BOOM!
The stele trembled unceasingly. It pushed aside the surrounding air, creating a thunderous roar that echoed across the Copper Heart. As the wind howled, it left behind a faint golden afterimage.
In the square below, everyone, including Qin Tianlin, stared blankly.
Someone suddenly came to their senses and asked in disbelief, "The stele... how is it flying?"
Many present were disciples with deep roots in the Sect, having grown up within it from a young age. None had ever heard of the Ancient King Stele being able to break its chains and fly off on its own.
Even the older Stewards among them looked bewildered.
"How could this be..." Qin Tianlin looked up, murmuring to himself. "Could it be because of me?"
He couldn’t help but think that, after all, he had been the only one beneath the Ancient King Stele just a moment ago. It was indeed highly likely that he was the cause.
’But why would it run away? It can’t be refusing to acknowledge me...’ Qin Tianlin was unwilling to believe it.
"Whatever the reason, this is definitely a big deal!"
Some had already started to move, chasing after the Ancient King Stele.
The stele made quite a commotion as it flew, rumbling loudly. On the main path, many people looked up in astonishment. Flying was forbidden on the Copper Heart, so it was nearly impossible to see such a streak across the sky.
Someone was still muttering, "Who’s this hotshot, daring to fly on the Copper Heart?"
But a closer look revealed that it was the Ancient King Stele. After a moment of shock, they too joined the gradually gathering crowd and headed in the direction the stele had flown.
They wanted to see what on earth had happened.
...
At the Sect’s Star Gate, some distance away, a slender starship of interwoven gray-blue and silver-white gradually emerged from the Star Gate.
"We’re finally back."
Before the porthole, Qing Cang looked out at the familiar scenery, a wave of emotion washing over him.
This return trip had taken far longer than he had anticipated, mainly due to the recent standoff between the Sect and the Royal Court, which had caused many transit Star Gates to close.
Even though relations had eased slightly, the missing Morning Star Tier experts had still not reappeared. No one could guarantee that conflict wouldn’t erupt at any moment, dragging them into it.
As a result, many hubs were still taking a wait-and-see approach and had not resumed operations.
The Prophet Council’s current assessment of the situation in the Dust Star Sea was still: High Risk, meaning war could break out at any time.
Following the guides, the starship docked at the Star Port. They needed to switch to a Flying Device to head to the nearby Copper Heart.
"Elder Lu Huai!"
Just as the red-haired elder stepped out of the cabin door, he heard a hearty voice call out. He looked closely and saw a middle-aged man who walked with the might of a dragon and the stride of a tiger.
"Chu Lingyuan... Venerable." Surprise showed on the red-haired elder’s face. He quickly added, "I didn’t expect a Venerable to come and greet us personally."
Chu Lingyuan had a square face, his chin covered in messy black stubble that, despite its untidiness, added a rugged sort of dignity. He couldn’t help but laugh at the remark.
"Not at all. You are guests from the Profound Celestial Sect, so naturally, we must treat you with the utmost respect."
"You’re too kind, too kind." Although Lu Huai spoke modestly, he couldn’t suppress the smile on his face.
After all, being personally welcomed by a Morning Star Tier Venerable was enough to show the importance the Bronze Sect placed on their visit. It gave him a great deal of face.
Behind the two of them, many others followed, descending the gangway one after another.
Leading them was a young man with a calm expression. Following him were several other youths, curiously sizing up their surroundings, their gazes fixed on the Copper Heart.
"So this is the Bronze Sect. It doesn’t look all that different from our home."
"What kind of difference did you expect?" someone next to him sneered.
"Liao Yunfan, I was just making an offhand comment," the person who’d been rebuked said with a dissatisfied frown.
"That’s enough," the leading young man chided in a low voice. "Don’t embarrass us here."
He seemed to hold a great deal of authority, as the youths behind him fell silent, merely putting some distance between one another.
"The Ancient King specifically instructed that your journey was not an easy one, and that we must extend our finest hospitality."
Up ahead, Chu Lingyuan’s voice boomed as he enthusiastically grabbed Lu Huai’s arm.
"Brother Tang, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?" Wei Zhenghong strode forward proudly from behind Chu Lingyuan, merging with the group from the Profound Celestial Sect. He addressed the young man in the lead, who was none other than Tang Xiuqi, one of the Profound Celestial Sect’s Star Seeds.
Tang Xiuqi was no stranger to Wei Zhenghong. He replied, "If I’m counting correctly, it must be about seven or eight years. The last time we met was at the Peak Star Conference."
"Yes, a pity. I was still young back then and was quickly eliminated by the Titans. I never got the chance to cross blades with you, Brother Tang. I hear you’ve already Melted a Holy Profession. You must be here to advance to Tier Eight, right?" Wei Zhenghong said with a sigh of reminiscence.
"By that measure, you’re only a single step away from the Morning Star Tier."
Hearing this, Tang Xiuqi couldn’t help but give a wry smile. "What ’one step away’? I’m still a long way off. How could anyone possibly advance to the Morning Star Tier without decades of arduous cultivation?"
The important figures chatted at the front, while they chatted at the back.
The Flying Device was ready, and everyone began to board. Wei Zhenghong, however, cast a curious gaze toward the young people at the rear. "And who might these be?"
"Liao Yunfan."
"Chen Hong."
"Xie Yufeng."
The three introduced themselves, and Tang Xiuqi made no effort to hide the details. "They are all individuals who have been acknowledged by one of my Sect’s Morning Star Tier experts. Currently, they are striving to become the ’chosen one’."
"They’ve accompanied me on this trip to make use of the Creation Copper Heart."
"I see." Wei Zhenghong looked as though he’d just realized this, but in truth, he had known about it all along. His gaze swept over the three of them, and he could already faintly discern the competitive dynamic among them.