Whoosh!
A magnificent star was cleaved in two. The Qilin Scepter rivaled the greatest heavenly swords, possessing unparalleled sharpness — with a single casual sweep, even a massive star could be destroyed.
It gleamed with crystalline blue brilliance, dazzling and beautiful, representing supreme power. As the divine scepter of an Ancient Emperor, it could strike down immortals above and slay saints below, its radiance illuminating all of history.
Yan Qi, the Great Sage of Fire Qilin Cave, wielded it in a fierce onslaught. Swaths of meteorites were swept into dust, for nothing in this universe could withstand it — not even the stellar rivers.
Yet even after so much time had passed, he still could not defeat his opponent. This too was a Great Sage — one whose divine power penetrated the mysteries of existence, who looked down upon all living beings with supreme disdain. He was truly a formidable adversary.
Thunder shook the cosmos as the opponent attacked again. His punch was simple and balanced, in perfect harmony with the divine might of the Heavenly Dao, carrying a momentum capable of swallowing mountains and rivers whole.
The immortal robe left behind by the ancient divine being was no towering suit of armor. It fit close to the body, much like the battle garments of the Big Dipper, with the Imperial Dao of heaven and earth engraved upon it.
This man wore the treasured robe, his techniques defying the natural order. His offensive power was matchless throughout the world — each strike was like a raging tide rolling ten thousand miles. In that single punch, he shattered an entire planet in an instant!
Yan Qi, the Great Sage of Fire Qilin Cave, furrowed his brow. According to what he knew, the people of the Eternal Star Domain relied on external instruments, their own power difficult to reach the level of creation itself. So why was this man so earth-shatteringly different?
He could see it clearly: the opponent’s offensive power was extraordinarily terrifying. His understanding of the Great Dao had reached a rare height — this was a man whose unrivaled strength had left him utterly alone, without a worthy opponent.
Yan Qi was a person of very special origins. He was not a cultivator from the end of the Primordial Era — his era was far more ancient. He was a titan from the renaissance period of Fire Qilin Cave, sealed within the Divine Source, now awakened in this age.
He held the Qilin Scepter, his entire body dyed a crystalline blue. His killing intent swept through the heavens, making the sun, moon, and stellar rivers lose their luster, as battle energy surged and roiled.
Boom!
He swung the scepter, channeling supreme mystical techniques, conjuring a qilin of immense power stretching hundreds of millions of zhang in height. It swallowed the sky and consumed the earth, engulfing his opponent entirely.
Swaths of meteoric stars appeared, falling toward the distance — all caused by this single strike. The star-filled sky shook violently!
Yet the Great Sage of the Eternal Domain remained fearless. Standing beneath the crushing pressure of the divine qilin image, he let out a sharp shout. Dao-light burst from between his brows toward the sky, and with the aid of the divine battle robe, he withstood that strike.
Blazing immortal flames erupted. The Great Sage of the Eternal Domain blazed with golden radiance that spilled across the cosmos, making the star domains tremble. His immortal robe hummed softly, and behind him countless Dao-patterns materialized, condensing into dozens of golden battle swords that slashed forward in unison.
Within the resplendent immortal light, the qilin was cut apart. Yan Qi, Great Sage of Fire Qilin Cave, stumbled backward, his chest heaving — he had taken a considerable blow. He stared fixedly at his opponent.
Golden light flowed freely. The Great Sage of the Eternal Star Domain wore a golden divine robe. His body was enveloped in crystalline treasure light — armor forged from Dao Tribulation Gold, of which no second suit existed in the entire world.
Immortal Tear Green Gold, Eternal Blue Gold, Dao Tribulation Gold — each of these divine metals was supremely rare. Even the great emperors of ancient times might not necessarily have been able to obtain them.
This immortal robe was crafted from the purest materials, translucent golden-yellow throughout, dazzlingly brilliant, making its wearer look like a god of war.
Clearly, this person was of great age — his gray hair hung loose, and his eyes were deep and profound. He seemed not to belong to this era.
This was armor left behind by Dao Yan, a divine being of a million years past. How many tens of thousands of years it had been lost, no one could say — even the people of the Eternal Mother Star had never been able to find any trace of it, yet today it had appeared in the world.
The battle resumed. Great Sage Yan Qi fought with divine valor, the Qilin Scepter in his hand flying up and down, carving out streak after streak of immortal light that made the cosmos itself rumble — it could effortlessly sever the stellar rivers.
Yet the Great Sage of the Eternal Star Domain, clad in the divine robe of Dao Yan, commanded peerless divine power, pressing forward inch by inch with unstoppable force.
“Boom!”
Behind him, golden Dao-swords danced through the air — dozens of them swinging in unison, cleaving planet after planet before him. Even Yan Qi was forced to temporarily retreat from their edge.
Great Sage Yan Qi of Fire Qilin Cave furrowed his brow. The more they fought, the more alarmed he became. His opponent was no weaker than him — to determine a victor would be extraordinarily difficult.
“You are not a cultivator of the Eternal Star Domain. They do not focus on excavating the body’s treasures, relying instead on external objects — yet your strength is absolutely supreme,” the elder sage Yan Qi spoke, his eyes fixed intently upon the other man.
“Who says that one who refines instruments cannot reach the absolute pinnacle? There are ten thousand paths of Dao in this world. If one can attain the Dao through calligraphy and painting, why cannot one resound through the nine heavens by means of external instruments?”
Yan Qi felt a chill in his heart upon hearing this. This was absolutely someone not to be trifled with — a man who had touched upon his own path, using external instruments to illuminate and prove himself.
Gradually, both men were nearing exhaustion. The power of an Ancient Emperor’s weapon was terrifying beyond measure — it could drain a Great Sage completely dry, reducing them to a skeleton of bones. After such a prolonged engagement, neither could hold on any longer, blood seeping from the corners of their mouths.
“Great Sage, please return quickly — the Eternal Mother Star can barely hold on. A catastrophe is coming, threatening to plunge all living beings into suffering.” A feeble cry of anguish traveled across the starry void.
The Great Sage of the Eternal Mother Star instantly changed expression. His full head of gray hair whipped about as he turned and left without hesitation, tearing through the cosmos and racing back.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Yan Qi, Great Sage of Fire Qilin Cave, moved to block him. The Qilin Scepter in his hand, as translucent as a blue diamond, sliced open the void and struck horizontally, trying to pin him in place.
Dao-fire surged and golden flames soared. Hundreds of millions of strands of light blazed from the divine robe of Dao Yan, radiant as a deity himself. He struck backward with a blow to gain distance, then accelerated away.
Yet the massive qilin that flew forth from within the Qilin Scepter nearly brought him down, causing more than a dozen additional streams of blood to flow from his mouth.
Great Sage Yan Qi laughed aloud. “There is no escape — unless you pay the appropriate price. Otherwise, you can only watch as Eternal is destroyed.”
One pursued, one fled. The great battle continued. Between the two of them, blue light and golden light clashed from time to time, capable of destroying stellar rivers at any moment. Had anyone else been present, they would surely have broken out in a cold sweat from head to toe.
Within the Eternal Star Domain, the battle had reached its final phase. Warship after warship exploded, small planet after small planet burst into flame, and the entire star domain blazed with fire reaching toward the heavens — as though the end of days had arrived.
Cries of anguish rose and fell — the aftershocks of shattered divine senses rippling outward in all ten directions. The powerful cultivators of the Eternal Mother Star fell back step by step, unable to withstand the Ancient Clan.
Under the leadership of the Nine Phoenix King and the Qilin Heavenly King, the Ancient Clan pressed forward with unstoppable ferocity, destroying fortification after fortification capable of wounding saints, advancing rapidly.
“Ah…!”
A saint of the Cao Family was speared to death on the horns of an elder saint from the Great Bull Demon Clan, dying in the starry void.
“Does Heaven intend to destroy Eternal? All these years we have campaigned far and wide, standing supreme across the sea of stars — and in the end, we have provoked so many ancient sacred beasts.”
The sheer number of saint-level powerhouses from the Big Dipper left the people of the Eternal Mother Star in despair. In this direction alone, there were more than a dozen ancient saints, each with divine power that reached the heavens.
They had no choice but to charge toward the Eternal Mother Star. The battle in open space could no longer continue — nearly more than half of their defensive fortifications had been destroyed.
“A million years ago a divine being was born here. For hundreds of thousands of years the splendor of Eternal civilization has shone brilliantly — can it truly be reaching its end today?” Even the saints despaired.
Within the Eternal Star Domain, whether cultivator or common mortal, all who watched this battle through their screens went cold from head to toe. They had been utterly defeated.
The bloodied truth was plain, the outcome already decided — the final curtain was about to fall.
“O Heaven, how unjust — to allow Eternal to prosper until now, only to suddenly bring destruction upon it?”
“Why… why are there so many sacred beasts? This defies all reason. How could that ancient star of the Big Dipper be so terrifyingly powerful?”
People cried out in anguish and wept bitterly, unable to accept this reality. They had been defeated — their main forces had retreated — and they might soon be swept away entirely.
The Eternal Mother Star was shrouded in gloom and sorrow, cries of grief rising on all sides. Even the saints had been defeated — where could they go? Their lives might all end this very day.
“Roar…!”
Suddenly, a great howl rang out. The radiance of the Dao Tribulation Gold immortal robe illuminated the entire cosmos, and the Great Sage of the Eternal Mother Star tore through the star domain and charged back.
“Fall back quickly!”
The Nine Phoenix King’s expression changed drastically. Though not yet a Great Sage himself, his divine sense was keenly sharp. He tore open the heavens and led the saints nearby in a hasty retreat.
The others too sensed that something was terribly wrong and fled in all directions. The supreme immortal might pressed toward them from across the vast stars, making their bodies feel as though they might split apart.
The divine sense howled and shook the universe — but three saints were a step too slow. Just as they crossed the threshold of the domain gate, they were caught by that golden immortal light. Without even a chance to cry out, they dissolved into mists of blood.
The Great Sage of the Eternal Mother Star had returned — though at no small cost, coughing up blood from his mouth, the golden divine robe of Dao Yan now stained crimson.
“Leave the divine robe behind!” Yan Qi, Great Sage of Fire Qilin Cave, gave chase, raising the blue divine scepter and chopping forward.
A flash of golden light — the divine robe of Dao Yan moved to protect its master, piercing through heaven and earth and falling upon the massive star ahead.
“If you do not come out, do not blame me for being merciless — I will destroy this living ancient star!” Yan Qi said coldly, raising the blue divine scepter high above.
The evolution fluid was no longer so important now. If he could obtain the treasured robe left by an ancient divine being, then when the Ancient Emperor Prince’s power became sufficient to refine and claim it as his own, whose foundation could compare to Fire Qilin Cave’s? They would surely be invincible throughout the world.
Cries of anguish spread across the Eternal Mother Star. People fled in every direction. Countless star gates appeared as many major factions sought to leave their homeland behind and cross the heavens to survive — better to be alive than dead.
“With the Ancient Emperor’s weapon of the extreme Dao suppressing this place, who can leave?” Yan Qi said coldly, slowly pressing down with the Qilin Scepter. Imperial might boiled outward, sweeping across the ancient star.
But just at this moment, streaks of auspicious radiance surged upward, rotating around the ancient star, shielding this place and refusing to allow the imperial might to descend.
Yan Qi was greatly startled. He pressed down with the Qilin Scepter, originally intending to cleave apart an entire continent on this star — but he was blocked by a terrifying force.
“The Great Dao of an Ancient Emperor!”
He could not help but change expression. He recalled certain things, his face flickering between shadow and light, before he silently put the Qilin Scepter away.
“What is happening?” asked a saint who did not understand, stepping forward to seek guidance.
“A star that has given birth to an Ancient Emperor bears the imprint of their Great Dao. To destroy such a star would bring a certain degree of retaliation upon oneself,” Yan Qi said with a furrowed brow.
Everyone fell into a brief daze upon hearing this.
“Was it activated by the Great Sage who wore the Dao Tribulation Gold immortal robe just now?”
Yan Qi nodded. “It was him. This ancient star is truly extraordinary — astonishing, in fact. From ancient times until now, at least two Ancient Emperor-level figures have emerged from it, protected by two kinds of Great Dao.”
“How can this be? Do we simply let it go like this?” The other Ancient Clan members were anxious, eager to obtain secrets like the evolution fluid of the Eternal Mother Star.
“I have long been fed up with them — they actually called us sacred beasts. I wish I could charge in immediately and begin a slaughter, cutting them all down!” said one ancestral king, dark black peng wings growing from his back.
After careful deliberation, Yan Qi said: “Do not act rashly — wait a while. This place has given birth to two supreme existences. We cannot enter carelessly. There will very likely be a killing disaster waiting for us.”
“I hope someone from this place will remain to battle me!” Huo Qizi spoke up, his physique tall and powerful, his eyes sharp as lightning, fixed upon the Eternal Mother Star.
On the ground below, all the great clans fell silent. At this moment, the Great Dao sealed the heavens — even the star gates could not be opened, and no one could leave.
“Conduct a thorough interrogation of the Xutuo Clan — we must get to the bottom of this!”
“Agreed. The Xutuo Clan has led this entire ancient star astray. They must have colluded with those sacred beasts, producing a divine skin ancient scroll that caused the unparalleled powerhouses of Luan Feng and Mi Luo to depart. Otherwise, this battle might not necessarily have been lost.”
Many people were calling out, urging the immediate arrest of all members of the Xutuo Clan.
At this time, the Tanmu Star Domain had already grown cold and desolate. Everyone had set out toward a more distant star domain, exploring the ancient living land there.
“Found it — there really is an ancient living star!” Two days later, a powerful cultivator from a mercenary group cried out in delighted surprise.
He was not alone in his discovery. Many people had sensed it as well, detecting the unique energy fluctuations characteristic of a living star. Warship after warship surged forward.
Apart from immortal lineages like the Cao Family, the Never-Setting Sun Royal Clan, the Canhai Clan, the Brahma Clan, and others, the Holy Light Mercenary Corps was naturally also among them, having arrived at this entirely new star domain.
“There really is a living star!”
“A miracle!”
Everyone cheered. After countless hardships, having traversed the entire star universe, they had finally found it.
Ye Fan had remained seated cross-legged within the warship the entire time. When they drew near the ancient star, he instantly opened his eyes — an inexplicable, ineffable shadow of ill omen rose in his heart.
Old mercenary Huo Bai seemed to sense something as well. He stood up in the cabin and muttered to himself: “Why do I feel like catastrophe is upon us — as though I’m standing in the middle of a killing ground?”
“Old Huo, you’re having another one of your delusions. We’ve finally found this ancient living star — we might even see the legendary Tree of Life. What are you muttering about?” The other mercenaries teased him.
“Hmph. I, old Huo, may have no other skills, but my foresight of life and death is the finest in the mercenary world — otherwise, why would everyone of my generation have died while I still live?” Huo Bai said.
“Uncle Huo, you’re right. Some people are born with a terrifying instinct for these things. If your heart is telling you something, you should leave as quickly as possible.” Dao Yi spoke up. Throughout the journey he had been easygoing and approachable, his smile as radiant as his golden hair — but now he wore a solemn expression. After speaking, he turned his head to gaze into the depths of the star domain — toward the coordinates of the Eternal Mother Star — as though trying to see through to something beyond.