Chapter 478: Weakness and the Impossible

Four Elders fell in battle, and this directly caused the Star Lord of Cangming to lose his composure.

Nearly half of Cangming Star Temple's eighth-rank power in the mortal realm had been annihilated.

The losses were catastrophic.

The key issue was that the Star Lord of Cangming still did not know who was responsible.

Under these circumstances, the Star Lord of Cangming no longer cared about his pride—he personally came to Xihai Province to trace the remnants of the battle.

If he failed to uncover the perpetrator, and an enemy lurked in the shadows capable of silently eliminating four eighth-rank experts, Star Lord Wu Shou feared he would never sleep peacefully again.

Precisely because the Star Lord of Cangming had arrived in Xihai Province, Guoshi Cheng Cheng Yuexiao, who had originally intended to pursue and kill one or two of the Lord Tianyang Star Temple's retreating elites, was forced to change course and head to Xihai Province as well.

The Director of the Xihai Province Branch, upon seeing Guoshi Cheng Cheng Yuexiao arrive in person, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had nearly collapsed in fear upon seeing the Star Lord of Cangming arrive in Xihai Province.

He had thought he was doomed.

Then, unexpectedly, Guoshi had come.

Now, he was safe.

The Star Lord of Cangming did not advance to attack the Xihai Province Branch; instead, he continuously sensed and searched for lingering battle energies, tracing them back to their source in an attempt to find the enemy.

After arriving at the Xihai Province Branch, Guoshi Cheng Cheng Yuexiao did not immediately seek out the Star Lord of Cangming; instead, he immediately gathered all the elite experts who had witnessed Xu Jin single-handedly charging out of the Zhaixing Tower's branch and drawing away the Cangming Star Temple's experts, then individually imposed Soul-Sealing Restrictions upon them.

Theoretically, Xu Jin no longer needed such protection.

But Guoshi Cheng Cheng Yuexiao believed it was still necessary.

One must never underestimate the shamelessness of the Star Lord of Cangming and the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang.

Twenty years ago, the Star Lord of Lord Lingji underestimated their shamelessness—and was ambushed, killed, and forced to seal his tower and lock his temple.

If both the Star Lord of Cangming and the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang believe Xu Jin threatens them, they will find common ground and join forces to exterminate him.

Of course, Cheng Cheng Yuexiao knew better: Xu Jin could no longer be hidden.

He might conceal him for a few months at most—no longer.

But even a few months were extremely precious.

In a few months, Xu Jin's strength could rise further.

Those who had trained alongside Xu Jin—himself, Meng Meng Yanhui, Dong Zhao, Peng Lao, Ying Ge, Liu Zhou Qingzhu, and others—could fully absorb the results of this month's secluded cultivation and make great leaps in power.

Although over a thousand disciples had been taken into the Zhaixing Tower during its defense,

most were at lower levels.

Only a few dozen elite experts on the sixth and seventh floors had seen Xu Jin.

Guoshi Cheng Cheng Yuexiao did not mind the trouble—he and Xu Jin each performed Soul-Sealing Restrictions on one another, strictly forbidding any leakage of information regarding Xu Jin.

After swiftly handling these matters, Cheng Cheng Yuexiao stepped forward to seek out the Star Lord of Cangming, who was still tracking the battle traces.

"Star Lord, the matter in Jingzhou can no longer be pursued!"

"Now that you have come to our Chen Guo's Xihai Province, is this not going too far?"

At this moment, it was still unwise to openly break with the Star Lord of Cangming, even with Ji Bang's blood feud hanging between them.

But that blood feud—Cheng Cheng Yuexiao and Chen Guo would never forget it.

A gentleman seeks revenge, and ten years is not too late!

Right now, Chen Guo simply needs a little more time!

The closer Chen Guo drew to growth, the closer it came to success, the more cautious Cheng Cheng Yuexiao became.

He absolutely did not wish to repeat the fate of the Lord Lingji Star Temple.

The Star Lord of Cangming, Wu Shou, who had been closing his eyes and sensing the battlefield where Xu Jin had fought the four Elders, turned his head without a word, silently studying Cheng Cheng Yuexiao while carefully sensing his aura.

Guoshi Cheng Cheng Yuexiao remained utterly unmoved.

Yet within the Star Lord of Cangming's heart, a storm of shock surged.

He had already located the site of the battle—he now stood precisely where the four Elders of Cangming Star Temple had been slain.

The star-force fluctuations here bore unmistakable signs of being scrubbed clean.

Though cleaned, the Star Lord of Cangming still detected a faint trace.

One eighth-rank peak aura remained.

Extremely strong. Extremely unfamiliar.

But because it had been scrubbed, he could not be certain whether he had ever encountered it before.

The killer was now clear: an eighth-rank peak expert.

But what puzzled him was that all battle traces had been erased by overwhelming spatial star-force.

This pointed to one suspect—the Master of Xumi Palace.

But here lay the question: if the Master of Xumi Palace had done this, why use spatial star-force to clean the battlefield?

There was clear intent to frame someone.

At this moment, as he turned his head, the Star Lord of Cangming sensed again and found that the lingering eighth-rank peak aura here differed greatly from Cheng Cheng Yuexiao's aura.

So then, who was the eighth-rank peak killer?

The Star Lord of Lord Tianyang?

The Master of Xumi Palace?

The Master of Muling Palace?

Or the Star Lord of Zhen'e?

Or was there another top-tier eighth-rank peak expert hidden in the shadows, unknown to him?

The Star Lord of Cangming was filled with doubt.

"Guoshi Cheng."

As the Star Lord of Cangming opened his mouth, he suddenly turned his head toward the Xihai Sea.

At the same moment, Cheng Cheng Yuexiao's gaze followed—he saw the meteor-like streak of fire, and immediately retreated thirty li.

In the sky, the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang's thunderous roar echoed.

"Wu Shou, can you act like a man and fight me, the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang, face to face?"

"Why do you always sneak around like a woman, striking from behind?"

"Is that amusing?"

Having learned of his losses, the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang flew into a rage and stormed toward the Star Lord of Cangming.

As each unit withdrew, the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang quickly tallied the casualties.

Three eighth-rank, six seventh-rank.

The losses were so severe they caused the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang acute heartache.

Not only had his elite forces failed to return, but he had lost so many.

Lord Tianyang Star Temple's strength had been reduced by more than a third.

It was simply absurd.

So who had done it?

The Chen Guo Dao Academy was immediately ruled out.

If Chen Guo Dao Academy had such capability, Lord Tianyang Star Temple would have lost far more.

Quickly, based on reports from all sides, the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang formed his judgment: Cangming Star Temple.

Although all Cangming Star Temple branches and sub-temples had closed for star-pattern cultivation, Lord Tianyang Star Temple, after decades of operation, still had deep-cover spies.

They had obtained intelligence that the Cangming Star Temple's Elders had secretly mobilized as a group.

With additional corroborating evidence, the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang immediately concluded—then stormed here.

At this moment, the Star Lord of Cangming had no words to defend himself.

He could only glare coldly and engage the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang in battle.

Because the Star Lord of Cangming still did not know who had killed his four Elders.

Did these two men know?

If they knew, and he confessed, he would only lose face.

If they did not know, and he confessed, he would not only be mocked but also bring crisis upon Cangming Star Temple.

Four Elders dead—strength halved.

Today, Cangming Star Temple was already showing signs of becoming yesterday's Chen Guo Dao Academy.

Fortunately, in this battle, Lord Tianyang Star Temple had also lost two eighth-rank experts.

Their strength had also been diminished.

Otherwise, Wu Shou, the Star Lord of Cangming, would truly be unable to sleep.

Above the Xihai Sea, the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang, Zhuang Zhen, clashed with the Star Lord of Cangming, Wu Shou.

At first, the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang came to vent his rage and hurl insults.

But the more he fought, the angrier he became.

He recalled the years of betrayal by Cangming Star Temple—each strike deeper than the last—and his fury grew, until true wrath ignited.

The Star Lord of Cangming, too, had been bottling up rage with no outlet—and now the Star Lord of Lord Tianyang had come.

Then let us fight!

I'm not afraid of you!

Far away, Guoshi Cheng Cheng Yuexiao watched the duel between the two top-tier eighth-rank experts, his eyes gleaming with delight.

Opportunities to witness combat between top-tier eighth-rank experts were exceedingly rare.

Especially now that the two had truly begun fighting.

They unleashed every trick they had, clearly showing signs of fighting to the death!

Cheng Cheng Yuexiao even wondered whether he should ally with one of them to eliminate the other.

Half a moment later, staggering starlight spread from the Western Sea to the eastern coast.

On the eastern shore lay a small fishing village inhabited by thousands.

At this moment, every villager faced utter despair, as if the end of the world had come.

But the State Preceptor Cheng Cheng Yuexiao could only sigh and shake his head.

In the end, he could not stand by and let his subjects die from the collateral damage of others' battles!

No matter how greedy he might be, he could never allow his own people to perish!

Ding!

As the deep, resonant tones of the Nine Sheng Bells rang through heaven and earth, State Preceptor Cheng Cheng Yuexiao swiftly approached the battlefield between Star Lord Lord Tianyang and Star Lord Cangming, holding the Nine Sheng Bells.

"Both Star Lords, if you wish to fight, take it to the sea—these common folk are innocent."

No sooner had Cheng Cheng Yuexiao arrived and spoken than Star Lord Lord Tianyang and Star Lord Cangming, as if startled, instantly broke apart and eyed each other warily.

Star Lord Lord Tianyang feared being surrounded and attacked by both Star Lord Cangming and Cheng Cheng Yuexiao—if the two joined forces fully, he would either die or be gravely wounded, and that would be disastrous.

Likewise, the deaths of the four Elders had made Star Lord Cangming begin to suspect everyone.

Previously, he had firmly believed the Chen Guo Dao Academy could never cooperate with the Star Lord Lord Tianyang Temple.

But now, the mysterious deaths of the four Elders had opened his mind to countless possibilities.

If Cheng Cheng Yuexiao and Star Lord Lord Tianyang had conspired to trap him—even to kill him—it was entirely possible.

So he had retreated as far as he could.

The three watched each other warily, carefully keeping their distance.

"State Preceptor Cheng, you've played a masterful move," said Star Lord Lord Tianyang Zhuang Zhen.

"Not nearly as masterful as Star Lord Wu's strategic planning," Cheng Cheng Yuexiao smiled.

"Hmph, you're far more cunning than I am, always playing all sides!" Star Lord Cangming sneered.

Star Lord Lord Tianyang, having suffered heavy losses, sneered and turned to Cheng Cheng Yuexiao: "State Preceptor Cheng, what Chen Guo has taken from me today, I will repay tenfold!"

With those words, Star Lord Lord Tianyang spun on his heel and vanished like a falling star.

Inside the Star Lord Lord Tianyang Temple, internal strife and external threats had recently converged, and now with this major loss, he needed to return quickly to stabilize morale.

As long as he, the Star Lord, appeared, the temple would calm down.

Cheng Cheng Yuexiao had wanted to reply that what Chen Guo had claimed today was merely the debt the Star Lord Lord Tianyang Temple owed Chen Guo over the past twenty years.

But with Star Lord Cangming present, he stayed silent.

At this moment, it was unwise to provoke Star Lord Cangming further.

Four Eighth-Rank elders had died in battle, even his most capable Senior Elder Sun Sun Xianzu had fallen—Star Lord Cangming had refrained from attacking the Western Sea Province in rage, which already showed remarkable restraint.

"Star Lord Wu, our Chen Guo has always been few in number and weak in strength. Ji Bang had been on the verge of breaking into the Eighth Rank, but now—alas!" Cheng Cheng Yuexiao feigned helplessness to confuse Star Lord Cangming.

"It's only one Ji Bang lost!"

Star Lord Cangming snorted, forcibly swallowing the rest of his words, then turned and left.

He had intended to say that his own Cangming Star Temple had lost four Eighth-Rank elders.

But in the end, he said nothing.

"Star Lord Wu, perhaps this year's selection should be waived," State Preceptor Cheng Cheng Yuexiao called out after the departing Star Lord Cangming.

"Impossible!"

Four words echoed through the void.

State Preceptor Cheng Cheng Yuexiao, left standing, frowned slightly.

This year's selection had already completely broken ties with the Star Lord Lord Tianyang Temple; all their forces stationed in Chen Guo had been expelled—there was no way the Star Lord Lord Tianyang Temple could conduct the selection.

But the Cangming Star Temple still held its right to select.

Especially at this critical moment, it was unwise to openly break with the Cangming Star Temple.

Doing so now would directly push the two Star Temples back into alliance.

He had hoped this incident would make the Cangming Star Temple voluntarily relinquish its selection rights.

But now, it seemed impossible.

He would have to carefully plan the selection matter again.

He no longer wished to sacrifice the cultivation prospects of any Chen Guo genius.

But he still had to deceive the Cangming Star Temple.

This would not be easy.

(End of Chapter)