Splitting the Heavens

Shang Xia deliberately chose to reveal the presence of a Stargazer aboard his Star Ship. First, in a perilous situation like this, cooperation was essential. Second, he hoped to test the attitudes of the other Sages toward such a presence.

However, Lightning Master's reaction was somewhat beyond his expectations.

In Shang Xia's view, while his test might provoke subtle responses from others, given the current predicament, no one should act rashly. At most, they might probe him indirectly.

But Lightning Master's reaction amounted to a direct provocation. It not only displeased Shang Xia but also struck him as odd.

Considering both Lightning Master's cultivation level and the gravity of the situation they all faced, such a lack of tact was unexpected.

If that was the case, then Lightning Master's boldness in provoking him now likely stemmed from a deeper motive, one worth pondering carefully.

The fleet continued forward. This time, the formation began to sink under the pull of the massive vortex.

Fortunately, the eight Star Ships were not only maintained by a formation but were also linked together by powerful chains. That allowed them to support one another and resist the vortex's pull.

Even so, after advancing 200,000 to 300,000 miles toward the center, Zhang Yusheng estimated that the fleet had already sunk nearly 100 miles compared to when they first entered the vortex.

If someone could look back at the vortex's edge at that moment, they would see it towering far above their current location.

At the same time, the fleet continued to drift off course. Though Shang Xia had warned them and the ships had made some adjustments, the influence causing the drift was subtle and persistent. It was not easily eliminated.

Throughout the journey, danger lurked constantly. Genuine threats that could compromise the fleet did arise now and then, but with the combined strength of the formation and the eight Sages, they were handled successfully.

Even so, none of the Sages relaxed. Their expressions grew grim, and transmission talismans flashed frequently between ships, making even the True Immortals aboard nervous and tense.

They hadn't even reached halfway to the vortex's core, yet the danger already required the full strength of all eight Sages.

Though the Sages might not have gone all-out yet, even their current collective strength far surpassed what one or two high-level Sages could muster.

That suggested that the dangers near the vortex's core were likely even worse than they had anticipated.

In fact, during recent exchanges, more than one of them had repeatedly questioned Shang Xia about the details of his previous clash near the Origin Pillar. Clearly, some doubted his claims, but Shang Xia paid it no mind. Whether the others believed him or not would not affect him.

Although the danger in the vortex surpassed expectations, none of the eight Sages chose to retreat. The fleet pressed onward toward the center.

After another 200,000 miles, the threats they faced became more severe and frequent. Though still manageable, the formation's protective output now operated at 70 to 80 percent capacity. Every time the Sages took action, it came with tremendous force. The casual responses where they easily neutralized the threats were gone.

Among the eight Sages, Sage Cat, who was only at the second star, and Vortex Observer, who had newly advanced to the third star, were already nearing their limits. In the last two encounters, both required assistance from Shang Xia and Mister Drama.

The fleet's consumption had begun to outpace its reserves. Massive quantities of essence crystals and world origin were now being spent with little regard for cost.

Meanwhile, after each dangerous encounter, the Sages had to take time to recover their spent energy.

The fleet kept moving. Another 200,000 to 300,000 miles passed. By then, they had journeyed nearly a million miles toward the vortex's core. The distance to the center was no longer far, and the Origin Pillar had become clearly visible to the Sages aboard all eight ships.

However, aside from Shang Xia, none of the others could perceive the spatial gate forming within the pillar. That led to further suspicion and disapproval from one or two more of the Sages.

Still, with the fleet so close to the center, there was no turning back. Under the lead of the two super Star Ships commanded by Sage Loudmouth and Lightning Master, the formation pressed forward.

At some point, the fleet suddenly entered an area of intense turbulence in the void. The eight ships rocked so violently that the formation nearly collapsed, and the chains joining them rattled violently as if they were about to snap.

Fortunately, the disruption was short-lived. With the Sages giving their all to maintain the formation, the severe turbulence vanished as suddenly as it came. The ships steadied, as if the crisis had been an illusion.

At that moment, the force pulling the ships downward vanished, but the formation's resistance force remained, causing the ships to surge upward.

Simultaneously, the directional drift that had subtly affected their course also disappeared. With part of the formation still compensating for that drift, the ships began to veer dangerously. Without the timely intervention of the Sages, the entire fleet might have capsized.

"This is..."

"We've passed through the most dangerous section of the vortex. We've reached the center, this is the vacuum zone where the vortex's forces are absent!"

With just a brief exchange, the Sages understood the situation.

But before they could feel relieved, a sudden attack struck the fleet, freshly escaped from the vortex's pull!

The once-calm void abruptly froze. Layers of crystalline cracks manifested and spread rapidly toward the ships of Sage Cat and Vortex Observer, the two weakest links.

"This isn't from the vortex. It's an ambush! It was deliberate and premeditated!" Mister Drama was the first to react. While warning the other ships, he unleashed a strike empowered by his ship's formation.

Despite the haste, he managed to unleash a strike that surpassed the limit of a mid-level Sage.

A spinning wheel-shaped weapon shot out from Mister Drama's ship. Amidst a flurry of flashing silver sword light, the crystalline void shattered. Vortex Observer's ship was pulled back into the formation.

However, just as the wheel moved toward Sage Cat's ship, a sudden surge of power blasted it aside from a distance.

Meanwhile, the crystalline cracks had almost completely encased Sage Cat's ship. The ship would be ripped from the formation at any moment.

"Seal!" A calm voice echoed through the void the next second. Though it lacked volume or force, as soon as it spoke, the rapidly spreading cracks that made the space more and more crystal-like froze in place.

This stasis lasted only two breaths before it started to spread again, yet before they could resume, the same voice echoed again:

"Shatter!"

A formless power descended, smashing the space that was about to turn into a giant crystal to pieces in an instant.

The force didn't stop there, it traced the origin of the cracks and dispersed its origins entirely.

At that moment, the Origin Pillar shuddered. A cluster of highly refined origin qi burst from it, falling like glowing shards into the vortex below.

"It really did come from the Origin Pillar!"

"I can now sense the faint yet deep spatial power leaking from it. Lord Seven Star's judgment was correct, there truly is a spatial gate within the pillar, and it very likely connects to a foreign Star Field!"

From the two lead Star Ships, Lightning Master and Sage Loudmouth each sent transmission talismans to the other ships.

"The enemy struck just as we reached the center of the vortex, aiming to catch us before we could stabilize. Thankfully, the fleet's power held them back. But something's wrong. The power that attacked through the portal this time is fundamentally different from the one I fought before. There are at least two high-level Sages attacking through the spatial gate!" Shang Xia was shocked. He immediately sent warnings to the other ships and even yelled as loudly as he could through the void, "Be careful! There's more than one opponent!"

But before he could confirm whether his warning had been received, the void changed again.

Mister Drama's flying wheel was caught mid-recall, frozen in place. A new surge of power slammed it toward the Origin Pillar.

"Scoundrel! How dare you!" Mister Drama roared and leapt from his ship, chasing after the weapon.

"No!"

"Don't!"

"Come back!"

Several yells burst from the other ships, even at the cost of their inner qi. Everyone tried to stop him before it was too late.