Chapter 155

Sinking Star Sea, rather than saying it is a sea, it is more like a vast graveyard of abandoned star remains.

On the walls of the final great city at the edge of the clouds, City of Hopeful Return, Ling Xiao and his three companions gazed into the legendary forbidden zone. Before them was not an endless blue expanse, but a dim, chaotic stretch that vanished into the horizon.

The sky was an eternal dusky purple, with no sun or moon, only twisted, shattered-glass-like eerie light bands that occasionally streaked across, casting shifting shadows. Floating on the sea were broken lands and stellar remnants of various sizes and shapes—some as large as mountain ranges, others as fine as sand—slowly drifting and colliding, emitting a low, distant rumble.

The air was thick with a mixture of star dust, decaying spiritual energy, and unknown power; inhaling it caused a slight sting and a gritty sensation.

Space here is extremely unstable; within sight, tiny spatial rifts flash like black lightning and vanish, followed by chaotic gravitational fields that make flight extraordinarily dangerous and costly. Hence, crossing the Sinking Star Sea almost always requires a special vessel—the Star Raft.

"This is... the Sinking Star Sea." Wei Yuzhu murmured, her eyes filled with shock and a hint of fear. Behind her, Shi Ran also sensed the drastic change in the outside environment, her brows slightly furrowed and her breathing a bit hurried.

Luo Changfeng gripped his sword tightly, his expression grave: "Master, the energy here is too chaotic; my divine sense is severely interfered with."

Ling Xiao swept his gaze over this eerie sea where death and violence coexisted, and said in a low voice: "The Sinking Star Sea was once one of the battlefields of the ancient war; countless stars shattered here, the mighty fell, the laws fell into disorder, forming this deadly zone. The Azure Wood Ancestral Land lies hidden within, hard to find. Follow closely behind me; do not recklessly extend your divine sense to probe afar, lest you provoke an unknowable presence."

They descended the city walls and entered City of Hopeful Return. The city's style is rugged, built mostly from massive star-bone rocks; the people coming and going on the streets mostly have fierce auras, bearing the vigilance and coldness of those who constantly walk the edge of danger.

Shops in the city also sell many supplies related to crossing the Sinking Star Sea: materials for repairing Star Rafts, talismans against spatial rifts, crude but practical sea charts, and various unknown-origin "Star Bone Treasures".

Ling Xiao's group did not linger long, heading straight to the Star Raft Dock on the east side of the city. The so‑called dock is actually a relatively calm harbor where dozens of oddly shaped vessels are moored.

These Star Rafts vary in size and material: some resemble huge bronze ancient boats covered in runes; others look assembled from the bones of some star beast, emitting a faint cold light; still others are wholly crystalline, as if carved from a whole star core.

The dock buzzed with voices, and the cries of vendors hawking their wares never ceased.

"To the Shattered Star Reef! Stable and swift, we just need two more!"

"Recruiting guards! Explore the newly discovered Wind Eye Ruins, with spoils divided by cultivation!"

"Black Widow Star Pirate Gang sighting warning! Those who need to team up, sign up here!"

Ling Xiao's gaze swept over and finally settled on a relatively low‑key but antiquely styled, well‑maintained dark‑brown Star Raft. A one‑armed old man stood at the prow, holding a pipe in his mouth, silently wiping the gunwale, oblivious to the surrounding clamor. His aura was restrained yet gave the impression of a reef's steadiness.

"Fellow Daoist, may I rent your Star Raft to head toward the Azure Wood Ancestral Land?" Ling Xiao stepped forward and asked directly.

The one‑armed old man lifted his eyelids, his cloudy yet sharp eyes scanning Ling Xiao and the three disciples behind him, lingering a moment on the unconscious Shi Ran, then slowly exhaled a smoke ring: "Azure Wood Ancestral Land? That place shifts unpredictably; we only have a rough bearing, no fixed route. The price isn't cheap, and we only go to the outer regions—if you want to go deeper and court death, I won't accompany you."

"Fine. Spirit stones aren't an issue." Ling Xiao nodded. "Just take us to a relatively safe edge area."

The old man named a sum that would make an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator wince, but Ling Xiao didn't blink as he tossed over a storage bag filled with spirit stones. The old man weighed it, a hint of satisfaction on his face, stepped aside to clear the way: "Come aboard. Just call me Lao Yuan. Hear me out first: in the Sinking Star Sea, the rule is that when danger arises on the road, each must contribute; if something cannot be done, I will prioritize saving my own raft."

"Quite right." Ling Xiao led his disciples aboard the Star Raft. The interior was far more spacious than it appeared outside, obviously using a space‑expansion spell, with several simple cabins.

"Hold on!" Lao Yuan walked to a helm‑like device at the raft's stern, placed his single hand on it, and poured in spiritual power. The whole Star Raft gave a slight shudder, layered protective sigils appeared on its surface, and it silently slipped out of the harbor into the wondrous yet peril‑filled Sinking Star Sea.

Upon entering the Sinking Star Sea's domain, the surrounding scene changed instantly.

The Star Raft seemed to have sailed into a viscous, debris‑filled chaos soup.

External light became twisted and strange—sometimes pitch‑black as ink, sometimes washed in a lurid green by sudden auroras.

Giant star‑bone fragments, like silent beasts, drifted slowly against the dim background; when they collided they unleashed deafening blasts, spewing terrifying energy torrents capable of ripping apart Golden Core cultivators.

Space here is fragile; tiny rifts occasionally appear, swallowing everything nearby before silently sealing again.

Lao Yuan's piloting skill was superb; the Star Raft darted like a fish through the gaps between massive debris, always anticipating and avoiding the most dangerous torrents and rifts. His single hand steadied the helm, his eyes focused and sharp—nothing like his lax demeanor back at the port.

Luo Changfeng, Wei Yuzhu, and Shi Ran stared anxiously out the side window at the apocalyptic scene, palms slick with sweat. They could clearly feel the immense pressure and energy impacts striking the Star Raft's protective shield from outside; were it not for the raft's sturdiness and Lao Yuan's expert handling, they would likely have been lost already.

Ling Xiao sat cross‑legged to one side, eyes half‑closed, seemingly regulating his breath, yet his divine sense had already spread cautiously, sensing the surroundings. In this area his divine sense was also heavily suppressed and interfered with, covering only a few hundred zhang around the raft.

After half a day's travel, things were relatively smooth; occasional minor spatial ripples or energy storms were all deftly avoided by Lao Yuan.

However, just as the Star Raft was about to pass through a "Mist Zone" formed of countless fine star dust, Ling Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Careful, something is coming from the front‑right at high speed, carrying a strong killing intent."

Lao Yuan almost simultaneously sensed the anomaly as Ling Xiao spoke, jerking the helm; the Star Raft barely avoided its original course.

Almost in the next second, a huge pallid tentacle covered in suckers and bone spikes, like a gigantic bone whip, shot out of the mist and slammed hard where the Star Raft had just been, kicking up a violent spatial ripple!

"Damn! It's a Star Corpse Plunderer!" Lao Yuan cursed, his face darkening: "These brutes have a nose like a bloodhound!"

The mist thinned a bit, revealing the attacker's true form—a huge, hideous fused monster, seemingly assembled from the mangled limbs of countless star‑sea creatures, its body resembling a magnified rotting octopus a thousand times over, yet bearing seven or eight tentacles of varied forms, sheathed in bone armor or pus‑filled sacs; its head was a massive half‑skull with eye sockets burning with green soul‑fire, an unknown beast's bone. It exuded a violent, greedy aura, locking onto the Star Raft.

On the monster's back stood a crude bony platform, where a dozen‑odd figures took their stance! They wore rough armor stitched from assorted hides and bone plates, wielding rust‑streaked weapons that flashed with an evil light, their faces twisted with cruel, blood‑thirsty grins. Their auras were mixed and ferocious, mostly ranging from late Golden Core to early Nascent Soul, while their leader—a one‑eyed brawny man—possessed Mid Nascent Soul cultivation!

"It's the Blood Slaughter Star Pirate Gang!" Lao Yuan's voice grew graver: "How did these lunatics end up on this relatively remote route? They usually raid only the main lanes rich with fat prey."

The one‑eyed brawny man stood on the monster's head, laughing wildly: "Old Turtle Chief! What a coincidence! Hand over your Star Raft and all cargo, then toss that lively little water‑spirit girl aboard for the boys' fun, and maybe I'll let you keep a whole corpse!" His greedy gaze swept over Wei Yuzhu and Shi Ran, clearly regarding them as easy prey as well.

Wei Yuzhu's face went white, shocked and angry. Luo Changfeng stepped forward to shield her and Shi Ran, his sword half‑drawn, eyes flashing with icy cold.

Ling Xiao rose, walked to Lao Yuan's side, and calmly regarded the gang of pirates and the huge fused monster: "Can we shake them off?"

"Impossible!" Lao Yuan shook his head. "That plunderer is their hunting hound raised in the Sinking Star Sea, best at tracking and breaking Star Raft shields. Once targeted, you either kill them or get killed."

"Then we'll kill them." Ling Xiao's tone was as flat as saying he'd crush a few ants.

Lao Yuan glanced at Ling Xiao in surprise, apparently taken aback by his confidence. The opposition had a Mid Nascent Soul cultivator, several Early Nascent Soul cultivators, a bunch of Golden Core cultivators, and that troublesome plunderer beast!

"Hahaha! Kill us? With just you few soft‑skinned weaklings and an old cripple?" The one‑eyed man heard it loud and clear, as if it were the biggest joke ever, and waved his hand: "Lads! Smash their turtle shells! Kill all the men, capture the women alive!"

"Whoa!" The pirates let out strange cries, driving the huge plunderer beneath their feet to lunge forward; several terrifying tentacles, carrying space‑rending power, lashed violently at the Star Raft's shield.

Lao Yuan violently maneuvered the Star Raft in a daring evasion, shouting at the same time: "The shield won't hold long! Someone must go out to block those tentacles, or we're all done for!"

"Changfeng, Yuzhu, guard the raft and protect Ranran." Ling Xiao gave the order, his form flickering—he appeared outside the raft, standing in the void, facing the incoming massive tentacle!

He didn't even use any magic treasure; he simply pointed his fingers together like a sword and gave a casual swing!

A highly condensed, nearly invisible sword qi swept out!

Screech—!

A grating tearing sound rang out! Those few tentacles, strong enough to smash mountain peaks with ease, were sliced clean off at the roots the instant they met the sword qi—like a hot knife through butter—spilling foul‑smelling green‑black blood, which the chaotic energy flow instantly swept away.

The fused monster let out a pained, angry howl; the pirates on its back had their laughter cut short, their faces showing shock.

The one-eyed brawny man narrowed his one eye: "Troublesome opponent! He's a sword cultivator! All together, kill him!"

He leapt first, wielding in his hand a door-plank-like blood-colored huge blade carrying a mournful ghostly wail, slashing toward Lingxiao's head! Other Nascent Soul stage star pirates also employed their methods; the light of magic treasures and spells instantly submerged Lingxiao!

Lao Gui felt his heart tighten inside the star raft, about to control the star raft's attacking formation to assist, but saw Luo Changfeng speak in a deep voice: "Old man, just focus on controlling the star raft; Master needs no help."

As if to confirm his words, the area covered by various attack lights suddenly blazed with an incomparably brilliant, incomparably pure sword light!

The sword light was like a blazing great sun, instantly dispelling the gloom and filth around! Every attack that touched this sword light, whether the blood-colored blade aura, vicious spells, or strange magic treasures, all melted like ice and snow, shattering and collapsing!

"What?!" the one-eyed burly man turned pale with shock, feeling an irresistible sharp will lock onto him, making his Nascent Soul tremble violently, almost forcing him to kneel.

Ling Xiao's figure reappeared in the sword light, unstained by dust. He pointed again with his fingers.

A thread of sword qi, subtle yet faster than thought, tore through the air.

The one-eyed burly man only managed to place the blood-red giant blade before him—then the next moment!

Crack! Pfft!

The top‑grade spirit‑weapon‑level blood‑red giant blade was pierced like paper; that sword qi's residual force did not diminish, directly piercing his brow and exiting through the back of his head.

The one-eyed burly man's shock froze on his face, the light in his eyes quickly dimmed, his body stiffly toppled backward, falling toward the chaotic sea below.

One sword, a mid‑Nascent Soul cultivator, fell!

The remaining star pirates had their souls flee in terror, their guts and gall bursting; they dared fight no more, let out a cry, and scattered in escape.

Even that huge predator fusion monster let out a fearful wail, twisting its maimed body trying to dive into deep space.

Ling Xiao's gaze was indifferent, he pointed repeatedly with his fingers.

Puff puff puff puff!

Threads of subtle sword qi, like death's invitations, precisely caught each fleeing star pirate, whether Golden Core or Nascent Soul, without exception piercing their brows and annihilating body and soul.

The last, slightly thicker sword qi shot into the predator's huge head, exiting the other side, bringing out a clump of mixed brain matter and soul fire. The predator's massive body convulsed violently a few times, then utterly lost vitality, slowly drifting in the chaotic sea, becoming another icy star corpse.

From Ling Xiao's move to the total annihilation of the star pirates and predator, it was merely a short ten breaths.

Inside the star raft, utter silence.

Only Shi Ran, letting down her ruined hair, smiled radiant as the morning sun.