The night sky shimmered like a blanket of crushed diamonds.
The Jin Clan's Sacred Peak was alive with energy. Layers of ancient formation arrays spun into motion, forming a massive energy spiral that stretched into the heavens, connecting to the endless expanse of the Shattered Starry Sea.
At the summit, a colossal Shattered Star Crystal hovered, glowing with a deep, mesmerizing blue light. It pulsed in rhythm with the beating hearts of every clan member watching below.
Tonight was no ordinary night.
Tonight, Jin Taixuan would attempt the Advancement Ceremony—a sacred ritual few dared to face, fewer survived, and even fewer succeeded at perfect resonance.
The elders stood solemnly around the formation, their faces illuminated by the swirling astral light. Jin Wei stood at the front, his hands clasped behind his back, eyes steady.
Lian stood quietly at the base of the peak, hands clenched in silent prayer for Taixuan.
Whispers filled the crowd:
> "He's only seventeen..."
"Already attempting Advancement... insane..."
"If he succeeds, he'll be the youngest Star Commander our branch has seen in centuries!"
But in the midst of excitement, a heavy tension lingered. They all knew—this ceremony could either crown him as a legend or bury him forever.
At the center of the ancient array, Taixuan stood alone, his cultivation robes fluttering under the astral winds.
He slowly raised his hand toward the Heavenhammer, floating above him. Instantly, a beam of synchronized energy linked the warship to his body.
The Sacred Formation activated.
RUMBLE—!
Massive currents of astral energy descended from the stars, channeling through the Shattered Star Crystal, and into Taixuan.
The force was overwhelming.
It felt as if entire planets were being crushed onto his body. His bones creaked. His soul shuddered. Every inch of him screamed in pain.
> "Hold..."
Gritting his teeth, Taixuan unleashed his Dao Core, the shimmering seed within his dantian spinning fiercely.
Sizzle—Sizzle—!
Spiritual flames burst from his body as he fought against the immense pressure. His bond with the Heavenhammer deepened, their existences threading tighter.
The crowd watched, holding their breath.
Minutes passed.
Sweat poured down Taixuan's face. His veins bulged. His warship's energy signature fluctuated, caught between collapse and breakthrough.
Jin Wei's hands tightened behind his back. His throat was dry, but his voice did not waver when he muttered:
> "Endure it, boy. Endure it..."
Suddenly, Taixuan's consciousness was pulled into a different space.
He found himself floating amidst shattered galaxies, ancient warships broken and adrift around him. In the center of this void, a colossal figure loomed—a being of light and metal, half-deity, half-machine.
The being spoke in a voice that shook reality itself:
> "Prove yourself. Seize the fragments of fallen stars. Forge your destiny!"
Without hesitation, Taixuan surged forward, reaching out toward a fragment radiating immense power.
But as he touched it—
A burning pain ripped through his soul.
Visions flooded his mind: battles across endless star systems, betrayals between blood kin, civilizations rising and falling like waves against the endless shore.
Through it all, Taixuan stood firm.
> "I will not fall."
He reached deeper.
He found a seed—a Primordial Star Essence, glowing with endless potential.
Gripping it with both hands, he yanked it into himself.
Back on the Sacred Peak, the elders gasped.
The Shattered Star Crystal exploded into brilliant motes of light, showering Taixuan in a storm of energy.
His body absorbed it greedily.
His warship, the Heavenhammer, roared above, its size expanding slightly, its plating turning darker, denser, stronger—evolving alongside its master.
Taixuan's aura skyrocketed.
He broke through the Dao Forger Realm into the Void Core Realm in one mighty surge!
Simultaneously, his warship's classification jumped from Star Guard to the fearsome Star Commander level.
Lightning cracked across the sky. The energy blast was so intense that it was seen by nearby territories—other clans, rogue factions, and even the Main Jin Family felt the disturbance.
The formation quieted.
Taixuan collapsed to one knee, panting heavily. His robes were torn, and blood stained his lips, but his eyes blazed with fierce, unwavering light.
He had succeeded.
No, more than succeeded—he had transcended.
The elders rushed forward, faces filled with awe and disbelief. Jin Wei arrived, crouching beside him, a rare, proud smile breaking across his face.
"Good... good..." the old man whispered, helping him up.
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, some weeping openly. The Jin Clan had just birthed a core powerhouse.
Far beyond their planet, in the Grand Star System, at the headquarters of the Main Jin Family—
A group of powerful figures sat around a massive star map. They had felt the astral shockwave. They had traced it.
One elder, cloaked in silver robes, pointed to a blinking location on the map.
"A prodigy has emerged... from the exiled branch?"
Another elder narrowed his eyes. "Prepare a delegation. We cannot allow this talent to remain in the wilderness."
A third, a woman with a scar across her left eye, whispered:
> "This one... must be brought back. At any cost."
Thus, without Taixuan's knowledge, forces far beyond his imagination began to move.
His journey had only just begun.