Free Web NovelChapter 1667: Chapter 1664: Xingyun City
Li Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "You said the Star Ruins Secret Realm—what kind of place is that?"
Seeing that Li Chen was interested in the Star Ruins Secret Realm, Long Ming hurriedly organized his thoughts and poured out everything he knew like beans spilling from a bamboo tube, telling it all to Li Chen.
After all, none of this was some exclusive secret.
In this vast territory spanning billions of miles, you could grab anyone with a bit of status and ask around, and you’d hear about it.
After listening to Long Ming’s account, Li Chen already understood in his heart that this Star Ruins was very likely the Burying Star Land.
At its core was an enormous black hole.
Some fallen celestial bodies had all been swallowed into it.
Precisely because of this, some extremely ancient star inheritances had been perfectly preserved.
Cultivators like Long Ming were willing to risk nine deaths out of ten, even the danger of body and soul annihilation, to delve into the Star Ruins for the sake of obtaining those ancient inheritances.
"Li Chen, in that Star Ruins, although there are ancient inheritances and fortunes, it’s also filled with danger. The danger doesn’t only come from the Star Ruins itself, but also from other adventurers. If you intend to go, we can consider joining forces..."
Li Chen did not directly answer Long Ming’s suggestion; instead, he simply smiled at him.
The smile was very strange!
Being stared at by Li Chen, Long Ming’s heart went cold; his gaze flickered, not daring to meet Li Chen’s eyes.
After a dead, suffocating silence, Li Chen finally spoke. "Between you and me, it’s not a partnership—it’s a master-servant relationship!"
Hearing this, Long Ming’s old face instantly flushed red, and he roared angrily, "Li Chen, don’t push people too far! This is Divine Dragon Mountain, the territory of my Divine Dragon Sect. If it really comes to a fight, no matter how monstrous your talent is, you won’t get any advantage!"
As he spoke, the True Yuan inside his body surged like the breached waters of the Yellow River, rising violently, vast and turbulent.
That adult Python Dragon also raised its head to the sky and roared, letting out a rolling, thunderous bellow that shook the heavens.
Seeing Long Ming and the Dragon Python showing off to him at the same time, Li Chen naturally refused to back down.
He pressed his palms together, and in his hands a spinning black hole vortex condensed.
Seeing this black hole vortex, Long Ming’s pupils shrank violently.
He had once seen a similar black hole vortex in the Star Ruins.
On that expedition, among the adventurers who went in with him, just in terms of Late Stage of Mahayana top-level powers, no fewer than a handful fell.
Moreover, one of them had already reached the Late Stage Mahayana Peak, only one step away from the legendary Tribulation Crossing.
Even so, in front of that black hole vortex within the Star Ruins, he still could not escape the fate of death and Dao extinction.
At the time, Long Ming was relatively far from that black hole vortex, and only because of that did he narrowly escape with his life.
His body had indeed escaped, but the nightmare the Star Ruins’ black hole vortex left in his heart had never dispersed.
And now, seeing Li Chen actually use a similar bizarre Cultivation Technique, the shock in his heart could well be imagined.
Long Ming was afraid.
This was fear from the depths of his soul.
At this moment, he had already given birth to a Heart Demon and had no fighting spirit left.
If he forced himself to fight Li Chen now, the combat strength he could bring out would probably be less than half of his peak.
In his peak state, he might still have some confidence to clash head‑on with Li Chen.
But now, with a Heart Demon already sprouting, to butt heads with Li Chen would be nothing but a road to death.
Not to mention, there was also that utterly strange strangulation beside Li Chen!
It was easy to imagine that once a conflict broke out, he would quickly follow in the footsteps of that Heavenly Blade Ancestor.
The entire Divine Dragon Sect would also be buried along with his reckless actions.
Thinking of this, Long Ming’s eyes, which had been like stars, immediately dimmed like meteors that had burned out.
His whole person seemed to age a thousand years in an instant, and he let out a helpless sigh.
Li Chen looked down on him from above and asked coldly, "Now, I’ll ask you again—will you submit?"
Knowing that his situation was hopeless and that he was no match for Li Chen, Long Ming cupped his hands in salute and answered in a deep voice, "I am willing to submit!"
Seeing that this old fellow Long Ming knew when to yield, Li Chen nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good. As long as you are loyal to me, one day you will definitely be able to break through that life‑and‑death tribulation and ascend as an immortal!"
Li Chen spoke casually, yet with utter confidence.
But when it entered Long Ming’s ears, it was like being struck by Thunder Strike.
Only after a long time did he recover, his eyes shining with astonishment as he asked in disbelief, "Li Chen, what did you say—you can help me pass the life‑and‑death tribulation?"
Li Chen did not directly answer him, but casually asked in return,
"What, you don’t believe me?"
Seeing Li Chen so confident, Long Ming, as if compelled by some ghostly force, shook his head.
"I believe!"
Li Chen stood with his hands behind his back, a relaxed smile on his face, and said lightly, "From now on, don’t call me Fellow Taoist anymore. Just call me Young Master."
As for the title "Young Master," Long Ming naturally had no problem accepting it, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Yes, Young Master!"
Li Chen said, "Since the Star Ruins is about to open, there’s no time to waste. We’ll set out now!"
After speaking, he pointed at the adult Python Dragon and added another line.
"Bring that guy along too!"
Long Ming nodded repeatedly, indicating there was no problem.
Then, with a slightly pleading tone, he said, "Young Master, give me half a day. I need to settle the sect’s affairs."
Li Chen glanced around and replied, "Fine, I’ll give you one day. We’ll depart tomorrow morning."
Hearing Li Chen agree to his request, Long Ming cupped his hands toward him again and again.
"Many thanks, Young Master!"
The reason Li Chen agreed so readily was not entirely for the sake of the Divine Dragon Sect.
In that fierce battle just now, he had expended a great deal of Primordial Energy and happened to need some time to recuperate.
That night, Li Chen sat cross‑legged, running the Big and Small 36 Circuits to nourish his meridians and Dantian.
Unknowingly, the eastern sky had already begun to pale with the fish‑belly white of dawn.
The next morning:
Li Chen and Long Ming set off together toward the Star Ruins.
When they arrived at Burying Star Mountain, there were still a full three days before the official opening of the Star Ruins.
Burying Star Mountain was not a mountain in the strict sense.
It was a range formed from countless Star Fragments piled together.
These Star Fragments were akin to spatial rifts—if one was careless, one could pass through to another world entirely.
If one’s luck was good, one might even obtain an inheritance from the ancient times.
But if one’s luck was bad and they crossed over to a Death Star, then even a Late Stage of Mahayana top-level power would likely never return.
The Star Ruins was a grand event that only occurred once every three thousand six hundred years. Though it was fraught with dangers, it also contained fortunes and opportunities impossible to find in normal places.
Thus, for the sake of those fortunes, countless Heavenly Prides and elites, and even old monsters who had been in seclusion for thousands or tens of thousands of years, could no longer resist the temptation and showed themselves one after another.
For a time, the entire Tianwu Star Domain was thrown into turmoil.
Long Ming led Li Chen to a place called Xingyun City, planning to wait there for the opening of the Star Ruins.
Xingyun City was a shattered planet.
Thirty thousand years ago, it had been captured by the Star Cloud Ancestor.
Seeing that it contained rich resources, he had his several million subordinates all migrate there.
Over time, this place gradually developed into a city.
Because it was a fallen star, it was named Xingyun City.
