Volume One: The Chaos of Yan and Yun Chapter Eighty: Myriad Stars and Celestial Phenomena (Part One)
Windrise stepped into the formation. Perhaps it was because the stars filled the sky, but the interior of the Star Array was not as dark as outside. Looking up, he saw nothing but dazzling stars. The stars evolved into all things—there were creatures at the top of the food chain like dragons and phoenixes, and those at the bottom like chickens and ducks.
From the lowest to the highest, the myriad phenomena were all present.
Windrise gazed at the brilliance above, his eyes flickering slightly. Though the formations of the Star Manifestation chapter were all recorded in the Daoist Canon, their core principles were largely similar. Yet, the same formation, when arranged by different hands, would vary in complexity and strength. Windrise could not claim he could unravel every array.
Reading ten thousand books, still requires walking ten thousand miles.
Though he entered through the life gate, such trapping arrays were perilous; one misstep could spell total defeat. If merely finding a life gate brought safety, Li Jinxing would not have used it to isolate Wuyang.
However, whether this array was truly laid by Li Jinxing remained uncertain. To arrange such a complex formation outside the imperial capital would require considerable time and effort. Windrise doubted Li Jinxing would labor so hard for a meaningless task.
Moreover, setting up such an array only to test him—Windrise would never believe it.
Most likely, someone else created the array, and Li Jinxing simply used it as a trial for him. Yet, this raised new questions.
For now, pondering these matters was futile. Perhaps Li Jinxing had a scheme, but it would not stir the world’s balance. No one understood balance better than he.
Windrise’s eyes flashed, a streak of silver glinting within. He had activated the Traceless Sword Sight.
Though this ability could not completely pierce illusions, its capacity to sense the fluctuations of primal energy could avert many dangers. Under the Sword Sight, the myriad stars and phenomena seemed much clearer.
He could vaguely see the endless starry sky behind the stars, as if they were painted upon it.
Meanwhile, a Daoist field appeared on the ground. In place of bright stars stood stone statues.
Perhaps because the earth was not as vast as the heavens, the statues were far fewer than the astral phenomena.
It made sense—if the Daoist field required all phenomena to break through, no one in the world could achieve it.
Windrise detected the primal energy waves emanating from the statues, his gaze flickering.
The strength of energy within each statue corresponded to its standing in the food chain. For non-living forms, their size determined their power. Yet, not all followed this rule, for he distinctly sensed the Five Elements shifting within them!
He stepped forward.
The astral manifestations dipped lower, the statues vivid and lifelike. With attentive ears, one could hear dragons roaring and tigers howling.
“The myriad stars and phenomena are divided into two layers: one for the phenomena, one for the stars. It seems this is the first layer,” Windrise murmured. “If I am to break through, must I first unravel the myriad phenomena?”
He frowned, thinking that the Five Elements’ cycle was one dimension, the strength of the astral manifestations another. Could there be a third dimension?
If only two, the array seemed too simple—even less challenging than the game of chess he played with Dugu Ling’er years ago.
He glanced at the Daoist field and calculated silently, discovering two dimensions could not solve the puzzle. At best, one could leave the topmost astral manifestation of the Five Elements’ food chain, provided the non-living forms didn’t complicate matters.
Azure Dragon belongs to Wood.
White Tiger belongs to Metal.
Vermilion Bird belongs to Fire.
Black Tortoise belongs to Water.
Qilin belongs to Earth.
After the Five Elements overcome one another, one astral manifestation survives. Windrise did not believe he could defeat such a divine beast alone.
What else could he consider?
Astral manifestation… star… constellation… star cluster.
Wait, star cluster?
Windrise fixed his gaze on the chess piece, and after a moment, a smile appeared in his eyes.
“This is the Pole Star; the next step should be the Jade Axis.” Comparing the position of the stars above, Windrise stepped forward, coming to the young wolf beside him. He spoke softly and pushed it forward, colliding with the Giant Gate. Both the wolf and the gate gradually dissolved, then slowly merged!
Seeing this, Windrise was ever more certain of his hypothesis.
The third dimension was the star cluster.
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By integrating the surface astral manifestations through the positions of the stars to form star clusters, then using the attributes of star clusters to neutralize each other.
Though the method was clear, fusing all three constants, four images, and twenty-eight lunar mansions took considerable time. After two full hours, he finished fusing the last spring constant. When the White Tiger representing the spring brightness merged with the mixed White Marsh ahead, all the manifest stars vanished into the sky, becoming the starry expanse once more!
Windrise was stunned.
What did this mean? Had he broken through the myriad phenomena?
Before he could understand, the stars suddenly shifted, projecting a figure from the heavens.
Windrise raised an eyebrow, thinking his reasoning was not wrong.
He had not broken the phenomena, but he had passed the first trial.
The issue was, dueling with oneself felt rather mundane.
But considering the mental and primal energy he had expended to shatter the phenomena, he doubted he could best the impersonator before him.
“I am strong, and so I know you are strong. Don’t think I will give you time to recover,” the astral manifestation said.
Windrise was taken aback—this figure even had some comprehension?
“I am you, and you are me. What you know, I naturally know as well,” the astral manifestation smiled.
He raised his left hand; a spear formed from stellar energy appeared. In his lowered right hand, a sword materialized.
Seeing this, Windrise narrowed his eyes, beginning to take his opponent seriously.
Indeed, some clichés exist for a reason.
“It is not clichéd,” the astral manifestation whispered. “You have broken the first layer, but there is still one aspect you have not considered, which is why I am here.”
Windrise’s interest was piqued. “What have I overlooked?”
The astral manifestation replied, “Reality and illusion.”
Stars are thousands of miles away from people, and what the eye sees cannot all be real. Some of the statues Windrise fused were not real.
Only then did Windrise realize his oversight, sighing, “If I failed, why not simply erase me?”
The astral manifestation laughed softly. “You bear great fortune, possess the Daoist Canon and Sword Sight. If your life were threatened, you would likely deduce it yourself. The reason you did not achieve full success is simply because the error is not fatal.”
Windrise sighed, “In my current state facing you, you still say it doesn’t want my life?”
The astral manifestation continued with a smile, “Perhaps, whether you kill me or I kill you, the result is the same.”
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Xu Hai, Kunlun.
As one of the world’s strongest sects, except for Snowcloud and Tai Xuan who could overwhelm with their number of Daoist masters, no other faction could match Kunlun.
To guard the mouth of Xu Hai for centuries by itself, Kunlun had its reasons.
A blind middle-aged man looked at the elder before him and said, “Soul Without Form, they say you are the top expert in Xu Hai, second only to Blood Without Words. Who would have thought you’d reach such heights, rivaling Blood Without Words himself.”
Soul Without Form watched the middle-aged man warily, remaining silent.
The middle-aged man said, “After fighting for centuries, now I am about to pass on, and you won’t even spare me a few words?”
Soul Without Form looked at the elder’s joined fingers but still did not speak.
The middle-aged man seemed disappointed, finally sighing, “Divine Concealment… The path I sought all my life, I never thought you would walk it through.”
With that, his last breath was released, and his joined fingers curled up.
Soul Without Form confirmed the blind man could do nothing more and finally relaxed, “Divine Concealment or not, without reaching the Heavenly Path, you’re still an ant.”
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Whether one lives a hundred years or a thousand, without reaching the Heavenly Path, there comes a day of calamity. The longer one lives, the less one wishes to die.
Soul Without Form finally spoke, but the middle-aged man could no longer hear.
On this day, the Kunlun Sect was annihilated. Kunlun’s master, He Ku, died in battle.
Except for Blood Without Words, master of the Weeping Blood Pavilion, both the Soul Capturing Pavilion and the Weeping Blood Pavilion emerged, sustaining thirty percent casualties to announce their return to the world.
As for the method…
Dou Xiaotong appeared beside He Ku, confirming his lifeless body, his face dark as water.
He glared coldly at Soul Without Form, his voice icy as frost. “Do you know the consequences of what you’ve done?”
Soul Capturing Pavilion spread his hands. “I’m just following orders. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to destroy Kunlun. We’ve fought so long; we know each other inside out. Who knows who the Divine Court will send to guard Xu Hai next? If it’s Snowcloud, I’d be at a great loss.”
Dou Xiaotong frowned, his robe billowing without wind. Soon, his black hair danced, thunder faintly rumbling in the sky.
“Heavenly Book?” Soul Without Form chuckled. “You know you can’t stop me.”
Fine lightning descended, quickly forming a curtain, which then converged into pillars of thunder!
Dozens of thick thunder pillars pierced the heavens and earth, the heavenly might vast as the sea.
Yet, such an assault could not breach three meters before Soul Without Form; in front of him, a Soul Summoning Banner flapped fiercely.
Amid the thunder, Soul Without Form’s wild laughter rang out, “In the past, I may have feared you a bit, but now, both of us are in Divine Concealment. What can you do?”
Dou Xiaotong stared coldly at him, his hands moving swiftly.
“Damn, Eightfold Immortal Seal?” Soul Without Form’s face changed. “Dou Xiaotong, are you serious?”
The thunder pillars moved, swiftly forming a Bagua array, sealing all of Kunlun.
Soul Without Form’s expression was grim. Though his realm surpassed He Ku slightly, as the strongest attacker against Kunlun, he also had to counter the sect’s protective array. The ebb and flow of power made killing He Ku arduous—let alone facing Dou Xiaotong, who was nearly his equal.
But he had little pride in adversity; at this life-or-death moment, he could not remain calm. He shouted, “Blood Without Words, if you don’t act now, I’ll die!”
A blood-dripping divine sword streaked across the sky, first breaking the array, then the thunder pillars. In midair appeared a figure clad in blood-red robes.
Blood Without Words had arrived.
To destroy Kunlun, relying solely on Soul Without Form was not foolproof.
Dou Xiaotong’s heart sank, but he was not overly concerned.
He did not believe Blood Without Words could kill him.
This “can” referred both to ability and resolve.
“Wind… Blood Without Words! Do you truly wish to destroy the world?”
Blood Without Words glanced at him coldly, replying in a frosty voice, “What’s it to you?”
Dou Xiaotong was at a loss for words, annoyed. “Shouldn’t you be in Qin Chuan?”
Blood Without Words answered, “The time has not come.”
Dou Xiaotong was stunned, asking, “What time?”
Blood Without Words looked toward Wuyang. “Naturally, the time of the Dragon’s Fall.”
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