Chapter 402 – Anders, The Tenth Stage!

Before the man could get close, a silver thread swiftly pierced through him.

The man, dressed in a Distant Star Federation combat suit, had a slowly expanding spot of deep red on his forehead. He stood still, his expression one of shock, as he stared fixedly at the two figures who had just revealed themselves in front of him.

He had clearly not anticipated such an outcome.

With a loud “Bang!”

The man’s body exploded into large chunks of flesh in the next second, and then was swiftly wrapped up by the silver thread, twisted into a cloud of blood mist that gently fell onto the thin layer of grass below.

“Inferior monkeys… trying to approach without permission… Hmph…”

The murderous silver thread retracted, winding around the hair of a man in a black robe.

The Black Robe Elder casually retrieved the glowing silver metal sphere floating in front of him, then turned and respectfully said to the person behind him, “Young master.”

“Mm.”

The latter responded softly, his tone quite indifferent.

This was a tall young man, over two meters in height, with a robust build and dark skin. Silver vine-like tattoos stretched from his cheeks down his neck, disappearing into his robe.

His hair was also silver-white, like strands of metal wire, intricately braided at the back of his head and hanging down to his shoulder blades.

The silver-braided youth briefly surveyed the surroundings and spoke, “So this is the ancestral realm area controlled by the Bai Family? …It’s quite barren.”

A faint pride surfaced between the Black Robe Elder’s brows as he smiled and replied, “The Bai Family is just a minor clan. They don’t even have a Grand Star Lord Level powerhouse; naturally, they cannot compare to our Tulan Family.”

The Moyun galaxy’s ancestral realm has only one main area, but there are many entrances to this realm.

These entrances are distributed across different locations, leading to various areas within the ancestral realm, each controlled by different families.

And these different ancestral realm areas vary greatly in the richness of their resources.

“It doesn’t matter, I didn’t come here to explore the ancestral realm anyway.”

The silver-braided youth spoke emotionlessly, “The Bai Family has hidden well, actually managing to unearth someone with the Immortal Bloodline.

Had it not been for the ancestral star natives under their command secretly tipping off our Tulan Family, this news would still be unknown…”

The Black Robe Elder nodded and said, “Fortunately, the clan member who received the news did not publicize it widely but reported it only to the Great Elder.

Otherwise, there would have undoubtedly been a dispute over the possession of the Immortal Bloodline within the clan.

The Great Elder also wouldn’t have been able to send the young master here so smoothly and quietly…”

“This is what is meant by destiny!”

The silver-braided youth sneered and said, “It’s also fortunate that I have not been in a rush to attempt a breakthrough to Star Lord, which gives me the chance to complete and upgrade my natal star diagram.

Once I absorb this portion of the Immortal Bloodline, even if I can’t fully inherit the immortality from this bloodline, just the enhancement on my natal star diagram alone will ensure that no one in the Tulan Family can match my Talent…

I, Anders, am destined to ascend to the Peak of Moyun and become the immortal glory of the Tulan Family!”

As he spoke, the silver-braided youth exuded an air of Dominance, as if he were the supreme being between heaven and earth.

His gray eyes shone with deep composure and confidence.

The Black Robe Elder at his side bowed timely, his face full of respect and agreement.

With his aura subdued, the silver-braided youth’s expression returned to calm. He asked bluntly, “Can you pinpoint the exact location of that Immortal Bloodline carrier?”

The Black Robe Elder flipped his hand, revealing a Purple Disc resembling a compass.

Data scrolled across the Disc like a waterfall.

After manipulating it for a moment, he replied, “It will take some time, but I can confirm that the carrier of the Immortal Bloodline is currently within the ancestral realm…

And the distance from our current location is not too far.”

“Do it quickly.”

The silver-braided youth instructed casually, then picked a direction and started walking through the void.

With an indifferent expression on his face, he casually said, “Before that, let’s just wander around and have some fun…”

“Yes.”

The two quickly disappeared over the vast barren landscape.

“Grandmaster’s Dharma Body!”

A massive amount of platinum Qi condensed into threads, extending like veins and flesh, and in the blink of an eye, it constructed a ten-meter-tall platinum asura Dharma Form with four heads and eight arms outside Lu Yuan’s body.

Lu Yuan’s eight arms moved in unison, each seeming to raise a small platinum sun.

The eight platinum suns blazed with Astral Fire, instantly sweeping away a swath of black fog before him.

The moment the black fog was cleared, countless thick, black chains appeared out of nowhere, quickly wrapping around Lu Yuan like black pythons, firmly binding his Dharma Form.

Following closely, a huge black scythe materialized in front of Lu Yuan.

Even after activating his Dharma Form, towering ten meters tall like a small mountain, he seemed somewhat frail and small under the scythe.

Lu Yuan’s eyes sparkled with determination as his eight arms exerted force, trying to break the black chains.

But these chains were bound extremely tightly; as he snapped a few, more would form and immediately replace them.

As more and more black chains wrapped around him, almost turning him into a black cocoon.

And the huge scythe in mid-air silently descended, its blade flickering with a cold gleam.

As it fell, it left a long trail in the air filled with the scent of death and decay.

Just as Lu Yuan, now encased in a cocoon, was about to be cleaved by the scythe.

Lu Yuan suddenly took a deep breath, and then…

“Boom!”

The ten-meter-tall asura Dharma Form exploded.

The black cocoon instantly loosened.

Before the dense black chains could wrap around him again, Lu Yuan’s body had already leaped out from the gaps in the chains.

Then, numerous strands of Qi burst forth from his body, instantly forming a huge platinum crow with heads covered in eyes of all sizes.

The Hundred-eyed Nether Crow Dharma Form!

Lu Yuan maneuvered the Dharma Form, the Hundred-eyed Nether Crow flapping its wings, narrowly dodging the descending black scythe, and in an instant, breaking out from the fierce onslaught and dense death energy fog.

Facing the crow-headed humanoid figure, whose body was filled with surging death energy.

Lu Yuan charged directly at him.

“Nether Crow-Seize the Moon Triple Strike!”

The enormous platinum Hundred-eyed Nether Crow Dharma Form, enveloped in an apocalyptic aura, swooped down.

Its two talons rapidly made tearing motions.

“Boom!”

Platinum Fire collided with the black death energy, creating a loud explosion. The black and white currents surged like ocean waves, spilling into the surrounding space…

“Whoosh-“

Lu Yuan emerged from the center of the explosion, stopping in mid-air dozens of meters away.

He turned around.

With an expressionless face, he casually patted off the remaining Platinum Fire from his body and watched as the remnants of the explosion gradually dissipated.

The black chains and the huge scythe, both formed from death energy, were quickly crumbling and scattering. Amidst the dispersing death energy, fragmented remains of the Crowman fell to the ground.

“So death energy can be used like this too…”

A light of contemplation flickered in Lu Yuan’s eyes as he raised his hand to summon death energy.

He revisited the battle just now in his mind while casually practicing with the energy in his hand.

The death energy sometimes condensed into fine, delicate black chains, slithering out like snakes, stirring the air.

At other times, it transformed into the blade of a scythe, gently swiping through the air, leaving behind dark traces.

Lu Yuan’s mind raced, his thoughts swift as lightning, continuously replicating and pondering the Crowman’s moves.

Finally, two skills were unlocked on his [Death Messenger (Extraordinary)] professional panel.

Lv1 [Killer Move-Shackles of Imprisonment], Lv1 [Killer Move-Death Scythe].

They were just ordinary killer move skills, barely powerful, but they were a decent addition to Lu Yuan’s abilities using the [Death Messenger (Extraordinary)] professional panel, enriching his arsenal against adversaries.

After organizing his thoughts, Lu Yuan reflected on the recent battle, his eyes twinkling.

“I actually encountered an acolyte from the Crow Deity Sect on the eighth level… Their strength is indeed formidable, at the peak of the eighth stage.

Had I not been so familiar with the power system of the Crow Deity Sect, relying solely on the skills of a martial arts Grandmaster might have been insufficient to defeat him…”

Indeed, after being tricked by the cuckoo bird, Lu Yuan had reached the eighth challenge of this first stage trial.

After eight challenges, he had also come to understand some of the rules of this trial.

Different levels corresponded to opponents of varying stages, and their strength was always at the peak of their respective levels.

The methods and powers of various evil deity systems were bizarre and tricky, making them much more difficult to handle than ordinary opponents of the same level.

Lu Yuan was thinking when three portal entrances silently appeared in front of him.

Without hesitation, at the very moment the three portals emerged, Lu Yuan sprinted with all his might towards the middle one.

But even though he pushed his speed to the limit, he was still a beat too slow.

The cuckoo bird, which had been out of sight since their arrival, suddenly popped up from nowhere and darted into the portal on the far left with a “swoosh.”

“Damn!”

Lu Yuan lunged at empty air and slowly flew back with a scowl on his face.

This was not the first time he had been outpaced by the cuckoo bird.

The creature was truly infuriating, always popping out just as he successfully finished a battle.

Lu Yuan, not as fast, was forced to keep moving forward, led by the nose.

“When I save up a hundred attribute points, I’m dumping them all into agility points!”

Muttering curses, Lu Yuan, left with no choice, chose the red portal on the left once again.

…

On the desolate planet.

The Bai Family’s trial ceremony site was filled with parked aircraft.

Suddenly, a small vortex appeared out of nowhere, and a young man in fine clothing with a pale face stepped out from the vortex.

After a quick look around, the young man realized he was the first to be eliminated by the Star Spirit Tower, his face showing a mix of embarrassment and shame.

However, he quickly suppressed these emotions, walked briskly to the white-haired middle-aged man overseeing the ceremony, and then spat out a small yellow light sphere about the size of half a baby’s fist.

The older man, upon seeing the yellow light, took it and said indifferently, “This amount of primal energy isn’t even enough to qualify for participation in the trial.

I’ll leave ten percent for you to exchange for merit as a reward, but you won’t be eligible for the next trial…”

The young man sheepishly lowered his head and quietly responded, “Yes.”

Then, without another word, he turned and walked back to the team, found his aircraft, and entered the spaceship, clearly unwilling to speak further with anyone else.

As the first-place youth returned, more and more vortices gradually appeared at the venue.

The descendants of the Bai Family who had acquired the “key” to enter the Star Spirit Tower for their trial, emerged from the tower one after another following their elimination.

Each descendant brought back varying amounts of yellow light spheres from their trial.

These, referred to as “primal energy” by them, seemed quite valuable and were carefully collected by the white-haired middle-aged man.

It appeared that their purpose for this visit was to collect what is known as “Star Spirit Primal Energy.”

Once most of the Bai Family descendants had returned from the tower, and the white-haired middle-aged man had almost finished collecting the “Star Spirit Primal Energy,” his mood seemed to improve, even softening his facial expression.

“Who hasn’t come out yet?”

The white-haired middle-aged man asked the person beside him.

The person quickly glanced at the information in hand and responded, “From the nine branch, Bai Guangqian; from the five branch, Bai Ning; and from the three branch, Bai Tingzuo. All three are still on the ninth stage of the Star Spirit Tower…”

“Good.”

The white-haired middle-aged man nodded, “They are all promising young talents of this generation.

Bai Guangqian from the nine branch and Bai Ning from the five branch should be just one step away from the Star Lord Realm.

They might have a chance to reach the tenth stage, though it’s hard to say if they’ll make it…

Even if they don’t, it will still benefit their cultivation…”

As the white-haired middle-aged man was speaking, the person beside him suddenly said, “Bai Guangqian and Bai Ning have both entered the tenth stage.”

The white-haired middle-aged man’s eyes brightened slightly, but his expression remained largely unchanged.

This outcome was as he had anticipated.

After a short wait, two vortices appeared one after the other in the center of the area, and two figures almost simultaneously stepped out from them.

One was a handsome young man with short hair, and the other was a young woman with long hair down to her waist and a pleasant face.

“Bai Tingzuo and Bai Ning have come out…”

The white-haired middle-aged man saw the two, his eyes flickered briefly, he called them over to collect the “primal energy,” gave them a few words of encouragement, and then his attention was fully focused on the crystal column in the center.

In this trial at the Star Spirit Tower, only two descendants of the Bai Family managed to reach the tenth stage.

One of them was quickly eliminated after entering, clearly reaching his limit.

However, the other participant lingered at the tenth stage without being eliminated, sparking a glimmer of hope among the white-haired middle-aged man and the rest of the Bai Family.

“Could Bai Guangqian possibly clear the tenth stage?!”

“How many years has it been since someone from our Bai Family surpassed the tenth stage in the Star Spirit Realm? If Bai Guangqian can do it, he’d be the first talent of our family in a century!”

“It’s too early to say that now.

Each guardian spirit at every stage of the Star Spirit Tower possesses the maximum combat power of its tier, only surpassable by those of a higher tier through sheer strength.

Without extraordinary means to fight across tiers, it’s theoretically impossible to overcome…”

“Even if he doesn’t make it, the fact that Bai Guangqian has stayed in the tenth stage for so long is remarkable enough.

The primal energy rewards for reaching the tenth stage rather than stopping at the ninth are not only more abundant but also of higher quality.

With such a reward, his Talent revealed, and the family resources tilted in his favor, it won’t be long before he successfully advances to the Star Lord Realm…”

The Bai Family onlookers below buzzed with discussions, their words filled with envy, admiration, and respect for their clansman named “Bai Guangqian.”

The white-haired middle-aged man hosting the ceremony also shifted his gaze intensely, staring fixedly into the void with a much more animated expression than before.

Just then, the person monitoring the tower’s interior suddenly uttered an incredulous and unexpected “Huh” sound.

The sound was loud enough to make the white-haired middle-aged man turn his head sharply.

“What’s going on?”

he inquired.

The monitor looked up, his face ghostly pale as he stammered, “Someone else has also entered the tenth stage…”

“Who?”

“The native from the ancestral star who continued to challenge beyond the Fifth stage on his own.

It seems he entered the tenth stage even earlier than Bai Guangqian!”

“What???”

Upon hearing this, the white-haired middle-aged man trembled violently, the primal energy in his hands shaking fiercely, nearly dispersing.