Maiden Galaxy

The woman's eyes were very unusual, for her pupils were not like a normal person's. One pupil was shaped like the moon, the other like the sun.

Sun and moon side by side revealed her face.

Everyone could not help but gasp when they saw her.

"Zhu Yuanzhang!! You actually already refined your True Spirit into a projection." One Brush Spring And Autumn Annals Sage Of History Sima Qian's silent expression that seemed frozen in time finally moved.

"True Spirit projection?" Chen Mo cursed under his breath.

True Spirits were equivalent to a cultivator's Primordial Spirit. However, compared to a cultivator's Primordial Spirit, a Star General's True Spirit ability was even greater. This could practically be considered the second life of a Star Name, but a Star General's True Spirit was very difficult to cultivate, maybe even impossible.

"Zhu Yuanzhang! What are you doing, can it be you wish to disturb the Literary Excellence Convention?"

Su Mian roared like thunder, her voice piercing through the heavens, and Purple Cloud East Approaches wrapped around the Ten Thousand Sages Hall. All Star Generals and cultivators present felt Dream In A Millennium's murderous intent, leaving them surprisingly unable to utter a word.

"Sun And Moon True Dragon" Zhu Yuanzhang's face was cold. Her eyes were filled with contempt. She raised her hand and reached for her own eye, dragging a True Spirit out from her sun pupil.

The Seven Sages Of The Bamboo Grove exclaimed.

"Disturb the Literary Excellence Convention?? I am merely fulfilling the aspirations of these ancient sages on their behalf…Rather, you spiritual generals are only devouring the sages' power. This is simply a waste, unforgivable. The ones actually disturbing the Literary Excellence Convention are you incorrigible spiritual power Star Generals!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's tone was sharp as a sword, each word abnormally murderous.

"What are you saying!!"

Su Mian was astonished.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised her hand. Sage Of Essays Sima Xiangru's True Spirit suddenly launched towards one of the sage steles. Her True Spirit entered the stele, and like a stone cast into a lake, everything instantly fell silent.

That stele suddenly glowed.

"What?"

Chen Mo, Su Shi and the others stared at one another.

Then, Zhu Yuanzhang raised her hand, lifting Sage Of Painting Wu Daozi's body. The woman's breathing was weak. She was practically unable to fight back. Although she was known as one the Seven Sages Of The Bamboo Grove and was Xuannü Realm, she was not a true sage like the Purple Rose Saint who reached Purple Cloud East Approaches. She was completely unable to match third Star Marquis, "Sun And Moon True Dragon" Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Zhu Yuanzhang, you dare harm a sage, cease!!"

Sage Of Calligraphy Wang Xizhi, Sage Of Poetry Du Fu, Sage Of Chess Huang Longshi, Sage Of Writing Han Yu, and Sage Of History Sima Qian moved together, instantly attacking.

The Lanting Pavilion Sage Of Calligraphy's Star Weapons were the "Ink Hero" brush and the "Snow Clarity" rubbing. Ink Hero's calligraphy wrote words that were like swords, penetrating, each one descending upon the Snow Clarity rubbing. The rubbing's calligraphy endlessly gathered, unleashing every kind of force to attack.

Du Fu's expression sank. She manifested her Star Weapon, "Orion and Scorpius," two star-like pearls. These pearls were bright, hovering above Du Fu. Like eyes in the firmament, they fired two golden light beams at Zhu Yuanzhang.

Huang Longshi's Star Weapon "Duality Yin Yang Pieces" also appeared out of thin air. Her Star Weapon was a chess piece. It was neither black nor white, rather, it emitted the two lights of yin and yang. It seemed to be formed from ancient primeval chaos. A hundred chess pieces formed the structure of an ancient constellation, incomparably spectacular. 

Sage Of Writing Han Fuqing did not stand by and watch. Her Seven Star Star Weapon was the "Dream Devourer Cinnabar Seal." The seal was covered in Daoist script, cinnabar and calligraphy, developed from the forms of the ancient Great Seal and Lesser Seal. The Dream Devourer Cinnabar Seal was able to form every kind of scroll and character that covered Zhu Yuanzhang like formation.

Sima Qian's eyes expression changed. She flipped open the Records of the Grand Historian, also firing an energy sufficient to wipe out a millennium of time.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang had seized Sage Of Essays Sima Xiangru's True Spirit then turn vicious against Sage Of Painting Wu Daozi, the Five Sages Of The Bamboo Grove angrily took action to save the Sage Of Painting. Their might was already comparable to a Heavenly Star's Earth Rank, boundless in power.

Chen Mo, Su Shi, Liu Yong, Huang Yuheng, and Tao Shenming could not easily join in. They could only circulate Star Energy and dodge for the time being.

Zhu Yuanzhang reached out and nonchalantly opened her hand.

Her sun and moon pupils were exceedingly bright. Powerful energy blocked the five sages' assault. Then, Sun And Moon True Dragon stamped her foot, pitilessly saying: "Seven Sages Of The Bamboo Grove. Why do you not follow me in fulfilling the Ten Thousand Sages' true aspirations, to reach eternity."

Sage Of Painting Wu Daozi vomited blood from the effects of the Star Energy. Zhu Yuanzhang then made a grabbing motion with her other hand, flinging Wu Daozi into another of the steles. The woman screamed. While there was no Starfall, her body became a phantom True Spirit under Zhu Yuanzhang's power and was inserted into the stele. At the same time, this stele also suddenly glowed.

"Wu Daozi!!" Huang Longshi screamed in grief.

"Zhu Yuanzhang, your crime is unforgivable!!" The Sage Of Chess roared furiously.

"Zhu Jiujiu, This Palace shall give you one more chance. Cease, or else This Palace has no choice but to use the power that supports Star World to destroy your Star Name!!" Su Mian rebuked her. If not for the defensive formation of the Ten Thousand Sages Hall, Dream In A Millennium would have already launched an attack.

"Power that supports Star World. How bold. Fine, I, Zhu Yuanzhang, desire the power to destroy Star World!!" The woman hardly swayed: "Su Mian, after the Literary Excellence Convention passes, I still urge you to retire from the Central Star Field. Yield your position to me, and out of consideration for the Purple Rose Star Emperor, I will spare your life!"

When these words were uttered, a bridge was inevitably already burned.

Su Mian's expression was like frost, cold to the extreme.

The five sages angrily shouted: "Zhu Yuanzhang, even if you are a first-rate Star Marquis, the five of us together do not fear you!!" These Star Generals who were halfway to becoming sages were all Xuannü Realm. Although they could not compare to a Purple Rose Star Name's power, the five of them together could face even the strongest Star Marquis.

Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang already uttered words of revolt, the situation had reached a stage of irreconciliation. Wang Xizhi and the rest immediately used five Phoenix Earth Ranks.

Sage Of Calligraphy, "Ten Thousand Ministers Remonstrate Emperor Rubbing!"

Sage Of Poetry, "Orion And Scorpius Part Forever!

Sage Of Chess, "Qiankun Chess State!"

Sage Of Writing, "Decline Over A Millennium!"

Sage Of History, "Wipe From History!"¹

The power of the five Phoenix Earth Ranks spread through the entire sage terrace, even diffusing through the Ten Thousand Sages Hall. Everyone could feel tremors in space itself. Zhu Yuanzhang swiped her hand, suddenly unleashing purple qi from her palm. The purple qi coiled around her like a dragon, and the five sages' Phoenix Earth Ranks were surprisingly destroyed in an instant under the purple qi.

"What? This is Purple Rose Qi." Wang Xizhi was astonished.

Purple Rose Qi sublimated into Zhu Yuanzhang's body, all of a sudden enveloping her whole being in purple light. The Star Crest on her forehead turned into a purple star, and it spread over all of her skin like gorgeous veins.

Zhu Yuanzhang's True Spirit had also become Purple Rose Star.

"Your True Spirits can all remain in this Ten Thousand Sages Hall." Zhu Yuanzhang sneered. Her pupils fired twin sun and moon dragons that followed her to the left and right. These Sun and Moon True Dragons rolled towards everyone in the Ten Thousand Sages Hall, their light blinding. Everything in Chen Mo's field of vision completely vanished.

…

Youli Star Kingdom.

Lonely Swallow Plain, a terrace out in the open. There was a banquet at this time, but the only person here was a single woman. She seemed cold and cheerless, but her expression was gentle, with a kind of tacit belief in her comrades.

The woman sitting at the banquet had purple hair and vermilion eyes. Her beautiful face carried a coldness, her figure was splendid, and what she wore was not the typical palace dress but a full body purple silk garment that was as thin as a cicada's wing. She was wrapped in a short jacket made from several black strips of leather, golden shoulderpads, and a short cape. The woman also wore iron-blooded boots to form a complete outfit that was actually quite striking.

The mature woman's somewhat unconventional style of dress fully displayed her odd personality.

This was the truth.

The woman was Heavenly Dao Star "Heavenly King Of Wudao" Ran Min Ran Youli,² Star Marquis of the Youli Star Kingdom.

Among the Sixteen Star Marquis, Ran Youli's personality was the most solitary; she practically kept to herself. The other Star Marquis had great generals like the Amrita Seven Grands. Ran Min alone had only the "Twin Ramparts" accompanying her. But even Eternal Divine Warrior Li Shimin did not dare underestimate the Heavenly King Of Wudao.

Although Ran Youli was a lone wolf, this neutral position had instead earned her many down and out friends.

These friends fit in practically nowhere in Star World, and the Youli Star Kingdom alone showed them no prejudice.³

The sky was dark purple, long rays of light gradually rising.

Ran Youli coldly drank wine. A martial general stood behind her. She was one of the Youli Star Kingdom's Twin Ramparts, Heavenly Subjugation Star "Protector-General Of Pinglu" Ma Long, a famous general from historical China's Western Jin dynasty. He had once devised magnetic and rhinoceros armor tactics to pacify the Xianbei Tufa Shujineng's rebellion, earning him quite the reputation.

Ran Youli had little interest in governing the Youli Star Kingdom. Most of the time, she let Malong oversee governmental affairs.

"Fengshuang, you may leave now. You need not participate in what comes next." Ran Youli said quietly.

Ma Fengshuang's expression was slightly shaken. "Your Highness!"

"This is an order. In the future, the Youli Star Kingdom still requires you to look after it." Ran Youli said.

Ma Long said not another word. She turned and left.

Not long after, the evening sky was like blood.

All of a sudden, a woman's body dropped from the sky.

"Your Highness…" The woman groaned, then ceased to draw breath.

Ran Youli calmly looked at the woman who died right before her eyes. She was the other of the Youli Star Kingdom's Twin ramparts, "Butcher" Gou Xi Gou Qingyan, who was also a great general. When she fought against the ancient barbarians, she possessed frightening killing intent, surprising even Ran Min. However, this Butcher dimmed right in front of her, and she very quickly Starfell.

"The Literary Excellence Convention will end soon. I wonder if what happens this time is qualified to be entered into the historical record." Ran Min appreciated the sunset, her voice soft. "Qingyan, I will not let your name be buried in obscurity like this."

"Oh, the historical record, are you so confident?"

A voice suddenly spoke out, and a long shadow descended from far away.

Ran Youli put down her wine cup, her expression lonely, "A few days ago, the Zhushen Star Kingdom's Qianlong Empress and the Eight Banners Starfell. I did not dare believe then, but now it seems I have no choice but to believe that the legendary ‘Xiang Yu' has finally been born."

The evening light tore off the shadow's mask, revealing the girl's features. Astonishingly, she was none other than "Hegemon King" Xiang Yu.

"If you want to follow This Hegemon King, This Hegemon King can give it some consideration." Xiang Yu's double pupils stared, frightening.

"Xiang Yu, you truly should not have come to find Me. I am not the Perfect Elder." Ran Min calmly said.

"But This Hegemon King heard you only have two great generals…No, now there is only one…" Xiang Yu looked at the Starfallen "Butcher" Gou Xi. She pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulders.

"They say you are very strong. Very good, This Hegemon King likes killing the strong." Xiang Yu provocatively glared: "Come, This Hegemon King will make your death very honorable."

Ran Min apathetically rose. She brought out two dark red Star Weapons. A double-edged pike was in her left, and a halberd was in her right. Purple Rose Qi enveloped her body, making her enter among the Purple Rose Star Names.

"This imaginary Purple Rose Qi is a bit weak." Xiang Yu twitched her mouth. She truly did not understand the reason that person said she was very strong.

Ran Min nodded.

All of a sudden, the situation changed. Four rays of purple qi appeared like pillars in the four cardinal directions, enclosing Xiang Yu. They were actually girls who also had Purple Rose Qi.

"Then I shall add on four Purple Rose Star Generals to make your death a bit more respectable, Hegemon King!!"

Ran Min coldly declared.

The Hegemon King's brow rose.

1. 湮名, lit. to make one's name fall into oblivion. ↩
2. 天悼星'武悼天王'冉閔冉幽離 ↩
3. In other words, her Star Kingdom has become a refuge for misfits. ↩