The morning sun barely pierced Azure City's haze, its light diffused by the lingering smoke from the beast tide's aftermath. The outer walls bore fresh scars—craters from the Eclipse Wyrm's void beams and claw marks deep enough to expose the spirit arrays' glowing runes. Kai Chen stood at the edge of the Iron Fist Sect's outer courtyard, the pouch of 400 spirit coins heavy in his cloak, the stolen jade slip of the Star Swallowing Art hidden against his chest. His body ached from the battle, but the star seed in his dantian thrummed with restless energy, pushing him to Body Refinement Realm, Level 5, with a Gene Level of 2x. He was stronger, faster, but still a flea compared to the sect's elites.
The Iron Fist Sect's compound sprawled before him, a fortress of black stone and iron spires, its training grounds bustling with disciples. Outer disciples in gray robes sparred with fists that cracked the air, while inner disciples in silver-trimmed uniforms practiced Qi-infused techniques, their punches sparking with earthen energy. Kai's scavenger instincts screamed to run—sects meant rules, hierarchies, and danger—but the Wyrm's essence core was inside, claimed by the sect. If he wanted it, he had to play their game.
Li Wei, the burly outer elder, stood waiting, his arms crossed. "You showed up, scavenger," he said, his voice gruff but tinged with approval. "Thought you'd take the coins and disappear into the slums."
Kai met his gaze. "I want that core. And answers." The Star Swallowing Art jade slip burned against his skin, its secrets locked until he could study it properly. The legacy's voice hadn't spoken since the battle, but its presence lingered, a constant whisper of devour.
Li Wei grunted. "Core's with the inner elders. You'll need to earn it. Join as an outer disciple, pass the trials, and maybe you'll get a shot. But don't expect a warm welcome—rats like you don't last long here."
Kai nodded, swallowing his unease. The sect offered resources—manuals, pills, training grounds—but also enemies. Jian Luo's smirk from last night flashed in his mind, a promise of trouble. Still, the star seed pulsed, urging him forward. "I'm in," he said.
Li Wei led him through the courtyard, past sparring disciples who eyed Kai with disdain. His ragged cloak and dirt-streaked face marked him as an outsider. "You'll start at the bottom," Li Wei said. "Training starts now. Survive the first week, and we'll talk about that core."
They stopped at a stone pavilion where a dozen new disciples gathered, most in their teens, some from merchant families, others from lesser clans. Kai stood out like a sore thumb. A girl with sharp eyes and a healer's satchel pushed through the crowd—Lina Mei. Her presence was a relief, but her frown told him she wasn't happy.
"Kai, you actually joined?" she whispered, pulling him aside. "This place is a snake pit. The Iron Fist chews up people like us."
"I don't have a choice," Kai said, keeping his voice low. "That core's my ticket to getting stronger. And this…" He tapped his chest, where the jade slip hid. "It's tied to what happened in the Wilds."
Lina's eyes widened. "You stole a manual? If they catch you—"
"They won't," Kai cut in, though doubt gnawed at him. "Help me, Lina. You're here too, right? What's your plan?"
She sighed. "I'm a healer's apprentice, not a fighter. They let me in for my Qi control, but I'm on thin ice. Just… watch your back. Jian Luo's already talking about you."
Before Kai could respond, a gong rang, silencing the courtyard. A stern woman in silver robes stepped forward—Elder Mei, Li Wei's superior, her aura at Foundation Establishment Realm. "New disciples!" she barked. "The Iron Fist Sect forges warriors, not weaklings. Your first task: cultivate the Iron Body Technique and survive the training gauntlet. Fail, and you're out."
She tossed each disciple a jade slip imprinted with the technique, a basic Body Refinement method to harden muscles and bones. Kai took his, but his thoughts were on the Star Swallowing Art. He needed a quiet place to study it, to understand the legacy's power.
The training began with grueling exercises: lifting spirit-infused boulders, running laps under Qi-weighted vests, and sparring until bruises bloomed. Kai's scavenger endurance kept him going, but his star seed itched, craving essence. During a break, he slipped away to a secluded corner of the compound, a rocky outcrop overlooking the city's walls. He pulled out the Star Swallowing Art slip and pressed it to his forehead, letting its knowledge flow.
The manual's words were cryptic, written in an ancient script: Devour the stars to forge the body; consume the void to ascend the soul. It described a technique to absorb celestial essences—beast cores, spirit herbs, even starlight itself—to amplify Essence Points (EP) and Gene Levels (GL). But it warned: Without a star seed, the art consumes the user. Kai's dantian pulsed, confirming his unique advantage.
He practiced the first stage, guiding the star seed's energy through his meridians. His EP climbed from 500 to 600, his GL nudging to 2.1x. His fists felt heavier, his senses sharper. But the process was slow without essences to devour. "I need that Wyrm's core," he muttered, frustration building.
A mocking voice interrupted. "Practicing stolen arts already, scavenger?" Jian Luo stepped from the shadows, flanked by two inner disciples, their auras at Qi Condensation Level 3. His smirk was venomous. "Hand over that jade slip, or I'll report you to the elders."
Kai's grip tightened on the slip. "It's mine," he said coldly. "Walk away, Jian Luo."
The disciple laughed, cracking his knuckles. "You think killing a Wyrm makes you special? You're nothing here." He lunged, his fist glowing with Qi, aiming for Kai's chest.
Kai reacted on instinct, the star seed flaring. He sidestepped, his enhanced speed barely keeping up, and countered with a punch. The Star Swallowing Art guided him, forming a faint vortex in his fist that absorbed a sliver of Jian Luo's Qi. The impact sent the disciple stumbling, shock flashing across his face.
"You… how?" Jian Luo snarled, but his lackeys charged. Kai ducked one's kick, tripping him, and blocked another's punch, absorbing more Qi. His EP spiked to 650, but the strain made his meridians burn. He wasn't ready for a prolonged fight.
"Enough!" Li Wei's voice boomed, the elder appearing like a storm. "Jian Luo, back off. The boy's under my watch."
Jian Luo sneered but retreated, his eyes promising retribution. "This isn't over, scavenger."
Li Wei glared at Kai. "You're causing trouble already. What's that slip?"
Kai hesitated, then lied. "Just notes I found in the Wilds." He couldn't trust anyone yet, not even Li Wei.
The elder's eyes narrowed but he let it slide. "Focus on training. The sect tournament's in three weeks. Win, and you might get a shot at that core. Lose, and you're out."
As Li Wei walked away, Kai's thoughts raced. The tournament was his chance, but Jian Luo's hostility was a problem. And the legacy… it was drawing attention. He needed to master the Star Swallowing Art fast, or he'd be a target.
That night, Kai trained in secret, absorbing ambient starlight as the manual instructed. His EP climbed to 700, his GL to 2.2x. But as he meditated, a chill swept over him. The star seed pulsed erratically, and a vision flashed: a cloaked figure in a void-filled rift, holding a blade that dripped darkness. "The legacy is mine," it hissed, its voice echoing in Kai's mind.
He snapped awake, heart pounding. The courtyard was empty, but the air felt heavy, as if eyes watched from beyond the walls. The sect was no safe haven—something was coming for him, something tied to the Eternal Star. And it wasn't alone.
End of chapter 4