Splitting the Heavens

Under the continuous pressure of all the danger coming their way, Zhang Yusheng achieved successive breakthroughs in his art of stargazing, eventually managing to perform a rank five stargazing technique on his own. With that, he became the fourth Grand Stargazer of the Tongyou Institution along with Yuan Qiuyuan, Yan Ming, and Xin Lu.

That was also why even though Zhang Yusheng couldn't determine a specific escape route, he managed to identify a specific direction they had to move in.

The Jiao Continent immediately moved in the direction Zhang Yusheng indicated. They could only hope that Xin Lu would try looking for them again and locating the Star Ship.

Naturally, Zhang Yusheng was not idle aboard the Jiao Continent. There existed secret techniques for communication between stargazers, and he had been persistently attempting to make contact with the others using those skills.

However, Zhang Yusheng's recent actions gave Shang Xia an idea, he might be able to use the power of the seven suns to take the initiative in contacting Xin Lu, or at the very least, attract the attention of his External Avatar stationed outside the chaos.

Back when he was at the core of the vortex, Shang Xia could indeed summon falling starlight and even draw upon the Power of the Stars from the seven suns. Yet he was fully aware that just a moment ago, there had been no true connection between him and the seven suns. It was merely something he had prepared some time ago.

Now, even though they looked to be in a worse condition, something had changed. When he recently executed the Seven Star Mace Technique, it became easier to form the connection to the seven suns after piercing through the chaos.

With that in mind, Shang Xia immediately sent a voice transmission to Zhang Yusheng. "If I assist you in using your secret art, do you think you will be able to affect a greater area?"

Zhang Yusheng suddenly gasped in realization. "Oh yeah! Why didn't I think of it? Stargazer Xin is a rank six Grand Stargazer, and if we work together, we should be able to catch her attention!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Without hesitation, Shang Xia unleashed Guided Dipper. However, he wasn't using it in a battle. His target was a mere Martial Dipper Realm cultivator!

...

In the vast void stretching several million of miles beyond the outer edges of the chaotic spatial vortex, Star Ships of various sizes from every Heavenly Field in the Chaotic Sea of Stars floated silently.

The expansion of the spatial vortex had always been a matter of great concern for the higher authorities of every Heavenly Field and Essence World within the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

Because it appeared a long time ago and was located in the distant Original Stars Corner, the interest of many experts had already waned.

Even so, while real-time monitoring was impossible, the general status of the spatial vortex remained under broad observation. In fact, the mission led by Sage Loudmouth and Master Lightning, who managed to organize eight Star Ships, was subtly backed by certain powers.

Yet what happened next caught everyone completely off guard.

Not long after the fleet entered the spatial vortex, the vortex, which had previously ceased expanding, suddenly showed signs of turbulence. Its formerly orderly structure collapsed as countless smaller vortexes appeared before vanishing within it. Massive undercurrents and spatial torrents burst forth like water out of a dam, rampaging through the previously calm surrounding void. The devastation spread across a third of the Original Stars Corner and drew the attention of several neighboring Heavenly Fields.

The sheer magnitude of the disturbance soon attracted more forces to investigate.

What shocked them further was the surge of vast, dense, and pure origin qi seeping out of the roiling spatial vortex along with the wild void currents.

The discovery immediately drew even more powerful forces. As reinforcements arrived from the various Essence Worlds, the overall strength of the gathered factions grew rapidly, and their leading figures became more and more formidable.

Still, regardless of who came, even as Sages began to appear frequently in the surrounding void, not a single faction dared to send a Star Ship directly into the chaotic region.

That was, until a massive, nearly skeletal wreck of a Star Ship, with only its keel remaining, was swept out from the spatial vortex by a void current.

Naturally, a Star Ship in such a ruined state could not possibly contain any survivors.

Even so, someone quickly recognized it as the shattered remains of the Konghou, a large Star Ship from the Essence Fu Heavenly Field of the Original Stars Corner, once piloted by a third star Sage, Chen Yuandi.

Judging by the current level of chaos within the spatial vortex, any cultivator below the Martial Emptiness Realm would have no chance of survival once their Star Ship was destroyed, unless protected by a Sage willing to expend their domain to shield others, or if another Star Ship had just happened to be nearby to save them.

Both scenarios were exceedingly unlikely.

It was now possible to conclude that the Konghou had been completely destroyed and Chen Yuandi was missing. With everything that was happening... It was likely he had already lost his life.

His demise would almost certainly bring turmoil to the Essence Fu Heavenly Field in the near future, unless Chen Yuandi somehow emerged alive from the vortex and returned.

Some time later, another near-ruined Star Ship burst forth from the spatial vortex. It was a Super Star Ship belonging to the Essence Lei Heavenly Field in the Flood Star Region. Lei Zhongru, their mid-level Sage who took charge of the ship, appeared gravely wounded as he brought half the crew out. They quickly abandoned the nearly destroyed 'Yuanlei' super Star Ship before rushing over to a large Star Ship that had been sent to receive them. They started their return journey right away, dragging away the wreckage of the Yuanlei super Star Ship.

During this time, many sought to question Lei Zhongru, hoping to learn what had transpired within the vortex. However, none even caught sight of him, every attempt was blocked by other True Immortals from the Essence Lei Heavenly Field.

It was rumored that even Sages tried to approach him directly, only to be driven off by Lei Zhongru's willingness to put everything on the line to drag them down with him.

Not long after his departure, word spread that two more Star Ships had escaped the vortex. This time, they emerged together.

They belonged to Graceful Lady and Sage Cat. They were a third star Sage and a second star Sage respectively, and compared to Lei Zhongru, they were clearly weaker.

Though they too wanted to flee the area and return home quickly, they were exhausted. Escaping the vortex had pushed them to their limits. When representatives from various factions came to question them, they could not ignore everyone and reluctantly gave partial accounts of their ordeal.

Eight Sages, eight Star Ships... They even formed a battle formation. They spoke about the Origin Pillar in the center of the vortex and the spatial gate that was forming within. After that, the clash with foreign experts from beyond the Star Field, the destruction of the Origin Pillar, which triggered the disruption in the spatial vortex.

Though both women kept many critical details vague, especially anything that might reveal personal strength or battle techniques, their testimony caused a huge stir among the experts present.

Still, their involvement ended there. After providing what information they could, no one had reason to detain the two anxious-to-depart ladies.

Meanwhile, as many powerful figures continued circling the vortex in search of other survivors, three large Star Ships arriving together from the 6th Starsea Market drew quiet interest.

Those vessels did not scatter across the void like the others. Instead, they arranged themselves in a trident formation at the edge of the vortex and made no further visible moves.

Yet there was motion. It was subtle but rhythmic.

The uppermost ship repeatedly gathered a cluster of starlight and fired it into the vortex as those beams vanished shortly after entering. A few lingered briefly, before they were swallowed by the chaos.

Despite nothing happening, the Star Ship continued launching those beams, methodically, without pause.

Before long, someone recognized what was happening. Those beams were starlight markers, used to fix and indicate navigation paths in the void.

Such advanced arts of stargazing had not appeared in the Chaotic Sea of Stars for ages. But over a thousand years ago, when the Heaven Observation Sect flourished, such techniques were relatively common.

That raised the possibility that those ships had come from the Heaven Observation Star Region, possibly even from the Four Essence Heavenly Field where the Star Origin Lord was. Otherwise... Where would they find such advanced arts that could only be executed by powerful Grand Stargazers?!

Soon after, high-level cultivators from other worlds came to pay visits, hoping to meet the mysterious Grand Stargazers on board.

As expected, all were politely refused.

Moreover, the formation of those three large Star Ships revealed a faint battle formation which even made Sages feel their heart pounding in fear.