The silence before the storm was suffocating.
Inside the grand celestial hall, the twelve newly crowned Stars knelt on one knee. The flickering torches on the stone pillars cast long shadows that danced like spirits—restless, expectant.
The Celestial Lord, veiled in robes darker than night, stood atop the stairs, his voice echoing through the marble chamber.
"You have each received your starstone. You carry within you now not just power, but purpose."
A faint hum pulsed in every warrior's chest—their starstones reacting to his presence.
"But power is never without price."
His palm hovered over a glowing stone tablet at the center of the hall. With a flick of his fingers, a vast arcane diagram burst into view—twelve lines branching from a single point, each glowing with a different color.
"This is the ancient seal left behind by Jiang Ziya—once used to trap the demon clans. The stones you bear were fragments of that divine mechanism."
A sharp gasp echoed from somewhere behind. Even Second Star Jinglan, ever composed, widened her eyes.
Miexing, the Third Star, lowered her gaze. So this is the source...
The Celestial Lord continued.
"Your stone will resonate with your state. If it glows bright, you are well. If it turns red, you are wounded. If it goes dark, you are dead."
A murmur spread through the group. Some reached for their chests subconsciously, as if feeling for the glow beneath their armor.
"From this moment onward, you are not just weapons. You are symbols. When your stone dims, we all feel it."
Then came the warning.
"Every power has its toll. You must understand your curse, control it, and wield it."
A wave of pressure settled in the room.
That afternoon, training began.
The Celestial Lord had personally created a vast illusion field for them, mimicking real combat zones—ravines, siege towers, burning villages, poisoned forests. Each Star was thrown into their worst nightmare and told to survive using only the power of their stone.
Miexing found herself in a frozen landscape.
Winds howled like beasts. Blades of ice fell from the sky like arrows. The deeper she reached for her power, the more her emotions faded—fear, hesitation, pain, even pity. All dulled to silence.
She moved like a phantom across the frozen plains, cutting down illusions of enemies—no mercy, no pause.
Faster... colder... emptier.
From the edge of the simulation zone, Cangyan, the First Star, observed her. His own training had ended quickly—his strength was immense, but his toll was steep.
He clutched his chest, sweat pouring. His soul felt like it was fraying, threads pulling apart one by one.
"She's changing," he murmured.
Elsewhere, the other Stars were beginning to unravel.
Chiluan, the Fifth Star, screamed as the illusions closed in, her twin blades dancing—but every swing pulled her deeper into hallucination. In one moment, she struck at a tree. In the next, she was crying before an enemy that wore her brother's face.
Seventh Star Xuanhu howled, body drenched in blood. His pain doubled with every strike, yet he laughed—a mad, animal sound.
Second Star Jinglan crouched alone in a misty ravine, whispering spells that bent reality. Her illusions were unmatched, but after each one, her eyes grew hollower.
Back in the mountains, Lu Yan lay barely conscious.
Wrapped in heavy chains, he had been dragged back to the celestial fortress after his defeat. His wounds burned, but what pained him more was the memory of her.
She didn't kill me. Why?
He stared at the sky through the bars of his prison. The stars above flickered, and among them, one gleamed a cold, sharp white.
Miexing… What have you become?
He didn't know it yet—but his survival had already marked him for something more. The Celestial Lord had plans.
Back in the hall, Miexing stood alone.
The others were either recovering or being tended to, but she remained.
Her hair clung to her face, soaked in sweat. Her breathing was shallow. But her eyes... her eyes were steady.
The Celestial Lord stepped beside her.
"And what did you feel, Third Star?"
She answered without emotion.
"Speed. Control. Silence."
"And the cost?"
She turned her gaze to the sword in her hand, then to her reflection in a nearby shard of glass.
"I don't remember what I used to be afraid of."
He studied her quietly, then nodded once.
"Then you're ready."
Post-Starstone Synchronization Report:
Miexing (3rd Star): Fully synchronized. Displays enhanced speed, reflexes, emotional suppression.
Cangyan (1st Star): Power expanding rapidly. Exhibits signs of soul strain. Monitored during rest.
Chiluan (5th Star): Mental instability increasing. Needs focused containment.
Xuanhu (7th Star): High endurance. Pain threshold surpassed. Monitoring for self-destructive behavior.
Jinglan (2nd Star): Illusion magic expanding. Memory fragmentation accelerating.
The twelve had been remade.
They were no longer merely prodigies or warriors.
They were weapons now—burning stars with cracks beneath their light.
And this was only the beginning.