Splitting the Heavens

Shang Xia clearly had not expected the opportunity for advancement to arrive in such a subtle and coincidental fashion.

Because of the unique traits revealed during his test of the Reignition Talisman, Shang Xia was compelled to delay his departure from the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field. He needed Ren Huan to craft more rank seven talisman paper, this time with Star Devouring Silk, so he could produce another Reignition Talisman to test his theory.

However, his wait stretched more than three months. With the time he spent crafting talismans in the Talisman Pagoda, the 14th year of the Essence Luxuriant Calendar rolled around.

During this period, Kou Chongxue personally sought out Shang Xia to inform him of two significant developments.

"Sage Jin has taken control of the Essence Hong World?"

When Shang Xia heard what had happened, he was not surprised at all. On the contrary, it appeared as if everything had just clicked into place.

Kou Chongxue couldn't help but ask, "You seem like you anticipated it?"

Shang Xia shook his head with a sigh. "I did have my suspicions, but I didn't expect Sage Jin to complete the takeover of the Essence Hong World so quickly. That would mean that when Yuan Ping perished in the Nebula Forbidden Region, Sage Jin must have collected nearly half of her scattered soul. He definitely kept it just for this. With her soul by his side, he likely minimized the repulsion from the Essence Hong World's Will and may have even gained full acceptance from the world..."

Kou Chongxue grew curious. "You mentioned this possibility before, but using the scattered soul to seize control of a world? That seems rather implausible. Did Sage Jin also possess something like the Reignition Talisman you spoke of to preserve her soul or her origin qi for such a long time?"

Shang Xia thought for a moment before shaking his head. "That's unlikely. But given the extraordinary relationship between Sage Jin and Yuan Ping, I suspect that Yuan Ping might have also practiced the Heart Lamp Secret Art. Sage Jin's true motive might have been to preserve her fragmented soul and, like Su Chi, restore her body and bring her back to life."

Kou Chongxue nodded instinctively. After all, even someone like Su Chi, a True Immortal, was able to survive over 100 years with the Heart Lamp Secret Art. There should be no problems for a third star Sage like Yuan Ping to have her soul preserved for longer.

"There's another possibility. With the increasing chaos, the Essence Hong World might desperately need a Sage to stabilize the situation."

"Perhaps both sides saw mutual benefit and agreed to help each other..."

Kou Chongxue offered another possibility.

Shang Xia frowned. "What about Zhuo Gudao? They left together. Their relationship seemed particularly close..."

Kou Chongxue shook his head. "I've already sent people to investigate, but so far there's been no trace of him."

He paused slightly, then added, "It seems he has deliberately concealed his whereabouts. But based on current reports from the Essence Hong World, there's a high likelihood that he's also in the Essence Hong Heavenly Field."

Shang Xia raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, "How did you arrive at that conclusion?"

Kou Chongxue replied calmly, "After taking control of the Essence Hong World, Sage Jin swiftly reached a compromise with the local powers and began using the resources of their world to purchase large quantities of high-grade spiritual materials from Starsea Markets. Merchant fleets now travel in and out of Essence Hong Heavenly Field nonstop. Didn't you tell me that those two bought an entire world fragment off you?"

"What do you think is going on then?" Shang Xia asked.

Kou Chongxue chuckled, "Have you forgotten Zhuo Gudao's rise since leaving the Star Origin Lord Manor?"

Shang Xia paused before speaking again. "He took over a Dao Field, merged Azure Worlds to form a Spirit World, and used its power to support the Star Origin Dao Field... Is he planning to construct another Dao Field in the Essence Hong World?"

Kou Chongxue replied, "Since Sage Jin has taken over Essence Hong World, he certainly won't share either the Dao Field or the world itself with Zhuo Gudao. That's a matter of principle."

"But as you said, their alliance must remain intact. Since Zhuo Gudao supported Sage Jin's rise, Sage Jin would naturally return the favor. Helping Zhuo Gudao resolve the issue of housing his soul to stop his declining cultivation... Building another Dao Field that is supported by a Spirit World would be the ideal choice. Zhuo Gudao already has the experience, and now he has Sage Jin and the support of an entire Heavenly Field."

Shang Xia couldn't help but mumble softly, "That means that the Essence Hong Heavenly Field now has two Sages. If Sage Jin can truly restore Yuan Ping's soul and forge another body for her... They might just gain another third star Sage."

Kou Chongxue agreed. "That's quite likely. The Essence Hong Heavenly Field is aggressively acquiring high-level spiritual materials. Whether for constructing a Dao Field or to revive Yuan Ping... It might even be both. Everything remains to be seen..."

After a moment, Shang Xia asked, "What was the other piece of news you mentioned earlier?"

Kou Chongxue sighed suddenly, "The Heaven Observation Star Region might soon witness the birth of another celestial phenomenon..."

Shang Xia's expression grew serious. "You mean the area where the Star Origin Dao Field was once located?"

Kou Chongxue nodded. "Gao Qin has been monitoring that region. Not long ago, she reported that the void there is growing increasingly unusual. Mirage-like illusions are appearing more frequently."

Shang Xia asked quickly, "Can any pattern be discerned?"

Kou Chongxue shook his head. "The phenomena vary each time. Sometimes there are mountains, and different structures could be seen during other times... There are even massive deserts, and sometimes it would be a massive ocean..."

Shang Xia continued, "What about the Four Essence Heavenly Field? Any reactions from nearby Heavenly Fields?"

Kou Chongxue replied, "The Four Essence Heavenly Field has maintained a constant presence there. Gao Qin even had contact with them. Lately, there have been rumors that someone spotted Sage Xiong Xin. As for other Heavenly Fields, their starships are frequently seen patrolling the surrounding void."

Shang Xia sighed, "Clearly, the other Heavenly Fields are aware of these celestial phenomena. We don't know a thing..."

Kou Chongxue said, "That's why I've come. I plan to visit that place myself and take a look. In the meantime, you should stay here and hold the fort."

Shang Xia smiled. "Why trouble yourself? I'm idle anyway, I'll make the trip myself."

Kou Chongxue laughed. "I knew you'd say that. But this time, don't fight with me over it. I've been stationed here for years! If I don't go out soon, my joints might rust. This is a great excuse to witness the birth of a celestial phenomenon!"

"As for you... Hah, you can wait until you've crafted another Reignition Talisman and enter the fifth star. After that, you can think about other things! Hahaha, bye!" He vanished before he was done speaking. His words echoed in Shang Xia's ears after he ran away, as if he was afraid Shang Xia would rush away before him.