A battle erupted between five Level 13 Law Masters. Only when the melee commenced did the horrifying scale of the scene become apparent. Law powers channeled colossal cosmic energies, draining vast swathes of the starry sky. The void became like torn cloth in a raging storm, scarred everywhere by shattering fragments. Raging energies formed terrifying magnetic fields, even drawing in stray celestial meteors drifting thousands of kilometers away.
Those within the starry expanse dared not approach the battle cluster, forced to watch from afar. This grand clash among level 13 Law Masters—even the mere aftereffects of clashing techniques—could effortlessly tear apart those below level 13.
"Seventy-eight Star Pirates remain."
The near-death experience moments ago seemed to have no effect on Anon Turing's resolve. The level 13 powerhouses' clash reignited the battle fervor burning within his chest. He glanced at the star pirates facing the battle group, suddenly licked his lips, and addressed the blue-haired woman nearby who was watching the fight just like him, his tone tinged with provocation: "Want to have a go?"
The blue-haired genius had fair skin and a delicate, adorable appearance. Yet strapped to her back was a massive alloy two-handed sword utterly disproportionate to her petite frame. Her temperament was equally fiery.
"Bring it on. Are you scared?"
The blue-haired woman shot Anon a disdainful glance before a flash of competitive fire ignited in her deep blue, starry eyes. Her entire form instantly transformed into a streak of blue light, slashing fiercely into the heart of the star pirate crew. In an instant, cries of shock and curses erupted, bodies tumbling in chaos.
"Damn it! I didn't even call 'go' yet!" Anon shouted in exasperation, then hurried after her. Green rune energy surged outward, crashing into the Star Pirates and tearing through their ranks.
Meanwhile, Zi Yanxin closely monitored the shifting battle on the top deck. Her psychic power had fully taken control of the Star Spirit Flower's attack systems. The entire Star Spirit Flower spacecraft glowed faintly, its surface overlaid with intricate, profound light arrays. From within these arrays, beams of energy—burning, freezing, annihilating, or slicing—erupted intermittently.
As an Immortal-grade starship, the Starflower's offensive capabilities were insufficient to kill a Level 13 martial artist. However, causing them significant hindrance and trouble was a task it accomplished with ease.
Zi Yanxin was exceptionally intelligent. Being a Level 12 martial artist herself, her strength was formidable. This allowed her to control the battle situation with pinpoint precision. Each strike was timed to exploit the moment a level 13 Star Pirate exposed themselves, striking precisely when their defenses were most vulnerable.
The effectiveness of this tactic was undeniable. The chaotic melee gradually clarified. The three level 13 Law Masters defending the Star Spirit Flower, fighting together for the first time, developed a growing synergy after a period of coordination. They even began coordinating with the attacks of the Star Spirit Flower ship, piloted by Zi Yanxin.
With the pirates facing overwhelming numerical inferiority, the situation for the two level 13 pirates grew increasingly precarious. Meanwhile, the race between Anon Turing and the blue-haired woman, Zoe, to eliminate the remaining pirates was nearing its end.
At that moment, Zi Yanxin, who had been focused on piloting the ship, suddenly sensed a wave of consciousness transmitting information.
"Can you hear me?"
Zi Yanxin's expression froze for a second before she quickly reacted.
"Lord Wu Tian!"
This wave of consciousness came from Wu Tian, the Level 13 martial arts master revered by their Star Spirit Flower Guild.
"I will coordinate with Haiji Dao to encircle and eliminate that individual. Remember to assist in blocking their escape route."
Guided by Wu Tian's mental signal, Zi Yanxin's gaze locked onto a middle-aged male Star Pirate wielding a long sword, his expression cold and menacing.
"Understood, Lord Wu Tian." She responded decisively.
"Mm." Wu Tian's consciousness swiftly receded and a faint flicker of excitement spread across Zi Yanxin's face. Wu Tian and Haiji Dao had decided to ambush one of the star pirates! She had waited for this opportunity. If they succeeded...
"Hu..." Zi Yanxin took a deep breath, steadying the turbulent emotions within her heart, forcing herself to calm down quickly. The offensive capabilities equipped on the Star Spirit Flower spacecraft flashed one by one before her eyes. Finally, her gaze locked onto one particular ability: [Energy Bind]
This ability used energy beams to imprison opponents, boasting formidable restraining power. However, its lethality was low, and it consumed vast amounts of energy, making it rarely used in practice. Yet, this moment clearly presented the perfect opportunity for deployment.
"Energy reserves are at sixty percent. That should sustain Energy Bind for a while. Afterward, I'll replenish energy reserves, delaying the next spatial leap by no more than half a month."
Zi Yanxin held no doubt that the Energy Bind could restrain a Level 13 martial artist. She only needed to delay the opponent slightly, causing even a fraction of a second's disruption. Wu Tian and Haiji Dao would naturally follow up. Zi Yanxin's eyes fixed intently on the battlefield, her mental focus razor-sharp. Finally...
A furious shout erupted from the Starry Sky battle field. A blue-haired middle-aged man wielding a greatsword violently forced one of the Star Pirates back. This was Pablo, one of their three level 13 fighters. Pushing back one pirate meant... Their ambush plan had commenced!
Without hesitation, Zi Yanxin pressed the release button for [Energy Bind]. Instantly, the vast Star Spirit Flower ship seemed like a cosmic whale spouting a water column. Thousands upon thousands of blazing energy beams erupted from the ship's surface array. These beams interwove orderly across the cosmos, weaving a colossal energy net. It perfectly ensnared the last remaining pirate within its confines.
At that very moment, Wu Tian and Hai Ji Dao—who had remained relatively calm until now—suddenly erupted with fury. A deathly pale blade light, filled with decaying intent, and a fist aura carrying a heavy, oppressive presence sliced through the starry sky, striking directly at the star pirate trapped within the energy net.
"Kill!"
"Boom! Boom!"
An unprecedented, terrifying energy tidal wave swept across the entire starry sky. The scene before them was completely engulfed by blazing light. The aftermath raged, rendering mental probes useless. Faintly, Zi Yanxin thought she heard a heavy, muffled groan. Her heart leapt with joy.
It worked?! Eager to assess the outcome, she even began actively clearing the residual energy waves from the starfield using the starship's systems. As the blinding light faded and the rampaging energy gradually subsided.
"Father!"
A heart-wrenching cry pierced Zi Yanxin's mental senses first. She finally saw the battle's outcome. All her joy, excitement, and anticipation froze solid on her face in a fraction of a second. There, the star pirate she'd harassed with her energy net stood unscathed.
Beside him, another figure had materialized. Haiji Dao and Wu Tian's expressions were grim. On the other side, two additional figures now flanked the star pirate who had been driven off by Pablo, who now knelt in the void, clutching the broken hilt of his greatsword, his face deathly pale. His powerful frame trembled slightly.
He was clearly badly injured. Zoe stood beside him, supporting him. Her delicate face was filled with worry, her eyes reddened. The once-noisy starry sky fell silent in that moment. Everyone aboard the Star Spirit Flower was plunged into a strange, inexplicable shock and dread.
"Five... five level 13 Star Pirates?!" Someone said slowly, their voice trembling slightly from fear, the sound almost distorted.
Five level 13 Star Pirates in the starry sky watched the Star Spirit Flower ship with expressions that were neither smiles nor frowns. The pirate they had previously chosen as their target wore an even thicker layer of cold mockery on his face. His gaze seemed to pierce through the thick hull, landing squarely on Zi Yanxin. His eyes brimmed with mockery and amusement.
"They did it on purpose. They deliberately feigned weakness, toying with us. They intended to devour the entire Star Spirit Flower in one gulp!"
In that instant, a wave of dread surged from the depths of Zi Yanxin's heart. It instantly engulfed her entire being. Her eyes flashed as she clenched her teeth, finally slamming her fist hard onto the table before her. In a tone laced with helplessness and bitterness, she slowly gave the order:
"Withdraw! Have everyone return to the ship immediately. Cover their retreat."
"All hands, stand by. Prepare for battle!"
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The frenzied purple Demonic Sun rose rapidly, carrying an aura that scorched and destroyed everything in its path. Everything blocking its advance was torn apart.
The shadow belonging to the Level 13 General-Rank beast was swiftly shredded by this terrifying force. Large swaths vanished. Along with it, the Beast's body collapsed.
The instinct of the Mutant Clone surged forth again. This time, Lu Sheng did not stop it. He let it charge forward swiftly, opening its massive jaws to devour the scattered flesh and energy in the void with frenzied voracity.
"BOOM!"
After devouring the Level 13 General-grade beast's body, the energy surged wildly within Sheng's body. One after another, the Mutant Immortal Cells underwent sublimation and transformation, their Demonic Fire ignited. Sheng even sensed fragments of Law Power comprehension being absorbed into his body.
"It can devour and inherit Law Powers?!"
Sheng was astonished. He didn't know if this was a unique ability of his Mutant Clone or if all Beasts possessed it. If it was the former, he should feel secretly delighted. But if it was the latter... That was downright terrifying!
"Alien Beasts can ascend to Level 13, even Level 14, solely through devouring—without needing any comprehension whatsoever!"
What did this imply? It meant abnormal beasts faced absolutely no bottlenecks in their advancement. If a level 13 beast fell in battle, its corpse alone could effortlessly spawn a new level 13 General-Rank Beast.
Consuming its own kind allowed it to inherit the vast majority of the prey's abilities. Would devouring creatures of other species yield the same result?
"Could this be the true source of the Dark Universe's power? Truly feeding entirely on the countless races of other universes. Simply devouring... allows endless growth!"
Sheng's mind trembled. But now was clearly not the time to ponder this question. He struck out with a fierce punch. It was the same technique: "First Dawn of the Demonic Sun".
Due to the recent evolution where numerous Mutant Immortal Cells within his body had undergone transformation and sublimation, igniting the flames of demonic essence, this punch carried even greater power than the previous one.
Thirty million Mutant Immortal Cells. Their sheer number far exceeded that of Sheng's original body. Having successfully entered the Main Sequence Star Form, he now utterly crushed the Level 13 General Beast.
Sheng delivered punch after punch. Beneath the murky, dim sky, upon the blood-red carpet of earth, wave after wave of purple, warped suns rose. Through his punches, Lu Sheng seemed to grasp something. It was the law-bound power contained within the Dark Side's Stellar Dao.
This palpitation and insight drew ever closer to him. With each punch, it felt as if it would finally emerge fully, seized by him. Yet it also felt as if... it would always be with the next punch.
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Translation notes by dhoo
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Main Sequence Star Form
A body transformation stage which follows the Protostar Form, within the Stellar Dao.
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Haji Dao, Wu Tian and Pablo
The three level 13 experts aboard the Star Spirit Flower.
Zoe is a blue-haired young genius, Pablo's daughter, and Anon Turing's rival - see Glossary