"That's right." Wu Kuang nodded. "This star map must be something you obtained from that Star Region."
"You could tell that too?" Yang Kai stared at him in astonishment.
Wu Kuang chuckled. "It's not that I have especially sharp eyes — only those Star Regions can produce a star map like this one."
"How come?" Yang Kai asked eagerly.
Though he was itching to kick Wu Kuang out of his sea of consciousness, the chance to have someone illuminate these mysteries was rare enough that he ought to seize every question he could before sending him packing.
Wu Kuang pondered for a moment, then spoke. "In this world, everything has an Origin. Grass and trees have their plant Origins, Sacred Spirits have theirs, and even the brilliant stars possess Star Origins. The power of Origin is the wellspring of all strength — endlessly profound, boundless in might. The great power of heaven and earth is the Origin power of heaven and earth itself, a force that has existed since the very dawn of creation. If we martial cultivators could glimpse even a fraction of it, the benefits would be immeasurable."
Yang Kai listened with rapt attention, his expression deadly serious. Despite the Devouring Emperor being reviled by all, his strength was undeniably extraordinary, and the chance to hear his instruction was an exceptionally rare opportunity.
Wu Kuang raised a hand and pointed toward the space above the sea of consciousness, speaking flatly. "This star map is also an Origin."
Yang Kai let out a sharp breath. "This is also an Origin?"
Wu Kuang smiled faintly. "Indeed — and not just any Origin. It is the Origin of a Star Region!"
"The Origin of a Star Region?" Yang Kai's eyes went wide.
Wu Kuang said, "You can think of it as the Origin power of an entire Star Region. With your current abilities, you probably lack the means to refine it. But if you could, you would discover its uses are truly inexhaustible. Still… you probably won't get the chance."
"The Origin of a Star Region…" Yang Kai murmured the words, then asked with genuine humility, "What use would refining it be? Could it help our Cultivation the way a Star Origin does?"
Wu Kuang snorted. "That's merely one of its minor functions. If a martial cultivator possesses a complete Star Origin, his cultivation speed will far outstrip that of other cultivators. That is because Origin power can help a martial cultivator comprehend many things — Laws, for instance, or Intent. A cultivator who possesses a complete Origin is already ahead of others from the very start. And the effect of a Star Region's Origin is dozens, even hundreds of times greater than that of any single complete Star Origin."
Yang Kai could not help but draw in a sharp breath.
He had a complete Star Origin, and the benefits had been enormous. But Wu Kuang was telling him that this Star Region Origin was dozens or hundreds of times more powerful than that. The revelation left him thoroughly shaken.
"Furthermore, if you were to refine this Star Region Origin, it would be tantamount to gaining the recognition of the entire Star Region. You would become its master — everything within the Star Region would be within your grasp, and its existence or destruction would be decided by a single thought!"
Yang Kai mused, "Wouldn't that be the same as being a Star Lord?"
Back when he had been the Lord of the Dark Star, he had been able to monitor the entire Dark Star with a single thought and could disregard the barriers of space to travel anywhere on it at will.
According to Wu Kuang, if he could become the master of a Star Region, he would enjoy all those same conveniences — and more.
Yang Kai's mind began to race. The star map in his sea of consciousness was a map of the Heng Luo Star Region. If he could fully refine it, he would become the master of the Heng Luo Star Region, holding the entire domain in his hands!
"You could put it that way, only magnified many times over," Wu Kuang agreed with a nod. His tone then shifted. "However, refining a Star Region's Origin is no simple matter. In my time, I destroyed countless Star Regions and even found several Star Region Origins, yet I never once succeeded in refining one."
"Why is that?" Yang Kai asked in surprise.
Wu Kuang bared his teeth in a grin. "Because the Star Region Origin refused to accept me. In a fit of rage, I devoured them all."
The corner of Yang Kai's mouth twitched.
Wu Kuang continued, "As long as a Star Region's Origin still exists, no matter how badly the Star Region itself has been damaged, it can eventually recover. But if the Star Region's Origin is destroyed, then that Star Region is truly finished — much like a person's soul. Once the soul is scattered, there is no salvation for all eternity!"
"Despicable!" Yang Kai spat.
Wu Kuang let out a cold humph. "Whoever dares to resist me — whether it be a person or anything else — has never met a good end!" As he spoke, his icy gaze settled on Yang Kai, laden with tremendous pressure, as though delivering some implicit warning.
Yang Kai pretended not to notice and was about to press further for secrets when his expression suddenly shifted.
Wu Kuang said indifferently, "Enough. Small talk ends here. I was in a decent mood, so I humored you with a few words. Now, obediently offer up your body, and I may spare your life."
Yang Kai laughed out loud. "You want my body? Come and take it yourself if you can."
Wu Kuang slowly shook his head. "I considered you a talent worth cultivating and intended to spare your life. Since you insist on being so stubborn, there is no reason to keep you around."