Starriver’s Shattered Path

Lu Ze never could have imagined—Fei Shuang had mastered Nebula Steps. Not only that, but her fluid movements were indistinguishable from Bing Yi’s own.

Whoosh!

Lu Ze was sent flying by a punch. But before he could recover, a burst of starlight erupted behind him. In an instant, Fei Shuang flashed into position, her five fingers curled like claws, tearing through the void as she lunged at him.

“Startrace Claw?!”

Lu Ze’s eyes widened in shock. That was Bing Yi’s signature technique! He had fought her multiple times and recognized the move instantly.

But what stunned him even more was the difference.

Bing Yi’s Startrace Claw had always been ferocious but lacked flexibility. Its power was undeniable, but its execution left openings.

Yet, in Fei Shuang’s hands, the technique had evolved. Her strike was a perfect balance of hardness and softness—flawless.

Seeing the incoming claw strike, Lu Ze forcefully suppressed his shock. Twisting his body midair, he swept a ruthless kick toward Fei Shuang’s lower abdomen.

A vicious move.

A strike aimed not just to counter but to cripple. One look at his attack, and it was clear—Lu Ze was the kind of man who would do whatever it took to win.

Shing!

And then—the impossible happened.

Fei Shuang completely ignored his kick. Instead, her claw slashed through the air, as if ripping apart the fabric of reality itself.

The void twisted. The space beneath Lu Ze vanished.

“What?!”

His mind reeled. He had never seen anything like this before!

It felt as if he had been standing on solid ground, only for the rug to be yanked out from under him. The sudden force sent him spiraling through the air.

BOOM!

As Lu Ze tumbled, Fei Shuang closed in, slamming a powerful punch into his back.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed from Lu Ze’s mouth. Snarling through the pain, he summoned his Stellar Claw and swung it in a desperate counterattack.

Shing!

The claw slashed through the void, leaving five dark gashes in space.

But Fei Shuang had already evaded.

She retreated a hundred meters, stabilizing her stance. But as she did, a thin line of red appeared on her pale neck—blood seeping from a shallow wound.

“Fei Shuang-jie!”

The warriors of the Primordial Demon Race cried out in alarm. Fei Shuang had been dominating the fight, yet in that instant, Lu Ze’s Stellar Claw had nearly decapitated her!

The tables had turned too fast. If she had been a fraction slower, she would already be dead.

But Fei Shuang merely wiped her neck, unfazed.

It was just an aftershock from the Stellar Claw’s space-tearing power—nothing serious.

For most people, surviving a brush with death would leave them rattled.

But not Fei Shuang.

She had endured countless trials. Her will was as unshakable as a mountain. After fusing with Bing Yi’s Stellar Arm—and receiving Long Chen’s silent guidance—she had reached a level of battle-hardened composure rivaling the Dragonblood Warriors themselves.

Death?

It didn’t terrify her. It only sharpened her focus.

Her eyes locked onto Lu Ze with the chilling intensity of a predator in the dark.

Whoosh!

Slowly, she bent her knees, her front leg tensed, her back leg coiled like a spring. One hand reached for the hilt of the greatsword on her back.

In that moment, the world seemed to freeze.

A razor-sharp aura locked onto Lu Ze.

“Impossible!”

Lu Ze roared in disbelief.

A mere warrior from the Primordial Demon Race—just by inheriting Bing Yi’s Stellar Arm—had actually grasped the true power of the stars?

No. It was more than that.

Fei Shuang’s control over Stellar Energy was purer, stronger than Bing Yi’s ever was.

Even Bing Yi couldn’t lock onto him like this.

But Fei Shuang could.

“Lord Long Chen once said—every powerful enemy is a gift from the heavens. Defeating them only forges an even stronger self.”

Fei Shuang’s cold gaze glimmered like stars in the abyss. Her words carried the weight of a sacred vow.

Shing!

And then—she moved.

A blur of starlight and shadow.

She flashed left—then right. Each movement leaving a shimmering afterimage, like a river of stars cascading through the void.

With each flicker, her aura surged.

By the third flash, the starry runes around her ignited.

“It’s Starriver Nine Flashes! You damned thief—enough is enough!”

Lu Ze’s face twisted in fury as he lunged forward. He could not let her continue!

Starriver Nine Flashes was one of the Nine Star lineage’s highest-level secret arts.

It was a privilege, reserved only for those with exceptional status or outstanding contributions. Even among Heaven-Tier inheritors, only a select few were qualified to learn it.

The technique was legendary.

Each flash built upon the last, drawing upon the power of the cosmos. Its strength multiplied exponentially with every step.

At its peak—nine flashes—it could shatter the heavens.

But its risks were equally terrifying.

Even the strongest prodigies of the Nine Star lineage had only ever reached six flashes. Any more, and their bodies would collapse from the sheer force.

Bing Yi had only ever reached four flashes—and even that was her trump card.

But Fei Shuang…

Lu Ze knew the technique had a fatal flaw—if interrupted mid-flow, its power would backfire.

That was how he had defeated Bing Yi before.

And so, as Fei Shuang’s third flash ignited, Lu Ze charged, his Stellar Claw stretching nine feet long, its tip glinting with lethal intent.

But then—

The impossible happened again.

As he moved to intercept her, the starry river curved.

“WHAT?!”

Lu Ze’s mind went blank.

Starriver Nine Flashes had a fixed trajectory.

But Fei Shuang… she had changed its path!

How?!

He didn’t realize—the technique’s path wasn’t innately fixed.

Bing Yi’s execution had been limited because her power was too rigid. She simply lacked the flexibility to alter its course.

But Fei Shuang’s fusion of Primordial Demon Energy and Stellar Force gave her both power and adaptability.

She wasn’t bound by the same limitations.

BOOM!

The moment her fourth flash activated, the ground exploded.

A river of starlight surged upward, piercing through the heavens.

Fei Shuang’s greatsword swung.

Its edge glowed with celestial fury.

A blade that could shatter worlds.

“Damn it!”

Lu Ze roared.

He had failed to stop her.

Now, his only option was to endure.

With a furious bellow, he donned his Stellar Armor, his Stellar Sigil burning at his brow. His Stellar Claw flared with divine radiance.

“Come then, thief! Show me how much of my power you can truly wield!”

He braced himself.

And then—

BOOM!

The greatsword fell.

The battle’s outcome would be decided in this single clash.

Final Thoughts:

Fei Shuang’s power is no longer a mere inheritance—she has surpassed Bing Yi, breaking past the limits of the Nine Star lineage. But can she overcome Lu Ze’s final stand? The decisive moment has arrived!