Seeking Life in Death

　　The desolate Death Star Region received a visitor ten years later.　　It was Li Yue again.　　Her injuries had fully recovered, and she entered the Death Star Region directly. As soon as she stepped in, souls began to follow her. The souls emitted faint howls.　　"I'm looking for the Lord of the Death Star; can you help guide me?" Li Yue asked with a light laugh.　　The souls made some incomprehensible sounds, seemingly not understanding her.　　But it wasn't necessary for them to understand.　　The surrounding dark mist quickly enveloped Li Yue and pulled her straight to Chen Xia.　　"What do you want from me?" Chen Xia stood on the death star, asking in confusion.　　"I want... I want..." Li Yue stuttered a few times before shouting, "I want to become your disciple, would that be convenient?"　　"Very inconvenient," Chen Xia rejected her outright, then frowned and added, "Look at my state; I don't seem like someone who can teach others."　　His entire body was shrouded in thick black mist, emanating death qi, far from the appearance of a normal cultivator. He couldn't understand why Li Yue wanted to become his disciple.　　Li Yue waved her hand to explain, "You are the most powerful cultivator I've ever met, and... you were once an elder of the Azure Heaven Sword Sea. Aunt Li Yang used to be a disciple there, so if I become your disciple, it would be like joining the Azure Heaven Sword Sea."　　"That's definitely not possible," Chen Xia shook his head. "Come, let me teach you. Go left when you exit, and you'll find a place called Azure Heaven Sword Sea. Find an old man with bloodshot eyes inside and ask to be his disciple; he can make you stay in the Azure Heaven Sword Sea forever."　　"Is that old man easy to talk to?" Li Yue asked with wide eyes.　　"He usually doesn't speak," Chen Xia replied.　　"How can we communicate if he doesn't speak? Moreover, the current Azure Heaven Sword Sea has become a forbidden area; it's said all cultivators who enter die."　　Li Yue frowned, puzzled.　　"Yes, that's right, because he kills them, so no need for communication," Chen Xia nodded.　　"Oh, does that mean I would die too?" Li Yue realized belatedly.　　Chen Xia genuinely felt this girl had some issues and shook his head.　　"If you don't die, how can you stay in the Azure Heaven Sword Sea forever?"　　Li Yue raised an eyebrow, touched her smooth chin, and nodded, "That makes sense."　　Chen Xia shook his head again, feeling Li Yue was completely different from Li Yang. If Li Yang exuded dominance, Li Yue was simply naive.　　He glanced at Li Yue once more and shook his head again.　　"It's impossible for me to take on disciples. If you really want to join the Azure Heaven Sword Sea, find that old man with bloodshot eyes or go directly to Li Yang. Isn't Li Yang one of the Fourteen Sons of Azure Heaven?"　　Li Yue scratched her cheek, "Because she is the last one among the Fourteen Sons, Aunt Li Yang doesn't like this title much."　　"The last one doesn't mean the weakest," Chen Xia replied and stopped talking.　　Li Yue's dark eyes stared at Chen Xia, who was hidden in the dead silence of the black mist, also staring back.　　Li Yue's fair face turned slightly red, embarrassed, turning her head slightly and touching her head curiously.　　"Who is this old man with bloodshot eyes you mentioned?"　　"An Elder Protector," Chen Xia answered immediately, explaining further, "or you can call him the Deputy Head of the Azure Heaven Sword Sea."　　"So this old man is the Deputy Head?" Li Yue understood but soon paused, surprised, "Deputy... Deputy... Deputy Head?!"　　This was one of the highest-ranking figures in the entire star region.　　"Yep," Chen Xia nodded, "Though he's called Deputy Head, he's essentially just a guardian soul of the Azure Heaven Sword Sea now, since the Azure Heaven Sword Sea is dead, and so will he."　　Li Yue patted her ample chest and asked curiously, "How do you know this? Isn't it rumored that all cultivators who entered died?"　　"So it's just a rumor," Chen Xia replied, softly saying, "Regarding the matters of the Azure Heaven Sword Sea, I probably know the most now."　　"Then... can you tell me about it? I asked Aunt Li Yang before, but she didn't know much and finished quickly."　　Li Yue said eagerly, her face filled with anticipation.　　This wasn't a secret matter, so Chen Xia started recounting.　　"The Azure Heaven Sword Sea, above is a vast sky, below is a true sea. Because the seawater is rich with sword intent, it's called the Sword Sea."　　"Inside the Sword Sea, a Great Emperor has been sleeping, the last Great Emperor of the previous era."　　"Emperor Sword Venerable."　　Li Yue's eyes lit up at this mention of the domain's former ruler, hard not to be excited, and hurriedly asked,　　"Have you met the Great Emperor? Is he really that powerful?"　　"I've seen him once; he is very powerful," Chen Xia nodded, a rare glint of reminiscence appearing in his eyes, continuing,　　"The Azure Heaven and Sword Sea aren't inhabited by people. The real living place is on a giant sword suspended in the middle, which is also the Immortal Sword."　　"At the tip of the sword is a pavilion storing divine techniques, and at the hilt is a forest of three million flying swords."　　"I know this," Li Yue seemed excited, "Aunt Li Yang said that all three million flying swords were taken by one person. When she went to the Azure Heaven Sword Sea, she didn't get a single flying sword."　　She crossed her arms, huffed, and commented, "This person is so selfish. How could they take all the swords like that? At least leave two for Aunt Li Yang."　　Chen Xia glanced at her without speaking.　　They chatted a bit more, but nothing in-depth, just some general information about the layout of the Azure Heaven Sword Sea.　　Li Yue listened with great interest. Just as they were about to finish, she lifted her eyes and suddenly asked,　　"What about Chen Xia? Wasn't he the most promising Great Emperor seed in the Azure Heaven Sword Sea? Can you tell me about him?"　　"Forget it, Chen Xia and I aren't close," Chen Xia shook his head and refused.　　"Oh, okay," Li Yue's pretty face showed disappointment. A moment later, she switched to a pleading tone and asked,　　"Can you really not take me as a disciple?"　　"Not at this time," Chen Xia shook his head again.　　"Then in the future?"　　Chen Xia nodded and smiled lightly, "After you die, you're welcome to join."　　Li Yue was stunned for a moment, then rolled her eyes, finding it uninteresting. She turned her head forward and suddenly froze.　　Millions of souls were pushing a huge dead star.　　This dead star looked exactly like the one that went missing a few years ago.　　More shockingly, the dead star was pulsating, like a fetus ready to be born. Cracks appeared on its surface, as if life was about to emerge.　　She turned to look at Chen Xia in surprise.　　On the lonely dead star, Chen Xia smiled lightly.　　"Life and death are a cycle. The Death Star Region has always been a place where the living dare not approach, having no sign of life. But now it's different. I want to..."　　His smile widened as he continued,　　"Seek life through death!"