Chapter 183: Celestial Sense Awakens
Elton and company continued their rapid escape atop Elchris, weaving through a storm of chaos. They weren't the only ones fleeing. All across the skies and land below, demonic beasts and essence beasts ran rampant, their roars shaking the air. Above them, far away but close enough to shake their bones, five Mortal Lord beasts clashed in a battle that tore through the heavens and earth alike.
Explosions flashed in the distance, pillars of fire and light rising, and shockwaves hammered outward, tossing weaker beasts like leaves in a storm. Every now and then, stray bombardments streaked their way, forcing Shayleaf to raise barriers and Elchris to swerve desperately.
Elton gritted his teeth as another ripple of force rippled past them, his body tense. "What a terrifying place we've treaded into…"
Christy's Kokon Tengan glowed faintly as she scanned the horizon. Her lips tightened. "You're right. I can see it clearly — more Mortal Lord beasts are scattered further out. We've crossed into the true depths of this domain, and every one of them is restless. The good news… the exit is definitely in this direction."
"We'll have to tread carefully," Elton answered, keeping his voice steady.
The further they flew, the more dangerous it became. Gold tier beasts swarmed in packs, clashing with each other and with the fleeing hordes. Sometimes, one or two would break formation to lunge at Elton's group, forcing them into brutal midair skirmishes. Tongsheng's arrows pierced wings, Christy's palm strikes sent beasts tumbling, and Elton's lightning spears carved a path forward. Still, every clash drained them further.
By the time dusk came, exhaustion was etched into every face.
"Chris… how far until the exit?" Shayleaf asked, wiping sweat from her brow. She stroked Elchris' neck, worry plain in her eyes.
Christy closed her eyes, breathing heavily as she gauged. "With all the detours and high-speed escapes… maybe eight or nine more hours. But Elchris can't hold out like this. He needs rest."
They all looked down at the falcon beneath them. His once-bright feathers were dull, wings trembling with fatigue. Still, he forced himself onward, chirping faintly as if refusing to give up.
Elton moved forward, gently patting Elchris' head. "Thank you. You've carried us this far. You'll rest soon."
Elchris chirped again, weak but happy.
"I see a spot." Christy suddenly pointed northeast. "A small island — isolated, covered in forest. It should be defensible. Elchris, take us there."
They descended soon after. The island was quiet, inhabited only by small creatures that Shayleaf quickly subdued with her nature magic. Tongsheng hunted and warded the perimeter, while the three familiars fanned out to secure the area. Within an hour, a barrier encased part of the island, and the group collapsed into the makeshift camp.
"Finally… a moment to breathe." Shayleaf dropped onto a bed of leaves with a dramatic sigh.
"Very exhausted… especially with how much I strained my Kokon Tengan." Christy flopped down as well, her voice tired.
"My dear familiars, alternate as lookouts," Shayleaf ordered faintly.
"Yes, Mistress!!" Corvin and Cromlan saluted like soldiers, eyes shining.
"Yes, Mistress," Prawna said evenly, slipping away into the trees.
Later, Christy and Shayleaf slept soundly on either side of Elton, while Tongsheng lay across from them. Elchris curled up close by, softly snoring. But Elton did not sleep. He sat cross-legged, faint fluctuations of ki and magic coursing through his body as he meditated.
Then came the voice.
"Hah. Finally realized it, did you? Sleep isn't as necessary for you anymore."
Elton's brows furrowed. "You… already knew this? I've only just caught on. How is this possible? I'm not a Mortal Lord yet."
"Idiot," the voice growled. "It's because of the Blood Meridian. No… it's more than that. The Blood Meridian is the catalyst, but it's working with your six special meridians — and the vague formation of an eighth."
Elton blinked in shock. "Eighth…? I can't even sense it."
"Tch. Of course you can't. You've been fumbling around like a normal cultivator. You should be using the Celestial Sense of the Star Sage."
The words struck him like a hammer. His chest tightened, as if a hidden door in his memory had been forced open.
"Celestial… Sense? Star Sage?" he whispered.
"Yes," the voice rumbled. "It's been in you all along dormant. You've even brushed against it unconsciously when flying the Blue Star Heavenly Destroyer. Most don't touch this until they reach Soul tier — but with your body and cultivation, it's always been there."
Elton swallowed hard, then closed his eyes. He reached inward, not for ki, not for magic — but for something deeper.
A strange pulse awakened.
The world bloomed open. He could feel Christy's breathing, slow and even in sleep. Shayleaf's aura, soft and playful even in dreams. Tongsheng's steady, disciplined rhythm. The living hum of the barrier Shayleaf had conjured, the flow of essence through the soil, the whisper of the wind across leaves.
"This is… incredible," Elton murmured. "Not sight, not sound... It's like having another sense altogether."
Hours slipped by as he trained, stretching his awareness further and further. Within half a mile, every heartbeat, every ripple of ki and magic entered his perception. His control of energy refined itself, smoother, sharper. He even felt his spirit murmur incantations as though chanting them much faster than before.
But then, something new reached him.
Growls. Faint but distinct. The scrape of claws against bark. Clashes in the forest beyond the barrier.
His eyes snapped open. The familiars were gone from their posts. Corvin and Cromlan were no longer at the edges. Prawna was still gone too.
Quietly, he stood. He glanced once at Christy and Shayleaf sleeping soundly at his sides, then stepped carefully over them. Without a sound, he slipped through the barrier and vanished into the dark forest.