Chapter 1440: The Great War of the Star Realm

The Celestial Fiend Elder had been observing the expressions shifting across Pharmacist Elder’s countenance. When he witnessed a ruthless glint flickering across the latter’s face, he instantly recognized that the Starfall Pavilion would not capitulate easily today. Upon realizing this, the sinister grin on his own face widened even more, as he spoke with cold amusement “It appears that today, blood shall drench the halls of Starfall Pavilion.”

“Hmph,” chuckled the ghastly figure, Bone幽. Indeed, scores are strong here—we may well seize some souls to take back with us.”

Not a trace of respect for the Starfall Pavilion could be found hidden within these words. Their side brought two Upper Half-Saints and but a single Low-Ranking Half-Saint, a formidable enough force against which this insignificant institution simply stood no chance; their doom was a fait accompli should a full-blooded battle ensue between the two.

Staring coldly upwards to where Bone幽 and the Celestial Fiend loomed, Pharmacist Elder intoned somberly “I shall personally deal with Ghost幽 and the Fiend Elder—you, Cai Lin, Qing Lin and Little Immortal Healer must attempt to delay that Half-Saint of the Soul Temptest for as long as you can.”

Amongst the rankers known as Half-Saint stood an unofficial hierarchy: low tier, middle, high, though seemingly slight, their differences in might were significant. This young Half-Rank Soul Temple adept had newly breached into their rank and remained unsteady in harnessing his power fully. Hence, combining effort, the trio of women, while not possessing ability to overcome him outright, would be enough for temporary diversion.

Upon hearing he meant singlehandedly face off two masters in tandem, Cai Lin’s expression altered. Despite him being top tier of the Half-Saint brethren, the challenge posed by either Ghost幽 and Fiend Elder, separately, was no joke; together against Pharmsicst, it became insurmountable battle.

Yet without utterance of protest, with silent gestures and grave understanding of their collective fates, there remained little room left between necessity and destiny. Saints could tip entire scales in conflicts; allowing unencumbered access would result solely one-side devastation; an unavoidable obliteration that must not unfold in its totality by letting their Saint-class powers loose freely among those Starfall disciples!

Hence, he continued in final counsel “Guard your actions most warily, each of you all”. Without awaiting responses he promptly propelled his frame forward, his figure next seen looming ominously some paces off before where Bone幽 and the Fiend Elder floated, vast surges of battle Qi billowing off his figure as his oppressive aura fixed upon those figures squarely.

“Heh Heh, oh mighty Ye Chen! Your boldness knows no limit that you’d dare seek oppose our might combined,” the pair mocked upon feeling his binding pressure affixed them fast.

Taking no mind in their derision, the grim-faced Pharmacist exuded waves of power from all orifices in such suffocating waves that distort the very space about as tension crackeled thick in atmosphere.

“Strike down hard! No resistance; submit without injury, only those that defy warrant slaughter,” the Fiend’s sneering proclamation rent the moment with chilling directive that launched action from his host instantaneously thereafter.

The reply came swift and united in purpose “Understood!” from those behind, whereupon the gathered hordes unleashed colossal outpours upon the field, the opposing disciples of the Pavillion readying for conflict as grimness overtook facial expressions all in facing down their foes of the Abyssal Sect. The standoff ended in one explosive moment upon roar from one warrior amidst opposing groups. In that heartbeat warriors of the Soul Abyss coalition erupted forth in dazzling array, darting forth in radiant streams, racing for the central arena.

Meanwhile Starfall Pavallion adepts likewise roared their fury and surged forward with matching fervor, the colliding midair unleashing concussive blasts echoing with celestial might across realms within Starfall domain.

Those distant watching hastily withdrew far from epicenter of such titanic skirmish lest they drawn into such whirls unintended.

“Geh gah! Brother Bone幽, let’s teach Chen old fellow over there a lesson together,” as Fiends laughter broke in sight at sudden outbreak.

Affirmatively grunting, Bone幽 merely smiled sinisterly—he’d intended flattening that pavilion two long years prior…alas, duties to clan had kept his claws leashed. Happily however such constraints had since relaxed; opportunity seized, with only formal notice to ancestral headquarters of their endeavor, accompanied briefly by that just-minted Half-Tier Elder: The Saint known colloquially as Sanzang the Saint—off he proceeded alongside Fiend with mission of annihilating the Pavillon.

Delighted to obtain alliance with a force so vast as the Soul Temple—their two-years’ stalemate against the Pavlion now promising quick end. Hence immediate muster was made to culminate into this day’s grand scheme.

“Har Ha! Many many turns without battle, my mortal coil near withered. Glad then it be no less than an Upper Half-Rank Saint that marks the opening for our return. Well worth!” bellowed The Fiend as step pressed thunder hard onto firmament itself—vast waves of combat Qi exploded in all directions. He appeared suddenly beside Ye’s figure now, pale clawed hand outstretching like taloned raptor—target the windpipe with brutal, precise lethality.

“Grump!” snarled the Pharmacist in disdain; however, dodging no part he was—instead lunched fist fully into onslaught. The energy contained within was nothing short short cataclysm as his return aimed at striking through adversary’s helm unreserved: his ploy of mutual destruction evident with such bold maneuver alone.

“Ha! You fool! My hide be worth far more than thine! “ hissed with icy scorn at sudden risk, he immediately drew claws within; flashed body through rapid retreat to evade the death dealing strike just shy of escape.

Yet another opening presented though his fist failed true contact; from behind him surged a mass of black fog, shrieking spirits trailing echoes of agony into the air; suddenly from it a jet-black chains erupted into view, their sheer power splitting space along dark, jagged lines.

COLD!

With an icy glare, a wave from Pharmasits outstretched arm, solidified the affected plane itself—chain’s force beaten back violently mid-air. Even as it did, his movement did not stall—dashing headlong into swirling fog—his palm thrust forcefully, aimed precisely amidst swirling darkness!

“BOOM!”

Palm strike landed, resulting resounded crack of impact heard across the battlefield sending Bone幽 skid backwards through smoke with every sign of force behind it.

Though all matched in rank—Upper Half-Tier, the Pharmacist possessed advantage unseen among his equals: soul-force! Far exceeding that of counterparts. The dividends soul mastery brought would be felt in such level contests—yielding subtle superiority in battle dynamics otherwise hard to tip.

Seeing comrade struck so—forced back so easily, the Fiend’s face turned sharp and calculating.

“In unity! Strike now!”

The Fiend issued sharp directive, affirmed by Bone幽 equally grim nod. In near synchronicity they erupted together; torrential battle Qi formed dragons rising to celestial heights raining overwhelming power down against Ye’s space—battlefields collapsing beneath weight of these colliding forces.

As the Pharmacist entangled Bone幽’s pair of elders, the other disciple of the Temple—the Saint known merely as the “Three Days Saint—gazes turned upon lower battlefield, where amidst chaos a bolt from heaven descended—a surge of七彩 lighting crashed from high above.

“Hmmph,” snorted in irritation; sleeve waved casually and the bolt shattered as though naught.

Eyes following the origin path and landing upon a serpent—serpentine form seven-colored of nearly a thousand feet length coiling in midair, radiating an unfamiliar pressure palpable even here.

Seven-color Devouroaken Maw, was the being? Thought ran through his mind in curiosity; before act was committed a flash—slim thread of ashen-brown energy lashed through air, its presence lacing air with suffocating toxicity.

Wrinkled brow, this one—his sensing of potent venom carried its reach, palm closing into fist that halted space’s weave; thread seized into stasis and then dispersed with swift flick.

But barely had the energy wave vanished before another sound rose in atmosphere—one peculiar tone.

Gaze snapped forward; eyes constricted.

A figure floated—a woman garbed in verdant garments. Behind her floated ethereal spectre, serpentine in aspect—a being of great enormity and bearing nine separate faces—wreathing in and out the material plane.

“An Ancestor Heaven Serpenght? “—the name stirred his thoughts in recognition now—eyes no more curious but fully focused. Three formidable ones, yes, perhaps still merely at peak-tier Sovereign rank—but united in such fashion—One bearing a Seven-colored Devouroaken Serpent. Second wielding terrifying toxic Qi. Third the manifestation of Primordial Heaven Snake.

Such combination might indeed warrant a touch of apprehension, even from a Saint of his caliber—recent though was the timing upon breaking into Sainthood.

Mentality shifting coldly as realization struck. Does not matter—be it recent—Saint he now was in all sincerity!

“Today… the Pavion shall fall definitively, no doubt!” Sanzang declared grimly and with supernatural quickness vanished—his figure reappeared next instant hovering directly in front of QingLin’s form—his palms already coated in an obsidian battle Qi layering his hand and descending directly in full strike.

Stunned by the sudden swiftness he unleashed, QingLin reacted—pupil light flaring—just prior of his strike materialized an alternate frame directly within impact radius.

The palm strike landed, and with terrifying ease reduced the controlled mid-ranking opponent into a spray—pulverized meat.

“Ahh…So it this the famed Emerald Basilisk Tri-Flow Pupils…explaining control over the ancestral heavenly serpent!” he discerned with practiced clarity at sight of the eye, before preparing renewed assault.

Just when about to commit again from that angle—

Crash after crash erupted into motion from above—one more strike seven colored electricity raining hard once more. Simultaneously—the silhouette of silver flowing hair that had previously worn black—the immortal healer arrived alongside a barrage of fierce offense.

Three-pronged assault from these flanks. Grinning darkly.

“Let us measure true force,” Sanzang sneered mockingly. Internal combat Qi, volcanic in nature erupted forth, sending out a sweeping tide under the witness of awed gazes.

As the great struggle raged fiercest battle yet upon the Starfall Realm, tranquility still held within its hidden recesses, behind great stone doors sealed quietude.

Then—CRACKS. A brief moment passed in silence—when around that ancient seal fissures crept slowly spreading.

Fine though they might have seemed at first glance, within lay a fathom—extending deep into those walls that reached five hundred span into cliff face…as through hidden depths something stirred.

And awakened quietly, from the hidden hollow depths of mountain.