Xia Ziluan never imagined they wouldn’t even have a chance to fight. Her husband and childhood sweetheart who had been with her for more than forty years had been taken from her in an instant. His final look of confusion, pain, and struggle pierced her heart. Her expression ugly, she let out an earthshaking scream, blood and tears pouring from her eyes. After death, Gu Yunge’s body floated in the starry sky. The man died with a grievance remaining.
"You’re annoying. Who doesn't have relatives? So you’re allowed to kill me, but I’m not allowed to kill you?” Tianming asked coldly. He had come to a realization: weakness was a sin. Weaklings didn’t deserve dignity or feelings.
Xia Ziluan’s shock and grief meant that she had never even stopped to consider that the two of them might die. All she had thought about was killing Tianming. Those who were used to looking down on others and being in control of the situation would think this way.
"You’re very lucky you won't have to taste the pain of losing your husband for long, because you’ll be joining him soon! Just wait. One day, your father will join you as well!”
Tianming had taken countless lives in the Kilostar Domain, and understood one thing—since he had chosen to kill, he shouldn’t hesitate! There were thousands of them after him, all aiming to kill the “fly.” Wasting time meant putting his own life at risk.
In fact, Tianming didn’t need to do anything. Ying Huo had already transformed into its Imperial Radiance state, its body resembling a blazing sun. With its Infernal Armor for protection, it unleashed Skyscorch Featherblast. Then, taking advantage of Xia Ziluan’s inconsolable state, Ying Huo forced her into a miserable retreat. At that moment, Xian Xian's Bloodrain Swords pelted down together with the blazing feathers, their combined attack tearing through Xia Ziluan's flesh.
Because she cultivated a body-refining art, the impact of the attacks didn’t immediately kill her, but slowed her down instead. While she was still grieving, Tianming had already joined forces with Meow Meow. Its Venus Fiendbone teeth and claws ripped its opponent’s belly. Tianming dealt the final blow, decapitating the purplewing imperialfiend snake. Finally, Meow Meow rained down Misty Hellthunder, electrocuting it into dried leather.
"Are you alright?” Tianming asked.
"I’ve been poisoned, but it won’t hurt me,” Meow Meow said indifferently.
"Then don't be lazy. Get up.”
Meow Meow had just been about to rest when Tianming lifted it by the back of its neck and tossed it over to assist Xian Xian and Lan Huang in dealing with the bloodweep puppet scorpion.
When the three of them charged toward the enemy, the seventh-order tribulation beast could do nothing to stop them. It employed all of its abilities, such as Bloodburn Fiendriver, which could burn flesh and blood, but they did nothing against Lan Huang’s Kilofold Rings. Instead, its enormous pincers were broken.
Lan Huang roared and tore the scorpion in half. Hundreds of thousands of little blood-red poisonous scorpions crawled over Lan Huang and Xian Xian’s bodies, biting them. Because Lan Huang had thick skin, its injuries weren't as serious as Xian Xian’s. Fortunately, Meow Meow arrived with a lightning attack and the little scorpions were immediately blasted to death. The two broodmother beasts had been killed in battle, along with most of their offspring. In fact, all of this had consumed little time.
With the bloodweep puppet scorpion’s miserable death, Xia Ziluan was all alone. Her expression underwent dramatic changes. There was some kind of formation on her body, which was already shining with a white glow, making her skin appear more luminous. It was a pity that her hair was disheveled and her body bloodstained and riddled with wounds.
Although she was a seventh-level samsaran, her strength was no match for Tianming and Ying Huo’s joint attacks. Using the nine bloodsucker arrow was equivalent to fighting with nine spears, but they couldn’t stop Tianming's Grand-Orient Sword. Ying Huo’s sword ki shot toward her as she struggled to hold on. This time it severed Xia Ziluan's arm, which only made things worse.
"Li Tianming, you will die!”
Before her arm had been severed, she managed to pull out a heavenly pattern tome. With her blood spraying all over, she could easily drip blood on it. It was obvious that the heavy tome was a high grade tribulation pattern tome.
Tribulation patternscribes who surpassed nine stars were rare, so the tome was undoubtedly precious. But who would care whether or not it was precious when their life was at stake? Xia Ziluan had been planning to use it a while ago. However, she hadn’t had a chance to pull it out as she was diverted by Ying Huo’s attacks.
The tribulation pattern burst forth and Tianming backed away in silence. Gu Yunge made the same move earlier, indicating that they had both prepared trump cards that could save their lives. However, Tianming was a step faster than Gu Yunge.
Danger! He narrowed his eyes. At this critical moment, he had to rely on the Dragonhide to resist.
But before that, something incredible happened. As soon as the tribulation pattern tome was activated, it immediately died down, the majestic power dimming in an instant. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that a formation had automatically materialized around the tome. There were heavenly pattern dragons in the formation that completely sealed the tome.
"Looks like your tome has been sealed because it’s too powerful and exceeds the restrictions of the Kilostar Domain,” Tianming laughed. Even the Heavens were on his side! He hadn’t expected that the restrictions of the Kilostar Domain would be so strong they could both restrain eighth-level samsarans, and also seal overly powerful heavenly pattern tomes to uphold its fundamentals.
At that moment, the look in Xia Ziluan's eyes had altered drastically. She was so frightened by a twenty-year-old man that she had turned ashen. Assuming she would flee, Tianming prepared to chase after her. Unexpectedly, she suddenly fell to her knees and said, "Li Tianming, I'm sorry, I was wrong. Please don't kill me. My child is only two years old and can't live without a mother. I’m begging you.”
She cried pitifully, tears streaming down her cheeks like raindrops.
"Wait for you to go back, raise him, then come to me for revenge?” Tianming sneered.
"No, I won't—"
"You can stop talking. The formation on your body is alerting someone, isn’t it? Trying to buy time until your father arrives?” Tianming smiled coldly.
She had even used her child in order to survive. Did those without children deserve to die then? Since they were blood enemies, they shouldn’t expect the other party to be kind. Tianming would never allow such a loss. Right now, he had control over her life; if it were the other way round, the couple would be roaring with laughter had Tianming spoken her words.
"No!” Xia Ziluan regretted it. She was mournful and heartbroken. If only they hadn’t chased after Tianming when he tried to escape. Unfortunately, regret was useless.
As she knelt before him in despair, Tianming raised his sword and ended her life. At that moment, the formation on her body burst out with a dazzling light, soaring into the sky and revealing Xia Ziluan’s position. This wasn’t a sealing formation, but a sign, perhaps the transmission of a signal.
"Retreat!”
With that, Tianming and his lifebound beasts quickly left. There would be people appearing soon.
"They might guess that I’m still alive. We need to be more careful.”
In fact, there were numerous treasures in Gu Yunge and Xia Ziluan‘s spatial rings. However, Tianming was afraid to take them with him since they might be marked. Thus, he left them floating in the starry sky.
“Xue Yi?”
The blazing flame in his chest burned even brighter now than it had when he survived through great danger in front of the entrance to the Kilostar Domain.
...
In the vast starry sky, a group of people were searching a golden star. Despite his status, Xue Yi had personally ventured deep into the star.
"This star is marked on the starmap. There should be treasure here. We’ve searched all over, how can there be nothing?” Xue Yi stopped in his tracks, frowning as he stood on the golden ground.
"Was the star where we found tribulation manna marked on the star map?” asked Long Cangyuan.
He had been following Xue Yi the entire time, taking him as his guide.
"No.” Xue Yi shook his head.
Long Cangyuan appeared dejected. The stars marked on the starmap were all empty, yet there was treasure on those that weren’t marked.
"Brother Xue Yi, there’s something I’d like to ask, though I’m not sure if I should,” Long Cangyuan said.
“Speak.”
"What’s the origin of this starmap? Is its authenticity guaranteed?” asked Long Cangyuan.
"Let’s put aside its origins for the time being. Its authenticity is guaranteed. It might just be a small starmap, but it’s been passed down in the Nonahall Ghost Sect for a hundred thousand years. It was handed down by the Nonahall Specter,” said Xue Yi.
"That's amazing. Perhaps special methods may be required to unearth the real treasures. This requires more thought,” said Long Cangyuan.
"That’s right.” Xue Yi nodded.
He looked at the gold star in a trance. At that moment, he pulled out a white sphere from his spatial ring, his brow furrowed. The sphere glowed and slightly vibrated.
"A lifesoul stone? Is it your daughter's lifesoul formation? She’s in danger!” Long Cangyuan exclaimed.
"Yes.” Xue Yi was cold all over as he called a third-origin tribulation elder from the Nonahall Ghost Sect and placed him in charge of affairs here. The lifesoul stone in his hand pointed out a direction for him.
Without another word, he disappeared in a bloody glint.
"That’s strange. Who would dare to do anything to your daughter? Is he seeking death?” Long Cangyuan tagged along.
"It may be Dugu Jin!” Xue Yi looked ferocious.
The gleam from the lifesoul stone grew brighter and brighter, which indicated more danger to the lifesoul formation. Xue Yi’s heart almost jumped out of his chest.
"Hurry!”
With Tianming's death, Dugu Jin was the only threat left in the Kilostar Domain. Xue Yu had originally assumed such a coincidence would never happen. But now, lost in his panic, he hated his carelessness.
"Hold on, Luan’er!”
Xue Yi’s heart was in his mouth. Hundreds of years of cultivation was too long. Some people cared about their children, while some didn't. Xue Yi’s fierce name was known far and wide, yet he loved his only daughter very much. That was known to all.
"Hold on—"
The moment he spoke, the lifesoul stone exploded in his hand.