Chapter 1557: The Seven Stars of the Northern Domain Rush to the Meeting, Eerie Events Regenerate and Cause Terror

"My clan's Ban Sheng has gone too; after all, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

In Tian Meng, the Virtual Mirror Gathering was underway.

This illusory conference, constructed with the power of the Tai Xu world, covered nearly the entire Bei Yu Zhan Shen Tian.

One could say that any family, sect, or force with a significant presence in Bei Yu was a member of Tian Meng.

Tian Meng was extremely loose, serving as both a combat organization and a laid-back social hub.

There were no missions, no points, no talk of contributions, and no other miscellaneous matters.

It was simply for meetings!

The purpose was to exchange intelligence and jointly resist enemies from outside Bei Yu!

Of course, Bei Yu didn’t have that many enemies most of the time, so it usually just devolved into casual chitchat.

Anyone could join the Virtual Mirror Gathering anytime and anywhere—while eating, drinking tea, or even in more private moments—as long as they were at the Tai Xu level and there was no serious business going on.

At this moment, the Tian Meng Virtual Mirror Gathering was experiencing a rare surge of activity.

Normally, only a few people were online, at most a dozen or so idling around, but now, the number of participants had surprisingly exceeded three digits.

Around a virtual long table, seats were filled with shadowy, indistinct figures.

Whether Tai Xu or Ban Sheng, everyone had a say, and anyone could voice their frustrations—it was one of the few places for true freedom.

The topic of discussion was the "Qing Sheng Ling," recently issued by Sheng Shen Dian Tang, which had stirred up massive waves across the Five Domains.

"And let me tell you, my clan’s Ban Sheng went without a second thought!"

"Ours from the sect did too."

"Same with our faction."

"Of course they did! It’s rare for Sheng Shen Dian Tang to issue a 'Qing,' so it’s legitimate, no repercussions, and no risk of Sheng Yun—it’s a golden opportunity... Our clan’s one has been self-imprisoned for over seventy years since becoming a saint, turning into a cave-dwelling hermit, and this is his first chance to get some fresh air!"

"What fresh air? Watch your words! A saint is not to be insulted!"

"Ha, we can be casual here. I’m his grandson, so I’m not worried."

"Ah, so does every big family have a Ban Sheng? I’m just the big shot in my clan?"

"New here? I can guess which clan you’re from—my sect is right nearby."

"Uh..."

Groups clustered together, each chatting away in their own bubbles, creating quite the lively scene.

Until, not long after, a loud voice cut through the buzz of over a hundred people:

"In my opinion!"

Everyone immediately fell silent and turned their attention, full of surprise:

"Bei Feng San Ren?"

"Oh, a Ban Sheng has arrived! Bei Feng Ban Sheng, aren’t you going to the site for some fun?"

"Heh, my clan’s Ban Sheng wanted to invite you along, but he couldn’t wait and went in first. The invitation is still on its way with his people, hoping to meet up and drink inside the site... Uh, now that I’ve said that, maybe the invitation isn’t needed anymore?"

"Bei Feng San Ren, do you have any advice for us little Tai Xu? I’m hesitating about going into Ran Ming Site."

"There! No need to hesitate—another one’s jumping in!"

"Say too much and you’ll mess up."

"Disaster comes from the mouth."

"Come on, repeat after me: Zhan Shen Guan Site, Zhan Shen Guan inheritance..."

The arrival of the Ban Sheng clearly pushed the Virtual Mirror Gathering to a new high.

The illusory long table kept extending and started rotating, with more chairs appearing around it as even more people joined in.

Tian Meng didn’t limit how many from one force could attend—after all, this was Tian Meng.

Sometimes, insomniacs would sneak in, and you might even hear representatives from a certain force discussing plans that could keep people up all night, like plotting the destruction of a clan.

Bei Feng San Ren was one of the rare independent Ban Sheng cultivators without any family ties!

He had witnessed countless absurdities in the Virtual Mirror Gathering and had seen it grow from small beginnings, so he had a deep affection for it.

With his outgoing personality, bold demeanor, and complete lack of airs, all forces were eager to befriend him.

The reality was...

Who dared offend a Ban Sheng?

Especially an independent one—that was just outrageous!

Thus, in the Virtual Mirror Gathering, Bei Feng San Ren held high prestige, almost rivaling that of the alliance leader—though everyone thought that, Bei Feng San Ren would never dare claim it.

He was always willing to share.

This time, he joined with even bigger intelligence to share:

"In my opinion, the Qing Sheng Ling is a trap. I’m here to warn everyone—don’t just chase a momentary thrill and wade into the mess with Sheng Shen Dian Tang and the Sheng Nu. It could get you killed!"

The people at the long table burst into laughter:

"You’re a bit late, San Ren."

"Those who were going to go have already gone. Those who aren’t won’t, no matter what you say—they’re used to staying home."

"I heard not just Bei Yu’s Ban Sheng circle is stirred up; those in Dong Yu and Nan Yu are getting restless too!"

"What Ban Sheng could Dong Yu and Nan Yu have? Not even a fraction of ours in Bei Yu."

"Ah? Can you really talk about Ban Sheng self-imprisonment places and Bei Yu’s self-imprisonment heaven in such a fresh way?"

"Ha ha ha, if you can go toe-to-toe with Sheng Shen Dian Tang, you’re the boss—you can self-imprison at home. If not, screw it, just pack up and come to Bei Yu to fight the other-dimensional rifts... Ah, I feel it coming... Hong Yi Bu Mie! Guang Ming Yong Cun!"

"I feel it too... Once a Bei Yu person, always a Bei Yu soul!"

"Can’t get out? Well, can’t get out then. Don’t beat around the bush and pledge loyalty—it’s pathetic!"

"Not absolutely—Qi Duan Jin can take you out, and Sheng Shen Dian Tang can’t reach that far. We’ve got examples here."

"Hiss! I’m new— what are you all discussing?"

"Oh? New kid, signed the contract? Remember, anything you hear in the Virtual Mirror Gathering—if you leak it, you’ll get a rare audience with a saint tomorrow! Your whole family will!"

"Stop tormenting the newcomer, Lao Zhao... New one, remember: if you don’t want to die, keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, no need to wait until tomorrow—once you log off, Bei Feng San Ren will come for a chat."

"After all that hard work to reach Tai Xu? Welcome to the Tai Xu world. Congratulations on waking from one dream into the next nightmare! Heh heh heh..."

"To Tai Xu, the true world! Without becoming a saint, you’re forever a slave!"

"Hai Tang Er, my big boss is calling you—come out and speak with your flowery homeland!"

"... Saint... it’s the Sheng Di’s saint... well, a starting point."

"Uh, you’re really here? Heh, I was joking earlier. I’m from Bei Yu Pu Xuan Jiang clan... that Qi Duan Jin—any spots left for me? I want to see the outside world too..."

"Quiet down! Don’t you see Bei Feng San Ren’s head is about to explode? Let him speak—he’s a Ban Sheng after all."

"Yeah, a saint is not to be insulted—you’ve already..."

The chatter was endless, and Bei Feng San Ren’s head was spinning from it all.

That was the flaw of the Virtual Mirror Gathering—once the numbers got too big, all sorts of nonsense came out.

One comment led to another, each more outrageous, and it never stopped.

They said everything, whether it should be said or not, without caring if newcomers were present—it all poured out.

And who had to clean up the mess in the end?

It was always the Ban Sheng like them guarding the rear!

Though, it was a bit of fun, like getting some fresh air themselves... heh.

Bei Feng San Ren wasn’t about to get angry over it. Once the excitement died down and everyone gave him the respect due to a Ban Sheng by quieting down, he said:

"Xu Xiao Shou is no pushover."

"Even if you won’t die in the Zhan Shen Guan Site, he holds grudges. Once he’s out, he’ll definitely swing by your place."

"Whether he kills your clan’s Ban Sheng is one thing, but with his habit of plucking feathers from every passing goose, your treasures won’t be safe."

"Hiss, that makes sense!" The discussion erupted again at the long table.

Bei Feng San Ren didn’t stop this time and continued:

"Plus, if your clan’s Ban Sheng is mediocre, that’s fine. But if they’re skilled in any area and actually manage to take him out in the site, the consequences will be worse."

"This is seizing the Dao! You’re seizing the path of his Ancestral God life grid—he won’t let it go when he gets out."

"Oh, you won’t die in the Zhan Shen Guan Site, so you might win a half-move and enjoy the thrill, maybe even send him off in the chaos."

"But back in the Five Domains, with his arsenal of cunning and powerful tricks, even if he only uses half a move out of a hundred, which clan’s Ban Sheng is confident they can handle it?"

"Wait, more like, confident they won’t die?"

His words left over a hundred people in stunned silence.

The Virtual Mirror Gathering rarely fell so quiet, and even with their faces blurred, you could sense the heavy atmosphere, with thoughts like:

"This is bad."

"My clan’s Ban Sheng was so focused on getting out for some fun that they forgot about the fallout!"

But on second thought, they quickly let it go.

Who reaches Ban Sheng without being smart?

Unless they were dead set on currying favor with Sheng Shen Dian Tang for a spot in the world, most were probably just going to the Ran Ming Site for a bit of recreation.

Fight Xu Xiao Shou?

No way! They’d turn tail at the first sign of wind!

Why fight when you can play elsewhere? Why bother licking Sheng Shen Dian Tang’s boots?

"I left the fire on at home—I’m heading back to check."

"Me too..."

"Then me as well..."

Many logged off right away to report back to their own Ban Sheng or look after allied ones.

Ban Sheng not at home?

Didn’t matter—that wouldn’t stop them from showing loyalty!

Bei Yu was all about social niceties; a warm face was meant for sticking to cold backsides!

"Bei Feng San Ren, did you come just to say that?" Someone laughed and spoke up. "Anyone with half a brain could see through that."

"How dare you talk to Bei Feng Ban Sheng like that?"

"You brat, think you can spout off just because of the Virtual Mirror Gathering? Don’t let me from Bei Gui Zong find your family’s location!"

"My Meng Luo Yang clan is in on this too. Think Bei Feng San Ren is easygoing and you can walk all over him?"

"State your name—I’ll teach you a lesson for Li Ying Jiao!"

"Enough!" Bei Feng San Ren waved off the flattery, helpless. "That’s not my main point, really. It’s just, how do I put it?"

After a brief pause, he said in a thoughtful tone:

"It’s just a feeling that maybe the Qing Sheng Ling hasn’t appeared in so long, and it came so suddenly—there might be a trap."

"Or, the Five Domains’ Ban Sheng have been self-imprisoned for so long, and now they’re all moving at once just because of one Xu Xiao Shou—it feels off somewhere... Hmm, hard to explain."

Bei Feng San Ren clicked his tongue a couple of times and shook his head: "Just a feeling, that’s all."

"A Ban Sheng’s feeling."

"A Ban Sheng’s hunch."

"A Ban Sheng’s advanced foresight!"

"A Ban Sheng’s supreme, ultimate, absolute prediction..."

After hearing this vague response, the people at the long table were speechless, mixed with a chorus of flattery.

But amid the flattery, the one who had spoken boldly earlier added in surprise:

"What a coincidence, I have that premonition too, so I didn’t take the Qing Sheng Ling that invites compassion for the masses. Chang Yi and the others ignored my advice and went straight into the site... Bei Feng San Ren, what’s your feeling? Care to elaborate?"

In an instant, the entire Virtual Mirror Gathering went dead silent.

You have that feeling too?

What’s your level compared to Bei Feng San Ren’s status? How dare you say that?

And you’re casually calling Sheng Di by his true name!

You’re being outrageously bold!

And Chang Yi...

Wait!

Chang Yi?

The Bei Yu Seven Stars’ war maniac, Chang Yi Ban Sheng?

"Uh..."

The Virtual Mirror Gathering echoed with a dozen "uh" sounds, followed by hesitant silence, with no one saying a word.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Suddenly, over ten people disconnected at once.

If you counted, it was basically those who had just flattered Bei Feng San Ren by stepping on this bold speaker...

Oh, more than stepping.

"Fellow daoist?"

Bei Feng San Ren chuckled.

They’re insulting a saint, as I said—disaster from the mouth. Now, a dozen forces are probably panicking. "May I ask who you are?"

"This is Pei Zai."

"The Bei Yu Seven Stars’ carefree one, Xiao Yao Ban Sheng Pei Zai, Pei Ban Sheng?" Bei Feng San Ren paused, his words carried a hint of reverence. "Weren’t you on the front lines..."

"Just back home for a short rest."

"Oh oh, rest well, rest well. Oh, right, the feeling I mentioned earlier is..."

The Virtual Mirror Gathering erupted in an uproar.

Xiao Yao Ban Sheng—this man was on par with Bei Yu’s war maniac Chang Yi Ban Sheng, both stars dominating the front-line battlefields where other-dimensional spaces opened most frequently!

The Bei Yu Seven Stars might not be well-known across Sheng Shen Continent.

But that’s because these seven Ban Sheng spent years on the battlefield with no time to show up elsewhere.

Why was Tian Meng founded?

Not just for casual chats, but because the initial front-line battlefield needed a place for timely communications.

Thus, a Tai Xu world that ran day and night was proposed by the Tian Meng alliance leader and built by those seven big shots along with a group of Tai Xu experts.

The Bei Yu Seven Stars were the first members of Tian Meng.

Back then, Tian Meng was the real deal, inheriting the blood of Bei Yu Zhan Shen Tian!

Now’s Tian Meng...

Uh, best not to mention it.

As the old saying goes, "Without the Seven Stars guarding the front lines, how could we have the gentle comforts of Yu Jing?"

That’s the evaluation.

An explanation of Tian Meng’s current laid-back state.

An interpretation of the peace in the other Four Domains beyond the front-line battlefield.

And the highest praise for the Bei Yu Seven Stars!

And now...

From Xiao Yao Ban Sheng Pei Zai’s words, it seemed that Chang Yi, another of the Seven Stars, had already entered the Ran Ming Site to intercept Xu Xiao Shou?

He said "they"...

Maybe many of the combat Ban Sheng from the front lines wanted to head to the Ran Ming Site for some fresh air?

Bei Feng San Ren was a Ban Sheng too.

Compared to ordinary Ban Sheng, he could boast a bit—he was an independent cultivator who achieved sainthood, a fine legend.

But compared to the Bei Yu Seven Stars, it was like Jiang Bu Yi versus the Ten Venerables—not even in the same league.

After hemming and hawing for a while, Bei Feng San Ren completely forgot what he was going to say about his "feeling" and couldn’t get a word out.

"No need for feelings!"

Just then, at the head of the Virtual Mirror Gathering’s long table, a blurry figure materialized.

"Damn!"

"What day is this?"

Everyone on the sides of the table exploded in shock.

How many years had it been since this figure appeared?

The leader of the Bei Yu Seven Stars, the foremost pillar of the front-line battlefield, the creator of Tian Meng...

"The alliance leader is here!"

"What am I seeing? Yan Sheng Alliance Leader?"

"Welcome, Yan Sheng Alliance Leader! Tian Meng for a thousand autumns, unifying..."

"Shut up! Don’t flatter recklessly—you want to die? If the alliance leader found out his handcrafted Tian Meng has turned into this mess... Cough! I didn’t say anything. I’m from Li Ying Jiao."

"We’ve seen the alliance leader!"

"Big boss alliance leader, hello!"

A wave of respectful voices rose from the long table, toning down the earlier sycophancy as everyone tried to look upright, like direct descendants of the war gods.

Bei Feng San Ren scratched his tingling scalp.

It really was that saying— what kind of day is this, what wind could blow these big shots back from the front lines?

"Alliance leader, about what you said, 'no need for feelings,' what do you mean?" Bei Feng San Ren hesitated to ask, sensing a big pit ahead.

Xiao Yao Ban Sheng Pei Zai also looked over without speaking, equally curious.

Tian Meng Alliance Leader Yan Sheng, his face unseen, scanned the attendees, and everyone felt his gaze pass over them before he spoke in an extremely heavy tone:

"Something big has gone wrong at the Zhan Shen Guan Site."

"Everyone, return home or to your sects immediately, report to your clan’s Ban Sheng, and under no circumstances enter the site."

"Remember, this is a 'Tian Meng Order.' Violators will be executed!"

Hiss—

A chorus of sharp intakes of breath rose from below.

A Tian Meng Order—that was only issued when the front-line situation was dangerously critical!

Bei Feng San Ren felt his voice faltering: "May I ask..."

"Big boss, what happened?"

In the Shen Zhi Yi Ji, an intelligence operative from Fen Qin’s old department stared at the motionless figure before him and hesitated to speak.

"See for yourself."

Sang Lao stood silently, his face shadowed with gloom.

The person behind followed his gaze to the distance, where a battlefield lay in ruins, marked by rampant destruction from Ling Ling masters.

Lightning-element Ling Yuan, metal-element Ling Yuan, water-element...

Shattered Ling Qi, clothes, Fa Zhu, and the usual sights of severed limbs and wreckage...

Clearly, a massive brawl had occurred here—involving thirty or forty people, judging by the bodies.

After looking around, they didn’t see anything odd: "Big boss, what exactly is the problem?"

The main attention of those behind was still on relaying the Shen Zhi Ming Xing; they had no time for nitpicking.

Yes, they had left the volcano.

For some reason, Fen Qin suddenly had a whim and wanted to go out and find someone.

Not only did he go himself, but he also took everyone along, parading all the Shen Zhi Ming Xing out in the open.

It was as if his head had been kicked by a donkey...

But this was Fen Qin Zhu He, the Sheng Nu Wu Xiu—his orders meant blind obedience.

What they saw must be just the surface.

The big boss definitely had his own thoughts!

Sang Lao withdrew his gaze heavily: "We shouldn’t have come out..."

He looked into the distant sky.

Occasionally, figures darted by.

Like the ones they’d encountered on the road, everyone seemed headed for the same place...

"Ah?"

Sang Lao’s words made everyone behind buzz with confusion: "What do you mean?"

Sang Lao said no more, flashing to the midst of the post-battle debris.

The people behind hurried to follow.

Seeing it from outside the battlefield was one thing, but up close was another.

At least, the bloody stench was several degrees stronger!

These scattered limbs and bodies looked even more grotesque and chilling...

"Wait!"

Everyone’s pupils suddenly contracted as they stared at the blood and corpses on the ground, their faces filling with creeping horror.

"Corpses?"

"How can there be corpses in the Ran Ming Site?"