Chapter 2083: Unknown Galaxy

The Wind Rises in the Nine Provinces

“You can go out now!”

This was undoubtedly the best news anyone had heard in a long time.

“Is this the Star Abyss?” someone whispered. If, as Lu Ye had previously conjectured, the Ghost Palanquin was meant to take them into the Star Abyss, then this should be it. However, peering out through the palanquin door, nothing particularly unusual was visible. Of course, this might be due to an incomplete survey; perhaps once outside, a thorough search would reveal something out of the ordinary?

Ten figures stood motionless before the open palanquin door, yet no one made a move. If this truly was the Star Abyss, then powerful beings like the Ox Demon that appeared in the Myriad Manifestation Sea would surely be abundant. Whoever stepped out first would likely face danger. Everyone understood this implicitly. So, despite their eagerness for confirmation, no one dared to act. All were powerful cultivators who had lived for countless years; they certainly possessed this much patience.

“Since all of you fellow Daoists are so modest, allow me to take the lead,” Chong Yue said, stretching his limbs as he stepped forward from the back. He didn’t intend to be the first, but comparatively, the Stone Clan’s physique was undoubtedly the strongest and most suitable for the task. Knowing he couldn’t avoid it, he proactively volunteered, doing so as a favor. Naturally, the others had no objections.

However, before Chong Yue could step out, a powerful repelling force suddenly erupted from within the Ghost Palanquin. In the next instant, all ten Sun Gatherers, without exception, were uncontrollably propelled towards the palanquin door by this force. This sudden change bewildered everyone. It felt as if the Ghost Palanquin had grown impatient with them and simply expelled them.

Figures hastily stabilized themselves, swiftly alert to their surroundings, as powerful divine senses rapidly spread out. Lu Ye, naturally, was with Jiu Yan.

Looking around, they saw a deep starry sky, dotted with numerous stars, and in the distance, a great sun shone. Sensing their surroundings, the spatial energy was not particularly active. Lu Ye’s brows immediately furrowed; the situation was not as he had expected. The others clearly noticed it too, their expressions filled with surprise and doubt.

“The Ghost Palanquin is gone,” Wu Chen suddenly stated. Only then did the group of Sun Gatherers realize that the Ghost Palanquin, which had brought them there, had vanished without a trace at some point. Had Wu Chen not pointed it out, none of them would have noticed.

“What do you think, fellow Daoist Ziji?” Sheng Yuanzi turned to the Great Demon Venerable Ziji and asked. Ziji slowly shook his head, “Although I don’t know which star system this is, it is definitely not the Star Abyss!” Sheng Yuanzi fell silent, clearly agreeing with Ziji’s assertion. He wasn’t the only one who thought so; everyone else did too. If this truly were the Star Abyss, it would certainly evoke a different sensation, yet none of them detected any abnormality when sensing their surroundings. Lu Ye’s previous conjecture was clearly mistaken! This entire situation was perplexing. The Ghost Palanquin had spent several months capturing ten powerful cultivators from various places, only to deliver them to this star system and then vanish.

Lu Ye was also at a loss to understand. The Ghost Palanquin must have come from the Star Abyss, as the Ox Demon recognized it. If that’s the case, why would it bring them here? Was there anything special about this particular star system?

“I’ll take my leave first!” Ziji declared, his demonic energy surging as he sped off in one direction. Since this was not the Star Abyss, there was no need to linger. As a demon, he had little fellowship with the others, and he could sense Lu Ye’s watchful gaze on him. Naturally, he was unwilling to stay longer; returning to Zixuan was paramount. “I’ll take my leave as well,” Wu Chen said, activating his escape art and choosing another direction. Following Wu Chen, the others also departed one after another. Those who had some acquaintance with Lu Ye exchanged communication talismans, agreeing to meet again in the Myriad Manifestation Sea. Even Su Wan, who was not very familiar with Lu Ye, did the same. Soon, only Lu Ye, Jiu Yan, and Shuixian remained. Shuixian had evidently stayed because she had something more to say to Lu Ye.

Just as Lu Ye was about to inquire, he suddenly felt something and turned to look aside, “Fellow Daoist Meiying is still here. Aren’t you leaving?” He had almost forgotten about the Ghost Clan Chief and immediately became a little wary. It was clearly not due to his oversight, but rather the Ghost Clan Chief intentionally reducing his presence.

“Fellow Daoist Lu, would you be interested in a deal?” came Meiying’s peculiar voice from within his fluid-like body.

“What kind of deal?” Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.

Meiying said, “I know you have a grudge against Zixuan. This is a rare opportunity. How about I help you kill Ziji?”

“Oh? Are you that confident, fellow Daoist?” Lu Ye squinted slightly. Ziji was the foremost Great Demon Venerable of the Zixuan Demon Star, immensely powerful. Meiying’s casual suggestion that he could help kill Ziji undoubtedly indicated Meiying’s strong self-confidence. However, considering that the Ghost Clan specialized in assassinations, Meiying, as their chief, must have reached the pinnacle of expertise in this regard. In a direct confrontation, he might not be Ziji’s match, but if it came to a stealthy ambush, there was likely no one in the entire star system he couldn’t kill.

“What would I need to pay?” Lu Ye asked.

Meiying chuckled, “I’ve heard fellow Daoist possesses a belonging treasure…”

“Pure rumor!” Lu Ye flatly denied.

“Hehehe…” Meiying didn’t mind. “If fellow Daoist considers it thoroughly later, you can have Youling send me a message; she knows how to find me.” As he spoke, his already blurry figure gradually faded, then completely dispersed. Lu Ye’s divine sense searched, but found hardly any trace.

“He’s gone!” Jiu Yan said from the side. Lu Ye nodded, then looked at Shuixian, who had remained, “Is there anything else, Senior Sister?”

Shuixian replied, “I just wanted to ask how Sister Yuqing is doing.” Compared to the others, who had spent some time inside the Ghost Palanquin, Shuixian was undoubtedly the most unlucky; she had just been captured into the palanquin when she was sent here. She hadn’t even had a chance to ask about Su Yuqing’s situation earlier.

Lu Ye immediately informed her of Su Yuqing’s current situation. Shuixian gladly said, “So that’s how it is. If I want to find Sister Yuqing in the future, I can just go to the Myriad Manifestation Sea, right?”

“Yes, there’s a wormhole in the Myriad Manifestation Sea that connects directly to the Nine Provinces. Whether Yuqing stays on Fangcun Mountain or presides over Fangcun Island, it will be very convenient for you to find her.”

“That’s good then.” Shuixian stood quietly, twirling a strand of her hair with her fingers, her face slightly flushed. She suddenly transmitted a message, “Please don’t let Sister Yuqing know about what happened before. Although it’s wrong to keep things from her, some matters…” Lu Ye understood implicitly. He blinked at her, feigning confusion, “Did something happen before?” Shuixian smiled, bowing gracefully, “In that case, I will take my leave first!”

After Shuixian departed, Lu Ye looked at Jiu Yan, “Let’s go too.” Jiu Yan said nothing, simply nodding.

“Senior Sister, do you know which star system this is?” Lu Ye asked.

“I don’t know; we’ll have to find someone to ask,” Jiu Yan replied. Although she had traveled through many star systems, she had never been to this place. Judging by the surrounding constellations, it was an unfamiliar region. However, no matter which star system they were in, as long as they ascertained their location, returning to the Myriad Manifestation Sea would not be an issue.

The two arbitrarily chose a direction. Lu Ye summoned his starship and piloted it, traveling onward.

A little less than half a day later, as Lu Ye was piloting the starship, he suddenly felt Jiu Yan tug at his clothes.

“Look over there!”

Lu Ye looked in the direction indicated, his brow furrowing slightly, and immediately changed course, heading towards it.

They soon arrived at the location. Looking around, the vast expanse of space was filled with the aftermath of a great battle, with large and small floating landmasses drifting everywhere. This was clearly a battlefield, and a massive one. There might have once been a realm here, but due to this war, even the realm itself had shattered, leaving behind only these floating landmasses. Lu Ye and Jiu Yan exchanged glances, both filled with astonishment.

Wars were not uncommon in the starry sky; on the contrary, they were quite frequent. However, battlefields of this scale were rarely seen. A battle capable of shattering an entire realm must have been unimaginably fierce.

The battlefield not only contained the remnants of the shattered realm but also countless warship wrecks. Judging solely from these warship remains, many of them were astonishingly Sun Gatherer-class warships! It was known that such warships were extremely expensive to build. When the Zixuan army attacked the Nine Provinces in the past, they had deployed one such warship, but only a single one.

Besides these, the most abundant type of debris remaining on the battlefield consisted of strangely shaped wreckage, some animalistic, some humanoid, most of them incredibly tall. Lu Ye gazed at a piece of wreckage drifting past him, resembling a giant wolf, his brows furrowing. If he wasn’t mistaken, this was an Automaton! Furthermore, this Automaton was of high quality, yet it was tattered and broken, suggesting it had endured an intense battle. Inside, in one section, there was a large pool of blood.

Jiu Yan’s expression shifted. She pulled the Automaton closer, reached into a part of it, and surprisingly pulled out a cold corpse. It appeared to be a human, with a hole in its chest, likely the fatal wound.

“This is… a Sun Gatherer!”

Although the cultivator had been dead for an unknown period, Jiu Yan’s methods still allowed her to clearly ascertain their cultivation level from when they were alive. This further demonstrated the ferocity of this past battlefield, where even Sun Gatherers had fallen in combat.

Lu Ye then retrieved another shattered Automaton and found the corpse of a Moon Core within it. They searched for a long time but found no valuable clues left behind.

“Senior Sister, have you ever heard of a star system known for its mastery of Automatons?” Lu Ye asked. Automatons were considered an unorthodox path, a school of thought that existed in the starry sky but had never been particularly strong. Thus, Lu Ye found it strange why so many cultivators wearing Automatons, including several Sun Gatherers, had died on this battlefield. Automatons capable of being worn by Sun Gatherers were certainly not ordinary. Which star system was this, exactly?

“I haven’t,” Jiu Yan shook her head. “But the starry sky is vast; it’s not unusual for there to be things we don’t know about.”

Lu Ye nodded, then suddenly turned to face a direction, “Someone’s coming!” He was just about to look for someone to gather information.