Splitting the Heavens

Shang Xia had once witnessed with his own eyes the true form of a sun. It was a celestial body that burned endlessly in the void, and had even personally approached extremely close to experience its true might.

Therefore, when ripples suddenly spread out from the spatial gate and something glowing like a star was ejected from it, Shang Xia immediately concluded that the object had to be related to the real sun. Even if it wasn't a complete star, it had to be part of one! Perhaps a fragment of it!

Precisely because of that, Shang Xia instantly realized the danger that was approaching.

In such a situation, there was no retreat. Even the other Sages aboard the Star Ships had gathered all their power into this single strike, none of them had a way back.

Their final strike would determine the outcome of the entire exchange!

In the blink of an eye, Shang Xia used his Big Dipper Star Origin to harness and guide the power of the other Sages and the entire fleet as they charged toward the spatial gate. He was the first to collide with the 'star' that had been thrown out.

Shang Xia's divine soul first came into contact with the star fragment first, and that instant impact seemed to activate the immense power sealed within it.

Though the moment was brief, so brief that even the other Sages present could not perceive anything unusual, Shang Xia, instead of being frightened, was secretly pleased, though still slightly unnerved.

That 'star' that had been thrown out was actually a fragment of a proper star! The terrifying power it originally carried had been forcibly sealed within the fragment by an even stronger power.

What kind of existence...

Could it suppress the power of a star and seal even a fragment of it to be used as a weapon?

Having personally experienced the might of an actual star, Shang Xia knew he could never accomplish such a feat. He was certain that no Sage, not even one as powerful as the Star Origin Lord in his prime, could do so.

Power beyond what Sages could touch... What did that imply?

Despite his shock, Shang Xia remained calm.

Because his Big Dipper Star Origin, in essence, shared the same origin as the star fragment. When the star fragment first appeared, Shang Xia could feel it resonating with the majestic power sealed within.

Then Shang Xia discovered that the vast, chaotic, and disordered power within the star fragment could actually be guided, at least partially, by his Big Dipper Star Origin.

Though that guiding force was initially minuscule, it acted like a spark in a vast darkness, giving the chaotic energy within the star fragment a direction and a purpose.

Thus, the power Shang Xia infused from his Big Dipper Star Origin rapidly expanded like a snowball, drawing out a majority of the power stored within the fragment.

In the next instant, the collective power of the battle formation descended in the form of Shang Xia's Falling Dipper. The force that had originally sealed the star fragment was broken, and the power within erupted.

At that point, what should have turned into an uncontrollable storm of energy that would wreak havoc in the void turned into a directional blast thanks to Shang Xia's precise guidance.

Guided by Shang Xia, most of the erupting energy shot back in the opposite direction from where the star fragment had been thrown... Back at the spatial gate!

If one were watching the confrontation from afar in the depths of the void, it would appear as though the star fragment had been entirely pierced through by the fleet's counterattack.

A sea of flames rushed back in the direction of the spatial gate, a smaller portion that Shang Xia failed to control charged at them. However, the might of Falling Dipper that was powered by eight Star Ships and eight Sages neutralized it entirely.

Even so, the aftermath of the clash sent shockwaves radiating outward, causing severe tremors through the fleet, worse than the previous bombardment by origin qi fragments.

Worse yet, almost everyone had poured their full strength into the counterattack. At that moment, both the ships and the Sages aboard, not to mention the many True Immortals, were stuck in a strange state. They were exhausted, unable to deal with the sudden change.

In other words, the fleet was at its weakest!

The tsunami-like shockwave tore through the defensive formations surrounding the fleet, smashing directly into the super Star Ships ,which had no time to retreat.

Their ships were flung high into the void. Though chains connecting them to the rest of the fleet tried to pull them back and stabilize them, loud snaps were heard as the chains broke entirely under the strain. Amid panicked cries from the cultivators aboard the other vessels, both super Star Ships flipped and began to tumble!

As they rolled, countless items were thrown from the Star Ships. Equipment, debris, even numerous cultivators who hadn't reached the Martial Void Realm. Those who had been flung off the ship clearly had no chance of survival.

More critically, the ships' protective formations were riddled with holes. As they shook and flipped violently, some of the origin qi fragments stored within broke from their seals, dissolving into raw origin qi that leaked into the void. Neither the Sages nor True Immortals had the time to deal with the leaking origin qi. They needed to save themselves first.

With the chains connecting the super Star Ships broken, the battle formation of the fleet weakened by at least two-thirds. The remaining six Star Ships could now only muster a much weaker collective strength. As such, all six remaining Sages didn't hesitate to make the same decision. They would sever their connection and make their retreat!

But the speed of the shockwave completely exceeded their expectations. Despite the initial buffer provided by the super Star Ships and the spacing between them, the weakened force caught up quickly. One after another, the remaining ships were thrown into the same dire situation.

There were two exceptions, specifically, the Star Ships belonging to Graceful Lady and Sage Cat. Thanks to their earlier coordination, their ships were more tightly connected within the fleet formation, a bond that proved unexpectedly useful.

When the fleet collapsed, their ships retreated together and somehow resisted being overturned by the shockwave!

Though their protective barriers were weakened greatly, and Graceful Lady's ship lost two of its three masts, and Sage Cat's deck was nearly flattened, they still maintained enough stability to avoid any leaks of origin qi.

But if Graceful Lady and Sage Cat could be said to have survived through a mix of strategy and luck, being positioned at the rear of the fleet, then the reason the Jiao Continent that belonged to the Essence Luxuriant World remained standing was through sheer power alone.

In fact, the Jiao Continent was not far to the front of the fleet's original formation, just slightly to the side.

When the collapse began, the Jiao Continent tried to withdraw sideways, aiming to avoid the full force of the shockwave. But in truth, the pressure Shang Xia endured was far greater than that of Graceful Lady and Sage Cat.

And yet, when the shockwave struck, Shang Xia did something utterly insane!

He stood on the bow of the Jiao Continent, facing the terrifying void disturbance head-on. He raised a hand and tapped between his brows. From his glabella, he drew out a weathered crimson mace with intricate runes all over it.

The instant it appeared, Shang Xia's expression turned deadly serious. He inhaled deeply, raised the mace in both hands before his chest before slamming it down into the void.

The strike did not pierce the ship's deck. Instead, it plunged straight into the unstable void itself.

What Shang Xia unleashed with the Crimson Soul Tablet was no ordinary mace technique. Instead, it was the fourth move of his Six Harmony Rod Technique, Void Seal!

The Jiao Continent which had been retreating, came to an abrupt stop. The inertia was so intense that even with the ship's excellent materials, many skilled cultivators aboard were thrown off balance and fell, including several True Immortals.

The next moment, the shockwave slammed straight into them!

Facing the horrifying disturbance, the Jiao Continent stood like a defiant reef in the path of the storm, unmoving and unyielding!

And Shang Xia, standing at the bow, became the unshakable stone peak cleaving the flood of cosmic destruction!