Chapter 2244: The Entry

The sudden betrayal of several Essence World Clones and Starlight Clones did not directly cripple the Star Origin Lord’s strength, nor did it cause him any real harm.

The chasm between the Seventh Order and the Eighth Order was far greater than anyone could imagine.

Yet when those clones, who had regained their true selves and whose souls had been awakened, immediately attempted to seize control of their respective Worlds’ Will from the Star Origin Lord’s grasp, the situation changed.

Though they managed to reclaim only a fraction of that power, it was enough to disrupt the Star Origin Lord’s control over it. His foundation shook, forcing him to divert a significant portion of his focus to suppress the rebellion of several Worlds’ Will.

In a battle between experts at the level of Shang Xia and the Star Origin Lord, victory was often decided in a single moment. How could the Star Origin Lord afford to be distracted now?

Shang Xia seized the moment. The Crimson Soul Tablet that had lost a little of its blood-red color and turned slightly brown was raised high. A horrifying surge of energy emerged, and for the first time, Shang Xia suppressed the Star Origin Lord. The power shattered the body the Star Origin Lord condensed before slamming straight into the Fate Star that had been connected behind him, revealing a second one behind it.

Although the second Fate Star lay deep within the Star River, and though Shang Xia was no Stargazer, unable to determine its exact position, he did not need precision. The instant the star appeared within his perception, he took advantage of the channel linking the Star Origin Lord to them, marking it with his imprint.

Once that was done, he could form a connection to his Dipper Star Formation that was also located in the Star River and locate the Star Origin Lord’s Fate Star.

Of course, that assumed the star was not too distant. If it lay too far, the power of space and time within the Star River would eventually wear away Shang Xia’s imprint.

But Shang Xia was confident that the Star Origin Lord’s second Fate Star could not be too far from the Ninefold Star Field. He simply did not believe the man had possessed enough strength or fortune, before reaching his current level, to anchor his soul into a Fate Star across such a distance.

He was right. The instant he strengthened his connection to his Dipper Star Formation, he sensed, through the vast stellar network he had constructed, a fleeting pulse of power from the imprint he had left.

Though the Star Origin Lord instantly extinguished it, and though the residual energy was quickly erased by the Star River’s chaotic power of space and time, that single heartbeat of connection was enough.

That was all Shang Xia needed.

It didn’t take long. With a brilliant radiance flaring from the Dipper Star Formation, a powerful beam cut straight through the Star River.

Even after being weakened by the chaotic power of space and time, it retained a huge amount of power when it struck the Star Origin Lord’s second Fate Star.

The light collided with the blazing sphere and both radiances merged, erupting into an explosion of heat. Then, in the next instant, that brilliance dimmed. A massive black scar spread across the star’s surface, which was soon covered again by roaring solar flares that surged up like fiery banners.

No one knew how long passed before the violent activity subsided. When it did, the entire star dimmed. Its light remained faint and weary, like a sun that had aged countless years in an instant.

Shang Xia didn’t stop there. Having locked onto the Star Origin Lord’s second Fate Star, the Dipper Star Formation flared with light once again. He would never let it escape. As he unleashed yet another beam of light, he targeted both the Star Origin Lord’s first and second Fate Stars.

However... Could damaging a Fate Star truly affect the Star Origin Lord who has already stepped into the Martial Eternity Realm?

The answer quickly became clear, it did. Shang Xia’s strike had inflicted a heavy blow. Though the Star Origin Lord managed to reconstruct another body, he could no longer manifest his rank seven martial intent to transform himself into the sun. Without that, a vital link in his web of martial intents was broken, and the power he wielded fell drastically.

The Star Origin Lord felt the loss even more keenly than Shang Xia. His furious roar echoed through the void of the Seven Essence Heavenly Field. The waves of his raging soul surged outward, briefly suppressing all the awakened Essence World Clones and their rebellious intents.

But the damage was already done. His strength could not be restored so quickly, and Shang Xia would never waste such a perfect opportunity. After all... The number one motto of the Tongyou Institution had never changed... The best time to beat his opponents was when they were down!

Taking a single step forward, Shang Xia shifted through the transforming void. Before his eyes appeared the vast expanse of an Essence World, the very first place where the Star Origin Lord used his divine soul to replace an Essence World’s Will. It was, without doubt, the Essence World under his greatest control and likely the core foundation of the Seven Essence Heavenly Field.

The moment Shang Xia appeared above it, the Star Origin Lord’s body materialized again over the heavenly screen.

This time, neither side hesitated. Shang Xia struck first.

The roaring tide of his martial intents surged forth once more, crashing toward the heavenly screen.

The Star Origin Lord countered immediately, channeling his inner qi and drawing upon the strength of the Essence Ping World to resist the onslaught.

By then, both had long since abandoned technique and finesse. Their cultivation, their training philosophies, their understanding of the Dao... All had been distilled into the purest collision of inner qi and their martial intents.

In the midst of it, Shang Xia noticed something. Between the Star Origin Lord’s first defeat, when his body was shattered, and the second manifestation, the turmoil that the awakened Essence World Clones had caused in their respective Essence Worlds had already been suppressed.

He could still sense that those souls had not been destroyed, only forced into dormancy, but that was enough for the Star Origin Lord to reclaim the majority of his strength to defend the Essence Ping World.

Whatever it was, the damage lingered. The Star Origin Lord’s martial intents carried flaws, exposed by the previous disturbance as his combat power continued to decline.

To resist Shang Xia’s mounting pressure on the Essence Ping World, he had no choice but to draw additional power from the other Essence Worlds, leaving behind only enough to barely suppress the rebellious souls of those who had awakened. Every drop he could spare was pulled into the defense of his body over the Essence Ping World’s heavenly screen.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

At that very moment, just as the battle reached its climax, a new figure suddenly crashed into the Seven Essence Heavenly Field, entering the region of void where both Eighth Order existences were locked in their cataclysmic battle.