497: Star Power

Yan Ruyu's strength was already formidable, and with the enhancement of the green lotus emperor weapon, it was only stronger.

Tang Linglong remained silent, gripping her long spear as Sword Intent swirled around her, revealing her sharp edge.

"No need to be nervous."

Ye Xuan spoke calmly, taking a step forward to stand in front of everyone.

"It's a good time to use them to test the depth of the Restrictions here, and also let Yao Ru familiarize herself with the use of the Nine Profound True Spirit Body's spiritual power."

He did not directly use the power of Chaos; instead, with a thought, he drew upon the Power of the Stars from the plaza beneath his feet and the entire outer perimeter of the Imperial Palace.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"Suppress!"

Ye Xuan struck. In the next moment, the movements of the hundred or so Starlight War Puppets that were about to charge suddenly ground to a halt, as if they had fallen into an invisible quagmire.

The starlight flowing over their bodies became dim and flickering, and the weapons they had condensed showed signs of dissipating.

But Ye Xuan did not destroy them; instead, he temporarily suppressed them.

"Yao Ru, watch closely."

Ye Xuan said to the Disciple behind him.

"The Power of the Stars is not just for fierce impacts; its power is vast and can be transformed into a cage."

As Ye Xuan's voice fell, the starlight around the hundred or so temporarily suppressed Starlight War Puppets flickered violently again as they attempted to break free from their shackles.

The silver light in their eyes grew brighter, and their killing intent condensed into substance, causing the temperature of the entire plaza to drop suddenly.

"Its power can also be like crashing waves, sweeping away everything in its path."

Ye Xuan's tone was flat. Facing the surging torrent of War Puppets, he merely raised his right hand gently.

Without any earth-shattering commotion, he slightly spread his five fingers and made a gentle grasping motion toward the Void Realm ahead.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

On the plaza, the Power of the Stars seemed to hear a king's command and instantly boiled!

Countless rays of starlight gathered, transforming into a Giant Hand of Chaos that blotted out the sky. Carrying an irresistible majesty, the giant hand slowly pressed down toward the hundred or so War Puppets.

That Giant Hand of Chaos seemed to have become the Dominator of this Starry Sky Plaza, descending ever so lightly.

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Under the shroud of that Giant Hand of Chaos, the Starlight War Puppets could not even struggle before they began to disintegrate from their cores.

They transformed back into the purest points of starlight, scattering and eventually merging back into the plaza.

The strongest one, the Big Dipper War Puppet that possessed the fluctuations of an Immortal King, only lasted half a breath longer than the others before completely dissipating amidst an unwilling, silent hiss.

In the blink of an eye, over a hundred War Puppets were reduced to ashes!

Silence returned to the plaza once more.

Tang Linglong, Fire Linger, and Yan Ruyu were all deeply shaken.

They knew Ye Xuan was strong, but every time they saw him strike, they were still shocked by his power.

Ye Yao Ru's beautiful eyes widened and her small mouth hung slightly open as she repeatedly replayed Ye Xuan's casual grasp in her mind.

The Nine Profound True Spirit Body within her began to operate on its own at an unprecedented speed, frantically absorbing the pure Power of the Stars left behind after the War Puppets dissipated.

"Teacher... I think I understand a little."

Ye Yao Ru murmured. She tried to mimic Ye Xuan's technique, mobilizing her own spiritual power to resonate with the surrounding Power of the Stars, though it was not even a ten-thousandth of Ye Xuan's.

Yet, a rudimentary form had already emerged, causing the starlight within a few feet of her to ripple slightly.

Seeing this, a look of approval appeared in Ye Xuan's eyes: "Your Comprehension Ability is good. Remember this feeling; it will be of great benefit to your future cultivation."

With a wave of his sleeve, he slightly dispersed the surrounding Essence of the Stars, revealing a clear path leading straight to the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps.

"Let's go. These steps are also an Opportunity."

After saying this, Ye Xuan took the lead and stepped onto the first stair.

Everyone followed closely behind.

The moment he stepped onto the stairs, the Star Runes carved upon them suddenly lit up, and an invisible wave of power quietly spread.

But Ye Xuan's pace did not falter in the slightest; even the Chaos Qi swirling around him did not fluctuate.

That pressure, which would have been enough to make an ordinary True Immortal lose their composure, was not even worth mentioning to him.

He walked upward step by step; his speed was not fast, but it was exceptionally steady.

Tang Linglong and the others followed close behind.

Her sword heart was clear and her will was firm. Although she also felt the pressure, Ye Xuan had already shouldered most of it for them, so the remaining power, while still strong...

...she was able to endure it.

Fire Linger gave a cold snort, the Flames of Nirvana burning fiercely around her as she forcibly resisted the pressure of the stairs.

Yan Ruyu was the most relaxed among them. Holding the green lotus emperor weapon, the lotus swayed, and ripples of green light enveloped her and Ye Yao Ru behind her, making them impervious to all methods.

Ye Yao Ru followed closely behind Yan Ruyu, her small face tense.

Her cultivation was the lowest, so she bore the greatest pressure.

But the pure Power of the Stars pouring into her body, along with Ye Xuan's guidance just now, greatly improved her control over the Nine Profound True Spirit Body.

She no longer passively endured it but tried to actively guide the Power of the Stars to protect herself.

Although her steps were still difficult and she was drenched in sweat, she climbed upward steadily, one footprint at a time.

With every step they took, the pressure increased, and even illusions began to appear.

Even so, everyone gritted their teeth and persisted.

They all knew that after passing these stairs, they would surely gain immense benefits.

After an unknown amount of time, when Ye Xuan easily finished the last step and stood before the massive purple-gold Imperial Palace gates, the four women behind him reached the top one after another.

Standing at the peak of the celestial stairs before the towering gates of the Ziwei Imperial Palace, Tang Linglong, Fire Linger, Yan Ruyu, and Ye Yao Ru finally felt a sense of relief.

The pressure from the climb and the setbacks they had endured all transformed into extremely pure insights at this moment.

Making their Dao Heart more stable and taking their control over their own power to the next level.

Among them, Ye Yao Ru's progress was the most significant. The starlight around her was restrained, but her aura had already stabilized at the Early Stage of the Quasi-Emperor.

The power of the Nine Profound True Spirit Body had also reached an extreme level.

Only one last step remained—the Nine Profound Returning to One—to undergo a complete transformation and fully achieve the Emperor Realm.

Ye Xuan's gaze turned toward the tightly closed purple-gold gates.

The Chart of the Heavenly Stars on the gates flowed slowly, emitting a decaying aura of the ancient era.

And the recessed handprint at the center of the gates radiated a powerful Power of the Stars.

"It seems that to open the gates, one needs the recognition of the Imperial Palace itself," Ye Xuan murmured to himself.

Ye Xuan reached out his right hand and slowly pressed it into the handprint.

He injected his spiritual power, which was fused with the aura of Chaos and contained a trace of the Ziwei Great Emperor Star's Origin power, into it.

At the very moment his palm perfectly fit into the depression...

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The entire Ziwei Imperial Palace shook violently!

The Chart of the Heavenly Stars on the gates instantly erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant light, as if billions of stars had been lit simultaneously!

A thick pillar of nine-colored light shot up from the depths of the Imperial Palace, locking onto Ye Xuan!