Chen Xi who’d just obtained the Dao Emperor’s inheritance had ascended to the 1st position on the Heavenstar Saint Rankings three days later!
As soon as this piece of news spread, it was like a rock that caused a thousand waves, and it caused an enormous uproar in Dao Emperor Academy. Moreover, it pushed Chen Xi’s reputation up to an unprecedented height, causing discussions related to him to be everywhere.
However, these sort of discussions seemed to have become another type of argument.
“What? All of you want to set Chen Xi as your targets? Wake up, young men and women, reaching beyond your grasp isn’t a good thing! The path of cultivation should be taken steadily!” An instructor of the outer court educated his students that intended to take Chen Xi as their objectives.
“Silence! I’m teaching, yet all of you are constantly discussing Chen Xi. It’s simply absurd!” An instructor that was teaching was thoroughly distressed, and he berated them with exasperation while gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth with hatred. Since this fellow, Chen Xi, returned to the academy, the entire academy had gone upside down. Chen Xi was simply like a troublemaker!
“What? You want to pursue this Young Miss? Save your energy, even if Senior Brother Chen Xi doesn’t like me, I’ll never become Dao Companions with you. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you can catch up to Senior Brother Chen Xi’s footsteps!”
“My G.o.d! You’re simply too cruel! Isn’t that like telling me to give up!?”
A pair of young man and woman were in an argument because of Chen Xi, whereas Chen Xi had become the greatest secret weapon of all young ladies that were being pursued, causing many such pursuers to feel like crying.
“Alas! We have to line up and wait for so long?”
“Stay calm. Do you think it’s so easy to join the Star Alliance? Did you not notice that those Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters ahead of us have been lining up for an entire day and night? Do you see any one of them complaining?”
“Uh, that really is true.”
“So you have to give it all you’ve got later and strive to pa.s.s through the Star Alliance’s test. In the future, with Senior Brother Chen Xi’s protection, your future will be limitless!”
“But… I heard Senior Brother Chen Xi and the Zuoqiu Clan are like water and fire. What if…”
“Hmph! The Zuoqiu Clan? This is Dao Emperor Academy! With Senior Brother Chen Xi’s current status, would anyone dare touch a hair on him? If you’re unwilling to join the Star Alliance, then let’s stop being Dao Companions!”
“No! No! No! I’ll join it! I’ll join it, alright?!”
Along with Chen Xi’s rise to fame, the Star Alliance that he’d established had become the student society that many students would be willing to risk their lives in order to join. All of them desired to gain a favorable position close to Chen Xi in order to form a relations.h.i.+p with him.
There were many other similar incidents like this, and it was even to the extent that many amusing incidents had occurred. But without a doubt, Chen Xi’s reputation in Dao Emperor Academy now had indeed attained a terrifying height that could be considered as peerless. No one amongst his peers could rival him.
…
Amidst this clamorous atmosphere that was seething with excitement, very few people noticed that the River Diagram fragment within the Starpoint Hall had been exchanged away on the same day that Chen Xi ascended onto the Heavenstar Saint Rankings.
Obviously, it was definitely Chen Xi that did it.
…
Within the world of stars.
A tortoise sh.e.l.l that was completely dark, mottled, shaped like an axe’s blade, and around the size of an infant’s palm floated before Chen Xi, and it emanated an ancient and primitive aura.
This was the River Diagram fragment he’d just obtained from the Starpoint Hall. Even though he’d spent 180,000,000 Starpoints in an instant, Chen Xi’s heart didn’t feel any pain at all.
Because the River Diagram fragment was priceless!
According to legend, this treasure was extremely mysterious and had been pa.s.sed down through the ages. All those years ago, the Master of Oracle Mountain had once relied on the complete River Diagram to deduce the profundities of the workings of the heavens, and he stepped foot onto the peak of the Grand Dao in the end.
In terms of this, Chen Xi felt it even more deeply. Because since he’d started cultivating until now, he’d obtained too many benefits from the River Diagram fragments, and it was even to the extent that one could say that if Chen Xi didn’t possess the a.s.sistance of the River Diagram fragments, then even if he cultivated until now, it would be impossible for Chen Xi to attain his current accomplishments.
The River Diagram fragment before his eyes right now was the 7th River Diagram Fragment Chen Xi had obtained!
I wonder what sort of pleasant surprise it’ll give me this time… As he gazed at the River Diagram fragment before his eyes, Chen Xi’s gaze gradually started burning with antic.i.p.ation. He immediately stopped hesitating and took a deep breath before he touched it with his hand.
Om!
In an instant, a strange fluctuation arose within his sea of consciousness, and it instantly took the 7th River Diagram fragment away before it fused completely together with the River Diagram fragments that were already within his sea of consciousness.
The entire process had practically been completed in an instant. When Chen Xi reacted to it, he acutely noticed that a strand of a powerful and ancient aura was being emanated from that River Diagram fragment, and it suffused his entire sea of consciousness!
Bang!
The familiar fluctuation and ancient obscure diagrams erupted and flashed within Chen Xi’s mind. In an instant, it was like he’d reincarnated back into the primeval times, experienced countless years ago time, and returned to the absolute beginning of the world where the chaos was split apart.
This sort of feeling was so ancient, vast, and mysterious. It seemed like he’d returned to the chaos and became a transient traveler that witnessed the changes in the universe and experienced alternation between a myriad of worlds and the pa.s.sage of countless years…
Before the presence of this sort of feeling, he was so tiny. More insignificant than a speck of dirt, and it caused Chen Xi to arouse a feeling of emptiness and wonder at the bottom of his heart.
Rumble!
This sort of feeling grew stronger and stronger, and it shook his heart like a thunderclap while a.s.saulting his soul like a storm. At that instant, Chen Xi felt that his soul and both internal and external senses seemed to have been grabbed by a shapeless hand, and it intended to pull them out of his body.
After that, he sensed a strand of a powerful and obscure force envelop his soul, causing his soul to tremble and s.h.i.+ver violently without end.
This sort of impact was extraordinarily enormous, and it caused Chen Xi’s entire body to stiffen before he completely fell unconscious.
…
After an unknown period of time that felt like he’d experienced the pa.s.sage of countless years yet felt like a mere blink of an eye as well, Chen Xi gradually woke up. His gaze was dazed while it seemed as if his soul had left his body, and he gradually recovered his consciousness after a long time.
After that, he noticed that this sea of consciousness had returned to deathly silence.
Moreover, his cultivation in qi refinement, cultivation in Heart Energy, cultivation in the Saint Dao, and even his essence, spirit, and energy… Everything hadn’t changed at all!
What’s going on? Chen Xi was stunned. Could it be that I didn’t obtain any benefits from the River Diagram fragments this time?
He was still slightly unwilling to accept this, and he took a deep breath before he carefully sensed the vital energy within his entire body. He didn’t let a single corner go, yet the outcome was he returned empty handed. Because he noticed that when compared to before, the trace of faint glow that suffused surface of the River Diagram fragments in his sea of consciousness had grown even clearer and translucent like gla.s.s. As it floated there silently, it emanated a mysterious and ethereal glow.
Besides that, he didn’t notice anything else.
This caused Chen Xi to be unable to help but feel a slight sense of loss, and he muttered. Why’s it like this? Earlier, I clearly remember that an obscure force enveloped my soul… Hmm? Right! My soul!
Suddenly, Chen Xi noticed that he’d overlooked the energy of his soul. So without any further delay, he started to calmly sense his soul and slowly investigate it…
Om!
When Chen Xi’s senses that were like tentacles were almost about to penetrate the depths of his soul, a strand of a strange and obscure fluctuation suddenly swept out, and then it transformed into a vortex!
A Soul Vortex!
The vortex revolved without end. It was deep, mysterious, and emanated a gorgeous glow. There was even an unknown mysterious divine energy being emanated from the center of the vortex, and it enveloped his entire soul.
At that instant, Chen Xi felt in his dazed state that his soul seemed to be covered in a layer of mysterious armor, and even if the energy of the Heaven Dao descended, it would be impossible for his soul to be taken away!
“Daoseal Mark!” A form of comprehension suddenly arose in Chen Xi’s heart. However, it was merely two words, and it was truly difficult to describe exactly what sort of profound effects this energy possessed.
However, at this moment, he’d come to a complete understanding. The vortex that had been created in the depths of his soul was definitely a Daoseal Mark!
Hmm? At practically the exact same moment, Chen Xi suddenly noticed that the River Diagram fragments that were floating silently in his sea of consciousness were actually suffused with a clear and translucent glow at this moment.
This glow transformed into a mysterious diagram, and the diagram was flowing with strands of mysterious words. Unfortunately, it was extremely blurry. No matter how Chen Xi tried, he was merely able to faintly distinguish the ancient characters ‘荒’, ‘墟’, ‘神’, and ‘古’.
However, all of this vanished in merely an instant, and then the River Diagram fragments once again returned to calm. Only the Daoseal Mark revolved within his soul in the form of a vortex, causing a rain of light that was gorgeous and multicolored to rain down.
What is this?
Why did such a mysterious diagram appear within the River Diagram fragments?
‘荒’, ‘墟’, ‘神’, and ‘古’… Exactly what sort of secrets are recorded within those mysterious and ancient characters?
At this instant, numerous questions surged into Chen Xi’s heart, yet he was unable to figure it out no matter how he wracked his brains.
But in next to no time, a strand of indescribable exhaustion surged into his soul, causing his heart to jerk, and he hurriedly restrained his senses. In this way, the Daoseal Mark vanished, and that feeling of exhaustion vanished along with it.
Looks like this Daoseal Mark’s exhaustion of the energy of the soul is extremely huge… Unfortunately, I’m unable to control and command it. I wonder exactly what sort of profound effects it possesses… Chen Xi sighed in his heart. His gains this time were enormous, yet compared to the past, it seemed to be too obscure and mysterious. No matter if it was the Daoseal Mark or the mysterious diagram that floated up into appearance on the River Diagram fragments, they seemed to be forces that he wasn’t able to grasp at all.
Perhaps, I’ll be able to figure out all of this when I gather all nine River Diagram fragments? Chen Xi muttered. He faintly felt that all of these questions would be answered when he gathered the complete River Diagram. As for now, he could only suppress these questions in the bottom of his heart.
He stopped thinking about this and stood up before leaving the world of stars.
“Chen Xi, you’ve come out at just the right moment. I was just looking for you.” When Chen Xi’s figure had just appeared within the Sword Room, he was obstructed by Ling Bai, A’Man, Bai Kui, and Starry who gazed eagerly at him.
Chen Xi said, “Weren’t all of you with A’Xiu? Happily eating and playing to your heart’s content all day long. Why are all of you suddenly willing to return?”
Since A’Xiu returned, these four little fellows followed right behind A’Xiu to become her little lackeys, and they’d enjoyed themselves during this period of time to the point of forgetting to come back here or even visit him. It caused Chen Xi to be unable to help but feel slightly jealous.