Deep within the Star Palace, the azure vortex of star power that had swept across the heavens and earth slowly subsided, like a giant beast sheathing its claws. The vast power of the star source once again disappeared into the depths of the Star Source Pool, leaving only the still dense and unyielding stellar Dao aura in the air.
Lin Yuan sat on the wrecked starlight platform, grimacing as he rubbed his arms and back, sore from the shockwave. Before him, the star-studded wok that had achieved so much in battle bore a few shallow scratches on its bottom (from the cursed short sword of Youyan), but it still gleamed silver. The wisp of chaotic primordial energy within, after being "baptized" by the power of the Emperor and the stellar energy surge, had indeed been "tamed" and become relatively "docile," revealing a faint, but undeniably present... slowly pulsating "star core" embryonic form!
"Ding! The 'Alchemy' task is complete! The chaotic primordial energy has been successfully regulated, and the rudimentary form of 'Stellar Core Spirit Nurturing' has appeared!"
"Rewards: 10,000 Dao Points + Points! [Star Tempering Technique - Divine Treasure Chapter] Unlocked! [Chaos Star Cauldron] (Pseudo-Immortal Artifact Grade, capable of withstanding the impact of Chaos Origin Qi, with a weak Chaos Annihilation attribute)!"
"The Emperor is very satisfied with the result and hereby bestows upon me an additional: [Seed of Stars] x1!"
Lin Yuan stared wide-eyed at the system notification!
The Master's Way is worth 10,000! The Divine Treasure Chapter Body Refining Technique! The wok has been upgraded to a "Chaotic Star Pot"? And it even has annihilation attributes?! This beating was worth it! Even more outrageous is the Emperor Ancestor's extra reward—the [Seed of Stars]? That name sounds incredibly prestigious!
He quickly checked his system space. There, he saw a seed, about the size of a fist, perfectly round, seemingly formed from the purest starlight, floating silently. Countless fine star-like patterns flowed naturally across the seed's surface, radiating a vast, ancient, and all-encompassing aura! With just a mental contact, Lin Yuan felt as if his Qi Refining Realm soul was being sucked into an endless sea of stars!
"Holy crap... this thing... could it really grow a star?" Lin Yuan swallowed hard, feeling that the gift was a bit too hot to handle.
"Little one..." The Emperor Ancestor's aged voice, tinged with a satisfied smile, resounded in Lin Yuan's mind. "This 'Seed of Stars' was formed by me extracting a trace of star core essence and fusing it with the 'Spiritual Embryo' you shaped. It contains a trace of the chaotic star core's power of creation, something that can't be obtained by chance. Find a place rich in star energy, plant it, and nurture it well. Perhaps... it can truly bring some surprises to your Starfall Peak. Go, your disciple... he'll be out soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle force enveloped Lin Yuan and the brand-new Chaos Star Cauldron, instantly sending him out of the outer area of the Star Palace and back to the gate of the Transmission Hall.
Lin Yuan held the warm Star Seed, feeling the heavy weight and terrifying power within the upgraded Chaos Star Cauldron, and then thought about the Phoenix Phoenix about to emerge… his emotions were as complicated as if a spice shop had been overturned. The Emperor Ancestor said "surprise"? He felt it was more likely a "shock"!
He dared not delay and immediately activated the Star Evolution Token to return to Starfall Peak.
As soon as Lin Yuan stepped onto the stone platform at the summit, he sensed an unusual atmosphere.
All the servant disciples were silent, standing far away at the edge of the stone platform, not daring to breathe, their eyes filled with awe and... a hint of fear? Elder Gu Chen was even more anxious, rubbing his hands and pacing back and forth at the entrance of the stone platform, his horse-like face full of anxiety and worry.
"Peak Master! You're finally back!" Gu Chen rushed forward upon seeing Lin Yuan, as if seeing a savior, his voice trembling with tears, "Feng... Feng girl... she's out! She's inside! But... but it feels... it feels completely different! It scared this old man to death!"
Lin Yuan's heart tightened, and he looked up.
In the core area of the spirit-gathering array on the stone platform, the dense starlight seemed to submit to a single figure.
Feng Qinghuang stood there quietly.
She was still wearing that moon-shimmering gauze dress, but her aura had undergone a dramatic transformation!
Her previous aloofness and solitude remained, but now she possessed an absolute majesty that seemed to transcend the heavens and survey all living beings! Her eyes were as deep as the ancient starry sky, calm and undisturbed, yet containing an all-seeing indifference and vicissitude. Simply by standing there, the surrounding stellar energy spontaneously swarmed and protected her, as if paying homage to their king. An invisible yet vast imperial might spread out like mercury, pressing down on the entire peak into silence.
The cultivation barrier of the Breaking Illusion Realm had disappeared, replaced by an unfathomable, vast aura that seemed to shine as brightly as the stars—the Tribulation Transcending Realm! And it was by no means the initial stage; it was at least the late stage or even the peak of the Tribulation Transcending Realm! More importantly, the dark red crack (the Seal of Annihilation) that had once been faintly visible between her brows had clearly faded, leaving only a few extremely fine silver lines, as if it had been repaired by the power of the stars.
However, her eyes, which once held a hint of warmth amidst their coolness, were now filled with absolute indifference. The complexity, the probing, and even the faint trace of gratitude she once held in her gaze towards Lin Yuan were gone. In their place was a...calm scrutiny, like looking at roadside dust.
Lin Yuan's heart sank instantly.
The Emperor's "surprise"... it really was this!
The seal of annihilation has loosened, and fragments of the Dao Fruit from a past life have awakened! The Heavenly Emperor... has returned to his throne!
"Master...Master." Feng Qinghuang spoke, her voice still clear and melodious, yet it seemed as if separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, carrying a sense of distance as if frozen for ten thousand years. "Disciple...fortunately, I have not failed in my mission. My Dao foundation has been rebuilt, and my cultivation...has made some progress." Her words were respectful, but devoid of warmth, as if she were stating a fact that had nothing to do with her.
Lin Yuan's throat was a little dry, and he forced a smile: "Good...good! It's good that you're alright! Your cultivation has improved, that's good! You've reached the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, haven't you? As expected of my disciple!" He tried his best to make his tone sound normal, but in his heart he was already frantically complaining: This is not a disciple, this is clearly an ancestor I've invited back!
Feng Qinghuang (or rather, Feng Qinghuang who has awakened part of the Empress's consciousness) did not react to Lin Yuan's awkward conversation. Her gaze swept over the Star Seed in Lin Yuan's hand, which was emitting a vast stellar power fluctuation, and the Chaos Star Pot, which had a strange shape but faintly exuded an aura that made her feel a little uneasy. Finally, a very subtle ripple passed through her calm eyes.
"This thing..." Her gaze fell on the Star Seed, "...contains a trace of the primordial chaos of a star core...where did Master obtain it?" Her voice carried a hint of barely perceptible inquiry. Even as an empress in her previous life, she had never possessed such a divine object.
"Uh, this..." Lin Yuan quickly hid the Star Seed behind his back (an instinctive reaction), chuckling, "The Emperor Ancestor saw how hard I worked refining pills and gave it to me as a little trinket. It's nothing, nothing at all!"
Alchemy? A reward from the Emperor Ancestor? A hint of understanding flashed in Feng Qinghuang's eyes. It seemed that this "Qi Induction Realm" master had not been entirely without gain in the Star Palace, and might even be... more valued by the Emperor Ancestor than she had imagined? This realization added a very faint... apprehension to her otherwise absolutely indifferent scrutiny.
She stopped asking questions and turned her gaze to the thirteen Star Gathering Spirit Bonsai, laden with glistening berries under Gu Chen's meticulous care. Looking at those berries, exuding a sweet fragrance and containing the pure vitality of stars, it seemed as if a tiny pebble had been thrown into her heart, which had been frozen for millennia.
She walked slowly to the largest potted plant, reached out her slender hand, and picked the largest, plumpest, and most dazzling berry.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the senior sister of Starfall Peak, who had just awakened the majesty of an empress and whose aura was unfathomable, gently put the small star berry into her mouth like an ordinary girl.
She closed her eyes and savored the moment.
Sweet and cool, carrying the purity and vitality unique to stars, it gently nourished her newly reconstructed and still somewhat fragile soul. That familiar yet unfamiliar taste was like a key, gently unlocking the frozen depths of her memories, revealing fragments of her life as "Phoenix Soaring Phoenix":
A forced, authoritative declaration of accepting apprentices in front of the thatched hut...
A figure, pale-faced yet stubbornly upright, pressed down by the oppressive force...
The forced composure on his face when he pulled out the "Starry Fruit Candied Fruit"...
The "frying pan" that he pulled out when facing the difficult questioning from the Dan Ding Peak Master...
When the Corrosive Poison took effect, that desperate "juice extraction" command...
And... when the Star Palace's murderous intent was upon him, that pot that suddenly appeared in front of him and shattered everything!
Scene after scene, like a warm stream, quietly melted the frozen heart of the Emperor. The absolute indifference that belonged to the Heavenly Emperor began to show tiny cracks, like solid ice encountering sunlight.
Feng Qinghuang (the Empress) slowly opened her eyes. A complex and indescribable light flickered in her once indifferent, all-seeing eyes. She looked at Lin Yuan, her gaze no longer icy, but filled with a strange scrutiny and inquiry, and a hint of warmth that even she herself hadn't noticed…
"The taste... is acceptable," she said softly. Although her voice was still cold, it seemed as if a huge burden had been lifted, and a touch of human warmth had been added.
Lin Yuan's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled down a bit. Thank goodness... he still recognized the taste of berries! They hadn't completely turned against him!
His eyes darted around, and he decided to strike while the iron was hot! He immediately pulled out the [Seed of Stars] bestowed upon him by the Emperor Ancestor, and with a sincere (and obsequious) smile plastered on his face, he offered it to him with both hands:
"I'm glad you like it, my disciple! Come, come, I have another great treasure here! The 'Seed of Stars' bestowed by the Emperor Ancestor! It's said that planting it will grow into something wonderful! After much thought, I've concluded that only a chosen one like you, a darling of the stars, is worthy of possessing such a divine object! Take it! Find a good place to plant it! Consider it a... uh, congratulatory gift for your recovery and return from seclusion!"
Lin Yuan's calculations were working perfectly: he needed to get rid of this hot potato as soon as possible! First, he could curry favor with the Empress; second, if a star actually grew from it, Starfall Peak (and he, the peak master) would benefit; and third... he was afraid of getting struck by lightning if he kept this thing on his person!
Looking at Lin Yuan's "sincerely offering his treasure" demeanor, and then at the seed radiating alluring stellar energy, Feng Qinghuang's usually cold lips twitched almost imperceptibly upwards. This master... is still so... unpredictable. She naturally saw that Lin Yuan was trying to shift the blame, but the chaotic star core's creative power contained within this Star Seed was indeed of great benefit to her in stabilizing her newly formed Dao foundation and erasing the remnants of the Annihilation Seal.
She did not refuse, but extended her delicate hand and accepted the Seed of Stars. The seed felt warm and smooth to the touch, and the vast stellar power resonated subtly with the power within her.
"Thank you, Master." She nodded slightly, and this time her thanks seemed to carry a greater sense of sincerity than before. Her gaze swept over the very center of the core spirit-gathering array on the stone platform, where the star power was most concentrated and surging.
"This place is acceptable," she said calmly, and then, to everyone's astonishment, she made a move that no one had expected—
She pointed her fingers like a sword and gently drew a line across the center of the hard stone platform, which was covered with spirit-gathering array patterns!
laugh!
A brilliantly condensed icy blue starlight flashed by!
A bottomless, mirror-smooth circular crater appeared instantly! At the bottom of the crater, the dense stellar energy was almost liquefied!
Then, as if planting the most ordinary flowers and plants, she flicked her finger.
The incomparably precious Star Seed transformed into a stream of light and landed precisely in the center of the pit.
Immediately afterwards, Feng Qinghuang formed an extremely profound hand seal that drew upon the power of the stars and gently pressed it against the pit!
boom--!
The entire Starfall Peak trembled once again! More violently than ever before!
Above the summit, a massive vortex of stellar energy instantly formed, covering the entire Starfall Peak! Vast stellar energy surged into the small crater like a celestial river pouring down! The spirit-gathering array patterns around the crater erupted with unprecedented light, and even began to automatically generate more profound runes, as if welcoming the birth of some being!
On the stone platform, thirteen Star Gathering Spirit Bonsai plants moved swiftly without wind, their branches and leaves swaying, and they returned the star power they had absorbed to the center of the pit without reservation! All the small star berries lit up at the same time, emitting pure primal power!
An indescribable, boundless vitality, as if the world had been created, mixed with the ancient Daoist charm of the primordial chaos, emanated from that small pit!
Everyone was stunned! Including Lin Yuan!
It's just planting a seed... Why all this fuss?! What the hell are they trying to grow?!
Feng Qinghuang remained calm, as if she had only done something insignificant. She withdrew her hand, feeling the vast vitality budding deep within the earth beneath her feet, faintly connected to her newly formed Dao foundation. For the first time, her clear, cold eyes clearly reflected Lin Yuan's dumbfounded face.
Her red lips parted slightly, her voice still clear and cold, yet carrying a hint of... mischievousness that even she herself was unaware of.
"What Master has bestowed upon me, I will naturally... nurture it well."
"When it breaks through the soil, perhaps... it really will give Master a 'surprise'?"
Looking at the crater that was frantically devouring star power, and then at Feng Qinghuang's eyes that seemed to hold the stars and the sea, Lin Yuan suddenly felt that his position as "Master" was becoming more and more... exciting?