Chapter 256: Destiny Stars Hang High, Sun and Moon Share the Sky

Kaihuang City, Luo Family Village.

This village, seemingly a paradise away from the world, backed onto Sky Pillar Mountain. The villagers usually went into the mountains to hunt, gather herbs, and chop wood, then took their goods to the city to sell.

In a clearing within the village, a sallow and emaciated youth of no more than eleven or twelve years old was practicing martial arts. Although his face was sickly due to insufficient food, he threw every punch with extreme dedication, occasionally letting out grunts and shouts.

“Use force! Do not slack off.”

Beside the youth was a burly, bare-chested man.

“Practicing martial arts is like sailing against the current; if you don’t advance, you retreat. Miss a day of practice, and your skill lessens by a layer. Miss ten days, and even great ability will go to waste. How can you sense your Destiny Star like that?”

The man held a bamboo stick in his hand. While scolding, he tapped the youth’s body with the stick to correct the flaws in his fist technique. His voice and actions appeared extremely strict. Only when he saw the youth gritting his teeth and persisting did a rare warmth flash in the depths of his eyes.

Like this, nearly an hour passed.

“Alright, stop. Rest for a while.”

As the man’s voice fell, he didn’t relax but stared straight at the youth. He saw that the youth didn’t instantly collapse to the ground but slowly retracted his fist stance.

“Phew…”

A long breath was exhaled, condensed without dispersing, like a white arrow falling into empty space. Only after doing all this did the youth stand still in an orderly manner.

“Not bad!” The man finally nodded in satisfaction. “It seems you haven’t forgotten what I taught you yesterday. The most taboo thing in practicing martial arts is leaking Qi. Even if you are exhausted to the extreme and can’t persist anymore, you cannot slack off when resting. Otherwise, if the Qi leaks, this half-day of practice will have been in vain.”

“Hehe…”

Hearing this, the youth scratched his head, revealing a somewhat honest and somewhat proud expression. Then he looked up at the sky above his head.

Looking up, ten thousand stars shone brightly.

Regardless of sunrise or moonset, even during the day, countless stars still twinkled in the sky. Some were bright, some were dim, and some had not yet been lit.

The teachings he received from a young age let him know that the stars in the sky corresponded to people on earth, symbolizing the fate of all living beings… Thinking of this, a trace of expectation appeared in the youth’s eyes, and he couldn’t help looking at the man: “Master, when do you think I can light up my Destiny Star?”

“Right now.”

The man said casually, leaving the youth stunned on the spot. It took him a while to react— “Right now!? Then Master, why didn’t you say so earlier!”

“If I said it earlier, it wouldn’t work.”

A smile appeared at the corner of the man’s mouth. He said softly, “You just performed a set of [Responding to Destiny Fist]. Now look up at the sky and slowly close your eyes.”

The youth hurriedly did as told.

Strangely, such an action that would usually be meaningless now gave the youth an indescribable feeling.

“My Destiny Star…”

In a trance, the youth’s consciousness seemed to connect with the dome of the sky. He saw a originally dim star slowly light up under his gaze.

In the next second, a thought descended along with the starlight—

[Villager]

Two simple words left the youth stunned for a long time. Only then did he open his eyes, to see the man looking at him somewhat nervously: “What Destiny Star did you get?”

“It’s [Villager].” The youth told the truth.

Hearing this, the man’s expression remained unchanged, but a trace of disappointment appeared in the depths of his eyes. “[Villager], huh… That’s good too. Living a stable life isn’t bad.”

The youth looked puzzled upon hearing this. “Can’t a [Villager] practice martial arts?”

“Of course you can.”

The man patted the youth’s head but sighed. “However, the divine wonder of a [Villager] only allows you to eat anything when you’re hungry.”

“But when used in martial arts… you are not a [Martial Soldier] and lack the corresponding divine wonder boost. Practicing will yield half the result with twice the effort. Rather than wasting that time, it’s better to obediently farm and be a good [Villager]. Rashly pursuing a change in destiny might result in a life worse than before.”

Speaking of this, the man sighed again.

This was his personal experience.

Unlike the youth, he was a [Martial Soldier]. However, he was unwilling to be just a small soldier and was bent on becoming a general in the army.

However, he didn’t have that fate.

His Destiny Star wasn’t bright, and nothing went smoothly. Trying to break away from his established destiny trajectory only invited misfortune. The result was that he suffered heavy injuries in a great battle.

If not for that, he wouldn’t have retired and come to live in seclusion in such a small mountain village.

“But Master…” After hearing these words, the youth lowered his head but said hopefully, “Does having the Destiny Star of a [Villager] mean being a villager for life?”

“…Not necessarily.”

The youth was still young, and the man didn’t want to dampen his enthusiasm too much, so he changed the subject:

“Although the Destiny Stars of the world have fixed numbers, there are exceptions. For example, when the [Heavenly Demon Enters the World], infinite variables will arise.”

“At that time, even if you are a [Villager], there is hope to become the [Son of Heaven].”

“I know, I know!” The youth immediately raised his hand. ” The Bright Son of Heaven and the Night Son of Heaven, their corresponding Destiny Stars are the sun and moon in the sky!”

“That’s right.” The man smiled faintly. “Controlling the Sun Star makes one the Bright Son of Heaven. Controlling the Moon Star makes one the Night Son of Heaven. Both are positions of supreme honor in heaven and earth.”

“Whenever the [Heavenly Demon Enters the World] arrives, martial artists under heaven will sense it. Finally, two Supreme Sons of Heaven will achieve their status and join hands to kill the Heavenly Demon.”

“Then the Sons of Heaven can unite the world, bringing about a long-awaited era of great peace.”

Speaking of this, a yearning look appeared in the man’s eyes. “Ancient records state that the last time the [Heavenly Demon Enters the World] occurred was a thousand years ago.”

“Back then, forced by the might of the Heavenly Demon, the monarchs of the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Central Plains joined hands and swore an alliance of blood at the peak of this Sky Pillar Mountain behind us. They established the Era of Manifest Martiality to resist the Heavenly Demon together. Under the rule of the dynasty, fierce generals were like clouds and strategists like rain, all serving with their lives. Only then did the dynasty’s fortune extend to this day…”

The man’s eloquence was quite good.

Under his narration, a soul-stirring history was slowly told, leaving the youth entranced, wishing he had been born in that era of great strife…

However, just at this moment.

“General Chen! Bad news, bad news!”

Outside the village, several young men ran over quickly, holding bows, arrows, and short knives in their hands, their faces full of terror. “There’s a riot in the mountains; wild beasts are stampeding!”

“What?”

Hearing this, the man instantly revealed a look of shock.

Sky Pillar Mountain covered a thousand miles. How many poisonous insects and fierce beasts were within it? There were probably several Beast Kings. How could an ordinary matter cause a riot in the mountains?

Could it be a beast tide?

Impossible. The City Lord reached an agreement with the Beast Lord in Sky Pillar Mountain years ago. Both sides kept to their own business. Why would the Beast Lord suddenly launch a beast tide?

Although he thought this, the man dared not be negligent.

After all, Luo Family Village was just a remote corner outside the mountains. Facing a beast tide, it would be like a pebble in the ocean, instantly swallowed up.

Probably only the nearest Kaihuang City could barely be considered a reef.

Thinking of this, the man made a prompt decision: “Immediately gather the villagers and evacuate to Kaihuang City. This is not something we can participate in; we must report to the City Lord first…”

Rumble!

Before the man could finish speaking, his voice was interrupted by a thunderous boom. The thunder came from the mountains; at first hearing, one would think Sky Pillar Mountain had collapsed!

In an instant, countless villagers in Luo Family Village showed looks of horror.

Even the man, who considered himself knowledgeable, looked shocked, staring dumbfounded at a narrow rift suddenly torn open in the sky above Sky Pillar Mountain!

“The sky… cracked…!?”

Descriptions from ancient records flashed through the man’s mind. Stories previously seen only in storybooks appeared truly before his eyes, leaving him at a loss.

Heavenly Demon Enters the World?

Heavenly Demon Enters the World!

In an instant, billions of stars in the dome of the sky lit up simultaneously. Especially the Sun Star and Moon Star, which shone brilliantly, illuminating that rift.

Almost simultaneously, the image of the rift appeared in the eyes of all martial artists who had lit up their Destiny Stars. They felt the restraints from their Destiny Stars usually binding them completely released. They no longer had to stick to the identities brought by their Destiny Stars. A thought so strong it was hard to resist arose in their hearts—

“Kill!”

Kill the people coming out of the rift!

The first to take their head shall be the King of the World!

(End of this chapter)

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