amaotonovel Chapter 1431 Re-examining the Chaotic Star Sea
Chapter 1431 Re-examining the Chaotic Star Sea
The entrance to the "Bloody Forbidden Land" of the Yue Kingdom.
At the time when the forbidden area was open, dozens of Qi Refining stage disciples recruited by the six sects of the Demonic Path, led by six Core Formation stage demonic cultivators, were gathered here, and the air was filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
"Alas, I heard that when the forbidden area opened five years ago, fewer than ten of our fellow disciples who went in came out alive... It was truly a tragic scene." A disciple of the Spirit Beast Mountain, or rather, the Spirit Control Sect, sighed softly, his voice filled with fear.
Upon hearing this, a disciple from the Ghost Spirit Sect nearby smiled bitterly and said, "Who can argue with that? What can we do? We're just mediocre talents, and we ended up in this demonic sect. Back when the Seven Sects of Yue Kingdom were still around, although it was dangerous, there were still some rules. Now..."
"Rules?" A disciple of the Heavenly Fiend Sect sneered, his face displaying the cruelty and indifference characteristic of demonic cultivators: "The seven sects of Yue Kingdom are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites! The cultivation world is a dog-eat-dog world, and weakness is the original sin! The opportunities and treasures in the forbidden area naturally belong to the capable, and the incapable... deserve to die, which will save the sect some resources!"
The leader of the Hehuan Sect's Core Formation demonic cultivators, a middle-aged man with a delicate face, slowly opened his eyes, which had been closed for rest, glanced at the sky, and said in a cold voice, "The time is almost up. Prepare to open the passage."
Upon hearing this, the other five Core Formation demon cultivators stood up, took their positions, and began to unleash their demonic power, preparing to work together to cast a spell and forcefully open a temporary gap in the solid barrier.
However, just as the six-person technique was about to be completed—
"call out--!"
At the edge of the sky, a dark green streak of light tore through the air at a speed exceeding the limits of their divine senses! Its speed and power caused all the cultivators present, including the six Core Formation cultivators, to feel a tremor from the depths of their souls!
"So... so fast!"
"This oppressive aura... could it be... a Nascent Soul stage monster?!"
The demon cultivators were terrified. The magical power they had just gathered instantly dissipated, and they all fell silent, not daring to make the slightest move.
In the blink of an eye, the dark green light appeared overhead, revealing a simple yet elegant dark green dragon boat! On the dragon boat, a young cultivator in a green robe, with a robust build and seemingly unremarkable appearance, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing indifferently down below. The oppressive aura emanating from him was like an invisible mountain, pressing down on everyone's hearts, making it difficult for them to breathe and causing their magical energy to stagnate.
A Nascent Soul cultivator! Definitely someone at or above the Nascent Soul stage!
The leading Core Formation demon cultivator from the Hehuan Sect suppressed his fear and quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully. His voice was filled with unprecedented reverence and caution: "Junior Xu Yuan of the Hehuan Sect greets Senior! I don't know... I don't know what brings Senior here. If there is anything we can do to help, please give us your instructions!"
Qin Hao glanced indifferently at the group of demonic cultivators below, ignoring the question from the Hehuan Sect cultivator. With a thought, he put away the Ink Dragon Boat and slowly descended in front of them. His gaze passed over the trembling demonic cultivators and landed on the outer perimeter of the blood-red forbidden area, shrouded in a hazy glow and exuding an ancient and dangerous aura.
In a daze, three hundred years seemed to flow before his eyes. Back then, he was just a minor cultivator in the Qi Refining stage, struggling to survive in this forbidden area like the disciples below, clinging to a sliver of hope for Foundation Establishment. Now, he stands at the pinnacle of the human realm's cultivation world, a powerful cultivator in the late Nascent Soul stage, only a step away from the legendary Deity Transformation realm. Things have changed, and the world has transformed; a sense of melancholy inevitably arises in his heart.
He ignored the demonic cultivator from the Hehuan Sect and slowly walked towards the seemingly thin but actually incredibly tough five-colored barrier.
"Senior! No!" The leading demonic cultivator from the Joyful Union Sect couldn't help but exclaim in alarm, "This restriction is an ancient relic, extremely profound and mysterious. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator..."
Before he could finish speaking, the scene before him abruptly cut him off.
The moment Qin Hao touched the five-colored restriction, it rippled violently, as if a boulder had been thrown into a lake! The sky above the restricted area changed color, and the five-colored rays of light converged wildly, transforming into bolts of five-element lightning containing destructive power, which struck down towards Qin Hao! The power was so great that even the Core Formation demon cultivators present felt their scalps tingle!
However, faced with this powerful counterattack from the restriction that could seriously injure a Nascent Soul cultivator, Qin Hao merely raised the corner of his mouth, revealing a hint of disdain.
"Om-!"
A dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from his body! A primal, vast, and majestic aura soared into the sky! The phantom image of the three-headed, six-armed Brahma Saint True Magic Image behind him flashed by. He didn't use any magical treasures; he simply stretched out his hands, covered in dense golden light, and pierced into the raging five-colored lightning as if tearing silk!
“Sizzle——!!!”
A tearing sound that made your teeth ache rang out! Under the dumbfounded gazes of the six Core Formation demon cultivators and dozens of Qi Refining disciples, the indestructible blood-red forbidden zone restriction that had plagued the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom for countless years was actually torn open by Qin Hao with his bare hands, creating a stable passage large enough for one person to pass through!
Inside the passage, the power of the five elements remained violent, but it was forcibly pushed aside and suppressed by an even more powerful golden force.
Qin Hao acted as if he had done something insignificant, his expression remaining calm. He took a step and entered the passage. After his figure disappeared, the torn passage slowly closed, and the five-colored restriction returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
The scene fell into a deathly silence.
After a long while, someone swallowed hard and made a dry sound:
"This this……"
"I...I didn't see wrong, did I? He...he tore open the barrier with his bare hands?"
"How is this possible?! Even Martial Aunt Yunlu couldn't do it back then! Could it be that..."
"Late Nascent Soul stage! He's definitely a late Nascent Soul stage cultivator!"
"Impossible! When did such a young late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator emerge in the Tiannan cultivation world?"
"Wait... Green robe, dark green dragon boat, powerful physique... Could he be the newly promoted late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Qingxu Sect that has been rumored in recent years?"
Mentioning this name, especially the Core Formation cultivator from the Ghost Spirit Sect, instantly turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his back like a waterfall! He felt as if he had just walked through the gates of hell! This fiend had a blood feud with their Ghost Spirit Sect! It was said that the sect's two Nascent Soul patriarchs—Wang Tiangu and Wang Tiansheng—had both perished at his hands!
"Fellow Daoists...should we report this matter to the Supreme Elder of our sect immediately?" the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator asked, his voice trembling.
The Core Formation demonic cultivator from the Hehuan Sect took a deep breath, barely suppressing his shock, and said in a deep voice, "Of course we must report! However... if this person is truly that late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator... I'm afraid that in the entire Tiannan region, only the Hehuan Ancestor can exchange a few words with him now..."
The group exchanged speechless glances, their hearts filled with shock and lingering fear. They had no more interest in opening any forbidden areas and hastily led their disciples away, wanting only to relay the news back to their sect as soon as possible.
……
Within the blood-red forbidden zone.
Qin Hao steered the Ink Dragon Boat, transforming into a low-flying streak of dark green light, ignoring the complex terrain and lurking dangers within the forbidden area, and flew straight towards the central region. Wherever the dragon boat passed, the powerful aura of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator spread out without any concealment. The level one demonic beasts within the forbidden area were all terrified, prostrating themselves on the ground, trembling, not daring to even breathe, let alone attack.
Before long, a simple, even somewhat crude, ancient stone tower, only three stories high and constructed entirely of some unknown grayish-white stone, came into view. Covered in the marks of time and overgrown with moss, it blended seamlessly with its surroundings and was easily overlooked unless one was specifically looking for it.
"This is the Tianyuan Pagoda? It looks... quite simple and unadorned." Qin Hao lowered the dragon boat and landed in front of the pagoda, examining the seemingly ordinary stone tower.
He stepped forward and reached out to try to push open the tightly closed stone door, which was covered with indistinct patterns.
However, just as his palm was about to touch the stone door—
"Buzz!"
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surrounding the stone tower suddenly surged! Five colors of light—gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow—emerged out of thin air, rapidly condensing into a colorful palm the size of a house, incredibly solid, and containing immense power of the five elements. With the force to crush everything, it slammed down towards Qin Hao! Before the palm even arrived, the immense pressure had already caused the ground to crack!
"Humph!"
Qin Hao snorted coldly, neither dodging nor avoiding, and the Brahma Saint True Demon Art in his body started to circulate on its own. His right fist was surrounded by golden light, and he threw a simple and direct punch upwards!
"boom!"
The golden fist shadow collided fiercely with the Five Elements Giant Palm! The violent energy shockwave spread out in all directions, shattering the surrounding ancient trees and boulders into dust! The Five Elements Giant Palm shattered in response, turning into a sky full of spiritual light.
But the next moment, even more spiritual energy from the five elements converged from all directions, as if provoked, condensing into more swords, spears, halberds, giant hands, and mountains, bombarding Qin Hao like a tidal wave, with each wave stronger than the last!
"Interesting." A hint of surprise flashed in Qin Hao's eyes: "It seems that the original owner of this Heavenly Origin Pagoda was at least at the Nascent Soul stage in his lifetime. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the self-defense restriction he left behind to still have such power after so many years of sitting in meditation."
Although he wasn't afraid, there was no need to waste his magic power forcing his way in. With a thought, he took out the golden treasure chest he had obtained in the core stone hall of the forbidden area years ago from his storage bag. This item was faintly connected to the aura of the Heavenly Origin Pagoda, and should be some kind of token.
As Qin Hao took out the golden treasure chest and infused it with a trace of magic power, the surface of the chest immediately shone with a soft golden light. The Five Elements power that had been surging wildly, threatening to tear Qin Hao apart, suddenly became docile, as if it had encountered a monarch. After circulating around the golden treasure chest for a moment, it slowly receded like the tide and disappeared back into the void.
"Zha zha zha—"
At the same time, the tightly closed stone door made a heavy scraping sound and slowly opened inward, revealing a deep passage behind it.
Qin Hao put away the golden treasure chest and stepped inside.
Stepping into the first level of the pagoda, a breathtaking view unfolds before you. From the outside, it appears only a few dozen feet in diameter, but the interior space is far more expansive than imagined, as if some sophisticated spatial expansion technique had been employed. The tables, chairs, and furnishings in the hall, though simple and unadorned, are spotless and radiate a faint spiritual light, showing no signs of decay from the passage of countless ages.
"As expected, there's more to it than meets the eye. Could this Heavenly Origin Pagoda itself be a high-grade spatial magic treasure?" Qin Hao wondered, trying to refine the pagoda by circulating the Tongbao Technique. However, no matter how much magic power he channeled, the pagoda remained unresponsive, as if it were just an ordinary stone structure.
"It seems that either the refining method is wrong, or this treasure has other secrets, or... its level is too high, beyond my current reach." Qin Hao did not force it, gave up the idea of refining it, and instead began to search for any treasures that might exist inside the tower.
The first floor seemed to be the original owner's reception area, displaying some ancient treasures and magical artifacts, most of which were of ordinary quality and no longer of interest to Qin Hao. He glanced at them briefly and gave up, then went up the internal staircase to the second floor.
The second floor was several times larger than the first, resembling a small, independent world, divided into several areas such as the alchemy room and the artifact-making chamber. Here, Qin Hao discovered a skeleton sitting cross-legged. The skeleton was as lustrous as jade, clearly indicating a high level of cultivation in life.
"This must be the Celestial Talisman Immortal? It's a pity that such a prodigy has fallen here." Qin Hao's gaze fell on a storage bag at the skeleton's waist. He reached out and grabbed the storage bag in mid-air.
His divine sense probed in, and after a search, his gaze was quickly drawn to a silver talisman emitting strange spatial fluctuations. This talisman was neither gold nor paper, and it was covered with incredibly complex runes that faintly formed the phantom images of six divine generals, radiating a powerful defensive aura.
"The Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman!" A hint of joy flashed in Qin Hao's eyes.
Besides the silver talisman, there were other magical treasures in the skull storage bag, but most of them had dim spiritual light, and some were even damaged. This was probably because the person forced his way in and was countered by the restrictions inside the tower. They did not arouse much interest in Qin Hao.
To his slight disappointment, after carefully searching through the materials several times, he still couldn't find the method for drawing the "Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman".
"AI, scan the structure of this symbol, compare it with the database, deduce its drawing process and required materials, and assess the success rate and time," Qin Hao instructed in his mind.
[AI: Command received. Initiating scan and analysis... Database comparison in progress... Deduction in progress... Estimated success rate: 73%. Estimated time required: 3 months...]
Receiving a response from the AI, Qin Hao felt reassured. He then carefully searched the alchemy room and weapon-refining chamber on the second floor, finding some ancient pills, formulas, and many rare refining materials – a respectable haul.
Upon entering the third floor, the environment becomes even more tranquil, resembling a meticulously crafted cultivation cave.
On the futon in the center of the cave, sat another skeleton. This skeleton's bones were pale gold, with faint runes flowing within them, and its aura was far more profound and vast than that of the one on the second level. Clearly, it was the original owner of this Heavenly Origin Pagoda!
Qin Hao discovered a jade slip with a warm, lustrous sheen in front of him. He immersed his consciousness into it, and a wealth of information flooded into his mind.
"The Heavenly Origin Myriad Manifestations Technique?" Qin Hao's face lit up with surprise. This was clearly a top-tier cultivation technique that led directly to the Nascent Soul stage! Moreover, it wasn't an incomplete version; its subsequent techniques extended all the way to the Body Integration stage! The several divine abilities recorded in the technique were also extremely powerful, especially one called "Heavenly Origin One Qi Slash." When cultivated to the early Nascent Soul stage, its power was comparable to a full-force attack from a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator!
"With this technique and the 'Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman,' this trip to the Crimson Forbidden Land has been worthwhile!" Qin Hao nodded in satisfaction.
After a thorough search, he found three ancient treasures in the original owner's storage ring. They were all quite powerful, but compared to the Eight Spirit Ruler and Black Wind Flag he possessed, they were somewhat lacking. However, he could take them back for Yuan Yao and Yan Li to use.
After confirming that there were no other valuable omissions inside the tower, Qin Hao did not linger and left the Tianyuan Pagoda and the Crimson Forbidden Land by the same route.
……
one year later.
Deep in a desolate mountain range in the Yue Kingdom, at the very bottom of a spirit stone mine that has been abandoned for many years.
Qin Hao sat cross-legged beside an ancient array covered in dust and inscribed with complex teleportation runes. In his hands were two almost identical silver talismans, the Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talismans! One was obtained from the Heavenly Origin Pagoda, and the other was newly drawn.
His face showed a hint of fatigue, but even more so, the joy of success.
"Finally, I succeeded..." he murmured to himself.
He had spent most of the past year in this mine. The AI lived up to expectations, successfully deducing the complete method for drawing the "Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman" and the necessary rare materials three months later. However, deducing was one thing, actually drawing it was another.
The difficulty of drawing this talisman far exceeded his expectations. It demanded extremely high control over divine sense and magical power, and the process could not tolerate the slightest mistake. The rare materials he had collected over the years were almost completely depleted after several failures! Just when he was about to give up, he finally succeeded in drawing this first and only finished talisman, thanks to the microscopic control of the AI and his own powerful divine sense foundation!
"With this talisman, plus two other powerful spiritual treasures, I should be able to put up a fight against Xiang Zhili." Qin Hao carefully put away the two talismans and looked at the ancient teleportation array beside him.
"Now that things are settled here, it's time... to go back to the Chaotic Star Sea."
He stood up and walked to the center of the teleportation array. He had already repaired the teleportation array on the other side of the Chaotic Star Sea while searching for the Ghost Mist. He took out the Great Teleportation Token, held it in his hand, took a deep breath, and then poured a surge of magical power into the array beneath his feet.
"Om-!"
The ancient array patterns lit up one by one, emitting intense spatial fluctuations, and the blinding white light instantly engulfed Qin Hao's figure. A familiar, intense dizziness, as if his soul were being torn apart, washed over him...
……
Three months later.
Chaotic Star Sea, Outer Sea, Strange Abyss Island.
This place is now one of the important forward strongholds of the Reverse Star Alliance in its fight against the Star Palace. The island lord, True Person Miaohe, a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, is currently enjoying the service of his newly acquired beautiful concubines in the inner chamber of his luxurious cave. He is languid and quite happy.
However, just as he was feeling triumphant—
"boom!!!"
A terrifying pressure, like the collapse of the sky, descended without warning, instantly enveloping the entire Qiyuan Island! The restrictive spiritual light within the cave flickered wildly, then shattered like bubbles! Master Miaohe felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, startling him so much that he tumbled off the warm, soft bed, disheveled and utterly wretched.
"This...this pressure...late-stage Nascent Soul! It's a Grand Cultivator!" Master Miaohe's face instantly turned deathly pale, devoid of any color: "Could it be...the Twin Saints of Heavenly Stars have arrived?! Weren't they trapped by the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain?!"
In his mind, he cursed the ancestors of Liu Dao Ji Sheng and Wan San Gu for eighteen generations. If they hadn't solemnly guaranteed that the Tianxing Twin Saints would not be able to leave Tianxing City, how could he have been willing to be a target on the front line?
"Escape! I must escape immediately!" This was the only thought in Master Miaohe's mind. He didn't care about his image anymore. A flash of spiritual light appeared on his body, and he was about to use a secret technique to escape.
However, before he could make a move—
"Crack!!!"
A deafening cracking sound came from above the island! A giant golden hand, covering half the sky and as solid as a tangible object, slammed down like the hand of a god! The protective array of Qiyuan Island, which had been set up with countless resources, was as fragile as paper before this golden hand. It was instantly torn to pieces, its spiritual light exploding, and it was completely destroyed!
The terrifying pressure was so real that it suppressed the entire island! All cultivators, regardless of their cultivation level, along with the mortals on the island, were forced to prostrate themselves on the ground, trembling, unable to even lift their heads under this aura that was like the might of heaven!
The formation was forcibly broken, finally allowing Master Miaohe to see the attackers clearly. High in the sky, a dark green dragon boat floated silently, with a young man in a green robe standing at its bow—neither of the legendary Twin Saints of the Heavenly Stars!
"Not the Twin Saints of the Heavenly Stars?" Master Miaohe was taken aback at first, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't those two evil stars, there might still be room for maneuver. He forced himself to stand up, straightened his robes, and bowed respectfully to the sky, his tone filled with both flattery and surprise:
"I...I am Miaohe. I don't know where I have offended you, senior, that you have personally come to visit me. If there is any misunderstanding, I hope you will enlighten me, and I will certainly..."
In the air, Qin Hao looked down at Master Miaohe, a cold smile curving his lips: "Miaohe, do you really not recognize me?"
"Surname Zhang?" Upon hearing this, Master Miaohe was first taken aback, then as if remembering something, his expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Zhang...you...you're Zhang Tie from the Star Palace?! No...impossible! A hundred years ago you were only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, how could you..."
Before he could finish speaking, the instinct for survival overwhelmed all reason! His nascent soul surged, and he transformed into a blinding white streak of light, recklessly shooting in the opposite direction from the dragon boat, his speed reaching its limit! He even sacrificed some of his essence blood!
However, faced with an absolute disparity in strength, all these struggles are in vain.
Qin Hao didn't even move an inch; he simply raised his hand again and grabbed at the air.
The next second, an even more refined golden giant hand arrived first, like an eagle catching a chick, easily grasping the fleeing white light in its palm! No matter how it struggled or how intense its spiritual light shone, it could not shake the golden palm in the slightest!
"Fellow Daoist, spare me! Fellow Daoist Zhang, spare me!" Master Miaohe's bones creaked as he was being squeezed, his face filled with terror, tears streaming down his face as he begged for mercy: "I...I was forced! It was those two old monsters, Six Paths Supreme Saint and Wan Sangu, who forced me to join the Reverse Star Alliance! I have absolutely no disloyalty to the Star Palace! If you spare my life, I am willing to swear an oath of inner demons, to be loyal to the Star Palace and to you from now on..."
Qin Hao's eyes were cold, showing no interest in listening to his nonsense. With a thought, his golden hands suddenly slammed together!
"puff--!"
Like crushing a ripe watermelon, Master Miaohe's physical body, along with his protective magic weapon, was instantly crushed into a cloud of blood mist!
At the same time, an ancient-looking treasure mirror—the Condensing Light Mirror—flew out from Qin Hao's sleeve. A condensed white light shot out from the mirror surface, accurately fixing the Nascent Soul figure that resembled the face of Master Miaohe as it hurriedly fled from the blood mist!
The nascent soul's face was filled with despair and resentment, yet it couldn't even manage to self-destruct.
Qin Hao showed no mercy and directly conducted a soul search. His powerful divine sense forcefully entered the depths of the Nascent Soul cultivator's memory, rummaging through his experiences and everything he knew over the past hundred years.
A moment later, a look of understanding flashed in Qin Hao's eyes. He casually crushed the nascent soul, which had become dull and devoid of spirit, completely destroying it.
Through soul searching, he has gained a general understanding of the changing situation in the Chaotic Star Sea over the past century.
Ever since he killed Wan Tianming of the Wanfa Sect, Wan Sangu was enraged and eventually colluded with the Reverse Star Alliance led by the Six Paths Supreme Saint. The Reverse Star Alliance's power surged, and it began a large-scale attack, gradually encroaching on the outer sea islands and resource points controlled by the Star Palace. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Star Twin Saints were restricted by the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain and could not stray too far from Heavenly Star City, causing the Star Palace's power in the outer sea to suffer repeated defeats, and it could only hold onto the core area of the Inner Star Sea.
In addition, he also learned that Ling Yuling had successfully formed her nascent soul fifty years ago.
"Liu Dao, Wan San Gu... that's perfect." A cold smile crept onto Qin Hao's lips. He had his reasons for not directly seeking revenge against these two. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Light cultivated by the Heavenly Star Twin Saints, and that Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain, would be of great use to his later plans. Keeping these two leaders of the Reverse Star Alliance alive would ensure that the Heavenly Star Twin Saints, in their predicament, would be willing to offer the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain in exchange for his help.
Then, Qin Hao steered the Ink Dragon Boat, transforming it into a long, dark green rainbow, and sped off towards the Inner Star Sea without any attempt to conceal his intentions.
Due to the blockade and threats from the Reverse Star Alliance, the Star Palace had already shut down all long-distance teleportation arrays leading to Tianxing City. To reach Tianxing City, one must forcibly break through the numerous defensive lines set up by the Reverse Star Alliance around the Inner Star Sea.
But what does that mean to Qin Hao now?
As he traveled, whenever he encountered obstruction from the Reverse Star Alliance cultivators or formations that blocked his way, he simply crushed them with his Brahma Saint True Demon Art. Those Reverse Star Alliance elders in the early and middle stages of the Nascent Soul realm were like clay chickens and earthenware dogs in front of him, either dead or injured; even the formation fortresses presided over by multiple Nascent Soul elders collapsed at the slightest touch after he unleashed the power of the Eight Spirit Ruler.
It was truly as easy as chopping melons and cutting vegetables, unstoppable!
In just a few months, Qin Hao had already forced his way through several lines of defense meticulously set up by the Reverse Star Alliance. In the distance, he could already see the magnificent and spectacular city that looked like a collection of stars—Tianxing City!
His high-profile and forceful actions had naturally already alarmed the higher-ups of the Reverse Star Alliance and the Star Palace cultivators within Tianxing City. (End of Chapter)