To think there was such an entanglement... Su Chen was quite surprised, but soon a kind of worry arose within him.
Under these circumstances, wouldn't the Radiant Moons of the Dust Star Sea be carrying original sin? Once discovered by the Abyssal Domain, would there be people seeking to settle accounts?
"To think they actually fled here." Su Chen also shared a bitter hatred of the enemy. "Then this Immeasurable Buddha actually did us a favor, a disguised form of revenge."
"Sigh." Taixuan Tianyi sighed. "The profession is the profession, and the Job Entry holders are the Job Entry holders. I was captured by those people before, and listening to their words, they probably forgot their origins long ago and are no longer the bloodline of that group of people."
"As for the Immeasurable Buddha, he has his own calculations." Taixuan Tianyi snorted coldly. "What he seeks is likely not a person, but probably a Radiant Moon Spirit."
A Radiant Moon Spirit? Not the Starfire?
Su Chen furrowed his brows. Taixuan Tianyi seemed very certain. If it was a Radiant Moon Spirit, it would be even more troublesome; the importance of this thing was self-evident.
"Then why did he choose to force his way out at this time?" Su Chen was puzzled. The Immeasurable Buddha's methods definitely weren't just refined. Having been here for so long, why did he only prepare to force his way out today?
"Because he lost an extremely crucial item." Speaking up to here, Taixuan Tianyi couldn't help but glance at Kong Ming.
"Oh?" A Sharp Gleam flashed in Su Chen's eyes. He had originally intended to ask what the lost item was. He hadn't expected the Immeasurable Buddha's forceful exit to also be related to losing something.
"What did he lose that could make him so hasty?"
"The Seven-Branch Wondrous Tree..." Taixuan Tianyi spat out these five words.
Su Chen froze. This name... was so familiar. Wasn't it a 'treasure'? Why did it become a 'branch'?
"It's... actually the Seven-Branch Wondrous Tree?" He feigned shock.
"Indeed..." Taixuan Tianyi sighed emotionally. "The Foundation of the Solar World-Honored One. It's said its power is unfathomable. To think it has already been bestowed. The battle for the position of World-Honored One in the Buddha Land has probably already begun."
"Unfortunately, Kong Ming's tree, for some unknown reason, has vanished."
The Foundation of the Solar World-Honored One?
Su Chen only heard these words. No wonder it took three hundred drops of Divine Blood to extract; its origins were actually this grand.
Listening to Taixuan Tianyi's words, he estimated that the other party also didn't fully understand the function of this thing.
Looking into the distance and seeing that the Faith Essence in the Ritual Array was almost burned out, Su Chen took out another piece to replenish it, summarizing, "So to speak, it's precisely because he lost this Seven-Branch Wondrous Tree that the Immeasurable Buddha wants to accelerate the process?"
"Besides that, there is one more reason."
"What else?" Su Chen was surprised, but heard Taixuan Tianyi's tone turn profound and gloomy: "Because of you."
"Me?"
Taixuan Tianyi explained: "Correct. After all, you are a descendant of the Taixuan Lineage, and our family has sacrificed to the Spirit of the Vast Sun for tens of thousands of years. It's hard to guarantee that an accident wouldn't lead to you becoming The Chosen. When the time comes, he wouldn't be able to explain himself to the Solar World-Honored One. He can only complete his plan as quickly as possible."
Su Chen instantly understood why the Immeasurable Buddha wanted to break through his Cultivation Sanctum.
And this thought was blocked by the Ancient Kings. These various reasons forced him into choosing to forcefully break out.
Su Chen carefully sorted everything out and finally completely understood the sequence of events.
"Be careful, and make sure not to let Kong Ming find an opportunity," Taixuan Tianyi instructed.
"Is he very powerful?" Su Chen asked.
"More than just powerful." Taixuan Tianyi smiled bitterly. "A guy with the hope of competing for the title of World-Honored One, what do you think? He is about to advance to Morning Star, and has at least five Top-Tier Holy Classes on him, perhaps even six."
"Five or six Top-Tier Holy Classes..." Su Chen narrowed his eyes. What he wanted to know was what made the Azure God Talent so formidable.
But Taixuan Tianyi didn't know much about this. Su Chen carefully asked a few more questions, such as how they generally handled discovering Radiant Moons from the Outer Realms.
Finally, he also learned that before the Immeasurable Buddha left, he left some methods for Kong Ming and took away the Ignition Cinders.
"I understand," Su Chen said thoughtfully, adding, "Be careful yourself. If there's an opportunity, I will find a way to save you. There aren't many people from our Taixuan House left."
"Find a way to save me?" Taixuan Tianyi paused slightly, a complex array of emotions suddenly surging in his heart. He hadn't expected that under these circumstances, Taixuan Hong could still say such words.
Bloodline compatriots looking out for each other; it was nothing more than this.
He remained silent for a moment before saying, "Preserving your own life is the most important thing. The position of Holy Sovereign must return to our family's hands!"
Su Chen erased the Ritual Array. Taixuan Tianyi's fresh blood was almost completely burned up and probably couldn't support another communication.
However, he had already learned everything he wanted and needed to know.
"The exposure of the Dust Star Sea is imminent. Once the Immeasurable Buddha's objective is achieved, this Solar Flame will definitely fall under the control of the Buddha Land. When that time comes, I probably won't have the chance to come in again."
"However, I'm only short on Faith Essence to use Deduction for the Job Entry requirements. Recording this Sovereign of the Purple Zenith into the Status Panel is already the greatest harvest for me. As for whether I can become The Chosen..."
Su Chen wasn't too sure. After all, the intelligence of the Spirit of the Vast Sun was simply too high. If...
Right at this moment, the Status Panel slowly opened—
[The Unsullied has completely digested the Essence Marrow and feels refreshed. The Unsullied Heart receives an enhancement. For every Specialized Class entered, the Development Efficiency boost gained is doubled.]
Su Chen immediately felt a tingling sensation spread through his body. His heart abruptly beat wildly, only soothing down after a moment.
"Tsk..." Su Chen grinned. Although his talent hadn't continued to improve, the increase in Development Efficiency was also very good. But the text hadn't finished.
[The Unsullied realizes that the Spirituality of the host's Main Profession is in a withered state, caused by the stimulation Backlash of Limit Break. He thinks for a moment and is currently looking for a solution...]
"It can even solve the Limit Break Backlash?" Su Chen was astonished. The "Limit Break" brought by the True Brilliance Talent was incredibly overpowered, but the Backlash was also very troublesome.
Using it for just a little while meant the stagnation time of Development Progress had to be calculated in months.
If this could be resolved, he could even use it as a conventional method later on.
"This Essence Marrow wasn't eaten for nothing. Keep at it, and let me know immediately if you need anything," Su Chen thought to himself.
........
In the boundless Starry Expanse, the Solar Flame seemed as if it would exist alongside the world, inextinguishable through the ages.
Until a certain moment, a streak of light, nearly imperceptible compared to the Starfire, suddenly shot out from its surface.
The moment it left the Starfire, its might instantly became imposing. Boiling, mighty Buddha-light swept out, and within it was the Immeasurable Buddha who had forcefully broken out. The surface of his golden body was already cracking, with many areas appearing charred brown, and his Aura was fluctuating unstably.
He looked back with lingering trepidation. "Fortunately, this Starfire has been burning here for tens of thousands of years without any supplementary energy, so its might is far less than before."
Letting out a long breath, the golden body dissipated, and the Buddha-light gradually retracted. The old monk looked around, a Sharp Gleam gradually appearing in his eyes as he locked onto a certain direction.
His originally benevolent face actually appeared somewhat savage and greedy: "It's this direction, the Dust Star Sea!"
.........
Over ten days later, the several Ancient Kings watched the ripples echoing around the Vast Sea Emperor as portions of Faith Essence emerged and fell to the ground.
Everyone's expressions softened.
"It's finally here."
Even with their states of mind, they had been very anxious over these past few days since the Immeasurable Buddha broke out.
"Emperor..."
A light screen appeared before them, and the person hosting the Sacrificial Ritual respectfully nodded. However, before he could finish speaking, he heard the Vast Sea Emperor ask impatiently, "Is the Hell-Suppressing King among the Rite-Observers?"
"He is not..." the head priest quickly responded.
"Call him here," the Vast Sea Emperor commanded.
"Yes." The head priest hurriedly sent someone to contact the Hell-Suppressing King. It was impossible for him to come to the scene directly; they could only communicate via remote connection.
Fortunately, he wasn't in some unreachable area, and soon arrived here via a Virtual Projection.
"Emperor... you were looking for me?" The Hell-Suppressing King looked around. There were Rite-Observers from various factions everywhere. He didn't understand what order required him to be summoned directly.
"I ask you, did a person calling himself the Immeasurable Buddha, or a bald monk, or someone else of unknown origin contact you?" The Vast Sea Emperor stared intently at the Hell-Suppressing King.
The Immeasurable Buddha? The Hell-Suppressing King's expression changed slightly, but he hesitated. He didn't quite understand the Emperor's meaning, especially in front of so many people...
The Immeasurable Buddha? On the side of the Bronze Sect, the Rite-Observer was still Qing Cang.
Unlike the last time when he needed to pacify the people, this time it was just him alone. Hearing these words, he raised an eyebrow.
"If there is, there is. If there isn't, there isn't." The Vast Sea Emperor said sternly.
"It is indeed true," the Hell-Suppressing King hurriedly said.
That Taixuan Hong's Deduction was actually this accurate? Beside the Vast Sea Emperor, the several Ancient Kings were Looking at One Another in Speechless Dismay.
"Erase it immediately!" The Vast Sea Emperor reprimanded.
If the Hell-Suppressing King didn't realize something was wrong by now, he would be too stupid. He immediately took action. The projection blurred for a moment, and shortly after, he responded, "Reporting to the Emperor, it has already been erased."
"This person harbors malicious intentions. Did he bewitch you into doing anything?" The Vast Sea Emperor's expression softened as he finally asked.
The Hell-Suppressing King replied, "He claimed he could solve the Mist Embers, but required a massive amount of Divine Blood and Faith Essence."
"Did you agree to him?" The Vast Sea Emperor's voice became much more hurried.
"I did not. This person claimed to have reached an agreement with you, but I didn't quite believe it." The Hell-Suppressing King shook his head, though he couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. Luckily, he hadn't blindly trusted that guy and instead tested the waters with the Bronze Sect first.
"Mm." The Vast Sea Emperor was quite surprised; the Hell-Suppressing King actually had some resolve.
"I have already reached an agreement with the Bronze Ancient King regarding the Purification of the Mist Embers. You guys can just go to the Bronze Sect. The people of the Bronze Sect can be at..." The Vast Sea Emperor inquired, and the figure of the Bronze Ancient King also appeared in the mirror surface.
The Hell-Suppressing King paused slightly, hesitating, "Reporting to the Emperor and the Ancient King, we have already reached an agreement with the Bronze Sect."
"Hm?" The Bronze Ancient King was quite surprised.
The Vast Sea Emperor was also astonished. He thought that after last time, without the Bronze Ancient King's order, the Bronze Sect definitely wouldn't lend a helping hand to the Royal Court.
"Tsk..." The Xuantian Ancient King sighed emotionally. "The current helmsman of the Bronze Sect should be Chu Lingyuan. He is someone who is sensible and understands the bigger picture."
"Since that's the case, just proceed as you've arranged." The Vast Sea Emperor didn't ask further. He knew the Royal Court definitely paid a price, but this was inevitable. Even though he had reached an agreement with the Bronze Ancient King, not a single bit of the price to be paid could be reduced.
"Also, all sects must do their utmost to gather Divine Blood and Faith Essence to..." The Vast Sea Emperor then listed a series of requirements for the Sacrificial Ritual.
The demand for five hundred portions of Faith Essence made many people present change their expressions.
But this was an order issued jointly by all the Ancient Kings, so they could only obey.
"Additionally, how did the verification of Su Chen's talent go?" Only at the very end did the Vast Sea Emperor ask, which was enough to show he no longer held much hope for the matter.
That Taixuan Hong's methods were extraordinary. Aside from the extraction of talent matching Su Chen, there were no other similarities whatsoever.
The Hell-Suppressing King reported, "It has already been verified through the Profound Heaven Instrument. At the time, the Morning Stars of all sects were present, and it can be confirmed without a doubt that it is Divine Dawn."
"Mm." The Vast Sea Emperor wasn't surprised, and the expressions of the other Ancient Kings didn't change either. Even the Zhenwu Ancient King was the same.
Only the Bronze Ancient King's eyes shifted, unsure whether he was disappointed or relieved deep down.
"Then what about his Professional Tier?" In the screen, a voice suddenly rang out. It was the Xuantian Ancient King who suddenly asked.
"7th-Tier," the Hell-Suppressing King responded.
"Mm." The Xuantian Ancient King nodded. Meeting the gazes of the others, he chuckled lightly, "Just a casual question."
"Why would he suddenly ask about Su Chen's Professional Tier?" Qing Cang, who was observing the ritual, appeared expressionless, but waves surged in his heart.
The Hell-Suppressing King thought it was the 7th-Tier because at the time, no one saw that Su Chen had already advanced to the 8th-Tier.
But what if the Hell-Suppressing King had said 8th-Tier? What would the consequences be?
Before he had time to ponder deeply, the Vast Sea Emperor issued his final command. "In addition, the Five Great Sects and the Royal Court are to immediately activate the highest defensive alert. In the near future, a Radiant Moon Tier with hostile intentions might arrive in the Dust Star Sea."
What?
Qing Cang's expression was shaken. A Radiant Moon Tier with hostile intentions? Not one of the six great Radiant Moons of the Dust Star Sea, but an unknown Radiant Moon?
Not only him, but the members of the sects and the Royal Court observing the ritual all revealed looks of shock.
The Hell-Suppressing King was stunned. Could it be that Immeasurable Buddha?
The defenses of everyone's headquarters were all quite formidable, but the opponent was a true Radiant Moon, not an attack achieved through some method. It was inevitable that people would be panic-stricken.
But right now, besides preparing defenses in advance, there were no other solutions, so they all accepted the order and withdrew.
............
"Little friend..."
The Xuantian Ancient King's voice suddenly came from outside the Hall Door. Su Chen opened his eyes, and a Virtual Screen appeared. The several Ancient Kings were impressively outside, and a pile of Faith Essence hovered in front of them.
"They finally delivered it!" Su Chen subconsciously clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them. Forming a Phantom Image, he walked out and said emotionally, "You all indeed keep your promises."
"Naturally. Unfortunately, little friend still refuses to come out for a chat." The Xuantian Ancient King waved his hand, and the Faith Essence floated over. "Sixty portions, not a single one less."
"There will be an opportunity." Su Chen gave a vague response. Reaching out to accept it, just as he was about to turn and return, he heard the Xuantian Ancient King say, "Little friend, I wonder how the Abyssal Domain generally handles discovering a Radiant Moon from the Outer Realms?"
It seemed these old guys had also thought of this layer. The exposure of the Dust Star Sea's coordinates was nine times out of ten a certainty; they had to prepare early.
He had just asked Taixuan Tianyi this question not long ago, so naturally, he answered appropriately. "Under normal circumstances, if the discoverers are those major Pillars, they mostly focus on absorption, and their methods are fairly mild."
Absorption and Fusion—they were all very clear on these methods, but upon hearing this, they still breathed a sigh of relief.
"However..." Su Chen's tone shifted, adding, "But the origins of your Dust Star Sea are somewhat different. There shouldn't have been only the six of you Radiant Moons, right?"
The Ancient Kings looked surprised and suspicious. It was still the Xuantian Ancient King who spoke up. "Correct. At the peak of the Dust Star Sea, there were eight Radiant Moons. After various accidents, only the six of us remain."
"Then that's correct. The Mist-Fall Calamity, ah," Su Chen sighed emotionally.
"We ask little friend to clear our confusion." The Xuantian Ancient King's attitude was set very low.
Su Chen roughly relayed the information he heard from Taixuan Tianyi.
The expressions of the several Ancient Kings constantly changed. They actually knew that the origins of the Radiant Moon Spirits were probably related to the Abyssal Domain, but they hadn't expected such a convoluted history.
"Then wouldn't the Abyssal Domain naturally harbor hatred towards us?" The Xuantian Ancient King couldn't help but ask again.
"This..." Su Chen shook his head. "My Taixuan House has been hunted for many years and has long since moved far away from the core of the Abyssal Domain. As for their specific attitude, I also do not know."
The expressions of those Ancient Kings didn't look too good. Who knew how the Abyssal Domain would treat them?
Su Chen had already returned inside. Those few were the tallest figures in the Dust Star Sea; this kind of problem was originally something they should be worrying about.
As for him, he took a deep breath, looking at the pile of Faith Essence before him. "With the Remnant Spirit Origin in hand, plus these, All is Prepared."