Chapter 2236: I AM

Shang Xia had never expected that the Star Origin Lord possessed a method powerful enough to seal off the Heaven Observation Star Region.

If the vast region was covered, Shang Xia’s connection with the Dipper Star Formation would be naturally severed.

The idea sounded impossible at first, but when he thought about it carefully, it wasn’t absolutely impossible. Back when the Heaven Observation Star Region had still been the Heaven Observation Field, the entire region had been hidden by a similar barrier, hiding it for nearly 1,000 years and preventing the various powers of the Chaotic Sea of Stars from locating them.

Now, the current Heaven Observation Star Region had expanded countless times beyond its former scale, but so too had the Star Origin Lord’s strength and the might of the forces under his control. As the final survivor and inheritor of the Heaven Observation Sect’s legacy, who knew how much of their ancient foundation he still held?

From that perspective, it was not impossible for him to accomplish such a feat.

Once Shang Xia’s connection to the Dipper Star Formation was cut off, his ability to draw the essence of the stars from it to sustain his advancement would inevitably be hindered.

Under ordinary circumstances, such a tactic would have posed little threat. Shang Xia could have broken it with ease.

Even if he could not, he would still have been able to maintain his combat power for a long time without the connection to his Dipper Star Formation.

But things were different this time. He was at the critical point of his advancement to the Eight Trigram Realm, a stage where every fragment of strength mattered. Any loss, even the smallest, could result in catastrophic consequences. The link to the Dipper Star Formation being severed, was no small matter.

The Star Origin Lord’s strike was precise and ruthless. If the connection could not be restored quickly, even if Shang Xia could still sustain his breakthrough, the time required to complete the transformation would be greatly prolonged.

Yet Shang Xia was certain of one thing. The Star Origin Lord had to also be in the midst of his advancement toward the Martial Eternity Realm. Where had he found the time and energy to execute such a move against him?

As Shang Xia pondered how to break the stalemate, and whether he should awaken from his deep meditative state, a familiar yet vastly sharper aura suddenly swept across the void. It was an aura he knew, but it had been magnified to a degree far beyond what he could remember. The flare startled even the strands of his soul that drifted unconsciously around the surrounding space.

Then, as if an invisible curtain of the void had been torn apart, the long-blocked starlight of the Dipper Star Formation poured through the rift. In that instant, Shang Xia’s connection with the Dipper Star Formation was restored.

The razor-like aura flashed through the void again, vanishing as swiftly as it appeared. This time, someone else within that vast space finally caught a glimpse of it. It was a sword light, thin as a silken thread, slicing through the void with unimaginable speed.

A second light streaked by, cleaving a massive ‘X’ across the barrier that had been shielding the heavens above Shang Xia. Through the gash, an even greater torrent of star essence cascaded down, signaling the utter failure of the Star Origin Lord’s method to seal the Star Region.

"Kou Chongxue!"

A cold voice echoed from the depths of the void. It was emotionless and hard as steel.

At that moment, emotion was unnecessary. Everything that happened spoke for itself.

Even though the roar echoed through the void, no one appeared. The void soon stilled once more. Starlight flooded the heavens, as though nothing had happened.

Yet in the deeper layers of space, visible only to Sages, a hidden battle was raging. Its shockwaves stretched across nearly every corner of the Heaven Observation Star Region, so much so that many who had been secretly observing the situation retreated in panic, afraid of being caught by the aftermath.

At the current moment, nearly every single Sage standing at the peak of their realm across the Ninefold Star Field were attempting breakthroughs of their own, seeking to ride the tide of the great transformation.

But for every one of them, there were far more Sages without the qualification to ascend.

Though many of them took the opportunity to temper themselves, once the commotion around Shang Xia’s ascension erupted, quite a few came forth to observe from afar.

Soon, they identified one of the combatants. He was Kou Chongxue, the grand elder of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field. As for the other figure, none could discern his identity. Even the most perceptive among them could only catch traces of his presence.

His figure was not present. All that could be sensed of him was a fleeing presence that marked the void.

Each time the mysterious opponent struck, it was like the fleeting shadow of an antelope’s horn, leaving behind only faint distortions in space, with no way to tell where or how he had attacked.

The more they saw, the more the Sages watching were struck with awe, not at the enemy, but at Kou Chongxue.

His cultivation of a high-level Sage was already impressive enough, but his combat strength went beyond all expectation. Even other high-level Sages found themselves pale as they stared at the battle unfolding with solemn expressions.

Though his aura still bore the faint instability of someone who had only recently broken through, the power he unleashed was such that even an expert at the grand completion stage of the Martial Emptiness Realm would hesitate to meet him head-on.

Both sides clashed again and again, each strike so fast and precise that neither left behind a visible form, only blades of light cutting through the emptiness.

Suddenly, the origin qi permeating the surrounding void began to retract rapidly.

The phenomenon startled not only those hidden in the dark, but also both Sages who were fighting near Shang Xia’s area of seclusion.

For an instant, the tumultuous void froze. The rapidly condensing origin qi vanished, and in its place, a faint golden radiance appeared, exuding an aura of immortality.

At that same moment, every Sage who sensed it felt an instinctive longing arise within their hearts.

It was the call of evolution, the yearning for the path that lay beyond.

All of them instantly understood that the gate above the Seventh Order had opened.

That moment may have lasted a heartbeat, or perhaps an eternity. When those qualified to perceive such things finally emerged from their trance-like awe, the faint golden light in that portion of the void had already grown brilliant, dying the space around it the same color.

No, it extended more than that. The golden light pierced through the void, coloring everything in its path the same golden color.