Chapter 924: Drunk and Lying in the Star River

Chapter 924: Drunk Amid the Starry River

As Zhao Changhe cornered Luochuan, the three great emperors gathered on the other side.

Haoyang Emperor, covered in wounds, grudgingly swallowed an extremely rare immortal pill, his injuries healing at lightning speed, and glared at Kumu Emperor: "Were you here all along?"

Kumu Emperor said flatly: "Two Other Shores lurked in the shadows; I dared not act rashly."

Wuwang Emperor stamped his foot: "Do you think too highly of yourself?"

Kumu Emperor was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"What else could it mean! Two Other Shores watched their own realm being attacked, lying in ambush, just to wait for you? Who do you think you are!" Haoyang Emperor roared in fury: "If there really was an ambush, why didn't they just kill me when I was in the most danger? Leaving you two, what storm could you raise?"

Kumu Emperor opened his mouth, then suddenly felt there was logic to it.

So that couple really wasn't here, not deliberately lying in wait for him...

Thinking this, his guts nearly turned green with regret; if he had struck just now, the chance was truly great...

No... Kumu Emperor suddenly shuddered.

What chance? Only a chance to kill, not a chance to seize the treasure. Killing couldn't guarantee the treasure would fall into his hands; even with the opportunity before him, it didn't mean he should act. The frenzied revenge of a pair of Other Shore spouses was not something anyone could bear lightly.

So not striking was still the right move... As long as he hadn't ambushed them first, even if he had to fight later, it would still be considered honorable, not offending them too deeply, leaving room for negotiation either way. Now, the ones who had truly made Zhao Changhe an enemy were these two fools; he himself had little to fear...

With this thought, Kumu Emperor no longer felt guilty, and said flatly: "Those are just your guesses, not evidence. If they really were lying in wait for me, would I risk my life to gamble with you two fools?"

"You!"

"You what? Aren't you fools? The biggest fool is you, Haoyang!" Kumu Emperor turned the tables, pointing at Haoyang Emperor's nose and cursing: "We agreed to cooperate after finding it, so what did you mean by acting alone! Now that you've been picked off one by one, is it my fault for not striking, or your own greed?"

Haoyang Emperor fell silent.

Wuwang Emperor coughed dryly, quickly mediating: "Now we know for sure, they are the peak force of an entire realm, qualified to be enemies with our whole star domain. So even if not for the treasure, for our own safety, we should no longer have selfish thoughts, but cooperate sincerely. Not to mention, our subordinates have many strong ones; we can summon them to assist, at least to avoid being surrounded and beaten by their formations. Then it will be Other Shore against Other Shore, each relying on their own skills."

Haoyang Emperor nodded.

From that battle, he still sensed that if he fought one-on-one, he could be slightly stronger than that woman; he was confident he could win in another fight. Actually, the key point was that they hardly used any artifacts, focusing on self-cultivation, which put them at a disadvantage in battles of equal cultivation.

A high-grade artifact could completely change the battlefield, just like that book itself.

Zhao Changhe's side had consciously started to seek artifacts beyond the Heaven Book, but they couldn't achieve it in a short time. Cultivators knew that suitable treasures required years of tailored refinement, like Zhao Changhe with Longque—how long had he polished it to reach today? It wasn't something that could be done overnight.

In other words, if the Vast Star Domain wanted to attack the Heaven Book world, they should do it soon, while they still had a chance before the women advanced further; give them a few more years, and it would be over.

Kumu Emperor then said: "Let's do it this way. Now it seems those two are likely off healing somewhere. Let's take this opportunity to summon our capable subordinates and break through this book before they return."

Summoning their subordinates was easy for them... Even Ye Wuming back then could easily call people across realms; they could do it like a great summoning spell. Soon, flashes of light appeared around them, and a large crowd emerged.

The three forbidden lands had had many conflicts over the years; seeing so many from the other side, they thought a fight was about to break out. Artifact light flared everywhere, and killing intent soared to the sky.

The three emperors restrained their subordinates, looked at each other for a moment, and all felt the odds of victory were high. Haoyang Emperor then glanced sideways at Kumu: "Brother, you are more familiar with them; how about you lead this battle?"

"No need for trouble." A faint voice came from afar, not loud, but it exploded in their ears like thunder, shaking their soul seas and startling them.

"Brother Zhao?" Kumu Emperor turned sharply and saw Zhao Changhe strolling leisurely from the cosmos.

The Heaven Book was not in his arms but floated beside him like a companion star.

The three great emperors instinctively stepped back half a pace; they all sensed that Zhao Changhe's power had made a breakthrough. If before, in his battle with Luochuan, he was just a newcomer to Other Shore, his raw cultivation inferior to any of them, now his strength already made them feel pressure, at least not lower than theirs.

There was even a faint, hazy feeling... Although his cultivation was now about the same as theirs, his realm might have touched the edge of the next level. Cultivators at this level were very sensitive to such things; it was likely not an illusion.

How had he done it? They had been at Other Shore since the battle that split the Vast Star Domain's forbidden lands millions of years ago, and for millions of years, they had only accumulated at this level, never sensing the door to the next level. Within the entire Vast Star Domain, only Luochuan might be ahead in this regard, but even he was only slightly ahead, not making them feel a gap in level.

But this Zhao Changhe gave them that feeling now... Even if he hadn't taken that step, he had at least found the path.

How was this possible? What others couldn't achieve in millions of years, he did overnight? Kumu Emperor cautiously asked: "Brother Zhao, were you hiding your strength before, playing the pig to eat the tiger?"

"Ha?" Zhao Changhe laughed: "How could that be..."

"Then this..."

Zhao Changhe asked sincerely: "Do you have wives?"

Three great emperors: "?"

Zhao Changhe asked again: "You've lived so long; you don't still believe in that 'supreme detachment' nonsense, do you? Do you understand dual cultivation?"

Kumu Emperor: "..."

Not to mention that we don't practice that, even if we did, we don't have Other Shore dao partners... Do you think an Other Shore dao partner, especially one still with her virginity, is a common cabbage you can find anywhere? The difficulty might be greater than obtaining the Heaven Book.

Oh, for you, it's the same thing. Never mind.

Zhao Changhe added: "Have your wives personally witnessed the birth of a world, experienced destroying one, and fully shared it with you through dual cultivation?"

Kumu: "...We have no wives."

"Oh." Zhao Changhe said: "How do you know I have a wife... Speaking of which, if you had a wife, would she use the guise of a dowry to guide you toward higher cultivation?"

The three great emperors were expressionless.

It was clear; this man was here to show off.

Zhao Changhe continued: "Oh, and have you ever had an enemy who was on the verge of touching the next level, and was conveniently very weak, so you killed him as a stepping stone?"

"..." Such enemies had indeed appeared in their cultivation journeys, but if it happened at the Other Shore level, it was even harder than finding a wife.

Kumu suddenly realized: "Luochuan!"

"Yes." Zhao Changhe bared his teeth in a grin, then suddenly pulled out Longque: "Alright, for the sake of our former alliance, I've answered your doubts, brother. Now it's time to settle scores."

Before the words faded, he had vanished. A blade of light suddenly broke through the encirclement and appeared... beside Wuwang Emperor.

Even the man himself didn't understand why Zhao Changhe would target him first. This battle was started by Kumu Emperor, and Haoyang Emperor struck first; he, Wuwang Emperor, was the least conspicuous of the three.

But he had no time to think further. A whisk flew out, trying to deflect the blade.

At the same time, the artifacts of his subordinates around him all blazed with light, hurtling toward Zhao Changhe.

Amid thousands of troops, Zhao Changhe seemed oblivious. He shook Longque in his hand. The top-grade artifact whisk that had accompanied Wuwang Emperor for countless years was like a common object; its threads were sliced cleanly by the blade, offering no resistance at all.

Wuwang Emperor, horrified, abandoned the whisk and dodged: "How is that possible..."

"Emperor!" Countless artifacts from his subordinates struck Zhao Changhe, but the Heaven Book emitted a faint glow, and all the artifact power vanished like a stone dropped into the sea, absorbed completely by Ye Wuming sitting in the Night Palace.

Longque was not disturbed at all, following like a shadow, slashing through. Wuwang Emperor's dodge was like a futile gesture, and he was instantly cut open from chest to belly.

Kumu and Haoyang only then moved to save him, but it was too late. They watched helplessly as Wuwang Emperor was severely wounded in one blow. Zhao Changhe swept Longque horizontally, blocking the two emperors who came to rescue, and said coldly: "Dare to attack Chichi? If she so much as stirs the fetus, you won't be able to repay it even with ten thousand deaths!"

Wuwang Emperor's vision went dark.

No wonder this man was biting at him like a mad dog; so that woman was carrying his child!

An arm reached out from the Heaven Book, "whoosh," and snatched the falling Wuwang Emperor back into the book. His screams echoed through the void, then abruptly cut off as he entered the book. No one knew what beatings and humiliations he suffered inside.

For a moment, the void was stunned, staring at Zhao Changhe standing still with his blade.

Amid ten thousand troops, three Other Shores, deep in the encirclement, he captured an enemy in one strike. Such a feat had probably never been imagined since the star domain's birth. At this moment, Zhao Changhe was like a demon god in the hearts of Vast Star Domain cultivators.

Zhao Changhe turned his head coldly to look at Kumu Emperor: "I already told you, brother Kumu... Our only enemy is Luochuan. Aside from killing Luochuan, we have no desire to meddle in any affairs of your star domain. But you were blinded by greed, insisting on coveting the Heaven Book's starry river, leading to this situation... Looking at this gathered force, if I had returned half a day later, would you have already launched a full-scale invasion?"

Kumu Emperor was about to speak, but Zhao Changhe cut him off: "Brother, there's no need to say anything. Since karma has arisen, it must be resolved to avoid future trouble. I, Zhao Changhe, have conquered cities and states, unified three realms in my life; adding another star domain won't make a difference."

Haoyang Emperor roared: "Why waste words with him? His cultivation is only on par with ours; I don't believe we can't handle him together!"

"Is that so?" Zhao Changhe glanced at him with a half-smile, then suddenly raised his blade as if to strike: "You were the first to ambush my wife, weren't you?"

Lord Haoyang instinctively drifted backward; his injuries were far from fully healed, and he hoped that Withered Wood would see the greater picture and help bear the brunt of the sharpest force.

Withered Wood hesitated for a moment, but Zhao Changhe had already seized the gap between them, suddenly flashing behind Lord Haoyang, raising his blade with both hands, leaping to strike with a furious chop.

After years of wandering the martial world, Zhao Changhe had grown all too accustomed to exploiting the various mindsets of enemies amidst a siege of thousands, seeking flaws in their coordination to pierce the core.

Even with endless star rivers and billions of cultivators, it was no different in essence from galloping through the jianghu—find the essence, and it becomes but a stage for one man.

Lord Haoyang hastily drew his sword, attempting to parry.

But as he turned to look, his mind was seized with terror.

Whether it was because his spirit was stolen or because the other's realm had indeed surpassed his understanding... at this moment, the image of Zhao Changhe in his eyes loomed colossal, his entire form covering every star in the entire star domain, as if all the stars were merely the cells and blood composing his body, pouring down with the fall of that blade.

He had seen Zhao Changhe's blade fall like a galaxy before, but never imagined that a man's very veins could flow with star rivers.

Yet Ye Wuming knew this was the result of Zhao Changhe's path of blood and qi merging completely with her starry intent, forging his own final road. But it was not yet perfected; the image seen by all in that moment was akin to the dharma manifestations of old—merely an illusion.

Such an illusion meant that Lord Haoyang's will had been seized, and he was utterly outmatched.

"Clang!" The flying sword was shattered by the Dragon Sparrow; the twin-tailed lass within the blade leaped with joy, the thrill of such devastating combat always sending the Dragon Sparrow into ecstasy.

"Fellow Daoist, hold!" Lord Withered Wood flew to the rescue, but it was too late.

Lord Haoyang, who had once triumphed with every divine art and wondrous technique, now reacted no differently from an ordinary cultivator, just like Lord Wu Wang, split in two by that simple blade, with no room to resist.

Because Zhao Changhe seemed to be one man, but was in truth a legion. All their mastery of time and space, shifts of reality and illusion, inversions of cause and effect—every scheme they could employ—was ground to nothing by the Heavenly Book at Zhao Changhe's side, sealing time and space, blocking life and death.

Before Zhao Changhe's blade, which returned to simplicity and seized the wonders of creation, their treasures were as naught, their subordinates fit only to watch.

Lord Haoyang's body was severed, and his primordial spirit fled at lightning speed. From the Heavenly Book, a black sword suddenly flew out, "whoosh," grinding it down.

Lord Haoyang's primordial spirit didn't even have time to cry out before it was crushed to nothing by the sword.

From within the sword came a little girl's wail: "Auntie, why did you throw me!"

No one answered; the void fell into dead silence.

Zhao Changhe pointed his blade at Withered Wood: "Brother Dao, only you remain."

Lord Withered Wood silently gazed at the spot where Lord Haoyang's primordial spirit had vanished, then turned to look at the stunned cultivators. All wore expressions of dazed shock, as if none could believe that the three great lords who had suppressed the Vast Star Domain for eons had been killed—one with one blow, two with two—like chopping dumplings.

The impression of that moment... the entire star domain seemed to be part of this man, his blood flowing like star rivers, suppressing all, like a sovereign.

Lord Withered Wood was silent for a long time, then finally sighed: "We have lost. Brother Dao, if you wish to kill or maim, I have nothing to say."

"You never struck," Zhao Changhe said, his tone much gentler. "Whatever your considerations—whether fear that we might interfere in the star domain's affairs, or desire to seize treasures—you never raised a hand against my wife. The bond of alliance remains unbroken."

Lord Withered Wood was taken aback: "Brother Dao means... you won't kill me?"

Zhao Changhe said, "I know of a vassal brand—offer a sliver of your primordial spirit to me, and this matter is settled... Hmm, consider it subjugating this domain? Perhaps it might help my Piaomiao achieve a breakthrough."

Lord Withered Wood couldn't care less about how his Piaomiao might break through; fearing Zhao Changhe might change his mind, he offered the primordial spirit brand without a second thought: "You... truly fear no endless consequences?"

"Consequences are meaningless, for I've said I have no interest in the star domain's affairs... You won't even know where I'll be in the future—what harm can there be?" Zhao Changhe sheathed his long blade, pulled out the gourd at his waist, took a long drink, and turned to leave: "This myriad realms and heavens, the cosmos infinite—the Vast Star Domain is but a corner. Who would be trapped here, small-minded?"

As his voice faded, he was already countless light-years away.

Lord Withered Wood stared blankly, and from the void came his final words: "Now that karma is resolved, all burdens lifted, my heart holds no more obsessions. Henceforth, I shall roam with my wife, drunk among the stars—that is my wish."