Streaks of radiance surfaced and converged, ultimately forming a modest scroll.
The scroll did not appear extraordinary, yet upon its emergence, a unique aura of power enveloped the surroundings. The moment Jiang Ningxian laid eyes on it, her gaze lit up, and she blurted out, "Is... is this the Fuxi Eight Trigrams Diagram?"
Fuxi, like Shennong, was a Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor who had once made monumental contributions to heaven, earth, and the cosmos. More importantly, he was very likely the first supreme powerhouse in human history. It was precisely because of Fuxi that the concepts of the Eight Trigrams and primordial yin-yang had come to be.
However, because those times were far too ancient, records concerning him were scarce. Yet one thing was certain: anything connected to a Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor was never ordinary.
There was an even more important point: Jiang Ningxian had long known of the Fuxi Eight Trigrams Diagram. Earlier, one of her primary purposes in descending to Earth before the others had been to find this very item. It was just that Lu Yuan had essentially beaten her to everything back then, and Jiang Ningxian had chosen not to dwell on it. She believed everyone possessed their own fortune, and some things simply could not be forced. As time passed, she had nearly forgotten about it.
And now, Lu Yuan had brought it out.
"The Fuxi Eight Trigrams Diagram was crafted by a Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor and possesses unfathomable might. With it, we will surely find our way to the Celestial Star, and along the way, we definitely won't get lost," Jiang Ningxian said, breathing a sudden sigh of relief.
Without teleportation platforms, there had been no telling how long it would take to reach their destination; they might not have reached the Celestial Star at all, or might have spent several years wandering the void. Now, however, all those troubles were resolved. At the very least, they would not lose their way in the sea of stars.
As for Lu Yuan, he said nothing more. Taking a deep breath, he allowed a drop of fresh blood to fall upon the diagram. He already knew the domain coordinates, so he needed only to channel his soul power and guide the artifact with his intent to point out the correct path.
*Buzz, buzz, buzz...*
Soon, brilliant rays of light welled up from the Eight Trigrams Diagram. The radiance converged, eventually shaping into dazzling stars. It made one feel as though they were standing amidst a galaxy itself; splendid starlight and the vast cosmos seemed completely encompassed within it.
Yet Lu Yuan paid no heed to the spectacle. With a subtle shift of his thoughts, rays of light shimmered across the stars, and a line slowly traced into view. The line traversed numerous stars and pointed toward a specific direction in the celestial river—at a star wrapped in coils of lightning.
"Found it. This is the Celestial Star. We only need to follow the direction guided by the Eight Trigrams Diagram, and we'll be able to arrive," Lu Yuan said with a faint smile. Though he had not used the Fuxi Eight Trigrams Diagram for a long time, it proved invaluable at critical moments. That was one of the reasons he had been determined to secure it in the past. He had known very clearly that he would leave Earth for the starry sky sooner or later, making the Fuxi Eight Trigrams Diagram indispensable. Now, was it not coming in handy?
"Then without further delay, let's set off," Jiang Ningxian urged. "Other matters might arise along the journey, so we can't afford to waste any more time."
To this, no one present raised any objection.
Lu Yuan immediately tore open a void passage. With the teleportation platform rendered unusable, they could only rely on his methods. This required tremendous effort and the backing of formidable power. Of course, to Lu Yuan, it was nothing. His foundation was profoundly deep, and having already attained the realm of a Creation Immortal, he had no need for concern.
Soon, the group resumed traveling as they had when first departing Earth, relying on the void passages Lu Yuan forged to traverse planet after planet.
Lu Yuan also noticed that the Thunderstrike Star Domain was indeed different from the Milky Way Star Sector. Almost every celestial body here contained lightning power; on some planets, heavenly thunder rolled day and night without ceasing. Forget ordinary mortals—even common Awakened could never withstand it.
No wonder this realm was called the Thunderstrike Star Domain.
Thus, time slipped by. Several days later, Lu Yuan and the others stepped out from a void passage, standing upon a modest planet where perpetual night reigned.
Overhead, peals of thunder rumbled from time to time, yet compared to what they had seen before, the environment here was vastly superior. More importantly, the group discovered that this planet was capable of supporting life. Much like Earth, it had mountains, water, and everything required for survival. In truth, within this universe, no matter the corner, planets capable of harboring life shared roughly similar conditions.
"According to the star chart, we should be about ten days away from the Celestial Star. Everyone, rest for a moment," Jiang Ningxian walked over and instructed the group.
Everyone present was at or above the Immortal Realm and rarely felt physical fatigue. However, this was crossing the starry expanse, which required withstanding the crushing pressure exerted by space itself. Once they reached the Celestial Star, they would likely face unpredictable circumstances, so they had to keep themselves in peak condition at all times.
"Yes, Holy Maiden," the Jiang clan disciples answered, sitting cross-legged to begin recovering their energy.
Although they knew this was a living planet, none showed much interest. After all, they were accustomed to crossing star domains. Jiang Haokong did not say much either. Lately, he spent nearly every day pondering the same thing: the great battle against the so-called Extraterrestrial Demons once they arrived at the Celestial Star. Even without destiny power to counter those entities, he did not care. A true powerhouse could slay his foes without relying on external aids.
"Ten days left. Has any word come from Senior Taiyu?" Lu Yuan asked, gazing into the boundless void.
Before setting out, they had sent a message saying they were heading to the Thunderstrike Star Domain, yet after all this time, there had still been no reply. At first, they had assumed he was engaged in battle with the Extraterrestrial Demons, but later it started to seem amiss. Nearly a month had passed, and the group was drawing ever closer to their destination; by now, there should have been some word no matter what.
Hearing this, however, Jiang Ningxian could only shake her head.
"That is rather strange." Lu Yuan frowned, though he was not overly worried. Jiang Taiyu was a Supreme Immortal with earth-shattering cultivation, and the Extraterrestrial Demons had only begun their initial descent. At most, he was facing some minor trouble; for a figure of his stature to meet with disaster was practically impossible.
Shaking off further thoughts, Lu Yuan prepared to sit cross-legged and recuperate.
Before he could, Jiang Ningxian spoke up suddenly: "Lu Yuan, haven't you noticed? Ever since we landed, this planet has been completely silent. Quiet... to an unnatural degree."
Chapter 467