Chapter Fourteen: Forging the Stars

“I will spare no effort in this star refining.” Da Jiuxing promised them.

The Divine Lords of the Sea of Flowers once again bowed deeply before stepping aside to observe. With a gust of fierce wind swirling at his feet, Da Jiuxing ascended to the peak of World Mountain, seating himself cross-legged above the sea of clouds, gazing down upon the boundless earth.

Everything was ready.

Let it begin.

The old man’s eyes narrowed slightly as he extended a single finger downward.

Rumble—

Ninety-nine stars quivered in unison.

Then, as the clouds roared and the wind howled, the ninety-nine stars, guided by the elder’s finger, began to move in a patterned dance, shifting and turning in the heavens, rearranging themselves anew.

A gleam of wonder flashed in the eyes of the Divine Lords. Upon closer inspection, every star was enveloped in a mysterious force, its radiance subdued, its essence dormant and no longer radiating outward.

This was the craft of a Star Alchemist: perfectly sealing the essence of the stars to maximize efficiency in the coming refinement.

The old man’s gaze sharpened as he first pointed toward a Star of a Hundred Apertures.

This particular star was extraordinary: mottled and dim, pockmarked by one hundred and one holes, it seemed unremarkable compared to its radiant companions.

Yet in truth, for this refinement of the Reversal Divine Spirit, this Star of a Hundred Apertures was the key, the very starting point.

Da Jiuxing closed his eyes.

A resonant hum—

The Star of a Hundred Apertures trembled gently. The mottled surface began to flake away, and from its depths, a boundless divine sound suddenly arose.

At first, the sound was faint, but as it spread, it swelled louder and louder, as if ten thousand steeds thundered forth, shattering the drifting clouds of spiritual energy in the sky. Even the light within the Realm of Mists rippled in waves at that moment.

Without warning, a brilliant golden radiance erupted from the one hundred and one wind-eroded apertures.

Heaven and earth shifted violently, the dazzling gold growing so intense it was blinding, swiftly engulfing the Star of a Hundred Apertures and shrouding the ridge of World Mountain.

Still, the golden light did not cease, but continued to surge outward, devouring the vast expanse of the Sea of Flowers continent.

“What’s happening?”

“The golden light from the east is so bright!”

Countless spirits in the Sea of Flowers—whether newly born flower sprites or those who had cultivated for many years—all looked up toward the sky.

“Master, what is that?” In the arms of a girl clad in white, the little Lily gazed upward in astonishment.

“It is the Ninefold Lord refining the stars…” Wu gently stroked the little Lily as she spoke.

…

“I’ve heard that the Lord is accompanied by a young master on this journey?” the First Divine Lord, Ming Luo, gazed into the infinite gold of the sky and asked, almost offhandedly.

“Mm.” Fan Zhutiantian responded softly.

“When the star refining is complete, aside from the three promised Splendid Feathers of the Wishful Divine Star, let’s also present that child with a Xiu Xuan.” At these words, surprise flickered across the faces of the women.

Such a gift was truly astonishing in its generosity, utterly extraordinary. Even Fan Zhutiantian, always serene and indifferent, showed a trace of emotion.

“Xiu Xuan is incomparably precious, but since we seek friendship with the Ninefold Lord, it is not impossible,” mused a graceful, demure beauty.

At this, the First Divine Lord smiled. “You underestimate him. That child was born in Nine Star City—what treasures has he not seen? His standards are high. This is but a token of our regard.”

The ladies looked at one another in disbelief.

A mere token, yet the price was a Xiu Xuan, capable of calling the dead back to life—such a cost was steep indeed.

Atop the clouds.

Da Jiuxing sat with his eyes closed, serene and upright, bathed in a blaze of golden light, the very image of a celestial being, patiently guiding the transformation of the Star of a Hundred Apertures.

Half an hour passed.

The one hundred and one holes were no longer gray and dim, now entirely suffused with pure gold by the star’s outpouring energy.

Just then, the old man’s eyes snapped open. With a sweep of his five fingers, a distant star shrouded in purple mist shot forth, hurtling toward one of the golden apertures.

A crackling roar—

Thunderous, as if the earth itself quaked.

As the Purple Mist Star neared, over a hundred golden apertures blazed forth, unleashing a powerful force of attraction, swirling the void into a vortex.

The star began to collapse, disintegrating slowly along the way, shrinking rapidly as the golden radiance enveloped every corner.

The spectacle was breathtaking.

To witness the collapse and destruction of a star in the universe would indeed be grand and magnificent.

Yet here, with the Ninefold Lord presiding, over eighty or ninety percent of the effect was suppressed. Even so, it was still awe-inspiring.

The hundred apertures spun like millstones, grinding the Purple Mist Star to fragments, releasing a profusion of auspicious clouds, rainbow-hued stellar essence, and wondrous fragrances, all drifting around World Mountain in dazzling abundance.

Were any old star alchemists to see this, they would surely be entranced to the point of obsession. Such mastery was near-divine, far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.

“How stunningly beautiful…” murmured the Divine Lord of Stars and Moon. Her clear, bright eyes shone, her pearly teeth gleamed, her delicate face carried an ethereal grace—a beauty fit for the immortals.

In truth, she was an unabashed admirer of beauty, never sparing her praise for anything lovely.

The Ninefold Lord sat cross-legged in the sky, calm and composed as the boundless clouds drifted by, billowing his moon-white robes and lending him an air of peerless transcendence.

His vast spiritual will meticulously controlled the collapse of the stars, orderly and unhurried.

These ninety-nine stars would be shattered in turn, each undergoing the tempering of the hundred apertures.

This was one of the three essential steps in refining the Reversal Divine Spirit, a process that would last ten days from start to finish, demanding the star alchemist’s utmost focus and precision at every moment.

Billions of golden rays filled the sky, undying for days, cloaking the firmament in a faint sheen of gold.

“What’s happening over there, Listenwind Grass?” A sprightly young girl blinked, gazing eastward, where the golden glow was so intense it colored even the Pure Land—something never seen before.

“It’s the Ninefold Lord refining the stars, over at World Mountain.”

“How could it be so intense?”

“Little mistress, you have no idea.” Listenwind Grass leaped onto the girl’s delicate shoulder, puffed up with pride, and replied, “This is nothing much, really. If the Ninefold Lord were refining something like the Ten Suns Destruction Force, now that would be grand—dozens of stars would burn out, and the void would be darkened for light-years!”

The young girl shuddered inwardly.

To think that star refining could bring about such terrifying scenes! Yet another question arose: “If refining the Ten Suns Destruction Force is so fearsome, what effect does it have?”

Listenwind Grass pondered for a moment. “Those who consume it—if they are at the Divine Lord level—will see their strength multiplied tenfold for three days. During that time, they are nearly invincible.”

“Hm…” The young girl’s heart rippled with awe.

“So if someone took it, could they fight all the Divine Lord sisters alone?”

“Not quite.” The little grass shook its head. “Our mistresses of the Sea of Flowers are not like ordinary cultivators. Their spiritual bodies are vast, and their Xiu Xuan even more wondrous. Aunt Fan and the First Divine Lord, within the realm of Lords, are truly unrivaled!”

“Sister Fan and the First Divine Lord are the strongest?” The young girl was surprised. Among the seven Divine Lords, all called “sister,” each a surpassing beauty, she’d assumed their strength would be much the same.

“Of course. The First Divine Lord is the oldest, the most experienced, the strongest. As for Grand Aunt Fan, though she seems cool and quiet, she has experienced great fortune and mastered the most cosmic laws.”

The young girl blinked in astonishment. These were secrets she’d never known.

Listenwind Grass continued, mysteriously, “Little mistress, Aunt Fan Zhutiantian has the greatest talent and is most likely to take that final step. This isn’t just my opinion—it was said by the Immortal Lord Li before her ascension. Don’t let it slip, though.”

“I’ll keep the secret,” the young girl promised obediently.