Chapter 293

After leaving the cave, Yan Buji began searching everywhere for a way to restore his fleshly body.

I think, unless he contacts the East Rakshasa, it's unlikely he'll find such a solution by luck out there.

The key is the East Rakshasa....

Yan Buji shook his head; his strength had already plummeted badly, his body was now mutilated, and he couldn't linger long in Youming Jie—if the East Rakshasa took a notion, he couldn't even run away.

Moreover, what ability does he have to trade with the East Rakshasa? Limb regeneration isn't some simple technique that a few pills can heal.

He has no connections, no treasures—how could he possibly exchange for such a method?

The same would apply in the mortal realm; the crucial point is he dare not return there, fearing he'd fall into the hands of those Nascent Soul True Lords.

After searching for a month, Yan Buji finally gave up; better to gather some offerings and prepare a sacrifice.

After slaying several Youming Jie demon beasts, Yan Buji collected their corpses.

Then, following the method written on the worm scroll, he used his own blood to draw a strange six-pointed star formation on the ground.

Though strange, although Yan Buji knew little about formations, he had never seen this pattern before—it didn't conform to the principles of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces, nor to celestial astronomy. The stars were inverted, directions chaotic, a formation he had never seen.

"But how did the people of the primordial era discover this Lord of the Starry Sky? This stellar pattern is completely unlike today's astronomical phenomena—could the stars of that age have been positioned differently?" Yan Buji found it odd.

But that involves primordial-era history, which is far too ancient; Yan Buji has no way to inquire about it.

Yan Buji guessed it might have been primordial people observing the night sky, feeling the stars were grand, thus beginning research—quite normal in history.

By inadvertently drawing this six-pointed star formation, he attracted the attention of that Lord of the Starry Sky.

"But if there truly exists a being dwelling deep in the starry heavens, then it must be something I cannot resist."

Yan Buji sighed; this was no different from going to the East Rakshasa to seek death, yet he still felt that if a sacrifice could yield what he wanted, it was at least fair and just.

Going to the East Rakshasa now is no different from a lamb entering a tiger's mouth.

Yan Buji's dilemma was merely fear that his future would be influenced by that Lord of the Starry Sky.

But considering his identity and situation, having his future influenced would be better than his current plight!

He didn't offer absolute loyalty, but if it were merely a transaction and calculation, he was willing to bear the consequences.

After drawing the pattern and placing the sacrificial offerings in the six-pointed star formation, Yan Buji took out that Star Gu and stuffed it into the break of his left arm!

That Gu worm seemed to come alive instantly, burrowing into his marrow!

A strange sensation welled up; the Star Gu appeared to be devouring his marrow, then excreting some unfathomable substance that was gradually altering his flesh.

Yan Buji gritted his teeth, released his spiritual sense to block the Star Gu from entering his spine, confining it to the bones of his arm.

Unexpectedly effective, the Star Gu seemed to sense Yan Buji's intent and remained quietly in his arm bone, motionless.

"Then comes.... the memorial text...."

Yan Buji softly called out, beginning the sacrifice in the most primitive language before the formation.

The gist of the memorial text was to praise this great Existence, then implore him to descend to the mortal world to accept the offering, and finally respond to the believers' pleas.

As Yan Buji uttered the first words, the entire Youming Jie's ink‑black sky suddenly unleashed thunder!

Boom—!

The heavenly thunderstorm seemed to have provoked something that ought not be disturbed; Yan Buji felt a sudden pang of alarm, but he had no time for anything else, gritting his teeth and continuing the chant.

The storm grew ever more violent; just as Yan Buji was about to finish his final line, a bolt of purple lightning suddenly fell from the sky!

That heavenly tempest seemed like the wrath of the upper heavens, fiercely striking down upon Yan Buji!

"It's over!"

"What's going on?"

"No, is my sacrificial method wrong? Why does this scene.... look like Heaven's Punishment?!"

Yan Buji's face turned pale; sensing the terrifying thunderous power above, he knew he would surely die today!

He couldn't run; an invisible qi mechanism in the void sealed off everything around him, and that purple lightning's target was precisely Yan Buji and the formation before him.

Could it be that the Lord of the Starry Sky.... cannot be sacrificed to?

Holy shit!

If it cannot be sacrificed to, how did this thing end up in my hands?

Yan Buji gritted his teeth and lowered his head.

Man cannot resist ideas that transcend his own Existence; just as the world's principles are too vast, many understand them, yet the more one understands, the less one knows how to oppose them.

Heaven's Punishment?!

Yan Buji believed he had done nothing in his life that harmed the world; at most his virtue was lacking, which still falls within the human realm.

To use such heavenly reproach against a petty cultivator like himself.....

"Such an ending, at least it doesn't waste this life of hardship I've endured." Yan Buji gave a helpless laugh.

Whether he were schemed to death, turned into a mindless Abnormal Beast, or perished in the aftermath of some mighty cultivator....

Viewed this way, dying under Heaven's Punishment actually seems a bit more dignified.

At least cultivators struggle for life, fighting heaven, earth, and men; dying under Heaven's Punishment is also a decent outcome.

At that moment Yan Buji instantly lost his fighting spirit, no longer possessing the instinct to survive even against a Nascent Soul True Lord; under this vast heavenly might, he—like an ant—could not ignite any will to live.

But....

I'm unwilling!

Huff~

A gentle spring breeze came; Yan Buji closed his eyes, awaiting his fate.

But in the blink of an eye!

A streak of starlight flashed, the heavenly thunder vanishing as if completely gone, and the skies of Youming Jie turned into a brilliant, dazzling starfield!

Yan Buji widened his eyes, lifted his head, and beheld a colossal beast beyond his imagining, couched in the starry sky, myriad stars turning into rivers of light that gleamed, encircling His form—yet paling compared to the instant He opened His eyes....

The whole Youming Jie grew bright!

East Rakshasa Clan.

The Rakshasa Queen widened her eyes, trembling as she crawled on the ground.

North Asura Clan.

The North Asura King stared at this scene in disbelief, murmuring: "The wilderness has reappeared?!"

South Asura Clan.

The South Asura High Priest drew a deep breath and stepped onto the altar:

"Great Lord of the Starry Sky, Sovereign of the Heavens who dwells above the starry sky!"

At the same time,

In another part of the Youming Jie,

The new Yama King, still handling duties in the Hall of Yama, was suddenly startled, rushed out of the Hall of Yama and gazed at the fleeting starlight in the distance, unable to help but widen his eyes:

"How could there be astral phenomena in the Youming Jie?"

"Sir, sir! Found it, found it! The lost Youming Jie!!!" Ox-Head and Horse-Face excitedly held a broken disk; the disk glowed, exactly corresponding to the missing direction.

The new Yama King drew a deep breath: "Summon all the City Lords to come to the Hall of Yama for a council!"

"Yes!"