Chapter 383: Heaven and Earth Suppress the Ninth Rank

Through the anomalous response of the Star Official seal from Shangxing Palace, Xu Jin realized he might have stumbled upon a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

But he wasn't certain.

According to Star Official Deng Ruiyang, the Worship of Stars Cult had been holding rituals at their main altar in the Seventh-Rank Chaos Star Domain, invoking the divine essence of the Star Deities, for one and a half months, and was nearly successful.

Once the divine essence was summoned, the cult's high-ranking members—especially those bearing the seals—would all share in it.

Star Official Deng Ruiyang himself would be included.

Then what about Xu Jin—would he be included too?

Xu Jin had never considered this before, yet he had indeed sensed numerous hidden fluctuations through the Star Official seal of Shangxing Palace.

Especially above the heavens, there seemed to be some presence capable of stirring the Star Official seal.

If fortune favored him, Xu Jin might acquire a fragment of the Star Deity's divine essence.

Its value was unknown.

But according to the Worship of Stars Cult's claims, even the mere possibility of aiding a breakthrough to Ninth Rank was priceless.

Yet if fortune turned against him, it would bring disaster.

If alongside this divine essence, some so-called Star Deity also descended.

Then it would truly be catastrophe.

But after careful thought, Xu Jin judged this possibility unlikely.

He didn't know what rank the Star Deities were.

But they were certainly above Ninth Rank.

Because in all the legends of this world, Ninth Rank was always called Ninth Rank—never once called a deity.

Directly summoning a god was impossible.

But other dangers might arise.

For instance, elite warriors of the Worship of Stars Cult might pursue or even descend into this star domain.

After hesitating, Xu Jin suddenly turned his gaze inward, focusing on the flickering Nine Heaven Thunder Rhythms within the Leiyuanxing pattern of Zhongxing Palace.

Three per day, over the past month he had accumulated ninety Nine Heaven Thunder Rhythms; in a few more days, he could condense them into a Thunder Pool.

But regardless of whether he could form a Thunder Pool, he had already tested the power of the Nine Heaven Thunder Rhythms—they could be stacked.

If some transcendent being truly arrived,

this would serve as a viable tactic.

With this thought, Xu Jin had made his decision.

How could one pass up a once-in-a-millennium opportunity?

According to Star Official Deng Ruiyang, it would happen within the next day or two—so he would simply wait quietly.

Instead, Xu Jin found a secluded corner within the Star City and began his most anticipated calculation.

Could the newly reverse-engineered Thunder Flight Star Pattern be fused with the Meteor Star Pattern to form a new Star Art?

Or could Meteor Flash combine with Thunder Flight?

If it could, that would be perfect.

But if it couldn't, Xu Jin would have to consider whether to use the Golden Star to calculate Thunder Flight.

Inside the Candou Star Lamp, Xu Jin placed five star patterns in sequence: Leiyuan, Thunder Flight, Leixiang, Meteor, and Willow Fluff.

He infused 160 strands of starlight to begin the calculation.

On the Candou Platform, five starlights swirled; seven cosmic laws shone like sun, moon, and stars upon the platform, causing the five clusters of light to merge continuously.

After half an hour, the five clusters of light converged into one—and at their limit, they exploded violently, scattering into countless specks of starlight.

Calculation failed!

The first attempt to fuse the Meteor Star Pattern with the Thunder Flight Star Pattern had failed.

Xu Jin exhaled slowly.

This outcome wasn't surprising.

The Sixth-Rank Thunder Flight Star Pattern, when he used it, was only slightly slower than fourfold Meteor Flash.

If fused, the speed would likely become invincible.

In the future, if he could elevate the Sixth-Rank Thunder Flight Star Pattern to Eighth Rank, its speed might even outpace Eighth-Rank cultivators.

Though he thought it unlikely, he still wanted to try.

Currently, he could perform one calculation every four days.

He already had a rough idea of which star pattern to use next.

Star patterns compatible with Thunder Flight were extremely limited.

The Chain Star Pattern was one; the reverse-engineered Lei Yi Star Pattern was another.

He would test them one by one—there were plenty of chances; one might succeed eventually.

After the failed calculation, Xu Jin didn't waste time—he took out the blood inheritance of the Thunder Flight Star Pattern, the blood of the Thunder Eagle King, and the star core of the Thunder Eagle clan, then enveloped himself in the projection of the Candou Lamp Domain to begin reverse-engineering.

The Star City built by the Worship of Stars Cult was truly peaceful.

As long as no one fought, no one cared!

Xu Jin even saw an alien race fly overhead—he merely glanced at Xu Jin once, then swiftly retreated, both reverent and fearful.

Xu Jin understood: they likely mistook him for a cultist.

Time passed.

In the blink of an eye, a night had passed.

On the second morning after Xu Jin entered the Fifth-Rank Lanshan Star Domain, at dawn, his Shangxing Palace Star Official seal suddenly trembled violently.

The Yuanling Taiguang within Xu Jin's Shangxing Palace Star Official, whose maximum radiation distance had reached nearly twelve meters, suddenly retracted, sank slightly, and in an instant, the brilliant seal was completely suppressed.

It could no longer emit any starlight.

This greatly increased Xu Jin's sense of security.

If it could be suppressed, that was good.

At the same time, Xu Jin looked toward the Star Official seal atop Deng Ruiyang's head, hundreds of meters away, which at that very moment blazed with starlight.

Not only his seal, but the statue of the Star Deity behind him also shone brilliantly, like a light show from his past life, dazzling with five colors, profoundly awe-inspiring.

All the Worship of Stars Cult followers surrounding them knelt down, chanting the name of the Star Deity.

Even Lu Shuning, the envoy of Marquis Yangdu, was awestruck by this spectacle.

And Xu Jin, confident in his abilities, dared greatly.

Watching Deng Ruiyang seated beneath the Star Deity statue, Xu Jin stealthily moved to the statue's rear, concealed himself, then slowly activated his Star Official seal.

As soon as he activated it, the seal instantly flew from his body, blazing with starlight.

In Xu Jin's perception, a vast, immense aura from the boundless heavens was plummeting like a meteor.

After a moment's hesitation, Xu Jin chose to continue activating his seal, and precisely concealed his seal within the starlight of the Star Deity statue.

Simultaneously, within the Seventh-Rank Chaos Star Domain, the Star Deity Seal atop the Worship of Stars Cult's leader shot skyward, its starlight surging upward as if in welcome.

"My brethren, the divine essence of the True Deity has descended—receive it!"

The cult leader's voice echoed like a dream, excited yet tinged with madness.

In the next instant, the four Xiang True Persons, two Divine Sons, two True Persons, and twenty-five Star Officials present all excitedly activated their seals, welcoming the descent of the divine essence.

Ten breaths later, a meteor-like beam of light suddenly plummeted from the horizon, trailing fire as it streaked toward the Star Deity Seal.

This beam of starlight passed directly through the Star Deity Seal—upon passing, it left half its radiance behind, while the other half instantly split into thirty-four strands.

Eight of these strands, substantial in volume, pierced through multiple realms and descended into the Seventh-Rank Chaos Star Domain, transforming into eight small meteors that swiftly entered the seals atop the heads of the four Xiang True Persons, the two Divine Sons, and the two True Persons. The remaining twenty-six strands were drawn by some mysterious force toward twenty-six other star domains.

At the instant the reception was complete, the Star Deity Seal, which had just shot skyward and exited the domain, instantly reversed course, returning to hover above the cult leader's head.

Ninety percent of the divine essence just absorbed by the Star Deity Seal instantly transformed into vast starlight, flooding into the hundred-meter-tall Star Deity statue at the altar's center.

Instantly, something within the statue began to dissolve.

At the same moment, half a percent of the total divine essence absorbed by the Star Deity Seal flowed directly into the cult leader's body.

Entering from the crown of his head.

In an instant, the cult leader became a being of pure light, as if purified by starlight, or as if the divine essence had pierced through his entire body.

In a mere instant, the cult leader's Eighth-Rank peak aura began rapidly transforming.

Toward Ninth Rank.

But the moment the transformation began, the accumulated cosmic will of the Seventh-Rank Chaos Star Domain pressed down upon the cult leader.

Bound by the laws and innate limitations of this world, it could bear no more than Eighth-Rank peak power.

It could not sustain Ninth-Rank power.

Especially since Ninth-Rank power was uniquely extraordinary.

If a Ninth-Rank being appeared, the domain's primordial essence would shatter under the strain.

This star domain would become a dead zone!

This was the instinct of cosmic will.

Thus, the moment cosmic will pressed down, it was the entire domain's power that converged to suppress.

Normally, no individual could oppose the power of an entire domain.

A single person's strength, compared to a star domain's, was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Normally, suppression was the only outcome.

But the Worship of Stars Cult's leader, watching the rolling thunderclouds gathering from all directions—the immense primordial forces of this star domain—felt not the slightest fear.

Nor did the cult's followers below show any dread; instead, their faces glowed with excitement!

At the same instant, within the statue of the Star Lord, where immense truths of the Divine Dao had been infused, the numerous seals surrounding the hazy starlight melted away like snow poured with hot broth.

The next instant, the moment the seals fully dissolved, the hazy starlight began rapidly expanding.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a realm no larger than a hundred square meters.

The moment this realm appeared, the Master of the Worship of the Stars glanced at the Heavenly Will pressing down upon him, then roared with laughter, "My lords, follow me into the Divine Realm!"

The next instant, the Master of the Worship of the Stars, the Four Phases True Person, the two Divine Sons, and the two True Juniors vanished in an instant, rushing into the newly opened Divine Realm of the sect.

At that same moment, under the Master's command, the twenty-five Star Officials on the altar simultaneously activated their power; the offerings upon the altar—especially the hundreds of thousands of Star Jade Gui of all ranks, including the flesh and star-core of the Vermilion Bird True Person—turned to ash in an instant, transforming into countless beams of starlight that poured into the Divine Realm.

The Divine Realm expanded at breakneck speed, growing to nearly a kilometer in size in an instant.

The Master of the Worship of the Stars, upon entering, immediately launched the Star Lord's Divine Seal from atop his head; the moment the Seal merged with the Divine Realm, it surged with the newly acquired torrent of star energy and transformed into an ancient monstrous beast that burst forth.

With a single gulp, it swallowed the Seventh-Rank Chaos Star Realm's Heavenly Will pressing in from all directions.

Throughout the heavens, rolling thunderclouds and the countless primordial forces gathered from this star realm all became nourishment for the Divine Realm.

The next instant, the Divine Realm sprouted forth, rapidly expanding as it fused with the Seventh-Rank Star Realm.

Like a painter's brush, wherever the Divine Realm's starlight passed, everything bore the aura of the Star Lord.

At that same instant, the constraints of heaven and earth vanished.

Like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, the Master of the Worship of the Stars' previously unbroken aura shattered through, aided by the Divine Realm.

He crossed into the Ninth Rank.

A vast, overwhelming, and terrifying aura surged forth like a tidal wave, spreading across the entire Seventh-Rank Star Realm.

The alien beings within this Seventh-Rank Star Realm were instantly stunned by this terrifying aura.

Even the Eighth-Rank alien elites and alien kings, long since subdued by the Master of the Worship of the Stars, trembled violently beneath the pressure of this aura.

The next instant, as the Divine Realm's aura expanded, the Xuanwu True Person among the Four Phases True Person's aura surged upward, breaking from Seventh-Rank Peak into the Eighth Rank.

Then came the Xingsha True Junior, whose aura also began ascending into the Eighth Rank.

Seeing this, the Master of the Worship of the Stars burst into roaring laughter, his voice like rolling thunder.

He laughed with utter freedom, with boundless exultation!

Years of planning, years of hiding—today, at last, he had reached the Ninth Rank, and could laugh aloud to the nine heavens!

Once the Divine Realm fully fused with this star realm and became one with this world, he would lead his followers back to the Star River Battlefield, back to the mortal realm.

Then, the Worship of the Stars Sect would no longer be the street rats it was now, hunted everywhere.

At that time, the Worship of the Stars Sect would be the orthodox great sect of both the mortal realm and the Star River Battlefield!

Let anyone dare resist!

We shall crush them all!

"Enough! The Divine Dao truths of the True God have descended; the Divine Realm has begun fusing with this star realm—great success is achieved!

Return at once. I am certain the statues of the Star Lord you venerate have already drawn the Divine Dao truths toward you; collect them into your Star Official Seals and refine them at your leisure.

Those at a cultivation bottleneck may sense the opportunity to break through.

Break through without fear—you need not dread being trapped within this star realm.

Even if you are trapped, I will soon come to personally guide each of you here!" said the Master of the Worship of the Stars.

"We congratulate our Master!"

"Shared joy! Go quickly!"

The next instant, as the Master of the Worship of the Stars waved his hand, the twenty-five projected images of the Star Officials vanished instantly, returning to their respective star realms.

Within the Fifth-Rank Lanshan Star Realm.

The moment Star Official Deng Ruiyang's consciousness returned, he saw two beams of starlight descend, drawn by the statue of the Star Lord behind him.

Without hesitation, Deng Ruiyang activated his Star Official Seal and began gathering the two beams of starlight, each infused with the Divine Dao truths of the Star Lord.

As the Master had said, only the Star Official Seal could collect them.

Gather first, then slowly contemplate and refine them.

Below the Eighth Rank, it would take a long time to fully comprehend and refine them.

Yet the moment he activated his Star Official Seal, Deng Ruiyang was startled—why were there two here?

The Master had said each Star Official received one.

That meant each received one percent of the total Divine Dao truths drawn down.

The higher one's rank within the Worship of the Stars Sect, the more Divine Dao truths one received!

Two here meant two percent?

Why?

Had his devout faith moved the Star Lord, who then rewarded him with two?

It must be because of this!

Overcome with ecstatic joy, Star Official Deng Ruiyang frantically activated his Star Official Seal, trying to absorb both Divine Dao truths into it.

But strangely, his Star Official Seal absorbed only one.

The other had flown behind the Star Lord!

This left Star Official Deng Ruiyang utterly bewildered.

He swiftly sealed the one Divine Dao truth into his Star Official Seal, then leapt into the starlight and turned to gaze behind the Star Lord.

He wanted to know why this Divine Dao truth had gone there.

The next instant, Star Official Deng Ruiyang saw with extreme shock another Star Official Seal.

This Seal had just absorbed the other Divine Dao truth!

"What?"

Star Official Deng Ruiyang was utterly astonished—where had this Star Official Seal come from?

Instinctively, he sent out a beam of starlight to retrieve the suddenly appearing Seal.

The next instant, Xu Jin's figure materialized.

BOOM!

The moment he appeared, a bolt of lightning struck the top of Star Official Deng Ruiyang's head!

Instantly, the utterly unprepared Star Official Deng Ruiyang was reduced to ashes by the Fire Cloud Divine Thunder.

"Damn, he was too fragile!" Xu Jin exclaimed.

(End of Chapter)