A serene galaxy.
Dim and silent.
The thoughts of a woman were laid bare without any concealment, presented openly before everyone. The words at the corners of her mouth, the tears in the corners of her eyes, all genuine and real.
The observing cultivators remained silent, their expressions complex, their gaze shifting between Chen Xia and Xu Zhen.
Seeing the current situation, they recalled a rumor they had heard about Xu Zhen long ago.
At that time, Xu Zhen had already gained fame in the Immortal Realm, garnering considerable reputation across the myriad realms. It was said that she was searching for something in the immortal realm, constantly seeking information.
The exact nature of that something was known only to a few, but back then, they had assumed it must be some kind of treasure or divine ability.
But now, witnessing this scene, they realized what Xu Zhen was searching for.
She was looking for a person!
She was looking for the Thunder Sword Sovereign, who had emerged into prominence despite his previous obscurity!
"Xia ge, do you remember? When I left the small world and went to the Fuyao Immortal Sect to cultivate, I was reluctant to part with you. But I thought that we would be able to meet again soon, so I didn't feel so attached anymore. Sometimes, I even felt happy, thinking that we would finally be on equal footing," Xu Zhen murmured softly, a hint of sorrow in her expression, and continued.
"Xia ge has always been formidable. I thought that it wouldn't be long before you would come to the Fuyao Immortal Sect, so I worked hard in my cultivation, waiting for you. I wanted to take care of you once you arrived at the Fuyao Immortal Sect."
She smiled, but tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and her tone grew more mournful as she went on.
"I waited and waited. Occasionally, I felt lost and heartbroken. But when I thought about the day we would meet, I became happy again."
"After the first spring passed, it was followed by countless winters. I couldn't see an end in sight. I lived in my own little world, hoping and waiting. Unbeknownst to me, I became renowned in the eyes of others."
"I have become capable on my own, but I never caught a glimpse of your whereabouts."
Xu Zhen extended her sleeve and wiped away the tears from her eyes, then continued.
"And then, I started searching for you like a mad person. But it was in vain. I couldn't find a single trace, as if you had never appeared..."
"It was like I had dreamt it all."
"Many times, I wondered if I was the Xu Zhen from the small world or the Xu Zhen from the Fuyao Immortal Sect."
"This thought has been increasingly troubling me..."
"In a state of anxiety, unable to find peace."
Chen Xia spoke calmly and smiled lightly, responding as he usually did, "You are Xu Zhen, without distinction."
At least, that's how he saw her.
Xu Zhen wiped away all her tears, nodded with a smile, and replied, "Seven thousand years ago, I wasn't sure, but now I know. I am me, the me who was waiting for Xia ge to find me."
Well...
Chen Xia did come, albeit with a significant delay in the fluctuations of time, arriving thousands of years later.
But even so, Xu Zhen was very happy. During her eight thousand years of lifespan, she had spent almost eighty percent of her time cultivating, with the remaining time devoted to searching for news about Chen Xia.
Now, her wish had come true.
Ma Xiaohong stood on Little Star Chen, her eyes staring blankly at the two people, even the strands of hair draped over her ears seemed dazed.
Gentleman in White scanned the surroundings, carefully assessing the situation and sensing the twisted triangular relationship. He then consoled with a reassuring smile.
"In the life of a powerful cultivator, there can be multiple Dao companions, let alone someone as exceptional as the Lord of Thunder and Sword. It's not a matter of too many, so..."
He left his words unsaid.
"Ah..." Ma Xiaohong was taken aback, lowering her head without replying.
She thought that Chen Xia and Xu Zhen looked great together, as if they were a perfect match. Perhaps they were childhood sweethearts?
It seemed that the reason Chen Xia came to the Dead Sea Star River was also for Xu Zhen.
"Mhm, mhm." Ma Xiaohong nodded gently, then raised her head to look at Chen Xia.
She wanted to be happy for Chen Xia, but she couldn't bring herself to feel joy.
It was as if an invisible hand had grasped her heart, forcibly tearing it apart, making it hard for her to breathe.
Uncomfortable.
The farce of the Lord of Thunder and Sword's rampage in the Dead Sea Star River gradually came to an end, and the onlookers dispersed, returning to their own stars.
Chen Xia hadn't claimed a star yet, but he followed Xu Zhen directly to the territory of the Immortal Realm.
With a wave of his hand, he signaled for Ma Xiaohong to follow.
Xu Zhen's gaze lingered on Ma Xiaohong for a moment before looking away.
Among the things that surprised Xu Zhen the most was Ma Xiaohong's cultivation level, which had reached the third level of the Reversal Sea Realm.
It was indeed rare to see a cultivator at the Reversal Sea Realm in the Dead Sea Star River, let alone at the third level.
This kind of cultivation level was probably not even qualified to be cannon fodder.
Why did Chen Xia bring along such a cannon fodder?
Xu Zhen didn't care; she only cared about Chen Xia.
As long as Ma Xiaohong didn't plot against Chen Xia, Xu Zhen wouldn't bother with her. But if Ma Xiaohong showed any malicious intention, Xu Zhen would instantly kill her.
Gentleman in White followed behind Ma Xiaohong with a playful smile on his face, ready to offer his congratulations.
"What are you doing?" Chen Xia suddenly asked him.
"Huh?" Gentleman in White paused for a moment, then quickly forced a smile and said, "I'm here to guide you, to take you to the Immortal Realm..."
He stopped halfway through his words, opened his mouth, changed the topic, and said with a flattering smile, "Senior, do you need a disciple?"
"I don't," Chen Xia refused.
"What about a servant?" Gentleman in White asked unwillingly.
His position had fallen quite quickly.
Xu Zhen waved her hand and chuckled, "Xia Ge, there's no need for this useless servant. I have a Golden Body Puppet at the twelfth level of the Replenishing Heaven Realm, which is much better than this one."
"No," Gentleman in White replied in a deep voice, his expression unexpectedly serious as he spoke word by word.
"Although the Golden Body Puppet is powerful, it is ultimately just a puppet without understanding warmth and affection, and it doesn't know how to take care of the master-servant relationship. Although my strength is not enough, I do have my own skills as a dog. I'm begging you for a chance!"
Chen Xia nodded. It was rare to see someone in the cultivation world who was so shameless.
Xu Zhen raised her delicate eyebrows and asked, "Which realm are you from, and what is your strength?"
"I'm from the Xuan Yang Realm, at the eighth level of the Replenishing Heaven Realm, ranked 2,996th on the Human Rankings," Gentleman in White quickly replied respectfully.
"Number 2,996, what kind of disability do you have?" Xu Zhen's harsh words began to echo.
Gentleman in White nodded, "You are correct in reprimanding me."
Ma Xiaohong stood by, bowing her head, clutching her clothes tightly, afraid to speak.
If I remember correctly, Chen Xia said that if Ma Xiaohong could be ranked, she would be at the bottom of the Animal Ranking.
Ma Xiaohong also thought so, so when she heard that the Disability Ranking was mentioned, she didn't dare say a word.
If the Disability Ranking consists of disabled people, then isn't she, who is at the Animal Ranking, practically a vegetable?
"Although my strength is low, I am proficient in other areas, such as formations and alchemy. I am a Grand Formation Master and a top-quality Dao Medicine Master," Gentleman in White struggled to say.
Xu Zhen nodded affirmatively, "Indeed, you are a waste."
This was the final verdict.
Gentleman in White stood there in a daze, with a bleak expression. The opportunities he thought he had were just illusions after all.
"Come with me, I happen to need a medicine attendant," Chen Xia suddenly said.
Gentleman in White's face brightened up, full of joy, and quickly kowtowed in gratitude.
The four of them stood on the Little Starry Sky, saying little and rushing towards the Immortal Realm.
Along the way, there was a deathly silence and drifting spiritual energy. Occasionally, dead stars would shatter, a sign of normal star fragmentation.
Chen Xia suddenly closed his eyes.
In his divine consciousness, there was a trace of deathly silence and swirling souls, carrying him through layers of obstacles, crossing the Nine Heavens, and traversing countless star rivers.
"Ha."
Chen Xia suddenly opened his eyes, and before him was pitch black. He reached out and pushed open the coffin, crawling out and surveying this entire expanse of the Death Star Domain.
He followed the external incarnation of his soul back?
Chen Xia pondered, and soon realized that something was wrong. It wasn't that he followed it back, but rather, he established a direct connection!
When he left the Death Star Domain, he used millions of Spirit Stones to create a formation that could connect with other star domains and then steal dead stars from those domains, thus ensuring a constant supply of deathly energy.
But now, not only did he establish a connection with other star domains, but he directly connected to the Great Death Domain in the myriad worlds.
"Damn, it's a buffet." Chen Xia instantly realized this, which meant that he no longer had to worry about deathly energy in the future.
However, soon there was news that worried Chen Xia.
His external incarnation was heavily injured, which was to be expected. First, he had lent half of his life to fight the main body in the Great Saint Ruins, and then he consumed some soul fragments when he killed the Divine Son in the Divine Domain. It was only natural that he was seriously injured and needed to recuperate.
Fortunately, there was an ample supply of deathly energy in the Death Star Domain, so the rest and recovery of his external incarnation were not a problem.
He lay back in the coffin, closed the lid, and let his external incarnation rest on its own. His divine consciousness shifted, surpassing layer after layer of barriers and countless star rivers, returning to the Great Death Domain.
"We've arrived, Xia-ge," Xu Zhen said with a smile.
Before them was the Death Star where the cultivators of the Immortal Realm resided.
Gentleman in White widened his eyes. It was his first time seeing such a massive dead star, and it could only be described as majestic.
This was the residence of the cultivators of the Immortal Realm and one of the few stars closest to the center of the Great Saint Ruins.
Xu Zhen walked at the front, chuckling.
"The Great Saint Ruins this time is located in the Dead Sea beneath our feet. The elders are calculating when to open it, but so far there is no accurate information."
The existence of the Great Saint Ruins is truly unpredictable, and its dangers are even more difficult to foresee.
The previous Great Saint Ruins that Chen Xia experienced was actually incomplete. The Great Saint who used Thunder Law was too weak, lacking even the power of a True Saint, only slightly higher than the peak of the Ascension Realm.
However, some formidable remnants of Great Saints can reach the threshold of True Saints, surpassing the Ascension Realm by far.
"I heard that the Great Saint Ruins to be opened this time is a primordial dragon-type Great Saint from ancient times. I don't know if it's the Azure Dragon or the Departed Dragon, but it is exceptionally powerful, making the elders very wary. They are constantly calculating, trying to determine the fortune and misfortune."
Xu Zhen spoke again, her eyes turning towards Chen Xia, squinting slightly, revealing a smile like a crescent moon, and said,
"If there's something you want, Xia-ge, I'll help you snatch it when we enter the Great Saint Ruins."
"I don't want anything in particular, and don't think about snatching anything either. Our priority is to stay alive," Chen Xia replied.
"Well, that's natural. Life is more important than anything else. That's what you taught me back then, Xia-ge," Xu Zhen nodded.
The two of them chatted aimlessly.
Ma Xiaohong stood behind, lowering her head, looking fragile and pitiful, just like a withdrawn child.
The Gentleman in White flattered and waited by the side, always wearing a pleasing smile.
If this scene were to be described in words,
It would probably be people and people and a withdrawn child and a dog.
Overall, it is quite abstract.
Xu Zhen walked ahead and stepped into the Great Death Star where the cultivators of the Immortal Realm resided.
Chen Xia and the others followed.
Although it was a massive Death Star, there was not much space to stay. Xu Zhen quickly arrived at the lodging area and met with the cultivators of the Immortal Realm.
"Senior Xu, you're back!"
"Sister Xu Zhen, you suddenly ran out earlier and scared us. The elders were worried."
"..."
These cultivators were not from the Fuyao Immortal Sect, but Xu Zhen's reputation was too great now, and her seniority was indeed high, so the cultivators of the Immortal Realm usually called her Senior Sister.
After exchanging greetings with the cultivators of the Immortal Realm, their gaze naturally fell on Chen Xia.
Their scrutinizing eyes flashed with doubt.
"This is my Xia-ge," Xu Zhen took the initiative to speak and stood beside Chen Xia.
With that, the cultivators of the Immortal Realm dared not neglect and quickly spoke up.
"Senior Brother Xia, hello."
"Senior Brother Xia, I am from the Dao Immortal Palace..."
"..."
The words of greetings continued, but Chen Xia couldn't be bothered to remember each and every one of them, so he vaguely nodded as if he remembered, but in reality, he didn't recognize any of them.
"Xu Zhen, why did you bring someone back?" A deep voice sounded, and a purple-robed old man with a dragon-headed cane walked out.
"Elder Li Xian, this is my Xia-ge," Xu Zhen said this sentence with a cold expression, devoid of any smiles.
Her words didn't sound like an introduction but more like a warning.
Elder Li Xian's gloomy gaze kept scanning Chen Xia, then fell on Xu Zhen, and he said each word deliberately.
"Xu Zhen, this is a critical period. The Great Saint Ruins could open at any time. How can we allow random people to enter?!"
"It's me, Xia-ge!" Xu Zhen's expression turned cold, her voice deepening.
"I don't care who you are, this is not your Fuyao Immortal Sect, and it's certainly not a one-man show for you. The Immortal Realm doesn't revolve around just you, there are Daozi and the Immortal of Ten Thousand Swords who can replace you!"
Elder Li Xian's voice was stern as he shouted, the dragon-headed staff pressing firmly against the ground, already cracking.
Chen Xia frowned, feeling that this old guy didn't seem like a good person. Or maybe all the elders were like this?
It seemed to be part of the corporate culture.
Xu Zhen's eyes flickered as a coldness spread, her patience wearing thin as she directly cursed.
"You old thing, who gave you the audacity to block my path? If you were solely focused on the Immortal Realm, I could tolerate your dissuasion. But it seems that your filthy thoughts have never been for the sake of the Immortal Realm. It truly disgusts me!"
Elder Li Xian's face turned as dark as water, gritting his teeth.
"You disregard the rules and act recklessly. I only wanted to advise you for the betterment of the Immortal Realm, but I never expected you to be so audacious, daring to say such things to me. Do you still have the Immortal Realm in your eyes, or do you think this so-called 'Xia-ge' is more important than the Immortal Realm?!"
Xu Zhen nodded affirmatively, "Indeed."
On this point, Elder Li Xian was correct.
"You've gone mad! When I go back, I will file a complaint against your Fuyao Immortal Sect!" Elder Li Xian shouted.
"To hell with your complaint, you old bastard!" Xu Zhen retorted, then raised an eyebrow.
"If you won't let me in, then I won't stay. I'll leave today, and don't count on me to lend a hand in the future. I'll go my own way!"
After saying this, she turned to Chen Xia, her brow wrinkled with grievance.
"Xia-ge, I have nowhere else to go. I can only follow you."
What a display of top-notch acting skills!
"Yes, alright," Chen Xia nodded.
The enraged Elder Li Xian gradually realized that something was amiss. How did it feel like Xu Zhen had outmaneuvered him?
Before he could figure it out, Chen Xia and the other three had already retreated.
On an extremely small star, four people squeezed together, two of them being top-tier prodigies in the Heavenly Rankings.
With such a lineup, it was as if they would be pursued no matter where they went.
Elder Li Xian understood the concept of lowering his combat power.
As they left, Xu Zhen uttered one more sentence.
"Old Bi Deng, don't let me see you in the Great Saint Ruins again. Every time I see you, I'll beat you up!"
Chen Xia chimed in, "I'll break your staff!"
They understood cooperation.
The following month passed without incident.
Except for this tiny star, rooted in the center of the Dead Sea Star River, in the heart of many major realms.
Upon it were only four people.
Yet, no one dared to touch them.