Chapter 474: The Legend of the Star God

"The Star God's force?"

Yue Canglan furrowed his brows and looked toward Li Yuan.

The term, spoken by him, carried disbelief and a grim sense of inevitability.

Li Yuan did not answer immediately.

He slowly scanned the gathered crowd—Yue Canglan, He Lingfeng, Qin Su, several Tiangong cultivators—all staring at him.

"I think I've heard of it too."

Yue Canglan continued, his expression growing solemn.

As the patriarch of the Dragon Tiger Sword Sect, he had led the orthodox path of Hanbei for decades and knew many secrets unknown to ordinary people.

He had once glimpsed the name "Star God" in his sect's ancient texts, but had always assumed it was merely legend.

"Each member of this force is nearly a Heavenly Craft cultivator, with only a few at the Ten Thousand Phenomena realm, correct?"

"Correct."

Li Yuan nodded, his voice calm yet heavy.

"Star God members publicly hold various identities—sect elders, patriarchs, imperial court officials, high-ranking generals, even street beggars. This force rarely shows itself, but when it does, it is always over something monumental."

The group fell silent.

The atmosphere grew suffocating.

"So that means..."

Hu Nianjing suddenly spoke, her voice hoarse, unrecognizable as her own.

She stood three zhang from Li Yuan, her moon-white robe splattered with blood, her face pale as paper; the Soul-Burning wound had left her breath weak, yet the hatred in her eyes had been replaced by a deeper, colder horror.

"Is this whole scheme to stir up Hanbei's Dao winds and seize the Twelve Palaces Pearls just because they enjoy playing games? If they came outright, would the entire Xuan Yin Valley be wiped out?"

"Exactly."

Li Yuan looked at her, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.

This woman had battled him for decades, yet now stood beside him, facing the same terrifying truth.

He turned again to Yue Canglan, speaking slowly, word by word.

"If the 'Star God' force targets any sect, even your Dragon Tiger Sword Sect, it will be destroyed."

"Nonsense!"

Qin Su suddenly growled, his voice filled with disbelief and fury.

He was the Elder of the Dragon Tiger Sword Sect's Inspection Hall, a man who had spent his life making swift, decisive kills, never believing in superstitions.

How could he not rage upon hearing Li Yuan judge his own sect so harshly?

"I refuse to believe this so-called Star God can destroy my Dragon Tiger Sword Sect! Our sect has stood for over two thousand years—we have Ten Thousand Phenomena ancestors!"

"They have several Ten Thousand Phenomena ancestors," Li Yuan replied calmly.

"..."

Qin Su fell silent.

He Lingfeng also fell silent.

As Heavenly Craft elders, they had all witnessed firsthand the disturbance and power unleashed by a Ten Thousand Phenomena ancestor.

That was true world-shattering power.

Twenty years ago, the Dragon Tiger Sword Sect's Ten Thousand Phenomena ancestor emerged from seclusion and, with a single casual strike, leveled a hundred-zhang-high mountain.

Even now, recalling that power sent chills down their spines.

One was already this terrifying—what if there were multiple?

The Dragon Tiger Sword Sect truly could not withstand it.

"Don't scare yourselves."

Yue Canglan suddenly spoke, his voice steady and firm, breaking the suffocating silence.

He was, after all, the patriarch—his composure far beyond ordinary men.

"The 'Star God' force rarely acts in groups; they usually appear alone. Li Valley Lord, let us return to the matter at hand."

He shifted his tone, his gaze piercing like a sword toward Li Yuan.

"How will you compensate us for the death of our elder? Zhao Yuanchen was killed by your Xuan Yin Valley's Grand Elder—how do you intend to settle this debt?"

"If you want to fight, just lay down your terms. Time is limited—Fu Canglong and Qin Nanxian have already entered."

In the distance, Qin Nanxian stood with arms crossed; upon hearing this, a cold smile curled her lips.

She had not left, nor had she ever intended to.

Fu Canglong's voice echoed in next, coming from outside, "Hah! Yue Patriarch speaks truly—work out your accounting first, then I'll come to collect the corpses!"

"That's simple."

Li Yuan slowly turned, facing Yue Canglan.

He raised his hand; a flash of light appeared in his palm, revealing a deep-blue jade talisman.

"The Xuan Yin Valley still has backups of the Twelve Palaces Pearls."

Yue Canglan's pupils contracted slightly.

"Backups?"

"The Twelve Palaces Pearls have been passed down for centuries—do you think we'd put all our eggs in one basket?"

Li Yuan said coolly, "The true Twelve Palaces Pearls are indeed in that man's hands. But deep within the Xuanbing Cave lies a set of forgeries. Their power is only three-tenths of the originals—but it's enough."

He tossed it to Yue Canglan.

"Six of them—enough?"

Yue Canglan caught the jade talisman, sent his spiritual sense inside, and after a moment, nodded.

Enough.

Hu Nianjing stared at Li Yuan, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes.

Even she didn't know about the counterfeits. This man hid far deeper than she'd imagined.

"What about my Wu Qu Si?" came Qin Nanxian's voice from afar.

Li Yuan gazed through the rock wall toward the outside, then pulled out another jade token.

"Same. Six counterfeits are enough for your report."

With those words, the jade token flashed into a streak of light and shot away.

Pah~

Outside, Qin Nanxian reached out and caught the jade token, saying nothing.

The voice of Fu Canglong sounded again, clicking his tongue twice. "Li Yuan, you've hidden well, old man. And what about me?"

"You?" Li Yuan sneered. "You looted my Xuan Yin Valley treasury in the chaos—what more do you want?"

Fu Canglong laughed heartily, offered no retort, and turned into a streak of blood-light, vanishing into the horizon.

He'd taken enough; no need to linger.

Inside the ice chamber.

Yue Canglan tucked away the jade token and looked at Li Yuan.

"This incident is settled. Next time we meet, Li Valley Master, let our palms settle it!"

With that, he turned and left.

Qin Su and He Lingfeng followed closely behind.

Qin Nanxian also led the remaining Wu Qu Si guards away.

The scene was left with only Li Yuan and Hu Nianjing.

The two stood in silence.

After a long while, Hu Nianjing spoke. "Why did you hide the counterfeits from me?"

Li Yuan looked at her, a flicker of weariness in his eyes.

"Because I didn't know whether you truly trusted me."

Hu Nianjing fell silent.

Li Yuan turned and walked away.

"Stop thinking about anything else. Just prepare to move."

"Fu Canglong, Yue Canglan, and Qin Nanxian all feared each other just now and held back. Next time they come, it won't be so easy to resolve."

…

Star Palace, Wu Quxing Hall.

Starlight converged, forming a human shape.

Chen Mu appeared out of thin air, a smile curling at his lips.

"I've got the Twelve Palace Pearls!"

He raised his hand; twelve deep-blue pearls floated out from his palm-space and hovered before him.

Each was the size of a baby's fist, completely transparent, with swirling star-clouds inside, emitting a soft glow.

They rotated slowly, like twelve miniature stars, tracing an arcane pattern in the hall's empty air.

Chen Mu did not sit down immediately.

First, he walked to the window and gazed at the white clouds and floating isles outside.

The Star Palace remained tranquil—white clouds drifted lazily, floating isles stood firm, a world entirely separate from the blood and chaos below.

"Hanbei Dao… should be in complete chaos by now, right?"

He chuckled softly, then turned and walked back to the center of the hall.

He sat cross-legged.

The twelve pearls hovered around him, rotating slowly, casting deep-blue light over his body.

Chen Mu took a deep breath, first enveloping the twelve pearls with true qi, then probing them with his spiritual sense.

Hum—

In an instant, Chen Mu "saw."