Chapter 382: The True Meaning of the Divine Dao

Because the fifth-rank Lanshan Star Region had been cultivated by Marquis Chai Ce, the intelligence Xu Jin obtained from interrogating Zhao Weizhen indicated that when he took over Lanshan Star Region, it was already very stable.

Therefore, after entering Lanshan Star Region, Xu Jin was extremely cautious.

He immediately killed one of the alien races in Lanshan Star Region and, within the shortest time possible, crafted a Blood-Shielding Pearl using Blood-Shielding Star Patterns to conceal his own aura.

At the same time, he acquired basic intelligence about Lanshan Star Region.

He finally let out a breath of relief.

It was not the worst scenario—Lanshan Star Region had not been unified, and wars between the various races continued unabated.

That meant, most likely, the Star and Heaven Will of Lanshan Star Region still resided within the alien king of Lanshan Star Region.

It had not been taken away by Marquis Chai Ce.

But considering the situation, it was only natural: within a fifth-rank star region, alien kings were all at the peak of sixth-rank ninth layer, while the highest cultivation base among humans who could enter was only fifth-rank ninth layer; killing or capturing them to obtain the Star and Heaven Will was extremely difficult.

Only an extraordinary genius like Xu Jin could accomplish it.

The top geniuses of major factions were merely fortunate to survive and wage war within fifth-rank star regions.

Decapitating an alien king under the protection of elite alien armies was impossible.

Although Marquis Chai Ce's personal combat power was extremely strong, he could not enter—there was nothing to be done!

As he traveled, gathering intelligence along the way, the situation became clear.

The methods Marquis Chai Ce employed in Lanshan Star Region were nearly identical to those used in Huoyun Star Region.

He supported and tamed proxy rulers—two of them, to prevent any single faction from dominating.

Lanshan Star Region originally had four alien factions: the Fire Lion Clan, the Rampant Bear Clan, the Fire Spirit Clan, and the Giant Elephant Clan.

Marquis Chai Ce allied with a Star Official of the Worship the Stars Sect.

Marquis Chai Ce dispatched elite troops to help the Worship the Stars Sect's Star Official establish a foothold here; once he gained the authority to speak with the alien kings, he backed two clans: the Fire Lion Clan and the Fire Spirit Clan.

Within less than two years, the Fire Lion Clan and the Fire Spirit Clan absorbed the Giant Elephant Clan.

Then the Rampant Bear Clan grew anxious and fearful, and voluntarily invited this Star Official to spread his teachings.

Thus, a tripartite stalemate emerged.

To continuously extract benefits from this star region, although Marquis Chai Ce and the Worship the Stars Sect's Star Official had established their sect, they did not prohibit the three clans from fighting each other.

Under these conditions, the three clans remained in constant conflict, while the Worship the Stars Sect, having established itself in this star region, gradually gained a revered status.

One must admit: Marquis Chai Ce was truly a master of strategy.

Under his remote command, the native alien forces of Lanshan Star Region were effectively controlled by the fifth-rank ninth-layer Star Official and his special authority, continuously yielding benefits.

To this end, the three clans built a star city specifically for the so-called Divine Envoy, which had now become a sacred site within Lanshan Star Region.

Weapons are forbidden within and around this star city!

This star city had become the safest place in Lanshan Star Region.

Each month, the three clans sent elite members here to cultivate in seclusion and worship.

If this pace continued, within three to five more years, Marquis Chai Ce could gain complete control over this fifth-rank Lanshan Star Region without shedding a single drop of blood, turning it into his personal star region.

With three days to deal with the star region's king, Xu Jin was not in a hurry—he headed straight for the star city.

From afar, Xu Jin saw the massive statue of the Star God towering over the star city, emitting a faint glow under the sky.

Within the star city's boundaries, aliens everywhere were worshipping.

He even saw entire military units marching in formation to worship before the Star God's statue—representatives from all three clans.

But within a thousand li of the star city, weapons were strictly forbidden.

Gazing at the shimmering statue of the Star God, Xu Jin suddenly felt a surge of anticipation—surely, it stored a great deal of pure Divine Soul energy?

After this mission, how much Divine Soul energy might he acquire?

After infiltrating the star city for half an hour, Xu Jin, using the immensely powerful sensing ability of the Mingji Star Pattern, clearly mapped out everything inside and outside the city.

There were few high-level experts.

One so-called Special Envoy—likely the envoy dispatched by Marquis Chai Ce to guard this star region—had high cultivation: a sixth-rank ninth-layer human named Lu Shuning.

In addition, there were seven sixth-rank alien experts, but all were only in early or mid-sixth rank.

There were forty human beings active here.

Aside from Lu Shuning, all others were fifth-rank cultivators.

Including the local Star Official Deng Ruiyang, who was also at the peak of fifth-rank ninth layer, having failed to break into sixth rank.

After all, once one breaks into sixth rank, one is forever trapped in this world.

But what surprised Xu Jin was that, at this very moment, Star Official Deng Ruiyang sat cross-legged directly beneath the towering statue of the Star God, his Star Official Seal floating above his head, emitting a faint glow that seemed to resonate with the starlight radiating from the Star God.

Yet Star Official Deng Ruiyang appeared as if his spirit had wandered beyond the physical realm.

When Xu Jin cautiously approached within a thousand meters of the Star God statue, his Star Official Seal within the Star Palace suddenly activated on its own, flickering with starlight.

As Xu Jin was astonished, he suddenly realized his Star Official Seal was responding to the Star God statue just like Star Official Deng Ruiyang's Seal did.

This filled Xu Jin with dread.

He had thoroughly scanned this Star Official Seal many times, yet it still reacted upon encountering the Star God statue.

It seemed the connection between the Star Official Seal and its original owner—or the Star God—was not merely an imprint, but fundamental.

Just as Xu Jin hesitated whether to place the Star Official Seal into his Nectar Space to completely sever its connection with the Star God—or worse, risk being tracked down through it—the statue of the Star God suddenly blazed with intense light.

Star energy surged, Divine Soul energy rose, faintly piercing the heavens!

Star Official Deng Ruiyang remained with eyes tightly shut, only his Star Official Seal hovering above him.

Faintly, Xu Jin's Star Official Seal seemed to sense an unfathomably profound aura descending from the cosmos.

Surprised, Xu Jin carefully activated Dreamweaving, hypnotizing a Worship the Stars Sect disciple guarding the perimeter of the Star God statue and Deng Ruiyang, drawing him into a dream.

Because he was seated cross-legged, even when asleep, he remained seated, not collapsing.

"What is the Star Official doing?"

"I don't know. They say he's setting up an altar to summon the True God—he's been doing this for over a month!"

"For over a month? Has he been sitting here the whole time?"

"Except for eating and drinking every two or three days, he's been continuously activating his Star Official Seal here."

This greatly surprised Xu Jin.

It seemed the Worship the Stars Sect was attempting something massive!

Xu Jin silently hypnotized four or five more people, all giving similar answers.

But the details were unclear.

Yet it left Xu Jin uneasy.

Summoning the True God?

Could they be trying to summon the Star God down to this world?

Even without considering anything else, if they truly brought down this so-called Star God, Xu Jin would be in grave danger.

The Star God—bearing the word "True God"—must be no ordinary entity.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Jin decided to risk hypnotizing Star Official Deng Ruiyang with Dreamweaving.

But interrogating Deng Ruiyang in a dream would be different.

He had to be extremely cautious.

He needed a plausible identity, or else Deng Ruiyang would awaken.

Drawing on his prior memories, Xu Jin immediately found a suitable entry point for dream interrogation—or rather, dream communication.

Marquis Chai Ce.

In the next instant, Xu Jin activated Dreamweaving and instantly pulled Star Official Deng Ruiyang into the dream.

Worth noting: this Star Official Seal possessed a slight Divine Soul defensive function.

When Xu Jin activated Dreamweaving, the Star Official Seal hovering above Deng Ruiyang's head flickered faintly, offering weak resistance.

It likely had to do with the nature of Xu Jin's Dreamweaving Star Art.

It had virtually no offensive capability.

Just as Xu Jin pulled Deng Ruiyang into the dream, within the Seventh-Rank Chaotic Star Region, inside the Worship the Stars Sect's Worship the Stars Altar, Deng Ruiyang's spectral image suddenly vanished.

The sect's Grand Master, whose massive Star God Seal floated above his head, trembled instantly, turning toward the spot where the image had disappeared, then immediately glancing at the Worship the Stars Sect's Execution and Punishment True Person.

"Investigate."

The Execution and Punishment True Person immediately used the sect's secret technique to sense Deng Ruiyang's aura from afar.

After several breaths, he reported: "Grand Master, Star Official Deng Ruiyang's life force still persists, but he left the altar without permission; we cannot yet determine whether an accident occurred."

"I will sense again in fifteen minutes."

"Agreed."

With that, the Worship the Stars Sect's Grand Master once again activated the Star God Seal above his head, using the altar as a foundation and countless Star Jade Tablets as conduits, continuously drawing forth the faint threads of the Star God's Divine Dao Essence from the void.

He felt it was near.

Very near!

A month and a half ago, that thread of Divine Dao Essence was barely visible, almost imperceptible.

Now, it was crystal clear.

He felt the thread of Divine Dao Essence would descend within the next one or two days.

Within the dream of Star Official Deng Ruiyang in Lanshan Star Region's star city, Xu Jin was conversing with Deng Ruiyang in the guise of Marquis Chai Ce.

Calling it "conversation" was misleading—it was essentially an interrogation: Xu Jin asked, Deng Ruiyang answered.

Under Dreamweaving, whatever Xu Jin asked, Deng Ruiyang answered.

The exchange was identical to an interrogation.

As each question was answered, Xu Jin grew increasingly alarmed.

At the New Year's gathering of the Worship of Stars Cult, they had erected an altar to summon the divine essence of the Star Deity into the world, to open the Cult's divine realm.

Does the Worship of Stars Cult even have a divine realm?

Such deep roots.

And they used a seventh-rank powerhouse as a sacrifice.

It was through the Star Official Deng Ruiyang that Xu Jin first heard the location of the Worship of Stars Cult's main altar—the Seventh-Rank Chaotic Star Domain!

A seventh-rank star domain entirely controlled by the leader of the Worship of Stars Cult!

To fully control a seventh-rank star domain, how powerful must the leader of the Worship of Stars Cult be?

Where is this seventh-rank star domain?

Xu Jin was utterly astonished!

Xu Jin now understood why the Star Official Seal he had assimilated had stirred.

It must be because of this.

"How much longer until it succeeds? Or rather, until the divine essence of the Star Deity descends?" asked Xu Jin, in his guise as Yangdu Marquis Chai Ce.

"The leader said it will happen within these few days."

"Will the descending divine essence open your Worship of Stars Cult's divine realm?" Xu Jin asked.

"The leader says yes—he claims this is the Age of Strife, and we've received divine edicts: our cult shall rise, so we've erected the altar to summon the true divine essence."

I don't know if the divine essence is used to open the realm.

But the leader said that all True Persons and Star Officials who hold the seals will share in the blessings—great benefits for all!" said Star Official Deng Ruiyang.

"What kind of great benefits?" Xu Jin pressed.

"The leader didn't specify, only that one may attain our cult's most powerful star arts by comprehending the divine essence—even the true deity's divine arts. Beyond that, countless advantages, especially for breaking through seventh and eighth ranks."

The leader even told several True Persons and True People that if they received the divine essence, they might one day break through to ninth rank," Star Official Deng Ruiyang replied in his dream.

Xu Jin's expression turned stunned.

This statement was far from simple.

It wasn't merely saying the Worship of Stars Cult's True Persons and True People might one day break through to ninth rank.

The hidden implication was that the leader of the Worship of Stars Cult himself must be able to break through to ninth rank.

A ninth-rank powerhouse?

Would the world's first ninth-rank powerhouse emerge within the Worship of Stars Cult?

What chain reactions would this trigger?

After asking many more questions, Xu Jin considered another matter: should he kill this Star Official Deng Ruiyang now?

Or wait until their altar ritual concludes?

Quickly, Xu Jin made his decision.

Not kill him yet!

Kill him, and he'd be exposed immediately.

It might even bring unpredictable trouble.

Let this Star Official Deng Ruiyang return!

A few breaths later, Star Official Deng Ruiyang suddenly awoke.

Upon waking, Deng Ruiyang shuddered violently and slapped himself hard.

I fell asleep!

At such a critical moment, how could he have fallen asleep?

The leader was leading everyone to activate the altar, respectfully summoning the divine essence of the Star Deity.

He had left the altar—surely the leader had noticed!

He'd even had a bizarre dream: meeting Yangdu Marquis Chai Ce and conversing at length.

Strange!

Why was he thinking of that old bastard?

He might as well think of the madam at Yingchun Pavilion than that old man!

Doubts aside, Deng Ruiyang had no time to dwell on it—he had to return immediately and concoct a plausible excuse.

Otherwise, the former altar sacrifice, the Vermilion Bird True Person, would be his precedent.

He might not even be worthy to become a sacrifice!

Urgent need to urinate?

That excuse won't work!

Even if he soiled himself, he still had to request leave from the leader presiding over the altar.

Eating? Even worse!

Emergency matter?

What kind of emergency?

What would sound reasonable?

Star Official Deng Ruiyang was truly resourceful.

Within moments, he actually came up with a plan.

In the Seventh-Rank Chaotic Star Domain, atop the Worship of Stars Cult's altar, the instant Deng Ruiyang's phantom reappeared, the stern gaze of Execution True Person fixed upon him.

"Star Official Deng, why did you leave the altar without permission?"

"Respected True Person, the star domain I oversee has recently seen fierce unrest among barbarians, with frequent incursions by mortal humans. Just now, elite barbarians breached the star city, attempting to assassinate me—I had to depart immediately to respond!"

"Please forgive my transgression," said Star Official Deng Ruiyang earnestly.

"Being targeted by barbarian assassins is indeed an emergency—this explanation is acceptable!"

"Hmm, rejoin the altar. This is a one-time exception—resume strengthening the altar!" said Execution True Person.

"Yes!"

Star Official Deng Ruiyang, having passed inspection, exhaled in relief and resumed channeling his Star Official Seal to bolster the altar.

In the heavens, a radiance grew ever brighter.

It became increasingly linked to the altar in the Chaotic Star Domain, and the Star Deity Seal above the leader's head glowed ever more intensely.

In the star city of Lanshan Star Domain, Xu Jin, having just received confirmed intelligence, frowned deeply—he now faced an extremely critical choice!

(End of Chapter)