Chapter 1796: Nine Glory Purple Star Heaven

“Let’s go!”

Ye Qing gave the spring water a glance before urging Elder Furnace.

Elder Furnace nodded and chanted a mantra. His tone was low, and his words ancient. It felt potent and meaningful.

Streams of water began flying out of the lake and converging into a circle. It eventually formed a strange vortex in the sky. It looked rather mysterious and profound.

The reason they returned here was to leave the Spirit Spring Treasure Call Heaven, of course.

The method to leave the Spirit Spring Treasure Call Heaven was different from the other Heavens. One must chant a mantra before the Treasure Call Spirit Spring before they could leave the place.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

In other words, one could not leave the Heaven if they didn’t know the mantra.

Luckily for them, Elder Furnace knew the mantra necessary to leave the Spirit Spring Treasure Call Heaven. Otherwise, they would have to rely on unusual, far less reliable methods.

“Follow me!”

Elder Furnace beckoned them to follow before stepping into the vortex. Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were right behind him. Spinning slowly, the vortex consumed the trio, warped space, and distorted light and shadow. A moment later, the trio were gone.

Before Ye Qing’s eyes could even comprehend the new scenery before him, he was struck by a vast and ancient aura in the face. It was such an aura that he tensed up involuntarily. It wasn’t until his vision cleared up that he realized that he was standing in the middle of the endless void that was space.

Unlike the sparse stars that dotted most night skies, this space was filled with countless stars. Every star was emitting a weak light, and they boasted all sorts of colors including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink. They looked like pure, limpid gemstones that were embedded into a deep, dark-colored canvas, but they weren’t immobile or still. Instead, they were orbiting slowly as if obeying some sort of profound law. Their light blended harmoniously with each other and painted an absolutely stunning scenery of space.

This space felt like a gigantic millstone of the universe as it was rotating slowly and steadily. It also gave off an intimidating, solemn presence. The orbits of the stars joined together to form a complex and profound network of stars. They looked like runes of the gods and seemingly contained an infinite well of secrets.

At the center of the starry void of space was a gigantic star. Every other star was but a companion of the star. In fact, it was less of a star and more like a gigantic floating continent; one that was impossibly vast and full of mystery. It just stood there quietly like the center of the galaxy and the fulcrum of the universe.

Something was wrong though. This space should look dazzling and bright, but its brilliance was muted by a sheen of gray and darkness. Every star looked muted in color and brightness as if it was covered in a thick layer of dust, dead and lifeless. All that was left behind was nothingness and stillness. It felt oppressive and uneasy to put it mildly.

“This Heaven is...” A hint of astonishment slipped into Feng Qingyou’s cool voice. Her dainty eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked up at the stars.

“The Nine Glory Purple Star Heaven. I think we’re in the Nine Glory Purple Star Heaven!”

Elder Furnace’s voice sounded a tad solemn as he pointed at the gigantic star at the center of the starry void. Slowly, he explained, “That is the Purple Star and where the heart of the Nine Glory Purple Star Heaven exists. It is also the Dao Domain of the Ziwei Emperor, the Purple Star Imperial Palace.”

“Nine Glory Purple Star Heaven... Ziwei Emperor...” Ye Qing murmured as he looked up at the vast starry void above his head, stunned and disturbed. Just standing here made him feel like he was under immense pressure. He felt as if some sort of immense, all-encompassing power was hidden somewhere in this starry void.

Elder Furnace stroked his beard with a somewhat complicated expression on his face as he continued his explanation, “The Nine Glory Purple Star Heaven was one of the Upper Nine Heavens of the Divine Court. It is far more venerated than your common Heaven. The master of this place is the Ziwei Emperor.”

“The Ziwei Emperor was one of the four emperors of the Divine Court, and he once ruled over all stars and was feared throughout the cosmos.”

“Once upon a time, the Nine Glory Purple Star Heaven was brimming with dazzling stars and spiritual qi. Resplendent and glorious, countless gods visited it every day. It was once the cultivation sanctuary of anyone’s dream. Alas...”

Alas, that once glorious domain had fallen to this extent. Truly, nothing was permanent given enough time!

“Upper Nine Heaven? One of the four emperors?”

Ye Qing’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. “Does that mean there’s a lot of great treasures to be looted?”

“There

were

a lot of great treasures, yes, but who knows how many of them remained?”

Having witnessed what happened to the Hundred Grass Forest Ascension Heaven and the Spirit Spring Treasure Call Heaven, Elder Furnace simply did not dare to guarantee anything anymore. “Besides that, the Ziwei Emperor is nothing like the Shennong Dao Lord or Treasure Call Great King. I am certain that this place is dangerous beyond imagination. You mustn’t be careless.”

“Don’t worry. I know.” Ye Qing nodded in agreement. “Anyway, let’s start looking around.”

The trio did not head to the Purple Star where the Purple Star Imperial Palace resided immediately. Instead, they inspected their surroundings first.

The stars looked small from a distance, but they were really massive beyond measure. That said, every star they visited—and perhaps the rest of them—were completely dead and still. As far as they could tell, there wasn’t a single living creature in this place.

“Over there, Joyless!”

Suddenly, Feng Qingyou detected something and pointed toward the distance.

Ye Qing landed on a star and unleashed his demonic thought. He could sense fragments of mixed, chaotic energies on the star. It felt like the remnants of a battlefield.

“It feels... like White Robe Demon Master’s aura?”

Suddenly, Ye QIng furrowed his brow and exclaimed in pleasant surprise, “Yes, I’m certain it’s his aura!”

Ye Qing touched his brow, and the demonic lotus belonging solely to White Robe Demon Master rotated slowly. He immediately picked up White Robe Demon Master’s presence.

“He’s over there.”

Ye Qing pointed at the Purple Star with undisguised joy. The main reason they entered the Divine Court was to search for White Robe Demon Master. Of course he was ecstatic that they finally found him.

However, Ye Qing soon frowned and said, “But...”

Feng Qingyou asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ye Qing said hesitatingly, “Something’s off with White Robe Demon Master. My connection with him is extremely weak for some reason.”

White Robe Demon Master was his Heavenly Demon Dependent. If nothing was wrong with the Sage, then he should be sensing his presence loud and clear.

But now, despite being able to sense White Robe Demon Master, their link felt unusually weak. Either something had happened to White Robe Demon Master, or the Sage was currently in some sort of unusual space.

“Anyway, let’s head over to the Purple Star and check what’s going on.”

Ye Qing did not waste too much time thinking. He would find out what was happening once he checked out the Purple Star.

And so the trio took to the void and flew toward the Purple star.

The starry void was completely silent. Only the sound of their sleeves fluttering to the wind could be heard[1].

The closer they got to the Purple Star, the more stifling the pressure became. Eventually, it felt like an invisible mountain was sitting inside their hearts. It was as heavy as it was suffocating.

On the surface, the star looked barren and lifeless. The exposed rocks looked barren and weathered, the ground was covered in deep crevices that resembled that wizened face of an old man. The faint stench of rot also permeated the air like a long-sealed tomb, cold and humid. It was uncomfortable.

Even from afar, Ye Qing immediately spotted a palace standing on the Purple Star. It was at the center of all the stars. It was emitting an ancient and regal aura.

1. Well, it is a fake space I guess... ☜