Su Chen could never have imagined that he would learn of this matter from Qing Cang's mouth.
"You also find it Unimaginable, right?" Seeing Su Chen's slightly sluggish expression, Qing Cang wasn't surprised. When he first learned of this matter, his reaction was roughly the same as Su Chen's.
Su Chen snapped back to his senses, speaking Vague Prevarication: "A little bit."
"However, what does it mean that there is someone?" Su Chen invited Qing Cang to take a seat in a nearby Pavilion.
Situated far away on the edge of the Floating Island, at specific times when the orbits of those Satellite Cities were closer, one could faintly see the scenes upon them.
"What does it mean?" Qing Cang's voice involuntarily rose a bit, speaking as they walked. "It could mean a lot of things. That's the Lost Starfire, now almost confirmed to be a Legacy left behind after the death of a Blazing Sun Tier."
"The intensity of its flame is Unimaginable. At a time like this, the several Ancient Kings had no confidence in barging in, yet that person was able to forcefully endure the outer layer of the flame and enter it. Their strength must be extraordinary."
"Extraordinary..." Su Chen fell silent for a moment before he couldn't help but say, "Perhaps he didn't go in recently, or perhaps he used other Methods?"
This kind of over-imagining might not be a good thing.
"Impossible." Qing Cang shook his head, his tone Resolute and Decisive. "If there was merely someone inside, there would indeed be the possibility you mentioned. But the other party not only went in, they were also extremely arrogant, completely disregarding the Ancient Kings."
"What?" Su Chen froze, unable to help himself. "Disregarding the Ancient Kings?"
How come I didn't know about this?
As Qing Cang spoke, he casually waved his wrist. A Virtual Screen popped up. He swiped on it a few times and brought up a virtual image. "Look."
"This person was facing six Radiant Moon Professionals, yet his expression remained cold and arrogant. Such a posture is enough to prove this person's confidence."
There was even a picture? Su Chen leaned in for a look and instantly froze. On it was precisely a figure wrapped in flames. Almost nothing could be seen clearly, only faintly discerning a pair of downward-looking eyes.
Due to the angle, at a glance, it indeed looked somewhat cold and arrogant.
"How did it turn out like this?" Su Chen muttered inwardly, recalling carefully.
At the time the vortex appeared, his first reaction was merely bewilderment. Limited by his vision, he couldn't see anything and lost focus a bit.
As a result, this inexplicable misunderstanding was produced.
However, this picture made him faintly feel some lingering fear. It was truly too clear, and he didn't know who had taken it.
Fortunately, the Remnant Embers were vigorous, wrapping him tightly, leaving only a pair of faintly discernible eyes. It was truly difficult to distinguish anything.
Seeing this picture again, Qing Cang still felt somewhat emotional: "This person is definitely not a Profession Holder of the Dust Star Sea. He should be from the Outer Realms."
Seeing Qing Cang still over-imagining, Su Chen truly felt somewhat speechless and a bit embarrassed, so he had to ask: "Outer Realms? Do the Ancient Kings have any clues?"
"I didn't ask much about the specific situation, but Sect Master mentioned a name, calling it the Abyssal Domain," Qing Cang pondered.
"Abyssal Domain?" Su Chen's heart stirred slightly. The Ancient King level indeed knew of this place. He hurriedly pursued, "What kind of place is this?"
"That I'm not too sure," Qing Cang shook his head. "I guess this should be that relatively powerful place in the rumors of the Dust Star Sea."
Seeing Su Chen reveal a look of inquiry, Qing Cang further explained, "The high-ranking members of the Five Great Sects and the Royal Court faintly know of such a place, but what it's specifically called isn't very clear. It's said to be related to the original origin of the Dust Star Sea."
His words carried some emotion: "After all, the Probability of seven Radiant Moon Essences happening to bump together isn't high."
The origin of the Dust Star Sea?
Were the initial Bright Moon Tier from the Abyssal Domain?
Su Chen subconsciously speculated, "Does our The Order know much about the Abyssal Domain?"
Qing Cang shook his head: "I estimate only the Ancient Kings know. After all, knowing of such a place isn't a good thing. You probably wouldn't even hear of it a few times in a lifetime."
"If anyone knows more, it should be the Royal Court. After all, they are the most powerful Factions."
Su Chen understood, thinking of the Prison-Suppressing King.
"Don't worry, even if the sky falls, there are several Ancient Kings to hold it up first," Qing Cang comforted, seeing Su Chen deep in thought, then asked, "I saw you sent me a few messages, what is it? Sect Master instructed some things, so if it's not urgent, I'll go handle them first."
Seeing Qing Cang preparing to leave, Su Chen hurriedly asked about the Radiant Moon Bone.
"Radiant Moon Bone..." Qing Cang faintly felt a sense of familiarity. This kid had asked him about all sorts of bizarre Materials before. He explained: "It's the bone of a Bright Moon Tier Profession Holder, and it's not a simple bone, but a spine. Because it contains the Characteristic of their Profession, it's called a precious bone."
A spine... Su Chen's eyelids twitched. Let alone a spine, he couldn't even get an ordinary bone.
Unfortunately, Sect Master was no longer a Flesh Body, so he couldn't pluck one from him.
Qing Cang casually asked: "Why are you asking about this?"
"Heard about it by chance, just asking casually," Su Chen explained.
Qing Cang froze.
Why does it feel like I've heard this excuse before?
Mysterious... He shook his head inwardly, then heard Su Chen ask about the Flaming Golden Sand.
"The things you ask about are truly not simple," Qing Cang frowned. "This is something that can only be born from a Bright Moon Tier Starfire. It has to burn continuously for over a century before a single grain of golden sand can be produced."
"This thing has many uses. It can serve as a material for forging a Morning Star Artifact, and it can also be used for Ritual requirements, substituting the vast majority of Materials that need to be collected."
"It takes a century of burning for a Bright Moon Tier Starfire to produce one grain. Sure enough, it's not simple." Su Chen clicked his tongue. "Then does our The Order..."
Qing Cang glanced at him, knowing what he wanted to ask, and shook his head, "Our The Order doesn't have any. We had some stored previously, but because the Starfire was entangled by Mist Cinders, Sect Master used them all in the early stages to maintain the Starfire's existence."
Then I guess only other sects and the Royal Court have it. Su Chen was quite helpless. As he expected, neither of these two things could be acquired in a short time.
"If you want them..." Qing Cang's heart stirred slightly, a strange light gradually appearing in his eyes. "In the short term, there is a way."
"What way?"
"The Peak Star Tournament!" Qing Cang spat out four words.
Su Chen's expression shook slightly: "Aren't the Rewards all predetermined? Can they still be changed?"
"It's not a change..." Qing Cang shook his head, inevitably saying a few more words: "Because of that unknown powerhouse, several Ancient Kings are somewhat pressed for time. In order to find The Chosen as quickly as possible, the competition format of the Peak Star Tournament will probably also be changed; it won't be like before."
Just a single encounter, and it actually triggered so many chain reactions...
Su Chen felt speechless inwardly, listening as Qing Cang continued: "It should mainly focus on shortening the time, while also giving the many Divine Dawn-tiers a chance to show themselves, and making sure those Star-Amber Grade and other participants and Factions can't find fault with it."
"The tournament system has been established for a long time. Changing it rashly, even the Ancient Kings have to consider the impact. So they will take out more Rewards to distribute to the Profession Holders of various ranks as compensation."
The higher the rank, the higher the Reward. And the Profession Holders cultivated by more powerful Factions would naturally be stronger, thus occupying the top ranks.
In other words, this was to placate those Factions second only to the sects and the Royal Court, and the remaining ones naturally couldn't stir up any waves.
"As for the Star Prime, the value of the extra Reward is naturally the highest." Qing Cang finished speaking, staring at him with burning eyes. "You have now advanced to the 7th-Tier, your strength should have reached a higher level. Perhaps this time at the Peak Star Tournament, you have hope for the Star Prime."
Qing Cang hadn't considered Su Chen's situation just now, but mentioning this matter and thinking carefully, he faintly grew a bit excited.
He naturally understood Su Chen's strength. Although after advancing to the 7th-Tier, other Profession Holders could also undergo Forging for a Holy Class, suddenly shrinking the gap between peers.
But looking at Su Chen's previous performance, even having just advanced, he possessed extremely strong competitiveness, and the hidden danger of his Holy Class consuming too much should also have been remedied.
After all, being able to purify mid-level Mist Cinders at the 6th-Tier—this kind of Foundation would probably still bring him an advantage at the 7th-Tier.
"You are only 23 this year. A Star Prime under the age of 25—if one is truly born, I'm afraid it will shake the entire Dust Star Sea." The more Qing Cang thought, the more excited he became, his face faintly flushing red.
The Star Primes born in past years basically all came from the Five Great Sects and the Royal Court. For several years after the conclusion of the Peak Star Tournament, they would still be widely discussed, thereby bringing a certain degree of feedback to their own Factions.
And Su Chen was even more terrifying. A Star Prime under 25—once truly born, it would inevitably push the reputation of the Bronze Sect to a higher level. This was truly turning bad luck into good.
The extra Reward for the Star Prime can be replaced with Flaming Golden Sand?
Su Chen was thoughtful, but shook his head and said, "Senior Brother, this matter is still hard to say. There's Sheng Huaixu and Luo Yao, plus a few Single Divine Radiance guys, as well as that Xiao Linfeng; none of them are simple."
"Mm..." Hearing this, Qing Cang reined in his expression quite a bit. "True."
He had only been focused on excitement and had forgotten about these guys. A 7th-Tier who had merely undergone Forging for a Holy Class might not necessarily be Su Chen's opponent.
But these guys hadn't just undergone Forging for a Holy Class; they had other Professions, and were advancing towards a second Holy Class.
He pondered briefly, "Sheng Huaixu and Luo Yao are Divine Radiance Tier Star-Seeds, and Xiao Linfeng is a Dual Divine Dawn. They are all much older than you and have a profound Foundation. They are indeed not easy to deal with."
"Moreover, the new competition format seems to require hand-to-hand combat, adding many more variables. Consider it as accumulating experience... even if you wait until the next tournament, you'll still only be in your early thirties, and can still set a record." Qing Cang comforted, before changing the subject: "Of course, for this year's Peak Star Tournament, the Star Prime is secondary."
Qing Cang emphasized, "Actually, the most important thing is whether you can be Recognized by that Spirit of the Vast Sun. The Spirituality doesn't just look at strength. In the entire Peak Star Tournament, only you and that Xiao Linfeng have a Double Divine Dawn Talent, and your age is lower than his, so the chance of being Recognized is very high."
A bit of envy inevitably showed in his eyes as he advised: "That is the Spirit of the Vast Sun. Even if you're only Recognized, perhaps there will be benefits."
Su Chen had already been Recognized and naturally didn't care about this. He was just calculating:
Even if the other party's class progress is much higher than mine and they can use weapons...
But I have dual Holy Classes; even that Xiao Linfeng shouldn't be my opponent.
"Is there anything else?" Qing Cang saw him remain silent and stood up, saying, "That unknown powerhouse in the Pyre stimulated the Ancient Kings quite a bit. I need to hurry and handle the matters Sect Master entrusted."
Hearing this, Su Chen hurriedly gathered his Thoughts and asked: "How is it related to that—"
After a slight hesitation, he barely spat out the remaining few words— "Unknown powerhouse again?"
He had been discovered by the Ancient Kings while inside, which seemed to have triggered some chain reactions, so naturally he had to figure it out clearly.
Qing Cang briefly explained: "For what reason did the several Ancient Kings travel thousands of miles to get near that Solar Flame? Naturally, it was for the Spirit of the Vast Sun."
"Now that someone has Beat to the Punch, they definitely have to figure out that person's situation in order to make the next arrangements."
Hearing this, Su Chen's heart skipped a beat. Suppressing the rising unease, he feigned confusion: "The Ancient Kings have a Method to figure out that person's identity and origins?"
"Identity and origins?" Qing Cang shook his head, saying, "That I am not clear about. Sect Master only said to see whether he is Recognized or Selected."
Qing Cang wasn't clear either. To him, this was merely Sect Master's order, and there was no need to ask so much.
But Su Chen felt uneasy in his heart, tentatively asking, "This Method was suggested by that Hao Ri, right?"
Qing Cang nodded: "Naturally it is that Hao Ri. Concerning the Spirit of the Vast Sun, the Ancient Kings don't have that many Methods."
It really is that guy...
Warning bells rang in Su Chen's heart.
That Remnant Spirit was truly a shit-stirrer. Who knew how bizarre this Method was? In the One in Ten Thousand chance it could see through the Remnant Embers or use other Methods to see his face or identity...
Having finished speaking, Qing Cang lamented a few words and prepared to leave.
Su Chen escorted him out of the Pavilion. Just as he was about to leave, he finally asked: "Senior Brother, what mission did you go to execute a while ago? You haven't been back for so long."
"Chu Lingyuan temporarily dispatched me to investigate some traces of Eldritch God activity. It seems several Great Eldritch Gods have secretly allied, intending to stir up some trouble." Qing Cang explained casually, seemingly not taking it to heart: "I investigated a bit, and it seems to be true. The specific situation still needs more people to scout out, but with the Ancient Kings around, those Evil Gods can't make any big waves."
For many years in the Dust Star Sea, the Ancient Kings had always been the anchoring force.
Watching Qing Cang turn into a wind current and leave, Su Chen frowned deeply and turned back to the Main Building. The several Metal Cases that had just landed in place then floated up again, following closely behind.
Returning to the Training Room, an invisible force opened the Metal Cases one by one. The various Materials inside sparkled with light.
Su Chen's gaze, however, was somewhat unfocused, still trying To Digest the information from Lao Qing.
The other information was secondary; the most important was what exactly the unknown Method prepared by that Remnant Spirit could achieve.
Su Chen's brow tightened. "If it's only to determine whether the Spirit of the Vast Sun has birthed a Chosen One, that's fine. But in case it can further confirm my identity, the trouble will be huge."
Even if the Bronze Ancient King made up his mind to protect him, one against five, there was no possibility of winning, and the Bronze Sect couldn't run away.
Who was more important, the Bronze Sect or him? Su Chen didn't want the Ancient King to face this kind of multiple-choice question.
Moreover, even if this Method currently couldn't confirm his identity, that Remnant Spirit might not be without more Methods...