The Golden Core realm cultivators, even from dozens of kilometers away, sensed the aura of Xue Jing and the others, and their undisguised killing intent permeated the starry sky.
The Black Flame King's foremost general was a demon race powerhouse with a human body and a tiger's head. Although he had only condensed a second-grade mid-tier Golden Core, his strength, forged through prolonged slaughter and training, was enough to rival a second-grade upper-tier Golden Core expert.
"Abandon the starship, flee quickly!"
Without the Black Flame King leading them, facing a team with two Nascent Soul Heavenly Immortals, they had no power to resist at all. Thus, upon sensing Xue Jing and the others' aura, he immediately gave the order, leading his team to retreat from the starship and flee towards Black Flame Star.
They did not choose to travel by starship because the acceleration phase of a starship was too slow; they would be caught up in the blink of an eye.
"Can you escape?"
Xue Jing, holding a blood-red war axe, led the charge, transforming into a streak of blood-red light as he surged forward. The distance between the two sides rapidly closed.
When the distance between them was less than ten kilometers, Xue Jing swung his giant axe and furiously cleaved forward.
"Blood Abyss Style!"
As the blood axe spun, a sharp axe light erupted from it, carving a blood abyss tens of kilometers long across the starry sky...
Even though the Golden Core realm generals desperately tried to evade, their fleeing speed was nowhere near that of a spell or divine ability's flight speed.
The three Golden Core realm generals caught in the center of the Blood Abyss were struck by the fierce axe light of the Blood Abyss. They turned to ash instantly, without even a chance to scream.
The other five Golden Core realm generals were also affected, all sustaining not light injuries.
"Too strong, we scatter and flee!"
Fresh blood overflowed from the mouth of the tiger-headed demon race powerhouse. Looking at the lingering blood abyss, a trace of fear still flickered in his eyes. After shouting, he fled in another direction.
"Domain of the Blood Sea!"
As the Dao domain was unleashed, an endless sea of blood enveloped this part of the starry sky, engulfing all five Golden Core realm generals.
"It's over!"
Bound by the Dao domain, the already injured five Golden Core realm generals' speed further decreased. Looking at the towering killing intent and hatred in Xue Jing and the others' eyes, they knew their doom was sealed today.
More than ten minutes later, this stretch of starry sky returned to calm. With the restraint of the Dao domain and under the pursuit of Lin Haotian and the others, not a single fish escaped.
In the distant starry sky, a starship, three kilometers long and over five hundred meters wide, remained stationary. As an ownerless object, Xue Jing easily broke into the starship and refined it.
Inside the starship, Lin Haotian, Qin Luoshui, and the others' emotions were somewhat subdued. Although they were certain that Zhang Fan was not in mortal danger, their hearts remained uneasy without seeing him.
"Since Master dared to do this, he must have some confidence. Our worrying is useless. What we need to do now is rush to Southern Ancient Star. Perhaps with the help of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, we can find Master's whereabouts." Xue Jing comforted everyone.
"Heavenly Secrets Pavilion? What kind of place is that?"
Except for True Monarch Tianhua, everyone else had never come into contact with any other forces in the starry sky, nor did they know anything about them.
"The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is the most mysterious behemoth force in the Wu Mountain Starfield. Their main business is collecting and selling information. They do not participate in any power struggles. As long as you can pay enough spirit crystals or treasures, they can investigate any information you wish to know," True Monarch Tianhua explained to everyone.
"Tianhua is correct, and it's not an exaggeration at all. As long as you have the ability to pay the corresponding reward, even if you want to find a divine herb, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion can do it."
"However, Tianhua missed one point. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is not only a behemoth force in the Wu Mountain Starfield, but it also exists in countless other starfields," Xue Jing added.
"So terrifying?"
Lin Haotian and the others were inwardly astonished upon hearing this. They had a general understanding of the vastness of a starfield, even if they hadn't seen its entirety.
But the fact that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion had influence not only in the Wu Mountain Starfield but also in other starfields was beyond their imagination.
"Therefore, what you need to do most now is to cultivate diligently. Once we reach Southern Ancient Star, we can use the starship teleportation array to travel to starfields where the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion has a presence, and then we can investigate Master's whereabouts."
Xue Jing's words indeed reassured everyone. At least, they now had a direction to search for Zhang Fan, unlike before when they were lost and at a loss.
True Monarch Tianhua piloted the starship towards Southern Ancient Star, while everyone else settled down to cultivate in seclusion. Xue Jing, on the other hand, took out the Golden Light Immortal Mansion, preparing to refine it.
He understood Zhang Fan's intention in giving him the immortal mansion. Among them, he was the strongest and had the most potent life-saving means. By refining the immortal mansion, he could better protect everyone's safety in times of crisis.
As time passed, the starship continued to use spatial jumps in the starry sky, approaching Southern Ancient Star.
"Hoo!"
Xue Jing, who had been immersed in refining the immortal mansion, suddenly stopped his cultivation. He extended his palm, and an immortal mansion, resembling an exquisite model, floated in his palm, emitting waves of pressure.
Even though he had cultivated a golden Nascent Soul and his mana purity far surpassed that of cultivators at the same level, it still took him over half a year to refine this Golden Light Immortal Mansion.
...
At a distant corner of the universe, on a planet covered with immortal herbs and divine medicines, a middle-aged man in a white robe sat opposite a youth wearing a five-colored crown on a ten-thousand-zhang high mountain.
"Zhiwu, seven of the True Thunder Emperor Seals have appeared. You and I each hold one. The other five are also owned by others. Only the last one has yet to appear. Old Ghost Blackwood once deduced that the eighth True Thunder Emperor Seal will definitely appear within a thousand years. When the True Thunder Emperor Mansion opens, will you and I go together?"
The youth wearing the five-colored crown took a sip of immortal brew and asked the white-robed man opposite him.
"If Old Ghost Blackwood can deduce this, can he also deduce the whereabouts of the eighth True Thunder Emperor Seal?" the white-robed man asked with a smile, without answering directly.
The youth with the five-colored crown shook his head and said, "The True Thunder Emperor Seals were forged by Emperor Zhenlei, and they are covered by the Emperor's aura. Old Ghost Blackwood is not capable of deducing their locations!"
The white-robed man shook his head and smiled. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly had a premonition, stood up, gazed into the distance, and murmured, "The Golden Light Immortal Mansion has changed hands. Could the one who obtained that opportunity have died?"
"What is it?"
The youth with the five-colored crown asked curiously upon seeing Immortal King Zhiwu suddenly stand up.
"It's nothing. It's just that I left an opportunity in my hometown. Not long ago, this opportunity was obtained by a junior. However, it seems that the recipient of this opportunity might be dead."
"Dead?"
The youth with the five-colored crown was surprised. Given Zhiwu's status, even an opportunity casually left behind would definitely require passing through many trials. Those who obtained the opportunity left by Zhiwu would undoubtedly be extraordinary.
Furthermore, after obtaining Zhiwu's opportunity, their strength and life-saving abilities would surely have greatly increased. Yet, they died just like that?
"Never mind. Since I have nothing to do, I'll go back and see what's going on."
True Immortal Zhiwu waved his hand casually, and a spatial crack tens of zhang long appeared before him. Immortal King Zhiwu stepped forward and disappeared before the youth with the five-colored crown.
...