Star Guards Block the Way, Word Becomes Law

The appearance of the Sacred Emperor Palace's Star Guards had not surprised Ye Chen. Lin Qingxue's intelligence had already revealed that the Sacred Emperor Palace was determined to claim Starfall Hall. Stationing heavy forces here had been inevitable.

The stern man leading them had a deep, steady aura and eyes as sharp as an eagle's. He was clearly a veteran of countless battles, ruthless and decisive. Behind him, dozens of Star Guards held their killing intent within as they formed a battle formation, drawing on the sparse stellar power around them. Their auras joined into an iron wall and bronze rampart, sealing every route to the platform.

The rogue cultivators at the spirit transformation late stage standing nearby watched with shifting eyes, like jackals waiting for their chance. They clearly hoped to fish out some profit from a clash between the Sacred Emperor Palace and these sudden intruders.

Lin Qingxue's lovely face turned cold. The Heavenly Sword Pavilion and the Sacred Emperor Palace had always been as incompatible as fire and water, and now their swords were drawn and bows bent. Mo Yu had quietly slipped into the shadows of the surrounding stellar wreckage, his presence almost completely vanishing, like a venomous snake lying in wait.

Faced with the Star Guards commander’s imperious rebuke and icy murderous intent, Ye Chen did not even lift his eyelids. His gaze remained fixed on the depths of the ruined dark-gold platform, as though searching for the source of that eerie bell, or examining the Ancient Ruins themselves.

His disregard utterly enraged the Star Guards commander.

"You're courting death!"

The commander shouted fiercely. Rather than attack himself, he gave a sharp wave of his hand!

"Form up! Starfall Strangulation!"

Dozens of Star Guards answered in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized as they thrust their standard-issue spears forward! Dazzling starlight burst from the spearheads and linked together, instantly forming an enormous stellar net that covered hundreds of yards! Every junction blazed with destructive light, radiating a terrifying power that could imprison space and strangle all things as it descended over Ye Chen and his companions!

This attack combined the strength of dozens of nascent soul and spirit transformation Star Guards. Their battle formation drew upon the stellar baleful energy unique to the Fallen Star Sea, giving it enough power to instantly strangle several spirit transformation peak cultivators. Even an early-stage void insight cultivator would find it troublesome!

Apprehension appeared in the eyes of the watching rogue cultivators. They instinctively retreated some distance, afraid of being caught in the attack.

Lin Qingxue paled and instinctively tightened her grip on the Ice Crystal Sword. Spiritual energy raced through her body as she prepared to fight to the death. The shadows concealing Mo Yu rippled faintly as well; he, too, was poised to strike.

Yet faced with this all-encompassing Stellar Annihilation net, powerful enough to drive cultivators of the same realm to despair, Ye Chen finally moved.

He unleashed no earth-shaking divine ability. He did not even take a defensive stance or attempt to dodge.

He merely raised his eyes slightly, glanced at the vast net of starlight roaring down toward him, and softly uttered a single word:

"Disperse."

His voice was quiet and utterly ordinary, like a whisper between friends.

But the instant that word left his lips—

Word Becomes Law!

The great starlight net, forged through the combined strength of dozens of Star Guards, infused with stellar baleful energy and terrifying strangling power, was still a hundred feet above Ye Chen's head when an invisible hand seemed to brush gently across it. The runes flowing over its surface instantly dimmed and disintegrated. As though stripped of its core, the condensed stellar power collapsed!

There was no earth-shaking explosion, no thunderous collision of energies.

That terrifying attack, powerful enough to strangle spirit transformation peak cultivators, silently vanished like smoke beneath his single word. It became countless tiny motes of light, like fireflies filling the sky, drifting among the cold stellar wreckage.

As though it had never existed.

Silence!

Deathly silence!

Not only did the dozens of Star Guards stand frozen, their faces filled with bewilderment and disbelief, but the rogue cultivators who had been ready to enjoy the spectacle also gaped like ducks seized by the neck, their eyes nearly bulging from their sockets!

Lin Qingxue's grip on her sword loosened slightly, and wonder flashed through her beautiful eyes. Though she had long known Ye Chen's strength was unfathomable, seeing him so casually dismantle the Star Guards' combined attack with Word Becomes Law still sent her heart reeling.

Even Mo Yu's aura, hidden in the shadows, wavered ever so slightly, revealing his inner turmoil.

The Star Guards commander’s stern expression had been utterly replaced by horror. He stared fixedly at Ye Chen, as though trying to see through him inside and out. As a spirit transformation peak cultivator, he understood the terror of that scene even more clearly! The attack had not been forcibly broken through brute strength or some divine ability. Rather... it was as though the word Ye Chen spoke had become the law of this place. When he said "disperse," the attack had no choice but to disperse! What realm was this?!

"You... who exactly are you?!" A tremor crept into the commander's voice without his realizing it.

Only then did Ye Chen withdraw his gaze from the platform's depths and glance indifferently at him, his eyes like those of someone looking down upon dust.

"I don't like repeating myself."

He spoke again, his voice as calm as before, yet carrying an unquestionable will that reached clearly into the ears of everyone present, and even into the depths of their souls:

"Now, get out of my way."

"Anyone who blocks my path dies."

As the final word, "dies," fell, an invisible, terrifying pressure spread as though it had substance, capable of freezing souls and crushing wills. It enveloped every Star Guard and each of the rogue cultivators with unerring precision!

Thud! Thud!

The weaker Star Guards in the nascent soul realm were the first to buckle. Their legs gave way, and they dropped straight to their knees in the cold void. Their faces were deathly pale, cold sweat poured like rain, and they could not even lift their heads!

The spirit transformation Star Guards shook violently as well. They barely managed to keep from kneeling, but their eyes were already filled with boundless terror, as though they stood before an awakened being among the primordial gods and devils!

The rogue cultivators were frightened out of their wits. They no longer dared harbor even the slightest covetous thought. Scrambling and stumbling, they transformed into streaks of light and fled toward the outskirts of the Fallen Star Sea without looking back, wishing their parents had given them another pair of legs!

The Star Guards commander was the only one who could still barely stand upright, but he felt as though he bore a mountain tens of thousands of feet high upon his back. His bones groaned beneath the crushing burden, and the circulation of his spiritual energy nearly stopped. Looking at Ye Chen's calm, unruffled face, he felt an unprecedented chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head!

He knew his opponent absolutely had the strength to erase every last one of them in an instant!

All their pride, all their loyalty, seemed so pale and laughable before this absolute gulf in strength and the threat of death.

"Re... retreat!"

The commander practically ground the words out through clenched teeth. He dared not spare Ye Chen another glance. Leading his bedraggled subordinates, who looked as though they had been dragged from the water, he stumbled away in panic in the opposite direction from the platform. They moved several times faster than when they had arrived, as though one slow step would send them plunging into Infinite Hell.

In the blink of an eye, the Sacred Emperor Palace's Star Guards, who had blocked the way with such murderous ferocity, had fled without a trace.

Only a few wisps of dispersing stellar power remained in the void, along with the ancient aura still emanating from the ruined platform.

Ye Chen seemed to have done nothing more than some trivial task. Even his aura had not wavered in the slightest. He glanced in the direction the Star Guards had fled but did not pursue them. Such insignificant figures were not worth wasting his strength on.

His gaze returned to the dark-gold platform.

"Let's go up."

He spoke to Lin Qingxue, who was still standing beside him in shock, then took the lead and flew toward the platform.

Lin Qingxue drew a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, and hurried after him. Mo Yu's figure silently reappeared as well, following close behind.

After this incident, she was even more certain that allying with Ye Chen had been the Heavenly Sword Pavilion's wisest choice. At the same time, she felt greater anticipation for their journey through the Fallen Star Sea... along with a faint trace of unease.

The Sacred Emperor Palace would never let this rest. An even greater storm likely lay ahead.

Ye Chen, meanwhile, had already stepped onto the ancient platform. The dark-gold stone beneath his feet felt cold. The Star Map in his sea of consciousness flickered faintly, resonating more clearly with the platform.

The eerie tolling of the bell seemed to have grown clearer as well.

The secret of Starfall Hall lay right before him.