Chapter 5172 No More Starry River of the Sky Art
“You’re really not coming with me? I admit you’re strong, but you aren’t ready to fight the top experts yet. Take a trip with me. If we find a usable Emperor corpse, I will make a puppet for you. With your power, raising a Human Emperor puppet shouldn’t be a problem, and having one would guarantee your safety. Worst case, it could buy you time to escape. I’d feel a lot better knowing you had that kind of protection,” said Mo Nian.
Mo Nian knew that Long Chen had more enemies than he did, and they were all extremely terrifying. Moreover, Long Chen had a home and family, which made them easy targets.
On the other hand, Mo Nian was alone, free to come and go wherever he wanted. Even if he offended the Brahma Pill Valley, they wouldn’t be able to track him that easily. That was why he was particularly worried about Long Chen’s safety.
Mo Nian had advanced to the Eternal realm and awakened the Limitless Palace’s secret arts, mastering a heaven-defying puppet technique. With it, he wanted to make one formidable puppet for Long Chen to ensure his safety.
Hearing Mo Nian’s concern, Long Chen felt a warm current in his heart. Despite being in a difficult situation himself, Mo Nian was still thinking about him. Having such a brother was truly a blessing of a lifetime.
“Our paths are different. I still have more potential to dig up, so there’s no need for me to waste my time on other things. I have to study my own cultivation technique right now. Once that’s done, my power will definitely shock you. By then, saying that I am unrivaled beneath Human Emperors won’t be bragging,” said Long Chen.
“Alright then. I won’t push it anymore. I’ll see if I can get a few more puppets, and if I manage to get some extras, I’ll send them your way,” Mo Nian said, respecting Long Chen’s decision.
“Then let’s part ways here.”
Long Chen and Mo Nian exchanged a pat on the shoulder before nodding and setting off in separate directions.
Long Chen then took out a compass that Xia Chen had made for him, which indicated the direction of the High Firmament Academy. However, he was so far from the academy that the needle couldn’t pinpoint a precise direction. After activating it ten times, with it pointing in one general direction seven times, Long Chen decided to head off in that direction.
Even though Long Chen was in a weakened state, he wasn’t worried at all. After all, he still had Huo Linger and Lei Linger. If Mo Nian hadn’t summoned his puppet back then, Long Chen would have called them out to battle. However, it was good that he didn’t have to do that.
Unable to absorb all the energy they had consumed, Huo Linger and Lei Linger had turned the excess energy into runes and sealed it within their bodies for gradual digestion. The amount of sealed energy was almost beyond their limits, resulting in them being able to only unleash a tenth of their full power. Anything bigger than that might break down the seal, which was very dangerous. This was why they had only unleashed one attack in the battle of the Heavenly Flame Devil Domain.
In truth, they would have preferred not to use such a large amount of energy. The devastation they unleashed was meant to be sealed and digested over time, and once released, only a small portion could be retracted. The rest was gone for good.
Thus, it was best for them to not fight for now. It was like they had eaten too much, and once they started fighting, they would vomit it all out.
However, they could still handle an average six-vein Heaven Saint without significantly affecting their seals. Thus, Long Chen felt confident and set off without healing properly.
“Just where does the problem lay?” Long Chen murmured to himself. He had activated the Eight Star Battle Armor according to his old experience, but something was clearly wrong. This issue had never occurred before. What had gone wrong?
At first, the Eight Star Battle Armor was activating properly, but just as the power of the eight stars was about to fully connect, they went out of balance. It was as if a spinning top, which started smoothly, suddenly collapsed from the inside at its highest speed.
Fortunately, Long Chen had Evilmoon at the time. Evilmoon was the only thing capable of enduring all his power; otherwise, his body would have exploded. Any other weapon would have failed catastrophically. Just thinking about how close he had come to disaster made him sweat.
“The problem is that you can no longer use the Starry River of the Sky Art to cover up the energy fluctuations of the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art,” remarked the Earth Cauldron suddenly.
“Senior, didn’t you need to go into seclusion?” asked Long Chen, startled but delighted.
“I’ve sealed the energy I absorbed. Now, it’s a matter of slowly refining it,” replied the Earth Cauldron. “Let’s talk about the Eight Star Battle Armor. Did you have a clear premonition that, with it, your power would be comparable to a Human Emperor’s? Even if you were a bit weaker than a true Human Emperor, it would only be the slightest bit, and with your combat experience and techniques, you’d be able to fight them to the death, right?”
“Yes, exactly, that’s what I felt! It was a very clear feeling!” Long Chen nodded. If not for this feeling, he wouldn’t have made such an arrogant claim. It wasn’t bragging but confidence drawn from the depths of his soul.
“Your premonition was correct. However, you were lacking domineeringness. Afraid of others recognizing your status, you use the Starry River of the Sky Art to cover up your aura. That’s what resulted in the failure. I will tell you clearly, from now on, you can no longer use the Starry River of the Sky Art to cover up the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art because the Eight Star Battle Armor’s power far surpasses the limits of the Starry River of the Sky Art,” explained the Earth Cauldron.
“In other words, I can no longer conceal my status?” asked Long Chen, his heart shaking.
The Earth Cauldon responded, “Correct. The Eight Star Battle Armor embodies a supreme Yang force. It is wild and domineering. You must have the courage to advance without hesitation, to face a hundred deaths without regret. You were fortunate to have Evilmoon’s help, but there may not be a next time. The aura of the Eight Star Battle Armor is established and will not permit you to mask it with any other force. Now, try using the Starry River of the Sky.”
Long Chen immediately attempted to summon the Starry River manifestation, but there was no response. It felt as if his body had lost the pathway for the Starry River of the Sky Art’s circulation. Even his memories of it became hazy.
“This is...” Long Chen’s jaw dropped in shock.
“The Starry River of the Sky Art has been absorbed by the Eight Star Battle Armor. You can now only use the true Nine Star Hegemon Body Art!” said the Earth Cauldron.
“I see. So that’s the case.” Long Chen understood. As he focused, the starry sea in his Dantian began to circulate rapidly, and a powerful aura swelled within him.
Unable to contain his excitement, he shouted, “Eight Star Battle Armor!”
At his command, eight stars illuminated behind Long Chen simultaneously, and a supreme Yang force radiated throughout the air.