📖 Chapter 925 - The Starfall Realm

21 Jan, 2023

The Starfall Realm was one of the most mysterious places in the Never-Ending Dao Domain!

Three conditions had to be met in order to enter this place. The first was that it had to be open. The second was that one's cultivation couldn't exceed the Planet realm. The third was that one needed to have a qualification mark!

These three conditions were indispensable, and they also prevented too many people from being greedy. Although many Eternal Star or Star Domain Almighties had been tempted to try, over the years, those who tried to force their way in all failed without exception.

Even the Never-Ending Clan, under the lead of a Divine Emperor, suffered heavy losses when they tried to barge in. In the end, the Divine Emperor returned and had to give a public apology. This shocked the entire Dao Domain and caused the various factions and clans to have no choice but to give up their greed for the Starfall Realm.

Fortunately, the Starfall Realm didn't completely reject the outside world. It used various methods to give out a quota of five hundred spots. Even though over the passage of time, it was reduced to four hundred spots, the attitude of the Starfall Realm showed that as long as they followed their rules, people from the outside world would be welcome.

That was the reason for this centennial trip to the Starfall Realm.

Currently, as the white paper folded infinitely and disappeared, the vision of the four hundred Chosen on the nine Starfall Boats blurred. Wang Baole was no exception. However, it only took a few breaths before their vision recovered.

When Wang Baole's vision returned, he immediately saw that the place he was in was completely different from the outside world.

It was a sea!

The sea seemed to be full of black water at first glance, but upon closer inspection, one would be shocked to discover that the sea… was actually formed from countless black paper scraps!

Although the sky was a normal blue color, the sun hanging high in the sky was also made of white paper. Looking around, everything seemed to be made of paper!

Even the distant seabirds and the clouds in the sky were paper!

As for their color, everything except the sky was either black or white!

In this world, the Starfall Boats and the Chosen themselves were the only existences that weren't made of paper. Thus, Wang Baole and the other Chosen felt a sense of dissonance that caused their minds to tremble.

"Starfall Paper Sea!"

"After crossing this sea, we can enter the Starfall Empire…"

"We've entered the Starfall Realm!" Wang Baole didn't know much about the Starfall Realm, but the other Chosen were different. With the deep foundations of their respective clans and factions, they had a very detailed understanding of this place. At that moment, some people immediately exclaimed softly.

Hearing the soft exclamations of the cultivators beside him, Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. The words "Paper Sea" and "Empire" appeared in his mind. His gaze swept towards the surrounding black sea of paper. Just as he was about to carefully examine it, suddenly… the voice of the gigantic paper human cutout that had appeared earlier echoed through the entire world.

"Cultivators from the outside world, some of you might already know where this place is, but there should be some who don't. Let me tell you now, this is the Starfall Black Sea."

"This old man is very clear about your purpose for coming here. You seek fortune, to obtain a Special Star and advance to the Planet realm. This is the very reason for which the Starfall Realm is open. However… if you wish to succeed, you will need to undergo assessments. This is the first assessment, and it’s also the easiest one!

"Among all of you, only those who can reach the shore are qualified to become distinguished guests of our Starfall Empire!"

"The shore is far away. Based on your cultivation bases, you will need about five days to reach it, so the time limit will be set to five days. During this time, you may use any methods at your disposal. As long as you can reach the shore, it will be considered a success. However, if you can’t reach the shore in five days, you fail!"

"I must remind you all that this sea exudes formidable Black Resentful Qi. This Qi can turn everything in the world into paper, including your body. In previous openings of the Starfall Realm, it hasn’t been uncommon for some cultivators to sink into the sea and eternally become part of it."

"Now, everything depends on your own ability!" The voice boomed loudly. The moment it finished speaking, Wang Baole's expression changed, and he immediately realized that the black sea of paper seemed to have been freed from some invisible suppression. A large amount of black Qi spread out from it and enveloped the surroundings of the spirit boat. Wherever it touched, the boat rapidly turned into paper!

It wasn't just the boat he was on. The other eight boats had the same situation. Some of the people on board remained calm, but there were quite a few whose expressions changed when they saw this.

Judging by the speed at which the Starfall Boat was turning into paper, it wouldn't even last the time it took an incense stick to burn, let alone five days. The entire Starfall Boat would turn into a paper boat. It could be imagined that when this happened, everyone still waiting on the boat would definitely die.

The only way to save themselves was to leave the boat and speed through the sky. Relying on their cultivation base, they had to resist the black Qi on one hand and use their fastest speed to fly towards the shore on the other.

Instead of saying this was a test set up by the Starfall Realm, it would be more accurate to say that it was an elimination. Those who did not meet the requirements would be eliminated, and for those who were eliminated, the only outcome would be death!

“How extravagant. It’s just the first assessment, and they’re already giving up on these nine extraordinary Starfall Boats and the nine paper human cutouts on them? Moreover, the sky shouldn’t be so simple. If we can really fly through it without obstacles, the assessment would be meaningless.” Seeing this scene, Wang Baole was shocked. He instinctively looked at the paper human cutout who was still rowing the boat and felt a little uncomfortable.

Because of the opportunities that the paper human cutout had given him, as well as their interactions along the way, Wang Baole no longer regarded the paper human cutout as a lifeless being. He felt that the paper human cutout was also a living being, except that its appearance was different.

However, this wasn't something that could be changed as he willed. With Wang Baole's current cultivation, he couldn't protect the other party. Furthermore, thinking about it again, no matter how powerful a faction was, they probably wouldn't suffer such losses just to test outsiders. Therefore, there was a high chance that he was wrong. The paper human cutout and the boat would be fine.

After all, it was already a paper human cutout. How could it turn into paper again?

This thought slightly reassured Wang Baole. He raised his head and looked at the other eight Starfall Boats. Many cultivators had already abandoned their boats and turned into long arcs in mid-air, speeding into the distance. It was the same for his boat. The masked woman, Li Linzi, and the others had all flown out.

Almost everyone's bodies began to tremble the moment they rose into the air. It was clear that they had been affected by something unknown, and there were even a few who fell headfirst and almost landed in the black paper sea. Fortunately, at the critical moment, they unleashed their cultivation and barely managed to withstand the danger. However, their pale faces and the fear in their eyes showed how difficult it was to fly in this sky.

“As expected, there's something wrong with the sky!” Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. In his eyes, the Chosen who had left their boats were like the eight immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their divine powers.^[1]

Some of their bodies glowed with a bright light, charging through the sea using its protection. Others took out Dharmic Treasures, using them to protect themselves and speed ahead.

One person formed a series of hand seals, creating nine black dragons. The dragons roared and circled around, and he advanced by stepping on them. All sorts of different methods were unleashed in the sky.

Their cultivation levels were also revealed at that moment. Even though they were all at the Great Circle of the Spirit Immortal Realm, the strength of their auras could be sensed by others.

There were four people whose speed and aura reached the pinnacle, attracting Wang Baole's attention.

Of these four, two were men and two were women. One of them was the masked woman from his boat. She immediately flew out of the boat, and when she was in mid-air, colorful light shone from beneath her feet, transforming into a gigantic seven-colored phoenix. It screeched and carried her along the way, ignoring any obstruction from the sky and becoming one of the fastest four!

There was also a woman who came from another boat. She was beautiful and had a charming smile on her face. Her figure was extremely graceful, and she had a bell tied to her right hand. With a slight shake, the sound of the bell spread in all directions, forming visible ripples. She walked forward on the ripples, and the louder the bell rang, the faster she moved!

As for the two men, one was fierce, while the other was scholarly. The fierce-looking man wore a black robe, and as he stepped forward, his right hand formed a series of hand seals in mid-air. Instantly, a long sword materialized out of thin air. Sword Qi surged around him like a long river, and as his aura rose to the skies, an astonishing murderous aura erupted from his body. Wherever he passed, the obstructions from the sky were unable to stop him. He destroyed everything in his path, soaring through the sky!

Lastly, the scholarly cultivator had the most unique way of crossing the sea. He held a bamboo slip in his hand and lowered his head as he read. He stepped onto the black sea and allowed the black Qi to surge towards him. However, it stopped three zhang away from him^[2], unable to penetrate some invisible shield. His pace was neither fast nor slow as he walked further away on the waves of paper in the black sea.

Seeing all that, Wang Baole was shocked by the four of them. However, he also felt somewhat indignant.

I can do that too! With that thought, Wang Baole turned and cupped his fists towards the paper human cutout rowing the boat. He leapt into the air and sped away.