At Chen Beixun's command, a hundred Demon Island Vine tendrils instantly swelled in size, forming a vast net that swept toward the Flame Star Behemoth, its force like the legendary Weak Water raining down from the heavens to ravage the mortal world.
Suddenly, a flash of blood-red light appeared. Centered on the Flame Star Behemoth, a tiny crimson star formed, nine kilometers in diameter.
"Cosmic Level Third Order?" Chen Beixun exclaimed. Before he could react, the crimson star blazed with dazzling red light.
It visibly changed, shifting from blood red to sunset red, then from sunset red to white, until it turned deep purple. The celestial body also grew several times larger, spewing foamy gases from its surface and unleashing powerful solar flares.
Its terrifying energy output even caused minor disturbances inside the Linkong.
The Demon Island Vine paid no heed. The celestial body's several-thousand-degree heat felt like cool water to it, and crimson tendrils suddenly shot forth.
In the dark, silent starry sky, there was no movement at all apart from several intense flashes. After all, sound could not travel through a vacuum.
The purple star erupted and dissipated. The Flame Star Behemoth was nowhere to be seen, as if it had vanished into thin air. The starry sky was empty except for a few clumps of gathered gas.
"Where is it?!" Chen Beixun cried in astonishment. "It escaped even though my telekinetic sense covered the entire area?" Suddenly, a strange white light flashed behind him.
Chen Beixun spun around, frowning. "Why did it disappear again?"
The white light was extremely bright, and its strange disappearance put Chen Beixun on high alert. I thought this would be a one-sided crushing victory.
I underestimated it.
It really is one of the most peak bloodlines among the Starry Sky Behemoths. Chen Beixun then split into countless afterimages, darting through space and attacking from all directions.
The white light suddenly appeared again. Chen Beixun's gaze turned cold as he shot toward it, unleashing Soul Attack without pause.
"Useless?"
"Did the Soul Attack fail?" Chen Beixun was startled. He spun around and flew several kilometers away, a white crystal appearing in his hand as he prepared to throw it.
"Wait!" Qishan shouted anxiously. "You can't! The Flame Star Behemoth will absorb and transform the energy from the 'Fire Crystal' explosion."
Chen Beixun quickly put away the Fire Crystal and warily surveyed his surroundings.
"According to the intelligence, the Flame Star Behemoth's ability to conceal itself is exceptionally advanced. You need to be at least one major order higher to detect it."
Chen Beixun frowned at the thought, then contacted Qishan mentally.
"Use the Linkong's detector."
At that, Qishan smiled faintly, and a radar display appeared before him.
"Five o'clock, ninety-eight li."
With a thought from Chen Beixun, the Tianqu Cone formed a flying wheel and hurtled toward its target.
The Flame Star Behemoth, concealed in the starry sky, fixed it with a cold gaze. A white object resembling a ring of light was heading straight for it. A flash of white light burst forth, and heat of a thousand degrees swept through the surroundings. Then dark blue flames rose, encircled it, and surged skyward—Flame Domain!
The Tianqu Cone was imbued with the Water Law and carried endless cold. The two forces intertwined and reacted.
Boom!
A sudden explosion sent ice crystals and fiery sparks drifting across the starry sky.
"Go!"
Chen Beixun stretched out his hand, and several crimson tendrils extended from it, reaching their target in an instant.
The Flame Star Behemoth shook its body, unleashing several purple beams. A black ray shot from its mouth and struck the Demon Island Vine, twisting space into a vortex. It was the Demon Island Vine's Devour and Transform ability.
Seeing this, the Flame Star Behemoth stopped attacking, turned into a tiny star, then aged, collapsed, and vanished.
"One o'clock, sixty-six li," Qishan said.
Chen Beixun's eyes reddened as he unleashed a Soul Attack!
Ten crystals formed a killing array: three above, five in the middle, and two below. The top three spearheaded the assault, tearing open a breach in an instant. Against an opponent whose soul was weaker than his own, the Twilight Art had an overwhelming advantage.
The middle five split off two crystals, which hooked open a gap like a pair of curved blades. The remaining three in the middle plunged straight in, while the bottom two took the place of the pair, allowing them to merge with the central three and return to the middle five.
Once the middle five had regrouped, they split into five groups and struck in five directions, dividing or obliterating portions of the soul.
Seeing his chance, Chen Beixun brought his hands together. The ten crystals merged into one, and he activated Soul Enslavement.
The Flame Star Behemoth was already on the verge of death. It glared at Chen Beixun with unwilling hatred.
Gradually, the hatred in its eyes gave way to reverence.
"It worked." Chen Beixun's face lit up with joy. He then communicated with the Flame Star Behemoth through his mind. "How did you get in here?"
The Flame Star Behemoth replied respectfully, "I don't know. I was here from the moment I was born."
Chen Beixun pondered for a moment, then cautiously communicated through their souls. "Do you have inherited memories? If so, give me a brief explanation."
The Flame Star Behemoth paused, then replied through their souls as well. "Yes. Besides inherited memories, I also have Innate Secret Techniques."
"The inherited memories were recorded by the Flame Star Behemoths of past generations. They contain secret techniques, as well as a great deal of information and intelligence."
"There are two Innate Secret Techniques: 'Formless,' which is mainly for concealment, and 'Devour and Transform,' which is used to attack and grow stronger."
At that, Chen Beixun remained expressionless, thinking, Since it doesn't have a Clone Secret Technique, there's no need to possess it.
Chen Beixun then communicated through their souls again. "Do you know which races have Clone Secret Techniques and are widely distributed throughout the universe?"
The Flame Star Behemoth thought for a moment before replying through their souls. "The Demon Race Royal Family's Cliff Candle Beast, the Mowen Race, the Ink Vine Insect, the Golden Horned Behemoth, the Frost Behemoth, the Magnetic Terror Race..."
Chen Beixun considered it for a few seconds, then communicated through their souls. "Which ones are close to Human Territory... no... which ones are in Human Territory?"
The Flame Star Behemoth raised its icy gaze and replied through their souls. "The Ink Vine Insect, the Golden Horned Behemoth, the Frost Behemoth..."
Chen Beixun pursed his lips at that, then communicated through their souls. "Hide yourself for now."
The Flame Star Behemoth vanished at once.
He returned to the ship as well.
Inside the ship...
"What did you discuss with the Flame Star Behemoth? Tell me," Qishan said, looking at Chen Beixun as he returned to the ship.
Chen Beixun clapped his hands. "Nothing much. I asked which races have powerful means of staying alive."
Then Chen Beixun sat on a long bench, took a sip of wine, and continued, "I want to possess a body!"
Hearing this, Qishan offered a suggestion. "You'll be able to inherit all of your master's assets once you reach Universe Level Ninth Order. By then, you'll have a five-star account and can try your luck at an auction. You might be able to buy a race with an Innate Secret Technique for a clone, then possess one of them."
Chen Beixun nodded, gently swirling the wine in his glass. The liquid shimmered like a crimson sunset reflected on the water.
Qishan's voice turned solemn. "How much is in the master's sub-account?"
"Uh," Chen Beixun said. "Ten Hunyuan Units."
"That's enough," Qishan said. "At your current pace, you'll reach Universe Level Ninth Order in thirty years. If you want to hurry, you can do it in ten."
Speed matters, but a solid foundation matters most.
"Let's go out first and exchange the treasures for wealth."
"With a three-star account, you can go to an auction in the Xuyu Universe Kingdom."
"Let's see if we can bid on some treasures."
"So we can make preparations for you, Luoduo, and the Flame Star Behemoth."
As he spoke, Qishan operated the ship and sent it through the Dark Universe.
"Mm." Chen Beixun shifted from sitting to a cross-legged position and began cultivating the Twilight Art.
Time passed...