Beside the Black Blood Devil Pool on Gu God Star, Sha Gu’s sinister face was etched with intense concentration, his hands moving like grinding stones as he meticulously performed a hand seal.
In the Black Blood Devil Pool before him, the thick, tar-like liquid resembled corrupted blood, surging and churning into waves with the movement of his hands. Countless visible insects shrieked sharply, tearing and devouring one another amidst the turmoil.
The Black Blood Devil Pool was a sacred ground for the Gu God Cult to refine venomous insects, previously accessible only to Patriarchs and the Cult Master. Ordinary disciples were only permitted to approach it during the Centennial Pilgrimage to gaze upon its mysterious peculiarities; entry at other times was strictly forbidden.
—Let alone cultivating there.
Sha Gu was not originally qualified.
Ten years ago, upon entering the Ancient Continent, even acquiring the Boundary Leading Fruit required considerable effort on his part, and as a standout among the new generation, he lacked strong personal backing.
Ten years later, he emerged alive from the Ancient Continent, having hunted numerous rare treasures. All the profound doctrines and cultivation techniques of the Gu God Cult had advanced significantly, bringing him to the very precipice of the Primeval God Realm, his potential now staggering.
Sha Gu instantly became the most sought-after figure in the Gu God Cult.
The Black Blood Devil Pool, once reserved only for Elders and the Cult Master, opened its gates to him for the first time, granting him the qualification to cultivate within.
Sha Gu was currently practicing a secret, heretical technique of the Gu God Cult, allowing countless insects to devour one another, from which he extracted the most brutally murderous specimens, subsequently nurturing them with secret elixirs to forge Gu Kings!
He was also originally unqualified to practice this secret art. It was only because he returned alive from the Ancient Continent that the Elders permitted him, handing him a transcribed copy of the secret text and urging him to cultivate it diligently.
Sha Gu’s status within the Gu God Cult soared unexpectedly. Many Elders who previously had a poor relationship with him now actively extended olive branches, showing him courtesy. While he cultivated the heretical art in the Black Blood Devil Pool, numerous Elders sent envoys bearing rare and precious medicinal ingredients to demonstrate their allegiance.
Venomous insects shrieked, their fangs bared, consuming each other within the Black Blood Devil Pool. Sha Gu observed with cold detachment, connecting to the insects via the altar's profound secrets, capturing the most vicious among them.
Hiss!
Two small, cockroach-like poisonous bugs suddenly chirped in the distance, sending a psychic warning to Sha Gu.
Sha Gu frowned, pausing his cultivation of the evil art, and fixed a cold gaze in one direction.
Before long, an old Gu God Cult member covered in pustules approached with a wide, ingratiating smile. He was an Elder named Galek, who had been closely aligned with Sha Gu today. “I have something I wish to show you.”
Galek extended his hand and tossed a Shadow Stone, hurling it towards Sha Gu from a distance.
Sha Gu’s face was grim. “I have repeatedly stated not to disturb me during cultivation, unless…”
“It’s about that ‘unless’ matter,” Galek interjected.
Sha Gu’s cold eyes flickered with light. Ignoring Galek further, he opened the Shadow Stone and immediately discerned the traces of Shi Yan, and… Shi Yan’s words.
He listened in silence. When the illusion within the Shadow Stone vanished, Sha Gu abruptly halted his evil cultivation and declared, “Galek, I need power. I must enter the Maya Starfield to contend against the Divine Race!”
“You should explain this matter directly to the Cult Master. Oh, and by the way, I believe there shouldn't be an issue,” Galek said, his expression oddly thoughtful.
“Why do you say that?” Sha Gu asked, puzzled.
“The Grand Elder has always been highly dissatisfied with you. But this time… he actually proactively demanded to advance into the Maya Starfield, to strike the Divine Race head-on. His stated reason? The Divine Race dared to harbor murderous intent toward you in the Wasteland, which he views as disregarding our Gu God Cult entirely.”
Galek’s expression was equally bewildered, his demeanor vague as he spoke.
Sha Gu rubbed his head, equally dumbfounded. “What is he playing at?”
“I don’t know, but he seems serious. He’s already integrating the legions. He appears… even more eager than you,” Galek waved his hand.
“Never mind him, I’ll go explain the situation to the Cult Master,” Sha Gu snorted.
“The Cult Master also viewed the scene inside that Shadow Stone. He has already consented. They’ve even finalized the legions for you—they are ready for you to move out as soon as you emerge,” Galek added strangely.
“Damn it! What is going on? Are they more enthusiastic than I am? What benefit did Shi Yan offer them?” Sha Gu stood dumbstruck.
“God knows,” Galek replied with a wry smile.
The Mortar Starfield.
On an exceptionally prosperous life-bearing star, there was a vast combat arena spanning a thousand li across the surface. Now, the arena buzzed with excitement, tens of thousands of martial artists roaring in fervor.
Within the colossal arena, various cruel and bloody battles unfolded: human versus ferocious beast, beast versus beast, and martial artist versus martial artist. The arena was divided into countless sections, each teeming with loud bettors, creating a clamor like a bustling marketplace.
Scantily clad women from various races paraded between the combat zones. An overwhelming array of fine wines and goods filled numerous corners. The stench of sweat, the shouts of the crowd, and the roars of fierce beasts rose and fell in cacophony.
It was a scene of utter demonic frenzy.
This was a life-bearing star controlled by the Wu Family, the supreme power in the Mortar Starfield, who advocated establishing their dominion through the Martial Dao.
The martial artists and common folk of the Mortar Starfield were fiercely passionate and addicted to combat. Their greatest pastime was usually lingering around various arenas, reveling in the bloodlust of life-and-death struggles.
In the most honored box, constructed entirely of Divine Crystals, Wu Feng reclined on a soft, broad couch, being attended to by several beauties from the Sea, Nether, and Water Races. He sipped wine while enjoying crystal-clear fruit, his eyes cast down upon the square, grid-like fighting pits below, watching the blood-boiling combats.
Several Wu Family martial artists at the Virtual God Realm stood nearby, solemn and expectant, their expressions arrogant.
Wu Feng’s seat was at the very apex of the arena, akin to a Heavenly God looking down, positioned high above with an aura of supreme authority.
This entire arena was controlled by Wu Feng’s brethren; he was the owner here.
“Young Master, someone has delivered a Shadow Stone and asked me to hand it to you,” a burly man with an arrogant face suddenly approached, kneeling on one knee and holding a Shadow Stone aloft, his head bowed so as not to look at Wu Feng’s arms currently intertwined with the bodies of the Water and Sea Race women.
Wu Feng glanced over, impatiently snatching the Shadow Stone. He muttered, “It’s surely just someone begging me for a favor.”
Since returning from the Ancient Continent, Wu Feng had been designated the future successor of the Wu Family. Consequently, all the major powers in the Mortar Starfield were scrambling to meet him—sending beautiful women, precious materials, even wives—hoping Wu Feng would remember their names.
Almost every day, lavish gifts arrived from people hoping to gain an audience with Wu Feng. He had become utterly accustomed to it.
His subordinates also appeared unfazed, displaying smug smiles. The Wu Family was the overlord of the Mortar Starfield; once Wu Feng took control, he would become the most powerful man in the region, with boundless access to women, treasures, and cultivation materials. They were proud to be his subordinates.
Wu Feng grumbled impatiently, still reclining in the embrace of the soft, pale women, and casually opened the Shadow Stone.
Wu Feng suddenly jolted upright, the weariness and impatience instantly vanishing from his face. He reverted to the cold, eerie demeanor he possessed in the Wasteland, focusing intently and murmuring, “Boss Shi Yan…”
All his subordinates were utterly stunned, and the beauties of various races beside him stood frozen in confusion, looking at him with bewildered surprise. Wu Feng was the future sovereign of the Mortar Starfield; since returning from the Ancient Continent, he had indulged himself without restraint, commanding absolute deference from everyone. When had they ever seen Wu Feng show such respect to anyone?
Shi Yan? Boss?
His subordinates and all the women were horrified. They simply could not fathom what sort of influence Shi Yan held to command such reverence from Wu Feng.
“Everyone, leave!”
Wu Feng barked coldly, his gaze sharp and terrifying. He glared at his subordinates, his venomous eyes briefly sweeping over the scantily clad woman beside him, urging them away with impatience.
They all staggered out, terrified of provoking Wu Feng’s irritation. Before they left, they noticed Wu Feng still sitting formally upright, displaying profound reverence and listening with serious attention to what appeared to be merely a Shadow Stone.
His women were profoundly shocked, wondering what magic this Shi Yan possessed to make Wu Feng so cautious and attentive.
Almost simultaneously.
Jiao Shan and Jiao Hai of the Sirius Starfield, Mo Fu of the Black River Starfield, and others also received a Shadow Stone.
Their reactions were not much different from Wu Feng’s or Sha Gu’s. Upon receiving the Shadow Stone, they immediately explained the situation to their families and respective factions, demanding military power to advance toward the Maya Starfield.
Surprisingly, their families and factions offered no objections. They instantly accepted their suggestions and immediately approved substantial legion support, their cooperation baffling them to the point of absurdity.
Some specific situations left them even more bewildered.
Take Sha Gu’s case: the Gu God Cult’s Grand Elder was immensely powerful, only slightly inferior to the Cult Master, holding a position second only to the leader and renowned throughout the cult. This Grand Elder had always held a low opinion of Sha Gu, yet this time, he appeared even more invested than Sha Gu, proactively volunteering to personally lead legions to the Maya Starfield. Even the Gu God Cult Master was bewildered, secretly seeking out Sha Gu to inquire if he had reached some secret accord with the Grand Elder.
A similar case was Mo Fu. His grandfather, Black Wind Old Freak, had disciples everywhere and was considered a progenitor of the Martial Dao in the Black River Starfield. However, there was one person who consistently disliked Mo Fu: his grandfather’s sworn brother, Bai Yefeng, who always dismissed Mo Fu as a spoiled brat incapable of achieving anything, thus vetoing all his suggestions—it seemed he simply disliked the sight of him. Yet, this time, when Mo Fu proposed leading forces into the Maya Starfield, Bai Yefeng did not object. Instead, he proactively began consolidating power for him, secretly gathering an extremely formidable force. This left Mo Fu utterly confused, assuming his grandfather must have spoken with Bai Yefeng personally. When he questioned his grandfather, he learned that the old man had not intervened at all; even his grandfather thought Bai Yefeng had undergone a complete change of heart. For Mo Fu, Bai Yefeng’s sudden shift in attitude remained a profound mystery.
There were similar incidents across the board. Within their respective powerful factions, those who usually clashed with Wu Feng, Jiao Shan, Jiao Hai, Fuller, and the others, surprisingly cooperated the moment they heard about advancing to the Maya Starfield to help Shi Yan resist the Divine Race. It was as if they had all adopted new personalities.
Invisibly, a powerful, unseen force seemed to be orchestrating everything.
The major formidable starfields across the universe were being mobilized. Countless warships roared to life, all streaming toward a single, unified direction.