Chapter 2223: You People

When Shang Xia unintentionally triggered that localized ascension phenomenon within the void, it quickly drew the attention of every Sage across the Heaven Observation Star Region’s major Heavenly Fields, including the Star Origin Lord himself, as well as Dong Jin, the Star River Stowaway who had just arrived outside the Six Essence Heavenly Field.

By the time they reached the site, the region of space supported by Shang Xia’s Six Harmony Supporting the Heavens had already expanded to more than 200,000 miles across. Though it was still slowly growing, the rate of expansion had greatly diminished.

That was not because Shang Xia had reached his limit, but because he had to devote the bulk of his focus inward, to the instinctive reaction within his body, where the requirements of his Eight Trigram Realm advancement formula were stirring.

Neither the Star Origin Lord nor Dong Jin understood what was truly happening to him. Yet the resonance they each felt within their dantian made one fact unmistakably clear.

Someone was attempting to break through to the Eighth Order, and that someone was almost certainly Shang Xia, who had only just left their sight not long ago.

Though neither of them believed it possible for Shang Xia to truly ascend under these conditions, the violent manifestation of the phenomenon was reason enough, if there were even the slightest chance of success, he had to be eliminated.

Before the Star Origin Lord could act, Dong Jin struck first, tearing open the unstable pocket of mutated space.

The distorted domain had never been truly stable, nor had Shang Xia intended to maintain it for long. As a result, Dong Jin’s blow easily shattered it. The ascension phenomenon collapsed instantly and dissolved into nothingness.

But in the very moment the space broke apart, a torrent of energy erupted outward in a ring-shaped shockwave, expanding across more than 200,000 miles of the surrounding void. The spatial ripples that followed were so intense that they could be felt throughout the entire Heaven Observation Star Region.

Dong Jin, who had taken the brunt of it, staggered under the blast. The surge of pure essence struck him so violently that even he, a being at the peak of the Martial Emptiness Realm, was forced back several steps. The overwhelming influx of origin qi even disrupted his breathing, leaving him coughing sharply several times before regaining composure.

"This... This origin qi...

Ahem...

This essence..."

For a moment, Dong Jin was so agitated that he could barely form words.

Standing a short distance behind him, the Star Origin Lord remained perfectly still, though his expression had grown grim.

"Nine origin qi as one..." He said coldly. "He has already gathered the origin qi of all nine Star Fields, and possesses the means to hasten their fusion."

Before Dong Jin could respond, the Star Origin Lord shook his head. "No... That’s not right! Gathering the nine types of origin qi, including that of the Chaotic Sea of Stars, is one thing. But this scale of fusion, the sheer magnitude of it, is equal to half the total amount of a World Origin Source in an Essence World... How can Shang Xia possibly contain such power? Unless..."

The Star Origin Lord’s voice trailed off, but Dong Jin seemed to understand what he meant. His body flickered and vanished forward, darting straight into the collapsing pocket of space that was rapidly dissolving into the void.

When the Star Origin Lord followed, arriving near the hovering Eternal Golden Boat, he found Dong Jin already standing at the bow, staring out at a patch of void where eight newly sealed spatial channels still shimmered faintly with residual origin qi and rippling fluctuations.

Naturally... There was no sign of Shang Xia.

The Star Origin Lord landed beside Dong Jin, his gaze fixed on the eight sealed channels, his expression unreadable and heavy with thought.

Dong Jin finally spoke, his tone strange. "He actually managed to pierce through and connect to all eight Star Fields, and concentrated the exits of every channel within such a narrow section of the void. Does he not fear that the interference between them could collapse into chaos and drag him into it?"

The Star Origin Lord’s voice was low and calm. "The evidence before us shows that he succeeded, and that it seemed almost effortless."

The eight spatial passages were not aligned in a line but spread across a 1,000 mile radius in different directions.

Hearing that, Dong Jin turned his head and asked bluntly, "If it were you, could you do the same?"

The Star Origin Lord gave no direct answer. Instead, he changed the subject. "It appears he never intended to truly ascend just yet. He was conducting a trial run, a rehearsal of the ascension process to the Eighth Order. He was consolidating his foundation."

Dong Jin listened in silence for a moment, then said in a low, steady voice, "Meaning he’s already made full preparations for his breakthrough, or at least, he believes he has."

The Star Origin Lord replied evenly, "You and I both know that reaching the Eighth Order requires far more than mastering a martial intent. Even that level of comprehension is merely the first threshold of many that must be crossed."

Dong Jin exhaled lightly. "Even so, it seems he has advanced far beyond our expectations. Hard to believe that in barely 100 years, he’s reached such heights. That boy must be hiding something monumental."

The Star Origin Lord cast him a faint, amused glance. "At our level, who among us doesn’t carry secrets? And in his case, I suspect those secrets are tied to that Eternal Artifact in his possession. You can always try to take it for yourself."

Dong Jin chuckled softly, offering no reply. Instead, he asked, "Then what will you do now? It seems that the boy is also waiting for the Chaotic Sea of Stars’ ascension, and judging by his actions, he’s no longer content to wait. He’s accelerating it."

He smiled faintly, half in irony. "Funny. Not long ago, he was doing everything he could to hinder the fusion of the Illusory Sea of Stars, and now, he’s the most eager one of all."

The Star Origin Lord’s tone was indifferent as he mumbled, "It’s simple. He’s realized what my Seven Essence Heavenly Field signifies, and that he must seize his chance to ascend before I do, even if it means taking a risk."

"Taking a risk?" Dong Jin’s tone carried a trace of curiosity. "Are you sure it’s a risk, and not confidence?"

The Star Origin Lord turned his gaze toward him, and a slow, chilling smile spread across his face, a smile that made Dong Jin’s heart sink with an instinctive, inexplicable unease.

"You people..." The Star Origin Lord said quietly, "You guys will never understand what the ascension of the Chaotic Sea of Stars truly means."

Leaving those words hanging in the void, he turned away without another glance and vanished into space, leaving Dong Jin alone at the prow of his Eternal Golden Boat, his expression dark and uncertain. It was flickering between contemplation and dread.