Chapter 831: Portents and Pacts

In the VIP hall of Starrymoon Hall, Zhenhai Patriarch sat with his eyes closed in deep concentration, patiently awaiting the divination session of Star King and Yue Zun.

But when neither appeared for a long while, he finally opened his eyes and frowned.

Being a venerable patriarch and a Nascent Soul True Lord, he was well-versed in the art of divination.

Even if major divinations required bathing, changing, or other ritual preparations, they shouldn’t take this long.

He slowly exhaled and summoned the steward of Starrymoon Hall to inquire about the status of Star King and Yue Zun.

“Patriarch, Star King and Yue Zun are in the midst of divination. We must not disturb them. Please be patient; if you have pressing matters, feel free to attend to them. I will notify you as soon as they finish.”

The steward said this respectfully.

Hearing this, Zhenhai Patriarch realized that further questioning was futile, so he waved dismissively and continued to wait patiently.

After a while, ripples of spatial energy stirred in the hall as the silhouettes of Star King and Yue Zun materialized.

“My fellow cultivators, how did the divination go?” Zhenhai Patriarch asked promptly.

“He wields a supreme treasure that blocks the flow of heavenly secrets, suppressing his destiny—making him impossible to divine.”

Yue Zun, dressed in a flowing sky-blue gown with wide sleeves, her figure both tall and graceful, exuded an air of mysterious nobility as she replied in a tone devoid of emotion.

“What?!”

Though Zhenhai Patriarch had long anticipated that divining Yangming True Lord’s condition would be no simple task,

he was utterly surprised that they had yielded no results at all!

After all, Star King and Yue Zun are among the top diviners in the Starry Sea! Could it be that he truly possesses a treasure that seals away celestial secrets, or is it linked to the Eastern Emperor’s Heir—a matter they hesitate to disclose?

Maintaining an impassive expression yet betraying astonishment, Zhenhai Patriarch remarked, “Fellow cultivators, you too are unable to determine his background?”

“There’s a slight chance he might be the Eastern Emperor’s Heir; we must meet him in person to be sure.”

The young-looking Star King turned to Zhenhai Patriarch, his eyes glowing with a subtle purple light, and said, “Zhenhai Patriarch, could you accompany me to meet this man?”

“Of course,” he replied.

Zhenhai Patriarch nodded and said, “To be honest, I have a few scores to settle with him.”

“If he turns out to be the Eastern Emperor’s Heir, I trust you both can help mediate the feud.”

Zhenhai Patriarch had come mainly to probe Star King and Yue Zun’s stance regarding the Eastern Emperor’s Heir.

If Starrymoon Hall can cooperate with him, that would be ideal; however, if their ties with the Sun-Moon Star Palace require caution, then he must reconsider his options.

“A grudge?”

Star King and Yue Zun exchanged a glance.

Based on the incident involving True Lord Pinghai, they had deduced that the Zhenhai Seven Sects were in conflict with this so-called Eastern Emperor’s Heir.

At that moment, Zhenhai Patriarch’s remarks only heightened their concern about the Eastern Emperor’s Heir.

It was so pressing that Zhenhai Patriarch found himself forced to seek their help in resolving the feud.

After all, the Zhenhai Seven Sects are among the most formidable forces in the Starry Sea.

They not only had deep roots—with Zhenhai Patriarch, a nearly thousand-year-old legend rumored to be of the demon race—but also boasted seven or eight Nascent Soul True Lords and Fourth-Rank combat abilities.

In sheer strength, Starrymoon Hall was no match for the Zhenhai Seven Sects.

After all, Starrymoon Hall was a neutral force that seldom involved itself in Starry Sea conflicts, and thus did not develop its power like the Seven Sects had.

With a cold expression, Star King stated, “Both Zhenhai Patriarch’s Seven Sects and our Starrymoon Hall share origins in the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm. Now that you’ve disclosed this crucial information, if he truly is the Eastern Emperor’s Heir, our Hall is more than willing to step in and settle the feud.”

At Starrymoon Hall, divinations serve as a means of earning favors from high-ranking cultivators.

And the favor of someone like Zhenhai Patriarch was, without doubt, extremely valuable.

With that, Star King turned to Yue Zun and said, “Yue Zun, let’s go visit this man with Zhenhai Patriarch.”

He had no desire to adhere to ancestral edicts by backing an Eastern Emperor’s Heir.

Now, if he were to choose to assist, the future would be fraught with more misfortune than fortune; this only strengthened his resolve to follow his own path.

Yet in his eyes, this so-called Eastern Emperor’s Heir was nothing less than an opportunity for a life-altering change!

On the other hand, if another path were chosen, the future might be boundless! As a top diviner, Star King knew that a single thought could steer destiny in a different direction. “I wonder, what grudge does your sect have with him?”

Yue Zun turned to Zhenhai Patriarch and asked.

Although she did not want to antagonize the Zhenhai Seven Sects over the Eastern Emperor’s Heir, she was eager to know more details.

“Ah, it’s just a matter concerning True Lord Pinghai and the others,” he sighed.

Zhenhai Patriarch sighed deeply and began to outline the affairs involving True Lord Pinghai, Fuhai True Lord, Lingbo True Lord, and Yangming True Lord.

Essentially, True Lord Pinghai had leaked a few details as a ploy to use others as his pawn, which were impossible to hide from them.

“Hmm.”

Yue Zun nodded softly and let the matter drop.

Moments later, her delicate, gauze-covered eyes observed Star King and Zhenhai Patriarch leaving Starrymoon Hall.

Having trained with Star King for centuries, she knew his nature all too well.

Was he really one to sacrifice himself solely in adherence to ancestral teachings?

In his early years, Star King had already expressed disdain for anything related to the Eastern Emperor’s Heir.

Now, having divined the future’s ominous turns, he seemed even more opposed to supporting the Eastern Emperor’s Heir in rebuilding the Sun-Moon Star Palace.

Even as Yue Zun’s eyes, draped in light blue gauze, mirrored an infinite starry expanse, strands of fate took shape, revealing an intricate tapestry of celestial secrets.

As a premier diviner and Nascent Soul True Lord blessed with a treasure that seals away celestial secrets, Star King could only glimpse fragments of the future through the intertwined karmic destiny linking him with Starrymoon Hall.

In the dark, enigmatic river of destiny, waves of possibility surged.

Each wave symbolized a distinct potential future.

Yue Zun saw her own reflection and the image of Starrymoon Hall in the waves, yet Star King remained unseen.

After a while, a weariness overcame Yue Zun as she ceased her divination.

She couldn’t tell if Star King had departed from Starrymoon Hall or had fallen at the hands of the Eastern Emperor’s Heir.

In her estimation, the former seemed more likely.

After all, Star King’s strength was such that only a major late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could hope to defeat him.

Moreover, Star King was a premier diviner, masterful in evading ill fortune.

In such cases, any major late-stage Nascent Soul powerhouse seeking to kill him would have to devise an elaborate plan, disrupt the flow of destiny, and set up multiple ambushes.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” she murmured.

Yue Zun murmured softly but refrained from interfering.

On one hand, the divination merely hinted at one possible future, not destiny in stone.

Furthermore, any intervention might not yield a better path and could easily backfire.

On the other hand, it was simply beyond her capacity to interfere.

It would be best to let nature take its course until Star King meets the so-called Eastern Emperor’s Heir, and then find another opportunity to advise him.

“Auspicious,”

Yue Zun then turned her thoughts to her own omens.

If she wished to harness the auspicious signs from her divination to advance further, what course should she take? The Dao is ever-changing and fate is unfathomable.

Even as one of the most elite diviners in the Starry Sea, she felt profoundly uncertain about her own destiny.

“Patriarch, you’ve come to our Starrymoon Hall not only to assess the Eastern Emperor’s Heir’s situation but also to gauge our stance, isn’t that so?”

Once they had left Starrymoon Hall, Star King turned to Zhenhai Patriarch and spoke bluntly,

“Though you wish for our help in mediating the feud,”

“provided the other party is indeed the Eastern Emperor’s Heir.”

“If he weren’t the Eastern Emperor’s Heir, would you be willing to let it pass? As a top diviner and Nascent Soul True Lord, I see right through your intentions.”

Leveraging the issue of the Eastern Emperor’s Heir and a treasured artifact reminiscent of the Eastern Emperor Mirror, he sought to uncover the man’s true origins.

At the same time, he wished to observe Starrymoon Hall’s stance toward the so-called Eastern Emperor’s Heir.

“Star King, what exactly do you mean?”

Zhenhai Patriarch, maintaining a calm demeanor and feigning astonishment, responded,

“If the Eastern Emperor’s Heir is to manifest, he will only appear in the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm.”

Star King replied coldly, “This man is absolutely not the Eastern Emperor’s Heir. At best, he’s merely acquired a fragment of the legacy abandoned by the Sun-Moon Star Palace.”

“Oh?” Zhenhai Patriarch murmured, his tone laden with meaning.

Then he inquired, “If this man has only come to gain an inheritance inadvertently left by the Sun-Moon Star Palace, what do you intend to do, Star King?”

With eyes swirling like purple nebulae and a sinister, cold expression, Star King folded his arms and asked, “Zhenhai Patriarch, what action do you expect True Lord Ben to take?”

“I’m not a diviner—I can’t possibly fathom your thoughts, Star King,” Zhenhai Patriarch retorted.

Maintaining his calm demeanor, Zhenhai Patriarch replied evenly.

“Heavenly fortune belongs to the virtuous!”

Star King, his eyes deep with meaning, responded slowly.

“A powerful individual is, by nature, one of virtue;”

“those of lesser might will unsurprisingly fall short of virtue.”

“If that’s so, then he must be virtuous,”

Zhenhai Patriarch mused thoughtfully.

His visit to Starrymoon Hall—and his intention to proceed to Six Paths Palace and Divine Maiden Palace—stemmed from the fact that True Lord Yangming’s prowess was so formidable that it could not be confronted alone.

Star King, of course, perceived the deeper meaning behind his words.

Whether your divination with Yue Zun has unveiled ominous future shifts, or your visit here to seek mediation—all indicate that he is no ordinary man! “The Patriarch knows many of Starrymoon Hall’s hidden secrets, and we too preserve certain mysteries.”

Changing the subject, Star King inquired, “For example, is it true that among the legacies of the founding patriarchs of the Zhenhai Seven Sects there exists a True Spirit Egg—a treasure hatched through immeasurable effort?”

According to Starrymoon Hall’s records, the Zhenhai Seven Sects were meant to be guarded by a top-level True Spirit, yet for millennia, it has never appeared.

The previous generation of Star King and Yue Zun at Starrymoon Hall, before their passing, had divined many unsolved mysteries.

Among these was the prediction concerning the safeguarding True Spirit of the Zhenhai Seven Sects.

But after all the divinations, fate seemed to be inexorably pointing toward Zhenhai Patriarch.

For a moment, doubts arose—was Zhenhai Patriarch not merely a human cultivator, but a True Spirit Demon Beast nurtured by the founding patriarchs of the Zhenhai Seven Sects? Star King was deeply puzzled.

If indeed Zhenhai Patriarch were that True Spirit Demon Beast, his power would be far greater than it appeared.

It might even surpass our own level.

Under such prospects, why fear an Eastern Emperor’s Heir? And why should we concern ourselves with Starrymoon Hall’s stance?

Dressed in a straw cloak, Zhenhai Patriarch’s stooped form shuddered, and with eyes as deep as an abyss he remarked, “These are delicate secrets that cannot be casually revealed.”

“Hehe,” Star King smirked mischievously, “Zhenhai Patriarch, since you insist, let’s speak frankly.”

Upon hearing that, Zhenhai Patriarch chuckled, acknowledging that Star King’s words confirmed his suspicions.

After millennia, confronted with the seductive legacy of the Sun-Moon Star Palace, Starrymoon Hall had no time for old loyalties, let alone risk being dominated once again.

Jiang Kingdom.

Lu Changsheng arrived outside the Heavenly Sword Sect’s mountain gate and crushed a Jade Talisman in his hand.

Soon after, a middle-aged man wearing a black sword robe, whose appearance seemed ordinary yet exuded a fierce aura, emerged.

“Fellow cultivator of the Absolute Sword,” Lu Changsheng called with a clasped fist.

True Lord Juejian, observing the man before him draped in a dark cloak and exuding both valor and refinement, his eyes narrowing slightly, asked, “Should I address you as City Lord Wang or as Yangming True Lord?”

“Either is acceptable,” Lu Changsheng replied with a light smile.

Lu Changsheng smiled lightly.

“Tell me, City Lord, what brings you here this time?”

True Lord Juejian didn’t waste time on formalities and asked directly.

“I have business to discuss,” Lu Changsheng stated.

“Please, come in,” True Lord Juejian said, immediately beckoning him inside.

Lu Changsheng, with a composed demeanor, entered the Heavenly Sword Sect alongside True Lord Juejian.

It was his first time at the Heavenly Sword Sect.

However, having already witnessed Penglai Immortal City, Penglai Island, and Divine Maiden Palace, he found the Heavenly Sword Sect rather unremarkable.

True Lord Juejian was mildly surprised to see Lu Changsheng enter his sect’s gate so casually.

After all, his boldness in entering the Immortal City of Damengze was largely due to its formation being merely Third-Rank.

In contrast, the Heavenly Sword Sect boasted a Fourth-Rank forbidden formation.

When fully engaged, even Nascent Soul cultivators could suffer its might.

However, thinking of your strength, Yangming Zhenren—and your Fourth-Rank spirit pet—he felt reassured.

True Lord Juejian escorted Lu Changsheng to a spacious hall, invited him to sit, and personally served him tea.

“I wonder, what matter brings you here today?”

He looked directly at Lu Changsheng and asked.

Lu Changsheng lifted his tea, took a gentle sip, and apologized, “When you visited before, I couldn’t attend to you due to affairs in the Starry Sea. Please pardon me.”

“This time, I come firstly about the Liang-Yue War, and secondly to discuss a potential deal with your sect.”

“Oh?”

At the mention of the Liang-Yue War, True Lord Juejian’s expression turned decidedly grave.

After all, the Liang-Yue War had been on the back foot.

If the current Dameng City Lord, Yangming True Lord, intervened, the situation would certainly be stabilized.

“Regarding the matter of my Immortal City of Damengze and the Starry Sea, I presume you have gleaned some details from my wife,” he remarked.

“Thus, concerning the Liang-Yue War, it’s not that I refuse to intervene; I simply cannot free myself at present.”

Defending himself briefly, Lu Changsheng continued, “So I’ve come to propose a deal: I wish to borrow the artifact that contains Nascent Soul spirits, and thereafter, my side will spare no effort to aid your sect in overcoming the Liang-Yue War.”

True Lord Juejian’s face turned grave as he knowingly asked, “City Lord, why do you seek to borrow the Binding Divine Net?”

“Cultivators from the Starry Sea have been relentlessly causing trouble. Though I can dispatch a few, they always manage to evade capture using Soul Escape—it’s a real nuisance.”

Lu Changsheng said resignedly, “I recall that your sect’s True Lord Xuanjian once used such an artifact. I wish to borrow it to utterly eliminate the Starry Sea’s mischief.”

“Slay a few?”

True Lord Juejian was instantly taken aback by Lu Changsheng’s nonchalant tone.

Normally, one would expect that the other had only recently achieved a breakthrough in the Nascent Soul stage.

At most, twenty years.

In merely twenty years, could he really slay multiple Nascent Soul cultivators? Several, in fact?

Such power was nothing short of terrifying.

But recalling the feats in the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands, he surmised that this Dameng City Lord, Yangming True Lord, might very well have condensed a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul!

Otherwise, despite having Fourth-Rank spirit pets and a Sword Dao Treasure, it would be nearly impossible to dispatch so many Nascent Soul cultivators.

Yet, Lu Changsheng’s following words left him utterly flabbergasted.

So, you wish to borrow your senior brother’s Binding Divine Net to utterly eradicate the Starry Sea’s problems?

After all, even slaying a peer among Nascent Soul cultivators is an astounding feat.

As for severing a Nascent Soul’s spirit form, that is as challenging as ascending to immortality.

For instance, even when he once conspired with his senior brother, True Lord Xuanjian, to ambush, they couldn’t secure True Lord Tiansha’s Nascent Soul spirit.

Ultimately, it was only when True Lord Tiansha, after seizing a new host and suffering a drastic decline in power, and with his senior brother having set traps in advance, that his Nascent Soul spirit was confined by the Binding Divine Net.

Yet, Yangming True Lord spoke nonchalantly, as though slaying such Nascent Soul spirits were mere play—even though the flashes of sword light and surges of magical energy previously sensed from Damengze warned against any underestimation.

“I’m afraid to disappoint you—the Binding Divine Net is a prized treasure that is never normally lent out, and besides, it is held by my senior brother.”

True Lord Juejian declared this, unwilling to risk lending such a valuable artifact to Lu Changsheng.

Moreover, the Binding Divine Net is a consumable artifact; each use incurs wear and tear, necessitating natural treasures for its upkeep.

“Under what conditions could your sect lend it out? Or do you have another treasure that restrains the departure of Nascent Souls?”

Lu Changsheng asked directly.

After all, that was precisely the aim of his visit.

“I’ll need to consult with my senior brother about this.”

True Lord Juejian offered no answer.

“First, treasured artifacts are not to be lent out.”

“Second, you, Lu Changsheng—this so-called Yangming True Lord—are rather like a disaster waiting to happen.”

After all, you’re already burdened with problems from the Starry Sea.

Once you reemerge into the public eye, past complications with Qingluan Zhenren in the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands will resurface.

Under such conditions, if not managed properly, it could easily drag the Heavenly Sword Sect into the turmoil.

Especially the Starry Sea would be implicated.

According to the ancient texts of the Heavenly Sword Sect, this vast sea is home to numerous Nascent Soul-level forces whose strength far surpasses that of Jiang Kingdom.

Should Lu Changsheng fail to manage the situation and allow these problems to implicate the Heavenly Sword Sect, it would spell complete ruin.