Among the many stars of the Star Domain, the various Cultivation Stars each operated under their own unique heavenly laws, resulting in significant differences between them.
Whether it was the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the resources they produced, the number of cultivators who lived upon them, or the heights those cultivators could attain—all varied enormously from one Cultivation Star to another.
Take the Profound Origin Continent, for example. The spiritual energy there was exceedingly sparse, and the martial artists could only cultivate up to the Saint Realm before hitting their absolute limit.
On certain Cultivation Stars, the ceiling for cultivators was the Great Emperor Realm, or the Void Return Realm…
Although the Dark Star possessed abundant spiritual energy—more than sufficient to support a cultivator's advancement to the Void King Realm—the suppression of its natural laws prevented anyone from perceiving the mysteries of that realm. All they could do was look on helplessly.
Among those many Cultivation Stars, the most prosperous few were claimed as the main stars of various great powers.
The Heng Luo Merchant Alliance's Water Moon Star, the Sword Alliance's Sword Star, Purple Star's Purple Radiance Star…
These main stars surpassed all other Cultivation Stars in every respect.
Green Wood Star, on the other hand, was merely an ordinary Cultivation Star—roughly comparable to the Dark Star, though about half its size.
Before the Green Wood Palace, Gu Jianxin's warship descended slowly. Below, Sword Alliance cultivators had already assembled to welcome them.
At their head stood a beautiful woman—striking of face, graceful of figure, clad in a dark robe that strained against the fullness of her chest, her slender waist barely graspable by a single hand, her long legs straight and shapely. A warm, amiable smile graced her features, and her luminous eyes held a thousand unspoken charms, an air of mature elegance wafting around her.
The moment Gu Jianxin stepped off the warship, he called out with genuine warmth: "Aunt Lan, it's been so long!"
The beautiful woman addressed as Aunt Lan smiled sweetly. "Greetings, Young Alliance Master. Your subordinate has been awaiting you for quite some time."
With that, she executed a graceful curtsy, and the cultivators behind her hurried to bow as well.
"There's no need for formalities—we're all family here, Aunt Lan," Gu Jianxin replied with a grin. It was clear he held a close relationship with this woman.
"Etiquette must not be neglected!" Aunt Lan returned with a gentle smile. Her expressive eyes swept past the figures behind Gu Jianxin. She offered Qin Wuhui a slight nod in greeting before her gaze settled on Yang Kai, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face.
She knew precisely who typically accompanied the Young Alliance Master, yet Yang Kai's face was entirely unfamiliar to her. A casual sweep of her divine sense revealed him to be a Void Return Realm, third-stage cultivator. Naturally, that gave her pause.
"The wind is strong out here—let's go inside first," Gu Jianxin said, not immediately offering an introduction for Yang Kai, but instead gesturing toward the palace.
A sharp glint flashed through Aunt Lan's beautiful eyes before she smiled, pressing her lips together. "Of course. Please follow me, Young Alliance Master."
With that, she took the lead and guided them inside.
The Green Wood Palace was the signature structure of Green Wood Star—the Sword Alliance's headquarters on the planet, the place from which all affairs of Green Wood Star were managed.
Yang Kai followed behind without a word, taking the opportunity to observe the woman called Aunt Lan more closely.
Though he hadn't released his divine sense for a thorough examination, the impression she gave him was unmistakable—she was a Void King Realm powerhouse.
It made sense. Green Wood Star was critically important to the Sword Alliance, so having a Void King Realm cultivator stationed here was perfectly reasonable. This woman called Aunt Lan was likely a first-stage Void King, since the aura she projected was comparable to Li Minghai's, but fell far short of Luo Hai's level.
The Green Wood Palace covered an expansive area. Once inside and the uninvited bystanders had been dismissed, Gu Jianxin finally introduced Yang Kai properly.
Through his introduction, Yang Kai learned that the beautiful woman's name was Luo Lan. As he had suspected, she was indeed a first-stage Void King.
"Aunt Lan is the Star Lord of Green Wood Star, responsible for all Sword Alliance affairs here," Gu Jianxin explained.
"Star Lord?" Yang Kai's expression shifted slightly.
"Haha, no need to be surprised, Brother Yang," Gu Jianxin said with a knowing smile, as though he had anticipated exactly this reaction. "This 'Star Lord' isn't the kind of Star Lord you're thinking of—it's merely a title."
"Just a title?" Yang Kai relaxed. After all, in his understanding, any true Star Lord was a third-stage Void King—only at that level did one possess the power and qualification to refine a Star's Origin.
Luo Hai had become the Star Lord of Cuiwei Star purely through luck, while Yang Kai himself had become the Star Lord of the Dark Star thanks to Yang Yan's considerable help.
Luo Lan was merely a first-stage Void King. If she could truly become a Star Lord, it would have to mean she had encountered an extraordinary stroke of fortune!
But if it was merely a title, then there was nothing remarkable about it. Any Void King the Sword Alliance dispatched to govern Green Wood Star could be called Star Lord.
This "Star Lord" was nothing more than a position, a label—without any of the conveniences or advantages that a true Star Lord enjoyed.
"Young Brother seems quite surprised. Could it be that you've met a genuine Star Lord before?" Luo Lan's feminine intuition was razor-sharp. She read something in the subtle shift of Yang Kai's expression and made an immediate deduction.
"Well… a few years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Lord Luo Hai on Cuiwei Star," Yang Kai offered casually.
"Luo Hai, hmm…" Luo Lan murmured. "A few years ago? That would mean Young Brother must have participated in the Blood Prison Trial?"
"Yes."