Chapter 2204: Hehe, Eat This, Bitch

“Did he really enter the Illusory Sea of Stars?” His External Avatar jolted in surprise and asked.

Shang Xia nodded. “It should be an important clone disguised and sent in. I just don’t know whether the people of the Illusory Sea of Stars are aware of it.”

Shang Xia knew that the Star Origin Lord had long held secret dealings with the Illusory Sea of Stars. There were even traces of the Illusory Sea of Stars’ Sages in the Six Essence Heavenly Field, and he had once personally seen the Illusory Sea of Stars’ Sage refined into a clone.

Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue had once suspected there was another void passage connecting the Six Essence Heavenly Field to the Illusory Sea of Stars, but now that seemed unlikely. Instead, the earlier defection of the Essence Jing Heavenly Field to the Illusory Sea of Stars, and the hidden passage within, likely had the Star Origin Lord’s hand behind it.

No, it wasn’t just likely... It was certain that piece of shit was behind it.

But Shang Xia did not believe the Star Origin Lord could enter the Illusory Sea of Stars using only the disguise of a high-level Sage without the Illusory Sea of Stars noticing.

He leaned more toward the possibility that the Star Origin Lord had reached some secret agreement with a faction in the Illusory Sea of Stars. As for why he used a clone crafted from an Illusory Sea of Stars’ expert, it was far more likely a way to avoid the Illusory Sea of Stars’ rejection and suppression of his strength.

There was another new discovery Shang Xia had made, regarding the Star Origin Lord’s Fate Star.

Standing in the Illusory Sea of Stars with his true body, Shang Xia could confirm one thing clearly. If a cultivator’s Fate Star truly came from another Star Field, then it would be absolutely impossible for them to borrow power from it, unless the Fate Star was actually inside the Star River.

In other words, if the Star Origin Lord’s clone still maintained overwhelming strength inside the Illusory Sea of Stars, then his Fate Star had to be located in the Star River.

Although Shang Xia had already strongly suspected it earlier, and had even found a star in the Star River that might be the Star Origin Lord’s Fate Star, at that time it was still largely speculation. But now that even a clone of the Star Origin Lord retained full power after entering the Illusory Sea of Stars, it was practically a confirmation.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

But then, what purpose did the Star Origin Lord’s clone have in entering the Illusory Sea of Stars?

And the disappearance of the Star River Stowaway and the Eternal Golden Boat, was that connected?

Had the two sides already chosen to cooperate?

To answer those questions, Shang Xia could only delve deeper into the Illusory Sea of Stars and follow the tracks of the Star Origin Lord’s clone and the Star River Stowaway.

He also reasoned that both would struggle to hide their traces. Especially with the Eternal Golden Boat withdrawing through the void passage, its actions alone would draw the attention of every single Sage in the Illusory Sea of Stars.

After briefly adjusting his condition outside the void passage, strengthening his adaptation to the Illusory Sea of Stars’ environment, Shang Xia prepared to move deeper. His External Avatar, as requested, prepared to return to the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

“Do you need me to guard this void passage? If you go deep into the Illusory Sea of Stars, someone might destroy it and cut off your retreat.” His External Avatar asked before leaving.

Although Shang Xia and his External Avatar could share their thoughts, especially at close range, most of the time Shang Xia preferred to speak with his avatar as an equal.

He thought for a moment and shook his head. “After returning to the Chaotic Sea of Stars, your priority is to guard the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field and recover. Right now neither Patriarch Kou nor I can remain there, and relying only on the Giant Ape Emperor, who has just entered the seventh rank, is far from enough.”

He paused, then added, “And the Star Origin Lord’s clone entering the Illusory Sea of Stars gives me a bad feeling. I may need you to act at a critical moment.”

After sending his External Avatar away, Shang Xia turned his gaze deeper into the Illusory Sea of Stars. He sensed void ripples from several directions as several Sages of the Illusory Sea of Stars rushed over after receiving the news.

Shang Xia gave a helpless smile, then transformed into escaping light and flew toward the direction in which the Star Origin Lord’s clone might have left. He didn’t create spatial tunnels so he could hide his movements as much as possible.

But he hadn’t expected the Illusory Sea of Stars’ Sages to hound him for several months, relentlessly chasing him and forcing him into a state of constant retreat.

During that time, Shang Xia considered counterattacking, but perhaps because he had infiltrated alone, or because he had slain the Illusory Sea of Stars’ experts on both ends of the void passage, or perhaps for other reasons, those chasing him were utterly enraged. Over the months, nearly 20 Sages appeared in pursuit or ambush.

And having learned their lesson, not a single one of them dared to act alone. In every pursuit, at least three mid-level Sages or higher acted together.

This airtight and cautious joint operation forced Shang Xia to flee blindly, unable to even investigate the Star Origin Lord’s clone or the purpose of the Star River Stowaway.

Yet during this miserable period, Shang Xia adapted to the Illusory Sea of Stars’ origin qi extremely quickly. His control over it grew so proficient that he never suffered any shortage of inner qi.

He also made another observation. The Illusory Sea of Stars seemed significantly smaller than the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

Even though the Illusory Sea of Stars was currently merging into the Chaotic Sea of Stars, and spatial flow could even be sensed inside the void passage, the distances between its star regions were far too short, and its Heavenly Fields were tightly clustered together. Otherwise, Shang Xia wouldn’t have traveled across so many regions in a few short months while flying around, nor would he have been found and encircled so quickly.

“I must think of a way to shake these pursuers. It feels like they want to trap me inside the Illusory Sea of Stars entirely... Are they not afraid of forcing me into a corner?”

After evading his pursuers by skimming across the surface of several stars, using their power to temporarily block the senses of those chasing him, Shang Xia hid within an asteroid belt, taking the chance to recover while muttering to himself.

During the entire time he was chased, Shang Xia had been unable to follow the Star Origin Lord’s traces or investigate the truth behind his alliance with the Star River Stowaway. He naturally decided he should retreat from the Illusory Sea of Stars first.

But the Illusory Sea of Stars experts seemed to have guessed his goal. They heavily guarded the entrance of the void passage. And whenever Shang Xia even showed signs of moving toward it, Sages from nearby Star Regions rushed in. Mid-level and high-level Sages would gather in droves, ready to stop him.

Previously, Shang Xia had broken through the encirclement largely because his External Avatar, whose strength approached the grand completion stage of the Seven Star Region, shared their attention. Now he was truly alone.

After repeatedly failing to break through, Shang Xia remembered that there was another void passage between the Illusory Sea of Stars and the Chaotic Sea of Stars, the one sealed by him in the Void Mirage.

If he could find it, there was a chance to escape.

Even if he needed to destroy his own seal, he could simply reseal it afterward.

The problem was... He did not know where that passage’s entrance lay within the Illusory Sea of Stars.

Thus, while he looked like a headless fly fleeing wildly through the Illusory Sea of Stars, he was secretly hoping to stumble upon the other entrance.

But the Illusory Sea of Stars, though smaller than the Chaotic Sea of Stars, was still far too vast to fully explore in a few months.

He found neither the entrance of the other passage nor any lingering trace of the Star Origin Lord’s faint aura.

Clearly, if the Star Origin Lord’s clone were still in the Illusory Sea of Stars, he would long since have learned of Shang Xia’s arrival and hidden himself completely.

And with Shang Xia being besieged by over a dozen Sages, if the Star Origin Lord’s clone and the Star River Stowaway joined the hunt, Shang Xia would instantly be thrown into a desperate strait. He wouldn’t merely be forced into a miserable escape, but possibly die within the Illusory Sea of Stars.

Thus, Shang Xia became increasingly convinced that the Star Origin Lord’s clone had a greater plan.

At that moment, what could be more important than killing Shang Xia, a powerful rival and threat?

There was only one answer... That was ascension to the Eighth Order!

Now that it was clear, what benefit could be strong enough to make the Star Origin Lord and the Star River Stowaway join forces?

Shang Xia could think of only one.

Accelerating the Illusory Sea of Stars’s fusion with the Chaotic Sea of Stars, accelerating the birth of a new Grand Star Field, and controlling the exact moment of its transformation.

Then... Shang Xia abruptly rose from the large asteroid and turned toward a direction in the void corresponding to the Dipper Star Formation in the Star River.

Summoning his Crimson Soul Tablet, he pointed in that direction.

In the Star River, several stars clustered within a dense region abruptly flared under some unknown stimulation. In an instant, they gathered their radiance into a single brilliant pillar of starlight that shot through the Star River. Eventually, the stars calmed again.

In the region of the Star River closest to the Chaotic Sea of Stars, five Eternal Golden Boats had once again gathered.

But as outsiders, without knowing the exact void coordinates of the Chaotic Sea of Stars, they still could not pierce through the barrier between the Star River and the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

However, the situation would not last long. As the other Star Fields continued merging, the Chaotic Sea of Stars grew closer to the Star River, and the coordinates of the other eight Star Fields were no secret. They would inevitably become markers to locate the Chaotic Sea of Stars, and everyone would pierce through the barrier to sail over in their Eternal Golden Boats.

Yet just as the Star River Stowaways awaited that final moment, the Star River around them began to churn violently.

When several Star River Stowaways stepped out of their vessels to investigate, they simultaneously turned toward the nearest star.

A brilliant, condensed pillar of starlight was streaking across the Star River, cutting through layers of void before striking directly at the star.