Maiden Galaxy

King Of Extinguished Ashes Zhongli Mo of Her Excellency Xiang Yu's Four Heavenly Kings, everyone in Star World knew her.

The two Burnt Out Three Calamities were practically invincible, possessing the brashness to burn everything to ash.

This kind of first-rate Star General was not something a Star Cultivator could contend against. Impossible, how can she be King Of Extinguished Ashes Zhongli Mo. Zhang Ming was unable to believe this fact. Star Generals like her generally only appeared in legends. Even if she appeared in person, she could only be seen in the Inner Star Field. The Tail Fire Star Field was nothing more than a remote corner of the Outer Star Field. There was basically nothing here worth a Star General's visit.

This was definitely posturing.

Zhang Ming was malevolent. Because Star World's Destined Star Weapons were too famous, representing a Star General's identity, the majority of the best Star Generals' Destined Star Weapons were all too familiar. Some crafty Star Cultivators would often employ some imitations of those Star Weapons as a ruse to deceive their opponent. By doing so, a psychological weakness would oftentimes initially rise for some Star Cultivators upon seeing Star Weapons belonging to first-rate Star Generals.

Eastern Flower Sword Technique.

Zhang Ming wielded the sword in his hand, its pair of stars layered over one another. Sword-light fired from his wrist, its power completely perfect. The power of this slash was tyrannical enough that a mountain would have broken.

The swordtip stirred her mantle, flipping it open, revealing a red-haired, red-eyed beauty.

Her eyes were sharp, like a volcano bursting with force.

Who else could she be but Zhongli Mo.

Zhongli Sanmei watched this full power slash of her opponent with a look of utter disdain. In her eyes, this was nothing more than a final struggle. When the Eastern Flower Sword attacked, Zhongli Sanmei finally moved. Her twin spears caught it, and Clinging Fire emerged that covered the skies, spurting forth killing intent that became like a fire dragon. Under it, all of Zhang Ming's sword-qi were thoroughly destroyed, making Zhang Ming scream.

A fist immediately followed.

Zhongli Mo dexterously stabbed, the Burnt Out Three Calamities easily breaking her opponent's power. The two short spears penetrated straight into the enemy's chest and out his back. Zhang Ming's mouth gaped as he personally experienced the tyrannical flames that issued from Burnt Out Three Calamities. The Clinging Fire from the spears informed him – this was a genuine Destined Star Weapon, absolutely indiscriminate when killing a Star Cultivator.

"Impossible…" Zhang Ming's throat twitched.

Zhongli Sanmei withdrew her spear and spun around. A blood-light flit over his body, very cleanly cutting him down.

A trifling Three Flowers Overhead warrior was no different from a gnat to the current King Of Extinguished Ashes.

Zhang Ming's body fell to the ground with a thud, dead.

Seeing the Three Flowers Overhead warrior he had so much difficulty facing against be dispatched in a mere instant of meeting Zhongli Mo, Chen Mo's heart once again was in awe of a Star General's tyranny. Although he had cultivated Star Energy, he did not have an innate Star Name, after all. This was a disadvantage.

"Sanmei, have you broken out of Reborn Nine Movements?" Chen Mo harvested the fat man's things, asking in passing.

"Just a step away." Zhongli Sanmei retracted her sword, pulling down her cloak again.

This meant she was already that close to a breakthrough?

Chen Mo nodded. 

An Earthly Star General's Realms were divided into "Reborn Nine Movements, Mind Furnace, Concentrated Fiend, Yellow Court, Extreme Realm, and Heavenly Spirit Three Turns."¹ Although an Earthly Star was above a Human Star, in truth, an Earthly Star's Reborn Nine Movements itself was still very weak. Generally speaking, only at the equivalent of a Three Flowers Overhead Warrior, in other words, Heart Furnace Realm, would an Innate Skill develop. At Concentrated Fiend, they would gain Earthly Fiend Star Energy. At this time they would finally be considered as having truly become an Earthly Star General. By themselves, they could compare to a Human Star Realm, Dragon Wind In Man.²

Zhongli Sanmei planned to enter the Inner Star Fields in search of the current Hegemon King Xiang Yu after she recovered herself to Concentrated Fiend Realm.. 

That place was where she, the King Of Extinguished Ashes, could display her prowess.

"And Nianyou?" Chen Mo asked.

"She's all good." Zhongli Sanmei said: "It seems that little girl's identity isn't simple, to surprisingly be targeted by multiple Three Flowers Realm warriors."

When they drank tea, Zhongli Sanmei was able to hear the implication in Chen Mo's words. The two of them deliberately separated, and as expected, she was targeted by a young man. However, what differed compared to Chen Mo was that that youth did not take hostile action. Rather, he put on an unconcerned appearance and monitored from close by. But who was the King Of Extinguished Ashes? Her nature was as naturally explosive as her Five Element. She very much loathed being watched by a person.

So she walked up to him herself.

Against what was practically a Reborn Nine Movements Star General, the Three Flowers Realm warrior basically did not have any qualifications to resist her. Chen Mo could imagine the miserable appearance of that unfortunate youth being taught a lesson by Zhongli Mo. To encounter this kind of Fiend Star, one could only count on their luck.

Nianyou ran out from a corner. Chen Mo hugged her and asked: "Did you get anything out of him?"

"That guy was called Yi Chizhu. He seems to be from some Eastern Flower Sword Sect." Zhongli Sanmei shot Nianyou a glance: "Reportedly, this girl has inherited a Star Name, but at the current stage, she is unable to utilize Star Energy. She's in the growth phase."

Growth phase?

Chen Mo smiled.

The growth phase was the very first stage for girls succeeding a Star General. The Star Name they bore inside their bodies had yet to bud. From the outside, they would look no different from ordinary people, and their bodies would not have notable strength. Star Generals in this period were like newly born infants, extraordinarily weak. Killing them provided no benefits either, so some sects came up with the idea of raising a Star General.

In Star World, a large sect with a Star General standing guard was nothing strange at all. Oftentimes, Star Generals would even function as the sect's guardian general, so much so that they even decided the rise and fall of a sect.

"Do you know what Star Name Nianyou inherited?" Chen Mo was very curious about this.

"Ask him yourself." Zhongli Sanmei shrugged.

"En?"

In a corner of a certain alley, a young man lay gasping for breath in a pool of blood. His body was covered in bloody holes as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Zhongli Sanmei poked him awake. When Yi Chizhu regained his senses and saw Zhongli Sanmei, his expression changed, "I never imagined you would be…King Of Extinguished Ashes Zhongli Mo."

"Where did you find Nianyou." Chen Mo asked.

Only then did Yi Chizhu notice Chen Mo, "Why are you with the King Of Extinguished Ashes…"

"We asked you a question, stop wasting your breath." Zhongli Sanmei stamped her foot.

"When I found Nianyou, her condition was quite terrible. Just what tricks did you use on her?' Chen Mo wrinkled his brow.

Yi Chizhu curled his mouth into a difficult smile. "Someone like you could not ever possibly provide her shelter. You still have a chance to live if you hand her over to our sword sect this instant, otherwise, you will only end up killing her."

"What, don't tell me that even I, the King Of Extinguished Ashes, won't be able to protect her?" Zhongli Sanmei disapproved.

Yi Chizhu wanted to say something, but he suddenly vomited blood. His eyes widened, his body spasmed a few times, and then he ceased to draw breath.

Maybe this guy had schemed too deeply, but to surprisingly spit out such information while on death's door made Chen Mo a bit depressed. "Seems like her identity isn't so simple." Zhongli Sanmei said.

"It is very simple. Right now, Nianyou is my little sister." Chen Mo resolutely replied.

Zhongli Sanmei smiled. She liked Chen Mo's forthright personality.

"Shall we kill that last one now?"

"If he comes seeking trouble, do you have certainty in killing him." Chen Mo did not awnt to attract too much attention, "For now, bury this body. I have to go first to the Great Tool Court to complete the Throwing Knives."

"I leave Nianyou's protection to you for now, Sanmei."

"En."

…

Shao Shifeng was not at all aware that his two Junior Brothers Yi Chizhu and Zhang Ming had already died without a trace. From his perspective, his two junior brothers were both with Essence Flower Middle Stage strength. One was in charge of surveillance, and the other was tasked with capturing the Qi And Blood Nine Turns warrior, something as easily as turning over his palm. There was completely no way for significant trouble to arise. At this moment, he had gone to the Great Tool Court in search of materials.

Little Jade City's material and spirit stone business was very profitable, especially with the numerous spirit stones from the Western Regions. Shao Shifeng had cultivated already to the Late Stage of Three Flowers Overhead's Essence Flower. A breakthrough was merely a step away, and his Star Weapon, "Eastern Ripple Fish Scale Sword" was already Two Star Grade 9. It was just a bit away from Three Star. If he could upgrade his Star Weapon to Three Star, using the Star Energy on the weapon to bloom his Qi Flower would be much simpler.

His hard worked paid off, for Shao Shifeng actually found several useful spirit stones.

After purchasing them, Shao Shifeng then gossiped with the clerk about some of Little Jade City's information, learning that the Treasure Picking Pavilion would be holding an auction. In the auction, there was an Astral Tool, "Black Python Scale Armor" that was especially noteworthy.

Shao Shifeng was preparing to leave when he was suddenly stunned as he turned around.

A youth walked past a corridor, following the lead of a Great Tool Court guard down underground. Shao Shifeng recalled that place was the casting hall, a place the Great Tool Court specially rented out to casting masters for use in their forging of tools. Shao Shifeng also recognized that youth as none other than the guy holding the Star General as he drank tea back at the inn.

"En?" Shao Shifeng's brow hid a bit of his displeasure. As expected, that fatty Zhang Ming was useless, guzzling food and drink instead. To not even be able to catch a brat and clarify matters, he would have to take action himself.

Shao Shifeng walked over.

"Apologies, guest, may I ask if you have a token for the casting halls below?"

The watchman guarding the passage below obstructed him, politely asking. Although Shao Shifeng had Essence Flower Overhead Late Stage cultivation, this did not mean much in Little Jade City.

"Token? Why is that brat from before allowed to pass?" Shao Shifeng asked.contemporary romance

"He is a guest of the Great Tool Court. With the arrow banner, he is of course allowed to go in." The guard replied.

"Oh, then good, I want an arrow banner as well. Please file one for me." The rooms underground were sealed tight, perfect for taking care of business.

"If you are a casting master, then you will need to demonstrate your skills as part of the application."

"Casting master…what? That brat is a casting master??" Shao Shifeng was flabbergasted.

The guard eyed him in bewilderment: "But of course. Only casting masters are allowed to use the casting halls."

That brat was unexpectedly a casting master. This was too far outside Shao Shifeng's expectations, however, that brat was so young that he perhaps was not well-known. Sneering, he tossed his sleeve before leaving the Great Tool Court.

Jin Mansion.

Jin Wuliang was currently hammering a red-hot piece of iron, the hammer in his hand creating countless sparks. "And that is the situation." Elder Ding was nearby, his report finished.

"Shi Jin's gone to the casting hall again? What was the result of the Astral Tool he forged last time?"

"It's apparently finished. This time, he purchased Spirit Attachment Iron Essence. Perhaps he is forging a spirit imbued weapon." Elder Ding said.

Bang.

The hammer stopped its pounding. Jin Wuliang showed an amused smile. "That brat really is a monster, to be able to completely forge an Astral Tool at his age.

"Court Master, shall we draw him in." Elder Ding saw that Chen Mo would some day definitely become a very capable person. "Chang'an's Sword Casting Villa has always intended to replace you, Court Master. If we have such a talented casting master as him, the Great Tool Court will have the resources needed to stand on equal footing. We would have no need either to bear the Sword Casting Villa's glares any longer."

"I'll consider this matter carefully. We cannot rush this. Oh, right. What other activities has Shi Jin been up to?" Jin Wuliang asked.

"I heard he has accepted Luo Kui's invitation to go search the Western Desert for the tower."

"The Western Desert Tower?" Jin Wuliang smiled. "Legend says this tower once was the place where the Foreign Star Field invaded the Outer Star Field, that it hides inside it a Destined Star Weapon. However, after several centuries, no one has ever actually found it."

Elder Ding chuckled: "This is something left behind from the Purple Rose Star Emperor's era. Naturally there are many Star Cultivators who would scrabble for it so madly."

"I heard that Luo Kui once saw the tower with his own eyes, that he even found a ‘spirit stone' from the Inner Star Fields. Court Master, do you think we should…"

"Call my son over. I have an assignment to give him…" Jin Wuliang faintly grinned, taking up his hammer and resuming his pounding of the steel.

Intense sparks flew, splashing onto his skin and melting into blood-red marks, but Jin Wuliang did not feel any pain whatsoever. In his eyes, a wild and unruly blaze blossomed.

1. 脫胎九動，心爐，凝煞，黃庭，極境和天罡三轉 ↩
2. 人中龍風, the TL for this is very ambiguous ↩

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