Ancient prophecies, the covenant of the soul's return
The stone hall was silent, save for the soft, cold glow emanating from the crystals embedded in the dome, which illuminated High Priest Xi's wrinkled face, making her appear like an ancient statue. Her eyes, which seemed to pierce through time, were fixed on the violently trembling jade pendant on Yun Zhiyu's chest, her gaze filled with an indescribable complex emotion—reminiscence, sorrow, and a deep-seated expectation.
Yun Zhiyu's heart was filled with turmoil. This high priest, whom he had never met before, not only saw through the remnant soul he carried at a glance, but also uttered the words "waiting for a long time"? He suppressed his turbulent emotions, placed his right hand on his chest, and performed a salute common to the demon race: "Junior Yun Zhiyu greets the high priest. May I ask what the high priest means by 'waiting for a long time'? Do you... recognize the soul within this jade pendant?"
High Priestess Xi did not answer directly. She slowly raised her withered hand and pointed to the smooth stone wall on one side of the stone hall. The stone wall was covered with densely packed murals and runes in an ancient and strange style, completely different from any existing writing system.
“Young man from out of town, do you know that this land, which you call the ‘Western Desert,’ was not so desolate and barren in the distant past?” Her voice was like weathered sand, carrying the weight of time. “It once had a name, ‘Starshine Plains,’ a fertile land where the civilization of the previous era—the ‘Star Spirits’—thrived.”
Yun Zhiyu looked in the direction she pointed, and the mural slowly unfolded before his eyes. First, there was a vast starry sky, with countless stars twinkling; then, on the earth, there were magnificent and unique buildings with streamlined domes and towering crystal towers; elegant creatures, draped in starlight, lived, prayed, and explored within them... It was a glorious civilization full of light and wisdom.
"The Protoss revered the stars and sought the ultimate truths of the universe. Their civilization reached heights we can hardly imagine," Xi's voice was filled with reminiscence and reverence. "However, all things must eventually decline. They foresaw a catastrophe from the depths of space—a void force called 'Silence,' which devours the very essence of all existence."
The mural's content suddenly changed. Dark, twisted shadows spread from the depths of the starry sky, extinguishing stars, cracking the earth, reducing Protoss buildings to dust, and causing countless beings to vanish in wails.
"In order to fight against 'Silence', the Protoss race spared no effort. They used the power of the entire race, burned the flame of civilization, and forged seven 'Star Keys' in an attempt to set up the 'Great Array of the Celestial Stars' to banish 'Silence' from our universe."
On the mural, seven dazzling pillars of light rose from the earth and merged into the starry sky, forming an incomparably complex and profound array that temporarily blocked the dark shadow.
"Did they succeed?" Yun Zhiyu couldn't help but ask, even though she already had a vague idea of the answer.
Xi shook her head, a trace of sorrow flashing in her eyes: "They underestimated the power of 'Silence' and overestimated themselves. Although the great formation was completed, it could not completely banish it, but could only temporarily seal it in the gap between reality and nothingness. And the price paid... was the sacrifice of almost the entire Star Spirit race, and the complete depletion of the 'Starshine Plain,' which turned into the Xuanmo Desert we see today. The seven 'Star Keys' also exhausted their power and scattered in all directions, their whereabouts unknown."
Her gaze returned to Yun Zhiyu's jade pendant: "And the place where 'Silence' was sealed is what you see now... 'Starfall Scar'."
Yun Zhiyu was shocked. The truth about the Starfall Scar was so true! It was not formed naturally, but was an eternal scar left by the previous civilization to seal away the cataclysmic disaster!
"Then... what does this have to do with us, and with the spirit in the jade pendant?" he asked eagerly.
Xi, leaning on her wooden cane, slowly walked to another mural. This mural was relatively simple, yet it caused Yun Zhiyu's pupils to shrink sharply—the image depicted a warm, radiant glass heart intertwined with an incomparably sharp, icy sword intent, both surging towards a twisted darkness. In the corner of the mural, there were also some simplified totems representing the Snow Owl demon clan and the Celestial Fox (cat demon)!
"Though the Protoss are gone, the prophecy remains." Xi's voice carried a certain fateful rhythm. "Ancient prophecies record that when the power of 'Silence' reappears due to the loosening of the seal, and when the aberrant soul carrying the 'Guardian of Ice' and the 'Spirit of Fire' returns in a way that transcends life and death, that will be the time when the opportunity to completely end 'Silence' arrives."
She turned around, her gaze fixed intently on Yun Zhiyu: "The Ice Guardian originates from your clan's young master, Yun Zhixue, who inherited a portion of the original essence of a powerful 'Star Guardian' of the Star Spirit Clan after their dissipation. The Fire Spirit comes from that girl, Mo Xiaoyu; deep within her Celestial Fox (cat demon) bloodline flows a trace of the Star Spirit Clan's 'Dream Weaver' bloodline. Their encounter, their acquaintance, and ultimately their shared death were not accidental, but rather a preordained convergence in the river of fate. Their soul essence is the key... to activating certain lost Star Spirit relics."
Yun Zhiyu was struck dumb, standing there stunned. The tragedy of the young master and Miss Mo, their soul characteristics, were actually connected to such an ancient destiny and prophecy?
“So, Xuan Chengzi’s manipulation of Xinghen was not without purpose…” he murmured. “Perhaps he learned part of the truth from the ‘Myriad Manifestations Netherworld Map,’ knowing that the young master and Miss Mo’s souls are the ‘keys,’ so he wanted to use them to touch or even control the power of ‘Silence’?”
“Foolish!” Xi sneered, slamming her wooden staff on the ground, causing the entire stone hall to tremble slightly. “‘Silence’ is not power; it is a rule, the end of all things, the ultimate nothingness! Attempting to control it will only lead to being devoured by it and becoming a part of it! Xuan Chengzi’s actions are not about control, but about accelerating ‘Silence’s’ erosion of the present world! The wound on your arm is proof of that!”
Yun Zhiyu looked at her still ashen arm, radiating an eerie chill, and felt an even greater chill in her heart.
"Then... what should we do? And what is the 'opportunity' in the prophecy?" he pressed, as if grasping at a straw.
Xi's gaze returned to the mural depicting the crystal heart and the icy sword intent, her voice becoming low and solemn: "The prophecy is vague, only pointing out that when the 'key' returns, we must find the lost 'star key' and rekindle the starlight to have a glimmer of hope to repair the seal, or even... find a way to truly purify 'silence'."
She looked at Yun Zhiyu, her eyes filled with scrutiny and determination: "Young man, it is no accident that you came here carrying their hopes. Your resilience, your responsibility to your people, and your determination to sacrifice for them may also be part of the prophecy. But the road ahead is more difficult than you can imagine. The scattered Star Keys have disappeared without a trace, most of the Star Spirit ruins are buried in the most dangerous areas of Xuanmo, and the erosion of 'Silence' and those who covet it, like Xuan Chengzi, will not stand idly by."
Yun Zhiyu took a deep breath and straightened his spine. Despite the biting cold on his left shoulder, his eyes were unwavering: "No matter how difficult it is, it's better than sitting and waiting to die. High Priest, please instruct us on how to find the Star Key?"
Xi gazed at him for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Very good. First, you need to solve your own problems. If the 'annihilation' Dao injury on your arm is not treated, it will eventually spread to your whole body, and even a god could not save you then. Second, the two remnant souls in your arms are severely damaged and need the nourishment of 'Star Tears' to stabilize their soul source and prevent them from completely dissipating."
"Tears of the Stars?"
“It’s a crystal that can only condense in certain places where pure star power gathers, containing the most primordial star vitality,” Xi explained. “According to the ancient records of the tribe, there is a ruin called ‘Shattered Star Valley’ three hundred miles west of here. It is the place where a fragment of a star fell in ancient times. Perhaps you can find ‘Star Tears’ there.”
She paused, then warned gravely, "But the Shattered Star Canyon is occupied by a group of mutated sand scorpions. The venom in their tails can corrode the soul, making it extremely dangerous. Moreover, the space within the canyon is extremely unstable due to the influence of star fragments, and spatial rifts often appear randomly."
Yun Zhiyu silently memorized this information and asked, "Then my arm..."
“Your Dao injury cannot be healed by medicine.” Xi’s gaze swept over his withered arm. “Perhaps, only when the first Star Key is retrieved and its pure stellar purification power is used can it be removed.”
Yun Zhiyu was silent for a moment, then nodded. At least, she had a clear direction.
"Thank you for your guidance, High Priest."
“Go, young people.” Xi waved her hand, turned around, and faced the ancient murals again. Her back looked desolate and lonely. “Remember, you are not only saving yourselves, but also continuing the unfinished mission of the Protoss, protecting this crumbling world. The Ze tribe will provide you with some help within its capacity, such as maps and scorpion-repelling medicine, but the real test is for you to face on your own.”
Yun Zhiyu bowed deeply, clutched the slightly warm jade pendant in his bosom, which seemed to respond to the sound of hope, and turned to leave the stone hall.
Shattered Star Canyon, Tears of Stars... This is the first step in saving the young master, Miss Mo, himself, and even the world.
He must succeed.
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