Starlight dissipated; his feet found solid ground.

  Lin Chen surveyed his surroundings, finding himself at the edge of an ancient dense forest. Moonlight filtered through gaps in the branches, casting mottled light?shadow patterns on the ground.

  Not far ahead stood a towering stone cliff, its surface carved with massive restriction runesthe boundary of the Azure Cloud Sect back mountain forbidden area.

  “Indeed teleported to the forbidden area edge.”

  He suppressed his aura and cautiously observed.

  The forbidden area was strictly off?limits to disciples; violators faced light punishmentcultivation crippled and expulsionor heavyexecution on the spot. His father, Lin Xiaotian, before disappearing ten years ago, had frequently entered this area.

  Could it be his father was also investigating the Sect Master’s collusion with the Netherworld Palace?

  Lin Chen looked at the jade slip in his hand.

  Chu Xinghe’s information confirmed the darkest speculation. But this alone wasn’t enoughhe needed conclusive evidence to expose the conspiracy.

  And evidence might lie within the forbidden area.

  He approached the stone cliff, Stellar Eye carefully probing the restriction runes.

  The runes were ancient and profound, containing powerful sealing force. With his current strength, forcing entry meant certain death.

  But how had his father entered back then?

  Lin Chen suddenly noticed, at the cliff’s base, an inconspicuous crack. At the crack’s edges, the restriction runes had subtle imperfectionsas if artificially damaged, then crudely repaired.

  “Here”

  He crouched and channeled stellar power into the crack.

  Hum.

  The crack glowed faint silver, resonating with his Star Pattern.

  Indeed, his father had used stellar power to break part of the restrictions, opening this hidden passage. Later, though repaired, it had left a Star Pattern resonance imprint.

  Lin Chen tried injecting more stellar power.

  The crack slowly widened, forming a gap barely allowing one person through.

  The restrictions didn’t trigger.

  He took a deep breath and stepped through the gap.

  The scene before him abruptly changed.

  No longer an ancient forest, but a desolate valley. The valley was filled with gray mist; visibility was extremely low. The ground was scattered with various broken artifact fragments, and piles of white bones.

  Human ones, also demonic beast ones.

  This had been a battlefield.

  Lin Chen cautiously advanced, Stellar Eye piercing the mist, observing all around.

  The valley wasn’t large, but the terrain was complex. At its center stood a half?collapsed stone platform; on the platform, a damaged stone tablet.

  He approached the tablet.

  Ancient script was carved on it, most already blurred. But one segment was faintly discernible:

  “Chaos opens, stellar path appears. On the day of nine?star alignment, the Stellar Tower awakens. Tower has nine layers, each hides a secret. The one who reaches the peak, may obtain”

  The following characters were forcefully erased.

  Lin Chen frowned.

  Stellar Toweragain the Stellar Tower. The Netherworld Palace and Azure Cloud Sect colluded to target the Stellar Tower key. And the key, it seemed, was connected to Yue Liuli.

  But his father? What had his father left here?

  He circled behind the tablet.

  There, carved a line of small characters:

  “Xiaotian came here, learned most of the truth. Yet evidence insufficient, need go to Meteorite Valley to find ‘Star Stele’ to complete. Leave Star Pattern imprint here; if latercomer is Chen’er, know your father’s heart.”

  Beneath the handwriting, a shallow palm print.

  At the palm print’s center, precisely the Star Pattern design.

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  Lin Chen placed his hand upon it.

  The print perfectly matched his hand.

  The next moment, Star Pattern resonance erupted.

  A blurred image flooded his mind

  A middle?aged man resembling Lin Chen, covered in blood, stood before the stone tablet. He held a damaged stone slab; the slab emanated nine?colored stellar radiance.

  “Chen’er, if you see this recording, it means you have awakened the Star Pattern and found this place.”

  “Your father’s time is short; brief words.”

  “Azure Cloud Sect Master Zhao Tianqiong colludes with the Netherworld Palace, intends to open the Chaos Rift, release extradimensional chaos beings. They need the Stellar Tower key, and the key resides within the Star Moon Sect Saintess’ body.”

  “Your father and Stellar Peak Master Chu Yunhe jointly investigated, discovered the truth. But Chu Yunhe was ambushed by the Netherworld Palace and perished; your father forced to flee into Meteorite Valley, trapped in space?time turbulence.”

  “The key must not fall into the Netherworld Palace’s hands; otherwise, once the Chaos Rift opens, the entire Azure Cloud Kingdom will be destroyed.”

  “But your father also doesn’t want you to sacrifice an innocent for saving the worldYue Liuli, that child, is innocent.”

  “Therefore, go to Meteorite Valley to find the ‘Star Stele’. The Star Stele records the third method: neither sacrificing Yue Liuli, nor your father’s soul scattering, but safely extracting the key.”

  “Yet the Star Stele is heavily guarded by the Netherworld Palace. You need strength, at least Spiritual Light Realm peak, to have hope.”

  “Chen’er, your father believes in you.”

  The recording cut off there.

  Lin Chen withdrew his hand, eyes slightly warm.

  His father still lived, trapped in Meteorite Valley’s space?time turbulence. And hehad found the method to save his fatherthe Star Stele.

  But the prerequisite: he needed strength.

  Spiritual Light Realm peak.

  He was only at Condensation Stage Level 9, still one major realm from Spiritual Light Realm. And after the assessment ended, only eighty?seven days remained until the nine?star alignment day.

  Time was pressing.

  Lin Chen memorized the tablet’s location and turned to leave.

  Returning through the crack to the forbidden area’s edge, the sky already gray?dawn.

  The assessment would begin at Chen hour; less than two hours remained.

  He executed Star?shifting Steps, racing back to the Outer Sect at full speed.

  But just approaching his residence courtyard, he sensed something wrong.

  The courtyard gate was slightly ajar; inside, faint signs of disturbance.

  Lin Chen slipped in silently, Stellar Eye scanning.

  The room was turned upside down. Bedding torn open; cabinet drawers all pulled out; even the floorboards showed prying marks.

  “Someone searched for something.”

  Netherworld Palace people? Or Zhao Wuji’s underlings?

  What were they looking for? The jade slip? Or other evidence?

  Lin Chen quickly checked his Star Pattern spacethe jade slip intact; other items also not missing.

  It seemed they hadn’t succeeded.

  He was about to tidy the room when he suddenly sensed someone approaching outside.

  A familiar aura; no hostility.

  “Junior Brother Lin, are you in there?” A gentle female voice came.

  Liu Ruyan.

  Lin Chen opened the door.

  Liu Ruyan stood in the dawn light, wearing a pale green long skirt, delicate brows slightly furrowed, worry in her eyes.

  “Senior Sister Liu, why are you here?”

  “I” Liu Ruyan started to speak, then stopped. She quickly entered and closed the door behind her. “Junior Brother Lin, where did you go last night? I came looking for you at midnight, found the room emptyand signs of searching.”

  Lin Chen didn’t hide it. “I went to the back mountain waterfall to investigate a predecessor’s abode.”

  “You’re too reckless!” Liu Ruyan said urgently. “With the assessment imminent, Zhao Wuji absolutely won’t let you off. I received newshe arranged three experts above Condensation Stage Level 7 specifically to deal with you during the assessment.”

  “Three?” Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.

  “One of them is Zhao Hu’s cousinarranged by Inner Sect disciple Zhao Long. The other two are Blood Blade Sect external reinforcements; they cultivate Blood Blade secret arts; their strength is bizarre.”

  Liu Ruyan took a jade talisman from her sleeve and pressed it into Lin Chen’s hand.

  “This is a ‘Heart?protection Talisman’; it can block one lethal attack below Spiritual Light Realm. Keep it close; it may save your life at a critical moment.”

  Warmth rose in Lin Chen’s heart. “Senior Sister, this is too precious.”

  “Don’t refuse.” Liu Ruyan said seriously. “Junior Brother Lin, I know you have secrets, and your strength isn’t as simple as it appears. But this assessment is exceptionally dangerous. Zhao Wuji has gone madhe’s afraid you’ll expose his conspiracy; he’ll stop at nothing to kill you.”

  “I understand.” Lin Chen stored the talisman. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

  “And” Liu Ruyan lowered her voice, “I suspect the Sect Master also knows about Zhao Wuji’s collusion with the Netherworld Palace. But the Sect Master tolerates it. This assessment may not only be Zhao Wuji wanting to kill you, but also the Sect Master testing your value.”

  Lin Chen’s pupils contracted.

  If the Sect Master personally watched, the situation became more complex.

  “Senior Sister, why help me?”

  Liu Ruyan fell silent a moment, then softly said, “My father was also an Outer Sect disciple back then. While investigating disciple disappearance cases, he died suddenly. The Sect’s stated causecultivation deviationbut I don’t believe it.”

  “Junior Brother Lin, I’m like youI want to uncover the truth.”

  Lin Chen looked deeply at her. “Senior Sister, I’ll be careful.”

  Liu Ruyan nodded. “The assessment begins at Chen hour, location at the training grounds. First round is elimination matches; thirty?two advance to sixteen. Your opponent is already fixedone of the Blood Blade Sect external reinforcements, called ‘Blood Claw’.”

  “Blood Claw?”

  “That person cultivates the Blood Claw Technique; ten fingers like blades, adept at close?quarters combat. His blood claws contain potent poison; once scratched, poison qi erodes meridians; death within half an hour.”

  Liu Ruyan paused, then added, “But Blood Claw has a weaknesseach time he executes his ultimate move ‘Blood Shadow Nine Claws’, there’s one breath of time when his qi?blood is in disorder. That one breath is your only chance.”

  Lin Chen memorized it. “I understand.”

  Liu Ruyan gave a few more instructions, then hurriedly left.

  Lin Chen closed the door and began organizing the room.

  But his mind rapidly calculated.

  Blood Claw, Condensation Stage Level 7, Blood Blade Sect external reinforcement. Zhao Wuji had arranged him, clearly wanting to kill Lin Chen openly on the arena.

  But his current true strength was Condensation Stage Level 9, and the Chaos Stellar Body had some resistance to poison attributes. His chances of winning were not small.

  Question: who were the other two experts? When would they appear?

  Assessment rules: after three elimination rounds, arena challenge matches. Then someone might challenge him continuously.

  Zhao Wuji wouldn’t arrange only Blood Claw.

  Lin Chen finished tidying, changed into clean green robes.

  Then sat quietly, adjusting his breath, bringing his condition to its peak.

  Outside the window, the sky fully brightened.

  The morning bell rang, spreading melodiously throughout the Azure Cloud Sect.

  Assessment dayhad arrived.

  Lin Chen opened his eyes; stellar glints flashed and vanished in his pupils.

  He rose and pushed the door open.

  Morning light shone down, illuminating the path ahead.

  Also illuminatingthe killing intent concealed beneath the brightness.