Chapter 443: Starry Sky Tomb
The vortex at the end of the Dragon Emperor's secret realm unexpectedly led to the universe where Lu Heng had lived for over twenty years.
This was something Lu Heng had never anticipated.
He had envisioned numerous possibilities for what lay beyond that vortex.
Perhaps it was the treasure trove of the ancient dragon clan, or perhaps it was the place where Fu Xi hid the River Map and the Luo Book. Even if this vortex led to the other realms of the World of Eight Desolations, Lu Heng would not be astonished.
Because he simply couldn't connect the secret realm of the dragon clan with this icy, lifeless expanse of cosmic space.
What profound meaning could the ancient dragon clan have left behind by creating a passage to this world?
Or perhaps, in fact, it wasn't the ancient dragon clan who left behind this passage?
After all, Lu Heng hails from Earth, and it seems there is a myriad of connections between him and the World of Eight Desolations.
Standing quietly in the void of the cosmic space, Lu Heng contemplates various possibilities.
And by his side, the immense silver dragon, curled up into a compact form, has already turned into an ice sculpture within the frigid expanse of cosmic space, its surface covered in a delicate level of ice crystals.
In the Celestial Desolation Realm, a world devoid of any spiritual energy laughs scornfully, it is undoubtedly the most horrifying wasteland for those beings who rely on spiritual energy for survival.
According to the knowledge acquired by Lu Heng from the Candle Dragon, although the spiritual energy in the various celestial realms cannot compare to that of the World of Eight Desolations, it is not completely devoid of spiritual energy, but rather incredibly sparse.
However, the cosmic space before his eyes is completely devoid of any trace of spiritual energy, not a hint of its presence can be felt.
When creatures imbued with spiritual aura arrive here, not only do they become unable to breathe in any spiritual energy, even the spiritual energy within their bodies continuously seeps out and dissipates into the pitch-black expanse of cosmic space.
Only by becoming accustomed to this state of complete spiritual energy extinction, and finding a balance between the two, can one regain consciousness like Lu Heng.
In the vast expanse of the universe, Lu Heng took a deep breath and tentatively extended his hand towards the immense star ahead.
This intensely burning star is the most radiant entity in this expanse of stars, where a turbulent ocean of flames surges on its surface. The colossal corona resembles an ethereal yellow ribbon, gracefully undulating upon the star's surface, unleashing a terrifying energy capable of obliterating planets.
This star is truly spectacular, but the planets orbiting around it are either cold and lifeless or scorching and tumultuous, devoid of any form of life.
In this barren and spirit-free frigid expanse of the universe, Lu Heng's divine consciousness can instantly sweep across a radius of several million kilometers, a speed unimaginable in the Celestial Desolation Realm.
After confirming the absence of any inhabited planets in the vicinity, Lu Heng proceeded to directly draw upon the formidable energy of the immense star.
The surging heat energy continuously flowed towards Lu Heng and ultimately all converged into the tip of his fingertips.
In the span of ten breaths, the colossal star before Lu Heng vanished from sight.
All the matter and energy within the star were engulfed by him, leaving behind not even a trace of ashes.
If this terrifying scene, which defies the laws of physics, were to be witnessed by anyone, it would undoubtedly drive them to madness. However, aside from Lu Heng himself, even the nearby Silver Dragon was deprived of the opportunity to spectate.
After the demise of the star, deprived of its gravitational pull, the orbits of the surrounding celestial bodies within the cosmic expanse suddenly spiraled out of control, each hurtling towards the dark and frigid depths of the universe.
Lu Heng, who stood still in place, silently lowered his hand, confirming his previous intuition.
The combined energy contained within this star pales in comparison to the spiritual aura Lu Heng could inhale in a single breath within the Celestial Desolation Realm.
Not to mention compared to the mortals within the Celestial Desolation Realm, even an ordinary ant within the Celestial Desolation Realm contains a far greater amount of energy in the form of spiritual aura than this star…
In other words, Lu Heng's plan to nourish himself by absorbing the energy of the stars along the way has failed.
The energy contained within this star is so minimal that even if Lu Heng were to absorb all the stars in the entire Milky Way, the energy he would obtain would be like a drop in the ocean for a cultivator of his level.
Regarding the Heavenly Thunder…
Lu Heng furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment, attempting to concentrate his mind and visualize.
Immediately after, his face revealed a look of astonishment.
Because within the cosmic space above his head, a pitch-black calamitous cloud materialized out of thin air. The overpowering aura of impending doom emanated from it, as the terrifying might of a small calamitous cloud already surpassed that of the entire galaxy.
…he could summon calamitous clouds here as well?
Lu Heng directly concealed himself within the calamitous clouds, attempting cultivation, only to discover that the summoned calamitous clouds were no different from those summoned in the Celestial Desolation Realm.
Likewise, he can absorb the power of heavenly punishment within it for cultivation, and the surging heavenly thunder is equally fearsome.
Therefore, Lu Heng's state of mind slightly calmed down.
As long as he could still summon heavenly thunder, he wouldn't have to worry about being trapped and perishing in this icy, lifeless world.
However, this Dragon Emperor by my side…
Lu Heng looked towards the massive silver dragon coiled not far away-an enormous creature even when curled up, boasting an impressive length of ten thousand feet.
However, placed within this vast and desolate cosmic space, it appeared so infinitesimal.
Lu Heng flew to the side of the silver dragon and placed his hand between its two eyes, assisting the Dragon Emperor in stabilizing the turbulent spiritual aura within her body.
After several hours, the slumbering silver dragon finally acclimated to this frigid and desolate unfamiliar world, slowly opening her eyes.
"Brother Lu…"
In the instant that the Dragon Emperor opened her eyes, with a single sweep of her divine consciousness, she immediately understood the treacherous environment in which she found herself.
From her lips, there emanated a cry of astonishment.
"Starry Sky Tomb?!"
The Dragon Emperor, astonished, gazed at Lu Heng and uttered incredulously, "Brother Lu, why have we descended upon the Starry Sky Tomb? This place is truly the final refuge of cultivators, is it not?"
The despairing and shocked appearance of the Dragon Emperor caused a slight bewilderment in Lu Heng.
He inquired, "Starry Sky Tomb… is this expanse of cosmic space called the Starry Sky Tomb?"
Lu Heng inquired, "May I ask, Your Majesty, what is the origin of this Starry Sky Tomb? And what perils lie within? Is it possible for us to return to the Celestial Desolation Realm?"
Lu Heng had initially believed that this place was his hometown, known only to himself, but now it seems… Does the Dragon Emperor possess more knowledge about it than he does?
In the astonished gaze of Lu Heng, the colossal silver dragon silently transformed into the figure of a young girl. With a pained expression, she uttered, "Brother Lu, it is Xiu Ya who has brought harm upon you… This Starry Sky Tomb is a veritable abyss for cultivators. Once one enters mistakenly, escape becomes nearly impossible."
"Being within it, not only is there a complete absence of spiritual energy nurturing, but even the loss of one's own spiritual energy is much faster than in any other world."
"Even a profound cultivator at the innate level will rapidly deplete all the spiritual essence within their body in the Starry Sky Tomb, eventually transforming into a withered corpse floating amidst the vast expanse of the starry sky, devoid of any vitality."
"The only chance for survival lies in escaping before the depletion of spiritual essence within the body. However, Xiu Ya just scanned billions of miles of space with my divine consciousness and discovered that our location is not on the outskirts of the Starry Sky Tomb, but rather in a certain region deep within it."
"And this Starry Sky Tomb is vast and expansive, exceeding the ordinary imagination. We might be unable to escape from it…"
