"Who trapped us?" An expert at the Primal Origin Realm appeared in the branch, striking out with his palm. His palm strike slammed onto the spiritual array like a tidal wave, but a bizarre scene unfolded as the array absorbed it like a cushion of cotton.
The wraiths themselves carried no real offensive power and couldn't kill even someone at the Heaven Profound Realm. But the true strength of the Calamity Wraith Array lay in the word 'calamity.' It intercepted all force exerted within and redirected it outward, creating the illusion of a grand battle from the outside.
Crowds had already gathered on the streets outside the branch. The more the Primal Origin Realm cultivator attacked inside, the louder the rumble grew outside, creating the illusion that two experts of his level traded blows.
"Did experts from the Azure Thunder Sect come?" people whispered, startled. Only cultivators at the Primal Origin Realm could stir such a commotion.
"Impossible! The Azure Thunder Sect wouldn't dare storm the Immortal Slaughter Palace's branch so openly," someone retorted. Though the two forces had a long-standing feud, neither would dare strike so brazenly.
"Why not? The Immortal Slaughter Palace attacked their branch just days ago and razed it to the ground," another person retorted heatedly.
Suddenly, fire exploded into the sky, visible across half of Ancient Orchid Star. They released the distress signal only in life-and-death crises.
"This is bad! Our branch is under attack! Return at once!" The disciples stationed at the teleportation arrays shouted and abandoned their posts as they rushed to reinforce the branch. All forces of the Immortal Slaughter Palace surged back toward their compound.
After the Immortal Slaughter Palace destroyed the Azure Thunder Sect's branch, they rented a temporary courtyard that now swarmed with experts.
"What's happening? Who's attacking the Immortal Slaughter Palace's branch?" a Primal Origin Realm elder demanded, frowning.
Meanwhile, chaos boiled over at the branch. Waves of disciples streamed back, but the array barred them from entering, forcing them to strike at it from outside.
Watching the spectacle, Liu Wuxie's lips curled into a smile. "Time to go."
The Calamity Wraith Array held for only fifteen minutes at most before collapsing. He had spent ten thousand astral stones to craft the flags, and their sole purpose was to delay the branch. He spent a vast expense, but it was worthwhile. Most cultivators at the West Street teleportation array had already rushed off to watch the uproar.
At West Street, He Yingwu waited anxiously. The Immortal Slaughter Palace's guards had just departed, yet Liu Wuxie was nowhere in sight. If they didn't leave soon, their chance would vanish.
At that moment, a familiar figure appeared.
"Let's go," Liu Wuxie said without hesitation. He dropped five thousand astral stones into the teleportation array's slot. The array stood nearly empty now, with only a handful of cultivators remaining.
People loved a spectacle, so most left to watch the chaos unfold elsewhere.
As light rippled across the teleportation platform, Liu Wuxie and He Yingwu exchanged a breath of relief. They stepped into the teleportation corridor, uncaring of where it led. Leaving Ancient Orchid Star and escaping the Immortal Slaughter Palace's pursuit was enough.
Liu Wuxie already had a route in mind, heading toward the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain. Using super teleportation arrays, they would need a few hundred thousand astral stones and half a month's travel.
Fortunately, their fortune from Anlu Star had given them the means. Otherwise, they would still be trapped to death there, even with the Heavenly Dragon Sect's location in hand.
Back at the branch, the Calamity Wraith Array finally shattered. The formation lasted only about ten minutes, and even if no one broke it, it dissipated on its own.
The instant the barrier fell, the Immortal Slaughter Palace's experts inside rushed out, while those outside stormed in. The two torrents collided head-on at the main gate, bodies flying and tumoring across the ground.
Those at the very front slammed into each other, bruising faces and breaking noses. The ridiculous sight drew a wave of laughter from the watching crowd.
"Elder Duan Li, weren't you under attack? What happened? Why is everyone unharmed?" Disciples and elders returning to the branch stared in confusion.
"We were duped! Someone set a spiritual array to lure you all back," Duan Li spat, grinding his teeth as realization dawned.
"What?" Gasps echoed. Even bystanders froze in disbelief. Who would dare to toy with the Immortal Slaughter Palace ?
"Damn it! It has to be the Azure Thunder Sect!" furious elders and disciples growled, convinced their old enemy was behind it.
"No, not the Azure Thunder Sect. I suspect that brat Liu Wuxie," Duan Li said grimly, his face dark.
The Azure Thunder Sect was powerful, but such a trick didn't fit their style. If they attacked, they would do it openly.
The gate's two disciples hurried over, recounting everything they had seen in detail.
"A Heaven Profound Realm cultivator? Then it must be Liu Wuxie!" someone exclaimed. What began as a hunch had now turned into certainty.
Everyone sucked in a cold breath. The boy not only remained under their noses but also stirred up chaos at their branch. Anyone else would have fled as far as possible, yet Liu Wuxie had marched straight to their gates to cause trouble.
"Not good!" Duan Li's face suddenly changed. Stringing the events together, he instantly grasped the truth.
"Elder Duan, what is it?" the disciples asked nervously.
"Liu Wuxie lured you all back so he could slip through the teleportation array and escape Ancient Orchid Star!" Duan Li roared as he shot toward the nearest platform on West Street.
The crowd followed, realizing Liu Wuxie's ploy. He created chaos, forced their retreat, and slipped away through the gap.
When they arrived at the west street teleportation array half a minute later, it was already empty. Only a few stragglers remained. Liu Wuxie was gone.
"Damn it! Damn it all!" Duan Li roared, slamming his palm onto the ground. The teleportation platform quaked violently, buildings shuddering as though struck by an earthquake. His fury had reached its peak.
So many Primal Origin Realm experts fell for the tricks of someone at the Heaven Profound Realm, and worse, they let him escape. The humiliation burned. Yet even they could not construct such a flawless array.
When the Azure Thunder Sect's people arrived shortly after, they too inhaled sharply in disbelief. Even they could not imagine a Heaven Profound cultivator pulling this off.
The crowd fell into stunned silence. No one knew which coordinates Liu Wuxie chose. The Laman Astral Domain was vast; finding him now was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The news of what happened would spread like wildfire. For the first time in a million years, the Immortal Slaughter Palace had suffered such humiliation.
They had always stood at the pinnacle of the Laman Astral Domain. None dared defy them. Yet in just a few days, someone had slapped them across the face.
The Azure Thunder Sect remained silent. A flicker of relief stirred in their hearts. Liu Wuxie had merely used them, not targeted them. Otherwise, sleeping soundly would be impossible with such an enemy.
Light shimmered when Liu Wuxie and He Yingwu stepped from the teleportation array. They drew deep breaths beneath a clear blue sky, finally free from the Immortal Slaughter Palace's pursuit.
He Yingwu's emotions spilled across his face, but Liu Wuxie remained calm. He knew freedom from the Palace didn't guarantee safety. The astral domain was vast, riddled with dangers. With their current cultivation, any misstep could spell disaster.
Wits and strategy had carried them this far, but cunning alone wasn't enough. Their escape from Ancient Orchid Star had relied on opportunity, the feud between two great powers, and his strength to suppress the gate guards.
In the end, strength was the only answer. Without it, nothing else mattered.
Liu Wuxie had to raise his cultivation quickly, at least to the Transcendent Realm, if not the Origin Conversion Realm, if he wanted any say in the astral domain. Astral stones alone were not enough.
They could fuel his energy consumption, but he also needed pills, treasures, and cultivation chambers—resources not always available, even with wealth. His desolate world had already compressed a hundredfold, its purity and density rising equally. To climb further, he would need vast amounts of treasure.
The astral domain was rich with such treasures. If he became strong enough, he could claim them all.
After recent expenditures, less than four hundred thousand astral stones remained.
"Wuxie, where are we going next?" He Yingwu asked, unwavering. He would follow Liu Wuxie anywhere, even into death. The past month had taken him through storms of emotion, yet his resolve had only strengthened.
"To the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain. We'll join the Heavenly Dragon Sect," Liu Wuxie said firmly. His goal was clear. Han Feizi required the Dragon Origin Herb, and only the Heavenly Dragon Sect's Mount Sumeru held it.
That meant he had to join them. He would also rely on their strength to open the Astral Domain Path.
"You found their location?" He Yingwu rejoiced. He knew all about Han Feizi and the True Martial Continent.
Liu Wuxie nodded. He had pinpointed the sect's location, but he didn't know if it still existed. Many sects had perished over the ages, though their names remained marked on maps.
Without pause, Liu Wuxie and He Yingwu left the teleportation site. They dared not linger, lest the Immortal Slaughter Palace trace them.
They turned their journey into a zigzag, hopping from planet to planet to throw off pursuit. By the fifth day, they had reached the border of the Laman Astral Domain.