After the divination concluded, True Monarch Tianhua appeared extremely fatigued. Zhang Fan could sense that True Monarch Tianhua's spiritual consciousness had suffered considerable damage.
"Tianhua, what were the results of the divination?" Xue Jing stepped forward and asked curiously.
Although True Monarch Tianhua's spiritual consciousness was injured, he showed little outward sign of distress. He glanced at Zhang Fan before slowly speaking, his tone quite solemn. "The journey we are undertaking to the Wushan Starfield is fraught with peril. However, I was unable to ascertain any specific outcome. I felt only a path ahead shrouded in chaos and filled with the unknown. This is the first time I have encountered such a situation."
"Fraught with peril?"
"Shrouded in chaos?"
The words spoken by True Monarch Tianhua left everyone bewildered, unsure of what this answer truly meant.
Lin Yun stood to the side, his expression growing increasingly grave upon hearing True Monarch Tianhua's words. With the current strength of Zhang Fan's group, two Nascent Soul cultivators, several top-tier Golden Core realm experts, and Zhang Fan himself leading them, their collective power could be considered that of a dominant force even within the Wushan Starfield. Yet, True Monarch Tianhua spoke of their journey being full of peril. What kind of enemy could possibly plunge them into such danger?
"With every divination, I choose to explore within the bounds of my capabilities. If the strength of the individual I am divining for surpasses mine too greatly, or if they possess immense fortune, it is difficult for me to glean even a sliver of information. To force such a divination would inevitably result in a backlash," True Monarch Tianhua explained.
The path of divination has its limitations. True Monarch Tianhua has not yet overcome the first Nascent Soul Tribulation. Therefore, the highest level of cultivator he can divine for is a Nascent Soul cultivator of the fourth tribulation. The stronger an individual is, the weaker the causal lines he can sense, making divination increasingly difficult. In fact, if a true immortal of the Void Refinement realm were to stand before True Monarch Tianhua, he would be unable to perceive any causality from them.
Furthermore, some individuals are born with immense fortune, protected by the luck of heaven and earth. It is a difficult endeavor to divine their future. However, among those present, the highest cultivation levels belonged to him and Xue Jing, both of whom had only formed their Nascent Souls and had yet to pass the first Nascent Soul Tribulation. With his current achievements in the art of divination, he should have been able to deduce an outcome. Yet, during the divination, he realized that while he had focused on their group's collective strength, he had overlooked that one individual among them possessed great fortune.
Zhang Fan nodded gently upon hearing this, confirming his own suspicions. Fortune, like causality, is an extremely ethereal concept, invisible and intangible, unable to be expressed in any tangible form. However, all cultivators believe that fortune truly exists. Since Zhang Fan condensed two top-grade Golden Cores, his cultivation path has become entirely different from that of other cultivators. To cultivate two top-grade Golden Cores is impossible through talent and opportunity alone; it requires immense fortune. This is the only explanation that allows Zhang Fan to understand why the Ziwu Yuanguo transformed into a second Nascent Core at the last moment.
"I understand. Tianhua, take good care of yourself and rest. We will depart in three days," Zhang Fan said, nodding. He knew in his heart that this journey to the Wushan Starfield would once again be an undertaking filled with bloodshed.
Three days were sufficient, with the aid of some auxiliary spiritual pills, for True Monarch Tianhua to fully recover his injured spiritual consciousness within the Golden Light Immortal Mansion.
Three days later, with everyone fully prepared, the three Blood Clan princes, Lin Yun and several leaders of the Shadow Division, Qin Luoshui's parents, Lin Haotian's sister, and some of Zhang Fan's friends gathered at the island in the lake to see them off.
"Mom, Dad, don't worry. I'll be back within ten years," Su Yun said, filled with reluctance as they prepared to leave. Zhang Fan could only make this promise. Ten years might seem like a long time for ordinary people, but for his parents, who had already achieved the Divine Realm and had lifespans of hundreds of years, it should be an acceptable period.
"When you return next time, be sure to bring me a grandson!" Zhang Xing'an said, uttering only these words. Zhang Fan could only remain silent in response to his father's request. As one's strength increases, the difficulty of conceiving offspring for cultivators becomes greater. He could not guarantee that he would be able to give his father a grandchild within ten years.
"Don't listen to him. Your safety is paramount. Protect yourself," Su Yun said to Zhang Fan, giving Zhang Xing'an a glare. Similarly, Lin Haotian, Qin Luoshui, Elerabella, and others were saying their farewells to their families. Amidst these reluctant goodbyes, Zhang Fan led the group, transforming into streaks of light that shot towards the sky. In less than a minute, they ascended into the clouds and vanished from sight.
As Zhang Fan departed, those who had gathered at the island to see them off also gradually dispersed. A sense of longing filled their hearts, wondering what wonders the worlds deep within the universe held. Unable to experience it themselves, they could only await their return and listen to their tales.
Thus, Zhang Fan, Qin Luoshui, Lin Haotian, Xue Jing, True Monarch Tianhua, Wu Chen Jianxian, and Elerabella, along with the Blood Demon Flood Dragon still slumbering in the Golden Light Immortal Mansion, a group of seven individuals and one beast, finally embarked on their journey to the Wushan Starfield. At present, the weakest among them had reached the Golden Core realm, capable of traversing the starry expanse with their physical bodies. However, the vastness of space necessitated the use of starships for travel.
Breaking through the atmosphere and entering outer space, Zhang Fan waved his hand, and a starship several kilometers long appeared before the group. Even though he had witnessed it before, True Monarch Tianhua could not help but marvel. Truly, one blessed with great fortune could possess a storage treasure capable of easily holding an entire starship. Such a thing was likely rare even in the entire Wushan Starfield. As for Qin Luoshui and Lin Haotian, who had no idea what a starship was, they were filled with curiosity.
"Let's go inside and take a look," Zhang Fan said with a smile to everyone, then took Qin Luoshui's hand and entered the starship. The starship, over three kilometers long and eight hundred meters wide, possessed an incredibly spacious interior. Stepping inside felt like entering a miniature futuristic city. Through the starship's windows, one beheld the vast and boundless starry sky, which, while calm, was also filled with mystery, inspiring a longing in the heart.
"Tianhua, from here to the nearest star system teleportation array, how long will it take?" Zhang Fan asked, standing before the starship's cockpit.
"Twenty thousand light-years from the Milky Way galaxy, there is a planet called Nangu Star. On Nangu Star, there is a star system teleportation array. If we have sufficient spatial stone reserves and utilize spatial jumps continuously at any cost, it should take a little over three years to arrive," True Monarch Tianhua replied. With his increased strength, he could now pilot the starship to jump longer distances, saving considerable time compared to when he first arrived in the Milky Way.
"In that case, let us depart."
"Destination: Nangu Star!"