In a fully sealed underground chamber deep within the central palace complex of the Flowing-Light Dynasty's base star-region, two figures sat—one seated, one standing.
The Flowing-Light Holy Emperor wore a troubled expression, unsure how to address Elder Warren Wu before him.
Though this old man before him possessed only Saint Lord Realm cultivation, he was the one person the Holy Emperor would respect for life. Not for any other reason, but simply because his current power and position were entirely thanks to Elder Warren Wu!
Long ago, within the Flowing-Light Dynasty, countless years before, this supreme Flowing-Light Holy Emperor had been nothing but a low-ranking squad leader—no background, no backers, and not even close to matching the trial-world geniuses of the dynasty.
Yet, by chance, he met Warren Wu, and out of pure sympathy, saved Warren’s life and gave him much help. Even the Holy Emperor himself never expected that those favors would be remembered for a lifetime, and that Warren Wu would help him rise, step by step, until he became the first in Flowing-Light Dynasty history to defeat the trial-world geniuses and ascend the throne as Holy Emperor—starting from a mediocre background!
"Elder Warren, what exactly is going on? Surely you can explain things to me now."
"Explain? Sigh! Some things simply can't be explained! The situation before us—how could it be just about the Dragon-Chen Legion? Even if we decide to go to war and somehow defeat Dragon-Chen, what then? What's the point? And if we lose? It'll be even worse!
As for so-called dynasty dignity—ha! What a joke. The moment the Pearlstream Dynasty and Phantom-Star Dynasty lost, we had already lost every shred of dignity.
Right now, all we can do is pray that the Dragon-Chen Legion leaves soon and doesn't make any further moves. Otherwise... we'll face truly terrifying consequences."
Elder Warren's words made the Holy Emperor's brow twitch. "Is it really that serious? Is Evan Chu truly that formidable?!"
"Sigh! Your Majesty, you still see too little. The real threat isn't just Evan Chu alone. Didn't the latest reports say a genius young master from the Mansfield Family has joined Dragon-Chen Legion as a military strategist?
And it was only after Evan Chu paid some enormous price that he managed to bring this person in!"
The Holy Emperor's expression finally shifted, especially when Warren Wu mentioned the Mansfield Family—his face clearly darkened.
In all the Flowing-Light Dynasty, only the Holy Emperor who once saved Warren Wu knew that his real name wasn't Warren Wu, but Warren Mansfield! Because he committed a grave crime within the Mansfield Family, he was stripped of clan status and forbidden to ever use the Mansfield surname.
Thus, 'Mansfield' sounds like 'discarded'—Warren Mansfield was cast out and became Warren Wu.
By blood, Warren Wu was once a direct-line Mansfield, a genius disciple, and though separated by several generations from Desmond Mansfield, they were not distant relatives.
And likewise, Warren Wu understood better than anyone the Mansfield Family's methods for cultivating and training their heirs—their schemes, intelligence, and more. He was certain that if Desmond Mansfield went all out, he might even surpass Evan Chu's current power!
The Holy Emperor before him was only average in talent, yet with Warren Wu's guidance had reached his current position. Now imagine: if Evan Chu, whose foundations are tens of thousands of times greater, were guided by Desmond Mansfield—just how far could he rise?
With that, it was even clearer—Dragon-Chen Legion garrisoned outside the base star-region must have greater ambitions, and they weren't small ones! Warren Wu wanted nothing to do with it, but those brainless generals still wanted to provoke a direct clash. It gave him a real headache.
"Elder Warren, I understand your point. But... if that's all there is to it, how can we convince everyone? Are we really supposed to be scared stiff by a snot-nosed brat from some noble clan?"
Warren Wu gave a bitter smile. "That's why, Your Majesty, these things can only be said to you."
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
"The Mansfield Family... isn't as simple as it looks on the surface. Every disciple's cultivation talent is actually quite limited—even after countless millennia, they rarely produce a true powerhouse. But there is one thing: Mansfield Family disciples possess an ability that ordinary people simply don't have.
Especially among the direct bloodline, this ability is even more pronounced!"
"What is it?"
"The Star-Gazing Art!" Warren Wu said, his heart aching faintly. It was because he accidentally ruined a major Star-Gazing Art ritual that determined the clan's fate that he was cast out as a discarded child.
"The Star-Gazing Art isn't just ordinary fortune-telling—it's a method of peering into fate, great fortune, and even fragments of Heaven's secrets! This ability comes from a hidden bloodline talent, and it's stronger than anything the Star-Treasure Pavilion's sages can cultivate. That's why the Mansfield Family's direct line is full of brilliant strategists.
In other words, it's not that they're smarter—it's that they see things no one else can. So, although the Mansfield Family rarely produces powerhouses, every one who does survive lives an incredibly long time. That's because they have countless ways to avoid disaster and can see through fate and opportunity to find the perfect breakthrough moment.
Here's the most obvious thing: among the direct bloodline, there are few with high cultivation but many with high intelligence. The real powerhouses are mostly from side branches, which don't possess the Star-Gazing Art. Why? Because every time the Star-Gazing Art is used, it drains so much of one's own power that a direct-line disciple you see at Saint Venerable Realm could have had the potential to break through to late Holy Emperor or even Sacred Emperor!
Tell me, isn't that terrifying?
And another thing—the Mansfield Family has stood firm since ancient times, never advancing but never declining. Yet now, just as the southern Star-River Dominion's dynasty war has ended, the clan is opening up a Star Core and establishing a Trial World, staking their entire future on Evan Chu.
Was it really so simple? Could the Mansfield Family's most gifted disciple be exchanged for a mere price?
No, this time the dynasty war ended with the Pearl-Frost Dynasty as the final victor, but the ultimate winner within it was Evan Chu alone. His power increased, his own strength grew, and he gained the support of extraordinary talents.
Moreover, when Evan Chu gained Desmond Mansfield's help, the farthest Star-Cloud Imperial Star in the Star-River Dominion began to stir! Only those Mansfield Family disciples with star-gazing bloodline truly understand what that means.
The era of the Three Thousand Dynasties is coming to an end. Since the close of the Wild, Ancient, and Primeval eras, we are about to enter the fourth Age of Declining Law."
When Warren Wu finished speaking, he seemed to age several years all at once.
"The Age of Declining Law?!" The Flowing-Light Holy Emperor, of course, knew all too well what those four words meant.
"That's right—the Age of Declining Law! Think about it: I chose to support you out of desperation, and look where you are now—your realm, your status. But this time, Evan Chu is the one the Mansfield Family has chosen to stake everything on! As for the outcome... who can say? What about us?
Evan Chu's merit overshadows all. The struggle for supremacy in the Star-River Dominion has only just begun...
With those final words, Warren Wu fell silent, and the Flowing-Light Holy Emperor asked no further questions.