Splitting the Heavens

Not long after the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field's Star Ship fleet departed from the Original Stars Corner, it was ambushed by a coordinated strike from three Sages.

Among them, the first two who appeared had reached the third star of the Martial Emptiness Realm. The one who showed up last and breached the fleet's protection barrier in a single move was a formidable fourth star Sage.

After the protective barrier of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field's fleet was shattered, both third star Sages were overjoyed, already believing victory was in hand. One of them, Sage Zhuo, stayed behind to keep 'Shang Xia' engaged, while the other bypassed the battle to assist the fourth star Sage in the fleet to do as much damage as possible.

Sage Zhuo had assumed that once the fleet's defenses were broken, the man before him would panic and attempt to break away to return and defend the fleet. He had already prepared to prevent exactly that.

To his surprise, his opponent showed no signs of panic. Instead, he remained calm and directly entered a fierce battle with him, with no intention of retreating.

"You..." Sage Zhuo felt an ominous sensation rising in his heart. He began to speak but was cut off after just a single word.

"Are you confused? Wondering why I'm not rushing back to defend my fleet, and instead am letting it fall?" Shang Xia smiled faintly, clearly having anticipated the question.

Sage Zhuo gave a cold snort but didn't argue, silently acknowledging the accuracy of the guess while waiting for an explanation.

However, Shang Xia said nothing further and continued to fight. He was fully focused on the battle.

Sage Zhuo grew increasingly uneasy, but with his opponent refusing to speak another word, the feeling of dread only deepened. He found himself glancing often at the distant fleet, trying to discern what was happening and the changes there.

Yet, even as a peak third star as a peak third star Sage, he could only slightly hold the upper hand in the fight. His divided attention gave Shang Xia an opening, and was soon overwhelmed, battered by starlight that blanketed the surrounding void.

Sage Zhuo had no choice but to give up watching the fleet and focus entirely on the battle, finally fighting back on proper grounds.

However, despite the breach, the fleet's formation didn't collapse into chaos as expected. Instead, it absorbed all movement and noise like a bottomless abyss, leaving all observers confused as to what was truly happening.

But one thing was clear. If the formation hadn't fallen immediately, then something unexpected had occurred. It seemed likely that the Sages of the Original Star Corner were about to suffer a major defeat.

That suspicion was quickly confirmed. The seemingly calm fleet suddenly flared with light as the previously shattered protection barrier rapidly reassembled. This time was different from before.

In the very instant the barrier returned, multiple auras of Sage-level combatants surged one after another. They radiated deep into the void, powerful enough that even the protection barrier couldn't mask them.

First star Sage, Sage at the peak of the first Star, second star Sage...

There were three other Sages hiding in the fleet the whole time!

And judging by their auras, those weren't sluggish clones or borrowed forces. They were three genuine Sage-level powerhouses.

Including Shang Xia still engaged outside the formation, that made four.

Where in the world did this fleet come from to gather four Sages at once?!

Though the three newly revealed Sages were only at the first or second star, a fleet that had deployed a battle formation commanded by Sages was on a completely different level. Especially when there were three of them.

In that moment, within the Original Stars Corner, faint ripples began to emanate from several Heavenly Fields, extending toward the battlefield as a show of deterrence.

Seeing that his unease had come true, Sage Zhuo's expression did not change. Instead, he calmly said, "So you really prepared for this. We were too rash and offended you. Are you willing to let my companions leave?"

Though his words were conciliatory, his tone remained calm and composed. He showed no sign of panic despite knowing his comrades had fallen into a trap.

Shang Xia sneered. "Do you think you can come and go as you please? Do you think we're just here for decoration?"

Sage Zhuo snorted casually. "You would do well to remember we're not far from the Original Stars Corner. That is where the Spirit Worlds originate from, and you're outsiders."

As if to prove his point, several Sage-level auras from various locations in the Original Stars Corner were already stretching across the void toward this battlefield. Their threat was unmistakable. If things escalated, more Sages would descend.

Shang Xia and those on the fleet knew those were barely empty threats. There was no way they could arrive so quickly. Since they were pretty far away from the Original Stars Corner, they probably wouldn't make it.

The spatial vortex was still present, and the various powers still had their attention on it.

Well... If a few Sages really were to arrive, the situation against the fleet might take a turn for the worse, and it wasn't an exaggeration either. As an outsider, the fleet was already at a disadvantage. The Heavenly Fields of the Original Stars Corner would feel obligated to present a united front against 'foreign' invaders.

Despite all that, Shang Xia remained calm. He didn't immediately reject Sage Zhuo's request, but instead smirked. "Oh? And if we let your companions go, will you allow us to leave as well?"

Sage Zhuo replied with the same steady demeanor, "We miscalculated this time. You may take one of the Spirit Worlds, but the other must remain so we can offer an explanation to the other Heavenly Fields."

Shang Xia looked like he had heard the biggest joke of his lifetime. He didn't even bother building the suspense and sneered, "Since that's the case, catch these hands!"