Chapter 17 The Wise Man
Bai Zhe sat on the throne in the deepest part of the Divine Court. That throne was no ordinary object, but was woven from countless vines of life.
The vines are adorned with crystal-clear leaves that radiate a pale green glow. Each vein whispers the rhythm of life, telling the secrets of nature's birth.
He sat there quietly, like an ancient ruler slumbering in the long river of time, his eyes slightly closed, his expression solemn and serene. Yet beneath that seemingly calm exterior lay a turbulent ocean of thought.
The secrets of the Star Beast Forest are like layers of curtains, hidden deep in the void. Only by using the power of the Space Godhead can one explore the information flow that is scattered in the spacetime rifts.
These messages are like stardust in the void—faint and chaotic, yet subtly revealing a mysterious order.
Bai Zhe slowly unfurled his mental net, capturing those fragments of information.
This is a long and tedious process—each piece of information seems to carry the breath of the world, yet it is fragmented and disordered.
Bai Zhe is like a patient weaver, carefully selecting and weaving, piecing together the fragments into a complete picture.
Time flowed by like a stream, and after an unknown amount of time, he finally pieced together a clearer picture:
By day, it is a vibrant paradise—giant vines entwine ancient trees, and exotic flowers bloom among the canopies, emitting an ethereal glow. Thick moss covers the ground, rivers meander like silver chains, and strange beasts roam among the vegetation, emitting clear calls, like a natural symphony.
However, at night, everything changes completely.
As the stars descended, countless star beasts fell from the sky. These monsters, bathed in starlight, took on various forms; some resembled giant birds with sharp claws, while others looked like colossal beasts formed from meteors, each exuding a destructive aura.
They have no preference for prey—any living thing that can move will become their target.
The earth trembled under their trampling, and the forest collapsed under their sharp claws.
The Star Beasts' slaughter had no rules, only a pure desire for destruction. And the original inhabitants of that world, even the most powerful beings, were like ants before the Star Beasts, utterly powerless to fight back.
Bai Zhe quietly "watched" these scenes, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"This is a world unrestrained by order," he thought to himself, "but that's precisely why it's worth conquering."
Awakening from his reverie, Bai Zhe gently raised his palm, and a golden scroll of divine pronouncements appeared in the void.
He infused it with divine power, and the scroll of divine pronouncements instantly transformed into a dazzling golden light, heading straight for the holy city of the Holy Terra Empire.
Moments later, the entire empire received the command from the gods:
— "Accelerate the construction of the portal."
—"Conscript more troops."
The war machine of the Holy Terra Empire was instantly and completely activated.
Inspired by the divine oracle, every city and every piece of land within the empire became bustling with activity.
In the center of the holy city, the construction of the portal unfolded like a grand epic.
Enormous magical instruments roared incessantly, stone pillars were covered with halos inscribed with mysterious runes, priests raised their hands high and chanted ancient incantations; countless craftsmen and wizards busied themselves, using spirit stones, holy gold and void ore to build bridges to another world.
At the same time, troops began to assemble throughout the empire.
From remote border towns to bustling city castles, legions upon legions, fully armed, marched toward the holy city. They carried high battle flags engraved with the emblem of life, their armor gleaming in the sunlight, as if the very air itself was thick with the scent of war.
Moreover, the priests of the empire traveled far and wide, proclaiming to the people the "great mission of the God of Preservation":
"In that distant world of star beast jungles, there are countless suffering souls living in dire straits, yearning for God's salvation."
"We are warriors of the God of Preservation, shouldering the mission of spreading divine light!"
A fervent religious atmosphere spread rapidly, and tens of thousands of young people eagerly joined the army.
They longed to become messengers of God, to step into the unknown world and bring order and glory. They believed that God's will was the ironclad law of justice, and that conquest was the path to hope.
Meanwhile, in the God of Creation, the Black Goats, the servants of the White Goat, have become unusually active.
These hideous monsters are formed from countless malice and life elements. They come in various shapes: some have spiral-shaped giant horns, some have tentacles on their backs, and some have split abdomens to reveal writhing flesh and blood cores.
They rampaged through the divine court, emitting deafening roars, and wherever they passed, the ground was corroded and barren.
However, Bai Zhe didn't care about this.
"Very good…" He gently stroked the armrest of the throne, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Everything is ready. Once the portal is completed, we will be able to cross the sea of stars and step into a new world."
His voice echoed in the divine court like a whisper, revealing a cold excitement and ambition.
When Bai Zhe's gaze returned to the void, it was as if he could see the outline of the Star Beast Jungle world through layers of space. His eyes gleamed with a strange light, a mixture of longing for the unknown world and an endless fervor for conquest.
"Star Beasts…" he murmured, his voice like a whisper carried on the night wind, with a divine majesty and coldness.
Tremble!
"I, the God of Existence, have arrived!"
As the last word fell, the entire divine court resounded with the frenzied roars of the black goats, as if sounding the terrifying war drums for the impending conquest.
While Bai Zhe was actively preparing for battle, a huge crisis was quietly approaching in the distant Star Beast Forest world.
In a quiet valley, the afterglow of the setting sun shines through the ancient tree canopy, scattering golden light onto the moss-covered stone steps.
This is the sacred land of the Xiguang tribe, an ancient ruin hidden among towering mountains. Time seems to stand still on this land, and an awe-inspiring tranquility permeates the air, so much so that even the wind dares not disturb its contemplation.
In the center of the valley, an ancient stone platform stands silently, covered with intricate celestial runes. The runes gleam softly in the afterglow of the setting sun, like the faint light of distant stars, telling the story of this world's long and mysterious history.
Before the stone platform, an old man dressed in a linen robe stood silently. He was thin and hunched over, his hair was as white as snow, and the years had etched deep lines on his face.
However, his eyes remained sharp, as if they could pierce through the void and gaze directly at the tide of destiny in the future.
This is Mu, the Great Sage of the Dawn Tribe, the Starry Sky Wise Man—the wisest elder in the Star Beast Jungle world, and the inheritor of the ancient Star Way. He uses astrology as his art, and can glimpse future revelations from the trajectories of stars. He has warned of the arrival of star beasts countless times, saving countless tribes from destruction.
At this moment, Mu's expression was more solemn than ever before.
He stared at the stone platform, where a blurry, unseen figure was appearing on its empty surface.
The phantom was circular, its edges flickering with an unstable light, like a ring of dancing flames. At the center of that light, however, lay a deep, dark void, like a gigantic eye opening in the night, staring intently at the world.
Mu frowned and muttered to himself, "This is... a portal?"
His voice echoed in the empty valley, trembling slightly.
This wasn't the first time he'd encountered records of portals. In those dusty ancient texts, he'd read legends about these mysterious passages—bridges connecting different worlds, bringing distant, otherworldly realms to life. The appearance of portals often foreshadowed a great upheaval or a devastating catastrophe.
But those were just obscure words in the book, taboo words from ancient legends. He never imagined that one day he would actually see them with his own eyes.
The darkness within the phantom slowly spun, nurturing some unknown power. Mu closed his eyes, extended his withered, bark-like hand, and gently touched the ethereal image. The moment his consciousness touched the phantom, it was pulled into a cold and unfamiliar space.
That place was filled with the atmosphere of another world.
A distant, otherworldly will emanated from the depths of the void, a strange, fanatical, and oppressive power reverberating within Mu's consciousness. This power was neither the savagery of star beasts nor the mystery of stars, but rather an existence brimming with vitality yet containing the potential for destruction.
"This is… a power of conquest." A sense of fear rose in Mu's heart.
His mind raced, recalling fragments of prophecy from ancient texts:
"When the stars descend once more, when darkness engulfs the earth, invaders from another world will breach the void barrier, bringing irreversible calamity and destruction."
Mu had always believed that the prophecy spoke of an invasion of star beasts. Those monsters that descended from the stars would slaughter countless lives every night, plunging the entire world into an abyss of despair.
But now, a terrible thought has surfaced in his mind—the "invaders" in the prophecy may not be just star beasts.
"Could it be that powerful beings from another world will also set foot in our world?" Mu muttered to himself, his unease growing stronger.
He looked up at the sky. The light of day was gradually fading, and night was quietly falling. One by one, the stars in the sky began to light up, like countless cold eyes watching over this fragile land.
More complex emotions surfaced in Mu's eyes.
On one hand, he loathed those star beasts. They were like an inextinguishable nightmare, descending every night to bring death and destruction. Mu had prayed countless times under the starlight, hoping for a more powerful force to completely wipe these calamities from the world.
However, when this power actually appeared, he felt unprecedented contradictions and fear.
The aura of that other world was too violent, too aggressive. It might be able to destroy the star beasts, but at what cost? The freedom of this world? Its future? Mu couldn't be sure.
"Will we usher in new hope, or new enslavement?" Mu murmured, his eyes filled with confusion.
His gaze fell on the stone platform, where the blurry portal was still slowly rotating, like a giant eye peering into everything in this world.
He closed his eyes, and he could almost hear the wails of the young warriors in the Xiguang tribe.
Last night, the Star Beasts ravaged this land. The defenses of the Dawn Tribe were completely breached, countless warriors fell in pools of blood, and even the earth was stained black and red. Sorrow and fear enveloped the entire tribe, and only despair remained in the hearts of the people.
They couldn't stop it from happening.
Invaders from another world have breached the first barrier, and the phantom of the portal is gradually taking shape. When it fully opens, a new catastrophe may engulf the entire Star Beast Jungle world.
"Perhaps... the only option is to let them fight each other with the star beasts," Mu said in a low voice, his tone revealing a hint of helplessness and determination.
He raised his head and looked up at the sky.
The day is drawing to a close, and the starry night is quietly approaching