Splitting the Heavens

Previously, the Sages who had been monitoring the spatial vortex had only communicated through their divine souls. Most had only left behind clones or artifacts infused with their inner qi through secret arts, so as not to mess up their original plans.

At that time, because their exchanges occurred purely through divine sense, no one could determine each other's true cultivation levels. This allowed them to communicate and trade in a relatively equal environment.

However, now that all of them had arrived in person, their cultivation realms were laid bare for all to see. In such circumstances, their respective statuses naturally became established. For example, both Sage Loudmouth and Shang Xia were revealed to be at the fifth star.

Shang Xia was less of a surprise. After all, the awe-inspiring scene of him single-handedly charging into the center of the spatial vortex was still fresh in everyone's memory. So when he revealed his strength, the others were not shocked, instead, they reacted as if it were expected. A couple even sighed in relief, thankful that his cultivation had not reached the high-level of the Martial Emptiness Realm.

But in contrast, Sage Loudmouth revealing that he, too, was a fifth star cultivator stunned several of the other present Sages, none more so than Mister Drama.

Previously, when their avatars had interacted via divine soul, Sage Loudmouth had always come across as timid and somewhat dull-witted. He gave off the impression of someone who preferred to avoid conflict and maintain peace, earning him frequent ridicule from Mister Drama.

Mister Drama had assumed himself to be among the strongest present. He was a mid-level Sage, a rare expert even within the Chaotic Sea of Stars. In comparison, Sage Loudmouth had always appeared as a hesitant and unassuming weakline, an old relic at most. With such a perception, Mister Drama had grown used to being arrogant during their interactions.

Who would have imagined that the so-called pushover was in fact a fifth star Sage?

Naturally, Mister Drama was in a terrible mood.

It wasn't that he truly feared Sage Loudmouth. Mister Drama himself was a powerful fourth star Sage. Even if he was no match for the old man, he wouldn't be easily overpowered. Besides, he had an entire intact Heavenly Field backing him.

Still, it was never wise to offend a fifth star expert for no reason.

Only Mister Drama himself was aware of this misstep. The others remained oblivious.

Just then, as Mister Drama finished speaking, the expressions of the gathered Sages suddenly shifted. They turned in unison to look in the same direction.

At that moment, a figure broke through the void and emerged. A powerful aura surged from his body, though it fluctuated slightly, an indication that the cultivator had not yet fully mastered his newfound strength. It usually occurred just after one had advanced in cultivation.

As expected, the man in the green robe spoke with the voice of Vortex Observer. "Apologies. My true body was previously in seclusion, seeking to break through to the next level. I arrived late."

None of the Sages took offense; in fact, they each offered their congratulations on his breakthrough.

Vortex Observer beamed with joy and accepted their good wishes warmly. But he soon noticed that among the seven gathered Sages, three had reached the mid-level. Excluding himself, only Sage Cat was at the second star, everyone else was at the third star or above.

Since Vortex Observer had just reached the third star himself, that meant he currently ranked second-to-last among them.

He felt a wave of disappointment.

"Huh, I thought I was the last to arrive. Has Lightning Master not come yet?" He asked casually, trying to lift his spirits.

A thunderous voice rang out in reply, "I've only just arrived as well. But I saw you being congratulated and decided to wait a moment."

The voice rumbled like thunder, but only in the ears of the other Sages. The surrounding void remained silent.

Was it also a display of strength?!

Shang Xia didn't mind. As soon as Lightning Master's voice arrived, he had already pinpointed the man's exact location and gauged his cultivation. He was a fourth star Sage.

In fact, the other Sages had also quietly assessed the same.

Now, eight Sages had gathered. Two were at the fifth star, two at the fourth. Three at the third, and the last at the second star.

If they joined forces, even a high-level Sage like the Star Origin Lord would have to retreat. In fact, they might well constitute the most formidable power in all of the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

If news of their alliance spread, it would send shockwaves through the Star Field!

Yet such a force had assembled solely to destroy the Origin Pillar at the center of the spatial vortex, and divide whatever higher realm power it contained.

As the eight Sages stood together, a momentary silence settled over the scene.

Eventually, Mister Drama broke the silence, first apologizing for his earlier comments, then asking, "Since we all share the same goal, shall we act together? According to the news brought back by Lord Seven Star, the spatial gate inside the Origin Pillar is nearly complete. Delaying further won't benefit us."

Seeing that no one responded immediately, he turned to Sage Loudmouth and asked, "What do you think, Sage Loudmouth?"

Sage Loudmouth let out a light breath and smiled. "I don't have much of an opinion. I'll go along with everyone else."

Mister Drama twitched slightly at the reply, then looked to Shang Xia and asked, "Lord Seven Star, do you have any advice?"

Shang Xia smiled and said, "I'll bring a large Star Ship and join the operation."

Before Mister Drama could reply, Sage Loudmouth chuckled, "What a coincidence. I also have a Star Ship nearby, with some of my disciples aboard and ready."

Shang Xia's idea seemed to break the stalemate completely.

Lightning Master's voice followed next. "A few of my grand-disciples insisted on tagging along to broaden their horizons. Since that's the case, I'll have them bring a ship to meet up with us as well."

Mister Drama exhaled in relief, then smiled broadly. "In that case, why don't we form a joint formation? We can cover each other as we venture into the vortex. It'll greatly improve our chances of staying safe. If danger strikes, we can assist one another."

The other four low-level Sages immediately echoed their agreement.

"Agreed. We'll inform our Heavenly Fields to send Star Ships to join the formation."

At this moment, Sage Loudmouth produced a Star Chart. "This chart marks possible traps I encountered during my earlier journeys through the vortex, before it became as dangerous as it is now. While it may no longer be completely accurate, it could still serve as a useful reference. Feel free to make copies and distribute them to your crews."

The others thanked him profusely. The map was clearly of great value, especially to the Essence Luxuriant World, which maintained contact with two Spirit Worlds that lay beyond it.

Not to be outdone, Mister Drama produced a formation diagram. "This battle formation may be simple, but it allows for quick unification of force. It's easy to operate, moderately powerful, and perfect for coordinating Star Ships from different worlds into a fighting force."

Shang Xia glanced at the formation diagram. Although he didn't specialize in formation arts, his time with a rank six Formation Grandmaster had sharpened his judgment. One glance told him the battle formation was indeed valuable.

Just as Mister Drama claimed... In a situation where the Sages had never cooperated before, had no time to practice their battle formations, and were secretly wary of each other, a simple and effective battle formation was the best choice.

With Shang Xia's endorsement, the others accepted the plan after only a cursory inspection.

Lightning Master then tossed out a few chains. "These are extremely tough, able to withstand even the violent currents of the void. Since we'll be sailing together, why not use these chains to bind our ships together? That way, we can maintain formation integrity and rescue any ship that gets into trouble."

His suggestion made the mood among the Sages suddenly turn awkward.

Shang Xia swept his divine soul over the group and quickly guessed what they were thinking.

While chaining the ships together did help maintain the formation's power, it also reduced their maneuverability.

For mid-level Sages with greater strength, it limited their ability to move freely if danger arose. They were naturally reluctant to tie themselves down.

But for the low-level Sages, such an arrangement allowed them to lean on the power of the stronger members, which increased their own safety. They had no objection to the plan, in fact, they welcomed it.

As it became even more awkward, Shang Xia suddenly spoke. "Do you all remember I said earlier that if you confirmed your intent to enter the vortex, I would share more information?"

His words cut through the tension and piqued their curiosity. However, Sage Loudmouth, Lightning Master, and Mister Drama all frowned slightly, sensing that whatever Shang Xia was about to say likely wouldn't be good news.

As expected, Shang Xia continued, "When I neared the edge of the vortex and discovered the spatial gate forming within the Origin Pillar, I attempted to destroy it. But doing so provoked a fierce counterattack, someone on the other side of the gate struck out at me."

"Though the gate wasn't yet fully formed, and their power was weakened due to the transmission through Star Fields, the strength they unleashed still reached the late stage of the Martial Emptiness Realm. If I hadn't kept a safe distance from the Origin Pillar, I might not have escaped unscathed."

Before he could finish, the Sages broke into an uproar.

"What? Forces from beyond the Chaotic Sea of Stars can already reach through the gate? Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"So they possess the strength of a high-level Sage? Are you sure? And that's just the weakened version?! What if their true body came through?"

"This can't wait, we have to act now!"

"Destroy the gate! The Origin Pillar is its core, we must destroy it!"

"No! It's better to destroy the entire vortex..."

"Enough!" shouted Sage Loudmouth, dropping his usual smile. "Lord Seven Star certainly kept us in the dark. Were you not afraid we'd abandon the plan?"

Shang Xia responded calmly, "If we can't act as one, what use is it to share this intel? Our fragile alliance would collapse before it began. Besides, as you all said earlier, each Star Region in the Chaotic Sea of Stars is showing signs of upheaval. Even if we destroy this gate, what then? At best, we delay their invasion slightly. Do you really think we can destroy the entire spatial vortex?"

Sage Loudmouth gave a bitter laugh. The vortex had existed for over a thousand years, if it could be destroyed, wouldn't it have vanished already?

"No matter what, this operation to attack the vortex must proceed, even if only to buy us more time against the invaders," Sage Loudmouth concluded, setting the tone for the entire group. He also signaled agreement with Lightning Master's plan to chain the ships together.

As time passed, large, and even super Star Ships piloted by True Immortals from the various Heavenly Fields arrived.

Shang Xia, having received a secret transmission from Huang Jinghan, went to a calmer region to await the Essence Luxuriant World's starship.

The ship that arrived was newly built and named the 'Jiao Continent'. It was the Essence Luxuriant World's largest, fastest, and most durable ship to date, meant to serve as a testbed for building future super Star Ships.

Upon boarding, Shang Xia was surprised to see two high-level True Immortals.

One was Huang Jinghan, who had recently returned from the Essence Xing World. He intended to serve as Shang Xia's deputy for this expedition.

The other figure, however, was unexpected.

"How did Patriarch Kou allow Sage Gao to leave our world? Isn't he worried that Gu Yi might strike along the way?"

Shang Xia nodded to Gao Qin in greeting, then looked to Huang Jinghan and the rest of the True Immortals. Among them were two familiar faces from the Tongyou Institution. They were Hai Yuanyuan, and surprisingly, Gong Xinlan.

Before they could answer, Gao Qin laughed. "Have you forgotten? Right now, in the Heaven Observation Star Region, their divine souls are tangled together. None of them can break free anytime soon."

Shang Xia smacked his forehead and laughed. "Ah, I nearly forgot. In that case, with both of you at my side, this mission will be far easier!"

Several days later, the remaining Star Ships arrived. There were two super Star Ships. One was from Sage Loudmouth, and another from Lightning Master's. Each of them were mid-level Sages and had at least three high-level True Immortals on board.

During formation drills, the two super Star Ships naturally became the formation's core, neither Shang Xia nor Mister Drama objected.

Mister Drama's formation was indeed simple and effective. After brief drills, all eight ships could coordinate efficiently.

Though the chains limited their maneuverability slightly, they stabilized ship positions and made the formation harder to break.

After a few more days of final preparations, Sage Loudmouth gave the signal, and all eight Star Ships began moving toward the center of the spatial vortex.

Both super Star Ships led the formation side by side. Behind them were two large Star Ships belonging to Mister Drama and the Essence Luxuriant World's 'Jiao Continent'.

The remaining four large Star Ships, each led by a low-level Sage, followed in a staggered rear formation.

As the fleet closed in on the vortex, inside a secret chamber aboard the Jiao Continent, Shang Xia sat face-to-face with Huang Jinghan, listening intently to how he had infiltrated the Essence Xing World, met with the Wanyun Association's Gong Zhuo, and eventually arranged an audience with Emperor Chen.