The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 295 Stars Like Rain

In an instant, the Boundless Star Diagram beneath the feet of the Ziwei Emperor was torn apart, first revealing countless cracks, then countless starlight flashed, revealing a massive sheepskin scroll.

It turns out that the "Diagram of Limitless Stars" was just a cover-up.

What the Ziwei Emperor truly wanted to unfold was this Zhou Tian Xing Chen (a celestial constellation array) diagram!
In the starry sky, 36,500 main stars shone brightly at the same time, and all the stars were silenced, completely sealing off this space and separating it from the Three Realms.

From top to bottom, the thirty-three heavens are naturally included.

After the Ziwei Emperor swatted the giant dragon away with one palm, he turned to look at the Jade Emperor. As he looked at the Jade Emperor, a beam of starlight that reached the heavens and the earth descended, like a raging tide that was about to engulf the Jade Emperor.

Although the Jade Emperor had already used the divine power of "One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones," compared to the Ziwei Emperor's meticulous planning and step-by-step strategy, he was still a step behind, and the three incarnations had not yet fully taken shape.

The moment the starlight touched him, the Jade Emperor's eyes changed, and for the first time, a solemn expression appeared on his face. The next moment, nine dragons of energy burst out of his body, enveloping his magical power. Instead of retreating, he advanced and rushed into the starlight.

A fleeting moment of ultimate brilliance.

When the starlight faded, the Jade Emperor's figure was revealed. He still stood proudly in mid-air, his dragon robe still on, but the flat crown on his head had disappeared. He suddenly opened his mouth, his face turned as pale as paper, and he spat out a mouthful of bright red imperial blood.

"So you've already been injured? What happened to your protective merits? It seems that your rapid advancement in cultivation over the years has come at a price in other ways. Look at yourself now, with such thin luck. Where is the aura of a ruler of the Three Realms?"

Emperor Ziwei said, but he showed no mercy. A beam of starlight pierced the heavens and earth, pouring into his body. His aura rose steadily, and he easily broke through the limit of the Great Luo and touched the realm of the Saint.

"I overestimated you. The Zhou Tian Star Formation—you actually colluded with the demon race. You were already in contact with Kunpeng when you were conquering the North Sea, weren't you? Or even earlier? You promised Beiju Luzhou? The current trend of the Three Realms lies with humans. To ally with the demon race is tantamount to going against the tide. Besides, what kind of person is Kunpeng? Do you think he'll be satisfied with just taking Beiju Luzhou? You're asking a tiger for its skin!"

The Jade Emperor licked his lower lip; he was badly injured. The three avatars beside him had fully formed, creating a triadic arrangement that protected the Jade Emperor's true form in the center.

"Now that things have come to this, what's the point of saying all this? With the blessing of this Zhou Tian Star Array, even if I transform into the Three Pure Ones, you will no longer be my match."

The Ziwei Emperor took a step forward and immediately appeared in front of the Jade Emperor. A giant hand of starlight pressed down, and the Jade Emperor was as insignificant as an ant under the palm.

"You think you've got me cornered? This formation, though exquisite and unparalleled in power, has extremely obvious weaknesses. The array requires such complexity and has so many key points that it may seem impregnable from the inside, but from the outside, it can be easily dismantled by attacking it piece by piece."

As the Jade Emperor finished speaking, the starlight hand that the Ziwei Emperor had been pressing down suddenly paused, and half of the twinkling stars in the sky dimmed.

"I have ruled for countless eons, and many star lords have been promoted by me. You thought your actions were very discreet, but I just wanted to see how far you could go. Now it seems you have truly disappointed me. I gave you some hope, and you fell into my trap without hesitation," said the Jade Emperor.

"After all these years, you are still so arrogant and self-important!" The Star Body only dimmed slightly, and the annihilation of half the stars seemed to have little effect. "What you see is only because I want you to see it."

The palm was pressed down again.

how come?
The Jade Emperor's eyes widened suddenly. For the first time, he felt that things were out of his control. But the giant hand of starlight was already upon him. In the blink of an eye, his main body and three avatars attacked together. Thirty-six giant dragons rushed out and merged into one. Their eyes were filled with determination. They had just been born, but they were about to rush towards death.

The dragon's body, which stretches for thousands of miles, is longer than this starlight-filled hand, yet appears slender and frail.

After a moment's thought, the Jade Emperor understood that although this formation seemed to have many key points, the most important ones were actually the three hundred and sixty-five main stars in the very center. As for the other stars, they only played a significant role in providing starlight at the very beginning, and then their effect was negligible.

While the Ziwei Emperor could not completely control all the stars, he could still ensure that his most trusted confidants occupied those 365 stars within his authority.

The dragon and the starlight hand collided.

The starlight shattered.

The dragon let out a mournful cry and its vapor turned into smoke and clouds.

The three avatars that the Jade Emperor manifested dimmed instantly.

But this delay allowed the other hidden forces outside to begin to take effect.

Among the 365 main stars, one suddenly dimmed rapidly. The Star Body of the Ziwei Emperor fluctuated, and this was just the beginning.

Then, one after another, in an instant, another fifty or sixty stars sank into darkness.

Nearly one-sixth of the formation's core was lost.

The Ziwei Emperor's Star Body was about to collapse, and the array beneath his feet was also on the verge of crumbling.

"How is it possible? How could you..."

Emperor Ziwei narrowed his eyes.

"That's why I say you're asking a tiger for its skin!" the Jade Emperor said.

In an instant, a glint of lightning flashed in the eyes of the Ziwei Emperor. He immediately understood that it was Qingyi who had placed a star lord in Kangsu. Although it seemed insignificant, as long as one dug deep, everything could be discovered. This was a very small detail.

Kunpeng seemed to be planting a nail in the Zhou Tian Star Array, but in reality, it was to make the Jade Emperor aware of it. If he had a smooth journey this time, how could Kunpeng have had the opportunity to interfere? After the matter was accomplished, how could he have willingly handed over that province to the demon race?

The Purple Star Emperor remained silent.

"Even if it means dealing with a tiger for its skin, there's no turning back now!"

Emperor Ziwei said in a deep voice. The next moment, while the Star Body was still intact, he struck the Heavenly Court below with his last palm.

……

Thirty-third heaven.

Within the forbidden area, the Queen Mother gazed at the starry sky, her face ashen.

The force that just wiped out dozens of stars was none other than the 100,000 heavenly soldiers who were originally supposed to be sent to the mortal realm. Apart from a few prominent gods such as Li Tianwang, Nezha, and the Third Prince, the Nine Luminaries, the Four Duty Officers, and countless other great gods from the Six Departments were hidden among the heavenly soldiers.

Suddenly, a palm descended from the sky.

Gathering countless stars, this palm strike was infinitely close to the Saint Realm. Five chaotic voids swirled around his fingertips, and the Thirty-Three Heavens' restrictions collapsed, proving utterly vulnerable. The next moment—

"Boom!"

The Heavenly Court, which was formed from half of Mount Buzhou, shook violently.

The glazed tiles on the Lingxiao Palace were all overturned, half of the beams collapsed, the giant hand of stars finally dispersed, and the Queen Mother blocked most of the attack with a flick of her sleeve, but the aftershocks still swept across the area. The group of little immortals in green robes on the square felt that the end of the world had come, and they hurriedly used their defensive magic weapons, but half of them were still killed or injured.

The golden immortals in the hall, however, remained calm despite their alarm, each employing their own methods to protect themselves.

"Shhhhhh!"

Stars fell, and countless divine lights plummeted from the heavens to the mortal realm.

At this moment, the Heavenly Court trembled.

Stars fall like rain.

……

Kangsu.

The man in green, holding the jade seal and wielding the power over the stars, suddenly felt a sense of unease. Looking around, he saw that the starlight had dimmed considerably, and the restrictions had been broken at some point. Nine auras were rapidly approaching. Nine Golden Immortals!

As expected, it failed.

Qingyi silently looked at the starry sea. The Starry Body of the Ziwei Emperor had begun to collapse. She silently released the jade seal in her hand, but did not run away immediately. Nine Golden Immortals surrounded her, and judging from their auras, they had comprehended more than one law. There was hope of escaping, but not much.

A flash of light appeared in her palm as she took out the scale feather that Kunpeng had given her and infused it with her magic power.

The scale feather flashed, but it did not carry her across the sea of ​​stars as expected. Or rather, it did leave, but only the scale feather left.

The woman in green was stunned.

"master……"

Disbelief appeared in her eyes.

Nine Golden Immortals gathered around.

……

The Ziwei Emperor's Star Body completely collapsed, and the array diagram under his feet naturally lost its function. However, he did not panic. He pointed a faint starlight at his fingertip, and then a scale feather embedded in his fingernail lit up. Another scale feather flew in from the horizon, and the two merged into one.

Then, a terrifying aura rose up, and the space trembled.

The Jade Emperor unleashed a burst of magical power to try and stop it.

But time seemed to have been altered. This magical power seemed to be about to strike at any moment, yet it always fell short by just a little bit. It was clearly within reach, yet it was also impossibly far away.

A wisp of chaos was born from the point where the two met, rippling like a pool of water.

The next moment, an old figure emerged from within.

“The Great Celestial Venerable is no longer what he used to be. If I don’t divide the token in two, I’m afraid I’ll be discovered before I even ascend to the Heavenly Court,” Kunpeng said. He pointed his finger, and the chaos calmed down, revealing two scales, which he then waved back into his palm.

"Kunpeng!"

The Jade Emperor's face was ashen.

"As you wished, I have failed, but not completely," the Ziwei Emperor looked at Kunpeng, "I wonder if we can turn the tide again now that we have joined forces."

“Of course, but the conditions will change. I want more than just Beiju Luzhou. I want the entire mortal realm, the four continents and four seas. Haotian has lost his protection of merit and can be killed. After this is done, you will rule the heavens and become the true Emperor of the North Pole of the Central Heaven. I will transform the mortal realm into a demon kingdom, and the Demon Master will become the Demon Emperor!” Kunpeng said, his eyes shining brightly, a far cry from his usual frail and old appearance.

"Wishful thinking," said the Jade Emperor.

"You're nothing but a greenhorn! When I attained enlightenment, you hadn't even ascended to immortality yet. Now that you've just glimpsed destiny and have the Qi Transformation into Three Pure Ones by your side, you think you can defeat me!" Kunpeng said. "Previously, it was only because you and Ziwei fought without breaking each other that I was slightly wary of you joining forces. Now that he has sided with me, do you think you still have any chance?"

"Amitabha!" A Buddhist chant suddenly rang out behind the Jade Emperor, and boundless Buddhist light rose up. "Your Majesty, this humble monk has come uninvited, am I too late?"

“Buddha!” Kunpeng’s face darkened.

Li Tianwang's second son, Muzha, served under Guanyin and had close ties with the Western Buddhist sect. The Queen Mother's decision to send him down to the mortal realm was undoubtedly to deliver a message to Leiyin Temple.

“Just right,” the Jade Emperor said, with his three avatars beside him. He then condensed thirty-six energy dragons again, which circled around his body and kept circling.

“Time,” Kunpeng said, looking at Ziwei, “Space,” then at the Jade Emperor, “Destiny,” and finally at Tathagata, “and cause and effect, but it’s a pity that we can’t perfect the foundation for becoming a saint.”

"Though it is not perfect, it is always good to move forward a little further," said the Buddha, his countenance solemn and dignified, without anger or resentment.

"Duobao, I underestimated you. Back then, you converted from barbarians to Buddhists with such decisiveness, and you actually made a name for yourself. Such a genius, no wonder the Sage Tongtian valued you so much, and the Supreme Sage captured you and then led you to the Buddhist sect. Now, the West is probably entirely in your hands!"

“If you and I were born in the same era, you might have been a saint! But I don’t know why you, who are not revered in the West, would get involved in this mess today,” Kunpeng said.

“Only titles and titles cannot be bestowed upon others. Although I have already taken control of Xiniu Hezhou, I still lack a legitimate and justifiable title. Only with a proper title can one speak with authority. The mere title of the Five Elders cannot suppress the power in the West. In the present Three Realms, only two emperors can bestow titles and titles upon others. Fellow Daoist, you have chosen the Ziwei Emperor. Naturally, this humble monk has no other choice.” Tathagata said.

"If Buddha helps me quell the rebellion today, after the matter is accomplished, the Great Thunderclap Temple will be revered in Xiniuhezhou, and scriptures will be allowed to travel south. The Western religion will also be allowed to spread in Nanzhanbuzhou!" The Jade Emperor promised.

"With the Great Celestial Venerable's golden words spoken, this humble monk's path of enlightenment can continue for another time," the Buddha proclaimed.

……

Kangsu.

Upon meeting, the nine Golden Immortals showed no mercy, each with their own laws soaring behind them—earth, water, wind, fire, and thirty-six laws in total, perfectly matching the number of the Heavenly Gang, working together seamlessly.

"Nine Luminaries Star Lord!"

Qingyi said, snapping out of her utter disbelief, that she was already surrounded.

Betrayed by the master he trusted most.

Perhaps, even this betrayal was just wishful thinking on her part.

In Kunpeng's eyes, she never existed; she was merely a carefully cultivated pawn.

Now, the chess piece has fulfilled its mission.

Life and death naturally cease to matter.

But Qingyi was unwilling to surrender. She had been cultivating all her life and, though young, she was all the more tenacious. Even in this desperate situation, she still wanted to fight for a way out.

Four laws rose into the air.

The combination of earth, water, wind, and fire is the most common configuration in the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm.

Unable to discern direction, Qingyi charged towards the Star Lord with the strongest aura. Under the cover of the formation, her attack was like a moth drawn to a flame. But at the moment of impact, two other hidden laws suddenly emerged, gaining a local advantage. The leading Star Lord was caught off guard and had to temporarily evade the attack, creating a gap in the formation.

This is a flaw, but it can't really be called a flaw.

The nine star lords are one entity. If the person in green inside the formation tries to escape at this moment, he will be turned into a hedgehog by the attacks of the other eight.

If one does not flee, then there is no way to find a weakness.

The woman in green rushed out without looking back.

The next moment, twenty-seven laws struck. She blocked them by holding six laws horizontally behind her. Then, with a loud "bang," the woman in green raised her head and spat out a mouthful of blood.

A beam of divine light descended from the constellation Kang, just like the stars that had perished before.

come down.

(End of this chapter)