Shocking the Nine Heavens With My Sword
Chapter 472 - 456 Star Gate Opens (1/3)

Chapter 472: Chapter 456 Star Gate Opens (1/3)

"If you didn’t hear me, fine!" Zhou Heng made as if to leave.

This bastard!

The Moon Shadow Saintess was so angry she could hardly stand it, yet the word "Star Gate" had truly struck at her vital point, preventing her from putting on airs. Not only that, but she had to humble herself, not for her own sake but also for the thousands of lives at the East Spirit Immortal Pond.

For the sake of her master’s legacy, she had no choice but to swallow her pride!

"Please, wait a moment!" She stopped Zhou Heng in his tracks, trying her best to put on a smile.

"That’s hardly sincere!" Zhou Heng shook his head.

The Moon Shadow Saintess clenched her fists so tightly that the cracking of her knuckles could be heard, a sign of the extent of her inner rage. Yet, she still could not vent her anger and said, "Please come to the mountain for a talk!"

"I really shouldn’t, Mid Peak doesn’t welcome male guests, and I wouldn’t want to put you in a difficult position!" Zhou Heng feigned reluctance.

"It’s not a problem!" The Moon Shadow Saintess said through gritted teeth.

"Really?"

"Really!" The Moon Shadow Saintess looked at Zhou Heng with the feeling of seeing that despicable donkey, itching to give him a thorough beating.

"Seeing as you’re so sincere, then I suppose I could make an exception!" Zhou Heng finally nodded and agreed.

The disciples of the East Spirit Immortal Pond all showed expressions of sorrow and indignation, but they dared not speak out because they too knew of the doomed fate of the Xuanqian Star and that the Star Gate tied to everyone’s lives!

They could die for their sect, but none could bear the sin of being responsible for the end of their sect’s legacy. How could they face their ancestors after death?

Thus, they also had to endure!

Not only endure, but they also had to be thankful to Zhou Heng, for this was indeed a grand benevolence, an obligation they could not refuse.

Following their arrival at Mid Peak, they were served fragrant tea. The Moon Shadow Saintess could no longer hold back and asked, "Do you know of any Star Gates that are still usable?"

"Hmm!" Zhou Heng no longer played with her curiosity, lest the saintess truly explode with rage. But he quickly counter-asked, "Are all the other Star Gates on the Xuanqian Continent unusable?"

"The former masters of the Four Great Death Places used the Star Gates to arrive here and, to prevent others from contending with them for the Immortal Fate, they destroyed all the Star Gates!" The Moon Shadow Saintess explained.

Such ruthless tactics!

The masters of the Four Great Death Places were well aware of the fate that would befall the Xuanqian Continent after the formation of the Star Core, yet they still ruthlessly destroyed all the Star Gates, essentially cutting off all hope of survival for the people of this planet!

The expression, "One man’s success builds on the bones of many," takes a darker tone with them; in order to become Immortals, they were willing to let the lives of an entire planet pay the price!

This is also why Li Wujie had to take the risk of traveling using a Flying Artifact; because the Star Gates leading to the Xuanqian Continent had all been destroyed, and if he wanted to compete for the Immortal Fate on the Xuanqian Star, this was the only way left.

However, there were not many who dared to take such a risk like Li Wujie, or to say, he was not the only one who set out, but he was the only one who safely arrived at Xuanqian Star in the end.

Unfortunately, not a single one of the former masters of the Four Great Death Places died!

"Zhou Heng, where is that Star Gate?" The Moon Shadow Saintess asked with some excitement.

"Seven Lush Mountains!" Zhou Heng did not conceal it.

"What!" The Moon Shadow Saintess could hardly believe it. She had not failed to search the Seven Lush Mountains before, but at that time, there were four Heavenly Venerates watching her back, leaving little time for a thorough search.

"In that case, the Great Eternal Emperor must have gone to other stars. With his talents, he could definitely have become an Immortal!" she added, a trace of dissatisfaction on her pretty face because the East Spirit Heavenly Venerate had indeed perished.

Zhou Heng hoped this was the case. If the once greatest Emperor had perished tens of thousands of years ago, it would really have been such a pity!

"Then, I shall take my leave. I’ll be waiting for you at Seven Lush Mountains!" Zhou Heng bowed and said.

"I won’t see you out!" The Moon Shadow Saintess said through clenched teeth, her previous restraint not meaning she had forgotten the matter with Gu Lingfei.

Zhou Heng left East Spirit Mountain and returned to Bright Moon Country as quickly as possible.

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion had declared the matter of the Star Gate to all and also limited the announcement of the imminent destruction of the Xuanqian Star, causing the whole world to boil over in turmoil and panic.

It was perfectly understandable; once the Xuanqian Star collapsed, all would have but one path—death!

Was the news reliable? Aside from the fact that it came from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the natural disasters that had occurred continuously over the past two years were enough to convince everyone!

One had to hurry to Seven Lush Mountains, or life would not be guaranteed!

In an instant, who knows how many noble families and sects began large-scale migrations, all heading towards Seven Lush Mountains.

Zhao Duotian was a man who acted decisively and, on the third day after Zhou Heng’s departure, had already mobilized his entire family to migrate. Although it was impossible to completely relocate the family’s wealth, at such a crucial point for survival, how much time could they afford?

Ying Mengfan and the other girls, Black Donkey, and Little Foodie were waiting at the Zhao Family for him. Once Zhou Heng returned, they did not linger any longer but set off immediately to find the Old Swindler.

— Zhou Heng needed to know exactly where the Star Gate led to, whether it was one-way or two-way. This was of utmost importance.

Fortunately, this time the Old Swindler had not gone far, and Zhou Heng quickly found the old man.Upon learning that there was a Star Gate in the Xuanqian Continent, the Old Swindler made no excuses and expressed his willingness to accompany Zhou Heng and the others. Although they weren’t the first to set off, they were the fastest to arrive at the Seven Lush Mountains because they were all Half-Step Immortals. The Old Swindler immediately began to study the Star Gate and finally came up with results after half a day. "This Star Gate is Flawless, and it will operate as long as enough Upper Grade Spirit Stones are provided," the Old Swindler said very solemnly. This matter involved numerous lives, and even this extremely wretched old fellow had to treat it with the utmost seriousness. "Senior, do you know where this Star Gate leads to?" Zhou Heng asked. The Old Swindler hesitated for a moment before saying, "Using the Starlight Projection Technique, I can trace the celestial coordinates the Star Gate corresponds to, but my current cultivation level is not enough, and it may cost me a great deal of vitality! However, all creatures under the heavens are living beings, I dare not take it lightly, so I will give it a try!" "Senior is great!" Zhou Heng flattered him, a compliment that cost nothing. The Old Swindler closed his eyes, and his body was covered in the Glazed Immortal Light, sent out in waves toward the far reaches of space. His lecherous vibe completely faded, replaced with a dignified and sacred bearing. However, soon sweat began to roll down his forehead and his body shook violently. "Ah——" He suddenly yelled out, retreating more than ten steps with quick stomps, and then opened his eyes. "Senior, how did it go?" Zhou Heng hurriedly asked. "This Star Gate leads to the Dragon River Continent, it’s a one-way Star Gate!" The Old Swindler gasped for a good while before he could speak. A one-way Star Gate! Zhou Heng frowned. This meant that those who used the Star Gate to go could never return to Xuanqian Star. He had initially planned to escort everyone to the opposite side of the Star Gate, stabilize their footing, and then return to the Xuanqian Continent to compete for the Star Core. But now it seemed he had to choose one or the other. If he went to the Dragon River Continent, he would not be able to come back to fight for the Star Core! What should he choose? "What a pity, the Xuanqian Star is about to collapse, and there are only three years at most before the Star Core will fully solidify. Just how many people can pass through the Star Gate in such a short three years!" the Old Swindler suddenly said with a touch of emotion. Zhou Heng remained silent. Three years was indeed too short! Let alone if there were enough Spirit Stones to keep the Star Gate open indefinitely, just how long would it take to gather several hundred billion people from this continent here? Hundreds of years? Maybe even a thousand years could not suffice! The Xuanqian Continent was simply too vast; for ordinary people, even if they spent their entire lives traveling, they could not cross the entire continent. Even with the Star Gate now, it could only help a portion of the population escape, just an insignificant fraction. Why didn’t the Great Eternal Emperor disclose the fate of Xuanqian Star earlier, so that everyone could leave through the Star Gate? After pondering for a while, Zhou Heng shook his head. Back then, there were hardly a few who would believe in the doomsday of Xuanqian Star! Moreover, with tens of thousands of years ahead, who would be willing to leave everything behind and move to a different place? Tens of thousands of years, that’s how long they had - even a Divinity Transformation Realm Heavenly Venerate could only live around five thousand years. Who would concern themselves with such a distant future? "Kid, don’t take it to heart. After all, you finding this Star Gate can save countless lives, which is a great merit!" the Old Swindler said solemnly. "Then give me a humanoid puppet!" Zhou Heng replied. "No way!" Zhou Heng inquired in detail about the operating process of the Star Gate and the number of people that could be transported each time, and he got ready to open the Star Gate. He was waiting for the various powers to arrive; relying solely on himself, he didn’t possess enough Upper Grade Spirit Stones to keep opening the Star Gate indefinitely. He must mobilize the entire continent. Therefore, he not only had the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion notify all human forces but also included the Heavenly Demon and Night Demon Imperial Dynasties, as well as the Sea Clan. With all the preparations in place, Zhou Heng continued his attempts to break through to the Divinity Transformation Realm while patiently waiting. Soon, Seven Lush Mountains would become bustling once again. A month later, Zhao Duotian led the Zhao Family members and arrived first, followed closely by the Mei Family and the Bai Family. There was no time to waste. With the help of the Moon Shadow Saintess, Zhou Heng immediately opened the Star Gate and sent the first group away. As a large number of Upper Grade Spirit Stones instantly evaporated, the Divine Altar shone brightly, and a Gate of Light formed between the pillars. People walked through one by one and disappeared, until after a hundred people had gone, the Gate of Light began to destabilize and soon trembled. The Divine Altar dimmed. So many Upper Grade Spirit Stones were only enough for a hundred people to traverse the Star Gate! It was nothing compared to the insatiable appetite of the Ten Refinement Diagram, but it wasn’t far off. As time passed, more and more people arrived at the foot of the Seven Lush Mountains. Even though the major clans and powers had brought a plethora of Upper Grade Spirit Stones, easing the Star Gate’s energy concerns, the transport through the Star Gate took time! The rate at which people were being sent through now couldn’t keep up with the rate of arrivals. Naturally, nobody wanted to be left behind. What if Xuanqian Star suddenly perished? But with Zhou Heng in charge, who would dare to act rashly! Therefore, the people visiting Zhou Heng in the following days were endless. They appealed to his emotions, provided rational explanations, and even offered temptations of beauty - all in an effort to get their families or sects to leave this land that could collapse at any moment. If Zhou Heng were willing to ease the exit for them, let alone twins or quadruplets, he could fill a few rooms with mother-daughter pairs alone. (To be continued. If you like this book, welcome to recommend and vote for it at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)