Chapter 2227: The Merge

The separation of the Void Mirage and the Illusory Sea of Stars from the Heaven Observation Star Region was essentially complete.

The Star Origin Lord had once possessed the chance to intervene, yet from the moment he appeared, he never raised a hand. He simply stood by, watching as events unfolded before him.

Of course, it was more likely that even if he had acted, it would have made no difference.

When Shang Xia finished what he had set out to do, he turned to face the Star Origin Lord and walked toward him.

But the Star Origin Lord seemed unwilling to continue any further confrontation. His figure began to fade within the void, ready to vanish entirely in the blink of an eye.

Then suddenly, the void shuddered, halting the Star Origin Lord’s departure mid-step and forcing his fading form back into solidity.

Both he and Shang Xia froze, their expressions hardening, as if something wholly unexpected had just taken place.

A moment later, the tremor came again, this time far stronger, its force rippling through the void with such violence that both peak-tier experts felt the impact.

Almost simultaneously, as this spatial shockwave spread through the Heaven Observation Field, a surge of origin qi came rushing in like a tide, from the direction of the severed Void Mirage and the distant Illusory Sea of Stars.

The tide of energy moved more slowly than the initial tremor. In truth, it had been triggered by that first spatial upheaval.

A third tremor soon followed, spreading outward from the Void Mirage.

Though not more violent in magnitude, its depth of effect was immense. Both Shang Xia and the Star Origin Lord could faintly sense that this latest shock had spread across every corner of the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

Alongside it came a second wave of origin energy, this one even greater. Massive amounts of Illusory Sea of Stars essence surged into the Heaven Observation Field, upsetting the balance of the fused origin qi. The proportion of the newly refined essence, once over 60 percent, plummeted below 50, while pure origin qi from the Illusory Sea of Stars rapidly grew dominant.

The abrupt shift left even Shang Xia himself momentarily uncomfortable, his body reacting to the distortion in the flow of energy. He could easily imagine that the same disturbance must be affecting the other Heavenly Fields.

Fortunately, the imbalance did not last long. As the origin qi of the Illusory Sea of Stars diffused outward into the Chaotic Sea of Stars and the newly fused essence stabilized, equilibrium was soon restored.

After a short while, the tremors ceased entirely, and no further surges of energy followed from the direction of the Void Mirage.

At that point, both Shang Xia and the Star Origin Lord understood what had happened. The barrier between the Illusory Sea of Stars and the Chaotic Sea of Stars had vanished, and both Star Fields had begun to merge into one.

More precisely, the Illusory Sea of Stars had been absorbed into the Chaotic Sea of Stars, becoming part of it as it advanced toward ascension.

The earlier tremors and energy tides, though grand in scale, seemed almost modest compared to the magnitude of the fusion of two Star Fields.

But both Shang Xia and the Star Origin Lord knew better. It wasn’t that the phenomenon was weaker, it was that all the groundwork laid beforehand had already transferred the Illusory Sea of Stars’ foundation into the Chaotic Sea of Stars, allowing the fusion to occur smoothly and with less visible chaos.

The Star Origin Lord gazed into the deep void where the Void Mirage had been, his expression dark and unreadable. Then he spoke. "Young friend, by forcing the Illusory Sea of Stars’ fusion ahead of schedule, you’ve hastened the inevitable, but have you prepared yourself for the retaliation of the Sages who rule that Star Field? Don’t forget, your rampage through the Illusory Sea of Stars earned you no small number of enemies."

Shang Xia smiled faintly while staying unmoved. "Since the Illusory Sea of Stars has merged ahead of time, I suspect the others will soon follow. I wonder, though, has your seventh Essence World already completed its integration? And what of the damaged Essence Mammoth World? Has it been restored?"

At that, the Star Origin Lord let out a cold snort and swept his sleeve, vanishing without another word.

Shang Xia watched him go, a smile lingering on his face. Then he gave a small nod to his External Avatar, and together, they returned to the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field.

Before long, a hidden Star Ship departed the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, heading toward the area near the Void Mirage to observe the Illusory Sea of Stars’ movements since the spatial barrier around it had disappeared.

Other Heavenly Fields soon followed suit, dispatching their experts to monitor the newly merged Star Field and gauge the unfolding situation.

By now, the interior of the Heaven Observation Star Region was no longer composed of only a handful of surviving worlds. Several new Heavenly Fields, independent Essence Worlds, and even smaller Spirit Worlds had joined in, with more expected to drift in from other zones as the great integration continued.

As the eight foreign Star Fields merged one by one, the original division of the Chaotic Sea of Stars into eight Star Regions was gradually dissolving. Many of the independent worlds were being drawn instinctively toward the center where the Heaven Observation Field lay.

If the trend continued, once the Chaotic Sea of Stars completed its ascension, the Heaven Observation Field would become massively bloated. It would transform into a superstructure at the heart of the new Grand Star Field.

Within the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, Kou Chongxue remained deep in secluded cultivation, sealed away within the Tongyou Dao Field.

Shang Xia sensed his aura briefly and knew that Kou Chongxue’s condition had stabilized. Judging by the rate at which he absorbed origin qi, a qualitative transformation was already taking place within him, though it would require prolonged, profound meditation to reach completion.

Meanwhile, the Giant Ape Emperor had finally broken through, reaching the second star. Though barely beyond the lowest rank, its natural gifts and raw combat strength far exceeded normal cultivators. Even an average mid-level Sage might not be its equal.

With it guarding and maintaining the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, even if Shang Xia and his External Avatar were away and Kou Chongxue remained in retreat, no ordinary mid-level Sage would dare to trespass.

Beyond the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, the turbulence caused by the Illusory Sea of Stars’ fusion was already subsiding.

Yet before the scouts aboard the hidden Star Ship could return with reports, another pulse of origin resonance rippled through the depths of the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

Another foreign Star Field’s spatial barrier was collapsing.

Shang Xia did not feel any spatial tremor this time, but the subtle vibration of origin qi itself was unmistakable.

Some time later, a second surge came, deeper, more powerful, shaking the Chaotic Sea of Stars’ foundation. Shang Xia could faintly sense the waves of spatial disturbance, which meant that the next Star Field that merged possessed a far greater foundation than the Illusory Sea of Stars.

When the third tremor erupted, the spatial waves spread across the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

With it also came the revelation. Shang Xia understood that the

Only then did the first surge of origin energy from the Aligned Star Region. The disturbance it caused was quickly absorbed and neutralized as the newly fused origin qi stabilized.

Still, the sequential fusion of two massive Star Fields stirred a deep reaction within Shang Xia’s dantian, where the treasures and material he had long prepared for his breakthrough began to stir restlessly once more.