Splitting the Heavens

Shang Xia extinguished the final wisp of Pei Ji's soul and promptly departed from the Essence Chong World.

With the loss of both seventh-tier beings, the already-ruined Essence Chong World was finally relieved of its greatest burden. The collapsing world, which had been on the brink of destruction, now seemed to have a chance of survival.

However, Shang Xia understood that the already-weak foundation of the Essence Chong World had been severely damaged. After such devastation, it would certainly regress to a Spirit World.

Still, at least the Essence Chong World would not completely collapse, and most of the living beings within it would be able to survive.

"A force capable of piercing through a Heavenly Field is inevitably accompanied by slaughter and destruction." Hovering in the void, Shang Xia looked back at the increasingly faint Essence Chong World, where the leaking world origin had dwindled to a trickle. A trace of sorrow flickered across his face, but it was soon replaced by steely resolve.

As for his earlier intrusion into the Essence Chong World to destroy Pei Ji's final soul strand, Shang Xia had done so not only to eliminate any future threats but also to dive deep into the World Origin Source. He didn't plan to absorb more world origin. Instead, he wanted to study the foundation of their world.

Once he grasped the foundation of an Essence World, it would complete the final piece of the puzzle. He would be able to step into the late-stage of the Seven Star Realm.

With the recent vast accumulation of world origin from the other worlds and his refined and purified inner qi stored in his Big Dipper Star Origin, Shang Xia used the understanding he gained from the Essence Chong World to successfully ignite his sixth auxiliary star in his dantian, officially becoming a high-level Sage.

He wasn't surprised at the outcome. Shang Xia had long been prepared, having accumulated enough during his time as a fifth star Sage. He even deliberately suppressed his advancement in order to wait for the right moment to become a high-level Sage, when his inner qi can fully transform.

Originally, his plan was to take advantage of the integration of the Spirit Ruling World and Spirit Frost World into the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field to break through, hoping the momentum and blessing of the World's Will would help him.

Though he had already reclaimed his soul from the World Origin Source, his involvement in the development of their world and Heavenly Field had been nothing short of instrumental.

So even though he had removed the karmic bonds between himself and the world, the Essence Luxuriant World's Will still held a deep fondness for him.

The fact that Shang Xia could enter the Essence Luxuriant World freely without rejection from the World's Will was proof of its recognition of him.

That was also why he would definitely receive the World's Will blessing once the Spirit Worlds integrated into the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field. The greatly empowered World's Will naturally would not hesitate to repay Shang Xia in some form.

Although such returns were far less than before, for someone like Shang Xia, who already had one foot into the sixth star back then, even a small catalyst like that would be enough.

Yet even Shang Xia had not foreseen that he would be forced to make a detour to the Essence Chong Heavenly Field due to the interference of the Star Origin Lord's Starlight Clone. His plans were thus disrupted.

In fact, if he and Kou Chongxue had followed their original strategy, the Essence Chong Heavenly Field would have been gradually absorbed by the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field.

The slow process would've allowed the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field to extract the maximum value, using every part of them to fuel its own rise.

Now, though Shang Xia had cut cleanly through the mess, the outcome was that the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field might only acquire a single Spirit World that had regressed. And perhaps also a regressed Spirit Light World.

That was assuming the Essence Luxuriant World's follow-up forces could arrive and clean up without interference.

But Shang Xia knew that was nearly impossible.

Because the previous battle had exposed not just his 'Fate Stars', but also the precise location of the Essence Chong Heavenly Field in the void.

There was no way other forces wouldn't start an invasion straight away to contest the spoils of these two ruined worlds.

If Shang Xia wanted his Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field to gain a share of the spoils, he would have to remain stationed there, ready to face what might be several fierce battles.

Since he had just broken through, he needed some time to stabilize his cultivation. But clearly, someone did not intend to give him that time. Not even a moment...

Not long after he left the region surrounded by the four suns in the ladle segment of the seven suns, an attack deep from the void flew straight at him.

Yet Shang Xia seemed to have anticipated it. The second the searing wave of flames appeared in the void, he reached out and made a simple gesture. The firestorm veered off and transformed into a vast flaming river across the starry void.

He might not have his Seven Star Mace, but he unleashed the third form of his Seven Star Mace Technique, Guided Dipper, all the same.

The existence who hid behind one of the stars in the distance realized that a single strike couldn't do anything to Shang Xia, and even though they were separated by a vast distance, a second attack soon followed.

This time, a formless wave that brought with it searing heat swept at Shang Xia, threatening to swallow him whole.

Still, he remained calm. He simply gestured with both hands before the seven suns flickered to life behind him.

The mighty heatwave descended, but as it engulfed Shang Xia, it mysteriously vanished.

Shang Xia reappeared as an invisible vortex, and with the seven suns flashing behind him, he absorbed the energy that came from the sudden attack.

It was the same move he had unleashed earlier to shatter the Essence Chong Heavenly Field and destroy the Star Origin Lord's Starlight Clone, Dipper Vortex