Both Evan Chu and Wanfeng Chen swallowed hard. Evan forced himself to ask: if he’d just fought this woman, would he have survived?
His answer: difficult!
At least, until he truly unlocked those Big Dipper trump cards, he couldn’t claim with absolute certainty he’d defeat Lena Lin.
There’s always a higher sky, always a heaven-defying genius out there. Not just Evan—every place breeds monstrous talents.
And Lena Lin is definitely one of them. Or, in Wanfeng Chen’s mind, everyone on his personal ranking is a freakish, heaven-defying genius—including himself.
“So... the two big families just let this happen? I don’t buy it. Their four junior clan members show up here—don’t tell me their elders didn’t notice?”
“Uh, of course they know everything that happened here. But who’d dare step in? Would you?”
“Bullshit! It’s not my son who got killed. What I mean is, those two big families are useless, letting one—”
“Forget it, you wouldn’t get it. It’s not just them—even if Lena Lin killed me, my elders probably wouldn’t lift a finger!
This time, everyone’s gathered in Yellow‑Blade Star‑Region for one reason—the Starry Void Sigil! Until that’s settled, nobody’s showing their cards. No matter what happens, you grit your teeth and swallow your pride, endure any humiliation to avoid accidents. Compared to the Starry Void Sigil, forget those four losers—even forty more could die and the two big families wouldn’t say a word.”
"So that's what it means. Looks like I really underestimated just how priceless a Star Core is."
Evan glanced at the still-fuming Lena Lin, secretly guessing at her motives.
The three great clans are all wary of the Starry Void Sigil, acting with extreme caution to avoid trouble. But the Savage Brotherhood? They’re supposed to fear nothing, right?
Based on what just happened, Lena Lin should’ve kept pressing the attack, but Marcus Lin showed up and called her off with just a word. Could the Savage Brotherhood have some hidden agenda for the Starry Void Sigil? Or is there another reason?
But wait! The Savage Brotherhood isn’t a dynasty, and they’ve got no deep-seated grudge with the three clans. Why would they want to stop the clans from getting the Starry Void Sigil?
Plus, the Savage Brotherhood hasn’t sent anyone into the Starry Abyss, and they don’t own any truly powerful Star Core. So what use would the Starry Void Sigil be to them?
Evan pondered all this, his head full of doubts.
The Savage Brotherhood isn’t like the three great clans. The clans might not have a Trial World, but they’ve got star‑regions and home bases.
But the Savage Brotherhood? They don’t. They’ve made too many enemies with all their crimes—every time they fight, they just move on to the next place and keep going! Sure, they’re strong—on par with some dynasties and clans—but they never dare set up a real base.
Why? Because if they did, all their enemies would gang up and attack! At that point, there’d be no way forward, no way back—just a mess. That’s why, all these years, the Savage Brotherhood’s never put down roots. The longest they ever stay anywhere is on their warships.
"Whatever their motive, knowing Lena Lin, she’s not the type to back down just because Marcus Lin said a word.
It’s all weird and suspicious, but in the end, it comes down to four words: Starry Void Sigil! Powerhouses from all sides, plus those three guys from Ink-Xuan, are my biggest enemies and rivals. Is teaming up with Wanfeng Chen really the right move this time?"
Evan started muttering to himself too, since time was flying by—only one day left before the auction officially begins!
“Enough, Brother Chu, don’t overthink it. The plan’s set—changing it now would be even more trouble. Let’s talk about something fun! Hahaha, I hear this auction isn’t just about the main treasure. There are other heaven-defying items up for grabs too.
For example, there’s something that lets you split your divine soul at peak Saint Venerable and form a second avatar. This avatar isn’t like your Nine Element Law Avatars—it’s got your full consciousness and fighting instincts. If you give it a physical body, it can even cultivate and grow stronger on its own!
Evan understood everything Wanfeng Chen said. After all, splurging at Star-Treasure Pavilion isn’t just for show—it’s got real benefits.
But Evan wasn’t interested in that. What he really wanted was that fragmentary map scroll—rumor has it, with that scroll, you can find one of the Seventy-Two Earth-Fiend Stars from the Stellar Ranking!
Any star listed on the Stellar Ranking is beyond powerful. Usually, even Sacred Emperors don’t necessarily have one—but anyone who does will definitely become a Sacred Emperor!
Word is, the Sacred Emperors from the five great sacred lands, and plenty of their future elite heirs, already own stars from the Stellar Ranking.
The Seventy-Two Earth-Fiend Stars—and even the Thirty-Six Heavenly-Gang Stars!
These stars aren’t like Crimson Demon Stars or Blood-stained Demon Stars. Those names actually refer to types of stars.
Just like the lowest-level stars are called meteors, Crimson Demon Stars and Blood-stained Demon Stars are catch-all names for special attribute stars that are thousands of times stronger than ordinary meteors—but still nowhere near the level of the Stellar Ranking.
But the Seventy-Two Earth-Fiend Stars and Thirty-Six Heavenly-Gang Stars are different—every star on the Stellar Ranking is one-of-a-kind! In the Star-River Dominion, you’ll never find a duplicate of any of the Seventy-Two Earth-Fiend or Thirty-Six Heavenly-Gang Stars. Together, these 108 stars make up the true summit of the Stellar Ranking.
And right now, there’s a fragmentary map scroll that clearly marks the location of one Seventy-Two Earth-Fiend Star.
For any cultivator, that’s enough to drive them mad! But the catch is, it’s only a fragment—the value isn’t huge, since it can’t lead you straight to the star.
Trying to find the complete map in a whole star-region? Forget it. If Star-Treasure Pavilion had found the full map, they’d be auctioning that instead—and the price would be sky-high. So, if even Star-Treasure Pavilion can’t find it, who could?
That’s why a lot of would-be buyers started to hesitate.
But Evan wasn’t one of them—he’s the kind who’ll never give up a sliver of hope. That fragmentary map scroll is a must-win for him at this auction!
"Hey! You two—what were you whispering about while looking at your commander just now?"
While Evan and Wanfeng Chen were lost in their own thoughts, a familiar voice rang out, making both of them tense up.
They looked over—wasn’t that Lena Lin herself!
Lena Lin serves as the vanguard commander in Marcus Lin’s legion. She’s used to throwing her weight around, and now she’s looking at Evan and Wanfeng Chen, calling herself ‘commander’ too.
"Uh, miss, is there something you need?"
Wanfeng Chen smiled politely and asked, but saw Lena Lin’s face darken as a golden spear appeared in her hand and began to whirl…