Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 421 Star Domain Realm! Chishan, your luck seems to be a bit bad!

Lu Xuan moved like lightning, quickly moving away from Suijing Street. He finally stopped in an abandoned industrial area that had been destroyed by the crimson monster.

This place was once an important manufacturing center in Tebik, but now only ruins and rusty steel structures remain.

The air was filled with rust and a faint stench of decay, but under the purification of the starlight surrounding Lu Xuan, these foul odors could not get close at all.

He selected a relatively well-preserved factory building, where he could enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

As Lu Xuan sat down cross-legged, the scattered pebbles around him were pushed aside by an invisible force, forming a perfect circular domain.

The next second, Lu Xuan slowly closed his eyes, and the starlight flowing around him gradually subsided. He seemed to merge with the ruins, and only the faint pressure made the mutated rats that occasionally peeked out from the ruins flee in terror.

Host: Lu Xuan, the Immortal of the Mortal World (Sixth Incarnation)

Realm: Blazing Sun Realm (Perfect)
Technique: Zhou Tian Xing Mou (6/9) can be deduced
Score: 1000
Please confirm whether you wish to consume 999 system points to deduce the Zhou Tian Xing Mou!

"Deduction."

With a thought, Lu Xuan deducted 999 system points instantly.

The moment the numbers changed, the illusory golden figure deep within his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly shone brightly.

The surrounding reality completely dissolved, and consciousness was pulled into a boundless and endless deep space of the universe.

A massive nebula slowly rotates, a black hole in the distance devours light, and a comet streaks across eternal darkness, trailing a brilliant tail.

The sun, moon, and stars are not static, but rather follow a trajectory containing profound truths. Each time they appear and disappear, they bring forth a mysterious and dazzling brilliance, as if expounding the ultimate truth of the birth and death of the universe.

At the heart of this sea of ​​stars, a pair of boundless eyes are slowly taking shape.

It is pure and flawless, transcending the realm of flesh and blood; the whites of its eyes are like a pervasive nebula, and its pupils are like a swirling galaxy.

Each of the twinkling stars represents a world that is either being conceived or dying out.

Those eyes held no emotion, only absolute rationality and insight, like the creator god examining his creation for the first time at the beginning of time.

Sacred, majestic, and unbearable to look directly at.

Its very existence contains an indescribable pressure of the Great Dao.

Lu Xuan's consciousness was immersed in the gaze of those eyes, and all his past understanding of the "Zhou Tian Xing Mou" was being dismantled, reassembled, and sublimated.

Time flew by while we waited, and three days had passed in the blink of an eye.

About sixty kilometers outside the Ninth Security Zone lies a desolate land covered in sand.

The dry wind occasionally whips up yellow sand, forming brief sand curtains.

On this barren land, the Ninth Guard Regiment and the base army's temporary camps have been established, with hundreds of military tents arranged in an orderly manner and simple defensive fortifications set up around them.

Inside the central command tent, Gao Zheng had just finished listening to the base commander's supply report.

Seeing the other person's hesitant expression, he understood their predicament without needing to say anything more.

"It's been three days," Gao Zheng said calmly. "Our military supplies won't last much longer."

Simpson, send a message to Deputy Commander Lu, informing him that we are proceeding with the mopping-up operation as planned.

The expressions of everyone inside the tent turned solemn.

They understood that the commander had made a decision—the entire mission could not be put in danger just to wait for one person.

The empire's mission must continue.

"Operation extermination, commence!"

Gao Zheng gave the order, his unquestionable voice echoing clearly within the tent.

Upon hearing this, the base commander's face immediately showed a relieved expression.

He had been anxiously waiting for the past three days – he had personally led more than two thousand elite soldiers from the base deep into dangerous territory, and every day of delay meant enormous risk.

As the highest-ranking officer in charge of the base, the base commander must not only consider the consumption of food and supplies, but also be responsible for the safety of every soldier.

Every second you linger in this wasteland outside the safe zone increases the risk of being attacked by Crimson Monsters or Crimson Fallen Ones.

His motto was simple: when leaving the safe zone to carry out a mission, it had to be done quickly and efficiently, and then he had to bring everyone back alive.

Now, we finally don't have to wait anymore.

Five kilometers away, a chilling area came into view.

The ground was covered with stark white bones, including the remains of various mutated creatures and ancient fossils that were difficult to identify.

The sand made a constant, teeth-grinding "sizzling" sound, as if something was wriggling beneath it.

This is precisely the target of this cleanup operation—the swarm of crimson worms.

These monsters were an ominous blood red color, had no obvious limbs, and resembled giant worms.

Each worm is over eight meters long, and what's most terrifying is their head—it's serrated like some kind of terrifying drill. Even more bizarrely, each worm has three such heads.

At this moment, these crimson worm monsters were tirelessly gnawing at the various creature corpses on the ground with their spiral heads covered with sharp teeth, producing a chilling scraping sound.

They gathered together, like a surging, blood-red wave.

Suddenly, one of the worms abruptly raised its ferocious triple head, its empty sensory organs staring blankly at the distant high slope.

In that very instant—

A blazing line of fire ripped through the sky, striking its head, the very center of its head, with supersonic precision!

"Pfft!"

With a muffled thud, the enormous head exploded in mid-air, and foul-smelling, blood-red liquid poured down.

The liquid splashed onto the surrounding sand and the bodies of other organisms, immediately emitting puffs of pungent white smoke, demonstrating its extremely corrosive nature.

However, the worms' skin seemed completely immune to this corrosion, which only made them more enraged!
The entire swarm instantly erupted into chaos, with countless worms raising their heads and emitting silent hisses as their blood-red bodies writhed wildly.

On a distant high slope, a large number of fully armed imperial soldiers were already in position, their cold gun barrels gleaming under the blazing sun, all aimed at the red tide below.

"Fire!"

The moment the order was given, a ferocious barrage erupted. Countless tongues of fire spewed forth, and a torrent of scorching bullets rained down, their light even briefly overshadowing the blazing sun in the sky.

The pungent smell of gunpowder instantly filled the air, mingling with the stench of deep red worms.
Gao Zheng and the other five core members stood quietly behind the army, arms crossed, their eyes blazing, already looking beyond the chaotic battlefield in front of them into the depths of the sand dunes further away.

They knew perfectly well that these were merely the vanguard of the crimson worms, and the real threat lay behind them.

Within the swarm, some individuals will always undergo mutations under the catalysis of the Crimson Power, becoming far stronger than their kind.

The powerful individuals among them were capable of withstanding the Empire's barrage of bullets for a short time, unleashing power comparable to that of a cultivator at the Star Realm, posing a substantial threat to the defensive line.

What is even more frightening are the crimson worms that have already reached the Moonlit Realm.

Not only are they incredibly powerful, but they have also developed a cunning intelligence, knowing how to hide behind the scenes and direct massive swarms of insects in organized attacks.

As if to confirm their judgment—

"Roar--!"

A deep, oppressive roar came from afar, completely different from the previous unconscious agitation.

At the same time, a clear and rhythmic tremor began to emanate from the ground beneath their feet, as if some enormous creature was leading the main force of the insect swarm, advancing step by step towards the defensive line with heavy steps.

"Do it!"

At Gao Zheng's command, the five members behind him instantly sprang up, their bodies shimmering with moonlight, and their undisguised aura of the Bright Moon Realm spread out without any concealment.

Among the ten guard regiments directly under the Sun and Moon Imperial Court, the Bright Moon Realm is the standard entry threshold.

The reason why Leibli, who had previously sacrificed himself, was able to join the fight was because of his family's powerful combat skills, which were enough to unleash combat power comparable to that of the Moon Realm in a short period of time.

Not far away, the rotors of two heavy armed helicopters suddenly accelerated, kicking up clouds of dust.

The five team members split into two groups, three to a plane and two to a plane, and jumped precisely into the hatch.

On both sides of the fuselage, specially designed heavy Gatling guns have been extended, with multiple barrels aimed at the crimson worm below.

Maintaining stable firing from a helicopter that is flying at high speed and constantly maneuvering requires extremely strong core strength and a sense of balance.

Only Star Warriors at the Moonlit Realm can navigate such a violently turbulent environment with ease, precisely controlling these heavy weapons to deliver devastating blows to ground targets.

This is precisely one of the core values ​​of a Moonlit Realm expert on a modern battlefield.

Even if they are unfortunately shot down, their strong individual abilities and Star Power are enough to hold out for a while in the swarm of insects, buying precious time for their teammates to rescue them.

Under the saturation of firepower, the entire sandy area was stained a thick, blood-red color.

The air was thick with a nauseating stench, mixed with a corrosive red mist rising from the body fluids of deep red worms, creating a death zone.

All the soldiers had already put on their gas masks and calmly maintained fire suppression through their goggles, ensuring that no worm could reorganize.

Half an hour later, the battlefield gradually fell silent. The smoke and red mist dissipated slightly, revealing the hellish scene below.

Countless broken, crimson worm torsos continued their final, unconscious twitches and struggles, as if unwilling to perish.

Just then, on a helicopter in the distance, the tall and burly member of the group saw the scene below and grinned with a ferocious smile full of fighting spirit.

Without hesitation, he leaped from a height of several dozen meters, gripping a modified heavy shotgun tightly in his hand.

"Pah! You beasts who shouldn't even exist, get the hell out of this world!"

With a roar, a dazzling moon-white light erupted from his body, making him appear like a war god emerging from the bright moonlight.

The moonlight completely isolated the surrounding worm flesh fragments and the foul-smelling red smoke.

Directly in front of the giant man, a massive crimson worm, over fifteen meters long and with four ferocious heads, was raising its enormous body.

It was the leader of the remaining insect swarm, exuding a ferocious aura far exceeding that of its kind.

However, it was now all alone, and even the largest swarm of insects had been wiped out by the previous firepower.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The modified shotgun roared deafeningly, its muzzle flashing with intense sparks time and again.

The burly man darted and weaved amidst the corrosive blood light, his movements as swift as a ghost thanks to the power of the Moonlit Realm within him.

The crimson corrosive liquid brushed past me, eroding the sand behind me and sending up puffs of white smoke, but it never touched me in the slightest.

Shell casings fell like raindrops.

As the echo of the last gunshot faded, the enormous Moonlit worm froze in place.

Its once-proud, resilient body was riddled with countless horrifying blood holes, and many parts were barely held together by tattered remnants of flesh, making its massive form seem as if it could fall apart at any moment.

"Damn beast, he's pretty tough!"

The burly man spat, his eyes suddenly sharpening.

The crescent moon outline within his body suddenly erupted with a dazzling, moon-white radiance.

The immense power of the starry sky poured out without reservation, revealing itself to be the full power of a cultivator at the peak of the Bright Moon Realm!

"Tiger Roars Across the Starry Sky!"

With a loud shout from the burly man, an enormous, earthen-yellow tiger head phantom materialized in the air, its ferocious aura instantly enveloping the entire hillside.

The phantom, carrying the force to tear the earth apart, pounced down on the tattered crimson worm.

"boom--!"

Under the overwhelming pressure of the tiger-head phantom, the crimson worm couldn't even put up a final struggle before its massive body was crushed and exploded!
Thick blood and bits of flesh splattered outwards in a radial pattern, turning the ground within dozens of meters into a scene of utter devastation.

The dust has settled.

The fighting spirit on the burly man's face slowly faded, replaced by an undeniable weariness.

That powerful strike just now consumed nearly half of the star power within him.

The burly man leaned on his shotgun, breathing slightly heavily as he tried to regulate his slightly disordered breathing.

This is precisely why even powerful Star Warriors like them, at the Moon Realm, still rely heavily on modern firearms when clearing out large-scale Crimson Monsters.

If one were to rely solely on one's own cosmic power to confront this swarm of thousands of insects.

Even if all the starlight of each Moonlit Realm expert were completely drained, it would probably be difficult to eliminate eleven of them.

Individual strength is ultimately insignificant in the face of a war of this scale.

Highly efficient, durable, and capable of preserving the strength of powerful beings in the cosmos, thermal weapons have become the optimal solution for dealing with this war of attrition.

They are responsible for "cleaning up" and "clearing the field," while the star-level powerhouses focus on dealing with truly powerful individual targets that are difficult to handle with ordinary firepower.

Just then, Gao Zheng's figure soared into the air, his feet treading on the void.

His booming voice, amplified by the starlight, clearly resonated throughout every corner of the battlefield.

"All personnel, listen to my command! Immediately, proceed according to the pre-arranged plan, dividing into four combat teams and advancing outwards in a fan shape to patrol all areas within a radius of one hundred kilometers!"

This is the standard procedure for the Imperial Army after field operations—post-battle clearance.

After each successful extermination of a large crimson monster horde, a thorough patrol of the surrounding area must be conducted to ensure that no survivors remain, preventing them from resurfacing and becoming new sources of pollution or monster lairs.

Only after confirming that the area has been completely purified and there are no hidden dangers can the army break camp and return to the city in triumph.

Meanwhile, Lu Xuan, who was in seclusion amidst the ruins, was unaware of everything that was happening on the battlefield.

Unbeknownst to him, the source of the "system points" he so desperately wanted had been completely wiped out.

The next second, Lu Xuan slowly opened his eyes, and deep within them seemed to be swirling nebulae, adding a depth and mystery he had never seen before.

The twinkling starlight naturally lingered around his pupils, as if he were taking in a miniature universe.

Host: Lu Xuan, the Immortal of the Mortal World (Sixth Incarnation)

Realm: Star Domain Realm (Beginner)
Cultivation Technique: Zhou Tian Xing Mou 7/9
Score: 1
Breakthrough.

Lu Xuan finally took this crucial step, officially stepping from the Perfected Blazing Sun Realm into the mysterious and powerful Star Domain Realm!

Inside his body, the outline of the once scorching sun had disappeared.

Instead, a boundless miniature star field slowly rotates.

Countless stars rise and fall within it, containing a cosmic power far more vast and primordial than a single blazing sun.

At this moment, Lu Xuan was able to directly mobilize the power of this star field within his body during battle.

With every gesture, it can draw upon the power of the stars, its might far surpassing anything before, truly capable of destroying the heavens and the earth.

More importantly, his power reserves have undergone a qualitative leap. Although they have not yet reached the theoretical level of being "inexhaustible," their magnitude is far beyond what he could have imagined when he was in the Blazing Sun Realm.

Of course, the so-called "limitless power" is ultimately an exaggeration.

Even a Star Domain Realm expert, if he squanders his resources recklessly, will eventually have his Star Domain Origin depleted.

However, for the vast majority of beings in this world, they may never witness the moment when Lu Xuan's power is exhausted, even in their entire lives.

"Hehehe... Chen Hu, that brute, is as arrogant as ever. He's really... mouthwatering."

About thirty kilometers away from the battlefield, in a secluded mountain valley, Chen Hu, the burly man who had just displayed his prowess, was personally leading a squad on a patrol.

He was completely unaware of it.

A few kilometers away, a figure that blends perfectly into the sandy environment is staring intently at his strong, vibrant body with a greedy and venomous gaze.

It is indeed Chishan!

His scarlet tongue licked his sharp teeth, suppressing the urge to pounce and devour them immediately.

“That old bastard Gao Zheng is still nearby… Never mind.” Chishan suppressed his boiling killing intent and sneered inwardly.

"Sooner or later, I will devour these lackeys of the imperial court one by one!"

And those high and mighty good-for-nothings from the Sun and Moon Imperial Court will be my meal sooner or later!

Immediately, another figure he hated to the core surfaced in his mind.

"And that damned Lu Xuan! That arrogant bastard who always acts so high and mighty... Where did he go?"

Thinking of Lu Xuan, a barely perceptible fear overwhelmed his greed, flashing briefly in his eyes.

This guy posed a far stronger sense of danger to him than that old geezer Gao Zheng!

"Oh? Are you looking for me?"

A calm yet slightly amused voice rang out from behind Chishan, seemingly out of place.

Chishan's massive body stiffened abruptly. He slowly turned around and saw that Lu Xuan had been standing quietly not far away at some point.

A figure clad in a pristine, sun-and-moon battle robe was observing his ugly, distorted appearance with great interest.

"Chishan, it's been a while." Lu Xuan's lips curled into a half-smile. "You're in such a hurry to find me because you're upset that I... didn't bring you a gift?"

He rushed to the battlefield immediately after leaving the pass, only to find that the crimson monster horde had been wiped out.

Just as Lu Xuan was feeling regretful, he casually activated his newly formed star field perception and caught a "familiar" aura that surprised him.

If it were before his breakthrough, given Chishan's skill in deliberately concealing himself, Lu Xuan would never have been able to discover him so easily.

Then, Lu Xuan's gaze swept over Chi Shan's body, which was trembling slightly with fear, and he gently shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of pity.

"It seems your luck... isn't exactly good."

(End of this chapter)