They even dared to extend their influence into the Starsea Markets.

Although the major markets maintained a united front of rejection toward the foreign Star Fields’ powers, the Chaotic Sea of Stars itself was a tangled web of factions. There were countless of them, many in the dark and in the shadows. Even the mighty powers that guarded those markets could only guide their general direction, not control everyone within.

As a result, private dealings with the foreign Star Fields forces continued to surface, despite repeated crackdowns, and the trend was only intensifying.

Even though the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field held great influence in the 4th and 6th Starsea Markets, it could not prevent seemingly ordinary transactions from occurring. Many markets were secretly preparing to officially open their doors to those foreign powers.

Everything pointed to the same conclusion. The merging of Star Fields into the Chaotic Sea of Stars was an unstoppable trend. The birth of the Super Star Field was only a matter of time.

Shang Xia could only sigh softly before breaking through the barriers of the deep void once more, stepping again into the Star River.

Yet the very instant his figure appeared within the flowing current of stars, he sensed danger. His instincts screamed at him to withdraw immediately.

But just as he moved, a sudden flash of intuition struck him. The next moment, he forcibly halted his retreat.

"A pity!" A familiar mockery echoed through the vast river of stars. "If you had turned back to the Chaotic Sea of Stars just now, young friend, it would have spared both of us quite a bit of trouble. But alas, now things are going to get rather awkward for some of us!"

Following the voice, Shang Xia looked up to see an Eternal Golden Boat gliding swiftly from the distant depths. In mere moments, it had closed the distance between them.

However, his gaze did not stop there. He continued to scan his surroundings and soon spotted two more approaching from different directions. Together, the three vessels formed a perfect triangle, hemming Shang Xia in at their center.

Had he retreated the moment he sensed danger, the three Eternal Golden Boats, clearly waiting in ambush, would likely have pursued him straight into the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

Even if Shang Xia had reacted quickly enough to block them, the exposure of the Chaotic Sea of Stars’ coordinates would have been unavoidable.

Now, standing alone in the Star River against three Eternal Golden Boats, each manned by a cultivator no weaker than Sage Star Thief, Shang Xia remained calm.

Sage Star Thief’s voice came again. "Ever since you escaped back to the Chaotic Sea of Stars that day, this old man knew you would return. You came to refine Starlight Silk and craft the Starlight Curtain, but the last piece you refined was far from enough. I knew you would come again soon enough."

"For that reason..." He continued with amusement, "I took the liberty of inviting two old friends. These are my fellow cultivators, Zhong Heng and Fang Suo."

"These past few days, the three of us have been patrolling this region of the Star River, narrowing down the places where you might reappear. And as they say, persistence pays off. At last, you’ve returned!"

Shang Xia’s gaze swept over the three Eternal Golden Boats without wavering. Then he smiled. "It seems you gentlemen are quite confident in your encirclement."

Sage Star Thief laughed heartily. "Your strength truly is remarkable, young friend. I nearly lost my boat the last time we fought. But now that I have Zhong Heng and Fang Suo with me, both at the same level as me. You stand no chance! You could barely handle me alone... How will you fare against the three of us, and three Eternal Golden Boats?"

At that, one of the two newcomers, Zhong Heng, finally spoke. "Though we dwell in the Star River, we are hardly ignorant. We’ve heard of the foreign Star Fields’ invasion and the coming transformation of the Chaotic Sea of Stars into a Super Star Field. When that happens, all Heavenly Fields will merge into it. Tell us, then, what reason is there for your Chaotic Sea of Stars to remain hidden?"

Shang Xia chuckled softly, "If that’s how you see it, why not wait another year or so? You’ve lived here in the Star River this long, what’s another few months? Half a year from now, the Chaotic Sea of Stars might already have transformed. Wouldn’t it be wiser to enter then?"

The third man, Fang Suo, sneered coldly. "Ridiculous! Why waste words with him? Do you think the three of us, and our three Eternal Golden Boats, cannot subdue a mere youngling who’s only just reached the grand completion stage? Once we’ve captured him, we can interrogate him at our leisure!"

As soon as his words fell, Fang Suo struck first.

A long whip lashed out from his Eternal Golden Boat, twisting through the air like a living serpent. Its movements were erratic and unpredictable, almost impossible to defend against.

And as Fang Suo launched his assault, the other two Eternal Golden Boats moved in perfect unison. Their attacks came from three directions at once, timed with flawless coordination. It was clearly the result of careful rehearsal long before Shang Xia’s arrival.