The Forbidden Memory and the Star Master's Wrath

"Buzz!"

As Long Chen's primordial spirit entered Bing Yi’s natal divine rune, it felt as if he had stepped through a celestial gate.

Suddenly, countless images flashed before him. From these fragmented memories, Long Chen learned that Bing Yi was an unparalleled genius of the Nine Star lineage, a prodigy among tens of thousands.

Born into nobility, she had received the family’s focused cultivation from a young age. She had defeated numerous peers of her generation and slain countless fearsome devils. The images he saw were moments of glory, capturing her illustrious journey. Long Chen rapidly sifted through them, tracing her history at an incredible speed.

Bing Yi’s natal divine rune carried the power of the stars. Long Chen had refrained from letting Zhi Zhi forcefully probe it, fearing that it might self-destruct. However, possessing star power himself, Long Chen was able to erase Bing Yi’s consciousness and freely explore the depths of her memory.

He witnessed her entire cultivation journey—ancient inheritance tomes, divine statues of past legends, and vast, boundless trial grounds. Yet, he didn’t linger on her techniques or divine arts, nor did he attempt to comprehend them.

Bing Yi was already dead. Her natal divine rune would soon dissipate. Time was of the essence—he needed to find what he was looking for.

A Mysterious Temple Beyond Time

Long Chen surged through endless fragments of memories, passing by unfamiliar faces and bizarre landscapes. At first, the scenes were blurry, but gradually, they became clearer and more vivid. This meant that these moments were the most deeply engraved in Bing Yi’s memory.

Before long, he reached the most significant vision—a grand divine hall.

The moment Long Chen stepped into the hall, the illusions collapsed, and a vast, oppressive force crashed down upon him. His entire body was instantly immobilized.

Scanning the surroundings, Long Chen saw towering star-lit statues standing on both sides of the hall. There were both male and female figures, their features obscured by swirling celestial energy, exuding an overwhelming pressure that made it difficult to breathe.

At the end of the hall, where a throne should have been, instead stood a massive circular platform. Upon it, star patterns flowed, resembling an entire universe in motion. Seated at the center of this cosmic array was a lone figure.

The figure was enshrouded in endless starlight, seemingly absorbing the power of the heavens. Though his features were obscured, his silhouette faintly revealed that he was a young man.

Long Chen suddenly noticed a disturbance beneath him. Looking down, he realized that he was floating in mid-air, while Bing Yi was kneeling below, her forehead pressed against the floor, whispering fervent prayers.

Her entire body trembled with emotion, as if she was pleading devoutly for something.

Suddenly, the star-wrapped figure trembled slightly, and a glimmer of starlight shot forward, landing before Bing Yi.

Ecstatic, she kowtowed repeatedly before reverently cupping the light in her palms. Forming a complex hand seal, she pressed the starry essence into her forehead.

Long Chen narrowed his eyes. What secret was hidden within that tiny speck of starlight?

But before he could discern anything further—

"Who’s there?!"

A thunderous voice roared, shattering the illusion. Long Chen turned sharply and found himself face to face with a white-haired elder, his expression filled with shock and fury.

With that single shout, Bing Yi’s kneeling form vanished, and the once ethereal world solidified into cold, unforgiving reality.

“You dare use your soul to spy upon the Star Master’s temple and defile the Son of the Stars? Do you understand that your actions could bring death upon your entire lineage?!” the elder bellowed, his voice like a rolling storm. Though it should have echoed throughout the grand hall, it remained eerily contained, aimed solely at Long Chen.

His eyes gleamed with starlight, and Long Chen felt his entire being locked in place. This elder’s power was terrifying. He couldn’t even muster the strength to resist.

Thinking quickly, Long Chen steadied himself and forced a cold, composed voice: “I was brought here by Lord Bing Yi. I have urgent matters to report to the Son of the Stars.”

“Bing Yi? Nonsense! She has already—” The elder hesitated, then erupted in anger.

Long Chen’s heart leaped. He knows Bing Yi!

Not giving the elder time to react, he immediately put on a look of sorrow and interrupted, “Yes, Lord Bing Yi was in the Heavenly Domain Battlefield… but she… she has already…”

The elder’s expression shifted to one of shock. “What?! What happened to her?!”

Long Chen saw the flickering starlight in the elder’s eyes and thought, Could this old man be of Bing Yi’s lineage? A Nine Star successor with the blood of the Heavenly Eye Clan?

“Lord Bing Yi has fallen. Before her death, she used her last remaining strength to send a strand of my primordial spirit here. She had urgent information to pass on to the Son of the Stars.”

“Bing Yi… is dead?” The elder’s aura surged violently. “Was it Lu Ze?! That bastard?!” His long white hair stood on end, his killing intent boiling over like an enraged lion.

“It wasn’t him…” Long Chen shook his head. Lu Ze? Who’s that?

“If not Lu Ze, then it must be that wretched blood shadow!” the elder snarled, gnashing his teeth.

“No, not her either.” Long Chen shook his head again.

“Then who?! Who else in the Heavenly Domain Battlefield could possibly kill a supreme Nine Star successor?!” the elder roared. His palm shot forward, and Long Chen’s soul was yanked toward him, nearly crushed in the elder’s grip.

This elder was too powerful. Long Chen’s meager soul fragment stood no chance.

“It was someone named Long Chen… another Nine Star successor,” Long Chen forced out through gritted teeth.

“Long Chen? There is no such name among the recorded Nine Star elites! You dare lie to me?!” The elder’s wrath intensified, his expression savage.

“Lord Bing Yi called him a wandering vagabond from the Nine Heavens World,” Long Chen gasped.

“Nine Heavens World’s outcasts? Those bottom-tier trash? How could they possibly kill Bing Yi?” the elder muttered, his rage momentarily giving way to disbelief.

“I don’t know. I found her already gravely wounded. I tried to save her, but I was powerless. She said she met Long Chen while subjugating the Primeval Demon Clan…”

At the mention of the Primeval Demon Clan, the elder’s face darkened. “Those wretched mongrels. If not for the Star Master’s mercy in bestowing them the Suppressing Demon Power, they would have been exterminated ages ago. And now, they dare resist?!”

Long Chen’s mind reeled. The Suppressing Demon Power… could it be connected to the ‘魔’ (Demon) mark on Yue Xiaoqian’s forehead? Could it hold some hidden secret that the Nine Star lineage wants to reclaim?

Suddenly, the elder’s gaze sharpened. “Wait… something’s off.”

Long Chen’s heart clenched. Shit. He’s sensed that my star aura is different from theirs!

Thinking quickly, he raised a hand. “Wait! I have something to show you.”

The elder instinctively glanced at Long Chen’s palm. At that instant, Long Chen summoned his bronze cauldron overhead, breaking free from the elder’s grasp.

With a fierce swing, his palm lashed out—

SMACK!

The crisp slap echoed through the temple.

Long Chen grinned wickedly. “Remember this, old man… I am Long Chen!”

With a final burst of power, the bronze cauldron vanished—along with Long Chen’s soul fragment.

Final Thoughts: Long Chen’s infiltration into Bing Yi’s memories unveils startling secrets. What is the true power behind the Primeval Demon Clan’s ‘魔’ mark? And how will the Nine Star lineage respond to Long Chen’s audacious defiance?

Author's Note: Things are heating up! What will happen next? Stay tuned!