In the vast Star Domain, after several Years of flight, two Nine Nether Kun Whales finally arrived at a dark planet.
Li Mu appeared on the forehead of the Nine Nether Kun Whale, his gaze like a torch, and his powerful Divine Thought penetrated the thick darkness, scanning this seemingly silent but hidden dark planet.
The planet's surface was covered with intricate ravines and unknown rock structures, with occasional faint lights flickering in the cracks. Scattered across it were a few architectural ruins built from massive stones. However, as if subjected to the merciless erosion of Years, most of these architectural ruins were severely dilapidated, with only broken walls remaining, standing solitary on the desolate land, recounting past glory and vicissitudes.
To Li Mu's surprise, the planet was permeated with an extremely dense Yin-Sha Qi, which, like tangible black mist, twined between the ravines and even infiltrated the ruined structures, shrouding the entire planet in a suppressive and eerie atmosphere.
As if it had experienced a world-shattering war, many places on Dark Spirit Star showed traces of a catastrophe. Within the Yin-Sha Qi, not only were there auras of destruction and Death Qi, but also some kind of Dao principle power. They intermingled and intertwined, forming a unique ecological balance that both instilled fear and inspired endless contemplation.
"Master, is this Dark Spirit Star? It seems there are no living beings here!"
Xiao Bai spread its wings and flew in front of Li Mu, curiously examining the planet before him, asking for confirmation.
Xiao Bai, having successfully passed the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation, was extremely sensitive to the Soul Power fluctuations of living beings due to its unique ability as a seventh-tier Gu Spirit. Yet, on this desolate planet, it detected no signs of life.
"It should be!"
Li Mu frowned, hesitating whether to find Qingyang Zi for confirmation. It had taken him decades to finally locate Dark Spirit Star.
However, what met his eyes was a desolate planet, permeated with an unyielding Yin-Sha Qi, which made Li Mu feel a hint of doubt. Had he found the wrong target?
Dark Spirit Star was located at the core of a crucial navigation route in the entire Star Domain and should have been a prosperous planet with other Cultivators. But the scene before him was far from what Li Mu had expected, leaving only endless desolation and Yin-Sha Qi. The architectural remains scattered on the planet were traces of desolation spanning thousands of Years.
Thinking of this, Li Mu no longer hesitated. He took out the soul world pearl from his storage space, infused a trace of Divine Thought, and summoned Qingyang Zi's remnant Soul, who was slumbering within the soul world pearl.
Qingyang Zi's remnant Soul was gently awakened by Li Mu's summons within the soul world pearl, and a trace of his Divine Soul power overflowed.
"Junior, why have you awakened me?" Qingyang Zi transmitted his inquiry to Li Mu.
"Senior, Junior has arrived at Dark Spirit Star. However, this star does not seem to have extraterrestrial forces as Senior previously mentioned," Li Mu quickly replied with a transmitted thought.
"Oh!"
Qingyang Zi released his Divine Thought to observe the situation outside the soul world pearl.
Because of the pervasive Yin-Sha Qi in the surroundings, Qingyang Zi's remnant Soul directly emerged from the soul world pearl. His powerful Divine Thought swept across the desolate and eerie Dark Spirit Star before him, and a complex expression flickered across his face.
"According to its stellar position, this is indeed Dark Spirit Star. The world has changed so much; I didn't expect Dark Spirit Star to become like this after ten thousand Years," Qingyang Zi responded to Li Mu, his tone a mix of surprise and emotion.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. It was good that it was Dark Spirit Star. He finally wouldn't have to drift aimlessly in the vast and boundless starry sea. Finding the location of Dark Spirit Star meant successfully pinpointing the navigation route back to Qi Ling Star, and he would be able to return to the Sect soon.
"Junior, don't be happy too soon. Although it's confirmed this is Dark Spirit Star, this star has been abandoned, seemingly destroyed by a great battle. However, the journey back to Qi Ling Star is long and arduous, and the path will likely not be peaceful," Qingyang Zi's words were like a basin of cold water, making Li Mu's recently relaxed mood become tense.
"Senior, how long will it take to return to Qi Ling Star from this star, and what dangers might appear along the way?"
Li Mu's spirit was roused, and he asked with concern.
Qingyang Zi pondered for a moment, then responded with a solemn expression: "From this star back to Qi Ling Star, even with a clear path, it will require crossing several Star Domains, enduring decades, nearly a hundred Years of travel. The exact time depends on whether we can find a safe route and sufficient supplies. As for the dangers we might encounter along the way, they are far more complex and varied than imagined."
"Firstly, there are often interstellar storms and spatial crack between Star Domains. These natural phenomena are enough to destroy ordinary high-tier spirit ships. Even a Body Integration Cultivator like me, if not careful, could be swept into them, with life and death uncertain. Therefore, we must constantly monitor stellar changes and avoid these dangerous areas."
"Secondly, this Star Domain was once a focal point of contention for various forces. Although Years have passed and many forces have vanished, it's still possible that extraterrestrial rogue Cultivators occupy crucial navigation routes. Additionally, there are groups of star beasts, and so on, all of which could become major obstacles on the journey home."
...
At this point, Qingyang Zi looked at the two Nine Nether Kun Whales quietly patrolling and couldn't help but praise, "However, the quality of your mounts is excellent. Two eighth-tier Nine Nether Kun Whales have a great advantage in inter-Star Domain travel. Their speed is enough to traverse between Star Domains freely, avoiding many unnecessary troubles. Nine Nether Kun Whales are not only powerful enough to withstand a certain degree of interstellar storms and spatial rift impacts, but they also possess keen intuition, capable of sensing potential threats and providing early warnings. Such mounts are undoubtedly extremely valuable in Star Domain travel."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu's face lit up with joy, feeling a surge of pride. The existence of these two Nine Nether Kun Whales indeed played a significant role, saving him a lot of trouble during this lost journey. Especially after imprinting the other Nine Nether Kun Whale, allowing them to travel together, their strength doubled, driving away many groups of star beasts.
Next, Qingyang Zi meticulously explained the navigation route to Qi Ling Star to Li Mu.
Just as Li Mu was attentively listening and committing Qingyang Zi's explanation to memory, a violent tremor suddenly erupted from beneath Dark Spirit Star. Immediately after, an unprecedentedly powerful Yin-Sha Qi surged forth, dense and icy, instantly pervading the entire planet's surface.
Li Mu and Qingyang Zi's expressions changed simultaneously. They immediately realized the unusual nature of this Yin-Sha Qi.
Qingyang Zi quickly retracted his remnant Soul back into the soul world pearl to prevent it from being eroded by this power, while Li Mu swiftly had the Nine Nether Kun Whales move away from Dark Spirit Star, preparing to deal with any potential danger.
Li Mu's powerful Divine Thought instantly covered the entire Dark Spirit Star, attempting to penetrate the thick layer of Yin-Sha Qi and explore the source of the tremor. However, the Yin-Sha Qi seemed to be alive, furiously devouring and distorting his Divine Thought, making Li Mu's investigation extremely difficult.
Just then, a deep, ancient voice, as if from the Nine Nether, pierced through the barrier of Yin-Sha Qi and directly counterattacked Li Mu's Divine Thought probing: "Junior, how bold! How dare you disturb this Emperor's Cultivation? Leave your life behind!"
Li Mu's heart tightened. He seemed to have inadvertently angered a Body Integration expert hidden on Dark Spirit Star. He quickly retracted his Divine Thought and simultaneously urged the Nine Nether Kun Whales to accelerate, intending to flee this dangerous place.
However, that Yin-Sha Qi seemed to have no intention of letting him go easily. It condensed into a giant hand in the air, directly grabbing towards Li Mu and the Nine Nether Kun Whales.
"Senior, please calm your anger. Junior has no ill intentions, merely stumbled upon this place. I shall leave immediately!" Li Mu transmitted his reply. At the same time, with a wave of his hand, a spirit talisman flew out from his body.
In an instant, with the spirit talisman as its core, it transformed into a five-colored vortex, gathering the sparse spiritual power present in the vast Star Domain, forming a Five Elements light shield that radiated multicolored light. It collided with the giant hand condensed from Yin-Sha Qi.
With a "boom," an earth-shattering roar and dazzling light swept across the entire Dark Spirit Star, creating an incredibly grand and spectacular scene.
Inside the soul world pearl, Qingyang Zi watched the situation outside, and upon seeing this, he was utterly bewildered.
Qingyang Zi trembled uncontrollably, his heart filled with indescribable shock and curiosity, muttering to himself: "This child actually possesses such a Heaven-Defying spirit talisman! Could it be an ancient relic? Or was it personally refined by a mighty individual, specifically to ward off evil?"
As the Five Elements light shield and the Yin-Sha giant hand violently collided, the entire Dark Spirit Star seemed to tremble, and space itself warped.
However, to everyone's surprise, the seemingly fragile Five Elements light shield displayed astonishing resilience and power at the critical moment, firmly blocking the Yin-Sha giant hand, not allowing it to advance an inch.
"Hmph, a mere spirit talisman, and you think it can stop me?" The deep, ancient voice sounded again, carrying a hint of anger and unwillingness. But this time, the Body Integration Cultivator's voice also carried a trace of solemnity. He didn't rush to attack, clearly somewhat wary of Li Mu's methods.
"Senior, Junior did not intend to disturb you. Would you please be merciful and let me leave now? I swear by my Dao path that I will never reveal your Cultivation here to the outside world." Li Mu lowered his stance, his tone filled with sincerity, not wanting to provoke an unknown powerful existence.
Dark Spirit Star had become so desolate, filled with Death Qi, and permeated with Yin-Sha Qi, clearly the doing of this Body Integration demonic Cultivator. It was unknown what evil Cultivation method he was practicing here, surely with some ulterior motive. However, Li Mu only wanted to return to Qi Ling Star smoothly and did not wish to get involved in this conflict unrelated to himself.
With that said, Li Mu summoned the spirit talisman and urged the two Nine Nether Kun Whales to quickly flee this troublesome place.
The two Nine Nether Kun Whales also seemed to sense their master's urgency, tacitly swaying their massive bodies, tracing brilliant trajectories in the starry sky, moving so fast that their traces were hard to find.
However, the opponent clearly wouldn't let Li Mu have his way. A group of Dragon Corpses suddenly surged out from Dark Spirit Star, swiftly encircling Li Mu and the Nine Nether Kun Whales, engaging them in a chase and entanglement.
The speed of the two Nine Nether Kun Whales plummeted. Each True Dragon Corpse was enveloped in thick Yin-Sha Qi, their eyes glowing with eerie green light, as if terrifying creatures awakened from an ancient abyss. Though dead, under the influence of a certain evil power, they retained their formidable might from life, perhaps even more so, fearless of death. They simply could not be shaken off.
Before long, a middle-aged Cultivator dressed in black imperial robes, riding a massive Dragon Corpse, slowly flew out from the shadows of Dark Spirit Star. His face was stern, and his eyes revealed an unquestionable majesty and ruthlessness.
With the appearance of the imperial-robed Body Integration demonic Cultivator, the surrounding space seemed to solidify for a moment. And those fierce Dragon Corpses, after his appearance, became even more ferocious, yet more orderly, surrounding the two Nine Nether Kun Whales, like a pack of hounds circling their prey, waiting for their master to hunt.
"Hmph, a mere Void Refining Cultivator, daring to trespass into this Emperor's territory, and you think you can leave without leaving something behind?" The Body Integration demonic Cultivator gazed at Li Mu with disdain, as if looking at an ant.
"Night Emperor - Di Tianxing?"
With the appearance of the Body Integration demonic Cultivator, Qingyang Zi's remnant Soul within the soul world pearl emitted a violent Divine Soul fluctuation, transmitting to Li Mu with an unbelievable shock.
"Hm?"
Di Tianxing's eyes narrowed as he stared at the soul world pearl floating in front of Li Mu. Sensing Qingyang Zi's Divine Thought fluctuations, he ordered Li Mu: "Interesting, you actually know my origin. Boy, throw that soul stone over. This Emperor can spare your life."
Qingyang Zi was a Body Integration mighty figure, an Alchemy Grandmaster, whose remnant Soul had slumbered in the soul world pearl for ten thousand Years after his demise. Being able to recognize the other party's origin at a glance, Li Mu now knew that the opponent was an old monster who had been quite famous ten thousand Years ago.
"Senior, Junior did not intend to offend. This item cannot be easily given to others. Moreover, Junior and Senior have no grievances. It is only because I stumbled upon this place by mistake. I hope Senior will be merciful and grant Junior a path to survival," Li Mu politely refused, speaking sincerely.
"Very well. It's been many Years since anyone dared to defy this Emperor. Go to hell!"
Di Tianxing sneered, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, clearly very displeased with Li Mu's refusal. With a gentle wave of his hand, the surrounding Yin-Sha Qi instantly surged, transforming into countless black chains that, as if alive, coiled around Li Mu, reaching him in an instant.
Facing this sudden attack, Li Mu's expression changed slightly, but he did not panic. With a wave of his hand, nine seventh-tier Battle Puppets appeared. They held spirit swords, and a faint spiritual power aura enveloped their bodies, clearly products of meticulous Refining and enhancement.
As soon as the nine seventh-tier Battle Puppets appeared, they immediately soared into the air according to Li Mu's will. They dispersed, each occupying a favorable position, forming a solid defensive line.
"Nine Stars Sword Formation, activate!" Li Mu swiftly formed hand seals, muttering softly:
Following Li Mu's command, the nine seventh-tier Battle Puppets seemed to be awakened by the power of the stars. They soared into the sky, each occupying one of the nine directions, corresponding to the arrangement of the Nine Heavens stars. The spirit sword in each Puppet's hand glowed with brilliant light. These lights intertwined, forming a complex and profound Sword Formation pattern, like the most dazzling star chart in the night sky.
Within the Nine Stars Sword Formation, sword light wove like threads, and Sword Intent surged. Every ray of sword light contained the power of the stars. They either rotated like wheels, cutting through space, or converged into a river, impacting the enemy formation. They cooperated tacitly, their sword moves continuous, maximizing the power of the Sword Formation. They intertwined into a complex and exquisite sword net, intercepting the black chains one by one, emitting clanging sounds of metal.
Amidst the flickering sword light, it not only effectively resisted the invasion of Yin-Sha Qi but also subtly showed signs of counterattack.
Seeing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Di Tianxing's eyes, and he fell into a brief silence. He clearly hadn't expected Li Mu to possess such a trump card, easily breaking his spell with just a few Puppets. (End of Chapter)
