The sudden upheaval in the void at the former location of the Star Origin Dao Field in the Heaven Observation Star Region caused a noticeable shift in the attitudes of the gathered Sages from various Heavenly Fields. As the Star Origin Lord revealed more secrets, the mutual wariness and hostility among the Sages began to ease. After all, it was entirely foreseeable that they might soon face a common enemy, or even multiple enemies. Still, it was an undeniable fact that the Star Origin Lord held the initiative during their conversation. That said, if he thought he could persuade the Essence Luxuriant World to join the Four Essence Heavenly Field with mere words, it was nothing but wishful thinking. Perhaps he was only probing. After Kou Chongxue predictably rejected the notion, the Star Origin Lord spoke again. "I imagine all of you now understand why I instigated conflict from the start, ultimately entangling your divine souls, making it impossible for you to extricate yourselves." Silence returned to the void. No one responded to the Star Origin Lord for a long while. Perhaps to relieve the awkwardness, Xiong Xin, who had remained silent until now, suddenly said, "When that being from the foreign Star Field peered over and probed us from afar... Had the Star Origin Lord not entangled out divine souls to form a united force, could any of us have withstood the impact?” Shang Xia’s heart stirred. He silently wondered if that towering, mysterious giant really launched an attack earlier? But naturally, he wasn’t foolish enough to say it aloud and simply stood there calmly. However, the other Sages certainly wouldn’t ignore his presence. Hong Jing suddenly spoke with a smile. "Why don’t you ask the rest? Sage Shang wasn’t among those whose divine soul were caught in the net." The voice of Yuan Chan followed closely. "That’s because the attack from the foreign expert had already been filtered and weakened by the web we formed. Its power was no longer what we faced." Gu Yi’s impatient voice rang out again. "Star Origin Lord, stop beating around the bush. What are you really trying to say?" "An alliance." The Star Origin Lord no longer concealed his aim and stated plainly, "What we encountered earlier was only a divine soul suppression from a top-tier Sage of a foreign Star Field. Perhaps they employed other methods as well. But I’m sure you now have some idea of their power, it is not something any of us could face alone..." He paused briefly, then continued, "Even if you have trustworthy friends, just like I have the aid of Xiong Xin and Yuan Chan, I still wouldn’t dare claim to be unafraid of such a being invading and hunting us down. What’s more, once they truly invade the Chaotic Sea of Stars, they certainly won’t act alone. They’ll have subordinates, comrades, and friends. At that point, unless all of our Heavenly Fields unite, I see no other way we can contend with them." Yu Kun asked, "An alliance, huh? What would the structure look like?" Though his tone remained distrustful, the fact that he asked at all showed he hadn’t dismissed the idea. The Star Origin Lord replied at once, "We’ll need further discussion, of course. But for now, we can begin preparing some essential measures, such as opening star routes between our Heavenly Fields, establishing more convenient spatial tunnels, and so on." Shi Guan interjected, "Star Origin Lord, your enthusiasm for forming this Heavenly Field Alliance must have some other motivation, yes?" The Star Origin Lord didn’t deny it. "The invasion from the foreign Star Fields is the most imminent threat to all Heavenly Fields in our Star Field. Do you all not agree? Naturally, those who are hesitant about the alliance are not required to join. But if you are hunted by these beings later, I’m afraid we’ll be powerless to help." Suddenly, a voice came from the void. Like Shang Xia, the owner of the void had not been part of the earlier entanglement. "The Essence Hong Heavenly Field does not object to the alliance proposal, though the details will require thorough negotiation." The Star Origin Lord laughed. "So it’s Sage Jin of the Essence Hong Heavenly Field! I didn’t expect you to show up." By addressing him along with his Heavenly Field, it was clear the Star Origin Lord recognized that Sage Jin had already gained control of the Essence Hong Heavenly Field. Sage Jin smiled. "I asked Brother Zhuo to scout ahead. When I feared for his safety, I hurried over after settling matters in the Essence Hong World." The Star Origin Lord said, "Since you’ve agreed to the alliance, we gladly welcome you. The Four Essence Heavenly Field will fully support your control over the Essence Hong World and strengthen connections between us. After all... With such great threats ahead, we can’t afford to wait for a new Sage to mature." Hong Jing added, "The Essence Xia Heavenly Field also doesn’t oppose the alliance, so long as it’s limited to resisting the foreign Star Field invaders." "Of course." The Star Origin Lord responded. Yu Kun followed immediately. "In that case, the Essence Yuan Heavenly Field has no reason to object either." "Very well, my Essence Jing Heavenly Field is in as well!" While the Star Origin Lord was launching the proposal for a Heavenly Field Alliance, Kou Chongxue’s voice reached Shang Xia. "What do you think?" Shang Xia replied, "Patriarch, you should make the decision. I personally don’t object to the alliance." Kou Chongxue chuckled. "If this were before you detached your soul from our world, I might’ve hesitated. But now that you’re no longer bound to a single world, your presence can deter others. The Star Origin Lord and the rest will surely have reservations. I think joining is feasible." Shang Xia said earnestly, "Patriarch Kou, even though my soul has left the World Origin Source, that doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned it. If invaders arrive, I’ll still do my utmost to defend our Essence Luxuriant World alongside you." Kou Chongxue laughed. "I know. Even if you wanted to sit this out, you wouldn’t be allowed to!" Right after, Kou Chongxue’s voice rang out in the void. "The Essence Luxuriant World agrees to join the alliance and stand against the foreign Star Field invasion." As soon as he spoke, Gu Yi also declared, "The Essence Ming Heavenly Field concurs!" At last, all Sages present at the gathering that day agreed to form the Heavenly Field Alliance. However, the Sages of two Heavenly Fields were absent. They were Yan Yu of the Essence Du Heavenly Field, and the Sages of the Essence Xing Heavenly Field. The reason they weren’t there was because the Essence Xing Heavenly Field was currently facing the joint invasion of the Essence Ling Heavenly Field, Essence Du Heavenly Field, and the Essence Chong Heavenly Field. Even after solidifying the alliance, the entangled Sages didn’t disperse. They remained stationed in the void, continuing to monitor the possible arrival of other celestial phenomena, and to discuss and refine the alliance’s structure. Sage Jin soon joined them. Only Shang Xia quietly slipped away. This time, no one stopped him. Not a single Sage brought it up. It was as though they had all intentionally overlooked him. Their attitudes suited Shang Xia just fine. After ensuring Kou Chongxue was in no danger, Shang Xia left the region and headed out of the Heaven Observation Star Region. In fact, his true target after leaving the Essence Luxuriant World had always been the Essence Xing World. With so many worlds currently invading it, all sides were in a state of heightened alert. If Shang Xia approached immediately, he would likely be attacked by both sides before he could even begin reaping the benefits of their battle. So before carrying out his plans, he needed to hide himself the best he could. He had to shake off those who attempted to follow him. Shang Xia was no longer a noob. Whether in the battle with Yuan Ling outside the great spatial vortex, the clash with Qin Ming in the Nebula Forbidden Region, or his solo confrontation against multiple Sages around the original location of the Star Origin Dao Field, his strength had already spread far and wide. Even if it didn’t, it would soon reach every corner of the Chaotic Sea of Stars. Returning once more near the 6th Starsea Market, Shang Xia didn’t enter. Instead, he landed in a nearby asteroid belt where he had entered seclusion before. There, the forces of the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field had long since established a base of operations. Though Song Zhen had become the market’s official guardian and the Essence Luxuriant World was now one of the dominant factions behind the scenes, that didn’t stop them from maintaining covert outposts outside. After all, a Starsea Market was a hub of resources and information, but also a crowded and complicated place. Certain things simply couldn’t be done openly, especially for a world like theirs, which had only recently established a Heavenly Field. Shang Xia’s arrival was known only to a few senior figures in the outpost. Among those who greeted him, accompanied by a few True Immortals, was Huang Jinghan. He had already become a fourth tier True Immortal. Huang Jinghan was one of the few high-level True Immortals of the Essence Luxuriant World. Though the Essence Luxuriant World had several high-level True Immortals, Zhang Xuansheng, Yang Taihe, and Li Jidao were Elysium True Immortals who could not leave. Gao Qin, originally from the Essence Ming World and under the watch of Gu Yi, couldn’t be sent out either. Kou Chongxue and Shang Xia dared not risk her leaving. Gu Mingzheng lacked sufficient combat experience. Despite being a fourth tier True Immortal, Gu Mingzheng was one of the weakest. Xiao Yugang was a key figure for communication between the Essence Luxuriant World and the Spirit Qing World, and he was Kou Chongxue’s trusted aide. He couldn’t leave easily. Even though they had recently gained Su Chi, a former Heart Lamp Sect genius who had reforged his body and possessed the strength of a fifth tier True Immortal, his focus was on restoring his sect and establishing the 27th continent in the Essence Luxuriant World. Thankfully for him, he had Shang Xia’s support. He couldn’t be stationed in their outposts, at least not at the moment. And Song Zhen was a guardian of the Starsea Market. Thus, only Huang Jinghan remained capable of handling major affairs in the Chaotic Sea of Stars, and was trusted by all factions within the Essence Luxuriant World. After formal greetings, Huang Jinghan dismissed the others and brought Shang Xia into a private chamber. "Senior Huang, any word from the Spirit Ruling World and Spirit Frost World?" As soon as they sat, Shang Xia got straight to the point. Huang Jinghan replied promptly, "Sage Shang, you are too polite. Though travel routes to those worlds are difficult, we still make one or two trips each year, personally led by me. So far, their situation remains stable. However, the turbulence in the void has been gradually intensifying." Shang Xia mused, "Is that due to the great spatial vortex?" Huang Jinghan’s face turned serious. "Exactly. Though it has stopped expanding, its starting to speed up. The surrounding void grows more distorted with each passing day. Even I wouldn’t dare pilot a large Star Ship near the edge anymore. We’ve rerouted through the Original Stars Corner." Shang Xia frowned. "Are they aware of it? What have the Ying Brothers and the Great Ape King done about it?" Huang Jinghan replied, "They are in a unique situation right now. The void currents are their greatest shield, so of course, they pay close attention to anything that happens there. Surveillance by us is constant, but I suspect that they’re still holding onto hope that everything will turn out fine.” Shang Xia nodded thoughtfully. "We intend to bring them under our wing, but there’s no need to rush. We’ll just continue regular trade and diplomacy." Huang Jinghan agreed but added, "Still, I think the Ying Brothers and the Great Ape King likely already suspect our intentions." Shang Xia wasn’t surprised. He chuckled softly. "So what if they do? We simply need to act with honor and fairness." As they spoke, someone knocked on the door. The next moment, Song Zhen entered. Seeing Huang Jinghan, Song Zhen paused, then smiled and greeted him. Shang Xia gestured for Song Zhen to sit and asked, "Any news from the Essence Du Heavenly Field?" Song Zhen hesitated as Huang Jinghan rose to his feet. He intended to leave, but Shang Xia held out a hand to stop him. Then he turned to Song Zhen. "Go ahead." Song Zhen offered Huang Jinghan an apologetic smile, then said in a grave tone, "The Essence Du Heavenly Field has been drifting through the void. Word is that Yan Yu wants to pull it completely out of the Heaven Observation Star Region."