The Key to the Morning Star, a Closed-Loop Cause and Effect
Passing through the corridor guarded by mirrored figures, the inner palace presents a stark contrast to the desolate and ancient atmosphere of the outside world.
This place feels like a frozen starry sky.
The dome is no longer made of rock, but of countless tiny crystals that emit a soft starlight, like a real night sky, where one can even see the ethereal shadows of slowly rotating nebulae. In the center of the hall stands a white jade platform rising from the ground, its edges carved with the trajectories of the sun, moon, and stars, filled with a profound rhythm. This is the "Star Gazing Platform."
At the top of the observatory, instead of the throne or statue one might imagine, floats a cluster of the most brilliant and purest starlight. The light is warm and gentle, like a mother's hand, soothing the weary soul. At the center of the light, the outline of a uniquely shaped object is faintly visible—resembling a crescent moon or a frozen teardrop, its entire body radiating a warm glow, exuding an aura of peace and tranquility.
The Star Key "Enlightenment"!
Without any guidance, everyone can feel the immense and pure stellar power contained within that cluster of starlight, as well as an atmosphere of guidance, protection, and dispelling the fog.
The jade pendant in Yun Zhiyu's arms began to tremble violently like never before the moment he entered the inner hall! It was not fear, nor vigilance, but an excitement and resonance akin to a pilgrimage! The fluctuations emanating from the icy sword intent and the glazed flames were filled with indescribable longing and sorrow, as if a wanderer who had been away for a long time had finally seen the beacon of his homeland.
He walked step by step toward the observatory, his steps unsteady due to the surging emotions within him. The bleak chill in his left arm seemed to be temporarily suppressed by the pure starlight, becoming much gentler.
When he finally stepped onto the last step of the observatory and stood under that warm starlight, something strange happened.
The suspended star key "Enlightenment" seemed to sense something, and its light suddenly dimmed, revealing its true form—it was indeed a teardrop-shaped object made of glass, but it was more translucent than ordinary glass, and there seemed to be a river of stars flowing inside.
The jade pendant in Yun Zhiyu's arms could no longer be restrained and flew out on its own, hovering in front of the Star Key "Enlightenment". The vortex of ice and fire in the jade pendant spun to its limit, and the phantoms of two remnant souls briefly and vaguely appeared - one was a tall and proud snow owl/sword-wielding figure, and the other was a lively and cunning cat demon/fox woman silhouette.
Just as the Star Key "Enlightenment" and the two illusory remnant souls resonated with each other, and their light was about to connect—
Boom!!!
Yun Zhiyu felt as if her consciousness was being violently pulled out of her body by an irresistible torrent and into the boundless turbulent flow of time and space!
The scene before my eyes rapidly receded, spun, shattered, and reformed!
[Fragment of Time and Space 1: Glass Earrings]
He (from what appears to be Mo Xiaoyu's perspective) sat beneath a gigantic, star-studded ancient tree, clumsily weaving a glass earring with stardust and moonlight threads. Beside him, a gentle, elder with a blurred face (a Star Spirit Dreamweaver?) softly stroked her hair, her voice ethereal and distant: "Xiaoyu, this 'Star Tear Pendant' contains the blessings of dream weaving and the prayers of protection. In the future... it should be given to someone who can bring you peace of mind..."
【Fragment of Time and Space II: The First Encounter and the Gift】
In a bustling human town, Mo Xiaoyu, a cat demon who had recently taken human form and was full of curiosity about everything, placed a shimmering glass earring in the hand of a white-robed swordsman (the young Xie Yunzhi) at a stall. The swordsman's face was cold and aloof, but he seemed slightly startled as she approached. "Hey! This is for you! Seeing your long face, this is sparkly and pretty!" The swordsman initially wanted to refuse, but upon touching the familiar, calming starlight emanating from the earring, he inexplicably accepted it. From then on, this earring remained on his earlobe until… his soul dissipated.
[Time Fragment Three: Bloodbath Shatters]
In the final battle, the heavens and earth lost their color. To protect the critically wounded Mo Xiaoyu and the crumbling seal behind him, Xie Yunzhi resolutely burned his soul and charged towards the Demon Lord. The instant his body began to dissipate, the glass earring on his earlobe, which he had carefully nurtured with his spiritual power, seemed to sense its master's resolute determination and reluctance. It erupted with a final burst of starlight, and then… shattered! Most of the fragments vanished along with Xie Yunzhi's remnant soul, but the core essence, carrying his last vestige of protective will and her dream-weaving blessing, pierced through space, falling towards the distant Western Desert, landing on the altar left by the ancient Star Spirit Clan. Absorbing the remaining stellar power, after fifty years, it transformed into the present… Star Key "Enlightenment"!
[Fragment of Time and Space IV: Tracing the Origins of Bloodlines]
The scene shifted again, returning to the more distant era of the Protoss. A Protoss "Dreamweaver," bearing a striking resemblance to Mo Xiaoyu and with a wispy fox tail swaying behind her, prayed amidst the starlight. Her power merged into the "Great Celestial Array" constructed by her race, and her bloodline blessing, along with the array's light, quietly fell upon the mortal realm, leaving faint seeds in the bloodlines of certain fox and cat demons. The method for crafting this "Star Tear Pendant" originated from her legacy!
The scenes of time and space receded like the tide.
Yun Zhiyu's consciousness returned to his body. He staggered and was supported by Yun Feng behind him. His face was pale, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his eyes were filled with endless shock and bewilderment.
I see!
The Star Key "Enlightenment" is actually the crystal earring that Mo Xiaoyu gave to Xie Yunzhi in her previous life! It carries the story of their first encounter, their bond along the way, their final sacrifice, and the bloodline blessing of the Star Spirit Dreamweaver that transcends eras!
Their meeting was no accident! From the moment Mo Xiaoyu inherited the Dreamweaver bloodline of the Star Spirit race, and from the moment Xie Yunzhi's soul contained the qualities of a "Star Guardian," the threads of fate had already bound them together. That small earring, from the very beginning, was the crucial node connecting the past and the future, cause and effect and destiny!
The moment he realized it all—
The suspended star key "Enlightenment" seemed to have finally confirmed the return of its "master," emitting a cheerful, wind-chime-like tinkling sound, and transformed into a pure stream of light, actively heading towards the suspended jade pendant!
The moment the flowing light merged into the jade pendant, the icy sword intent and the glassy flames emitted an unprecedentedly brilliant light! The entire jade pendant became like a small sun, warm, bright, and full of vitality!
"Buzz—!"
A pure and vast torrent of stars, containing guiding and purifying power, erupted from the jade pendant, sweeping across the entire observatory and even rushing out of the inner hall, causing the quicksand outside to freeze!
Yun Zhiyu was the first to be enveloped by this warm power. The lingering, desolate chill that had been clinging to his left arm seemed to have met its nemesis, emitting a faint, hissing sound like melting ice and snow, and its ashen color visibly faded away! Although it wasn't completely eradicated, the sense of crisis that was eroding his heart meridian was suddenly reduced by more than half!
He felt an unprecedented sense of ease and strength returning to his body.
Within the jade pendant, the light of ice and fire, nourished by the power of the Star Key, grew increasingly solid and powerful. The phantom images of the two remnant souls reappeared, still blurry, but their outlines were much clearer. They intertwined, surrounding the pure starlight at the center that represented the "Enlightenment" Star Key, forming a more stable and profound cycle.
A clear and joyful feeling of relief was transmitted from the jade pendant to Yun Zhiyu's heart.
That wasn't just a simple sound; it was a resonance of souls.
More of them... came back.
It is not just a revival of power, but also a return and connection of memory and cause and effect.
Yun Zhiyu gripped the jade pendant tightly, its light gradually fading yet feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds. Looking at the steadily running icy fire river within and the core "Enlightenment" starlight, he was filled with mixed emotions.
The gears of fate, after breaking for fifty years, finally... snapped together again.
And from this moment on, the path beneath their feet seemed to be illuminated by this "enlightenment," guiding them forward.
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