Back then, the Star Lord of Purple Star, Zi Long, had fallen out with Yang Kai over his son's affairs and was slain in the starry void by Yang Kai and his Avatar working together. This left Purple Star rudderless for years, plagued by constant infighting, until eventually Zi Wuji took over as the new Star Lord.
But before Zi Wuji could even enjoy the pleasures of being an overlord, the Great Desolation Star Domain invaded.
Due to years of internal strife, Purple Star's strength had diminished greatly compared to the old days. Unable to put up any meaningful resistance against the powerhouses of the Great Desolation Star Domain, it was uprooted in less than half a year, losing several Cultivation Stars in the process.
Seeing which way the wind was blowing, Zi Wuji took some of his subordinates and defected to the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, enjoying a spell of peaceful days.
But when the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce could no longer hold out either, he had no choice but to join Xue Yue and the others in fleeing to the Tongxuan Continent.
The Sword Alliance had fared much the same. Over the years, the warriors of the Great Desolation Star Domain had run rampant throughout the Heng Luo Star Domain. If even the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce couldn't withstand them, the Sword Alliance naturally stood no chance either. One after another, the great powers that had once stood at the pinnacle fell into ruin.
This was why all of them had gathered here.
The Nine Heavens Holy Land was the last sanctuary for all of them, the final flicker of hope. If they couldn't hold this place either, then vast as the star domains were, there would be nowhere left for them to go.
They had not been sitting idle these past years. Once they detected the Yellow Springs Sect setting up the Eight Desolations Formation, they launched repeated harassment raids, seeking battle. But the Eight Desolations Formation was simply too powerful—they couldn't break through its defenses. Prolonged exposure to the dark miasma left them dizzy and their Holy Yuan depleted. Though they managed to kill a few, they were all insignificant pawns, hardly making a dent in the Yellow Springs Sect's grand design.
It could be said that this group, together with the Nine Heavens Holy Land, had reached the end of the road. Though they didn't know the exact purpose of the Eight Desolations Formation, they could sense that once the great formation was activated, even Xia Ningshang would no longer have the power to protect them.
The foundation of the Tongxuan Continent was simply too shallow. If this had been a star like Dark Star or Water Moon Star, with a Star Lord holding court, the warriors of the Great Desolation Star Domain would never have been allowed such brazen impunity.
"How is Miss Xia doing these days?" Zi Wuji asked in a hushed voice.
Gu Jianxin cradled his ancient longsword and slowly shook his head. "I haven't seen her in two months. The last time I saw her... ah, better left unspoken."
Such a person, suffering such torment because of the devastation wrought by the Great Desolation Star Domain—it was more than Gu Jianxin could bear to witness.
"Is Miss Xue Yue taking care of her?"
"Mm." Gu Jianxin nodded. "They're as close as sisters. It's only natural that she looks after her."
"That Brother Yang Kai is quite the lucky man," Zi Wuji chuckled lightly, then added, "But he's hardly a man's man—running off on his own and leaving his women here to suffer."
Gu Jianxin's brow furrowed at that. As a sword cultivator, his nature was straightforward and decisive, which meant he didn't much care for people speaking ill of others behind their backs. But it was a free country, and even though the remark sat poorly with him, he saw no need to argue.
Truth be told, he himself felt Yang Kai had been a bit excessive.
To leave for decades without a word of contact, leaving several women to fend for themselves across the star domains—whether he truly couldn't return or had simply long forgotten these women of his, if it was the latter... that would be truly sorrowful.
Zi Wuji said with a trace of envy, "Miss Xia is not only beautiful on the outside but brilliant within—gentle and serene. If I, Zi, could be so fortunate as to catch her eye..."
"Brother Zi!" Gu Jianxin's head snapped up, his gaze carrying a silent warning.
Others might not know, but he was all too aware that from the moment Zi Wuji had first laid eyes on Xia Ningshang, he had been utterly smitten, his words laced with admiration on more than one occasion. Gu Jianxin had pretended not to notice—in their current precarious situation, with Zi Wuji being a Void King Realm Stage Two powerhouse, picking a fight over such matters simply wasn't worth it.
But today's remark had been far too blunt.
Then again, even though Miss Xia always wore a veil that obscured her true features, anyone who laid eyes on her couldn't help but feel their heart skip a beat. Xue Yue was certainly no less remarkable, but years of holding high office had given her an air of command that kept people at a distance. Xia Ningshang, on the other hand, despite being a Star Lord and a Void King Realm Stage Three cultivator, never put on airs and possessed a gentleness beyond measure. What man wouldn't be captivated by such a woman? She was the very model of a devoted wife and loving mother—to have her as one's bride would be the fortune of ten lifetimes. It was only natural that Zi Wuji would be smitten.
Perhaps Zi Wuji also harbored thoughts of climbing higher through her influence. After all, Xia Ningshang was a Star Lord—if he could truly win her hand, advancing to the Void King Realm Stage Three in the future would hardly be a pipe dream.
Gu Jianxin and Zi Wuji weren't particularly close—they had rarely crossed paths before coming to the Tongxuan Continent, and he didn't know the man's character all that well. But seeing him speak so recklessly now, he felt compelled to issue a warning.
Setting everything else aside, the moment Zi Wuji showed even a hint of such intentions in front of others, he would certainly be shut out by Xue Yue, Meng Wuya, and the rest.
Zi Wuji, realizing his slip of the tongue, laughed awkwardly. "Lucky man, indeed. Lucky man." It was unclear whether he was referring to Yang Kai or himself.
Meanwhile.
In a side chamber within the inner hall, Xia Ningshang lay in bed, her breathing faint, a thin shroud of dark miasma clinging to her body as though she were gravely ill.
As the Tongxuan Continent had been poisoned by the Yellow Springs Sect, the impact on her as Star Lord was the most direct. The Eight Desolations Spirit-Locking Formation clung to her like a set of shackles, and the eight formation nodes were like festering sores on her body, gnawing away at her vitality with every passing moment.
Her veil had been removed, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty that could captivate the hearts of all who beheld it. Her complexion was deathly pale, tugging at one's heartstrings as she breathed in and out with labored gentleness.
Xue Yue sat at the bedside, holding her hand and refusing to let go, her heart consumed with self-reproach.
When Water Moon Star had fallen, she had been cornered with nowhere to turn and had come to the Tongxuan Continent to seek Xia Ningshang's protection. But now, in hindsight, it had been a terribly wrong decision.