Boom!
The stele trembled incessantly. As it shoved aside the surrounding air, a thunderous roar erupted and echoed across the Bronze Core. Amidst the howling gale, it left behind a faint golden afterimage.
Down in the plaza, the crowd, including Qin Tianlin, stared in dumbfounded silence.
Someone suddenly snapped out of their daze and muttered in disbelief, "How... how did the stele fly away?"
Many of the people present were core disciples of the sect. They had grown up here since childhood, yet they had never heard of the Ancient King Stele breaking free from its chains and taking flight on its own.
Even the older deacons among the crowd looked utterly bewildered.
"How could this happen..." Qin Tianlin tilted his head back, whispering to himself. "Is it because of me?"
He couldn't help but wonder. After all, he had just been standing alone beneath the Ancient King Stele. It was highly probable that he was the cause.
'But why would it run away? It couldn't possibly be refusing to acknowledge me...' Qin Tianlin stubbornly refused to believe such a thing.
"Regardless of the reason, this is definitely no small matter!"
A few people had already sprung into action, chasing after the direction the Ancient King Stele flew.
The stele's flight caused quite a commotion. Accompanied by rumbling booms, many people on the main roads looked up in shock. Flying was strictly prohibited on the Bronze Core, making it almost impossible to see streaks tearing across the sky here.
Someone was still muttering, "Who's the madman daring to fly over the Bronze Core?"
But upon closer inspection, they realized it was actually the Ancient King Stele. After a brief moment of shock, they joined the gathering crowd and rushed toward the direction the stele was heading.
Everyone wanted to see exactly what had happened.
A bit further away at the sect's stargate, a slender spaceship, interwoven with hues of grayish-blue and silver-white, gradually emerged from the portal.
"Finally back."
Standing before the porthole, Qing Cang looked at the familiar scenery and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
His return trip had taken much longer than expected. This was primarily due to the recent standoff between the sect and the Royal Court, which had forced the closure of many transit stargates.
Even though relations had eased slightly, the missing Morning Star rank expert still hadn't surfaced. No one could guarantee that a conflict wouldn't erupt at any moment and drag them into the fray.
As a result, many central hubs were still observing the situation and had yet to resume operations.
The Prophet Council's assessment of the current situation in the Dust Star Sea remained at "High Risk," indicating that war could break out at any time.
Following the guidance signals, the spaceship docked at the starport. They needed to switch to a different flying vehicle to head toward the nearby Bronze Core.
"Senior Brother Lu Huai!"
Just as he stepped out of the cabin door, the red-haired elder heard a bold voice ring out. He focused his gaze and saw a middle-aged man striding over with a powerful, commanding presence.
"Venerable... Chu Lingyuan." A look of surprise crossed the red-haired elder's face as he hurriedly said, "I didn't expect a Venerable to come and welcome us."
Chu Lingyuan had a strong, square jawline. The black stubble on his chin was rather messy, yet it added a touch of rugged authority. Hearing this, he laughed. "Please, don't mention it. After all, you are guests from the Profound Heaven Sect. It's only natural we treat you with the utmost respect."
"You flatter us, you truly flatter us," Lu Huai replied modestly, though he couldn't suppress the wide smile on his face.
After all, having a Morning Star rank expert come to greet them was enough to show how much importance the Bronze Sect placed on their visit. It gave him a great deal of face.
Behind the two of them, a sizable group of people filed down the boarding stairs.
Leading them was a calm-looking young man. Following closely behind him were a few younger individuals, all looking around with curiosity before their eyes landed on the Bronze Core.
"So this is the Bronze Sect. It doesn't look much different from our place."
"What kind of difference did you expect?" someone nearby sneered.
"Liao Yunfan, I was just making a casual observation," the rebuked person frowned, clearly displeased.
"That's enough," the leading young man scolded in a low voice. "Don't embarrass us here."
He seemed to hold a lot of prestige. The youths behind him immediately fell silent, though they subtly distanced themselves from one another.
"The Ancient King specifically instructed that since it wasn't easy for you all to make this trip, we must entertain you well."
Up ahead, Chu Lingyuan spoke boldly, enthusiastically pulling on Lu Huai's arm.
"Brother Tang, it's been a while since we last met, hasn't it?" Wei Zhenghong strode out from behind Chu Lingyuan and joined the group from the Profound Heaven Sect. He spoke directly to the leading young man, who was none other than one of the Profound Heaven Sect's Star Seeds, Tang Xiuqi.
Tang Xiuqi and Wei Zhenghong were no strangers. Hearing this, he replied, "Counting the days, it's been about seven or eight years. The last time we saw each other was at the Zenith Star Assembly."
"Indeed. It's a pity I was still so young back then. I was quickly eliminated by Titan and never got the chance to spar with you. I heard Brother Tang has already forged a Sacred Class. Coming here this time, you must be preparing to advance to the eighth tier, right?" Wei Zhenghong asked with a nostalgic look.
"Calculating it that way, you're only one step away from the Morning Star rank."
Tang Xiuqi let out a bitter smile. "What 'one step away'? I'm still far from it. Without suffering through decades of bitter cultivation, how could anyone possibly reach the Morning Star rank?"
While the big shots chatted in the front, the younger generation conversed in the back.
The flying vehicle was ready, and everyone boarded one by one. Wei Zhenghong curiously cast his gaze toward the young people in the rear. "And these are?"
"Liao Yunfan."
"Chen Hong."
"Xie Yufeng."
The three introduced themselves. Tang Xiuqi didn't try to hide anything, adding, "They are all individuals recognized by a certain Morning Star expert of our sect. Currently, they are striving to become the Chosen One."
"They accompanied me this time to borrow the Fortune Bronze Core for a while."
"I see," Wei Zhenghong said with a look of realization. In truth, he had known about this for a long time. His gaze swept over the three of them, easily spotting the subtle competitive tension brewing among them.
It was an inevitable situation. After all, there could only be one Chosen One. If not for the sect suppressing them, simply killing off the competition would have been the fastest and most convenient method.
Noticing the scrutiny and evaluation in Wei Zhenghong's eyes, Tang Xiuqi's gaze flickered as he offered a faint smile. "Stop looking. They can't compare to your new Star Seed."
Wei Zhenghong paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Has Su Chen's name already reached your Profound Heaven Sect?"
"Becoming a Star Seed the moment he appeared, gaining the Ancient King Stele's acknowledgment right after arriving at the Bronze Sect, and taking the top spot among the fifth-tiers despite only being at the fourth tier. If we didn't know about such a fierce character, we'd be far too out of touch," Tang Xiuqi listed off the achievements as if recounting his family's valuables.
Behind them, the three youths exchanged glances upon hearing Su Chen's name, their eyes harboring an indescribable meaning.
The three of them had been recognized candidates for several years, standing out among the rest, yet they still hadn't managed to determine a clear victor amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, this Su Chen had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and immediately become a Star Seed of the Bronze Sect. Comparing the two situations naturally left them with complicated feelings.
"I heard that this Sir Su Chen has already advanced to the fifth tier?" Liao Yunfan suddenly asked.
Wei Zhenghong glanced at him and nodded. "That's right. He did advance to the fifth tier a while back. Why, do you want to spar with him?"
He asked so bluntly, yet Liao Yunfan surprisingly nodded in agreement. "I am indeed quite curious. If he were still at the fourth tier, it would feel like an unfair victory."
An unfair victory? Hearing this, Wei Zhenghong didn't feel angry at all. In fact, he found it rather amusing.
"Shut up," Tang Xiuqi snapped, his eyes flashing with faint displeasure.
On their way here, these guys had been quite curious about Su Chen. Since they were all around the same age, they naturally harbored a desire to compare themselves to him.
These three fellows were by no means ordinary either. They all had records of winning against higher-tier opponents, even if they hadn't quite reached the level of defeating all the fifth-tier professionals within their own sect.
However, the Profound Heaven Sect's advantage lay in the existence of the Profound Heaven Instrument. It could elevate a person's talent, which meant that within the same professional tier, they had more time to plan and prepare for special classes.
As a result, their strength at the same tier was generally higher than that of other sects.
During the journey, these guys had mentioned several times that they wanted to witness the demeanor of this newly appointed Star Seed. Since their ages were similar, the competitive urge to compare themselves was strong.
Tang Xiuqi was well aware of this. What angered him was Liao Yunfan's inappropriate questioning without regard for the setting.
"Then you'll have to go ask him yourself," Wei Zhenghong casually replied, completely unfazed by the remark.
At the very front, Chu Lingyuan quietly withdrew his gaze from the group behind him.
"Are those people from the Royal Court?"
At the very back of the group trailed a few inconspicuous figures. They huddled together, doing their best to conceal their presence as they waited to board the flying vehicle.
"Indeed. Originally, I was supposed to head to the Royal Court," Lu Huai nodded, then let out a cold snort. "Who knew something like this would happen. Have you guys found any clues on your end?"
Chu Lingyuan shook his head and sighed. "What clues could there be? The Royal Court keeps saying they will provide an explanation, but they've dragged it out until now without showing us anything."
"They've gone too far this time," Lu Huai said in a deep voice.
Chu Lingyuan nodded, his tone carrying profound implications. "This Vast Sea Emperor is wildly ambitious. Ever since taking the throne, his methods have been exceedingly ruthless. I fear he wants to accomplish what all previous emperors failed to do..."
"Unify the Dust Star Sea."
As the three discussed the matter, the flying vehicle took off, drawing closer and closer to the Bronze Core.
As guests from the Profound Heaven Sect who had brought the Profound Heaven Instrument, they were naturally treated with great importance. Their accommodations were arranged on the floating islands surrounding the Bronze Core, placing them right in the central hub.
Qing Cang listened to their conversation without interjecting, simply gazing out at the Bronze Core. He rarely traveled. After returning from the Crimson Thunder Planet, he had rushed non-stop to the Profound Heaven Sect.
Counting the days, he had been away for nearly a year. Seeing the Bronze Core now filled him with an indescribable sense of familiarity.
But suddenly, his eyes narrowed. Above the Bronze Core, a streak of light abruptly flashed past.
Qing Cang's face darkened slightly. 'Who has the audacity to fly over the Bronze Core?'
Chu Lingyuan noticed the commotion as well and looked over with deeply furrowed brows.
However, a moment later, his expression drastically changed.
"Wait, that's not right..." Qing Cang hadn't gotten a clear look at first, but a second glance told him everything.
The streak of light wasn't a person at allβit was the Ancient King Stele!
"Hasn't this stele always stood in the plaza in front of the tower? Why did it suddenly fly away?"
Filled with bewilderment, Qing Cang had never witnessed such a scene. His figure blurred into a gust of clear wind as he immediately flew out of the vehicle and into the starry sky outside.
Chu Lingyuan appeared right beside him, his expression just as grim.
Lu Huai, a step behind, followed them out. Flames flickered in his eyes as he asked uncertainly, "Isn't that the Ancient King Stele?"
He recognized the artifact. Other sects and even the Royal Court possessed similar objects. They were byproducts of Radiant Moon-tier spirituality, intrinsically bound to their spiritual essence.
Under normal circumstances, they remained entirely stationary.
Yet now, the Bronze Sect's Ancient King Stele was clearly acting up.
'Could it be...' A thought instantly sprang to his mind. 'Did something happen to the Bronze Ancient King?'
The Bronze Ancient King had remained sequestered within the Ancient King Hall to suppress the abnormal mutations of the flame, having not shown his face in years.
Qing Cang's brows locked together. As his gaze swept across the Bronze Core, he noticed a massive crowd gathered at its edge, craning their necks toward the direction the Ancient King Stele had flown.
"Why did it have to be now of all times..." Chu Lingyuan's eyes darted around, feeling a twinge of anxiety. "Let's secure it first."
Regardless of the situation, Lu Huai was still present. They couldn't let him discover anything out of the ordinary.
Just as Chu Lingyuan reached out, preparing to intercept the Ancient King Stele, he saw it come to a sudden halt almost immediately after flying past the boundaries of the Bronze Core.
"It stopped?"
He froze, his bewilderment deepening. Even he had never heard of such an anomaly.
Looking closer, he realized the stele was hovering right above an active floating island, even syncing its movements to the island's orbit.
'Whose floating island is that?' Chu Lingyuan couldn't help but wonder.
"Foundation... Spirit of the Radiant Moon... That's quite complicated..." Su Chen rubbed his chin while staring at his interface. He hadn't expected the Primary Candidate status to be involved in this.
He had obtained the Primary Candidate from the Ancient King Stele. It was a class seemingly meant to filter out successors for the Bronze Ancient King. After it was devoured by his Immaculate One class, he had no idea if it still held any function.
However, Su Chen didn't care much. He was still quite a ways off from the Morning Star rank, let alone the Radiant Moon rank.
As the saying went, cross the bridge when you come to it. If devouring it truly helped elevate his talent to the Divine Dawn grade, then so be it.
Right as he was pondering, Su Chen felt his heart palpitate. The lights in the training room dimmed before flashing a glaring red. "Warning: High-intensity external energy fluctuation detected!"
'What the hell? Did someone attack the sect?'
Su Chen felt a jolt of alarm. This was the warning siren from the floating island's own defense system.
Not daring to delay, he hurriedly sprinted out of the training room. The moment he stepped outside, he spotted an object radiating a faint golden glow suspended right above his floating island.
"That thing..."
At first, Su Chen was a bit nervous, thinking someone had lobbed a bomb at him. But when he took a closer look, he stood there utterly dumbfounded.
"Isn't that the Ancient King Stele?"
'How did the stele end up here?' The question naturally arose in his mind, but Su Chen quickly figured out the answer. 'It's probably because the Primary Candidate class was devoured. This thing must have sensed the anomaly.'
Su Chen's breathing lightened considerably as he stared at the trembling Ancient King Stele hovering overhead.
He couldn't help but wonder, 'Is this stele... going to crush me to death?'
"It stopped! It stopped!"
A massive, dense crowd had gathered at the edge of the Bronze Core. Among them were numerous hall deacons and even vice hall masters. Qin Tianlin and Zhou Yunyang were also in the mix.
Anyone present on the Bronze Core would find it incredibly difficult not to be drawn in by the massive commotion.
Countless gazes converged on the Ancient King Stele suspended above the floating island.
"Whose floating island is that?" someone asked.
These floating islands looked almost identical. With the energy barriers obscuring them, it was extremely difficult to identify the island's number or its owner with the naked eye.
However, a fast-acting individual had already darted into a nearby flying vehicle at the port. After confirming the number through the navigation system, a look of shock overtook his face as he shouted repeatedly, "It's Su Chen! It's Su Chen's floating island!"