Chapter 1627: Heavenly Craft Star Chain World Cluster

Clang!

Accompanied by a clear ring of a sword, the people in the teahouse opened their eyes.

They saw the teahouse Shopkeeper, a short and stout cultivator, cup his hands in greeting and unfurl a scroll painting several hundred zhang tall, declaring in a clear voice: "Fellow Daoists, this painting comes from a fellow Daoist who set foot upon the Heavenly Craft Star Chain World Cluster. He braved tremendous danger to copy it down, and this fellow Daoist only sold a hundred copies."

"Our shop was fortunate enough to acquire one, and it can only be unfurled ten times."

"After ten times, the spiritual resonance within the painting will dissipate completely. Fellow Daoists, do not miss this chance."

Having finished speaking, the scroll in his hands was also fully unfurled.

Formations spread out around the teahouse, and heaven and earth darkened. The crowd felt as if they had instantly been transported into the cosmic starry river, and immediately focused their spirits and held their breath, unwilling to miss a single detail.

It was an incomparably vast starry battlefield.

Within it, Void Refinement True Reverends were locked in slaughter, Dao Merging Divine Monarchs fought to the death, and boundless cultivators formed military arrays, creating world domains of contending slaughter—wondries too profound to make out.

All of this was hazy and blurred, because the cultivator who copied this painting was only a Soul Transformation cultivator, unable to comprehend these things.

However, some things were clear.

This was a corner of the battlefield. The military arrays of two Soul Transformation cultivators had shattered, and the two survivors were locked in combat.

One Soul Transformation cultivator was a female cultivator, wielding flying swords wreathed in Lei Ting light, her sword-light splitting into ten thousand streaks;

The other Soul Transformation cultivator was a half-human, half-mantis being, his body filled with flesh and gears—every movement tore through space, summoning swarms of blood-mantis puppets to besiege his foe.

"It's the Pure Yang Sword Son's Master Tushan Maid and the Immortal Artifact Son's Flesh Furnace Dao Soldier."

A sword cultivator immediately recognized both sides and began to discuss.

"What a pity,"

"This sword cultivator is doomed."

This was the central domain of the Thunder Yang Heavenly Sword Realm, and cultivators here were emotionally biased toward sword cultivators by nature—even though this was the maid of the Pure Yang Sword Son of the Grand Yin-Yang Sword Realm.

Of course, the sword cultivators' emotional bias could not be equated with the facts.

In fact, the Immortal Artifact Sect and the Thunder Yang Heavenly Sword Realm were allies. Their combined forces in the Heavenly Craft World Cluster were currently besieging the Dao soldiers of the Grand Yin-Yang Sword Realm.

"Old Liu,"

"Today's painting is no good. You've wasted our tea money."

Another young sword cultivator said discontentedly: "Everyone knows the Dao soldiers of the Pure Yang Sword Son have always been weak, let alone the Master Tushan Maid, who is even weaker than the Great Sun Long Sword. This battle has no suspense at all."

"The Master Tushan Maid is the Pure Yang Sword Son's personal guard. Apart from loyalty, there's really nothing worth praising."

"Right."

"Old Liu is just fobbing us off today."

The surrounding sword cultivators discussed animatedly.

Sword cultivators need evenly matched battles—only in such battles can both sides' talent, sword arts, and sword Dao will be fully revealed.

Only by comprehending such a battlefield can one gain greater harvest.

"Not necessarily,"

"Honored guests, please look closely."

The short, stout cultivator cupped his hands: "Although the Master Tushan Maid is generally on the weaker side, it doesn't mean there are no heroes among them. I, Old Liu, have been in the teahouse business for a thousand years—my credibility still holds."

"Really?"

Only then did the crowd stop complaining and quietly focused on comprehending.

Sure enough, the battle did not turn into a one-sided affair. The Lei Ting-light female cultivator's sword arts were exceptionally outstanding, and she held back the mantis-puppet cultivator's assault with her weaker strength by force. Only after several hundred exchanges did she finally collapse, her heart pierced by his mantis claws, her essence and blood drained dry, and she died.

The various sword art profundities displayed within—even filtered through the scroll—gave people a great harvest, and their sword arts all advanced a little.

One must remember, this was only a painting.

If it were on a real battlefield, who knew how wonderful it would be.

Even more precious was that such a fine piece depicting sword cultivators locked in slaughter could now be comprehended for only a modest sum of spirit stones. Several thousand years ago, this would have been unimaginable.

"Today is truly a flourishing age for the Sword Dao!"

"All sorts of Sword Dao opportunities are beyond counting. In the past, to comprehend a slaughter like this, one would have to spend at least ten times the spirit stones and heavenly materials and earthly treasures."

"Now, it's within easy reach."

Someone sighed.

"Such a flourishing age for the Sword Dao would be better off not having!"

"Too many people have died."

An old cultivator with greying hair said sorrowfully: "My entire clan once had thirteen thousand seven hundred cultivators above Foundation Establishment. Now only a little over two thousand remain, and still there is no end in sight—we are still conscripted by Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong onto the battlefield, with no end ever in sight."

"Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong won't be satisfied until our clan is wiped out!"

He said resentfully.

Once these words were spoken, the surrounding people fell silent.

These people of theirs—though they now sat drinking tea and chatting in the teahouse—were in fact all under conscription. Sooner or later, they would have to set foot on the battlefield and fight for Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong.

Several hundred years from now, how many of those here would still be alive?

These things, the powerful experts of Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong had never cared about. In their eyes, mid- and low-level cultivators were like seedlings in a field—constantly growing, never ending.

But for those seedlings themselves, it was their entire life.

"When will this war end?"

Someone could not help but ask.

"No one knows."

"Rumors say it's almost over. I hear the Yin Yang Sword Son could not withstand the joint attack of the Immortal Artifact Son and the Heavenly Sword Sword Son, and is retreating step by step—the battlefield is about to end…"

Old Liu recounted scraps of news heard from who knows where.

Although the teahouse business was good, living in constant dread, being conscripted by Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong onto the battlefield at any moment—such days were truly no life for a person.

"This must be a rumor."

"How could the Sword Son of our sect join forces with others?"

"With the Sword Son's pride, how could he possibly be willing?"

Someone said dismissively.

"Five thousand-plus years ago, the Heavenly Sword Sword Son personally slew a gravely wounded Heavenly Being of the dragon race from the Heavenly Blood Dragon Court — how could he possibly team up with others to besiege a Dao Child?"

"The Lunar and Lie Yang Jianzi Sons are not just any Dao Child."

Someone objected.

"No, they are a Dao Child."

"Then this old man doesn't know — perhaps it's because the Heavenly Craft Star Chain World Cluster is of great importance, so even the Heavenly Sword Sword Son must bow his head…"

……

Amid the crowd's discussion and discourse on the Dao, a gaze that had been watching for a long time departed from here.

He continued to drift, like a ghost.

"The timing,"

"is ripe — now."

The killing intent in Jiang Ding's heart gradually became uncontrollable.

He could no longer wait to see a true Dao Child, to express to this Dao Child his longing of many years, to make him cut his own throat.

Now, there is still one enormous risk.

The existence of Jiang Jiang Jinxian.

In the unconstrained outer starry sky, the existence of Jiang Jiang Jinxian may be watching over everything — years ago he laid down a net, quietly waiting for an ant to appear.

However, he no longer wished to heed such a risk.

The risk exists,

then let it exist!

A mediocre life, a life without hope of becoming an immortal — it is too despairing!

The Heavenly Craft Star Chain World Cluster battlefield is very likely the best battlefield within a hundred thousand years; once missed, such an opportunity will almost never appear again.

A ghost-like figure gradually descended into the ranks of Dao soldiers conscripted by the Thunder Sun Heaven Realm, merging with a certain sword cultivator.

He was about to step onto the battlefield.