Chapter 323: Death News! Awakening

Chapter 323: Death News! Awakening



To gain something, one must give something in return, Li Yuan contemplated.

The Celestial Serpent Deity had paid such a high price, especially by bringing this mother ship, which must have been part of a grand scheme.

In this world, where there are no familial ties or close relationships, free lunches are scarce.

"Should I go?" Li Yuan hesitated for a moment.

He quickly began to ponder.

After overcoming the Celestial Serpent Deity's ten trials with great difficulty, he couldn't back down now.

If the Celestial Serpent Deity truly intended to force him to do something, being inside the mother ship left him powerless to resist, given the deity's already demonstrated capabilities. There was no need for him to make a choice.

This indicated that the items left behind by the Celestial Serpent Deity weren't as malicious as they seemed, and at the very least, they weren't purely malicious.

The most crucial point was that Xue Yan and the Thousand-Scale Emperor had already entered the inner layer, and who knows when they would venture into the core region.

Especially Xue Yan.

According to Chou Bingzun's earlier implication, the deity's skill level should have reached the 'Sixth Stage Advanced', an incredibly high level for an Origin Warrior. It was no wonder that they could become a disciple of a deity.

Such a talented individual, allowing them to attempt such a challenge... Li Yuan had a feeling that this deity might not be weaker than Gu Ju, and could even be stronger.

The treasures left behind by such a powerful deity could alter the balance of power between different civilizations.

Once it falls into the wrong hands, the future would bring even greater pressure to the Seven Star Civilization.

"There's danger, but also opportunity."

"I received Gu Ju's heritage, which allowed me to progress rapidly and grow swiftly." Li Yuan thought to himself, "If I can obtain a treasure and opportunity from the Celestial Serpent Deity's heritage, it will aid my growth even further."

On the path of cultivation, stability is key.

Therefore, before venturing into various star realms, Li Yuan always strives to maximize his strength.

But when it's time to take risks, he must do so without hesitation.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Chou Bingzun." Li Yuan made his decision and respectfully said, "Whether I go now or later makes no difference, so I'll go now."

"Alright."

"This path is your choice." Chou Bingzun revealed a faint smile, "I've reminded you several times... In the future, don't blame me."

Before Li Yuan could respond, Chou Bingzun waved his hand, and an invisible force emerged, engulfing Li Yuan.

"Boom!" Li Yuan felt his mind exploding, overwhelmed by an unstoppable force that even his spiritual will couldn't resist... In an instant, he fell into a state of unconsciousness.

Immediately, Li Yuan's body vanished into thin air.

In the hall, only the colossal shadow of the horned figure remained.

"Plan one has failed."

"Originally, the plan was to temporarily select Xue Yan as a substitute." Chou Bingzun muttered to himself, "I never expected that such an unparalleled genius would be delivered right to us. Even in the vast divine realm, such talent is rare."

"We can now commence plan two."

"It seems that the heavens are favoring the Serpent Clan." Chou Bingzun thought, "Spirit Lance? Li Yuan? I hope that with my help, you won't let me down."

"Go and seize that slim chance."

...

In the Ming Xu Star Realm, at the Bright Moon Base.

While Li Yuan explored the mother ship.

Tavarez, Jiang Zai, and Luo Chan had already retreated to the Bright Moon Base.

As time passed, no news came from within the mother ship, and many True Intention Origin Warriors had already left the Ming Xu Star Realm, as they all had their own cultivation plans and couldn't wait indefinitely.

Of course, under the leadership of the upper echelons, the Bright Moon Base still maintained formidable combat strength.

Inside one of the Tier Four Warships, in the super-large conference room, two special instruments were placed in one area, emitting an invisible force that held two floating blood-red crystals in the center.

These were the Life Crystals, representing the life imprints of Yu Jinghe and Li Yuan.

By observing the state of the Life Crystals, one could determine their life and death.

In this conference room, Origin Warriors took turns guarding the Life Crystals around the clock.

Suddenly, one of the blood-red crystals burst with a bright light, almost engulfing the entire super-large conference room. The light quickly dimmed, and the crystal turned completely dark.

"What?"

"This!" The two Origin Warriors on duty today, upon seeing this, were shocked beyond words.

They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with astonishment, "Is it...?"

"The Life Crystal has gone dark!"

Without hesitation, the two Origin Warriors immediately activated the emergency transmission, and soon, Tavarez, Jiang Zai, and Luo Chan, the current leaders of the Bright Moon Base, received the message.

When they saw the darkened Life Crystal, their hearts trembled, for they knew what it meant.

The darkening of a Life Crystal signified the death of its owner.

"Spirit Lance is dead? Killed in the Sacred Land?" Tavarez was in disbelief, "How is that possible? How could such a powerful Spirit Lance die?"

"Not long ago, didn't the Demigod send a message saying that the Thousand-Eyed Emperor was suspected to be killed by Spirit Lance?" Tavarez couldn't believe his eyes.

In his mind, even the combined might of the three Beast Emperors might not be enough to kill Li Yuan.

Jiang Zai also held his breath, fully aware of the significance of the Spirit Lance... If the Spirit Lance were to fall, with the other two Beast Emperors still alive, the Bright Moon Base would most likely be unable to hold out in the future.

Among the three of them.

Luo Chan was the most shocked: "Li Yuan is dead?"

Only she knew that the Spirit Lance was Li Yuan.

...

Moments later, this explosive news had already been conveyed by Tavarez and his team to the highest echelons of the Seven Star Civilization.

"Is the Life Crystal dimming?"

"How is that possible!"

"Is Li Yuan dead?" The three demigods—Three-Leaf Demigod, White Mountain Demigod, and Fang Hai—as the top leaders overseeing the war in the Ming Xu Star Realm, were all stunned upon receiving this news.

The three of them immediately convened a meeting in the virtual network.

"What happened? How could Li Yuan's Life Crystal suddenly dim?" White Mountain Demigod couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that the Life Crystal is damaged?"

"That's a treasure bestowed by the Alliance Leader," Three-Leaf Demigod shook his head, "Even if they're separated by hundreds of millions of miles, as long as they're in the same planet, they can accurately determine life or death... Unless they're in different spatial worlds, but Li Yuan and his Life Crystal are both currently in the Ming Xu Star Realm."

"As for the Life Crystal being damaged? In these past few decades, the Life Crystal has never been damaged."

As the grand manager of the Flame Star Temple, Three-Leaf Demigod had a better understanding of the characteristics of these treasures.

"I'll ask the teacher." Fang Hai couldn't sit still, he couldn't believe that Li Yuan would die in the Ming Xu Star Realm.

Whoosh! Fang Hai's virtual figure instantly vanished, apparently already gone to inquire from Dongfang Ji... Not long after, his consciousness descended into the virtual world again, his face looking grim.

Three-Leaf Demigod and Fang Hai exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking as they both understood the implication.

"The teacher said..."

"Unless Li Yuan suddenly leaves the Ming Xu Star Realm, the Life Crystal won't show signs of dimming," Fang Hai spoke in a low tone, "There's only one exception, in a very special and mysterious place in that divine land, where the sensing of the Life Crystal can be blocked."

"Once the Life Crystal can't sense the presence of its host, it will determine that the host has perished, and naturally, it will become dim."

A glimmer of hope rose in the hearts of the two demigods.

"But..."

"According to the teacher's meaning, such a mysterious place is not something ordinary deities can create. In the seven planets of the Seven Star Civilization, there's no place that can block the sensing of the Life Crystal." Fang Hai shook his head, "The probability of such a place existing within the Ming Xu Star Realm is extremely small."

The two demigods' hopes plummeted once more.

This statement was almost like a death sentence for Li Yuan!

"What did the Alliance Leader say? What should we do now?" Three-Leaf Demigod couldn't help but ask.

"Wait!" Fang Hai spoke in a low voice, "Now, Yu Jinghe is still alive, Xue Yan is still alive, and the two Beast Emperors should both be alive... This is enough to prove that the so-called divine land is not the place of death for outsiders."

"We can only assume that Li Yuan has fallen into an extremely dangerous and mysterious place."

"But as long as he's alive, he'll eventually come out." Fang Hai spoke gravely.

Three-Leaf Demigod and White Mountain Demigod both fell silent.

Waiting was an agonizing process.

...

Bright Moon Base, inside a Tier Four Warship.

A light screen projection appeared, and within it, a white-robed figure emerged.

"White Mountain Demigod," Tavarez, Jiang Zai, and Luo Chan respectfully saluted.

"The news of the Spirit Lance's death is temporarily unverifiable. Our higher-ups also don't believe that the Spirit Lance has truly perished," White Mountain Demigod spoke gravely, "You three must also strictly maintain secrecy and must not leak this information."

"Yes," the three of them replied in unison, understanding the severity of the matter.

Once this news spreads, it would likely cause widespread panic.

"You must also prepare for immediate retreat at any time." White Mountain Demigod spoke solemnly, and then his gaze fell upon Tavarez and Jiang Zai, "Tavarez, Jiang Zai, in the Alliance's treasure repository, you are gathering treasures at the fastest speed possible, allowing you to cultivate and strengthen yourselves as soon as possible."

"Once the order for a full retreat is given..."

"...you will need to lead the other Skysoar Warriors to hide within the Ming Xu Star Realm, striving to persist within the Star Realm, persisting until you gain the strength to resist the Beast Emperors." White Mountain Demigod sighed lightly.

"Understood," Tavarez and Jiang Zai replied solemnly.

Having chosen to break through and become Skysoar Warriors within the Ming Xu Star Realm, it was only by their natural desire to stay within the Star Realm.

Once the full retreat is ordered, true-intention origin warriors like Luo Chan and An Yongya could evacuate through the Star Realm passage.

But for Skysoar Warriors like them who had already broken through, they had no choice but to remain within the Star Realm.

If it came to that, they could only choose to fight desperately or, like the current Flying Beast King, flee and hide within the Star Realm, accumulating strength before counterattacking.

...

Blue Star Xia Guo, Jiangnan Province.

Inside the ancient divine palace, a white-robed girl leisurely waited for Li Yuan's return.

Suddenly—

"Hmm?" Gu You looked up, a trace of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Whoosh! Her figure instantly disappeared from the main hall.

Immediately after, she appeared in another palace hall.

This palace hall was empty, with only a strange lamp floating in the air, emitting a peculiar light.

At this moment, the lamp's light flickered dimly.

"Is the soul lamp's light flickering?" Worry flashed in the girl's eyes, "Li Yuan, what happened to you in that Star Realm?"

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, a young talent's fate hung in the balance. Li Yuan, a legendary martial arts prodigy from Xia Guo, had ventured into the enigmatic Wushen Star Realm, a place of divine mysteries. His Soul Lamp, a precious artifact far superior to Life Crystals, had gone dark, causing deep concern among the higher-ups of the Seven Star Civilization.

"He must be in grave danger," a young girl whispered, her intuition screaming that Li Yuan was in peril. Despite her earlier nonchalance about his well-being, the prolonged silence from Li Yuan's Soul Lamp now filled her with worry.

The Wushen Star Realm, an otherworldly dimension, was beyond her reach. She could only wait and hope, her anxiety growing with each passing day.

Forty days had elapsed since Li Yuan's Soul Lamp dimmed, and even those who held the greatest hope for him, like the Demigod Bai Shan, began to waver. The only glimmer of optimism came from the fact that Yu Jinghe and Xue Yan, the two Beast Emperors, had also not emerged from the Sacred Land.

The mysterious Ming Xu Star Realm and its Sacred Land became even more enigmatic, leaving the three major powers—Tianliang Civilization, Seven Star Civilization, and Ming Xu Beast Tribe—in a state of cautious inaction. The two civilizations fortified their sole bases, while the beast tribe's Flying Beast Kings remained hidden, creating an uneasy equilibrium within the star realm.

In Jiangbei, Xia Guo, the Starfire Martial Temple's South Lake District, a quiet night enveloped a luxurious villa.

"Changzhou, I hope nothing bad has happened to Xiao Yuan," Chen Hui lay in bed, her unease growing. "Even when he was busy cultivating in the Flying Star, he would occasionally send us messages to let us know he was safe."

"It's been over a month, and we haven't heard a single word from him," Chen Hui said, her voice laced with worry.

In the past, even during the year he trained under the Demigod Lie Feng, Li Yuan, despite his diligent cultivation, would send messages to his family every half a month using his Flying Heaven-rank privileges.

Now, over a month had passed without a single word. Not even a response to the numerous messages from Li Changzhou and Chen Hui... This was unprecedented.

"It is a bit strange," Li Changzhou admitted, his usually calm demeanor giving way to concern. He patted his wife's hand reassuringly, "But don't worry too much. You know Xiao Yuan's situation; he's Xia Guo's greatest martial arts genius. He told us he had reached the pinnacle of Origin Warriors, right?"

"For a powerful warrior like him, disappearing for a few months of cultivation is not unusual," Li Changzhou said.

"But it's not like him to go completely silent," Chen Hui fretted.

"Alright, don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll contact Yang Sheng, the Jiangbei Sub-Palace Lord," Li Changfu assured his wife.

Since Li Yuan's entry into the Wushen Star Realm, his privileges had increased significantly. As Li Yuan's family, Li Changzhou and his wife were entitled to directly contact Yang Sheng, the Sub-Palace Lord of the Starfire Jiangbei Sub-Palace.

In the Flying Star, a mysterious realm not far from the Wushen Star Realm...

"Master."

"Li Yuan's Life Crystal has dimmed, and it's been over 40 days," a deep voice reported. "I fear he may have truly perished... On another note, Li Yuan, as a member of the Wushen Star Realm, including his previous seclusion time, has been completely out of contact for over two months."

"Now, many are wondering where Li Yuan has gone," the deep voice continued. "Although Du Mu Hong has issued orders to suppress these speculations, they won't remain hidden forever. Three months, six months... The truth will eventually surface."

"A young talent like him can't remain hidden forever," the deep voice asserted.

Li Yuan, known as Ling Lance, had become the most watched young talent among the Seven Star Civilization and others like the Tianliang Civilization, Wanmo Civilization, and Xianxu Civilization, remained keenly interested in him. After all, Li Yuan, compared to Ling Lance, was much younger and possessed incredible potential.

"Keep a close eye on Xue Yan and Yu Jinghe. Once they emerge, find out what happened in the Sacred Land as quickly as possible. I must know which deity set up this mothership," the deep voice commanded.

"Yes, Master," the subordinate replied.

The mysterious space fell silent once more, but the deep voice's owner couldn't find peace.

"No news for so long... Could Li Yuan truly be dead?" the deep voice sighed inwardly.

Before Li Yuan's appearance, he had high hopes for Fang Hai, believing he could surpass Lant and become the Seven Star Civilization's top Demigod. He even envisioned Fang Hai becoming a deity, shouldering the burden he once carried.

Then Li Yuan arrived.

After a preliminary understanding of Li Yuan's talent, the deep voice became keenly interested. In just over a year, Li Yuan's growth surpassed imagination... Yet, he was still not as powerful as Fang Hai.

However, in the deep voice's heart, Li Yuan's importance had long surpassed Fang Hai, and he even believed Li Yuan could surpass himself one day.

But now? "I hope he's still alive," the deep voice sighed. He had witnessed the fall of countless geniuses.

He knew that if Li Yuan perished, it might take thousands of years for the Seven Star Civilization to produce another talent of such caliber.

Alas, only time would tell.

In the vast expanse of the Ming Xu Star Realm, even the mighty Dongfang Ji was helpless, unable to intervene, and could only wait.

...

Outside, chaos and turmoil reigned, with hidden undercurrents surging. Yet, within the mothership, it was a harmonious haven, free from any major battles.

Yu Jinghe, the Thousand Scale Emperor, and Xue Yan, all located in the inner layer, were each in a special passageway, desperately cultivating in the hope of reaching the core of the inner layer.

Except for Li Yuan.

In the testing grounds of the Alien God Zone, after being struck by an invisible force, he fell into a deep slumber.

Li Yuan felt as if he had experienced an incredibly long dream, the longest of his life... or perhaps he had slept for an eternity.

Finally!

"Huff!" Li Yuan's consciousness suddenly cleared, his eyebrows twitched, and he opened his eyes.

He abruptly stood up, instinctively looking around in all directions.

This was a vast hall supported by ten towering pillars, each emitting a metallic glow, likely exceeding ten kilometers in height.

Carved on the pillars were coiling flying snakes, resembling coiling dragons.

The four sides of the hall were empty, with an invisible force seemingly obstructing Li Yuan's vision.

This expansive hall seemed to be suspended in nothingness.

"Me?" Li Yuan's gaze returned, belatedly realizing that he was seated on a massive jade platform in the center of the hall.

In other words, he had been lying down the whole time.

"What happened to me?" Li Yuan initially felt dazed.

With his powerful mental awareness, he could discern the flow of time, and he quickly realized that he had been asleep for forty-six days.

Li Yuan had never slept for such a long duration.

"Is this the core of the inner layer?" Li Yuan's heart was on guard. "Why did I fall into a deep sleep? How is the situation outside?"

Suddenly, a hint of shock flashed in Li Yuan's eyes.

"The wind's vibrations between heaven and earth..." Li Yuan sensed his transformation, and his perception of the Wind Mystique's intricacies had likely increased several times over.

Even the intricacies of other Law Daos were now much clearer.

It was as if, during his slumber, Li Yuan's talent had undergone a metamorphosis.

"You're finally awake." A familiar voice suddenly echoed through the hall.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A multitude of lights converged, forming two shadows—both figures Li Yuan had encountered before.

One shadow was the black flying snake shadow, the Instructor, who now seemed like a follower.

The other was a tall, horned figure wearing heavy battle armor—none other than the Alien Messenger, Venerable Qiu Bingzun. However, the aura he exuded was formidable and intense, making him appear almost real, and his presence was significantly stronger than before.

Just standing there, Qiu Bingzun made Li Yuan's heart tremble.

"Venerable Qiu?" Li Yuan stood up, stepping down from the jade platform. "What's going on?"

"Little guy." The black flying snake shadow said, "Don't call me Venerable Qiu. You should address me as Venerable."

"Venerable?" Li Yuan was startled.

"In the Serpent Clan, we are revered as existences." The black flying snake shadow explained, "We are even allowed to leave our names in the Ancient God Palace."

Li Yuan was bewildered, and he couldn't help but glance at the tall, horned figure.

Suddenly, Li Yuan realized.

No wonder he had felt something amiss earlier. As an Alien Messenger, why had he repeatedly reminded Li Yuan to be cautious about the heritage and not be swayed into accepting the Serpent Deity's heritage and treasures?

Venerable Qiu Bingzun.

So that was it.

"Ling Lance, you're not wrong." Qiu Bingzun took a step forward, approaching Li Yuan. "I am the master of this mothership and the Serpent Deity you spoke of, Qiu Bingzun."

"You don't need to call me Venerable Qiu. Just address me as Venerable Qiu, as before." Qiu Bingzun looked at Li Yuan.

"Venerable Qiu," Li Yuan said with a bitter smile.

"You must have many questions, but I won't hide anything from you." Qiu Bingzun smiled. "Since I chose you, I won't keep any secrets."

"How do you feel after merging with the Primordial Treasure, 'Heaven Wind Spirit'?" Qiu Bingzun asked with a smile.

Li Yuan couldn't help but respond, "Is my body's transformation due to merging with this treasure?"

"Primordial Treasures are invaluable even to Venerables." The black snake shadow beside him said, "You slept for so many days because you were refining this treasure."

"Your body is indeed formidable, refining it in just over forty days. I and the Venerable thought it would take at least half a year." The black snake shadow added.

Li Yuan understood.

"Heaven Wind Spirit has a profound effect on Deities." Qiu Bingzun explained, "For those beneath Deities, its greatest effect is akin to transforming your body's bloodline, significantly enhancing your compatibility with the Wind Law..."

"For Demigods, their bodies are too powerful, so the effect is diminished." Qiu Bingzun smiled. "That's why I only selected Tier Two and Tier Three lives."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end