Chapter 540 - 536: Star-Devourer
"Is it that urgent?" Lin Ming asked with a voice filled with confusion, interest, and a tinge of fear. He had never heard his Senior Sister Lin speak on such matters so seriously. At the moment, they were being carried out of the Planet Wuyu by Senior Sister Lin’s Worldly Domain. She was extremely fast as she blazed through the Dark Void with ease.
He was excited to see that this mysterious Senior Sister Lin of his had recovered her powers. Since she was nearly killed, her cultivation had stagnated and besides some basic means, she couldn’t unleash much power. It was at such a level that Wei Wuyin in the Myriad Yore Continent, a lowly cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm with a slightly stronger spiritual sense could perceive her true appearance for a moment!
It was that horrible. But overtime, she had regained a portion of her original strength through various recuperative methods. Now, she could unleash a strength beyond a Realmlord.
Senior Sister Lin’s scarlet hair flowed as she urged her Worldly Domain forward. Bai Yuxi and Lin Ming were within the confines of her Worldly Domain, being carried within without much effort. "It is," she succinctly replied.
Bai Yuxi intervened at this moment, "It really is. You might not know this but the Dark Void is home to some truly terrifying existences and strange phenomena. One of these things is the Star-Devourer. They aren’t limited to one type, however. There are many types, but this specific one is called Tiangou. It is an ancient existence that has supposedly lived for innumerable years. It treats our stellar region as its home, and it fests on Solar Stars of all types."
"Is there really something that can consume stars? Is that even possible?" Lin Ming was still in disbelief and fearful of such terrifying existences.
Bai Yuxi nodded, "Not only does it consume Solar Stars, but it disperses a vast quantity of energy during its digestive cycle, causing the nearby planets and continental flat earths to be hit with a surging wave of explosive power. I once saw a visual recording of its devastation, it’s..." She stopped speaking after reaching that point. If her countenance could be seen, Lin Ming would discover her complexion was exceptionally pale.
"..." Lin Ming went silent for a very long moment. "If it consumes stars, how come its still alive? Doesn’t the Aeternal Sky Starfield have experts beyond Mortal Limits? Can’t they kill it?"
"Kill it?" Senior Sister Lin almost scoffed at the thought, but held it back because it was Lin Ming speaking from a place of ignorance. "It can’t be killed. At least, not by our experts."
"Then wouldn’t it devour the stars of the Aeternal Sky Starfield one day?" Lin Ming’s heart throbbed at this answer. An unkillable existence that devours stars made it impossible.
Bai Yuxi broke out of her overly active imagination and hurriedly spoke to clear her thoughts of that terrifying image: "Tiangou isn’t a violent existence. It feasts on stars in much the same way we consume fruits to obtain nutrition. It might seem like a malevolent creature due to the destruction it brings, but that’s as unintentional as you breathing on a fly and it being obliterated by your aura; it’s not your desire, just a byproduct of your terrifying power.
"In fact, it’s simple-minded and easy to manipulate. While it won’t leave our Stellar Region until its food is entirely gone, it also has ways to be kept under control. For example, it can only consume Solar Stars of a certain level. The Aeternal Sky Starfield’s Solar Star has a Mystic Radiance Belt, and it could be equivalent to a fruit made of steel to it. It avoids it like a plague, unable to consume it."
"Mystic Radiance Belt? What’s that?" Even in the information that Tang Xingyun had left behind, he was ignorant of this term.
Bai Yuxi puffed out her ample chest and said with pride, "A Mystic Radiance Belt is a product of dozens of Ascended working together to forge a circular ring that orbits the Solar Star. It infuses its innate qualities with Mystic Intent, and changes the entire environment through Mystic Light, elevating all things to the Mystic-level. You’ll only be able to understand after you’ve entered the Starfield yourself."
Lin Ming understood far more than Bai Yuxi expected. He was aware that the starfield they resided in was of a Mortal-level, and this was because of the three Solar Stars elevating the environment, the materials, and herbs that it produced. This was why it could barely sustain itself after thousands of years without a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist.
There was the continued explanation that if the starfield only had a single Solar Star, the rate of deterioration of the Starfield would’ve been explosively sharp. If eight thousand years had passed in that type of environment, then forget a Sixth Phase Expert, the cultivators would struggle to reach the Astral Core Realm.
The two created Solar Stars that were larger and brighter, sending out more power that gave birth to greater resources in terms of quality and quantity. In a way, Solar Stars were the main contributors to a cultivator’s success and its civilization.
For example, the Four Extreme Continent’s World Realm extracted the powerful energies of the captured dragons to fuel itself. If not, the cultivators would severely struggle.
But Lin Ming was immediately confused by something. "Why is it coming now?"
Bai Yuxi went silent, unable to answer as she looked to her Senior Sister. She didn’t know this answer, so she could only look for someone more knowledgeable about the circumstances and habits of the Tiangou.
With a soft sigh, Senior Sister Lin explained: "I don’t really know. Roughly three years ago, its trajectory abruptly changed. In truth, the Everlore Association had set up formations that concealed this starfield from its senses. Even if it floated right by, it would just harmlessly pass by. It has happened many times before."
"But not now?"
Senior Sister Lin shook her head, "Not now. The Everlore Association wouldn’t take action if they weren’t certain that the Tiangou had noticed this starfield. They spent years keeping track of its trajectory, even trying to redirect it to see if it was merely a coincidence. But it always corrected its course. After three years, they are certain its target is this starfield and its three Solar Stars."
The atmosphere went silent. The possibility that something was attracting the Tiangou was a definite possibility. But what? The Everlore Association had even sent some surveyors to see if they could find the cause, but there was nothing gained from their investigation. It was an utter waste of time.
So they had to take drastic measures.
"What about the other powers? What are they doing?" Lin Ming was aware that this starfield had specific significance to certain forces in the Aeternal Sky Starfield, even the True Element Sect had its roots here. It was why it was protected and preserved, left untouched. Not just because of the vast distance between the two, but the significance of its existence.
To think they would be willing to allow the starfield to meet its end. It was a little infuriating. After all, he was raised here.
"The True Element Sect and Everlore Association are the only two who have any connection to the Starfield. Besides the Void Voyage Sect that resides in an unknown location, being a secluded power for so many years, none of the others would even consider fighting the Tiangou or wasting their resources to do so." Senior Sister Lin lightly sighed. The Tiangou wasn’t some middling existence that could be handled with some effort. It was beyond their power, so she understood their desire to not provoke it.
If they do, who knows if it wouldn’t suddenly have an appetite for a greater Solar Star like theirs. There was too much risk, likely even the various powers were pressuring the other two to not do anything aggressive.
"What does the Everlore Association plan to do?" Lin Ming asked. He wasn’t aware of the total strength of the Everlore Association, but it shouldn’t be too weak.
Senior Sister Lin looked behind her, glancing at Lin Ming. "They intend to relocate."
"Relocate?" Both Bai Yuxi and Lin Ming asked simultaneously. What did that mean? The starfield had hundreds of trillions of lifeforms that were intelligent and capable of cultivation. How would they relocate these individuals?
"Yes, relocate. They’ve sent the order to have every human, elf, and demon sent elsewhere." When she said this, there was a dark, depressed quiver to her tone.
Lin Ming was still immersed in his thoughts, thinking about how terrifying must their power be to achieve such a feat. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize who the order Senior Sister Lin mentioned neglected. There were two:
Beasts.
And...
Beastmen.