Boom—!
After four thunderous explosions.
Four jet-black obelisks, their surfaces coursing with intricate crimson patterns like veins, suddenly tore through the clouds.
Like four javelins cast down by the gods, they plunged heavily into the beaches of the nearshore waters surrounding Ember Base.
And once the four obelisks landed.
A peculiar high-frequency hum immediately spread soundlessly in every direction.
Before long, the once-calm sea around Ember Base gradually began to churn.
The Starborn within the base were also affected by the strange sound, displaying varying degrees of abnormality.
"Tiandao. My Star Core is stirring."
Chen Xing gripped the hilt of the Demonic Blade at her waist, forcibly pressing back the blade that had automatically slid half an inch from its sheath.
"Mm!"
The starlight in Jing Liuli's pale violet vertical pupils flickered beyond her control. The Dream Pillow beneath her, which had been hovering steadily, suddenly began to sway as though drunk.
Then her body went limp, and she nearly toppled headfirst from the Dream Pillow.
Fortunately, Tiandao caught her shoulder in time, preventing her from falling to the ground.
"..."
Tiandao looked toward a certain direction beyond the base, his expression grave.
Though he had anticipated the effects of the Star Monuments.
It seemed he had still underestimated this thing's influence on Star Beasts and Starborn.
"Arghhh—!"
Just as Chen Xing and the others were still wondering why they felt such inexplicable discomfort.
One of the Starborn in the crowd suddenly let out a furious roar.
Then his body began to change.
His body hunched uncontrollably, and with a rip, his back split open, sprouting countless sharp blades that gleamed with an oily green luster like that of an insect.
After tearing through the uniform on his back, those sharp blades interlaced with one another.
Before long, they actually