Global Era of Star trekking Chapter 1786 - 871: Nine Heavens Breath Earth (Part 2)

They drifted silently within the void, their mere presence causing the local fabric of space to suffer violent distortions and jagged tears.

It was as if the very laws and rules of the universe were weeping; light was consumed by shadows, and the flow of time fell into total disarray.

A ruthless, chaotic energy radiated from their forms, saturated with an infinite thirst for carnage. This power wove into a colossal lattice high above the heavens, trapping the already sunken wreckage of the mirror image warship while reaching down to anchor the crumbling spatial vortex of the secret realm, preventing it from collapsing back into nothingness.

"Roar——!!!"

Though the roar was soundless, it manifested as a physical wave of energy, comparable to the thunderous detonation of a billion bolts at once. The entire continental remnant of the Immortal Sect ruins shuddered under the impact, and even more mountain ranges were ground into fine powder by the resonance.

The entities seemed to have realized that the most precious treasure within the secret realm had been seized by the mirror image warship—a prize that was just as vital to them as it was to any Cultivator!

One of the beings, which looked like a rotting, titanic tree with limbs made of writhing tentacles, lashed out. A single appendage, stretching tens of thousands of meters, ignored the spatial vortex and struck the mirror image warship that had just been restored by the "Twelve Lives Life and Death Chess."

Boom!

The hull of the resurrected mirror image warship was instantly shredded once more. The ghostly radiance protecting the vessel flickered and died, causing the ship to sink back into the depths.

Standing far away within the Zhu Tian Ruins Market, Song Chi’s pupils contracted sharply; this time, the sensation was unmistakable.

"Eleventh Rank!"

There was no doubt—that monstrosity resembling a decaying giant tree with tentacle branches was an Eleventh Rank Mythical Creature.

This explained why the mirror image warship, which possessed enough durability to withstand attacks from Tenth Rank Mythical entities, had been brought down by a single strike.

While he had previously theorized that an Eleventh Rank gray mist energy body might be lurking within the Immortal Domain Continent Ruins, seeing one manifest in reality caused Song Chi’s heart to pound against his ribs.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, he cast aside all hesitation.

"[Mirror Image Splitting], terminate the mirror image warship!"

Against four Tenth Rank Mythical units, he might have found a way to retreat safely, but an Eleventh Rank Myth was a different matter entirely. They represented the pinnacle of power beneath a Transcender, existing on a plane of reality far beyond that of a Tenth Rank Myth.

The moment the order was given, the mental feed in Song Chi’s consciousness went dark, severing his link to the Immortal Domain Continent Ruins.

"An Eleventh Rank gray mist energy body... It appears the true agents behind the sudden downfall of the ancient Immortal Realm Civilization were indeed these peculiar gray mist entities."

Song Chi muttered to himself, a deep frown settling on his face. He replayed the image of the Eleventh Rank Gray Mist Twisted Giant Tree’s attack in his mind. Initially, he was overwhelmed by the sheer power of an Eleventh Rank Myth, but now, a sense of unease crept in.

"There is something hauntingly familiar about their techniques..."

His thoughts raced as he scrutinized every detail of the Eleventh Rank Gray Mist Giant Tree's strike.

No matter how many times he reviewed it, he felt a strange sense of recognition, yet he could not quite grasp the source of this familiarity.

Since [Mirror Image Splitting] was on cooldown and he no longer needed to focus on piloting the mirror image warship, Song Chi did not rest. Instead, he pushed his mental faculties to their limit, obsessive in his search for the truth.

Time lost all meaning as his brain worked at maximum capacity. After an unknown interval, Song Chi’s eyes suddenly lit up with a sharp intensity.

"That's it! The Power of Chaos! That Eleventh Rank Twisted Giant Tree’s strike was infused with threads of the Power of Chaos..."

Once the realization hit, Song Chi was certain.

Those wisps of Power of Chaos were incredibly faint, but they could not escape the penetrating gaze of Song Chi’s specialized double pupils.

"Power of Chaos... Could this be linked to the Abyss?"

The mention of the Power of Chaos naturally brought the Bottomless Abyss to mind. It was common knowledge that within the myriad worlds and the Chaos Divine Land, very few followed the Dao of chaos. Conversely, the Bottomless Abyss was the ultimate fountainhead of chaos in the star sea, where nearly every member of the Abyss Demon Race practiced chaos-based cultivation.

As he reached this conclusion, Song Chi’s mood turned grim.

If his theory was correct, it meant the Immortal Realm Civilization had been wiped out by the Bottomless Abyss, an implication with terrifying consequences.

However, the various civilizations of the myriad worlds were not ignorant of the Bottomless Abyss.

As a bastion of chaos that had endured for countless eons, it had been scoured many times by mythical civilizations and even the Peak Clans of the Chaos Divine Land. Most of its layers, including the deepest ones, had been mapped out.

Throughout all those explorations, there had never been a single report of gray mist energy bodies existing within the Bottomless Abyss.

"The likelihood is low!"

Song Chi’s mind was a whirlwind of speculation. It was only months later, when the [Mirror Image Splitting] component finally finished its cooldown, that he pushed these thoughts aside and summoned a new mirror image warship to resume his search of the Immortal Domain Continent Ruins.

Even though an Eleventh Rank gray mist energy body patrolled the ruins, Song Chi’s resolve remained unshaken. Beyond the fact that the mirror image warship was expendable, he had a more pressing reason to return.

The [Six Ding Divine Fire] was still missing.

Restarting the exploration was not just about finding resources for his High Rank Guidance Technique; his primary goal was to secure the [Six Ding Divine Fire] to fix the damaged [Creation and Transformation Eight Trigrams Furnace].

As long as the [Six Ding Divine Fire] remained lost, he could not bring himself to walk away.

...

High above the Eternal Dark Immortal Realm Continent, the mirror image warship drifted like a phantom over the scorched earth.

Song Chi remained hyper-focused, using the ship’s advanced sensors to scan every inch of the wreckage below.

While he used the [Heavenly Destiny Compass] to hunt for clues regarding the [Six Ding Divine Fire], he also kept a sharp eye out for any untouched relics that might have survived within the gray mist.

The ancient Immortal Realm Civilization had once been peerless, boasting more than one Eleventh Rank Saint. As their ancestral home, he was convinced the hidden treasures within these ruins would be beyond belief.

One day, as the vessel moved over a colossal mountain range, the copied [Ultrasonic Geomagnetic Detector] suddenly pinged with a strange signal.

The reading came from the depths of a canyon tucked between the peaks. The energy signature there was a stark contrast to the stagnant, foul atmosphere of the ruins; it radiated a faint but incredibly pure life force and an aquatic resonance, coupled with a dense, high-energy reaction—as if a potent power source was being carefully cultivated.

"There's something there!" Song Chi’s focus sharpened instantly. He commanded the mirror image warship to descend and enter the canyon with extreme caution.

The canyon was profoundly deep, its stone walls scarred by ancient claw marks and caustic burns. As he went deeper, the aura of pure life became more intense, even pushing back the surrounding gray mist to create a small, delicate sanctuary.

Finally, tucked into a hidden alcove at the very bottom of the valley, Song Chi found the source.

It was a small spirit field, roughly one acre in size. The soil was not the typical earth of the ruins but a lustrous, deep black that pulsed with innate spiritual energy. It matched the descriptions of the legendary [Nine Heavens Earth], the highest grade of soil known to the Immortal Realm Civilization.

In the center of this field stood a magnificent fruit tree.

Its trunk was twisted in the shape of a soaring dragon, with bark that seemed to leak shimmering liquid light. Its foliage was a vibrant, lush water-green, vibrating with life; the sound of the wind through its leaves mimicked the peaceful babbling of a brook.

Dozens of fruits hung from the branches, each as large as a bowl and slightly flattened. Their skins were white with a reddish tint, and upon the red patches, intricate purple patterns had formed—natural manifestations of the Dao. The scent they released was intoxicating, carrying an immense energy that seemed to nourish the soul.

The tree’s roots were submerged in a pool of crystal-clear water only a few yards wide. The water bubbled softly, releasing a spiritual liquid that glowed with a rosy hue. Its purity was unlike any spiritual spring Song Chi had ever encountered.

"This is..." Song Chi’s breath hitched, his eyes shimmering with excitement.

He had a vague idea of what this legendary tree might be. Though he wasn't entirely certain, the physical traits were a near-perfect match.

If this truly was the legendary innate spirit root from his studies, its worth would be absolutely astronomical!!!