Chapter 231: Star Domain Characteristics

"Cockatoo?"

In the sky, Hu Zhen, guided by the Blood Soul Induction technique, caught up with the target and unleashed a starlight hand, snatching the target before him in an instant.

The cockatoo let out a shrill, terrified screech.

In that same instant, Hu Zhen's expression turned icy to the extreme.

For he had spotted the jade tablet tied to the cockatoo's back—and the fragment-soul aura within it.

"You're mocking me!"

"Does it even matter!"

Hu Zhen sneered, let out a cold snort, and the cockatoo and jade tablet shattered into dust together.

He resumed activating the Blood Soul Induction technique.

At that same moment, Mo Ji, flying at high speed, let out a muffled groan, staggered, and nearly tumbled to the ground—only to be caught by Qi Shanye.

"My fragment-soul was destroyed—I've been discovered, and the opponent's speed is extremely fast!" Mo Ji gasped. "Shall I try again?"

"You'll kill yourself if you keep splitting your soul!" Qi Shanye glanced toward the distance and added, "We're almost there—no need to hide anymore, push full speed."

"Understood!"

In the next instant, two figures stepped upon the stars and shot forward like meteors toward the direction of Shilong County, Peach County, Songzhou.

At the same time, Hu Zhen had just re-locked onto the target's location—far out in the night sky, two starlights blazed like meteors across the heavens, precisely matching the position he had just locked!

"There are accomplices! Let's see how far you can run!"

"Half a watch!"

In the next instant, Hu Zhen surged toward the direction of Qi Shanye and Mo Ji.

At the same moment, in Leizhou's Star-Picking Tower.

Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao stepped forward; Lin Wenshou, Director of the Leizhou State Dao Academy, had already been notified and arrived with his men outside the Leizhou Star-Picking Tower branch to greet Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao.

"What's the current situation?" Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao asked casually.

"No new movements so far, but because it's night, Hu Zhen's starlight is very visible—he was initially chasing toward the Thunderfall Mountain Range, then changed direction. My vision is limited now, so I can't see clearly." Lin Wenshou said.

"Leizhou is under lockdown from this moment. Assemble the Star-Patrol Guards and await orders."

After giving the order, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao instantly soared into the air and chased toward the Thunderfall Mountain Range.

Cheng Yuexiao, at the eighth-rank cultivation base, had extraordinary eyesight; after only a hundred breaths of pursuit, he spotted three starlights in the night sky.

Unlike the scattered starlight of the heavens.

These must be someone traveling by stepping on the stars.

Fortunately, it was still night.

If it were daytime, finding their direction would've been far harder.

In the next instant, Cheng Yuexiao pursued the starlight with the strongest energy and fastest speed—it must be Hu Zhen, the Second Elder of the Tianyang Star Temple.

But after only dozens of breaths, Cheng Yuexiao noticed a problem.

He changed direction.

Hu Zhen was chasing the other two meteor-like starlights.

Who was Hu Zhen hunting?

Cheng Yuexiao frowned.

That direction was toward Peach County, Songzhou.

Recently, nothing major had happened in Songzhou!

Even if nothing major had occurred, the fact that Hu Zhen, Second Elder of the Tianyang Star Temple, had been stirred meant something huge had happened.

In the next instant, Cheng Yuexiao sent a message to the Director of the Songzhou State Dao Academy, ordering him to be on alert.

"Master Meng, you and Peng Lao take two Senior Academicians and head immediately to Peach County, Songzhou, and stand by." Cheng Yuexiao issued another order as preparation.

At the battlefield where Hu Xuechuan was slain in the Thunderfall Mountain Range, the deputy director of the Cangming Star Temple's branch, Zha Wei, arrived silently.

Hu Zhen, eager to pursue the killer, had bypassed this location entirely.

Cheng Yuexiao had only focused on Hu Zhen's position and hadn't noticed this place either.

But Zha Wei, cautious and not daring to be too conspicuous, had previously witnessed the daylight explosion in the Thunderfall Mountain Range and followed his instincts here—only to discover a cleaned-up battlefield.

Although Qi Shanye had used starlight to clean the battlefield, the haste meant the cleanup wasn't thorough.

And Zha Wei, an expert in tracking and tracing, swept his soul-force like water across a thousand-meter radius centered on the battlefield—and immediately found something.

He quickly uncovered a piece of information that baffled him: the aura of a Star-Picking Tower branch had appeared here!

How could this be possible!

In this remote wilderness, how could a Star-Picking Tower appear!

Yet the information he had sensed and gathered was unmistakable.

This made Zha Wei's eyes blaze with intensity!

A great opportunity!

A tremendous benefit!

Even possibly a colossal opportunity tied to a Star-Picking Tower branch!

No wonder the Second Elder of the Tianyang Star Temple had been dispatched.

Even Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao of Chen Guo had been stirred!

So it was tied to a Star-Picking Tower branch!

Under what circumstances could a Star-Picking Tower branch appear here?

Zha Wei was a mid-to-high-ranking official of the Cangming Star Temple; combining all this information, he quickly formed a theory.

Ling Ji!

Ling Ji remnants!

Only Ling Ji remnants would establish a Star-Picking Tower branch in such a remote place, then retrieve it later.

I never thought it was true!

Legend says that twenty years ago, when the Ling Ji Star Temple was slaughtered and its towers sealed, several of its Star-Picking Tower branches were never reclaimed; the two major star temples later recovered only two, while several remained lost.

Previously, I thought the legend was just a tale.

But now, it's real!

If I could locate one of these lost Star-Picking Tower branches!

The moment this thought surfaced, Zha Wei's heart pounded violently.

This was a colossal opportunity!

Even if I couldn't claim it myself, if I found its location and reported it to the Star Temple, letting the Star Temple seize it—

Even if I couldn't earn the supreme merit, I'd still secure two or three extraordinary merits!

Two or three extraordinary merits would be enough for me to exchange for resources to ascend to the sixth rank!

Once I ascend to the sixth rank, my life will be entirely different!

Among today's cultivators, fourth and fifth ranks are the backbone; sixth and seventh ranks are high-level combatants; eighth rank and above are strategic-level forces.

But finding the location of a Star-Picking Tower branch is extremely difficult!

The scene had clearly been cleaned.

Even with my expertise in tracking techniques, I can't track nothing.

I did find several fragments of corpses.

But they're useless for tracking.

Now, after scanning the entire thousand-meter radius, I've only detected two living starlight traces that left the area.

Yet I dare not pursue them!

Earlier in the sky, I had already remotely observed and judged that Hu Zhen's pursuit direction matched those two survivors' traces.

The Star-Picking Tower branch is very likely in the hands of those two.

Compared to earning merit, staying alive matters more.

Zha Wei remained very clear-headed.

Watching the extraordinary merit, even the supreme merit, slip past him, Zha Wei couldn't accept it.

He expanded his search further—and soon discovered footprints, tracing them for dozens of miles until he found a cave on a mountainside where Xu Jin, Qi Shanye, and Mo Ji had rested.

After a quick search of the cave, Zha Wei made a major discovery!

Three people!

The aura inside the cave belonged to three individuals!

But the aura of the third person had not appeared at the battlefield earlier.

Coupling this with the fact that the battlefield had been swept clean by starlight, Zha Wei's heart leapt again—he suddenly realized a shocking possibility!

Could the two fleeing figures be merely a decoy, meant to conceal the safe withdrawal of the third person who never appeared at the battlefield?

If so, then the true treasure is very likely on the third person, whose trail was deliberately hidden!

One must admit, Zha Wei's imagination was exceptionally strong.

With this thought, Zha Wei, director of the Cangming Star Temple's Leizhou branch, felt the supreme merit beckoning to him!

The very key to his advancement in life!

But the problem was: based only on these faint traces of daily life in the cave, judging the number of people was possible—but tracking them was utterly impossible!

Because too much time had passed; even the scent was extremely faint and chaotic, making tracking unfeasible!

Zha Wei refused to give up.

He didn't want to miss this rare opportunity, so he carefully searched the area around the cave.

This search actually yielded results.

Soon, Cha Wei discovered three puddles of urine a hundred meters from the cave. Each puddle emitted a faint scent of alcohol and a strong personal odor.

When he found them, Cha Wei treated them like treasures, nearly pressing his nose against the closest one and inhaling deeply.

He memorized the personal odor in all three puddles.

Afraid he might confuse them.

Cha Wei directly took samples of three clumps of soil stained with urine, sealed them with star force, so he could identify them anytime on the road!

Then, Cha Wei activated his Spirit-Scent Secret Art, pushing it to its limit, following the faint trail of odor.

At first, it was extremely difficult.

The scent was intermittent.

But after tracking for only half a watch, Cha Wei made a major discovery.

The scent from the other two puddles had vanished.

They must have flown high into the sky, where any odor they emitted was blown away by the wind.

Impossible to follow.

But one other scent continued to linger faintly on the ground.

Odor clings most easily to the ground.

Especially when it clings to plants or even trees—his Spirit-Scent could detect it.

In an instant, Cha Wei formed another hypothesis.

Two of them flew through the sky to draw attention, while one crept along the ground like a thief!

If you said there was no secret here, even ghosts wouldn't believe it!

In an instant, Cha Wei solidified his resolve and pressed forward without hesitation.

When Xu Jin received the star-message that Qi Shanye was also entering the Sixth-Star Realm, he stood frozen in place.

He nearly had the urge to turn back and chase after him.

Xu Jin wanted to turn back, not to persuade Qi Shanye not to go.

Although deep down, Xu Jin still hoped Qi Shanye wouldn't go.

But he couldn't persuade him.

If he did, his conscience would ache!

Xu Jin wanted to turn back because he wondered if there was anything else he could prepare for Qi Shanye and Master Mo Ji.

This journey into a foreign land was nearly a death trap; other supplies were manageable, but talismans and elixirs were used up one by one.

After thinking it over, Xu Jin suddenly let out a wry smile.

It seemed there was nothing he could give!

Earlier, when Master Mo Ji said he was going, Xu Jin had already given him all his fourth- and fifth-tier talismans, including the sixth-tier talisman that had been nurtured.

The only one left was the talisman to summon the Grand Master.

As for elixirs, Xu Jin had given him every single one he could—restorative elixirs for star force and spirit power, nurtured or not, not a single one remained.

So there was no point turning back.

Even if he found them, what could he do?

He had nothing left to give—only added trouble!

Xu Jin was deep in thought.

He was wondering what else he could do to help Master Mo Ji and Old Qi.

Since they'd decided to enter the Sixth-Star Realm, he should do everything possible to increase their chances of survival and boost their strength!

The next instant, Xu Jin's expression brightened—he suddenly thought of something!

Star Talismans!

Old Qi had previously said he only learned lower-tier Star-Dispelling Talismans from the Spirit Record Star Hall; he had no qualification to learn the latest version.

Master Mo Ji was probably the same.

Just before, after Xu Jin fully took control of this branch of the Star-Picking Tower, without needing to redefine its permission rules, as its absolute owner, he gained the right to learn every talisman and every record stored within the branch.

The Star-Picking Tower branch recorded the sixth-tier upper Star-Dispelling Talisman.

Moreover, the Soul-Clearing Talisman was sixth-tier upper, the Mind-Clarity Talisman was sixth-tier middle, and the Mind-Stabilizing Talisman was sixth-tier upper.

But the Soul-Clearing Talisman Xu Jin learned was sixth-tier middle, the Mind-Clarity Talisman was fifth-tier upper, and the Mind-Stabilizing Talisman was sixth-tier middle.

The other dozen or so Spirit-Power Talismans all had newer versions with gaps from the ones Old Qi had given Xu Jin.

Some differed by one or two minor grades; others differed by three or four minor grades.

Upgrading these talismans would definitely enhance Old Qi's and Master Mo Ji's strength!

Immediately, Xu Jin stopped, concealed himself by the roadside, and rapidly copied the talismans with his spirit sense, then sent them to Old Qi via star-message.

At this moment, Xu Jin was grateful that star-message wasn't like the text messages of his past life—if it had been, he couldn't have taught Old Qi at all.

In this world, star-message transmitted whatever you envisioned with your spirit sense.

As long as your spirit sense could draw it, it could be sent.

At that very moment, Qi Shanye and Mo Ji had just arrived at a small hill east of Taohua Village, Long County, Songzhou.

"It should be right here."

Qi Shanye murmured, gazing at the sky before him.

"How do we find it?"

"You can't find it with your eyes. Spatial forces are profoundly mysterious; normally, we'd never locate it," Qi Shanye said.

"Then how?"

"But when the Star Gate was sealed, only half was sealed—meaning it was patched, and a very thin patch at that.

Because it failed and never merged into chaos or fused with space, it still existed as a nearly solid entity—just invisible.

To find it, there's only one method—boom!

"Bombard a wide area. Smash it apart, and the Star Gate will reappear!"

The next instant, Qi Shanye and Mo Ji unleashed their full power, striking the empty air before them.

Waves of wide-range star arts rained down on the sky.

Arrow-light and azure starlight danced wildly!

Far away, a streak of starlight was racing toward this direction like a falling meteor.

At this distance, it wouldn't take long!

Boom!

A thunderous crash—as if a barrier in the sky had shattered—the star force around them instantly turned violent, and a swirling Star Gate swiftly materialized before Qi Shanye and Mo Ji.

"It worked!"

Mo Ji was overjoyed; Qi Shanye's expression was slightly complex, but it passed in an instant.

"Wait, I'll tell my disciple."

Looking at the message from the Star-Picking Token, Qi Shanye's eyes grew slightly moist.

This disciple was truly filial.

Too bad

He didn't know if he'd ever return.

【Jin'er, I'm leaving!】 Qi Shanye's star-message was filled with reluctance, yet also unwavering resolve!

Far away, Xu Jin, who received the message, panicked.

【Master, give me a target! Does this sixth-star realm you're entering have a name?】

【No!】

【Then any distinguishing features?】

【Features? Nothing obvious, but the distinguishing traits of the alien race that once broke out from this sixth-star realm—those might count.】

As he spoke, Qi Shanye sent Xu Jin a star-message detailing the alien race's traits.

【Jin'er, I'm going! Remember—no matter what happens, survive first. Always survive first. As long as you live, any hardship will pass.】

After sending this message, Qi Shanye and Mo Ji exchanged a smile, then stepped without looking back into the swirling Star Gate of the unknown sixth-star realm!

Far away, Hu Zhen, who had faintly witnessed this, his eyes nearly burst from rage!

(End of Chapter)