71: Star Realm

The clamor of the Inner Academy seemed to be isolated by an invisible barrier.

Xiao Chen held a star-glowing token and stood atop a solitary peak.

Ahead, in the void, a radiant gate constructed from countless swirling starlight quietly floated, emanating an ancient and vast aura.

This was the entrance to the Star Realm, the most mysterious cultivation secret realm in the Inner Academy.

Only students on the strong ranking list's top fifty were qualified to enter and cultivate within it.

"According to ancient texts, the Star Realm is a fragmented space opened up by an ancient powerful being of the academy.

The power of the stars within it is dense, the flow of time is slightly different from the outside world, and it even contains a trace of the origin of the stars...

I hope to break through my bottleneck with this," Xiao Chen took a deep breath, his eyes resolute.

Although he was firmly in the top fifty of the strong ranking list, his cultivation as a One-star Dou Zong was not superior among the Inner Academy's top students, and his soul realm was stuck at the bottleneck of Spirit Realm Great Perfection.

He needed stronger power to deal with the potential threat of the Soul Hall and to uncover the mysteries of the Xiao Clan.

Stepping into the light gate, the surrounding scenery instantly transformed.

It was no longer the mountains of Jia Nan Academy, but an endless void.

Beneath his feet was a brilliant galaxy, and above his head were colossal stars within reach, emitting soft yet majestic starlight.

The energy here was not merely ordinary spiritual energy, but a more ancient and pure Power of the Stars.

When absorbed into the body, it felt as if every cell was cheering.

At the same time, Xiao Chen could clearly feel that the flow of time here was about thirty percent slower than the outside world.

"It truly is a treasure trove!" Xiao Chen rejoiced inwardly, his soul perception spreading out.

He chose a massive meteorite, floating in the void where the Power of the Stars was densest, as his place of secluded cultivation.

Sitting cross-legged on the meteorite, the Myriad Souls Returning Flow Art and the Soul Emperor Canon circulated simultaneously.

The vast Power of the Stars, as if drawn by a magnet, transformed into visible silver light bands, continuously surging into his body.

Within his Qi Sea, the Dou Qi stars rotated and condensed at an unprecedented speed.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, his soul's origin, illuminated by the starlight, became increasingly brilliant and pure, and the barrier leading to the Heavenly Realm seemed to loosen slightly.

Cultivation knows no time.

After an unknown period (perhaps only a few days outside, but nearly a month within the realm), Xiao Chen's aura had surged, successfully breaking through to Two-Star Dou Zong!

But he did not stop, continuing to guide the Power of the Stars to assault higher levels.

On this day, as he was immersed in deep cultivation, his Spirit Realm Soul keenly captured an unusual fluctuation.

It was not the Power of the Stars, but an extremely subtle yet ancient and imposing aura, like that of the primordial wilderness, emanating from the deepest part of the Star Realm.

"What is that?" Xiao Chen's heart tensed with vigilance.

He reined in his aura and quietly moved towards the source of the fluctuation.

Passing through a dense asteroid belt, the sight before him made his pupils contract.

In the void, a petite figure (Zi Yan) was fiercely battling a star beast, formed from starlight and resembling a giant lion!

The star beast's strength was formidable, comparable to a Five-Star Dou Zong, its body shimmering with starlight, its attacks ferocious.

Zi Yan was clearly struggling, blood spilling from her lips, and the power of her Ancient Void Dragon seemed to be suppressed in this place.

"Roar!" The star beast's giant claw tore through the void, about to strike Zi Yan.

Xiao Chen didn't hesitate.

His figure moved, his Illusory Spirit Steps executed to the extreme, instantly joining the battle!

He did not confront the star beast head-on, but instead, his Spirit Realm Soul power transformed into invisible threads, skillfully guiding the star beast's attack trajectory, while simultaneously pointing a Soul Breaking Finger, imbued with the Power of the Stars, at the weak point of the star beast's energy core!

"Chirp!"

The star beast's movements paused, letting out a painful roar, its offensive instantly collapsing.

Zi Yan seized the opportunity, letting out a delicate shout, her Ancient Void Dragon bloodline boiling.

She punched out, the space vibrating, finally defeating the star beast, which dissipated into pure star energy.

"Xiao Chen? What are you doing here?" Zi Yan panted, looking at the suddenly appearing Xiao Chen with surprise, her big eyes full of confusion.

Then she pouted, "Hmph, nosy, I can handle it myself!"

Xiao Chen smiled faintly, not arguing, but his gaze fell behind Zi Yan.

There, a small tree, crystal clear and seemingly carved from ice crystals, floated.

On the tree hung three dragon-eye-sized fruits emitting a dreamlike starlight.

"This is... the star ancient dragon fruit?" Xiao Chen recalled the description in an ancient text.

This fruit contained a trace of the origin power of dragons and stars, making it a treasure for those with dragon bloodlines, and also remarkably effective for soul cultivation.

Zi Yan protectively blocked the fruit tree: "Hey! I found this first!"

Xiao Chen shook his head: "I'm not interested in it.

I'm just curious, why did you venture alone so deep into this place?"

The depths of the Star Realm were fraught with danger, far exceeding the outer regions.

Zi Yan's eyes flickered, and she stammered a bit: "None of your business! Can't I come looking for something tasty?"

But a hint of anxiety in the depths of her eyes did not escape Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen's heart stirred, and his soul perception carefully swept over Zi Yan.

He found that although her aura was strong, there seemed to be a subtle, almost imperceptible disorder deep within her bloodline, like... signs of a loosened seal?

Connecting this to the origin of the Ancient Void Dragon and the secrets of Jia Nan Academy, he vaguely guessed something.

Zi Yan's presence here was probably not just for "tasty things," but more likely to use the power of the star ancient dragon fruit to stabilize or break through some kind of barrier.

"There's more than just this one star beast in the depths of the Star Realm; you're too dangerous alone," Xiao Chen mused, "I have no interest in this fruit, but I can guard you.

After you collect the fruits, we can leave together."

Zi Yan looked at Xiao Chen suspiciously, saw his clear eyes, not appearing to be faking it, hesitated for a moment, and nodded: "...Okay, I guess you still have some conscience.

But if you dare to steal them, I'll beat you up!" She said, waving her small fist.

Xiao Chen chuckled, guarding her from the side.

Zi Yan quickly picked the three star ancient dragon fruits, carefully put them away, and a relieved joy appeared on her face.

The two returned to the outer region together.

Along the way, they encountered several waves of star beast attacks, but with Xiao Chen's strange soul interference and Zi Yan's dominant physical strength working in tandem, they overcame them with little danger.

After this battle side-by-side, their relationship seemed to have eased considerably, no longer as confrontational as before.

Returning to the cultivation meteorite, Zi Yan swallowed a star ancient dragon fruit and began her secluded cultivation.

Xiao Chen also felt that after the previous battle and close contact with the origin aura emanating from the star ancient dragon fruit, his Spirit Realm Great Perfection bottleneck had loosened again, and his understanding of the Power of the Stars had deepened by another layer.

"Perhaps, I can try to assault Three-Star Dou Zong and comprehend a trace of the... Power of Space contained within the Star Realm?" A glimmer of anticipation flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes.

He closed his eyes again, immersing himself in cultivation.

The opportunities in the Star Realm were far more than he had imagined.

And the secrets hidden within Zi Yan seemed to be inextricably linked to this Star Realm, and even to the broader world.