A single meteor shower, no matter how massive and awe-inspiring, was never enough to destroy a Heavenly Field, even if a powerful Sage like Shang Xia was behind it. However, if things continued along their current trajectory, then once the meteor storm crashed into the Essence Chong Heavenly Field, over a third of its continents could end up riddled with craters and ruin. The complete destruction of an entire continent was basically set in stone. As for the neighboring Spirit Light World, it was likely that half their world would be devastated. Under such circumstances, even if Pei Ji was currently in another Star Region, he would likely be forced to return to his origin world with the final trump card any Sage possessed. Everything unfolded as Shang Xia had expected. With the massive meteor storm he summoned was about to tear through the heavenly screen of the Essence Chong World, the World Origin Source began to boil as vast amounts of world origin was consumed. A massive spatial portal opened up, and a grim-faced Pei Ji emerged. With a Sage stationed back in the world, the power of the World’s Will returned to its peak state, in a horrifying eruption of energy. Although the meteor storm had already entered the world, hundreds of meteors were obliterated the moment Pei Ji arrived. Soon after, the Essence Chong World’s Will, having sensed the dire crisis, began actively channeling its strength into Pei Ji. At the same time, he gained control over it. With another move, Pei Ji destroyed more than a hundred additional meteors, all of the larger ones Shang Xia had summoned. Yet despite it, many meteors still slipped past the defenses. They landed onto the continent below, leaving devastation in their wake. Meanwhile, countless more meteors continued streaking across the void, heading toward the other parts of the Essence Chong Heavenly Field. After Pei Ji’s forced return, while the Essence Chong Heavenly Field was spared from total destruction, severe damage was inevitable unless external forces intervened. That was also Shang Xia’s goal. The sudden meteor shower he summoned alerted another being hiding in the region, the Star Origin Lord’s Starlight Clone! By the time his Starlight Clone arrived, the Essence Chong Heavenly Field’s defenses had already been shattered. The various worlds had endured impacts from hundreds of meteors of varying sizes, and the Spirit Light World’s Heavenly Screen had been torn apart countless times as it tried to repair itself. A deep frown appeared on the Star Origin Lord’s Starlight Clone’s face. His experience and instincts told him it was no natural phenomenon. He had scanned the surrounding void during his journey, but hadn’t detected anything unusual. Still, that only made him more certain. Whoever was behind it had hidden themselves exceptionally well. Despite his suspicions, the Starlight Clone had no choice but to intervene. He had to aid Pei Ji in resisting the meteor barrage, at the very least, the Essence Chong Heavenly Field had to be preserved. Because the Essence Chong Heavenly Field, or more accurately, the Essence Chong World, had long been regarded by the Star Origin Lord and his avatar as their property. When the Star Origin Lord’s Starlight Clone struck, his power far surpassed Pei Ji’s. Although Pei Ji had gained significantly from following Sage Yuan Ling and aiding in the conquest of the Essence Xing World, reaching the peak of the second star... And could even unleash the strength of a third star Sage with the help of his world... The Star Origin Lord’s Starlight Clone which was made from a puppet from the corpse of Zhuge Xiang, had the strength of a mid-level Sage. And sure enough, when he acted, the results were astounding. The incoming meteor shower was abruptly severed by a ribbon of starlight slicing across the void. When the streak faded, a massive empty stretch appeared in the meteor storm. The pressure on the Essence Chong Heavenly Field instantly lessened. Pei Ji immediately yelled, "Whichever Sage you are... My Essence Chong Heavenly Field shall be forever grateful!" Far off in the void, hundreds of thousands of miles from the Essence Chong Heavenly Field, the Star Origin Lord’s Starlight Clone, with his presence exposed, let out a light chuckle. He paid no mind to Pei Ji’s intentions to probe him out but continued halting the meteors from striking the Heavenly Field. Even so, he remained highly vigilant about the strange origin of the meteor storm, constantly prepared for unexpected developments. In fact, Shang Xia had already become one of his prime suspects. That was why, even before arriving, he had sent word to his true body in the distant Four Essence Heavenly Field, ordering the Xing Xingtian, the Grand Stargazer, to keep a close watch on the region of space for any anomalies. But the problem was that the Heaven Observation Star Region was far too distant. Even with secret arts allowing communication between the Star Origin Lord and his Starlight Clone, any message sent would still take several days to arrive and return. Pei Ji, too, was beginning to suspect the meteor shower was no accident. Seeing that the Star Origin Lord’s Starlight Clone offered no reply, he dropped the matter and refocused on defense. Fortunately, before initiating the forced transmission back to his world from the Essence Xing Heavenly Field, he had already requested aid from Sage Yuan Ling and Sage Yan Yu. He believed they would not abandon him. As long as he could hold out through the next phase of attacks, reinforcements would come. After all, during the years-long campaign against the Essence Xing World led by Yuan Ling, the opposing domain’s foundation had been thoroughly plundered. It was now on its last legs. Pei Ji himself was nearing a breakthrough to the third star. Naturally, Yuan Ling, who had reaped even greater benefits, was believed to have crossed his bottleneck, possibly even reaching the sixth star. Neither Pei Ji nor the Star Origin Lord’s Starlight Clone anticipated that Shang Xia hadn’t been hiding in the first place. They just failed to detect his presence. He remained so far from the Essence Chong Heavenly Field when he started the assault, and there was no need for him to get closer. Though the seven suns were scattered across the Star Region, separated by tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of miles, they were a complete system in Shang Xia’s eyes. As long as he was near any one of them, he could control and command all seven. The second the Star Origin Lord’s Starlight Clone made an appearance, Shang Xia knew he had already stepped into the trap. In the next instant, all seven suns flared to life. Blazing light burst from each, flooding the void. In the distant reaches of the void, if any Stargazer happened to be observing the region, they would notice seven brilliant celestial bodies erupting in radiant brilliance. They aligned in the void to form the unmistakable shape of a ladle.
