Chapter 1228: Unbelievable

"Elder Yu, judging by the force of the explosion, it doesn't seem like an ordinary spirit beast. Could something have happened to your sect?" Luo Yuanshan asked with a frown.

As soon as he spoke, everyone's gaze converged on the short, stout elder.

"Everyone, do not jump to conclusions. It's just that some spirit beasts have escaped; they each have their own abilities and are difficult to capture. There's no need to make a fuss. Just wait here peacefully," Elder Yu said sternly.

"Elder Yu, if something has happened, I hope you will tell us the truth. Perhaps we can offer some small assistance?" Zhou Xianyang said with a slight frown.

"Preposterous! Since when does the Nine Yuan Observatory need help from outsiders?" Elder Yu bristled, glaring.

"A slip of the tongue, my apologies. Elder Yu, since the Bodhi tokens have been issued, there's no use for us to stay here. Why not let us leave and return to our respective sects, so as not to cause you further trouble?" Zhou Xianyang quickly apologized.

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Nine Yuan Pavilion shook violently again, even more intensely than before. Visible cracks appeared on the wooden pillars inside the hall, and if not for the restrictive barrier, it would have already collapsed.

Seeing this, the Heavenly Envoy Feng Tian couldn't help but frown slightly, looking displeased. She stood up and asked, "What is going on with your Nine Yuan Observatory? If it's just spirit beasts escaping, why has it taken so long to suppress them?"

The short, stout elder dared not be perfunctory with the Heavenly Envoy. After a moment's hesitation, he cupped his hands and replied truthfully, "Reporting to the Envoy, the chaos at the Spirit Beast Mountain was just the beginning. Since then, disturbances have broken out everywhere in the Nine Yuan Observatory. They are not too loud, but they are widespread and numerous, hence the seeming disarray."

"Where is Pure Jun? Where is he now?" Feng Tian asked.

"The Observatory Master is worried about trouble at the Patriarch Hall and is temporarily stationed there. He will return once the disturbances subside," Elder Yu quickly explained.

Hearing this, the crowd grew restless again, all begging Elder Yu to open the barrier and let them leave.

"Stop making trouble. It's better for you to wait here quietly," Elder Yu said, turning to face them with a dark expression and a low reprimand.

Zhou Xianyang and the others fell silent, not daring to speak further.

"The Nine Yuan Observatory puts on quite the airs. These people, after all, have obtained Bodhi tokens and are qualified to travel to our Central Earth Immortal Domain for the Bodhi Banquet. What is Elder Yu trying to do?" Feng Tian said with narrowed eyes and a cold tone.

"This subordinate dares not..." Elder Yu quickly apologized.

"Heavenly Envoy, please calm down. Since Fellow Daoist Pure Jun has personally taken action, there is nothing to worry about. I heard the Envoy also enjoys playing Go. Come, come, why not have a match with this poor player?" At this moment, the previously listless Heavenly Star Venerable stood up, rescuing Elder Yu from the situation.

"I don't think Elder Yu meant any harm. But with the Nine Yuan Observatory in turmoil, it is indeed not suitable for others to leave at this time," Lu Chuanfeng also stood up and said.

Hearing this, Feng Tian naturally understood his implication and sat back down.

Heavenly Star Venerable sat opposite her. With a wave of his sleeve, a green jade Go board appeared on the table between them, along with a black and a white Go bowl at their sides.

Feng Tian had no interest at first, but upon seeing the items on the table, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes. She opened the black Go bowl in front of her, and a faint purple light emanated from within.

The pieces inside were surrounded by purple light, showing specks of bright luster, like stars reflected in the night sky, and emitting waves of star power, appearing extremely dazzling.

"Could this be that legendary Go set, 'Falling Stars'?" Feng Tian's eyes lit up as she asked eagerly.

"The Envoy has good eyes. It is indeed this set. If you can win this game, I will offer this set as an extra gift. How about it?" Heavenly Star Venerable said with a smile.

"Haha, since the Heavenly Star Venerable is in such a fine mood, I will gladly oblige," Feng Tian laughed.

She immediately set up her stance and began playing Go with Heavenly Star Venerable, ignoring the others from the twelve sects.

After this commotion, the rest dared not say anything more and could only wait quietly for the chaos outside to end.

Huo Yuan glanced at the crowd, then resumed discussing the secrets of the Golden Source Immortal Domain with Lu Chuanfeng. However, the two of them were already isolated by secret techniques, so outsiders could not eavesdrop at all.

After everyone fell silent, the entire hall became quiet again, with only the crisp sound of Go pieces occasionally coming from between Feng Tian and Heavenly Star Venerable.

"Snap"

Feng Tian placed a sparkling piece between her fingers in the middle of the board, a smile appearing on her face.

"Venerable, you're not planning to give me a gift, are you? How else could you repeatedly make mistakes and cede so much territory on the board?" Feng Tian looked at Heavenly Star Venerable and said with a smile.

"The Envoy jokes. In the art of Go, I am naturally no match for the Envoy. But does the Envoy know that this board is also a formation board? Once a piece is placed, it takes root; a move made cannot be taken back. What is laid down may not necessarily be a game of Go," Heavenly Star Venerable replied with a smile.

"What does the Venerable mean?" Feng Tian asked, puzzled.

"Envoy, it's my turn," Heavenly Star Venerable said without answering, just smiling.

With that, he picked up a white piece and placed it in the very center of the board.

With the sound of the piece landing, a purple light suddenly lit up on the green jade board without warning.

A violent surge of star power exploded from the board, turning into intense shockwaves that rippled outward, reducing all furniture and decorations in their path to dust.

Huo Yuan and Lu Chuanfeng, caught in the blast, retreated a hundred zhang and looked over.

The table that had held the Go board was already reduced to powder, and the green jade board had disappeared, leaving only a green light board on the ground, dozens of zhang in size.

The nineteen lines etched on it transformed into white rays as thick as a thumb, wrapping around Feng Tian, binding her tightly to the board on the ground, trapping her in place.

The white pieces placed on it had formed a complex star formation, with purple starlight swirling around it, emitting strong waves of star power.

Meanwhile, Heavenly Star Venerable, standing opposite her, smiled with his hands clasped in front of him as if in prayer.

"Today, I have a great deed to accomplish, so I must borrow the Envoy's head."

With a loud shout, Heavenly Star Venerable thrust his hands forward.

All the white pieces on the ground immediately shone brightly, transforming into dozens of star dragons as thick as an arm, which flashed and charged at dozens of key acupoints on Feng Tian's body.

All this seemed lengthy but happened in the blink of an eye.

Feng Tian had no time to react and could only rely on instinct, activating her own law power to envelop herself in a layer of pale blue water armor.

When Han Li's gaze fell on the water armor, he noticed something unusual. It was shrouded in mist and rippling with water, appearing no thicker than a robe, yet the water attribute power it contained felt vast as an ocean.

"Heavenly Star Venerable, have you gone mad?" Huo Yuan shouted as he saw this.

He flashed forward to intervene, but it was too late.

Dozens of star dragons charged into the water armor around Feng Tian, stirring up a turbulent sea.

The water armor churned with clouds and mist, presenting a magnificent spectacle.

The dozens of dragons found no smooth passage like dragons entering the sea; instead, they met resistance everywhere, their advance greatly hindered.

Huo Yuan, the Hundred Creations Mountain Master, had already closed in, with Lu Chuanfeng following closely behind.

"Heavenly Envoy, your abilities are stronger than I estimated. What a pity..." Heavenly Star Venerable said regretfully.

As soon as he spoke, his hand seals changed, and he quickly retreated.

Immediately after, the dozens of star dragons swimming in Feng Tian's water armor blazed with light, emitting a dazzling white radiance.

Within the light, faint specks of purple starlight could be seen, which directly exploded, releasing a terrifying star power.

With a thunderous roar!

An extremely powerful star power exploded from Feng Tian's body, directly forming a white vortex connecting to the sky, rapidly expanding in all directions.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Amidst the howling wind, the star power in the void churned, tearing apart the space within a hundred zhang radius.

However, strangely, this force condensed without dispersing, continuously crushing and tearing the space around Feng Tian, but not spreading further.

At its top, it directly tore through the restrictive formation here, opening a large hole in the roof of the Nine Yuan Pavilion.

Heavenly Star Venerable escaped through that hole, turning into a rainbow light and shooting far away.

Huo Yuan's eyes blazed with fury. He glanced at the blurry figure in the white vortex, then turned to Lu Chuanfeng, who had caught up, and shouted:

"Palace Lord Lu, you take care of the Envoy. I'll go after that scoundrel Heavenly Star."

With that, he waved his hand, and a green-purple flying shuttle over ten zhang long appeared in the void.

He leaped onto it, and the shuttle's runes lit up brightly, flashing with green and purple light before disappearing from the sky in an instant.

Lu Chuanfeng, who had already gone above the roof, saw this and could only furrow his brow as he descended back.

The others in the hall, though not affected, were like startled birds, all retreating to a corner of the hall, far from the white vortex.

They could not comprehend what had just happened, nor could they believe what they had seen.

Just moments ago, Heavenly Star Venerable of the Sun and Moon Alliance had suddenly assassinated the Heavenly Court's envoy?