High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 393: Chapter 233: Changes in the Star Domain

”Changning King,” a rather deep voice said.

It was the Heaven-Dominating King who spoke, a powerhouse at the apex of the King realm with a burly build and resolute features.

Known for his immense strength and vast domain, his power had reached the threshold of a Venerable.

He looked at Li Wen, his gaze complex. There was a hint of scrutiny in his eyes, as well as an unconcealable trace of pity.

”I hear you’ve been absorbed in academics lately, publishing one paper after another and shaking the academic world. That level of intelligence is truly admirable.”

He paused, his tone carrying a faint, almost imperceptible hint of admonishment:

”But... the path of the Martial Dao is like rowing a boat upstream. Changning King, your talent is unparalleled, supreme among your generation. Your ascension to King was already world-shaking.”

”The path of academics is fine, but it is ultimately an external pursuit. Don’t let it delay what is fundamental. You should focus your limited energy more on polishing your Martial Dao and breaking through to the Venerable realm.”

Beside the Heaven-Dominating King, the Yan Dan King, whose aura was as sharp as a drawn sword, also nodded slightly.

Although he didn’t speak, the meaning in his eyes was identical to the Heaven-Dominating King’s.

They bore no ill will toward Li Wen. On the contrary, it was precisely because they valued his talent and saw him as a future pillar of the Human Race.

This was why they were so disappointed and bewildered by his ”improper” obsession with academics.

They felt he was wasting his Martial Dao talent, which was the envy of all.

At this moment, they naturally had no idea that the Primordial Spirit of the young man they were ”pitying” had already broken through to the 7th Layer.

His Primordial Spirit alone was strong enough to rival an ordinary Venerable, and his blade arts mastery had also reached an unheard-of 99%, just a hair’s breadth away from creating a Venerable Level Martial Art!

Li Wen took in everyone’s reactions. Faced with the Heaven-Dominating King’s implicit words of advice, he simply smiled calmly and offered no explanation.

The secret of the system could not be revealed, and his current realm was far beyond anyone’s imagination. Explaining would only cause more trouble.

”Thank you for your advice, Heaven-Dominating King,” Li Wen said calmly.

”Academics is also a form of cultivation. For me, it has its own logic. As for this Star Domain, I will also give it my all.”

His gaze was clear and firm, without the slightest waver.

The Heaven-Dominating King and the Yan Dan King exchanged a glance. Seeing Li Wen’s attitude, they couldn’t say any more, but the feeling of pity in their hearts only grew stronger.

They simply took it as Li Wen being young and impetuous, unwilling to listen to advice.

The Celestial Martial King saw all of this, but the corner of his mouth curled up in a barely perceptible smile.

He didn’t reveal anything, simply announcing in a clear voice:

”Alright, everyone is here. The journey into the Star Domain is filled with both crisis and opportunity. I hope you will all remember to watch over and help one another as we explore the Great Dao together! Let’s move out!”

Following the Celestial Martial King’s command, he threw a punch, and the void instantly split open. A vast spatial fluctuation spread out.

Everyone could clearly feel that compared to last time, the Celestial Martial King handled it with far more ease.

Apparently, the veteran King had also gained a great deal from the last trip to the Star Domain.

This brought a wave of delight to the group, who were all happy for the veteran King.

Li Wen followed the others into the void rift, his figure gradually blurring.

Just before his figure vanished completely, Li Wen’s powerful Primordial Spirit keenly detected something.

The spatial fluctuations in this area seemed to have an extremely faint, almost imperceptible disturbance that wasn’t there the last time it was opened.

It was like a hidden undercurrent beneath a calm lake’s surface.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before his expression returned to normal.

The void rift closed, completely swallowing them and sending them to the bizarre, law-interwoven periphery of the Star Domain.

Soon, Li Wen and the others arrived at that bizarre Star Domain.

This special region, formed by the descent of the Demon Race’s world, was still suspended between Blue Star and the phantom of the Demon Realm.

Its interior was filled with all sorts of wondrous and strange sights, making it an excellent place to comprehend the Laws.

As soon as they entered the periphery of the Star Domain, Li Wen and the others keenly sensed that something was different.

Compared to their last visit, when the Power of Law was as clear and tangible as a flowing stream, visible everywhere, the environment now seemed much more subdued.

The once active and manifest fluctuations of Law had become thin and indistinct, as if covered by a thin veil.

This was a normal phenomenon as the Star Domain gradually stabilized and the Laws became more internalized. It meant that from now on, it would be increasingly difficult to capture and comprehend the clear true meaning of the Laws as easily as before.

”Time is limited. Same as last time, aside from Junior Brother Sun, all other junior brothers at the Marquis Level, come to my side.”

The Celestial Martial King had also noticed this change immediately. His steady voice rang out, filled with an authority that allowed no debate.

Hearing this, the few Marquis Level geniuses from Red Flame Star, Ice Soul Star, and Cangwu Star showed no hesitation.

They quickly composed themselves and moved to the Celestial Martial King’s side as instructed.

The Celestial Martial King’s invisible domain power quietly unfurled, enveloping them to provide both protection and facilitate unified movement.

At the same time, with a slight stir of his thoughts, Li Wen’s vast and majestic Primordial Spirit power spread out silently.

Like the most precise radar, it instantly brought everything within a thousand-mile radius into his perception.

His Primordial Spirit had reached the 7th Layer, touching the threshold of the Saint Realm, far surpassing everyone present.

Therefore, his probing was like melting into the void. No one present, including the Celestial Martial King, noticed this invisible net that covered a thousand-mile radius.

The group set off once more, speeding toward the central region of the Star Domain.

However, unlike the relative calm of their last visit, the atmosphere in the Star Domain was noticeably more tense this time.

The number of demons had increased almost exponentially.

After flying for less than half an hour, the first group of demons entered the range of Li Wen’s Primordial Spirit perception.

It was an exploration team led by seven or eight ordinary Great Demon Kings, with most members being at the Demon General level.

They had been patrolling in the distance, seemingly searching for something.

When the distance between the two groups closed to about a hundred miles, the Demon Race team finally discovered the presence of the Human Race group.

At first, they seemed a bit confused and wary, but when they got a clear look at the iconic, domain-shrouded group of humans...

...especially when they sensed the unfathomably deep aura of the figure at the head of the group, everything changed in an instant.

The pupils of the leading Great Demon Kings contracted abruptly, and the ferocity on their faces was instantly replaced by an indescribable terror.

Then, the entire Demon Race squad screeched to a halt.

Without a moment’s hesitation, they began to retreat frantically, even faster than they had arrived.

They didn’t even dare to make any provocative or probing moves, focused only on fleeing for their lives. Their formation instantly fell into disarray, as if being a step too slow would mean utter annihilation.

The members of the Human Race naturally saw this happen as well.

Ling Feng, Sun Rui, and the others showed knowing smiles on their faces.

The Celestial Martial King’s expression was calm. He paid it no mind, showing no intention of giving chase, simply maintaining his speed and continuing to lead the group forward.

”Heh, it seems the glorious reputation Senior Brother Celestial Martial established here last time has completely spread throughout the Demon Realm,” a Marquis Level genius from Cangwu Star said with a laugh, his voice filled with pride.

The Celestial Martial King heard this and just shook his head slightly. His tone was placid, yet it carried an undeniable power:

”It’s just a bit of empty fame. The Demon Race fears power, not virtue. Strength is the only thing that’s fundamental. Keep moving.”

As the group ventured deeper and approached the core region of the Star Domain, they encountered the Demon Race with increasing frequency.

Sometimes it was scattered groups of three to five, other times slightly larger exploration teams.

However, regardless of the number or strength of the demons they encountered, their reactions were all astonishingly uniform.

The moment they got a clear look at the Human Race group, and especially after confirming the Celestial Martial King’s presence, their expressions would change in an instant.

Like birds startled by a bowstring, they would retreat in panic, putting a great distance between them and never daring to come any closer.

Some of the more powerful Great Demon King teams, though they appeared slightly calmer as they retreated, could not hide the deep apprehension and fear in their eyes.

What they saw along the way formed a peculiar picture.

Wherever the Human Race team passed, the Demon Race groups would scatter, proactively clearing a path.

The Star Domain, originally fraught with danger, now seemed almost unobstructed.

”It seems that battle our Senior Brother fought last time really scared them witless.”

Sun Rui said in a low voice to Li Wen beside him, watching another Demon Race team flee into the distance.

Li Wen nodded slightly. His Primordial Spirit power clearly captured the look of apprehension in the eyes of the fleeing demons.

The Celestial Martial King’s absolute power—which could smash the rotten and crush peak Great Demon Kings—had clearly become the consensus among all demons in this Star Domain.

Thanks to the increase in everyone’s strength, especially the Celestial Martial King’s deeper comprehension of spatial rules and his own domain, their travel speed far surpassed that of their last trip.

The core region, which had taken nearly half a day to reach last time, was reached in less than eight hours this time.

When the group finally came to a halt, hovering at the edge of the core region where the fluctuations of Law were most dense...

...they saw that many figures had already gathered in the strange space shrouded in a hazy halo within the core region.

Without exception, their auras were powerful and obscure. Demonic energy soared to the heavens, churning the surrounding Power of Law.

These figures were, without a doubt, the truly top-tier existences among the Demon Race’s Great Demon Kings.

Among them, Li Wen and the Celestial Martial King immediately recognized the old demon who carried a thick turtle shell on his back and whose aura was as deep and heavy as a mountain.

It was the Profound Turtle Old Demon King, who had tried to hide and spy near the spatial rift as they were leaving the Star Domain last time, only to be injured by a long-distance strike from the Celestial Martial King.

At this moment, it was coiled atop a floating boulder, its turtle-like eyes half-open.

Around the Profound Turtle Old Demon King were several other figures exuding similarly terrifying auras.

One was a Great Demon King covered in dark-gold scales, with a single horn on its head, resembling a giant lizard.

Another was a bird-shaped Demon King with a shocking wingspan, its body wreathed in the power of wind and lightning.

And finally, a giant ape, its frame as burly as a mountain, its skin cracked and flowing like molten lava.

These peak Great Demon Kings had also clearly sensed the arrival of the Human Race team at the first possible moment.

They almost simultaneously stopped their individual meditations or conversations.

One after another, cold, wary gazes filled with complex emotions shot over, all focusing on the Celestial Martial King at the head of the group.

The air seemed to freeze in that instant as an invisible pressure spread out.