The cold wind howled across the mountain ridges as Lin Tianming descended from the Forbidden Star Court. Though the skies were calm, he could feel it—shadows twisting, eyes watching, and fate shifting. His rejection of the Celestial Mandate Hall had shaken the ancient order.
In the quiet depths of the forest that bordered the Mist Sea, he paused, listening.
"There are six." Zhao Yueyin appeared silently beside him, her robes undisturbed by the wind. "All cloaked. Silent cultivators. Each trained by one of the twelve Grand Thrones."
"They move fast," Tianming murmured.
"They fear you more than they admit."
Tianming stepped forward and raised his right hand. The celestial seal on his palm began to glow faintly. He didn't look back. "Let them come."
---
In the Halls of the Azure Star Pavilion
Sovereign Yuehong stood before a massive starmap. The twelve lights that represented the Grand Thrones flickered—except one. The light of the Celestial Mandate Hall pulsed red.
"He refused," a black-robed envoy whispered. "Lin Tianming walks the path of Heaven."
Yuehong's ancient eyes closed for a moment.
"So be it. Begin Phase Two."
The envoy hesitated. "The Starshade Protocol?"
Yuehong nodded. "If we cannot sway him... we will test whether he truly bears Heaven's favor."
---
At the Edge of the Mist Sea
As night fell, a deadly stillness enveloped the forest. The Mist Sea stretched beyond, a glowing silver ocean perpetually cloaked in vapor. Lin Tianming and Zhao Yueyin stood at the edge.
"Don't breathe too deeply. The fog here eats at your soul," she warned.
"I know."
From the mist, a black chain shot out—followed by five more.
A masked assassin lunged, blade aimed at Tianming's neck. His cultivation level: peak Nascent Heaven Realm.
Tianming's body blurred as the chain passed through afterimages. He reached out, grasped the assassin's arm, and channeled his celestial qi.
The man convulsed, screamed—and disintegrated into dust.
Two more came from above.
Zhao Yueyin danced through the air, her sword forming arcs of silver flame. One assassin was cleaved in half before he touched the ground. The other was trapped in a prison of moonlight talismans.
Tianming faced the last three alone. Their leader was cloaked in crimson—an elite, forged by the Midnight River Sect's dark arts.
"You should have submitted," the assassin rasped. "Now the heavens will bury you."
Tianming activated the Celestial Mirror.
The air bent. His qi surged.
> System Activated: Celestial Combat Mode Lv. 3
Skill Deployed: Starfall Blade—Phase One
He unsheathed his sword. Light condensed into a single strike.
The ground split. Trees fell. Wind vanished.
When it passed, nothing remained of his enemies.
Zhao Yueyin landed beside him, silent for a long moment. "You've grown stronger."
"They sent these to die."
She nodded. "A test. They wanted to measure your bottom line."
"I'll show them my ceiling next time."
---
Elsewhere: Within the Abyssal Sect
Far to the west, beneath the ruins of the Forgotten Moon Temple, a hooded girl sat before a pool of blood. In it, images shimmered—Lin Tianming, standing atop the corpses of assassins.
She smiled faintly.
"So you've inherited it."
Behind her, a skeletal figure spoke. "You could have warned them."
"They need to fail first. Only then will they learn."
The figure tilted its head. "And what of your promise to the Starborn Emperor?"
Her eyes turned sharp. "I intend to keep it. Lin Tianming must rise. Then he must fall—so that the gate may open again."
---
Back in the Hidden Star Sect
Tianming returned quietly, avoiding the inner disciples. He had already become a figure of awe and speculation, and unnecessary attention only fed the political fire.
He headed for the Quiet Moon Library—an ancient archive sealed with seven layers of runes. Zhao Yueyin broke the first three; Tianming handled the rest with his celestial seal.
Inside, jade slips glowed with forgotten history. Tianming went straight to the oldest section.
"What are we looking for?" Yueyin asked.
He scanned the shelves, eyes sharp. "The origin of the Celestial Seed."
Hours passed. Then—
He pulled a cracked slip etched in blood.
> "When Heaven weeps and a star descends, the Seed shall choose one. But when the Second Star rises, the bearer must choose—creation or destruction."
Zhao Yueyin read over his shoulder. "Second Star?"
Tianming's pulse quickened. The system pulsed within him.
> New Prompt: Seek the Second Star. Destiny awaits beneath the Crimson Sky Altar.
---
The Crimson Sky Altar
Three days later, they arrived at a ruined battlefield where the Crimson Sky Altar once stood. Now, only shattered monoliths and burned-out ley lines remained.
At its center, an ancient altar carved in celestial runes pulsed faintly.
Tianming stepped forward.
The moment his foot touched the stone, the sky darkened.
A second star appeared—red, bleeding light.
His vision faded.
In the void, an ancient voice spoke:
> "Two seeds. Two fates. One world shall rise. One shall fall. Choose."
Before him stood another Lin Tianming, cloaked in blood aura, eyes like burning suns.
"I am what you could become," the figure said. "Power without mercy. Purpose without chains."
They drew swords simultaneously.
---
To Be Continued in Chapter 34: Duel of Fates