My prerequisites for cultivating the Chilly Star Point were met, yet to accurately grasp the essence of this technique, I had to dedicate significant effort to comprehending the underlying I Ching mathematical principles mentioned within. Though I possess some knowledge of these matters in my modern understanding, it is merely superficial, thus necessitating careful and meticulous contemplation!
As time flowed, I finally succeeded in deciphering the First Generation Dragon Shadow's description concerning this aspect—arguably the most formidable hurdle in mastering the Nine Heavens Star River!
It was then I understood how the First Generation Dragon Shadow's Nine Heavens Star River achieved that unimaginable level of aerial dueling, a pinnacle movement technique that allowed one to overpower opponents from above!
It turned out the movement technique of the Nine Heavens Star River was directly derived from the Lesser Peng (Nine Palaces Flying Stars) principles found within the I Ching!
This set of Nine Palaces Flying Stars is also known in the Book of Changes as the Eighty-One Step Heaven Measuring Ruler, encapsulating incredibly subtle spatial and directional variations. Nine Palaces, nine directions, nine changes per direction; nine times nine results in eighty-one transformations—hence, this movement technique possesses eighty-one variations! Furthermore, every single move of the Nine Heavens Star River is coordinated with this magical movement technique!
Although there are only nine moves, depending on the demands of actual combat, they can evolve into nine multiplied by eighty-one, equaling seven hundred and twenty-nine variations! This means that merely grasping this underlying theory allows the Nine Heavens Star River to manifest seven hundred and twenty-nine distinct changes!
This was simply beyond imagination! The First Generation Dragon Shadow named this movement technique, evolved from the Nine Palaces orientation, the Flying Star Movement Technique—only by mastering the Flying Star Movement Technique could one truly unleash the Nine Heavens Star River!
Previously, my Nine Heavens Star River sword style was derived from Luo Jiang's lingering memories within the Crimson Blood Sword Spirit. Strictly speaking, the four sword moves of the Nine Heavens Star River practiced by Luo Jiang possessed only the form, lacking the spirit. The fundamental reason was that he never mastered this Flying Star Movement Technique! Consequently, what I possessed was not the true Nine Heavens Star River.
It was merely the most primal, initial iteration of the Nine Heavens Star River—its power severely diminished! Yet, even in this incomplete form, the Nine Heavens Star River displayed astonishing might! At the very least, I once fought Ice Pool to a mutual, crippling draw using this very sword style!
Understanding is one thing; successful cultivation is quite another. In the time that followed, I commenced practicing the Chilly Star Point.
To master this technique, I deliberately etched a massive Nine Palaces diagram in the center square of the Warm Sun Hall!
The Nine Stars!
One White Water Star Two Black Earth Star Three Jade Wood Star Four Verdant Wood Star Five Yellow Earth Star Six White Metal Star Seven Crimson Metal Star Eight White Earth Star Nine Crimson Fire Star
One enters the Central Palace, then proceeds to Qian, then Dui, then Gen, then Li, then Kan, then Kun, then Zhen, then Xun! This constitutes the Kan Water Path! Starting from the Kan position and proceeding clockwise!
Two enters the Central Palace, then proceeds to Qian, then Dui, then Gen, then Li, then Kan, then Kun, then Zhen, then Xun! This constitutes the Kun Earth Path Two! Starting from the Kun position and proceeding clockwise!
Three enters the Central Palace, then proceeds to Qian, then Dui, then Gen, then Li, then Kan, then Kun, then Zhen, then Xun! This constitutes the Zhen Wood Path Three! Starting from the Zhen position and proceeding clockwise!
These were inscriptions rendered in archaic, profound characters, marking the miraculous trajectories of the Flying Stars as they moved sequentially according to the orientations of the Nine Palaces and the Bagua! There were nine such paths in total!
While chanting the Flying Star Incantation of the Flying Star Movement Technique aloud, I continuously shifted and maneuvered according to the Nine Palaces orientations mentioned within!
In terms of sheer speed, I was already a top-tier master. Now, augmented by the Flying Star Incantation's divine and bewildering trajectory, as I rapidly darted within the Great Array of the Nine Palaces Flying Stars, I genuinely experienced the exhilaration of becoming a stray star, sweeping across the firmament!
The speed startled even me profoundly! This movement technique was not just fast; its true oddity lay in its elusive, unpredictable path of motion.
Momentarily, the entire expanse of the Nine Palaces Flying Stars Great Array was filled with streaks of residual images and phantoms created by my high-velocity movement!
Swish, swish!
In the blink of an eye, I completed one full execution of the Flying Star Movement Technique according to the Flying Star Incantation! Yet, my body felt as if pulled by some strange, magical force, unable to stop!
My momentum was driven to its absolute peak by the miraculous transformations, like a primed fuse on dynamite, creating a stifling, inescapable pressure that demanded release!
Roar! Finally, driven by the pull of my qi, in this state of extremity, the fighting energy—which was practically about to explode inside me—was channeled instantly into the Dragon Shadow Sword!
Whoosh! A cold light flashed! Like a lone star flying over the horizon, it vanished instantly! The speed was so great that even I could not perceive the trajectory of the sword qi! Stranger still, the massive boulder situated on the side of the hall that the strike targeted showed absolutely no reaction!
It was as if the projectile that hit the stone moments ago had merely been an illusion!
“What is this?” I could barely believe it. The expected explosion and the powerful shockwave had not materialized!
Jian Li, standing nearby, was equally stunned into silence. “That is the Chilly Star Point.” What shocked him wasn't some overwhelming sword qi power, but rather the bizarre scene before his eyes!
It was as if nothing had happened! Recalling the previous astonishing momentum and the current uncanny calm, I felt a sense of unreal strangeness!
Truly, all thunder and no rain? Had I practiced incorrectly?
Jian Li eyed the stone with an equally odd expression. Then, unwilling to give up, he urged, “Look at the stone. I refuse to believe this.”
The boulder before us was easily five cubic meters in volume, yet there was nothing outwardly peculiar about it! But what I saw next left me utterly dumbfounded!
In the exact center of the boulder, precisely where my launched sword qi had struck, there was an unremarkable puncture hole! However, this hole was astonishingly precise and perfectly circular, as if it had been deliberately chiseled out!
I instinctively leaned close to the hole!
This aperture pierced straight through the entire boulder, and gazing along the trajectory of the stone's penetration revealed a bizarre clarity! It was like looking through a straight, transparent pipe! The only thing visible was a faint glimmer of light at the far end!
It turned out that it wasn't just this single boulder that had been pierced; tracing the straight line trajectory, the palace wall, the houses, and even trees behind the stone were all marred by a bizarre, fist-sized circular hole! This line stretched for a full hundred meters, penetrating the palace walls, the rockeries, and the trees north of the entire Ice Palace!
“My heavens.” Even seeing it firsthand, I was astonished by the sight!
“Good, what terrifying penetration power.” Jian Li’s voice held a strange, almost trembling quality. “No wonder there was no sound just now; so that’s what happened.”
Flying Stars Manifest! Concentrated into a Single Point! Body like a Fleeting Swan, Crossing a Thousand Li in an Instant! Where the Intent Moves, the Thought Arrives! Utmost Speed, Utmost Unpredictability! Utmost Illusion, Utmost Tracelessness! Utmost Hardness, Utmost Firmness! Piercing Gold and Shattering Stone!
The true destructive force of the Chilly Star Point did not stem from the explosion of fighting energy, but from its incredible penetrating power used to demolish a target’s defenses!
The astonishing speed meant even I couldn’t track the trajectory of that sword qi!
Combined with that indestructible, piercing power!
I simply couldn't imagine who could withstand such a terrifying streak of sword qi. Speed first strike.
Speed, power, angle, orientation—perfectly flawless!
Damn it, this! This is like high-intensity laser penetration! I stared at the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand in disbelief, experiencing a bizarre, almost absurd sense of unreality!
Was that beam truly something I launched?
“Kid.” Jian Li suppressed the surging excitement in his heart. “You must truly be invincible now.”
“Perhaps so!” I nodded subconsciously. At least, I couldn't conceive of anyone who could counter this move. If I could have deployed this technique back at Tianmen, ten Ice Pools combined wouldn't have been enough to kill me!
Since the Chilly Star Point was mastered, it was time to exit seclusion!
As for the Sixth Move, although I had seen the cultivation method, mastering it was not something achievable in a short time!
And now was a critical period. It was only a few days until the reopening of Tianmen; I absolutely could not miss it!
Returning to the Snowfall Palace, exactly one month had passed!
We were greeted by a worried Seth and Silver Frost. Speed first strike.
“You are finally out,” Silver Frost said.
“What happened?” I felt a sudden tension; Silver Frost’s expression unsettled me!
“Jidu and the others have vanished without a trace,” Silver Frost revealed. “The situation looks dire.”
“What?” I was shocked. “Not a single word?”
“None at all,” Seth confirmed, his face drawn with worry. “We don't know what condition they are in.”
“Damn it.” I grew anxious. “Immediately summon Xing Ye, Xing Zhan, and Chi Hao.”
Almost simultaneously, a flurry of urgent footsteps sounded outside the hall!
“Father, you’re finally out of seclusion!” Xing Ye exclaimed joyfully. “Good thing we waited.”
“No time to waste,” Chi Hao and Xing Zhan entered with him, clearly ready to depart at any moment.
“We’ll discuss the details on the way,” Xing Zhan stated. “If we delay, Old General Jidu and the others could be in danger.”
With Chi Hao’s spatial teleportation, everything became infinitely simpler.
In the past, reaching the Frozen Throne required enduring immense hardship, having to cross treacherous swamps and the perilous Misty Forest. But now, thanks to Chi Hao’s teleportation, even thousands of miles away could be crossed in an instant!
Of course, this did not mean our previous efforts were wasted!
If I hadn't risked reaching the Tianmen at the Frozen Throne previously and used the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission to lock down the spatial coordinates here, even Chi Hao, with all his power, couldn't have instantly teleported to Tianmen and then transported us here!
Two days later, with the arrival of another Eclipsed Moon night, the Tianmen finally reopened!
The previously barren Ancient City of Tianmen instantly transformed into a completely unfamiliar world. Even more astonishing, the sky moments ago pitch black was now as bright as daylight. Looking up, a glaring sun hung in the heavens!
It was as if everything before had been merely an illusion!
“Ah! This is the Sacred Domain of Heaven.” I was significantly surprised!
Before me lay a world surrounded by mountains and rivers, vast, open, and brightly illuminated!
Strange trees grew everywhere, their trunks thick and straight, topped with dense canopies that resembled colossal umbrellas! The small river nearby was so clear and translucent it was breathtaking—a picturesque, tranquil scene.
“Unbelievable!” I exclaimed. “Is this truly the Sacred Domain of Heaven?”
“I never imagined the Sacred Domain of Heaven, rumored to be incomparably dangerous outside, would look like this,” Xing Ye was equally astonished. “There’s nothing here that suggests danger.”
“Never let your guard down,” Chi Hao said gravely. “The fierce reputation of the Sacred Domain of Heaven exists for a reason.”
“Don’t worry,” I continued. “What kind of storms haven't I weathered?”
“That is true,” Chi Hao conceded with relief. “With the Prince leading, you will certainly retrieve the Hero and bring Old General Jidu and the others back safely!”
“You all just wait here with peace of mind,” I stated confidently.
“But the Prince must remember,” Chi Hao warned. “The area within a hundred miles radius here is the overlapping space between the Sacred Domain of Heaven and the Frozen Throne. It is also the only location within the Sacred Domain from which you can return to our original world. After finding the Hero and Jidu, you must return here so I can teleport you back to the Throne City. The next opportunity for teleportation will be thirty days later; missing it means waiting sixty days, and so on.” Chi Hao’s expression turned serious as he spoke. “Beyond this hundred-mile radius in the Sacred Domain! The magical fluctuations here are entirely different from the outside world. My spatial movements will be useless here; everything will rely on yourselves.” Speed first strike.
“Understood!” I nodded slightly. “You must also be careful and be ready to cover our return at any time.”
After Chi Hao gave these instructions, he departed!
During the month I spent in seclusion, Chi Hao and his team had compiled all the information they gathered regarding the interior of the Sacred Domain of Heaven! Through Chi Hao’s description, I gained a general understanding of what kind of place it was!
In essence, the Sacred Domain of Heaven was another spatial barrier, similar to the Yellow Springs World. Everything within it was vastly different from the outside! The climate, environment, and magical fluctuations were all dissimilar.
Consequently, Chi Hao dared not initiate a quick teleportation spell here!
Otherwise, miscalculating and porting himself inside a rock would be quite embarrassing!
Space Magic is the most difficult magic to master; it relies entirely on the precision of spatial coordinate positioning, and spatial positioning depends on the magical signal from the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission to confirm the location!
However, the frequency of magical fluctuations here was vastly different from the outside world. Chi Hao and Yin Shuang could not decipher it in a short time. Remember, Yin Shuang had spent a considerable amount of time gradually deciphering the magical fluctuation frequency of the Snow Domain Continent!
The frequency here was even more erratic and complex than that of the Snow Domain Continent! Even with Chi Hao and Chi Ming working tirelessly day and night, they still had not succeeded in cracking it!
Therefore, our current situation was similar to when we first arrived at the Snow Domain Continent—completely blind! Forget spatial teleportation; we couldn't even use the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission to contact Jidu and the others. Everything relied entirely on our own eyes and ears.
“Which way do we go now?” Xing Ye and Xing Zhan instinctively looked to me. We were completely clueless!
Although we had entered the Sacred Domain of Heaven, the real challenge had just begun. This place was vast; finding Jidu and the others would be no easy feat!
Subconsciously, I surveyed the surroundings while sensing the changes in the surrounding energy, attempting to find some useful clue!
Yet, it seemed all life in this world had vanished; there was no vitality whatsoever, making the picturesque beauty appear eerily strange and instilling an inexplicable sense of unease!
Soon, I sensed some activity emanating from directly ahead!
“Something is moving over there,” Xing Zhan had also detected the presence of these energies!
“There are seven of them,” I concentrated on sensing the changes in these auras and quickly discerned their number!
“And every single one is powerful,” Xing Ye added, his expression grave!
“What could they be?” Xing Zhan murmured darkly. “Auras like these are comparable to War God level masters.”
“Suppress your auras and approach cautiously,” the situation was unclear, so I decided to proceed with caution. “Hopefully, we find something of substance this time.”
“Yes!” Xing Ye and Xing Zhan swiftly controlled their breathing and presence!
But just then, I suddenly felt the situation shift as an even more powerful aura rapidly bore down upon us!
That speed was astonishing!
Looking up in the direction the energy came from!
In the distant sky, a brilliant light flashed, akin to a falling meteor!
“Ah!” What was that—Xing Ye and Xing Zhan's faces changed drastically!
“Damn it,” I rushed. “Hide quickly.” Then, I leaped into the nearby woods!
Xing Ye and Xing Zhan reacted just as fast, swiftly following behind me!
Swish! The brilliant light flashed directly over our heads, accompanied by an aura so suffocating and paralyzing it felt like a physical weight! I had never felt such terrifying energy!
I couldn't even begin to imagine what creature in this world could possess such terrifying power!
A gigantic silhouette! It resembled a Boeing jet screaming low overhead! And its pair of massive wings, reaching toward the heavens, almost completely eclipsed the sun, casting a shadow onto the ground like a ferocious, sprawling beast that enveloped us!
But what was even more shocking was the familiar shape of the thing!
In the blink of an eye, the massive figure vanished into the distant horizon!
Its speed was utterly incomprehensible!
It was as if the preceding moments had been nothing more than a hallucination!
“My God! What was that?” Xing Ye and Xing Zhan could barely restrain their shouts!
In that instant, I almost couldn't believe my eyes: “The Demon Dragon Pope!”
“What?” Xing Ye and Xing Zhan exclaimed in unison. “The Demon Dragon Pope! Father, are you sure you didn’t mistake it?”
“No mistake,” I ground out through clenched teeth. “It was absolutely the Demon Dragon Pope.”
As a hardcore, veteran player of a legendary game, I was absolutely not unfamiliar with the Demon Dragon Pope! Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, I instantly recognized it as one of the most terrifying BOSSes in that legend—the Demon Dragon Pope!
“The Demon Dragon Pope,” Xing Ye and Xing Zhan were nearly stunned silent. “The Demon Dragon Pope is here in the Sacred Domain of Heaven? This—how is this possible?”
“We never heard anything about this before,” I admitted, equally stunned by this sudden discovery!