A streak of light fell to earth. The mountain wind blew bleak and cold.
Li Yun landed steadily in a hidden, desolate valley. A sweep of his divine sense instantly located the presence within.
The next moment, a figure emerged in haste, disheveled and weather-beaten.
"Fellow Daoist Li!"
"You're finally here..."
He was one of the two Heavenly Sages who had served as informants. The moment he saw Li Yun, his eyes blazed with joy, like a drowning man clutching his last piece of driftwood.
A dozen or so cultivators hurried out behind him. Their clothes were ragged, their auras feeble, and terror was written across their faces. Still shaken, they looked at the unfamiliar Li Yun with fierce hope in their eyes.
It was the longing to live.
Overwhelmingly strong.
The Heavenly Sage rushed up to Li Yun and, nearly losing control, seized his sleeve. His voice shook with desperation and pleading:
"Fellow Daoist Li, save us!"
"Please, for the sake of our friendship on Silver Fox Star, get us off Thousand Leaves Star!"
"If we don't leave now, we'll all die here!"
Li Yun was slightly startled. He glanced over everyone before asking, "What exactly happened?"
"Didn't you come back to drive out the rebels from the Strange Abyss Star Domain?"
"How did you end up like this?"
No sooner had he spoken than—
Boom!!!
A thunderous explosion erupted in the sky!
The ground across Thousand Leaves Star shook violently. Mountains split apart, and dust surged into the heavens!
An immense sealing force enveloped the entire star in an instant. The flow of energy between heaven and earth was cut off, and the sound of space collapsing in a chain reaction came from every direction!
Li Yun whipped his head toward the sky, his pupils contracting.
With his