Within Ye Zichen’s consciousness.
Ye Zichen glanced at Gu Zichen, then pointed at the star glowing on Yang Jian’s back. “Does this mean he succeeded?”
“Not really,” said Gu Zichen coldly. “He was very lucky to summon the star a second time. That said, whenever someone’s on the brink of death, they’ll regret all their past mistakes. It’s quite possible that he realized he’d just let an opportunity slip through his fingers and was in distress…. I’m just surprised that the star wanted him enough to give him a second chance.”
“That’s absolutely wonderful!” said Ye Zichen. He let out a deep breath. When he saw Yang Jian’s body enveloped in a b.l.o.o.d.y mist, he’d been beside himself with worry.
Fortunately, the star had reappeared right at the key moment.
Gu Zichen snorted contemptuously at him. “Don’t get complacent. Inheriting certain stars requires pa.s.sing a test, including Yang Jian’s.”
Not even Gu Zichen understood why he’d say something so disheartening. Perhaps the way Ye Zichen chastised him earlier left him feeling indignant.
But Ye Zichen didn’t stop to consider his intentions.
“The stars require a test?” he asked in confusion.
Fatty Yin and Su Liu’er had also inherited stars. Su Yan and the others received Fated Stars. None of them said anything about a test.
Gu Zichen glanced at him and immediately understood his confusion. Although he was still displeased with Ye Zichen, Gu Zichen thoroughly answered the question.
“Did you think it was over after the Emperor Star and Auxiliary Stars fell to Earth? The Emperor Star and Four Main Auxiliary Stars don’t require a test. That’s because they have extreme confidence in their decision and whoever it is they’ve chosen. Fated Stars block tribulations on the emperor’s behalf; there’s no need for the stars to test them first. Other auxiliary stars are less important, so whenever the Emperor Star descends, they simply follow him down to Earth and choose someone. However, there is one unusual type of star that requires you to make a choice!”
Ye Zichen listened attentively without interrupting. All of this was completely new to him, and now that he’d inherited the Emperor Star, all of it was necessary information.
It wasn’t possible to take notes within his consciousness. If it was, he might’ve underlined some of the key points.
“This type of star also supports the emperor’s rise to power, yet it doesn’t always stay by his side. They only appear when the emperor needs them. They spend most of their time hidden within the Milky Way, s.h.i.+elded by the vast sea of stars. They don’t stand out, yet they possess astonis.h.i.+ng power. Since they’re so exceptional, they have to make sure to choose suitable heirs.”
“Yang Jian inherited one of those stars?” inquired Ye Zichen.
“That’s right,” nodded Gu Zichen.
“Then do you know which star he got?” asked Ye Zichen.
Gu Zichen froze, then a hint of nostalgia flashed through his eyes.
“If things are proceeding as expected,” he said, “Yang Jian should have received…. The Nameless Star of Slaughter!”
The Star of Slaughter.
Its ferocity was obvious from the name alone. Ye Zichen was delighted on Yang Jian’s behalf, yet vaguely sensed that Gu Zichen was in low spirits.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” said Gu Zichen with a faint smile. He wiped the corner of his eyes. He wasn’t fooling anybody with his shoddy, overwrought acting. Only a blind person could’ve missed the redness in his eyes.
“In regards to what I said earlier, the Star of Slaughter is the strongest of the emperor’s Auxiliary Stars. Not even the four of them combined can compete with it,” said Gu Zichen with a tight smile.
“You’re definitely wondering why, if the Star of Slaughter is so strong, there aren’t five main auxiliary stars? Actually, the G.o.d Realm has many stories about the Star of Slaughter. It truly possesses astonis.h.i.+ng power, but it dislikes interacting with others. It prefers darkness and is accustomed to living in the shadows.”
“Back in ancient times, when the Lord of All Creation was born, the Star of Slaughter accomplished great things on the battlefield. Not even the Four Main Auxiliary Stars combined could compare with him. As a result, the Lord planned to bestow the t.i.tle ‘G.o.d of Slaughter’ upon him. Had he done so, the Star of Slaughter would answer to him and him alone; all others would bow before him. However, he didn’t show up on the day of his coronation.”
“The Lord had committed far too many atrocities in the name of seizing power, so the people refused to submit to his rule. The Star of Slaughter sent the Lord a transmission, telling the emperor to blame all of the sins on him instead.”
“For the sake of all living things, the Lord of All Creation set aside his own pain and agreed, allowing the G.o.d of Slaughter to bear the people’s insults and the weight of countless sins. After watching the Lord ascend to the throne, the G.o.d of Slaughter disappeared. When that universe came to an end and transformed into the North Star, he reappeared and was reborn as the Star of Slaughter. He conceals himself amongst the countless stars of the Milky Way, yet he chose a location that lets him protect the emperor star. Since time immemorial, ancient texts have called him the most loyal G.o.d of all.”
This information…..
This simply too overwhelming. In particular, when Gu Zichen described the Star of Slaughter’s life, Ye Zichen twinge of pain within his heart.
Accomplis.h.i.+ng countless glorious deeds only to fall into desolation.
Bearing endless insults and countless curses, all for the sake of universal peace.
But the thing that shook Ye Zichen the most was that, after the universe ended and transformed into the North Star, the G.o.d of Slaughter sacrificed himself to become the Star of Slaughter. Furthermore, he remained by the Emperor Star’s side to this day….
Were people really capable of something like that?
“The Star of Slaughter truly deserves to be called the pinnacle of loyalty,” sighed Ye Zichen appreciatively. Despite himself, he was impressed by the star’s loyalty.
“Where did you hear this story? I’ve put a lot of effort into reading ancient texts, yet haven’t seen any mention of this at all.”
“Naturally, no records remain from the end of that era. I know about it because of this….”
Gu ZIchen pointed at his head. Suddenly, the image of a star lit up on his forehead.
“Do you get it? I know all this because I, too, am someone who illuminated the Emperor Star. I received the entirety of the Lord of All Creation’s memories. In my own world, I am the Chosen Son of Heaven. It’s just that in the end, I failed.”
With that, he glanced back at Yang Jian, his expression bitter. Yang Jian still hadn’t moved.
Gu Zichen sighed. “To tell the truth, until the very end I struggled to understand. Why would the Star of Slaughter choose Yang Jian as its heir? His temperament isn’t suitable to inherit the Star of Slaughter. If he hadn’t, who knows? He might still be…. Yang Jian is my good bro. Even though he can be difficult, we’ve always gotten along well. “
Gu Zichen’s eyes reddened inexplicably. When Ye Zichen noticed this, his heart trembled.
Earlier, Gu Zichen said that he’d come from a parallel worried. He could predict everything that happened to Ye Zichen since he’d been through it himself.
So for him to act like this….
“What exactly happened to Yang Jian?”
Sensing how concerned Ye Zichen was, Gu Zichen’s lips twitched upwards into a smile.
Then he looked at Ye Zichen solemnly and said, “are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes,” said Ye Zichen decisively, but regretted it as soon as he finished his sentence.
After all, wasn’t the answer obvious?