Chapter 203: Thorns Blocking the Way

As the dust settled, Zhang Cheng steadied his breathing, and the light on the Star Energy Blade gradually faded. The giant lizard's massive carcass lay not far away, a reminder of the danger he had just survived. The Dragon Star Sage stood to one side, his eyes filled with admiration, but even more so with a profound expectation.

"Follow me." The Dragon Star Sage turned and walked toward the area shimmering with strange light. Zhang Cheng followed closely behind, his heart filled with unease about the unknown.

This region seemed isolated from the rest of the world. A peculiar energy fluctuation permeated the air, and visible energy flows, like slithering serpents of light, wove and darted through the void.

"This is Long Xing's trial ground, called the Sea of Stardust." The Dragon Star Sage stopped and pointed ahead. "The energy flows you see are Long Xing's protective power, and also your greatest test."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding energy flows seemed to receive some command and began surging wildly, forming visible energy vortexes that swept toward Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng instantly felt enormous pressure. These energy flows contained extremely powerful force, as if they would tear him apart. He mobilized the Star Energy throughout his body, forming a protective barrier on his skin's surface to withstand the energy flows' impact.

"Focus your mind, feel the flow of energy, and find the pattern within!" The Dragon Star Sage's voice sounded somewhat faint amid the roar of the energy, yet it reached Zhang Cheng's ears with perfect clarity.

Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay calm. He closed his eyes and released his perception to sense every movement of the surrounding energy flows.

At first, he sensed only chaos and violence, but as time passed, he gradually realized that these energy flows were not entirely disordered. They seemed to have their own rhythm, operating according to some ancient law.

Zhang Cheng tentatively adjusted his breathing and the frequency of his Star Energy, attempting to resonate with the surrounding energy flows. Gradually, he felt that he had established a wondrous connection with this Sea of Stardust.

The energy flows' impact remained fierce, but the fear in his heart gradually dissipated, replaced by an inexplicable excitement and yearning. He knew that he was undergoing an unprecedented transformation...

In the distance, the Dragon Star Sage, watching all of this, revealed a gratified smile at the corner of his mouth. However, behind a towering tree not far from him, a dark shadow slipped past silently. A pair of cold, sinister eyes stared fixedly through the gaps between the leaves at Zhang Cheng, the corner of the mouth curving into a wicked arc — it was Luo He's cold sneer.

"Zhang Cheng, you think you can pass the test like this?" Luo He thought to himself, a black energy sphere quietly appearing in his hand, exuding a heart-chilling aura. "The real show has only just begun..."

Just then, a figure appeared soundlessly behind the Dragon Star Sage — it was Duo Yun. He looked at Zhang Cheng, surrounded by energy flows, his eyes filled with worry. He was about to say something, but the Dragon Star Sage raised a hand to stop him.

"This is his trial," the Dragon Star Sage said firmly. "No one can intervene, nor should they..." "But—" Duo Yun still wanted to say something, but a sharp glance from the Dragon Star Sage stopped him. He knew the Dragon Star Sage's temper well, so he swallowed his words of concern, but his gaze never left Zhang Cheng, who was surrounded by energy flows.

The Sea of Stardust's trial was far more perilous than imagined. The violent energy flows, like roaring behemoths, struck Zhang Cheng's defenses again and again. He felt as if his body were about to be torn apart, and his Star Energy was being consumed rapidly.

"Hold on, Zhang Cheng! Feel it with your heart, find the pattern!" The Dragon Star Sage's voice drifted in and out amid the roar of energy, like a guiding beacon, letting Zhang Cheng seize a thread of hope from despair.

Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth, enduring the dual agony of body and mind, forcing himself to stay conscious. He knew he could not give up, nor could he rely on anyone else — this was his own battle.

He closed his eyes and released all of his perception to capture every movement, every fluctuation of the energy flows. Gradually, he discovered that these seemingly chaotic and disordered energy flows were actually operating along a special trajectory, as if performing a grand and mysterious cosmic dance.

He tried to understand the rhythm of this "dance," to predict the direction of each energy flow, the intensity of each impact. He began consciously adjusting his breathing, his footwork, and the frequency of his Star Energy release, gradually merging himself into this cosmic "dance."

A miracle happened without him even noticing.

The once-violent energy flows seemed to sense the change in Zhang Cheng. The force of their impacts gradually weakened, and their frequency began to show a discernible pattern. Zhang Cheng felt the pressure on his body suddenly decrease, and his nearly depleted Star Energy began to slowly recover.

He opened his eyes, which sparkled with excitement. He knew he had found the key to cracking the Sea of Stardust — he had touched the dawn of victory!

In the distance, Duo Yun, who had been watching all of this, could not help but reveal a gratified smile as well. However, the Dragon Star Sage still kept his brows tightly furrowed, gazing deeply into the depths of the Sea of Stardust as if he had detected something amiss. But he did not say it aloud, only murmuring to himself, "I hope all goes well..."

At this moment, Luo He, hiding in the shadows, watched as Zhang Cheng gradually adapted to the energy flows' attacks, and his expression grew increasingly dark. He gave a cold laugh, pulled out a pitch-black rune stone from his robes, muttered a few words in a low voice, and then crushed it violently...

Deep within the Sea of Stardust, the once-calm energy flows suddenly turned violent. Invisible waves silently spread toward Zhang Cheng's direction... Zhang Cheng, immersed in the joy of cracking the Sea of Stardust, did not notice at all that danger was quietly descending.

The depths of the Sea of Stardust were not empty. Some low-level star beasts dwelled here, sustaining themselves by absorbing dissipated Star Energy. They rarely moved about and certainly dared not approach areas with intense energy fluctuations.

However, Luo He had long since bribed several Energy-Devouring Beasts in this area. Though these star beasts were not high in level, their strength lay in their numbers, and they could devour Star Energy to strengthen their own attacks. Under Luo He's direction, they concealed themselves within the energy flows, approaching Zhang Cheng as silently as ghosts.

"Now — attack!" Luo He hid in the shadows, his cold voice like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

As soon as he spoke, several dark shapes burst from the energy flows, baring fangs and brandishing claws as they pounced on Zhang Cheng. Caught off guard, Zhang Cheng was struck by several Energy-Devouring Beasts. His protective Star Energy was instantly torn apart, and the sharp pain made him let out a muffled groan.

"What's going on?!" Zhang Cheng's heart jolted. He quickly stabilized his stance, circulated his Star Energy, and formed a new layer of defense on his body's surface.

"Energy-Devouring Beasts?!" Duo Yun recognized the star beasts ambushing Zhang Cheng at a glance, and his expression immediately turned ugly. "Damn it! It's Luo He's doing!"

"Despicable!" A flash of anger crossed the Dragon Star Sage's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He formed hand seals, seemingly about to intervene, but ultimately stopped, only watching the changes within the Sea of Stardust with a fixed gaze.

The enraged Energy-Devouring Beasts attacked Zhang Cheng even more frantically. Their sharp claws tore through the air with ear-piercing shrieks, relentlessly bombarding his protective Star Energy. Zhang Cheng fended off the fierce attacks while warily scanning his surroundings, trying to find his enemies' weaknesses.

"These Energy-Devouring Beasts are just being controlled — the real mastermind is someone else." Zhang Cheng quickly analyzed the situation in his mind. He knew that only by dealing with these troubles as quickly as possible could he continue the Sea of Stardust's trial, could he increase his strength as quickly as possible, could he... rescue Kelinda!

Thinking of Kelinda, a flash of determination crossed Zhang Cheng's eyes, and a powerful force surged from the depths of his heart. He no longer defended passively but took the initiative. Star Energy gathered on his fists, transforming into streaks of fierce fist shadows that slammed ruthlessly into the Energy-Devouring Beasts.

"Roar!" The Energy-Devouring Beasts let out furious roars, but they could not stop Zhang Cheng's onslaught. One after another, they were blasted away.

However, just as Zhang Cheng was about to finish off the last Energy-Devouring Beast, a sharp pain suddenly struck his chest. He looked down — a pitch-black claw had already pierced through his body...

"Splurt!" Blood gushed out. Zhang Cheng's body swayed, and he nearly fell to the ground. Fighting through the agony, he struck back with a fist that blasted the ambushing Energy-Devouring Beast to death, but his face had already gone deathly pale.

"Zhang Cheng!" Duo Yun shouted anxiously, wanting to rush over, but the Dragon Star Sage held him back.

"His trial is not over yet." The Dragon Star Sage looked coldly at the injured Zhang Cheng in the Sea of Stardust and said slowly, "If he cannot even overcome this much difficulty, he does not deserve the Creation Star Flower..."

Duo Yun still wanted to say something, but an icy glare from the Dragon Star Sage stopped him. He looked at Zhang Cheng, struggling in pain, his heart filled with worry and anger, his clenched fists making cracking sounds. But he knew that now was not the time to act rashly...

"Cough, cough..." Zhang Cheng coughed violently. Crimson blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, glaringly vivid against the backdrop of the Sea of Stardust. He struggled to stand but felt waves of weakness, and his vision began to blur.

"Zhang Cheng, how are you?" Duo Yun asked anxiously, but a glance from the Dragon Star Sage stopped him.

"This is your trial. Only by overcoming the difficulty before you can you find the clues to the Creation Star Flower." The Dragon Star Sage's tone was calm, as if discussing something that had nothing to do with him. "If you cannot even endure this much pain, then you do not deserve the Creation Star Flower..."

"Creation Star Flower..." Zhang Cheng murmured to himself. The image of Kelinda's pale face surfaced in his mind, and a powerful force suddenly surged in his heart. He took a deep breath, fought through the agony, and slowly stood up.

"I... I will not give up!" Zhang Cheng said through gritted teeth, gazing firmly into the depths of the Sea of Stardust. Endless danger seemed to lurk there, but hope lay hidden as well.

"Hmph, overestimating yourself!" Luo He, hiding in the shadows, looked at the injured Zhang Cheng and let out a cold sneer. "Even if you can get past my obstacles, don't even think about leaving here alive!"

He once again drove the Energy-Devouring Beasts to attack, while secretly summoning more star beasts, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Zhang Cheng.

Duo Yun saw this and was frantic with worry but powerless to help. He knew that the Dragon Star Sage's trials were always rigorous, and that intervening rashly would only backfire.

"Zhang Cheng, you have to hold on!" Duo Yun prayed silently in his heart.

Zhang Cheng stood in the Sea of Stardust, feeling the energy fluctuations around him growing stronger and stronger. He knew he had fallen into a desperate situation.

"Could it be... am I really going to die here?" A trace of despair flashed through Zhang Cheng's heart, but he quickly cast it aside. "No, I cannot die. I still have to save Kelinda, I still have to..."

Just then, a strange fluctuation suddenly came from deep within the Sea of Stardust. Zhang Cheng sensed a familiar aura rapidly approaching.

"Who is it?" Zhang Cheng's heart jolted, and he snapped his head up to look. A black silhouette was cutting through all obstacles, sprinting toward him...

"Brother!" An anxious cry echoed throughout the entire Sea of Stardust.