Chapter 36: The Azure Sky's Scorn: A Will Forged in Starlight
The air within the Veil of Stars solidified, crushed by the overwhelming spiritual pressure emanating from the woman who had just emerged from the Celestial Palace of the Azure Sky. She was a being of unimaginable power, her presence warping space itself. Her eyes, like distant galaxies, held a chilling, ancient authority, devoid of warmth, fixed on Liam.
"Intruders," her voice resonated, not merely in their minds, but directly through the fabric of reality, shaking their very souls. It was a pure, absolute command, terrifying in its raw power. "You dare trespass upon the Celestial Palace of the Azure Sky. You seek the legacy of the Star Emperor?" Her gaze narrowed, focusing on Liam's star-mark, which pulsed violently under her scrutiny. "You are merely a mortal in a Golden Core realm. You are unworthy." A profound disdain etched her ethereal features, as if looking at a speck of dust that had dared to land on a celestial gem.
Liam's Golden Core thrummed frantically, his body screaming under the immense pressure. Sael instinctively drew her whip, its golden energy flaring, her stance firm, ready to fight for Liam even against impossible odds. Lyra, though trembling, remained steadfast beside Liam, her sapphire eyes wide with terror but unwavering. They were facing a Dao Lord or even higher, a level of existence beyond their wildest dreams. This woman could annihilate them with a mere thought.
"We seek only knowledge, Elder," Liam managed to say, his voice strained but firm, refusing to cower. "And the path to the Star Emperor's legacy." He would not be intimidated. His unique core, pure and cosmic, resisted the crushing pressure, refusing to be suppressed.
The woman scoffed, a sound that resonated with cosmic arrogance. "Knowledge? Path? You are a speck in the dust of creation, boy. The Star Emperor's legacy is not for the likes of you. It is a power for true cosmic beings, for those who command the very Dao!" She raised her staff of crystallized starlight, its tip glowing with a terrifying, destructive energy. "I am Celestia, the Guardian of the Celestial Palace. And you have desecrated its sacred grounds. Your intrusion will be met with annihilation."
A wave of pure spiritual energy, cold and absolute, surged from Celestia, directly targeting Liam. It wasn't a physical attack, but a direct assault on his spiritual sea, attempting to crush his will and scatter his Golden Core. The pressure was immense, far surpassing even the Trial of Celestial Will in the Sanctum.
Liam's Golden Core screamed in protest. He felt as if his very soul was being ripped from his body, his thoughts fragmenting under the unbearable weight. His mind flashed back to his past struggles – the pain of the Nectar Drop, the torment of the Lair's spiritual phantoms. But this was different; this was a direct assault from a being who wielded the Dao itself. He activated his star-mark, pouring all his will into resisting, calling upon the raw, unyielding essence of the Star Emperor's Scripture.
Sael and Lyra watched in horror. They could do nothing. Sael felt the spiritual pressure threatening to buckle her Golden Core, but her eyes remained fixed on Liam, ready to intercept any physical attack, even if it meant her own demise. Lyra trembled, but her eyes, fueled by unwavering faith, radiated a silent plea for Liam's survival.
Celestia watched Liam, her cold eyes devoid of emotion, expecting him to crumble into spiritual dust. But to her astonishment, he did not. His small body convulsed, blood trickled from his nose, and his Golden Core flickered violently, but it held. A pure, golden light, emanating from his core, pushed back against her immense spiritual pressure, feeble but unyielding.
'Such a pure core... such an unyielding will,' Celestia thought, a flicker of genuine surprise in her ancient eyes. 'He is a mere Golden Core, Middle Stage, yet he withstands my Dao suppression?' Her initial disdain began to waver, replaced by a profound curiosity she rarely felt. This mortal was an anomaly.
Celestia intensified her pressure slightly, testing his limits. Liam cried out, a silent scream of agony in his mind, but his will, forged in cosmic fire, refused to break. He clung to his identity, to his purpose – protecting his tribe, unraveling his past, becoming the Star Emperor. The Star Emperor's Scripture instinctively began to circulate, refining his Golden Core even under this impossible pressure, solidifying its cosmic purity.
After what felt like an eternity, but was only a few terrifying minutes, Celestia slowly, imperceptibly, eased her pressure. Liam collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, his body drenched in sweat, his core aching but miraculously intact, even more refined than before. He had survived.
Celestia's gaze sharpened, losing its hostility and gaining a deep, scrutinizing interest. "You survived," she stated, her voice now devoid of its former arrogance, replaced by a cold, analytical tone. "A mere mortal. Your core's purity is indeed profound. And your will... remarkable." She glided closer, her form ethereal. "Who are you, truly, Inheritor? You bear the Mark of the Cosmos, yet you are so weak."
Liam slowly pushed himself up, his eyes meeting hers, a subtle defiance still burning within them. "My name is Liam. I am the inheritor of the Star Emperor's legacy. And I am here to claim what is mine." He made sure to project unwavering resolve, despite his exhaustion.
Celestia's eyes narrowed. She scanned his body, his spiritual sea, probing for answers. She found none, only the profound purity and the unyielding will. A flicker of complex emotions crossed her face – curiosity, a hint of something akin to recognition, and a subtle, almost imperceptible disdain that still lingered for his current 'weakness'. 'To think, the Mark has fallen to such a primitive form,' she mused internally. 'But his core... it is truly pure. A perfect vessel.'
"The Celestial Palace of the Azure Sky is not a place for mere mortals to claim legacies," Celestia stated, her voice now distant and regal, reclaiming her detached demeanor. "It is the testing ground for the truly ascended. However, your will has impressed me. You may enter."
Sael and Lyra gasped in disbelief. Enter? After such a display of power?
Celestia turned, her long starlight staff gleaming. "But do not mistake this for mercy. The trials within this Palace are far more perilous than my mere spiritual pressure. They are designed to annihilate the unworthy. If you seek the true legacy of the Star Emperor, you must prove yourself worthy of cosmic power. Follow me."
She began to glide deeper into the Celestial Palace, her form shimmering amidst the nebulae. Liam exchanged a look with Sael and Lyra. Sael's face was etched with caution, but her eyes held a fierce determination to follow Liam anywhere. Lyra's eyes, though still wide, were filled with renewed hope and a deep, unshakeable faith in Liam.
Liam followed Celestia, stepping into the cosmic depths of the Celestial Palace. He knew this powerful woman, Celestia, held the key to immense knowledge and even greater power, but she was also a cold, dangerous being who might seek to control or even destroy him if he proved unworthy. The unspoken antagonism, mixed with her grudging respect, created a complex dynamic. He also sensed a profound loneliness emanating from her, an ancient sorrow hidden beneath her regal exterior. His journey, now guided by a terrifyingly powerful and beautiful guardian, was about to truly begin its cosmic ascent.