Chapter 361 - 201: Star Domain
In little more than ten minutes, the familiar pavilion on the rear mountain of Enlightenment Peak, shrouded in a light mist, was already in sight.
Three figures sat quietly in the pavilion.
Besides the familiar Principal, Venerable Ye Qin, there were two other beings whose auras were as deep and vast as the cosmos—Venerable Xingxuan and Venerable Gu He.
"Student Li Wen, my respects to the Principal, Venerable Xingxuan, and Venerable Gu He."
Li Wen landed and bowed respectfully to the three foremost Guardians of the Human Race.
"No need for formalities." Venerable Ye Qin nodded, his gaze gentle.
"Oh? So this is the peerless genius you’ve all mentioned so often, Marquis Changning, Li Wen?"
Venerable Gu He sized up Li Wen with great interest. His gaze was calm, yet it seemed to see through everything.
Venerable Xingxuan smiled faintly and took the initiative to explain to Venerable Gu He:
"That’s him. Senior Brother Hu, you mustn’t underestimate him. It’s only been a few short years since he condensed his Primordial Spirit to now, when he’s a Marquis. The speed of his progress with his Primordial Spirit Cultivation, in particular, is something I have rarely seen in all my long years."
Upon hearing this, the curiosity in Venerable Gu He’s eyes instantly transformed into astonishment, which was then followed by undisguised admiration, as if he were appraising a priceless treasure.
He looked at Li Wen again, his tone filled with admiration. "Such talent... is truly astonishing."
Ever since the vast, suffocating phantom of the Demon Race’s Celestial Fox Palace began to hang in the skies above Blue Star, the three Venerables had prepared for the worst.
Their plan was to abandon all territories outside the ancestral vein of the Fire Hall and rely on its ancient Grand Array, passed down for millennia, to make a final stand.
Against this backdrop, every genius with immense potential—someone who might one day turn the tide—became exceptionally precious.
They were the kindling for the Human Race’s future, a faint yet inextinguishable glimmer of hope in the encroaching darkness and despair.
Li Wen, standing before them, was undoubtedly such kindling.
The speed of his growth was nothing short of miraculous.
However, the cold, merciless reality lay before them.
The arrival of the world projection meant that the Demon Race had given the humans of Blue Star twenty years at most—perhaps even less.
In a mere decade or two, how far could even the most heaven-defying genius possibly grow?
No one expected a Marquis to reach the Venerable Realm—a level powerful enough to contend with multiple Demon Saints—in such a short amount of time.
Therefore, in the eyes of the three Venerables, Li Wen’s greatest value still lay in his staggering future potential.
A potential that would require long years to be realized, yet time was precisely what the Human Race lacked most.
The atmosphere in the pavilion grew heavy, tinged with anxiety for the future.
Just then, a figure as solid and steady as a mountain appeared silently outside the pavilion.
The man was tall and straight-backed, his features resolute, and his eyes as deep as a Star Sea. His aura was restrained, yet it seemed to contain the power to shake the very heavens and earth.
He bowed slightly to the three Venerables. "My respects to the three Venerables."
"Good, you’re here," Venerable Ye Qin said with a nod.
The Celestial Martial King’s gaze then turned to Li Wen, filled with the kindness and high hopes of an elder looking upon an outstanding junior.
A rare smile touched his lips. "I know of you. Marquis Changning, Li Wen. You became a Marquis in your early twenties, making you the most gifted individual in the Human Race today. Your speed, in particular, is unmatched in the world, second to none."
Faced with praise from the man hailed as "the number one expert below the Venerable Realm" and "the number one King-level of the Human Race," Li Wen remained humble.
"You flatter me, Celestial Martial King. I still have a long way to go."
The Celestial Martial King nodded, evidently pleased with Li Wen’s response.
After the pleasantries were exchanged, Venerable Ye Qin’s expression turned solemn. His gaze swept over Li Wen and the Celestial Martial King as he spoke.
"I have summoned you here because of the Demon Race’s world projection. For you, this represents both an unprecedented crisis and a unique opportunity."
He raised his hand, pointing to the vast, illusory silhouette of the Celestial Fox Palace in the sky above.
"The essence of a world projection is to transport a portion of the Demon Realm’s territory across an immeasurable spatiotemporal distance, causing it to briefly ’overlap’ with Blue Star on a spatiotemporal level.
When the two planets draw close enough within the same spacetime, the overlapping area forms a special buffer zone—we call it the ’Intersecting Star Domain’."
"This Star Domain exists at a point of spatiotemporal intersection, where the Laws are simultaneously chaotic and distinct. Within it, one can directly observe many cosmic phenomena on a macroscopic level,
fragments of the river of spacetime, the life and death cycles of stars, the surging of energy tides... These are all profound universal truths that are normally impossible to perceive.
It offers unimaginable benefits for comprehending the Laws and advancing one’s cultivation."
Venerable Gu He added, his tone grave,
"What’s more, on extremely rare occasions, within the turbulent collisions of this chaotic spacetime,
treasures or crystals containing the mysteries of spacetime may be birthed. Their value is immeasurable. Of course, the probability of this is minuscule; it’s a matter of pure chance, not something one can actively seek out."
"Therefore," Venerable Ye Qin concluded,
"the primary purpose of gathering the most promising members of your generation here today is to have you enter this Intersecting Star Domain.
You are to seize this once-in-a-millennium opportunity to comprehend as much as you can and elevate your cultivation. If you are fortunate enough to acquire a spatiotemporal treasure, that would be a heavenly blessing.
Even if you do not, any insight gained from those unique cosmic sights will be an immense reward in itself."
Venerable Xingxuan picked up the explanation, his voice laced with a chilling severity.
"But you must remember, this Star Domain is not exclusive to the Human Race. The Demon Race can enter it as well. Fortunately, the Star Domain itself possesses a natural self-preservation instinct.
Its spatial structure is unstable. If any being with power exceeding the King-level tries to force their way in, they will likely trigger a spatial collapse, leading to the annihilation of the entire Star Domain.
Therefore, only those at the King-level and below can enter. Celestial Martial King, you will be the leader of this operation, as well as our strongest safeguard."
The Celestial Martial King replied calmly, "Understood."
After about another half an hour, two streaks of light arrived in succession.
It was Ling Feng, whom Li Wen knew, and Sun Rui, another genius Marquis from the Fire Hall.
Upon arriving, the two immediately bowed respectfully to the three Venerables and the Celestial Martial King.
When they learned that the purpose of the trip was to enter the mysterious "Intersecting Star Domain" in search of opportunities, their eyes blazed with intense light. Their excitement was palpable as they repeatedly thanked the three Venerables.
"Let’s wait a bit longer," Venerable Ye Qin said, glancing at the time.
They did not have to wait long.
Soon, three massive starships, each with a distinct style, descended slowly over the Fire Hall’s ancestral grounds like great whales.
The hatches opened and three groups disembarked; they were the Human Race contingents from Red Flame Star, Ice Soul Star, and Cangwu Star.
The Red Flame Star group was led by the King of the Nine Netherworld, who had come as reinforcements before. Following behind him were two young Marquises, one male and one female.
The Ice Soul Star contingent was led by Yan Dan King, also from the previous relief force, who likewise brought two Marquis Level geniuses.
As for the group from Cangwu Star, they were led by the Myriad Phenomena King, but he had brought only a single genius, a stern-faced male Marquis.
The King of the Nine Netherworld, Yan Dan King, and Myriad Phenomena King led the young geniuses from their respective planets forward to greet the three Venerables with reverence.
Afterward, the gazes of the five genius Marquises from off-world focused in unison on Li Wen.
Having traveled from afar, they had long since heard the legendary tales of Marquis Changning, the man who had burst onto the scene on Blue Star and was now hailed as the "number one Marquis of the Human Race."
Now that they finally saw him in the flesh, their gazes—a mixture of curiosity, scrutiny, inquiry, and even a hint of challenge—all converged on him.
Facing these looks, some direct and others more subtle, Li Wen simply returned them with a polite smile, his demeanor calm and composed.
"Everyone is here." Venerable Ye Qin’s voice reached every person’s ears as he scanned the crowd.
"Within the Star Domain, opportunity and risk go hand in hand. Your primary goal is to gain enlightenment from its cosmic wonders. If you encounter the Demon Race, your personal safety must be the priority.
If a fight is unavoidable, you must work together as one. The Celestial Martial King will oversee the situation. Remember: safety first, enlightenment is paramount."
He looked at the Celestial Martial King and gave him a solemn nod.
The Celestial Martial King understood tacitly. He stepped out of the pavilion, rising to stand in mid-air, his lightning-like gaze fixed on the world projection in the heavens.
With no flashy preparations, nor any visible sign of gathering power, he threw a seemingly casual punch toward a point in the empty void.
The punch was silent, yet it contained a world-shattering power!
RUMBLE!
Space cracked with a dull, sickening thud, like fragile glass struck by a sledgehammer.
Before the Celestial Martial King’s fist, the void abruptly collapsed inward and tore open. A deep, dark spatial rift, its edges crackling with distorted arcs of energy, had been forcefully "punched" into existence!
The rift was several meters long and wide. Its interior was dark and unfathomable, faintly exuding the aura of violent spatial turbulence.
Aside from the three Venerables who had anticipated it, this display of power instantly stunned everyone present.
The pupils of Ling Feng, Sun Rui, and the others contracted violently as they felt an indescribable pressure wash over them.
As for the King of the Nine Netherworld, Yan Dan King, and Myriad Phenomena King—three peak King-level experts—they were even more shaken, their eyes filled with utter disbelief.
They understood the terror of that punch far better than the younger generation—it was no simple tearing of space, but an extremely profound application of the Space Law.
The power that had erupted in that instant had already reached the level of a Venerable!
The Celestial Martial King truly lived up to his title as the "number one King-level of the Human Race."
"Depart." The Celestial Martial King’s voice was steady. Without the slightest hesitation, he took the lead, transforming into a streak of light and shooting into the pitch-black spatial rift. His figure was instantly swallowed by the darkness.
Li Wen, Ling Feng, and Sun Rui followed close behind, transforming into streaks of light and plunging into the rift without a moment’s hesitation.
Seeing this, the King of the Nine Netherworld, Yan Dan King, and Myriad Phenomena King quickly composed themselves. Each enveloped the genius Marquises behind them, transforming into three powerful beams of light that followed suit and shot into the rift.
Only the three Human Race Venerables remained in the pavilion.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, their gazes piercing the void, locked firmly on the spatial rift as it began to heal itself.
On the weathered faces of Ye Qin, Xingxuan, and Gu He was a mixture of hope and gravity, and above all, the heavy weight of the trust they had placed in them—a trust that held the future of the entire Human Race.
Around the pavilion, the wind itself seemed to fall still. Only the silent silhouettes of the distant ancestral mountains reflected their profound gazes.