Chapter 534 - 502: The 6 Great Star Lords (2)

Chapter 534: Chapter 502: The 6 Great Star Lords (2)

The other person, a step behind, was unassuming and reserved, with an elderly appearance. This was Tianliang Star Monarch.

All six of the Star Palace’s current Star Monarchs had now gathered.

Six Nascent Soul Sword Cultivators, including a formidable figure like Bai Zichen who could defeat a Great True Monarch. If they were all in the same sect, many Super Sects might not even be able to compare in terms of high-end combat power alone.

"Everyone, this is the newest member of our Star Palace, Ziwei Star Monarch... Fellow Daoist Ziwei possesses divine swordsmanship and is not far from the Sword Light Splitting Realm. I believe he will reach it before long. The dream our Star Palace predecessors have longed for day and night—to open the Core Secret Realm and behold the true legacy of the Taibai Sword Sect—may finally be realized in our hands!"

As everyone took their seats at the long table, Po Jun Star Monarch began his introduction, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Merely at the Early-Stage Nascent Soul, and you dare say he’s not far from Sword Light Division... Po Jun, don’t tell me you’ve made another misjudgment. Back then, you swore that Qisha would definitely obtain a Tier Five Flying Sword and had us all give our full cooperation. We gave up a lot of resources for that."

Jumeng Star Monarch had arrived at the same time as Po Jun Star Monarch, but it was clear their relationship was strained. He fired the first shot without any regard for the new member’s dignity.

"And what was the result? Qisha died, and we didn’t even see the shadow of a Tier Five Flying Sword! If I hadn’t given up that Heavenly Repairing Pill back then, I would have broken through to the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul long ago! How dare a newcomer choose the mask of the Ziwei Star God, the Master of All Stars? Isn’t he afraid he can’t handle it!"

’This is interesting,’ Bai Zichen thought, unconcerned.

’It seems the Star Palace isn’t a monolith. That’s normal. Even fellow disciples in the same sect have their disagreements and conflicts, let alone a secret organization where people have gathered for different reasons.’

Qisha Star Monarch was Xiang Ji. The Tier Five Flying Sword that Jumeng Star Monarch mentioned must have been the Tier Five Killing Demon Sword.

It was indeed successfully refined in the end, but unfortunately, Xiang Ji died on the spot, and that Tier Five Flying Sword flew back to his junior brother.

The members of the Star Palace had clearly put in a lot of effort during the Sword Refinement process, but in the end, they reaped no benefits. Now they had to find another Tier Five Flying Sword to serve as the key to opening the Core Secret Realm.

Sword Light Division represented the highest achievement in the Sword Dao of the Cultivation Realm. The few who had verifiably mastered it were all titans of the Cultivation Realm.

Figures like Sword Emperor Ma Youx of the Five Phoenixes and Li Changji of the Cyan Lotus Sword Sect. There were no more than five living Sword Cultivators who had reached this Realm.

Now, an Early-Stage Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator had suddenly appeared, claiming he wasn’t far from achieving it. It was no wonder Jumeng Star Monarch had spoken so mockingly.

"Jumeng, watch your mouth!"

Po Jun Star Monarch’s expression changed slightly as he spoke in a sharp voice.

If he had previously only thought Bai Zichen had a certain chance of achieving the Sword Light Splitting Realm, after personally witnessing him soundly defeat Xiang Banshan, Po Jun Star Monarch was now completely convinced.

A Sword Cultivator who could fight and win against those in higher realms while still in the Nascent Soul Stage was a rarity that could be counted on one hand in the entire history of the Cultivation Realm.

How could such a character possibly be stumped by Sword Light Division?

The only question was how much time it would take.

Po Jun Star Monarch grew anxious. Jumeng Star Monarch’s reckless words had offended Bai Zichen.

Ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivators were generally expected to act as juniors before a Great True Monarch.

In Bai Zichen’s case, he wasn’t a Great True Monarch, but his status surpassed that of one.

Po Jun Star Monarch was genuinely afraid that Jumeng Star Monarch had offended him. Unable to reveal Bai Zichen’s true identity, he could only take the responsibility upon himself.

"Regarding Qisha’s matter, I admit my planning was flawed... But rest assured, you can leave the Tier Five Flying Sword to me. I’ve already made significant progress. I’ll have definitive news in as few as seven or eight years, or fifty at the latest. Besides, this isn’t the Ancient Times anymore; there’s no hierarchy among the Star Monarchs. The status of a Star God in the Upper Realm shouldn’t determine the order in which we choose our masks. If it did, I would have been the first among us to become the Star Lord, so why would I have bothered choosing the Po Jun Star Monarch mask?"

Hearing this, Jumeng Star Monarch let out a cold snort and said no more.

Aside from him, Taiyin Star Monarch and Tianliang Star Monarch were both very courteous, showing a clear intention to build a friendly relationship.

Tiann Xiang Star Monarch was neither cold nor warm. He simply nodded in acknowledgment, still showing no desire for further conversation.

It was hard to tell if this was his true nature or a persona he deliberately adopted after putting on the mask.

"Last time I was here, I left a message in the hall. I wish to acquire ten Innocent Soul Flowers. I wonder if any of you fellow Daoists have obtained any?"

Taiyin Star Monarch stood up, her silky black hair cascading down like a waterfall.

’So you can do it like this!’

A thought struck Bai Zichen. Thanks to the unique way one entered and exited the Trial Secret Realm, communication between Star Palace members was much more convenient.

If any of them had a request, they just had to leave a message on the Light and Shadow Stone in the hall, and the other Star Monarchs would see it when they entered.

This way, they could communicate without needing to be in the Trial Secret Realm at the same time.

Of course, the efficiency of this communication method certainly had its limits.

However, considering that the six of them were scattered across the world, separated by millions of miles, being able to achieve this much was already quite impressive.

Furthermore, once a Star God Mask was refined, a Star Monarch could use it to send mental Sound Transmissions to another within ten thousand miles, completely unimpeded.

From this hall, they could also send a summons to all other Star Monarchs.

However, it could only transmit short numerical codes. It was sufficient for calling an impromptu meeting like this one, but more detailed communication was impossible.

The Innocent Soul Flower was a Tier Four Spirit Flower that grew in Ghostly Realms where Yin Soul Ghosts and Spirits gathered. It formed under specific, chance conditions: at the exact moment the flower bloomed, a powerful soul with lingering resentment had to merge with its pistil.

From that point on, the pistil became a cage, trapping the soul’s Essence within.

After blooming, flourishing, and then withering away, the Innocent Soul Flower would eventually become a dried bud that emitted a constant, mournful hum.

It was one of the uncanny wonders of nature, endowing it with many miraculous uses from birth.

Refining Magical Treasures, Alchemy and Medicine... but its most famous use was in refining a type of Substitute Technique.

Each Innocent Soul Flower could be refined into a Substitute Flower Spirit, which could take the place of its owner and die once in their stead when they suffered a fatal blow.

However, that Substitute Technique was extremely difficult to cultivate. In addition to the Innocent Soul Flower, it required four or five other equally rare Spiritual Objects. Very few people in the Cultivation Realm ever managed to master it.

"Ten is too many. I’ve been keeping an eye out these past few years and have only obtained three..."

Tianliang Star Monarch said in a calm, unhurried tone as three Innocent Soul Flowers appeared in his palm.

The flowers were pitch-black, exuding an aura of deathly silence, like the thickest ink that no light could ever penetrate.

On each flower, the Essence of a Vengeful Spirit screamed silently, its expression terrified as it frantically tore at the petals.

"That’s them! Three is good, too!"

Taiyin Star Monarch’s tone was light, clearly relieved. It seemed the Innocent Soul Flowers were quite important to her.

"Fellow Daoist, what would you like in exchange? Please, just name it."

"Just take them for now. We can put it on a tab... You know what I’m looking for. Just let me know the moment you find it. Nothing else you can offer is of use to me."

Tianliang Star Monarch waved his hand, not asking for any price upfront.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist. I will be sure to repay you in the future!"

Taiyin Star Monarch carefully placed each of the three Innocent Soul Flowers into its own Jade Box before sitting back down.

Bai Zichen realized that besides the potential to obtain the Taibai Sword Sect’s legacy, the Star Palace offered quite a few other benefits.

At the very least, there were the three Divinity Transformation inheritances right in front of him, a Star Lord Mask to conceal his identity, and a Trial Secret Realm he could freely enter and exit to save his life in a critical moment.

The other five Star Monarchs were all excellent trading partners.

These five were all Nascent Soul Sword Cultivators. Po Jun Star Monarch’s true identity was an Elder of the Celestial Star Sect, and the others surely had impressive statuses of their own.

The resources they had access to, the Treasures they possessed, and the influence their respective Sects could project...

It was no exaggeration to consider the Star Palace a top-tier trading hub.

Six Star Monarchs were essentially equivalent to about twenty Nascent Soul True Monarchs conducting trades.

Take Po Jun Star Monarch, for example. If he set his sights on a Treasure but didn’t have a suitable item to trade for it, he could absolutely leverage the Celestial Star Sect’s treasury or the connections of his fellow Nascent Soul sect-mates to achieve his goal.

’I can definitely fulfill some of my own needs through a platform like the Star Palace.’

"I’m looking to buy Celestial Star Silver Sand, the more the better. This request will be valid for the next hundred years... Payment can be made in Top-Grade Spirit Stones. If you have other requirements, we can discuss them privately."

Tiann Xiang Star Monarch stood up and stated his needs, while subtly glancing toward Po Jun Star Monarch.

Bai Zichen felt a jolt of interest. Finally, a Treasure he was familiar with had come up. Now he could feel a little more involved.