Chapter 1195: Soul Searching

Not far in front of him, a figure sat quietly. The person appeared young, perhaps only in their early twenties, with a somewhat youthful face, and was clad in a magnificent long robe.

This was utterly unbelievable. Zhao Shoumou had recently advanced to the Constellation realm, greatly increasing his power. Not to mention a person, even an ant crawling by wouldn't escape his notice.

Yet, before he saw the figure, he hadn't detected anything at all.

Such a situation could only mean one of two things: either the person's cultivation far surpassed his own, making them undetectable, or they were already dead, a corpse that naturally wouldn't emit any aura.

The reason Zhao Shoumou's scalp tingled was primarily because he could tell at a glance that the young man in front of him was alive...

He just didn't know what method the person used to completely conceal their aura, making them imperceptible even when so close.

It was also at that moment that he realized why so many spirit jades had formed on this meteorite. This was clearly no coincidence, but rather due to the young man.

The formation of spirit jades was directly related to the condensation and convergence of cosmic energy. An ordinary meteorite couldn't possibly accumulate such abundant cosmic energy. The young man's presence was the key! As for the exact connection, he couldn't figure it out at the moment.

Zhao Shoumou had no idea who this person was or what their cultivation level was, but he knew for certain that there was an enormous disparity in their powers. Therefore, he absolutely could not alert the other party.

Unable to determine the other party's disposition, whether benevolent or malevolent, he naturally dared not take any risks.

So, after a moment of rigid stillness, he quietly began to retreat.

However, at that very instant, the young man, who had been sitting motionless as if truly dead, suddenly opened his eyes.

The moment their eyes met, Zhao Shoumou displayed the decisive nature honed by years of cultivation. He immediately activated his most proficient escape technique, fleeing frantically backward.

The young man remained seated, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

He had resided on this meteorite for over a century, entering a state similar to suspended animation, primarily to heal his injuries and secondly to evade his enemies' pursuit.

A hundred years had passed in the blink of an eye. Now, having awakened from a long dream, even someone with his formidable cultivation couldn't help but feel disoriented.

The reason so many spirit jades had formed on this meteorite was entirely due to his healing process. As he recovered, cosmic energy converged towards his location; most of it was absorbed and refined by him, while a small unrefined portion gathered, gradually solidifying into spirit jades.

The disorientation lasted only a moment. He quickly composed himself, confirming that he had essentially escaped his enemies' pursuit.

However, he still couldn't afford to reveal himself.

Pointing towards Zhao Shoumou's escape route, he extended his hand from afar and clenched his fist in the void. In an instant, the stars in the surrounding space dimmed slightly.

Simultaneously, the fleeing Zhao Shoumou despairingly realized that although he was moving rapidly forward, he was inexplicably being pulled backward.

He had no idea what was happening to him, but he knew this bizarre phenomenon was connected to the mysterious young man. A bitter pang struck his heart. Indeed, just as he had suspected, the cultivation gap between them was immense. This was why he hadn't detected the young man's presence before seeing him, and now he had no clue what the young man had done.

As fast as he had fled, he was now returning just as quickly. In mere breaths, he was involuntarily back at his original position, his back to the young man, his body rigid and unable to move.

His mind, however, raced.

He was currently at the Constellation realm. Even if the opponent's cultivation surpassed his by one major realm, they likely wouldn't be able to employ such profound techniques. This meant the opponent's cultivation was very likely more than one major realm above his.

This person was at least a Sun-Illuminated realm cultivator!

Zhao Shoumou didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Despite having cultivated for nearly a millennium, his mind was a tangled mess.

What great fortune or misfortune had he stumbled upon? Having only recently left the Nine Provinces, he had unexpectedly encountered such a powerful cultivator! Was this luck or sorrow?

He sighed softly, obediently turned around, and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Senior!"

With things having come to this, he adopted a straightforward attitude. The cultivation gap was too vast; it was always best to be compliant.

A fleeting glance startled Zhao Shoumou again. The young man's complexion was noticeably paler than before, seemingly due to the exertion of that miraculous technique.

"He's gravely injured!" Zhao Shoumou immediately made this assessment, yet his mind was clear of any ulterior motives. Even a Sun-Illuminated realm cultivator, no matter how severely wounded, was not someone he could scheme against.

A wounded lion was still a lion, not something a tiny rabbit could challenge.

The young man looked at him with a faint, enigmatic smile and spoke softly, "Not running anymore?"

Zhao Shoumou was utterly honest: "You jest, Senior. Since I can't escape, I won't."

The young man nodded. "A wise man knows when to yield. You're not bad. So... where is this place?"

Zhao Shoumou was slightly taken aback. "Senior doesn't know where this is?"

The young man flicked a finger, and Zhao Shoumou involuntarily groaned, feeling as if he'd been punched hard in the face, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

The young man's cold voice rang out: "Answer what you're asked."

He truly didn't know where this was. A century ago, he had hidden in the meteorite's fissure, healing and recuperating. As the meteorite drifted, a hundred years passed; who knew where it had floated to? Meteorites moved incredibly fast through the starry void.

Zhao Shoumou's heart tightened. He knew the other party wasn't good-tempered; this was just a light warning, and he didn't want to imagine what would come next. He immediately replied, "This junior also doesn't know where this is. I've only just stepped into the starry sky and am completely ignorant of the nearby star regions."

He was speaking the truth. None of the cultivators from the Nine Provinces knew where they were. They had no star maps to consult, nor had they formally interacted with the starry sky yet; they were still in a phase of exploration.

"Didn't your elders tell you anything?" the young man asked.

Zhao Shoumou shook his head. "They did not."

Within the Nine Provinces, their generation was the most senior.

"How troublesome!" The young man's expression grew impatient. "I'll see for myself!"

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed at Zhao Shoumou. Though the movement wasn't fast, and Zhao Shoumou saw it clearly, he was utterly unable to dodge.

His body involuntarily crumpled, and the young man seized his head.

Under the surge of mystical power, Zhao Shoumou trembled like a sieve, his eyeballs quivering violently. He knew things were bad, but despite wanting to resist, he was utterly powerless. He felt his spirit defenses shatter, his Sea of Consciousness churn uncontrollably, and a profound sensation of being probed from the inside out.

He realized what was happening to him: this was clearly a soul-search!

A deep bitterness filled his heart. He knew his life was likely at its end, leaving him with immense regret.

He had just advanced to the Constellation realm and stepped into the starry sky, only to encounter such a terrible fate. It truly felt as if Heaven had no eyes. But even with such deep unwillingness, he was helpless.

The probing deepened, and his spirit became increasingly fragmented. Such a violent soul-search could not glean much information, mostly only memory fragments, but it inflicted indelible damage upon the subject.

Moments later, the young man's eyes gleamed as he withdrew his hand.

Zhao Shoumou collapsed limply, like a heap of mud.

His death had been sealed the moment he discovered the young man's presence. The young man would never allow him to live, lest his whereabouts be revealed. Although his enemy might have given up the pursuit, who could say for sure? For cultivators of their realm, a chase lasting over a century wasn't uncommon.

The information obtained from the soul-search wasn't exhaustive, but it wasn't scant either. At the very least, he had learned what he needed to know.

"'Nine Provinces...'" the young man murmured, frowning. He felt as if he'd heard that realm's name somewhere before. His expression brightened almost immediately. "Could it be *that* realm?"

He vaguely recalled a realm, a legendary one, a realm where powerful cultivators once emerged in endless succession, a realm that was ultimately annihilated by various races working together because it had grown too mighty!

He had lived long enough to know some ancient secrets of the starry sky. If *this* Nine Provinces was truly *that* legendary Nine Provinces, it would be utterly bizarre.

After all, legend held that the realm renowned throughout the starry sky had been completely destroyed.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence of names.

Moreover, according to the information he'd gleaned from the soul-search, the overall cultivation level of *this* Nine Provinces had only just reached the point of stepping into the starry sky. In the eyes of a powerful cultivator like him, such a realm was utterly insignificant.

He settled his mind. It seemed it truly was just a shared name.

The starry sky was vast, filled with countless human realms; it was not strange for names to be identical.

If *this* Nine Provinces truly were *that* Nine Provinces, then killing one of its people would lead to enormous trouble. But currently, he only faced a group of cultivators whose strongest were at most Constellation realm, so he felt no fear whatsoever.

With a sweep of his divine sense, he quickly detected the presence of the Nine Provinces. He wasn't particularly interested in a realm of that caliber. Once one reached his level of cultivation, even if temperamental or violent, they wouldn't delight in asserting dominance over a group of weaklings, unless provoked.

This mindset was akin to an adult not bullying a child without reason; there was no tangible benefit, and it only added karmic repercussions.

What was initially just a casual scan, however, revealed something interesting!

He immediately raised his gaze, channeling his full sight toward the Nine Provinces. His eyes widened in wonder. "This is... a growing realm?"

The current Nine Provinces wouldn't ordinarily pique his interest, but its present state did. He could tell at a glance that the Nine Provinces was currently devouring the foundations of the Blood Refinery Realm, rapidly and significantly enhancing itself.