Chapter 1129: Essence Refining Void Returning Formation  

Everything in the Ruined World was completely destroyed, and they slowly crumbled into dust. Even the Star Ship that was riddled with holes from Kou Chongxue’s sword qi was nowhere to be seen.

Under such circumstances, no one knew if the squads that arrived could find anything useful.

Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue also started to make their way back to the Spirit Luxuriant World by then. As they had to bring someone else along, they were no longer able to move as quickly as before.

Through the journey, they managed to gain a lot of information from the rank four Formation Grandmaster. He was called Gu Qing, and was a wandering Formation Master who managed to arrive at the Star Origin City. Since he defected and revealed the secrets to Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia in order to live, he might as well go all the way. He found no need to hide anything from them and said everything he knew.

According to him, after he wandered his way into Star Origin City, his status as a Formation Grandmaster was revealed and he was secretly recruited by a faction in the city.

He was deployed to the Ruined World next to assist a rank six Formation Grandmaster in laying down the Essence Refining Void Returning Formation. The formation covered the entire platform Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue destroyed back there.

To be more accurate, the platform was actually just the core of the Essence Refining Void Returning Formation.

After completing the formation, they stipped away the tools they used to build it. The only reason they left the formation there was to squeeze out every last bit of value from the Ruined World.

“Are the tools used to lay down the formation contained in the secret cabin in the Star Ship?” Shang Xia asked impatiently.

Gu Qing’s reply caused Shang Xia to be slightly disappointed. He said, “The main purpose of the Star Ship was to collect the completed Essence Crystals and bring all of us back. It only contains a small portion of the tools and resources required to lay down the formation. The most valuable part of the formation had already been brought away by Mister Xigu a long time ago.”

“Is Mister Xigu the rank six Formation Grandmaster? Is he someone from Star Origin City?” Kou Chongxue asked.

Gu Qing shook his head in response, “Mister Xigu’s art of formation is truly amazing and it’s something we can only dream of achieving. However, he is extremely mysterious and has never shown his face. I have been working under him the entire time, but I don’t know who he is exactly. I don’t even know if he’s someone from Star Origin City…”

Kou Chongxue exchanged a glance with Shang Xia, and Shang Xia eventually continued, “What is the true use of the Essence Refining Void Returning Formation?”

Naturally, he avoided mentioning their suspicions as he continued to question.

“As my knowledge in formations is limited and I have not seen the full effects of it, I cannot give a complete description. However, I can tell that the formation is extremely sinister. It’s used to extract every last drop of essence from the Ruined World and the final trace of World’s Will before infusing it into a high-level cultivator to assist in a breakthrough.” Gu Qing explained.

Shang Xia’s senses jolted instantly and he followed up, “Was the activation of the formation a success? I mean… Did you notice a high-level expert breaking through?”

Nodding, Gu Qing continued, “It was almost half a year ago… After the formation was activated and reached its peak state, a majestic aura descended. Because of my inferior cultivation, I was completely suppressed by it. Soon after, I heard a loud roar and someone breaking out into maniacal laughter. Soon after, I fell unconscious. By the time I woke up the mysterious expert had left and we started to dismantle the formation. Only the formation platform was left and we started to gather low-grade essence crystals. Well… You guys came next.”

“As for the mighty figure who let out the loud roar, I believe he succeeded. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so happy.”

Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia nodded slowly. Gu Qing’s explanation made it clear. He spoke in a very concise manner and as a Formation Grandmaster, his judgment wouldn’t be too bad.

That also meant that the mysterious expert Kou Chongxue discovered back then they suspected that the Starry Pavilion Master would have broken through!

That also proved that the Essence Refining Void Returning Formation could assist an expert in successfully entering the fourth tier of the Martial Void Realm!

Since they got the intelligence they wanted, Kou Chongxue turned his attention back to Gu Qing.

Regardless if the mysterious expert was Tong Yutang or not, to be able to deploy the Essence Refining Void Returning Formation meant that they definitely had strong backing.

At the very least, be it the Tongyou Institution or the Spirit Luxuriant World, none of them would be willing to become enemies of that mysterious expert.

Also… Gu Qing, who was the last survivor, was the only person left who could expose Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia as the people who messed with the plans of that mysterious expert!

When Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia fell silent, Gu Qing seemed to have thought of something and he instantly fell to his knees. “I… I can still be of use to you! I am willing to hide my identity and fade away silently without being discovered by anyone! Please… Seniors, please spare my life!”

Shang Xia glanced at Kou Chongxue and saw that the patriarch was chuckling.

Eventually, Shang Xia asked, “You claim that you were a wanderer who found the Star Origin City, but where did you come from? How did you manage to find your way there? If we know nothing about your true origins… How should we trust you?”

Gu Qing saw a ray of hope after hearing Shang Xia’s question and he quickly replied, “I came from a world called the Azure Ring World. We were attacked by Space Bandits and I was captured by them. Because I knew a thing or two about formations, I managed to keep my life. Soon after, the group of Star Bandits that call themselves the World Connecting Gang was plotted against by several worlds and was broken up. They started to flee however they could and the Star Ship I was in managed to enter a spatial tunnel created by a high-level Star Beast in order to shake off our pursuers. However, we were attacked by a Star Beast out of nowhere and we retaliated desperately. We managed to run away from it eventually, but we were lost in the vast sea of stars. Because the Star Ship suffered heavy damage and all of us were exhausted and out of supplies, some people decided to break off from the group. Internal conflict broke out. Helpless, a few of us who reached the Martial Extermination Realm joined forces to venture out into the sea of stars to look for a way to survive. Along the way, some people died and some people chose to leave. When all of us were able to give up, we ran into a patrolling Star Ship from the Star Origin Guards. That was how we were brought back.”

Even though Gu Qing’s origins were slightly questionable and it was the first time Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia were hearing anything of it, Shang Xia seemed to zoom in into another problem.

“Do you know which camp the Star Ship that saved you back then belonged to?” Shang Xia asked.

After thinking for some time, Gu Qing muttered, “If I recall correctly, there were members of the third squad of the Seventh Camp on board. The captain was called Zhou Sidao, and he’s an expert in the Martial Dipper Realm.”

“Zhou Sidao?!” Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia gasped in unison. The name was just too similar to the deputy pavilion master of the Starry Pavilion!

“Did they ask about your origins? After you were sent to the city, did you interact with the Star Origin Guards?” Shang Xia pressed.

“In order to stay alive, we wouldn’t dare to reveal our identities as Space Bandits! We said that we were being hunted down by our enemies and ran into a spatial tunnel created by a Space Beast before running away from it after being discovered.” Gu Qing answered.

Shang Xia raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did you tell them that you were a Formation Grandmaster?”

“Of course I did.” Gu Qing mumbled, “After all, I was only able to stay alive in the hands of the Space Bandits because of my knowledge in formations. I had to do everything to keep my life and hoped that the people who saved me would also value my skills.”

He seemed a little embarrassed, but he still continued, “I didn’t think that after they heard I was a rank four Formation Grandmaster, they would merely chuckle and not pay me too much mind. Only after I was brought to Star Origin City did I realize how backward my thinking was. A rank four Formation Grandmaster is nothing in the city!”

He sighed regretfully after thinking about what happened back then.

He didn’t stay in the city for long as he was recruited by the mysterious power and brought to the Ruined World after he arrived. However, his short stint in the city allowed him to gain a better understanding. He understood how powerful the Star Origin City was. It was surrounded by Azure and Spirit Worlds, and there were no Space Bandits anywhere! Even Star Beast Nests were cleared out the moment they were found. Compared to his world back then, the difference was huge!

“Seniors… Is there something wrong with Captain Zhou Sidao and his squad?” Gu Qing finally realized that it wasn’t time to reminisce about the past as his life was in their hands. He started to think about their reaction and guessed something from Shang Xia’s reaction.

Shang Xia chuckled softly in response, “It’s nothing much. There are many things you left out and after getting back, you better start describing everything about your Azure Ring World and your journeys. In the future, you are definitely going to hide your identity and you will focus solely on this Essence Refining Void Returning Formation.”

“Yes, yes, yes… I will make it as detailed as possible and I won’t leave anything out!” Gu Qing yelled in haste. Eventually, he realized that what they said also meant that they were letting him live, and he started to thank them profusely.

Ten or so days passed and Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue returned with a rank four Formation Grandmaster whose cultivation wasn’t that impressive.

However, his experience was anything but shallow.

What Shang Xia and Kou Chongxue didn’t know was the undercurrents stirring in Star Origin City because of their actions!