The Star Guard Battle Group's ultimate move was already brewing, and although the purifying world net was broken, the gaze of the Enforcement Officers from above would never stop.

Further away, the flames of war in the Emerald Sea were still spreading, and countless islands were waiting for a glimmer of light.

She slowly stood up straight, her silver hair fluttering lightly in the fading sea breeze as she looked at the once again approaching Star Guard Battle Group, and at the broader sea area shrouded in the storm.

“Zi Yuan, prepare to evacuate,” she said softly. “Our battle isn't about fighting them to the death here.”

“The Star Rail Orthodoxy wants to erase me, and the Enforcement Officers want to purify me.”

“Then let them chase.”

“In this sea area they view as a chessboard, I will light up one island after another, collecting one wisp of faith after another.”

“Until this glimmer... gathers into a prairie fire that they can no longer ignore.”

“Until this path of the emperor... reaches the end they must face squarely.”

“Go!”

The phantom of the Star Rail Gate flowed with silver light once more, and spatial fluctuations arose.

Just a moment before the Star Guard Battle Group's ultimate move descended, the figures of Bai Cheng and Zi Yuan quietly vanished like ink blending into water.

Only the firm and warm light of faith that had been ignited remained on Broken Shell Island, burning quietly beneath the gradually dispersing clouds of war.

The Lion Star Guard's spear struck empty air, and starlight exploded, blasting a giant crater into the top of the stone mountain.

He looked at the empty space ahead, then down at the clearly more concentrated halo of faith on the island below, his face beneath the helmet turning extremely grim.

“Track the star track disturbance traces... she can't have fled far.”

“Message the Star Lord: The target has initially mastered the method of invoking and utilizing local faith; the threat level is upgraded.”

“The hunt... continues.”

The star gate opened once more, and the figures of the Twelve Star Guards merged into it, disappearing.

Broken Shell Island returned to a temporary peace.

But everyone knew that the storm in this sea area was becoming more treacherous and dangerous due to the birth and struggle of an Emperor.

And the pursuit between the glimmer and the hunters had only just begun.

Under the cover of star track ripples, the silver train sped away from the Broken Shell Island sea area silently, like a bird skimming over the water.

Inside the carriage, there was silence.

Bai Cheng leaned back in the soft chair beside the main console, her face as pale as paper. The emperors imprint on her forehead had already faded,

but the waves of weakness and stinging pain from the depths of her soul reminded her of the price of the battle just now.

Zi Yuan sat cross-legged beside her, silently adjusting her breathing.

Although her Flowing Blade Intent was not exhausted, after continuously resisting the Star Guard Battle Group's siege and forcibly channeling power to buy time for Bai Cheng,

her internal energy was also in disarray, and her right arm holding the blade was still trembling slightly.

Lu Duo's emerald radiance enveloped the two, and gentle life energy flowed in like a stream, repairing their damaged meridians and souls.

But the law backlash from forcibly opening a crack in the Star Rail Gate, along with the soul burden of burning the island's faith, was far from what pure life energy could quickly heal.

“Miss...” Yu Nian held a cup of freshly brewed pure heart vine tea, her voice filled with worry, “Your aura... is very chaotic.”

Bai Cheng took the teacup, the warm aroma of the tea clearing her mind slightly.

She shook her head gently, her silver eyes looking out the porthole at the receding sea and sky.

“Just over-exhaustion,” her voice was somewhat raspy.

“The use of the Star Rail Gate is more mentally taxing than expected.

Forcibly invoking the faith of Broken Shell Island... although it successfully broke the deadlock, I was also nearly backlashed by the despair and fear contained within those prayers.”

She closed her eyes. In the depths of her soul, the phantom of the slightly open Star Rail Gate was slowly closing.

Behind the gate, besides the vast silver glow gifted by the Stardust Remnants, there was an additional wisp of pale gold embers of faith belonging to the two thousand-plus islanders of Broken Shell Island.

These beliefs were warm and resilient, like the residual warmth of a campfire in the dark,

gradually smoothing the wounds of her soul and allowing that dim emperors imprint to re-condense and stabilize at an extremely slow pace.

Though infinitesimal, it was indeed becoming stronger.

“Is this... the path of the emperor?” Bai Cheng whispered in her heart.

“Using faith as fuel and the prayers of all living beings as fire, burning oneself to light the way ahead... yet always at risk of being consumed by this fire and turned to ashes.”

“Ning Xue.” She opened her eyes and looked at the cold back in front of the main console. “Have the traces of our pursuit been cleaned up?”

Data streams flickered in Leng Ningxue's icy eyes: “The cloaking effect of the star track ripples is still active, but it cannot completely erase law disturbances above the King-rank.

The Constellation's Star Guard Battle Group possesses star track tracking secret arts, and the Enforcement Officers above... will have even more means.”

She pulled up the Tide Atlas. On the light screen, the area representing Broken Shell Island had returned to peace,

but in the surrounding sea area, dozens of crimson light dots were moving rapidly, like sharks smelling blood, converging toward the direction of their retreat.

“At least seven purification squads led by Mind-Eroding Demon Generals, and... three secondary squads of the Star Guard Battle Group are closing in on the sea areas we might pass through.”

Leng Ningxue's voice was calm, yet it carried a chill. “They've started casting their net.”

Blue Bird smashed a fist against the cabin wall, lightning sparks flying: “These persistent bastards! They chase us right after the fight, not even giving us a moment to breathe?”

“They won't give us a chance to breathe.” Bai Cheng gently set down the teacup, cold light flashing in her silver eyes.

“The appearance of an Emperor is a variable they must eliminate.

Until I truly gain a foothold and condense a complete imprint, the hunts will only become more frequent and more insane.”

“Where do we go next?” Zi Yuan opened her eyes, her gaze still calm. “Continue searching for islands where faith converges?”

Bai Cheng fell silent for a moment. In the depths of her soul, the Stardust ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Imprint sent a faint but clear throb.

This time, the direction of the throb was not a specific island, but a vast and blurry sea area, as if countless fragmented voices were whispering and calling out.

In those voices, there was sadness, resentment, anger, and... a wisp of remnant light that had been almost forgotten.

“Go northeast.” Bai Cheng stood up, her silver hair flowing like water in the faint light of the carriage. “There... embers are calling.”

“Embers?” The pure heart vine seedling in Yu Nian's arms trembled slightly, its tip pointing northeast, and the silver-white flower bud seeped dark red tears.

This time, it wasn't sadness, but some more complex and intense emotion.

“Before the Stardust Remnants dissipated, they entrusted some scattered fragments of faith to certain special leyline nodes in the Emerald Sea.”

Bai Cheng looked toward the northeast sky, which was reflected in dark purple by the fires of war.

“Those nodes are mostly located at ancient battlefields, ruins of civilizations, or... places of martyrdom during the Great Cataclysm.”

“They carry the obsessions of the deceased, unfulfilled wishes, and... the deepest love and attachment to this sea area.”

“These embers, while unable to provide continuous fuel of faith like living beings, contain obsessions and emotions that are purer and more intense.”

“If we can ignite these embers...”

star tracks rotated in Bai Cheng's silver eyes,

“Perhaps, it can ignite the first... true spark for our path of the emperor.”