Chapter 357

"Ji Dao, you've lost!"

A grand voice echoed through the boundless stars, yet only a handful could hear it.

"Ji Dao, it is still too early to say that." The voice of Ji Dao Emperor arose.

"Ji Dao, will you not even preserve your dignity for the sake of this world?"

"Ji Dao, stop playing the fool!"

"I only said it is still too early to declare victory or defeat—but I never said I would not honor the wager." Ji Dao Emperor said.

"Exactly. Not that extreme."

Another grand voice arose from among the stars.

"Hua Qing, you've come."

"Ji Dao, though it is still too early to declare victory or defeat, you have indeed lost this wager. You may not monopolize this world alone." The newly arrived Hua Qing Emperor said.

"Naturally."

"Since you accept defeat, Ji Dao, hand over the authority of this world." Xuan Cheng Emperor said.

"Xuan Cheng, if I could simply hand over the authority of this world to you, why would I have sat idle while the Eight Wilderness Clan ravaged my place of cultivation again?" Ji Dao Emperor said. "If I could hand it over, I have countless disciples and grand-disciples—even without sending a Star Lord, just a ninth-rank peak cultivator would sweep this world clean. Where would your chances come from?"

"Indeed."

"True enough! Though Ji Dao once drove the Eight Wilderness Holy Clan out of this world, even shattering their domain here, the Eight Wilderness Holy Clan was no ordinary foe. When Ju Chun and Zhu Li withdrew from this world, they shattered its primordial source, preventing any external force from directly manifesting here." Hua Qing Emperor said.

"Then what do we do?" Xuan Cheng Emperor asked.

"Xuan Cheng, Hua Qing, when I left this world after my cultivation breakthrough, I used the Star-Picking Tower to stabilize it and aid its growth, while also placing sealing restrictions on your sect's ancestral lands."

"Now that I accept defeat, I will grant each of you one-tenth of the total authority of the Star-Picking Tower—enough to break the seals on your ancestral lands, allowing your disciples to roam this world without restriction henceforth!"

"As for whether you can seize the authority—it depends on the abilities of your own disciples." Ji Dao Emperor said.

"One-tenth is too little. Two-tenths."

"When I left, I delegated most of the authority, retaining only four-tenths. Between the two of you, no more than one and a half tenths each."

"Agreed."

"Good."

Both Xuan Cheng Emperor and Hua Qing Emperor agreed to this, after which Ji Dao Emperor added, "With this authority, you may gain control over the Star-Picking Tower's central tower, and use it to unseal your sects."

"Excellent!"

Both Xuan Cheng Emperor and Hua Qing Emperor agreed.

"But one matter must be clarified first. Once your sects' ancestral lands break their seals and merge into this world, though chaos will follow, all laws and Dao principles will be restored. Soon, ninth-rank cultivators will sprout like bamboo shoots after rain."

"At the same time, many hidden places previously sealed by me will also emerge."

"At that time, all our disciples—no matter what hidden place they encounter—must participate."

"Responsibility and benefit must be borne together." Ji Dao Emperor said.

"Naturally." Hua Qing Emperor said.

Xuan Cheng Emperor fell silent for several breaths. "If so, won't other middle worlds also be able to connect with this one?"

"Under the myriad Dao principles, nothing is forbidden!"

"Hahaha, excellent!" Xuan Cheng Emperor laughed loudly.

"Here is the authority of the Star-Picking Tower's central tower I promised you—take it."

Two brilliant lights soared above the Star Sea, instantly radiating an overwhelmingly alluring power.

As they crossed the Star Sea, countless stars and star-regions above them stirred with immense auras and wills—but each stirred only for an instant before being terrified away by the aura Ji Dao Emperor had imprinted upon them!

Though distant, they moved with blinding speed!

The next instant, one brilliant light vanished into thin air—taken by Xuan Cheng Emperor.

Almost simultaneously, a bolt of thunder and lightning slashed across half the Star Sea, seizing the other brilliant light!

After Xuan Cheng and Hua Qing Emperors departed, Ji Dao Emperor gazed far off at the world where he had achieved cultivation.

There, a single lamp glowed faintly.

He turned back to look at the distant horizon, where a blue world shone brilliantly.

Xumi Palace.

The name Xumi Palace was known to all, whether in the mortal world or the Star Battlefield.

Yet few in either the mortal world or the Star Battlefield knew where Xumi Palace was located.

Many hermits in the mortal world, drawn by its fame, sought to join Xumi Palace—but spent half their lives asking everyone, yet found no trace of its location.

In the end, they lived in poverty and died with lifelong regret.

But the reason they could not find it was not their fault.

It was because Xumi Palace did not exist in the mortal world at all.

Only a few major forces connected to Xumi Palace could locate its entrance.

Xumi Palace was, in fact, a realm similar to a star region.

A star region like a snowfield.

Upon the peaks of its endless snow-capped mountains lay the sprawling complex of buildings—Xumi Palace's true location.

Tens of thousands of core disciples of Xumi Palace lived and cultivated here.

But today, a loud, booming laugh suddenly erupted from the main hall at the summit.

Hearing this familiar laugh of their master, all disciples and students smiled.

The master of Xumi Palace was the sovereign of this world; when he was happy, their lives were easy.

Since he laughed so heartily, they naturally rejoiced.

But unexpectedly, the master's laughter rose higher and higher, each wave louder than the last, unceasing.

In the end, it roared like spring thunder across the wilds—the snow on the entire mountain range began to tremble and fall, and the very space of the star region where Xumi Palace stood seemed to twist!

Even vanish!

Fear flashed across every disciple's face.

Below the snow mountain, countless civilians within the Xumi Palace star region were terrified.

"Do not panic! This is a heavenly opportunity! From today, Xumi Palace no longer needs to remain trapped in this frozen wasteland!"

"From today, the three-thousand-year seal on Xumi Palace is lifted."

"From today, Xumi Palace will fully merge into the mortal world."

"From today, every disciple of Xumi Palace may freely walk the mortal world."

"And from today, Xumi Palace shall take its place in the mortal world!"

At the summit of the snow mountain, the master of Xumi Palace, having received the ancestral master's decree, thundered his words across the land.

At the same moment, the star-region barrier of Xumi Palace's small realm vanished—as if it had never existed.

The blazing sunlight of the mortal world struck the summit of Xumi Palace, instantly gilding it in radiant splendor!

Inside a palace atop the snow mountain.

The Moon Princess of Xumi Palace stared in wonder at the suddenly appearing blazing sun.

It was identical to the sun she had seen months ago!

"Father, is this true?" Moon Princess shouted from her palace toward the summit where the master of Xumi Palace stood.

A beam of starlight descended, settling upon the Moon Princess. "Of course, foolish child—haven't you seen it yourself?"

"Father, then I'm going to the mortal world right now."

"You're already in the mortal world." The master's spectral figure pointed to the distant mountains and cities now emerging. "You may roam the mortal world freely—until you grow tired of it!" the master chuckled fondly.

"Then I'm going now."

"What for?" The master was surprised.

"I have a friend—I heard they died. I want to investigate."

"A friend? The one you met last time?"

"No."

"Then let your father investigate for you."

"No. I must investigate myself—uncover the truth!" Moon Princess bit her silver teeth.

"That won't do."

"Father!"

"The ancestral master's decree states that with the lifting of our seal, the Xumi Secret Realm—sealed for three thousand years—may now be opened. Its depths are immense. You and your fellow disciples will be the first to enter."

The Moon Immortal wanted to speak further, but the master silenced her with a stern gaze. "You must go! Your matter can be handled—but only after you emerge!

Xumi Palace's return to the world is a great opportunity for our generation—but also a great danger!

You know how dangerous and complex the mortal world is!

The ancestral master lifted our seal, and now we have entered the Age of Great Struggle!

And you, the first batch to enter the Xumi Secret Realm, will determine Xumi Palace's future foundation. Do you understand?" the master roared.

After a long silence, the Moon Immortal nodded. "I understand, Father. But when I return, you cannot stop me!"

"Yue'er, when have I ever lied to you?"

At the very moment Xumi Palace unsealed itself from the mortal world, the perpetual mists over the southern barbarian mountains suddenly parted, revealing another magnificent continent.

Mountains, rivers, valleys—all lush and verdant!

And several vast cities, along with a palace deep within the forest!

Moreover, there were several enormous cities and a palace nestled deep within the forest!

A similar scene unfolded within the Wood Spirit Palace as in the Sumeru Palace.

At the same moment, snowflake-like urgent messages flew into the Star-Taking Orders of all major powers in the Present World.

The Sumeru Palace appeared in the north of the Present World.

The Wood Spirit Palace appeared in the south of the Present World.

It was not an appearance.

Rather, the entire territories of the Sumeru Palace and the Wood Spirit Palace had manifested upon the continent of the Present World.

The Star Lord of Tianyang, the Star Lord of Cangming, and the Star Lord of Zhen'e—the Grand Master of Chen Guo—had just been stunned by the matter of the Sacred Clan's ancestral cave-dimension linking to the star domains, and had been frantically mobilizing elite forces from all corners, trying every means to prevent those star domains still in the process of linking from reaching the ancestral cave-dimension.

Now, they were utterly stunned by this news!

They knew the truth!

The Sumeru Palace and the Wood Spirit Palace existed independently of the world; their space resembled a star domain, yet was not one.

Moreover, it was extremely difficult for disciples of the Sumeru Palace and the Wood Spirit Palace to emerge.

Only those granted a token by the holder of the Star-Taking Tower's authority could leave.

This was the fundamental reason why, despite their immense power and vast wealth, the Sumeru Palace and the Wood Spirit Palace held little influence in the Present World.

But now, suddenly, they had merged!

They had become part of the Present World!

What had happened?

No emergency meeting needed to be called—almost instantly, the power elites of the Present World appeared in the Star River Marshal's Conference Room.

The three Star Lords, the Grand Master of Chen Guo, the two Imperial Lords, and the Star River Marshal—this was the highest-level meeting.

But as these seven had just seated themselves, two beams of light—one silver, one green—materialized out of thin air into the Star River Marshal's Conference Room.

Who else could it be but the Sumeru Palace Master and the Wood Spirit Palace Master?

As all were astonished, the Star Spirit—who had never appeared unless summoned—suddenly took form and explained the entire sequence of events.

The Sumeru Palace and the Wood Spirit Palace had been unsealed and merged into the Present World?

Had they gained the authority of the Star-Taking Tower's main tower?

Would their subordinate towers ascend to main towers within ten days and connect with all main towers of the Star-Taking Tower?

The ancestral cave-dimension of the Eight Wilderness Sacred Clan, previously expelled and sealed, had been unsealed and merged into this world!

The Eight Wilderness Sacred Clan and the human race were ancestral enemies—not merely in this world!

One piece of news after another left the power elites of the Present World in shock!

And the changes between the Present World and the Star River Battlefield had only just begun!

(End of Chapter)