[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars":3,"chapter-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-458":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Immortal Path Among the Stars",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2320390,4537,"Chapter 458: Chaotic Spirit Domain","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-458",458,"\u003Cp>Wang Yu, through multiple crossings between the two worlds, had indeed gained deep insight into spiritual awareness and star-nexus force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As special abilities evolved from spiritual power, spiritual awareness and star-nexus force shared many similarities but also had distinct differences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their commonality lay in both strengthening with increased spiritual power, both appearing as advanced forms of spiritual energy usage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their difference lay in that spiritual awareness evolved after absorbing cultivation energy, enabling many unique spiritual techniques of the cultivation world—such as scanning, tracking, spiritual communication, and mental pressure—and could only fully manifest its power within the cultivation world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star-nexus force, by contrast, evolved only after absorbing a specific energy from Star Stones, resembling more closely the psychic abilities used by mutants in the Blue Star world, albeit more advanced, with usage focused on materializing spiritual force and directly manipulating objects—methods that directly interfered with the physical world—and could only achieve greater potency within the Blue Star world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although both evolved from spiritual power, they clearly could not be converted into one another, yet each could indirectly amplify the user’s base spiritual power through personal cultivation, offering mutual indirect enhancement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wang Yu was carefully contemplating the specific differences between these two advanced spiritual forms, Shi Qiuping, seated before him, suddenly shuddered, spat out a mouthful of blood, and her complexion immediately returned to normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the bloodstains on the ground were strange gray filaments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Elder, for your intervention. I have used the pill’s power to expel the last lingering trace of curse energy from my body. Your kindness is beyond repayment; my sister and I vow to serve you faithfully for life, without regret.” Shi Qiuping rose, bowed deeply to Wang Yu, and spoke with sincere earnestness, her cheeks flushed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl in pink, delighted to see her sister freed from the curse that had plagued her for years, turned pale with embarrassment upon hearing her sister’s words and followed her down to kneel on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saved you merely to repay your sisters’ years of care for me. As for following me, no rush—we’ll discuss it later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rise first. I have a few questions for you.” Wang Yu, slightly surprised by the woman’s boldness, did not immediately accept or refuse; instead, he tapped twice beside the bed with his fingers and spoke calmly to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Elder. Whatever I know, I will answer without reservation.” Shi Qiuping felt a pang of disappointment but still replied with respectful deference as she rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve examined the map you gave me, but I still don’t understand: what exactly is the Hanlan River? Why are so many cultivation factions concentrated in such a small area along its banks?” Wang Yu asked slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder, the Hanlan River is one of the Ten Rivers of the Chaotic Spirit Domain. The reason so many cultivation factions gather here is that numerous spirit veins run along both sides of the river.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These veins are almost all first-rank, mostly micro or small, mostly occupied by Qi Condensation cultivators who have banded together into various cultivation factions, much like our Lingxi Bay.” The woman replied with slight surprise but remained obedient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chaotic Spirit Domain?” Wang Yu frowned slightly—he still didn’t know where this was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder, the Chaotic Spirit Domain is one of the Eight Domains of the Eastern Wilderness, and the one closest to the demonic beast territories.” Shi Hongyao, sensing his confusion, quickly added an explanation beside the woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One of the Eight Domains of the Eastern Wilderness, and the human territory nearest to the demonic beast lands? Interesting. Tell me in detail about the Chaotic Spirit Domain and the major powers along the Hanlan River.” Wang Yu’s mind sharpened, but his expression remained unchanged as he ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Chaotic Spirit Domain is the most recently seized of the Eight Domains of the Eastern Wilderness, forcibly taken two hundred years ago by the three great sects of the East—Bi Shui Palace, Mo Jian Gate, and Ling Gui Sect—from the Snow Wolf Clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is said that during that battle, the Nascent Soul elders of the three sects fought the fourth-rank Wolf King, shaking heaven and earth, inflicting heavy casualties on both sides. When the Snow Wolf Clan retreated, they detonated the domain’s largest third-rank main spirit vein, shattering the terrain and reversing rivers, creating the domain’s current peculiar landscape: scarce high-rank spirit veins, yet countless fragmented small veins scattered everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three sects now each control one of the domain’s three remaining third-rank spirit veins, and have invested great effort in building numerous market towns, importing countless cultivators, cultivation families, even minor sects from other great domains of the East, along with far more common folk. Many of the so-called Ten Rivers were formed only after that cataclysmic battle. As for our Hanlan River…” Shi Qiuping began recounting the origins of the Chaotic Spirit Domain to Wang Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a stick of incense burned out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the stone chamber, only Wang Yu remained, along with his two spirit beasts; the Shi sisters had taken their leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu sat cross-legged on the bed, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been transported deep into the Eastern Wilderness, to a great domain bordering demonic beast territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to his prior knowledge, the true masters of the Eastern Wilderness should be demonic beasts and demonic clans, both sharing a common origin yet fundamentally distinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As texts recorded, demonic clans emerged from demonic beasts; demonic clans originated from demonic beasts, but demonic beasts were absolutely not demonic clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans drew the distinction between them simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how powerful either might be, as long as they had not yet refined their throat bones and transformed into human form, they remained demonic beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, their offspring, even if born with minimal power, if born in human form, were demonic clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, demonic beasts were common, but demonic clans were exceedingly rare; yet once born, they could instinctively command other demonic beasts, possessed innate bloodline abilities, naturally knew how to absorb and expel qi, understood cultivation methods, and by adulthood could easily reach the third rank, with intelligence surpassing even humans and an extremely high ceiling for postnatal cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Shi Qiuping, the Snow Wolf King who opposed the three sects in that ancient battle could transform into human form—he was a true fourth-rank demonic lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chaotic Spirit Domain had been forcibly seized, and only a few centuries had passed. Due to the sheer number and extreme fragmentation of spirit veins, countless cultivation factions of all sizes now coexisted; powerful demonic beasts thrived in the remote mountains and wilds, and occasionally, remnants of the Snow Wolf Clan’s demonic clan would emerge to cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the Chaotic Spirit Domain was chaotic, yet under the nominal rule of the three great sects—Bi Shui Palace, Mo Jian Gate, and Ling Gui Sect—it maintained a fragile order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three sects’ method of ruling the domain was blunt and crude: they established numerous market towns across the domain to control all local cultivation factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether cultivation families, sects, or loose bands of cultivators, any group occupying a spirit vein must pay resources or spirit stones to the nearest market town, according to the vein’s size and rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they resisted, the market town would dispatch the sect’s enforcement squad to exterminate the faction and replace it with another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, conflicts and killings between factions under the market towns were ignored entirely by the sect’s cultivators; the only time the sect would actively intervene was when a demonic clan or powerful demonic beast appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside this, the sects’ direct vassals were under their direct protection: no other faction could attack them, and even among themselves, conflict and annexation were strictly forbidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another piece of information learned from the Shi sisters was that the Chaotic Spirit Domain had exceptionally abundant waterways; the entire domain was divided into smaller regions centered on rivers, lakes, and streams rich in spirit veins, hence the domain’s external reputation as the “Thousand Lakes, Hundred Rivers, Ten Rivers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hanlan River was one of the Ten Rivers—and the shortest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the Hanlan River region hosted nearly a hundred cultivation factions; the largest, naturally, was the Hanlan Market Town, named after the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This market town was established by Bi Shui Palace and occupied a second-rank small spirit vein, said to be permanently guarded by multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next largest factions were Heisha Sect and Lingyuan Yuan Clan, each established on a first-rank medium spirit vein, both also possessing Foundation Establishment cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below them, other cultivation factions had no Foundation Establishment cultivators on record; the best spirit veins they could occupy were first-rank small veins, while most were like Lingxi Bay—broken veins barely sustaining ten or twenty Qi Condensation cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu did not know where the originally intended Shiyu Gate was located, but he doubted it existed within the Chaotic Spirit Domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Sihang Sect had sought an escape route in the Eastern Wilderness; a newly seized, chaotic domain like this was unsuitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed he would not reunite with the others from Sihang Sect anytime soon—he should first heal his injuries and find a stable place to settle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for him, a broken vein like Lingxi Bay could not even meet daily cultivation needs; yet if he could seize a first-rank medium spirit vein and supplement it with a small Spirit Gathering Array, it might suffice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wang Yu contemplated this, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This chaotic domain seemed better suited for him to secretly conduct certain Blue Star experiments.\u003C\u002Fp>",1601,"2026-06-20T15:44:32.565Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ade7f18b524e9d8e7f4a08faadf15730df2251d5a9dd811fd15f51e9507dfbba","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-459","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-457",530,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-immortal-path-among-the-stars-cover.jpg"]