At the same time Xuan Hao was making his way back to the Star Shattering Sect to prepare for a possible response from the Blue Sea Empire, Bai Shenyang's battered figure flickered through the sky at an unsteady pace. The remnants of Xuan Hao's Sky Splitting Sword still lingered in his body, distorting his qi and making every breath agonizing. He had fought with everything he had, but in the end, he had been forced to retreat.
With a final push, he tore through space and emerged above an endless ocean seconds later. Below him, the vast waters of the Oceanheart Lake stretched beyond the horizon, the serene surface hiding the power struggles and conflicts raging across the empire unbeknownst to most.