Chapter 2019 — White Serpent in the Starry Sky

Yuan could scarcely believe his eyes as he watched the white serpent drift through the starry sky, devouring stars in its wake.

"Xingrui..." Yuan muttered this name.

It was likely that this entity was the Eater of Stars—one of the Nine Divine Supreme—who had vanished since the Immortal Monarch’s Era. The evidence wasn’t conclusive, but in Yuan’s eyes, there was no doubt.

After all, how many white serpents that could devour stars were out there?

"Xingrui... Isn’t that one of the Nine Divine Supreme?" Feng Yuxiang remarked when she heard this name.

Yuan nodded, "Yes. According to Yeyou, she returned to the starry sky to consume stars after my—the Immortal Monarch’s death."

Feng Yuxiang set down her tea and walked to the window for a look herself, but by the time she arrived, the white serpent had already drifted so far into the void that it looked no more than a speck of white dust.

"She’s... so far away," Feng Yuxiang murmured.

Hearing this, Yuan clenched his fists in frustration. Though they were fortunate to have glimpsed the Eater of Stars, that fortune was bittersweet, as there was no realistic way for them to pursue her.

The flying treasure was on autopilot, and even if Yuan could redirect its course to pursue Xingrui, their chances of catching up were nonexistent. After all, Xingrui was a colossal beast capable of devouring multiple stars in a single bite. For her to appear as nothing more than a speck of dust, she had to be light-years away.

Without the proper flying treasure and sufficient time, it was impossible to catch Xingrui.

’It’d be impossible to pursue Xingrui even if I were a God Ascension realm cultivator right now... If I really want to catch up to her, I’ll need to master the power of the void—at least to the point where I can teleport vast distances.’

’Just wait a little longer, Xingrui. I’ll find you again... soon.’ Yuan swore inwardly as he stood by the window, silently watching the tiny white speck fade into the depths of the void.

For the rest of their journey to the Holy Sword Temple, Yuan found himself reminiscing about his time with Xingrui. In the beginning, she had reminded him of Yingzi—aloof, curious, and utterly lacking in common sense. But as time passed, she grew more composed, and her loyalty to him deepened to unfathomable depths.

Eventually...

"Yuan, we’ve arrived at the Holy Sword Temple," Lan Yingying said, pointing ahead at a massive floating island. At its center stood a towering, majestic structure that resembled a grand temple.

The Holy Sword Temple radiated a brilliant golden light, piercing through the surrounding darkness like a divine treasure suspended in the void.

The golden carriage descended onto the island, landing right in front of the temple gates.

Lan Yingying and the others returned to Yuan’s Dantian before he left the carriage.

"Greetings."

A middle-aged woman wearing golden robes greeted Yuan when he exited the carriage.

"Hello."

"I am the Sixth Holy Sword of the Holy Sword Temple, but you may address me as the Sixth Elder. Can I see your referral?"

Yuan nodded and retrieved not just the crimson badge he received from Xu Jiaqi but also the golden badge from the Holy Sword Maiden, handing it to the Sixth Elder.

"This is..."

The Sixth Elder’s eyes widened with surprise when she saw the golden badge.

"So you’ve received the Holy Sword Maiden’s approval... I believe this is her first time handing out her badge to someone," revealed the Sixth Elder.

"Is that so? I feel honored."

The Sixth Elder nodded and said, "Just so you know, even with the Holy Sword Maiden’s approval, you must pass a trial before you can enter the Holy Sword Temple."

"I am aware. What kind of trial is it?"

The Sixth Elder turned to face a specific direction, where a colossal sword hovered silently above a circular platform, resembling that of an execution site.

"To enter the Holy Sword Temple, you must survive the Blade of Tribulation, a Celestial-grade treasure imbued with Enhanced Sword Qi and a hint of Supreme Sword Aura, with nothing but your own Sword Qi. Even if you somehow manage to survive, it still counts as a fail if you allow the Blade of Tribulation to injure your body," explained the Sixth Elder.

"In other words, using nothing but my Sword Aura, I have to emerge unscathed," said Yuan.

"That is correct."

This meant that Yuan couldn’t exploit the trial with his regeneration abilities and had to rely solely on his Enhanced Sword Aura.

"I’m curious... how many people die in this trial?" Yuan asked.

A cold smile tugged at the corners of the Sixth Elder’s lips as she said, "The Holy Sword Temple receives thousands of challengers each year, yet only five percent manage to pass its trial. In other words, for ninety-five percent, it becomes a graveyard. That said, only those who have yet to enter the God Ascension realm perish since they cannot live without a physical body."

"If I survive but fail the trial, can I try it again?" Yuan then asked.

"Of course, but you’ll have to wait ten years before trying again," she said.

"Alright. Let’s get this over with."

Yuan said as he approached the platform.

"Are you sure? Everyone is given a month to prepare," she stopped him.

He nodded.

"I am sure."

"If you say so."

The moment Yuan stepped onto the platform, an overwhelming pressure crashed down upon him, and that was merely the natural aura of the Blade of Tribulation.

Yuan raised his head to gaze at the blade, a mysterious smile forming on his lips. The Holy Sword Clan likely wouldn’t believe him even if he told them, but this wasn’t his first time seeing the Blade of Tribulation. After all, he was the one who forged it when he was the Exalted Blacksmith. In fact, the Blade of Tribulation was crafted during the God of Creation Ceremony.