The pulsation of the star core was like the resounding beat of a war drum, each beat causing the entire Starfall Peak to tremble slightly, and striking the hearts of everyone on the summit. The vortex of star power, covering dozens of miles, spun more and more violently, its speed of devouring star power increasing several times over! The originally grayish-brown peak now faintly revealed a warm, jade-like luster, as if the entire mountain was undergoing some kind of transformative metamorphosis.
Outside Starfall Peak, in the void, Sect Master Xingyun Immortal King, Peak Master Jianming, Peak Master Piaomiao, and Lieyangzi (though their expressions were grim), along with other high-ranking members of the sect, gathered, gazing at the vortex that resembled a funnel in a starry sea, their eyes filled with awe and curiosity. What exactly would the divine seed bestowed by the Emperor Ancestor give birth to?
At the summit, the atmosphere was tense yet expectant.
Feng Qinghuang sat cross-legged on the edge of the pit, her aura of the Tribulation Transcending Realm perfectly in harmony with the pulse deep within the earth, like a goddess guarding the stars. Lin Yuan also temporarily stopped his "starry sky dance" and, along with Gu Chen and a group of miscellaneous disciples, circled the pit from a distance, craning their necks to peer inside.
"Peak Master! It's almost here! I can feel it! That life force... is about to burst forth!" Gu Chen excitedly rubbed his hands together, a jade ruler and a jade bottle appearing in his hands at some point, seemingly ready to measure and record the data of the "divine object" at any time.
Lin Yuan swallowed hard, his heart pounding faster and louder with each rapid, powerful "thump! thump!" sound. He stole a glance at Feng Qinghuang beside him, whose aura was deep and powerful, and his heart pounded with anxiety: Would this thing just blow up Starfall Peak as soon as it broke ground?
"Master." Feng Qinghuang's clear, cold voice suddenly rang out. Her gaze remained fixed on the pit, yet she seemed to understand Lin Yuan's thoughts. "The Star-Guiding Chapter is the foundation of the 'Zhou Tian Xing Chen Jue'. It guides Qi into the body and requires calm contemplation to resonate with the stars. You... may try cultivating here; you might gain something from it."
Lin Yuan was taken aback, then realized what was happening. Was this the Empress's disciple subtly reminding him not to just watch the spectacle, but to get down to business (improving his cultivation)? Although her tone was calm, it seemed... she was somewhat concerned?
"Ah? Oh! Right! Repair the chain! Repairing the chain is the priority!" Lin Yuan quickly sat down cross-legged and pretended to take out the jade slip of the [Star-Guiding Chapter]. He was actually still struggling with the obscure scripture, but now that his disciple was "urging" him, he could only bite the bullet and try.
He tried to clear his mind, following the instructions on the jade slip, and attempted to sense the omnipresent power of the stars. However, his weak spiritual sense at the Qi Refining Realm was like a small boat in a storm, unable to stabilize under the dual interference of the raging vortex of star power and the pulsation of the earth's core.
Just when he was feeling agitated and unable to find the right approach—
Thump!!!
An unprecedented, earth-shattering, heavy pulse resounded from the depths of the earth!
The entire Starfall Peak trembled violently! Everyone at the summit was thrown off balance!
Immediately afterwards!
Click!
A crisp, melodious sound, like glass shattering, clearly reached everyone's ears!
At the bottom of that bottomless pit, an indescribable brilliance, as if it had gathered the first rays of light from the birth of the universe, suddenly shone brightly! In an instant, it pierced through the deep darkness!
Boom—!!!
A condensed, azure starlight pillar, no more than ten feet in diameter, yet containing unimaginable power of creation from the chaotic star core, burst through the pit and tore through the vortex of star power without hindrance, like an ancient dragon breaking free from its restraints, and soared straight into the heavens!
Wherever the beam of light passed, space seemed to freeze and purify! The raging vortex of star power, like docile subjects, automatically parted to make way for this beam of light!
That's not all!
Just as the pillar of light shot into the sky!
Buzz—!!!
The entire sky of the Tianyan Sect, no, the entire Eastern Region, seemed to have been put on pause!
Daylight vanishes! Night falls in an instant!
No! It's not night! It's... a myriad of stars appearing!
Whether it was originally day or night, the entire sky was now filled with countless, endless stars! Billions of stars, regardless of size or brightness, simultaneously erupted with unprecedented brilliance! Starlight cascaded down, weaving together a vast and boundless ocean of light!
All the stars, the direction in which their light flows, faintly point to the same source—the azure pillar of light that pierces through heaven and earth at the summit of Starfall Peak in the Heavenly Evolution Sect!
All stars are paying homage! A satellite source!
This earth-shattering celestial phenomenon left everyone who witnessed it, whether it was the sect leader and elders outside the peak or Lin Yuan and the others at the peak, completely stunned! They were as if petrified!
The beam of light lasted for about three breaths before slowly receding and dissipating. The light from the countless stars gradually subsided, and daylight returned, as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.
However, at the summit of Starfall Peak, in that crater, the strange phenomena had just begun!
As the pillar of light dissipated, at the bottom of the pit, a strange seedling, bathed in the lingering chaotic starlight, slowly emerged.
It was only three inches tall, as slender as a newly sprouted blade of grass. Its stem was a translucent, nebula-like silvery-gray, with countless tiny starlight flowing within like blood. At the top, two…leaves?
That cannot be called a leaf!
They were two extremely tiny star maps, entirely composed of flowing starlight and profound Dao patterns… One presented a deep vortex, as if devouring light; the other resembled a blooming nebula, radiating a soft glow. The two star maps slowly rotated, echoing each other, exuding an ancient, mysterious, and all-encompassing aura!
Around the seedling, space was slightly distorted, forming a faint halo of chaotic stars that seemed to isolate everything.
"It's...it's broken through the soil!" Gu Chen was the first to react, his voice trembling with excitement. He grabbed the jade ruler, wanting to rush forward to measure, but was silently repelled by the chaotic star halo surrounding the seedling. He staggered backward, his face even more fervent: "A divine object! Innate Dao patterns! A self-contained star field! Wonderful!"
The servant disciples were mesmerized, finding the seedling incredibly sacred, and even a second glance seemed to bring them enlightenment.
Lin Yuan's mouth dropped open as he stared at the swaying, beautifully presented sapling. He blurted out, "Holy crap? It really grew? This...this is...a Star...sapling?!" His mind instantly conjured up images of myths and legends like the "Ginseng Fruit Tree" and the "Peach Tree."
However, contrary to everyone's amazement...
As the seedling broke through the soil and the two "star map" leaves became clear, Feng Qinghuang, who was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the pit, suddenly trembled! It was as if she had been struck hard by an invisible giant hammer!
Her once calm and serene star-like eyes suddenly contracted to their limit! Deep within her pupils, the two slowly rotating star charts were reflected, surging with a turbulent wave! A thrill originating from the deepest part of her soul and an unbelievable ecstasy erupted like a volcano!
"This...this aura..." Feng Qinghuang's voice trembled like never before. She stared intently at the seedling, as if trying to imprint it into her soul. "Impossible...this is absolutely impossible...but...this chaotic star core's Dao aura...this all-encompassing star map trajectory...and...this resonance with the missing fragment deep within my origin?!"
When the Celestial Dynasty collapsed in her previous life and the Empress perished, her natal imperial weapon, the [Myriad Stars Sundial], which she cherished as her life and which carried most of her imperial laws, also shattered! Its core fragments scattered throughout the heavens, their whereabouts unknown! That [Myriad Stars Sundial] was an unparalleled imperial weapon that evolved from a chaotic star core, manifesting the celestial phenomena of the universe and controlling the warp and weft of time and space!
The aura emanating from this seedling before her, the two leaves composed of flowing star patterns and Dao runes… were actually of the same origin as the shattered core fragment of the [Myriad Stars Sundial] in her memory… even purer and more primordial! It was as if… the core fragment of the [Myriad Stars Sundial] had absorbed the power of creation from the chaotic star core, and then been reborn and transformed!
This seedling... is it her [Myriad Stars Sundial]?! Or rather, is it the... newborn seed of the [Myriad Stars Sundial]?!
The immense shock caused even the reincarnated Empress Feng Qinghuang to lose her composure! She abruptly stood up and instinctively wanted to approach the seedling!
"Watch out!" Lin Yuan reacted quickly, grabbing Feng Qinghuang's arm (the touch was cool and smooth, sending a shiver down his spine). "That halo looks eerie! Even Gu Chen was bounced away!"
Feng Qinghuang was pulled back to her senses by Lin Yuan's pull. Looking at the sapling so close to her, and feeling the terrifying aura emanating from the chaotic star halo—a aura powerful enough to annihilate even a Celestial King—she forcibly suppressed her excitement and longing. She couldn't touch it yet.
She turned to look at Lin Yuan, her eyes filled with an extremely complex mix of emotions: shock, elation, disbelief, and… a deep sense of confusion. Why was this sapling on Starfall Peak? Why was it brought by Lin Yuan? A gift from the Emperor Ancestor… did the Emperor Ancestor know her identity? Or… was this merely an unbelievable coincidence?
"Master..." Feng Qinghuang's voice was slightly hoarse, "Do you know the origin of this item?"
Lin Yuan felt a little uneasy under Feng Qinghuang's burning gaze, so he quickly let go of her hand and scratched his head. "Origin? It's a seed given by the Emperor Ancestor. He said there would be a surprise if it was planted... Uh, now it seems, it's quite a surprise, but the surprise..." He looked at the dangerous star halo, then at Feng Qinghuang's unusual reaction, "The surprise... there should be some too, right? My disciple, you seem... to like it quite a bit?"
She liked him? More than just liked him! This was fate's greatest gift to her! It was the key to revenge and her reclaiming of the throne!
Feng Qinghuang took a deep breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions. She looked at the seedling again, her gaze becoming incredibly firm and... gentle? As if looking at a long-lost relative.
"This item... is of paramount importance to this disciple." Feng Qinghuang's voice returned to its usual coldness, yet carried an undeniable resolve. "Please, Master, grant this disciple permission to cultivate in seclusion here and protect its growth!"
"Huh? Oh! Of course! Absolutely!" Lin Yuan immediately made the decision. "This was originally meant for you! It's only right that you guard it! Don't worry, the entire Starfall Peak is its backing! Give it star power if it wants star power! Give it berries... uh, when the berries ripen, give them to it too!" He couldn't be more eager for Feng Qinghuang to guard this "time bomb," lest that halo of stars one day become unhappy and annihilate the peak.
Feng Qinghuang nodded slightly, saying nothing more. She sat down cross-legged again, her gaze fixed on the swaying seedling like the most loyal guardian. This time, her aura completely merged with the seedling and with the entire Starfall Peak. To protect it was to protect her own future hope!
Looking at the Empress's disciple's expression of both trepidation and utmost care, and then glancing at the exceptionally beautiful sapling, Lin Yuan was filled with emotion: The Emperor's gift... was truly worthwhile! This is no mere sapling; it is clearly a precious treasure that has captured the Empress's heart!
Just then, the system notification arrived belatedly:
"Ding! The Star Seed has successfully sprouted, nurturing the 'Myriad Stars Sundial Seedling' (juvenile stage)!"
"Starfall Peak gains a special status: [Protection of Myriad Stars] (Increased fortune, permanent increase in star power concentration by 50%, and increased cultivation speed of star-type techniques by 30%)!"
"As the 'Planter,' the host has received the following feedback rewards: Cultivation bottleneck loosened! [Star Tempering Body Technique - Divine Treasure Chapter] Cultivation speed +100%! [Star Guiding Chapter] Comprehension deepened!"
"First Disciple Feng Qinghuang has established a symbiotic bond with the Myriad Stars Sundial Seedling, intimacy +20! The Dao Foundation and the seedling are growing together, and the Annihilation Seal is continuously weakening!"
Has the bottleneck in cultivation loosened? Has body tempering accelerated? Has the understanding of the Star-Guiding Chapter deepened?
Lin Yuan's eyes lit up! Such a good thing?!
He immediately looked at the sapling swaying peacefully in the chaotic star halo, and his eyes instantly became incredibly "loving".
"Little sapling, little sapling, you are truly a lucky star for your master! From now on, you and I... uh, our peak master and the divine sapling, get along well!"
He immediately sat down cross-legged, taking advantage of the deepened understanding of the [Star-Guiding Chapter], and tried to draw upon the power of the stars once more. This time, perhaps due to the affinity of the star power brought about by the sprouting of the Myriad Stars Sundial, or perhaps due to the subtle connection brought about by the increased intimacy, he actually managed to capture a trace of pure star power and slowly draw it into his body!
Although it is still weak, it is a breakthrough from zero to one!
Lin Yuan was happily immersed in "serious chain repair," feeling that his future was bright.
Well, as long as that "ancestral seedling" next to it doesn't suddenly explode, it'll be fine.