Cultivation Starts from Killing Pigs

Chapter 441 - 357: Solar Array Formation, Unknown Visitor

The starry sky is vast and boundless. When viewed from the ground, its brilliance is mesmerizing, but being within it is an endless expanse of desolate solitude.

Buzz!

The passage to the Underworld suddenly opened, as Pingkang, bathed in silver light, shot out. In front of them was the expansive and desolate Moon Star.

At this moment, the starship wreckage on the Moon Star’s orbit was already sparse, with several Divine Dynasty starships shuttling among them. Specially made magical artifacts emitted vast light, guiding the wreckage into the Underworld.

These magical artifacts were specially crafted by the Profound Pavilion, capable of both salvaging and excavating, as agile as an arm and fully functional.

Of course, the merit points were not cheap either.

Yet the cultivators had no choice. Salvaging the Moon Palace starship wreckage was a wave of profit. To earn merit points, they could only grit their teeth and exchange them, and they would need them in the future.

Some had already vaguely sensed something wrong.

Divine Fire Crystal Cannon, salvage parts, advanced puppets, dual-core...

They were completely working for the Profound Pavilion!

Thus, the Kaiyuan Divine Dynasty’s Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow Four Pavilions began to form their own style, and someone even made a doggerel:

The Yellow Pavilion gossips with sharp eyes,

The Earth Pavilion acts without mercy,

The Celestial Pavilion bigwigs hold the scene,

Only the Profound Pavilion loves to peel the skin.

Now, as the Moon Palace orbit was nearly cleared, only some rookie teams were doing this work. The Pingkang had gained some fame and had begun to shuttle between Celestial Essence and the Moon Palace, taking on transport tasks.

Inside Pingkang’s cabin, everyone was performing their duties.

At this moment, a starship soared from the Moon Palace, and as it passed by them, the Divine Fire Tower lit up in greeting.

"It’s Chufeng."

Luo Yu’s eyes flashed with a glimmer, "I heard their team leader Chu Huan is contacting artifact refiners, preparing to apply the Poisonous Insect Refining and Control Skill to starship parts to create small puppets."

"Look at them!"

The small yellow weasel mocked sharply, "Even though they are led by a reincarnated Mahayana, their ambition is still there, and their ranking has even risen by a place, unlike you guys, tsk tsk..."

Captain Guo Huai scratched his head with a laugh, "Competing for ranks is something only prodigies do. We just need to mind our own business."

"Useless..." The small yellow weasel rolled its eyes.

However, everyone paid no heed. Though this little guy scolded every day, it truly regarded Pingkang as its home.

Soon, the Moon Palace ruins drew nearer.

Now, the Moon Palace had changed its appearance. Large areas of ruined palaces had been completely leveled, and all useful divine materials had been collected and taken away along with the wreckage left from ancient battles.

Above the Moon Palace, several gigantic light clusters swiftly shuttled, the vast Qi Mechanism filling the heavens and earth, precisely Primordial Huang and a few Immortal Venerables.

Guo Huai’s expression became serious, "Be careful, drop the goods."

Everyone on the ship was also cautious as they maneuvered the starship to place the huge pillar-shaped magical artifacts from the ship’s hold onto the ground.

A light cluster flew over instantly; it was none other than the Great Venerate Toad, who wrapped up the pillars in his domain and hurried away.

Luo Yu’s eyes were serious, "I hear the new Moon Palace Grand Array was personally designed by the Sect Leader, and the Immortal Venerables are arranging it, though no one knows when it’ll be completed."

"With the Immortal Venerables taking action, it will be fast."

Guo Huai waved his hand, "Let’s go, don’t waste time."

Saying this, Pingkang wrapped up the remnants of an Ancient Bronze Mirror from a distant pile of ancient battle wreckage and soared into the sky, heading toward the Celestial Essence Star.

This was their current task: transporting the Moon Palace Grand Array’s magical artifacts from Siling Mountain and bringing back old wreckage on the return trip.

The small yellow weasel grumbled again, "Though this task earns merit points, it’s as boring as being a cart driver."

While monitoring the star map, Cui Yebai suddenly spoke, "Our Pingkang is fast and good at concealment, making it ideal for reconnaissance and exploration. It’s a shame the Divine Dynasty strictly forbids unauthorized travel. I wonder why..."

Guo Huai stared at the star map, a glimmer in his eyes,

"Haven’t you noticed that the Sect Leader can’t spare time to arrange the Moon Palace Grand Array? Something must be happening in the starry sky. We should be prepared."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Guo Huai’s cultivation wasn’t the highest, but he became captain because he had an astonishing intuition...

...

Kunlun Mountain, the chill under the night sky was shocking.

Zhang Kui stood on the mountaintop, raising his head to gaze at the stars, light and shadow swirling in his eyes. In front of him, white mist gathered and scattered, changing in appearance—it was the status at the edge of the Celestial Essence Star Zone.

"It seems it’s not time yet..."

Zhang Kui shook his head slightly and whispered.

On the side of the mountaintop, a black altar had already risen, with the Divine Court Bell shining splendidly. Above it, several giant stone discs were surrounded by glowing light, whirring and spinning, even causing the space to vibrate. It was the Stargazing Disc seized from the Deceitful Immortal.

This artifact’s array had no excess design, its ingeniousness was astonishing. It was a pity it was underutilized by the Deceitful Immortal, but Zhang Kui amplified its power with the Divine Path Grand Array, even capable of monitoring the entire Celestial Essence Star Zone’s movements.

The Reincarnation Bell, similarly buried, is capable of influencing reincarnation with numerous uses. Although its artifact spirit has perished, Zhang Kui’s plan to refine and transform the Celestial Essence Star was enhanced under its impact.

Of course, these are matters for the future—Zhang Kui hasn’t forgotten the Evil God’s Divine Son who will traverse the starry sky to trouble him in the Celestial Essence Star Zone.

The Divine Dynasty’s plans mustn’t halt, nor can the Evil God’s progeny be ignored. Fortunately, the Moon Palace Array isn’t complicated; after leaving it to Yuan Huang and others, Zhang Kui could focus on this affair.

Thinking of this, Zhang Kui said in a deep voice, "Tai Shi, keep the Stargazing Disc operational at all times. Inform me immediately if there’s an anomaly."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

Before the Divine Path altar, Tai Shi’s Dharma Aspect appeared and responded with clasped hands.

Zhang Kui nodded, his form suddenly rising as the earth beneath swiftly shrank. In an instant, he had rushed into the starry sky.

He was certainly not taking a leisurely stroll.

The Great Path was chaotic; this vast star sea was a savage hunting ground. The boundless cosmos seemed like a dark forest where fierce beasts lurked and bloodthirsty killing intent permeated.

These fierce beasts were terrifying because they hid in the darkness. Once they revealed themselves, they assumed the identity of prey.

Zhang Kui, of course, had to seize the chance to set traps.

But setting traps required some consideration. Given the vastness of the cosmos and the expanse of the Celestial Essence Star Zone, it was impossible to know where the other party would come from, or even what method they would use.

However, Zhang Kui could guess the destination,

The Sun Star!

The Red Pigeon Evil God race stole the True Sun Fire Path Origin. Every time they arrived at a place, they would build nests on the Sun Star, draining the True Sun Fire from stars and dimming the surrounding stars, a malignant tumor of the cosmos.

The corpse of that progeny from the Barbarian Continent still lay in the Treasure Toad’s belly—prior engagements prevented attention, but knowing the other party was coming, Zhang Kui had studied it extensively.

In contrast to the complete energy materialization of an Immortal Body, these Evil Gods’ flesh was condensed from large amounts of Divine Materials, akin to a Magical Treasure. Only their blood could materialize into energy, drying into a crystal similar to those in a Divine Hall.

Consider the Red Pigeon swallowing the Reincarnation to become a Star God and devouring the Purple Aurora Nebula’s initial Reincarnation—Zhang Kui had a theory.

Starry Sky Evil Gods and Immortals were entirely separate paths. After shedding their Desolate God identity, they would feed on Cosmic Divine Materials, take the Law of the Great Path as their soul, and embark on a path of devouring the heavens and earth.

Regarding the Power of Faith, it should be an auxiliary ingredient, assisting in faster growth, but not fundamental. Therefore, neither Dark Gods nor Red Pigeons cared about the life or death of Evil God followers—they extracted bloodthirstily and discarded them when used up.

Anyway, the living beings of heaven and earth continually emerged, and there would always be those who covet the power of the Evil Gods.

Even as thoughts swirled in Zhang Kui’s mind, he didn’t delay his journey. In a flash, he entered the Underworld’s crimson starry sky, first using the massive Blood Moon to propel himself forward, then transforming into a ray of light shuttling through Star Space.

If there were star bodies to leverage, the soaring clouds and mist Immortal skill ensured fast speed. Within half a two-hour period, a colossal star body appeared before him—dark red and desolate, vaguely marked by ancient ruins, with a mountain-like Reclining Buddha eroded beyond recognition.

Zhang Kui squinted slightly, pondering.

It seemed that in the Ancient Era, the Celestial Essence Star Zone was greatly prosperous; combined with the earlier sighting of that Mine City, even if not a Life Star, there were cultivators stationed here.

Buddhist Sect...

According to the deceased Jiaming King’s account, Buddha Land should be a world akin to the Celestial Craft Immortal Realm.

Without lingering, Zhang Kui continued utilizing the star body’s force to propel himself as a streak of light towards the Celestial Essence Star Zone’s center.

The Celestial Essence Star Zone contains seven planets. Between the Celestial Essence Star and Sun Star lie two others. After passing the previous one, another appeared before Zhang Kui—small and black, like charcoal with nothing upon it. He paid it no mind and pressed onward, soon reaching the star zone’s center.

In the cosmos, there exists a rule: if it’s a special star body, the Underworld and Mortal World will present entirely different appearances, like Life Stars. Under Star Array’s cover, the Mortal World is rich in Spiritual Qi while the Underworld is engulfed in black mist.

The Sun Star, too, is special; in the Underworld, it appears as a massive black star, dim and silent, with its surface a black desert. Most areas constantly collapse inward, while others erupt violently like a continuously writhing black ball.

The progeny of the Evil God would certainly not come here; Zhang Kui’s body flashed into the Mortal World, instantly greeted by a scene of blazing red and white.

The fiery sea engulfing half the sky surged furiously, terrifying explosions resonating through space, igniting the volatile Spiritual Qi suffusing the Mortal World, filling heaven and earth with annihilating power.

An Immortal Body is not invincible; when in dangerous places, its small world can shatter, as with the fifth gaseous planet of the Celestial Essence Star Zone, whose terrifying lightning even Zhang Kui wishes to avoid.

Yet beside the Sun Star, Zhang Kui felt no fear.

He took a deep breath, unleashing the Yin Yang True Fire, whose terrifying flame engulfed the landscape; upon nearing, it was swiftly absorbed. Among it, a delicate drop of True Sun Fire merged into the Yin Yang True Fire.

This was merely ordinary True Sun Fire. Deeper within lay the True Fire Origin, which the Yin Yang True Fire seemed to perceive, surging downward.

Zhang Kui shook his head slightly and restrained himself promptly.

He understood the allure to those Evil Gods—a feast set before their eyes, hard to resist. However, the Evil Gods could leave at will, whereas this star zone was Zhang Kui’s intended homeland.

Reflecting on this, Zhang Kui waved a hand to produce a massive diamond-shaped crystal, yet hesitated before retracting it.

The Chaos Bomb crafted from the Immortal Ship’s core was too terrifying; while assuredly capable of destroying the Evil God progeny, it might also obliterate the Sun Star.

Better to play it safe—this thing was only meant as a final trump card.

Considering this, Zhang Kui’s eyes swirled with Sun and Moon Light Wheel; both the Underworld and Mortal World aspects of the Sun Star seemed to merge. He scattered Cave Heaven Divine Crystals, as arrays of formation lines emerged, nurturing an astonishing killing intent.

Whether it was the Treasure Mirror trapped in the Underworld passage by the Celestial Craft Pavilion Water Mansion, or the trap laid by the Moon Palace Great Star Festival, the most optimal hiding place lay in the void between Yin and Yang.

He had laid a grand array named the Yin Fire Flame Array. Despite its mundane name, it was an exceedingly ruthless array, with the core being the Yin Yang True Fire, a bane of True Sun Fire.

Days later, the array was complete. Zhang Kui waved a hand, vanishing it into the void, undetectable even by scanning it with Divine Thought. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.

Yet he quickly frowned.

Tai Shi’s warning indicated something entering the Celestial Essence Star Zone, but it wasn’t the Red Pigeon race.

It was an unknown Starship...