Despite being on Heavenly Star Island, Lan Shaobai had not fallen behind on his cultivation. He had long since reached great grandmaster-level Martial Sage and was only a step away from quasi-Emperor.
That, combined with the Asura Race’s strong spatial ability, made him more than a match for ordinary quasi-Emperors.
“It is not. It’s a lady wearing a veil. She said that she is called Mo Chen!”
“Mo Chen?!”
Lan Shaobai repeated this name a couple of times. It seemed like he had never heard this name before. He said, “Dabao, go and find out more about this person. Can you give me a report within half a day?”
Jin Dabao smiled and said, “I can tell you right now. That is the top beauty of the Cloud Sea Domain. Xiao Chen once appeared there for a period. It seems like he even built some kind of relationship with this girl. You can go without any worry. She is definitely not an enemy.”
The Fat Lord was the person maintaining the information about Xiao Chen’s movements. Hence, when he heard the name Mo Chen, he immediately recalled these details.
Lan Shaobai revealed a slightly interested expression. He smiled and said, “It looks like it is a good thing, then. Xiao Yu, there is no need to invite Elder Qin over anymore. Come with me to meet this Miss Mo Chen.”
---
Outside the vast Azure Dragon City, Mo Chen led the Mo Clan’s top ten refiners and admired the majestic city walls.
“First Young Miss, is this place our new home?” an old refiner asked with a trace of joy as he looked at Azure Dragon City.
After the eight quasi-Emperors died in the Cloud Sea Domain, the region fell into chaos. Every faction sent their experts over, intending to make it theirs.
Amid the mayhem, human life was like grass. The flames of war flared high. If Mo Chen had not led the Mo Clan away from the center of the chaos in advance, many of her clan would have died.
However, the Mo Clan no longer wish to spend their days running and hiding.
Although this Heavenly Star Island was surrounded and blockaded by several large factions, after the Mo Clan arrived at the island, these few old men were all greatly astonished. The prosperity of the island far surpassed their expectations.
Even the Shattered Cloud Sea of before could not compare to this. How was this a city that was under heavy embargo? It was very prosperous and becoming even more so with each passing day. This situation piqued their curiosity.
Mo Chen thought back to what Xiao Chen had said. If they wanted to find him, they could go to Heavenly Star Island. If they needed help, they could go to Heavenly Star Island.
“It will be fine. Xiao Chen is true to his word,” Mo Chen said with a nod.
As Mo Chen spoke, one man and one lady flew past the city gates. They were the Heavenly Star Island’s incumbent ruler, Lan Shaobai, and Xiao Yu.
Lan Shaobai appeared elegant as he descended. Then, he walked over to Mo Chen with a smile. He performed a cupped-fist salute and said, “Miss Mo Chen, please excuse me for not coming out to meet you when you arrived. Xiao Yu, bring them to the city to rest. I’ll personally bring Miss Mo Chen around.”
Xiao Yu nodded with a smile, then led the ten old folks behind Mo Chen into the city. Mo Chen walked alone with Lan Shaobai.
There were some things that were better to discuss with fewer people around. Clearly, Lan Shaobai understood this.
“Miss Mo Chen, why are you here?” Lan Shaobai asked directly.
The two strolled into the city. Mo Chen looked around at the people there with interest. When she discovered the many Black Sea cultivators, she now somewhat understood why it was so prosperous.
Upon hearing Lan Shaobai’s question, Mo Chen looked at him and replied, “I’m here to look for someone. However, since he did not come out, he is probably not on the island.”
Lan Shaobai smiled bitterly. “I understand. Our group of old friends is trying to find him as well. However, no one knows where he is now.”
Mo Chen was not in a rush. Instead, she smiled at Lan Shaobai and consoled him. “Don’t worry. He will definitely come to Heavenly Star Island. He never breaks his promises.”
Lan Shaobai smiled to himself. At these words, his vigilance towards this lady completely vanished. He asked pensively, “In that case, Miss Mo Chen, what are your plans now?”
Mo Chen replied calmly, “I wish to bring all my clansmen to Heavenly Star Island.”
Lan Shaobai’s heart could not help leaping with joy. He had learned from Jin Dabao that the Mo Clan, which this Mo Chen was from, was the top refining clan of the Cloud Sea Domain.
Furthermore, Mo Chen herself was a quasi-Emperor. She would be a great help to Heavenly Star Island.
The most important thing was that, according to Jin Dabao’s information, Mo Chen obtained the refiner’s divine canon, the Book of Heavenly Works. She had an excellent chance of becoming a divine-grade refiner.
Even the various Holy Lands would queue up for a long time with great gifts in hand to meet such a person. If she wanted to come to Heavenly Star Island, it was a very good thing.
However, Lan Shaobai thought of a matter and said somewhat embarrassedly, “No one on Heavenly Star Island will object to Miss Mo Chen coming here. However, the front of Heavenly Star Island is under blockade by the Seven Distinguished Dragon Marquises. If you want to uproot and bring your clan here, it would be rather difficult.”
Mo Chen nodded. Then, she smiled and said softly, “I learned about this on my way here. It is fine. I believe that this situation will not continue for long.”
Lan Shaobai envied Xiao Chen somewhat in his heart. He wondered how exactly Xiao Chen had achieved all this.
First, the descendants of the Black Sea’s thirteen great bandits appeared at Heavenly Star Island and helped Jin Dabao clear off the final obstructions to their entry to the Black Sea.
Now, a group of grandmaster refiners was moving their clan here.
As the topic changed, Mo Chen recalled something. She said, “Young Master Lan, have you heard that the Four Seas Hero Gathering that happens every twenty years will begin soon?”
“Naturally, I’ve heard of it. However, Heavenly Star Island is quite distant from Bright Moon City. Furthermore, the transportation formation on the island is ruined. Since the Seven Distinguished Dragon Marquises are blockading us, it is hard for us to go out. So, I am not very clear on the news of this.”
Lan Shaobai looked doubtfully at Mo Chen, wondering why she asked this.
Mo Chen said with sudden understanding, “Then it looks like Young Master Lan does not know that the prize of this Four Seas Hero Gathering is the last mountain tablet of the Dragon’s Gate left outside. It is made of Heaven Subduing Rock, and the Azure Emperor personally wrote the words ‘Dragon’s Gate’ on it.”
When Lan Shaobai heard this, his expression changed. He exclaimed in shock, “Do you mean to say that Xiao Chen will likely appear at the gathering in Bright Moon City?”
“Not ‘likely to appear’ but ‘will appear’ for sure. No matter the rumors outside, I strongly believe that he will make an appearance. Furthermore, he will definitely bring the Dragon’s Gate’s mountain tablet back to Heavenly Star Island,” Mo Chen said with a certain tone and a firm and persistent gaze.
Four Seas Hero Gathering…Lan Shaobai muttered in his heart as he looked into the distance. Will he really appear?
Honestly speaking, Lan Shaobai was still somewhat doubtful and was not as certain as Mo Chen. The Lunar Palace’s Holy Daughter’s words were sufficient to give credit to some of those rumors, making the whole thing confusing.
However, he was willing to believe that Xiao Chen would definitely appear and bring the Dragon’s Gate’s mountain tablet to Heavenly Star Island, the land that belonged to the Azure Dragon King.
Xiao Chen would not forget what he promised Lan Shaobai, that he would organize the world’s first martial gathering some day and help him write the definitive record of this age.
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In the Cyclic Astral Palace of the Southern Sea, stars were reflected in the seawater like pieces on a chess board. There were many of them intersecting each other.
When one looked carefully, one would discover that these reflected stars were actually all exquisite palaces.
Thousands of palaces radiated starlight. The lights of the Sun Palace and the Moon Palace were the most dazzling and eye-catching, showing two different styles.
One was an extremely tyrannical Yang. Its light spread far and wide, a dazzling sight that one could not look at directly.
The other was a gentle and soft Yin. Its light was bright and as cold as snow, bone-chilling like frost.
A person flew out from each of the two Astral Palaces. Instantly, the stars dimmed, their light seemingly eclipsed, which only served to emphasize the two’s outstanding charm.
All the disciples of the various Astral Palaces looked at the two in the air. Their eyes flashed with thick envy.
The Moon Palace’s Fu Hongyao and the Sun Palace’s Chu Yang. Now, these two were shining brightly, becoming quasi-Emperors at the same time. The Cyclic Astral Emperor—a Prime—personally nurtured them. After this closed-door cultivation, they had probably already broken through to Small Perfection quasi-Emperor.
The two met in the air and checked each other’s cultivation. Joy flashed in their eyes. Fu Hongyao smiled and said, “Senior Brother, you came out of closed-door cultivation as well?”
Chu Yang nodded and said calmly, “One year ago, when I saw Xiao Chen, I could not clear your shame. This time, as long as he dares to appear at the Four Seas Hero Gathering, I will personally help you eradicate this malignant tumor.”
Fu Hongyao thought back to her humiliation at Xiao Chen’s King conferral ceremony. That matter had become her heart demon.
After some consideration, Fu Hongyao said calmly, “Senior Brother, there is no need to care about a genius that is past his prime. I don’t believe that he will have the courage to appear. What Senior Brother should care about are the Myriad Fiend Island’s Di Xinhan and Yan Shisan. These two people should be your most formidable opponents.”
Murderous intent flashed in Chu Yang’s eyes as he said indifferently, “He’d best not show up. Otherwise, I would not mind leaving him with a humiliation that can never be eradicated before his final moments.”
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The Heavenly Starry Ocean was very vast. Even if one were a Martial Emperor, one would not be able to go to every single corner of it.
It had too many remote sea domains and many unmarked seas. If one really wanted to hide in this vast ocean, no one could find them unless they had a Secret Treasure that could divine the heavenly mysteries.
However, Xiao Chen was not hiding or purposely doing so. Despite that, no one could find any traces of him.
This was because, for the past nine-odd months, close to three hundred days, he remained at the bottom of the sea, never coming up at all.
With his strength as a quasi-Emperor, Xiao Chen did not have any problems breathing in the water. If time permitted, he could easily do so for even longer durations.
Why did he not resurface? No one liked hiding in the darkness. There was no sunlight or air, just the seafloor devoid of any sign of human habitation.
Naturally, Xiao Chen was no exception. However, he did not have enough time. He needed to make every minute—every second—count; he could not waste any of it.
If Xiao Chen resurfaced, it was hard to guarantee that he would not develop a fondness for fresh air or miss the sunlight. It would only wear down his determination and waste time.
Hence, there was no need to surface. He would just focus on seeking dragons and fixing veins.
At a certain seabed in the Eastern Sea, Xiao Chen opened his Heavenly Eye in the dark, sunless world as he walked around with a calm expression.
The surrounding area turned into scenes that appeared in Xiao Chen’s mind, flashing by like fleeting images. It looked like a movie, strange and wondrous.
This was the ability of the Heavenly Eye that came with cultivating the Paradise Divine Art to the third layer. He could clearly see the surroundings within a split second.
Xiao Chen took out one of the sheets of vellum from Jiang Tian and glanced at it. Then, he stored the vellum and fixed his gaze on the hidden dragon cave in front.
That was a place surrounded by many mountains. Xiao Chen carefully examined them and found the ones representing the Tanlang Star, Jumen Star, and Wuqu Star.