Chapter 385: Bird Pecking Eye

Inside Lü Shuning's sixth-rank, ninth-layer Xuimi space, there were no shortage of valuable items.

Alone, there were over a hundred sixth-rank Star Jade Tablets.

In addition, there were more than a dozen fifth-rank celestial treasures capable of enhancing Star Patterns.

Clearly, over these years in the fifth-rank Lanshan Star Region, he'd amassed plenty of gains.

By comparison, Deng Ruiyang's Xuimi space held fewer treasures, yet still contained over fifty sixth-rank Star Jade Tablets and over a thousand fifth-rank ones, along with seven fifth-rank celestial treasures from various elemental lines for enhancing Star Patterns.

These were perfect for Xu Jin to use in strengthening his Star Patterns.

After securing Lü Shuning's Nascent Soul prototype, Xu Jin turned his gaze to the statue of the Star Dipper True God.

Within it, he sensed a vast reservoir of divine power infused with Star Force, though the exact quantity remained unclear.

Xu Jin currently had two choices: first, activate the Star Force within the statue and channel it into the Central Star Palace to attempt breaking through to the fifth-rank, which would dramatically boost his combat power.

The chance of success was still quite high.

Half a year ago, Cao Chun, the supervising abbot of Jinshan Dao Academy, had broken through in precisely this manner.

The second option was to first activate the statue's Star Force to elevate the Lower Star Palace's cultivation, pushing the remaining eleven Star Cores to their absolute limits.

Then, both the Central and Lower Star Palaces could break through to the fifth-rank simultaneously.

After a brief consideration, Xu Jin chose the second path.

The reason was simple: breaking through to the fifth-rank could not be interrupted.

But right now, elite aliens might arrive at any moment.

If elite aliens came while he was upgrading the Lower Star Palace, he could simply pause, fight them off, and resume.

But during a breakthrough, that was impossible.

With this thought, the Fire Ox Sword instantly shot out, and Xu Jin prepared to follow what he'd learned from Headmaster Dong Zhao—pierce a massive hole in the Star Dipper True God's statue first, then absorb its Star Force before taking its divine soul power.

Get rich quick.

But the instant the Fire Ox Sword was about to strike, a colossal, overwhelming surge of energy suddenly erupted from within the Star Dipper True God's statue.

Xu Jin's eyebrows snapped upright.

It wasn't the disturbance itself—he sensed something else within the statue.

At the very moment the colossal energy surged forth, Xu Jin's Mingji Star Pattern detected an immense, overwhelming aura emanating from within the statue.

That aura even brought him an inexplicable sense of oppression.

It made him feel an irresistible urge to kneel and worship.

This shocked Xu Jin deeply.

There was something like this inside?

Instantly, the Yuanling's Tai Guang within his Upper Star Palace retracted, shrinking into a compact, solid form that resisted the statue's terrifying pressure.

At the same instant, the Mingji Star Pattern also identified the source: an extremely small, stone-slice-like object within the statue was emitting the aura.

Xu Jin had probed the statue's interior multiple times with the Mingji Star Pattern before—and never noticed it.

This alone proved the stone fragment's extraordinary nature.

Just as Xu Jin prepared to investigate, a torrent of brilliant starlight suddenly erupted from the Star Dipper True God's statue, like a pillar shooting straight into the heavens.

"What is this?"

Xu Jin instantly realized something was wrong.

The Star Dipper True God's statue had been activated remotely.

The next instant, Xu Jin leapt skyward using Star Stepping, determined to see what this starlight was meant to do!

Simultaneously, he activated the Fire Cloud Divine Thunder and triggered the Lei Xiangxing Pattern, ready to inject the Nine Heavens Thunder Rhythm into the Fire Cloud Divine Thunder at any moment.

Xu Jin was no longer afraid.

Even if the statue was strange, it was no worse than the previous time it had been used to channel Star Force into the Star Official's seal.

He could just sever the connection.

The next instant, as Xu Jin ascended with Star Stepping, a cluster of starlight suddenly descended from the sky of Lanshan Star Region, as if the heavens had opened an eye.

Within the starlight was an extraordinarily powerful Yuanling fluctuation.

In an instant, Xu Jin's Mingji Star Pattern clearly identified the aura.

This Yuanling's power exceeded even his own current Yuanling's output!

Extremely powerful!

The moment this Yuanling descended, the towering pillar of starlight surged upward like it had found its destination, pouring directly into the newly arrived Yuanling.

Instantly, the newly arrived Yuanling's aura surged violently—and it saw Xu Jin!

"So it's a remote projection?"

"Who are you? How dare you kill my Star Official and seize my sect's seal?" The rapidly swelling Yuanling looked down and roared.

"I'm your father!"

As he replied, Xu Jin unleashed the Fire Cloud Divine Thunder infused with two Nine Heavens Thunder Rhythms.

BOOM!

Just as before, the Fire Cloud Divine Thunder sliced through the starlight pillar like a blade, severing it cleanly.

The leader of the Bowei Sect's Yuanling avatar's expression changed instantly—he sensed danger and frantically activated the sect's divine techniques, drawing even more Star Force from the statue to surge skyward, while his newly formed Star Force body shot downward like an arrow toward the Star Dipper True God's statue!

Once inside the statue, with its vast stored power, he could slay three or five seventh-rank cultivators easily!

But at that very moment, Xu Jin's cold laugh echoed in the Bowei Sect leader's ears.

ZI!

Fifteen Heavenly Gang Thunder Chains instantly formed a thunderous net, blocking the path of the leader's Star Force avatar.

Caught off guard, the leader's Star Force avatar plunged headfirst into the thunder net.

The newly formed Star Force body instantly melted away like snow poured with hot broth.

BOOM!

The next instant, the Fire Cloud Divine Thunder struck again.

One blast of Fire Cloud Divine Thunder, augmented by Thunder Light, completely dissolved the Bowei Sect leader's newly formed Star Force avatar, exposing his Yuanling shadow once more.

Without hesitation, Xu Jin summoned lightning again between his fingers and palm.

"How dare you!"

As the leader roared, he launched a Divine Soul attack.

The Divine Soul attack shot like an arrow into Xu Jin's forehead.

Instantly, the Zhenyi Stele within Xu Jin's Upper Star Palace emerged.

But before the Zhenyi Stele had fully appeared, it cracked into fragments under the overwhelming Divine Soul assault.

Xu Jin's expression changed.

This mysterious figure who had descended possessed an extraordinarily powerful Yuanling—far stronger than his own.

A single Divine Soul attack had shattered his Zhenyi Stele; as blood trickled from his lips, the attack struck his Yuanling directly.

At the moment of impact, Xu Jin braced himself for severe Yuanling damage.

But the instant it struck, the thirty-six Divine Soul Stars within his Yuanling blazed with radiant light.

The terrifying Divine Soul attack struck his Yuanling's surface, sending ripples across it and leaving a few fine cracks—then vanished entirely.

PUFF!

Though his Yuanling was wounded, Xu Jin spat only a small amount of blood—he suffered only minor injury.

Meanwhile, the Bowei Sect leader, who had launched the Divine Soul Arrow, immediately charged toward the statue below.

He was confident his Yuanling cultivation was the strongest in the world.

Even a single Yuanling avatar's Divine Soul Arrow should have inflicted grave damage on this fellow, who, though only fourth-rank, had forged a Yuanling.

With this opening, he could fully claim the statue's vast reserves of power.

But the next instant, Xu Jin's Lei Yi flashed behind him—he shot forward like lightning and unleashed the Fire Cloud Divine Thunder.

Again, infused with two Nine Heavens Thunder Rhythms!

"How can—"

The Bowei Sect leader's Yuanling avatar, seeing Xu Jin chasing him, gasped in shock—but only managed to utter three words before his Yuanling was utterly annihilated by the overwhelming Fire Cloud Divine Thunder!

Completely annihilated!

Not a trace remained!

Below, the Star Force within the Star Dipper True God's statue, which had been on the verge of boiling over, suddenly calmed.

The celestial eye that had suddenly appeared in the Lanshan Star Region's sky vanished swiftly.

Xu Jin wiped blood from his lips—he knew the projected Yuanling avatar had been destroyed.

But who was it?

So powerful?

Even a single Yuanling avatar's Divine Soul attack had wounded him.

Fortunately, his Yuanling was forged from thirty-six Divine Soul Stars—its resilience was extraordinary. Like a pillar reinforced with ten steel bars, his was reinforced with thirty-six, and of the highest grade.

He was only wounded.

Otherwise, he would have suffered catastrophic damage, allowing the Yuanling to enter the statue.

The statue contained vast reserves of Star Force and Divine Soul Power—he knew without guessing what would happen if that Yuanling got inside.

Fortunately, he'd destroyed it.

The next instant, Xu Jin activated the Lingtai of the Chengpo Star Pattern; its radiance enveloped his entire Yuanling, slowly healing his wounds, while he stood atop the statue's chest and abdomen, pressing his palm against it, pouring Star Force and Divine Soul Power into it.

Begin searching for the fragment that had emitted a terrifying aura, one never before discovered!

Counting this, it was the third statue of the Star Lord True God that Xu Jin had seen, but discovering that the statue concealed something within—it was his first time.

Puff!

The Master of the Worship of the Stars Sect, who had been meditating and projecting his image within the sect's celestial domain, suddenly opened his eyes in fury, spitting out a jet of blood.

And he spat three times in succession.

After spitting out the three jets of blood, the Master's aura visibly weakened.

His newly attained ninth-rank aura suddenly surged violently.

This caused the Master of the Worship of the Stars Sect to turn pale.

If his cultivation base dropped back to eighth rank, it would be a catastrophic loss.

Though he could cultivate back to ninth rank, the cost would be immense.

In the next instant, the Star Lord Seal descended from the heavens and hovered above the Master's head; a flash of starlight drew in the star power and divine soul energy stored within the Star Lord True God statue in the nearby sect celestial domain.

Instantly, torrents of star power and divine soul energy poured into the Master's body, stabilizing his violently fluctuating aura.

After a long while, the Master of the Worship of the Stars Sect opened his eyes, filled with hatred.

The True Person and the Four Phases True Persons waiting nearby exchanged glances but dared not speak.

"It seems I've been pecked in the eye by a sparrow."

The Master was deeply annoyed, "He specializes in thunder-based star arts—his primal spirit has indeed countered mine. But I've memorized his aura and appearance; I will find him and kill him, and reclaim the divine essence of the Star Official's Seal."

Since the Master had said this, the True Persons and True People could say nothing further.

Could they blame the Master?

"Master, when you asked me to tally and report the status of all Star Officials and the allegiance of their divine essences, I noticed something strange," said the Execution True Person.

"What strange thing?"

"As you stated, twenty-six divine essences were distributed among the Star Officials' seals. But after a full count, including the one just stolen from Star Official Deng Ruiyang, we've accounted for only twenty-five divine essences."

Moreover, our sect possesses or controls only twenty-five Star Official Seals."

Now, there's one extra," said the Execution True Person.

At these words, the high-ranking members of the Worship of the Stars Sect exchanged stunned glances.

That meant two divine essences were missing!

This was a massive problem.

Even a Four Phases True Person received only two divine essences.

The Master himself possessed only five.

And five were enough to push an eighth-rank cultivator to ninth rank.

"This is impossible under normal circumstances! Even if someone obtained our lost Star Official Seals and assimilated them, they could not draw in the divine essence! To draw in the divine essence, one needs not only the Star Official Seal but also a statue of the Star Lord True God."

Only when the divine bone fragments within the statue are activated can the divine essence be drawn in."

But we have never lost even a single fragment of divine bone," said the Five Directions True Person.

"So you mean, a thief assimilated a Star Official Seal and hid near another Star Lord True God statue erected by our sect's Star Officials, intercepting one divine essence."

The Master suddenly realized the implication halfway through.

There could be no other possibility!

"It seems the thief I encountered in the Lanshan Star Region is a repeat offender—he already possesses one Star Official Seal and has come deliberately to steal a second."

Even to intercept the divine essence we painstakingly summoned!"

This thief's ambitions are vast indeed!"

And the young man I saw in the Lanshan Star Region was a fourth-rank ninth-layer cultivator who had forged a primal spirit!"

Logically, he could not know our sect's secrets."

Nor could he possess such cunning or strength!"

There must be a high-level master behind him!"

The Master of the Worship of the Stars Sect made this analysis both because it was factually grounded and because it saved face after his earlier defeat.

After all, the stronger the enemy, the more understandable his failure.

After all, the projection he sent was merely a primal spirit avatar.

He had projected only two-tenths of his primal spirit's power.

"The Hidden True Person!"

Whether by sudden insight or sheer luck, the Vermilion Bird True Person suddenly spoke: "Master, it must be the Hidden True Person Chai Ce! Otherwise, our Vermilion Bird lineage's Star Official Seals would not have been lost two in a row."

And both lost seals were lost in star regions where we cooperated with the Hidden True Person Chai Ce."

When the first one vanished, I already suspected this."

But I dared not voice it."

Now, both lost Star Official Seals vanished in star regions tied to the Hidden True Person Chai Ce—and precisely at the critical moment when the divine essence descended."

I believe the Hidden True Person Chai Ce is highly suspect!"

At these words, the Master of the Worship of the Stars Sect gave the Vermilion Bird True Person an approving glance.

It suited him perfectly.

It also provided him with a graceful way out.

"What do you all think?" asked the Master.

"Master, the Hidden True Person Chai Ce is indeed highly suspect—especially since the divine essence is involved, and he himself is stuck at seventh-rank ninth layer," said the Five Directions True Person.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" asked the sect master.

"Master, we must not act rashly now."

First, though you've broken through to ninth rank, you must not reveal yourself yet, or you'll become the target of every top-tier eighth-rank cultivator in the mortal realm."

Now that our sect's celestial domain has manifested, we should seize the opportunity to expand it and strengthen our power."

Second, the Hidden True Person Chai Ce is currently vital to us."

The divine essence won't dissipate; even if he took it, let it remain with him for now."

Then we can slowly lay our plans."

Wait for the right moment to subdue and control him," said the Execution True Person.

"Excellent advice!"

The Master nodded. "Then proceed as you suggest. For now, treat this incident as if it never happened. Let's see how this Hidden True Person acts."

Having spoken, the Master turned his gaze to the Vermilion Bird True Person, instantly making the latter uneasy.

"According to sect law, losing a Star Official Seal requires recovery within three months; if not, execution is mandatory. But given the circumstances of your loss, we will temporarily overlook it."

Focus on your cultivation and strengthen your power to serve the sect!"

"Thank you, Master, for your mercy!"

Instantly, the Vermilion Bird True Person felt as if he'd been pardoned, and exhaled a long breath of relief.

He had survived this crisis!

(End of Chapter)