Splitting the Heavens

Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue joined forces and dealt with Shang Xia's Origin Star Avatar.

No matter what, Shang Xia was weakened regardless. It wasn't just because the Origin Star Robe was destroyed. However, he lost a portion of his inner qi.

Fortunately, the battle took place above the heavenly screen of the Essence Luxuriant World. Both Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue had the absolute advantage. As a result, even after the Origin Star Avatar was destroyed, most of its energy was able to return to the world, serving as a modest replenishment to the World Origin Source and avoiding significant waste.

"Was it truly the Star Origin Lord who orchestrated all this from behind the scenes?"

Although Kou Chongxue had already received Shang Xia's warning before it happened, he still found it somewhat unbelievable.

Shang Xia continued, "If you had experienced what I have, you likely wouldn't find it surprising anymore."

Kou Chongxue laughed in response. "I am indeed quite curious about what you've been through recently, but now doesn't seem to be the time for stories."

As they conversed, the two had already reached the outskirts of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field. After traversing the chaotic streams, their attention was drawn to a solitary figure suspended in the void.

"It seems the Star Origin Lord arrived a little too late." Shang Xia was no stranger to the Star Origin Lord at this point. They had tons of interactions.

However, as the Star Origin Lord looked at Shang Xia, his expression suddenly turned sharp. He asked in a deep voice, "You carry the aura of a place beyond the Chaotic Sea of Stars. Did you come into contact with worlds beyond the Star Field?"

Though the Star Origin Lord's abrupt reaction caught Shang Xia off guard, it seemed reasonable upon reflection. After all, the Star Origin Lord had reached his current level 1,000 years ago and personally witnessed the fall of the Heaven Observation Sect. He was a genuine survivor. How could he not know about the worlds beyond their Star Field?

Before Shang Xia could respond, Kou Chongxue interjected, "If not for a stroke of unique fortune, how else could we have seen through your deception?"

Clearly, Kou Chongxue was probing for more information, hoping to draw something out of the Star Origin Lord.

The Star Origin Lord glanced at Kou Chongxue, then at Shang Xia, but sidestepped the issue entirely. "No wonder your Essence Luxuriant World rose so unexpectedly. Both of you possess not only extraordinary talent and insight but also remarkable decisiveness and courage. Even I didn't expect you would sacrifice your origin qi and world origin to shift the Heavenly Field. You even managed to hide it temporarily from my surveillance using the shielding from Grand Stargazers."

Shang Xia nodded slightly and revealed a look of realization. "Indeed... You didn't actually have full control over my Origin Star Avatar. With the strand of soul I left behind, a whole new soul was born. One that couldn't be controlled entirely by either of us."

The Star Origin Lord's eyes flickered, but he did not refute Shang Xia's analysis.

Indeed, the Origin Star Robe had been one of the Star Origin Lord's contingencies he planted a long time ago. When it eventually fell into Shang Xia's hands, the Star Origin Lord had been pleasantly surprised.

What he hadn't expected was the speed of Shang Xia's rise. Not only had he become a Sage within just a few decades, but even at his current cultivation level, his cultivation rate hadn't slowed. In a mere 10 years, he had broken through to become a mid-level Sage, not to mention the fact that he was an exceptionally accomplished rank seven Talisman Grandmaster.

Had Shang Xia still been a low-level Sage, perhaps the Star Origin Lord would have sent a Starlight Clone to speak to him. He would be confident of fighting Shang Xia with a clone. However... With their cultivation levels roughly the same, the Star Origin Lord knew that a mere cloud would be crushed by Shang Xia in an instant.

Due to Shang Xia's huge increase in strength, along with the Origin Star Robe, even when the Star Origin Lord had the abilities of a high-level Sage after drawing on the power of the Four Essence Heavenly Field, he wasn't able to fully control Shang Xia's Origin Star Avatar.

It was precisely because the Origin Star Avatar developed an independent will through Shang Xia's soul strand and the Star Origin Lord's influence that a strange balance was formed. Though still influenced by the Star Origin Lord, the avatar couldn't be fully controlled. Kou Chongxue's efforts managed to prevent any revelation of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field's location to the Star Origin Lord, allowing Shang Xia to return in time and suppress the avatar before the Star Origin Lord could do anything.

Of course, the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field's relocation also played a role, causing the Star Origin Lord to miss the window of intervention. The increased distance from the Four Essence Heavenly Field also delayed his response.

"Your true goal must have been to use the runes on the Origin Star Robe to trace and locate my Fate Star, right?" Shang Xia asked when he noticed the Star Origin Lord wasn't saying anything.

But the Star Origin Lord's expression suddenly shifted. He smiled. "Do you think I found your Fate Star?"

Kou Chongxue's heart stirred as he glanced discreetly at Shang Xia, worry flashing in his eyes.

Shang Xia chuckled softly and turned his gaze away from the Star Origin Lord. He stared into the depths of the void beside him and said slowly, "I bet you didn't just find one, right?"

As if in response to his gaze, the void began to shift, and figures started stepping out from it one after another.

The first to emerge was Xiong Xin from the Essence Abundance World. He had reached the second star of the Martial Emptiness Realm.

Following him was Yuan Chan, a newly advanced first star Sage from the Essence Mammoth World. He had just broken through after the world ascension a year ago. However, his aura was already at the peak of the first star, only a step away from reaching the second star.

Originally, the Four Essence Heavenly Field should have housed another Sage, Zhuo Gudao of the Essence Observation World.

However, Zhuo Gudao had broken ties with them for reasons unknown. He had even escaped the Star Origin Lord and was now working alongside Sage Jin, plotting something sinister.

Even so, the sheer power on display from the Four Essence Heavenly Field was staggering.

Leaving aside the Star Origin Lord, who had recovered his strength as a high-level Sage, Xiong Xin and Yuan Chan could likely rival Kou Chongxue if they joined hands.

Of course, in the standoff in the void, Kou Chongxue would be able to draw on the power of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field to strengthen himself.

Unfortunately... If Shang Xia were to fight the high-level Sage, he would also require the assistance of the Heavenly Field!

How much assistance could they receive if they had to split if among themselves?

That might be the case, but Shang Xia remained calm and confident. "Star Origin Lord, why not go ahead and destroy all the Fate Stars you think you have discovered? Who knows, maybe you'll get what you want."

Xiong Xin and Yuan Chan crossed the void in an instant and arrived behind the Star Origin Lord.

It was then that the Star Origin Lord revealed a look of confusion. "I just don't understand... Why are you two so resistant to integrating into the Four Essence Heavenly Field? It's true that I'm trying to gather Essence Worlds to support my future breakthrough to the Eighth Order, but doing so won't hinder your cultivation. On the contrary, it could greatly benefit it."

He gestured to the two behind him. "You've seen them. Do you really think the Essence Mammoth World and Essence Abundance World could have provided so much assistance for them to advance so quickly?"

"What's more..." The Star Origin Lord's tone grew slightly impassioned. "No one knows how to break through the bottleneck to the Eighth Order. If I succeed, the path becomes clear. Even if I fail, I will at least eliminate one false route for all of you. Isn't that worth it?"

"And besides," He added solemnly. "Since you now know of existence of Star Fields beyond the Chaotic Sea of Stars, you must also know of the Heaven Observation Sect's destruction. I can tell you this with certainty. They'll come again. But this time, I don't have a second Star Curtain to stop them."

Shang Xia sneered, "You can dress your words up however you like, but no one can verify anything you're saying. The Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field will act on its own principles! And besides... Those outsiders came 1,000 years ago to destroy the Heaven Observation Sect. If they return, it's more likely they're after you. Maybe keeping my Essence Luxuriant World far from your Four Essence Heavenly Field is actually the wisest choice."

"Preposterous!" The Star Origin Lord snapped coldly, "The Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field is still newly formed. Have you considered how it can support two Sages? Moreover..."

His eyes locked onto Shang Xia. "You've already reached the mid-level. That's a surprise even to me. But surely, your world is now struggling to sustain your existence? Perhaps that's why after completing your breakthrough and with Kou Chongxue advancing, you've seldom remained in the Heavenly Field and spend most of your time wandering in the Chaotic Sea of Stars."

Shang Xia chuckled. "Your baseless assumptions are honestly laughable."

Yet the Star Origin Lord seemed confident in his assessment. He snorted coldly, "You know whether it's true or not. But this conversation ends here. Time will reveal everything."