At last, all the starstones were in place.
After countless brutal battles, the Celestial Lord summoned all the "Celestial Stars" back to the Heavenly Palace. Under the convergence of starlight, the twelve gathered once more within the massive celestial formation. Each bore a glowing stone upon their chest, representing their fate. The brilliance of each gem seemed to whisper tales of their rise and fall.
She—Miexing, the Third Star.
Her starstone gleamed the coldest, like a ghostly blue flame in a winter night. What was once a faint glow now blazed with piercing intensity. Because of her stone, the Celestial Lord descended personally from the celestial altar.
"The power of the starstones does not come without a price," he announced. His voice was calm, emotionless, yet resonated within each Star's heart. "Each stone takes something from you in exchange."
With a wave of his hand, a radiant veil appeared before them, listing the abilities and costs of each stone. Some paid with lifespan, others with memory, and a few with fragments of their very soul. Her cost, clearly marked:
Emotional Severance. In return: Rapid Recovery and Enhanced Speed.
Her fingers twitched slightly, and an inexplicable ripple flickered in her gaze.
The Celestial Lord glanced at her—silent, yet knowing.
"The stones you carry," he continued, "are relics of the ancient gods, forged in the era of Jiang Ziya. When the Demon Clan ravaged the world, the deities sealed their divine power into stones to turn the tide of war. Now, they are unsealed once more—for the final battle."
Since Jiang Ziya's time, the starstones had remained locked in the Ninth Heaven, only to be released when the demon threat returned. According to legend, a single stone could destroy entire armies. But without alignment to one's destined star, the user would be consumed by its power.
Miexing was led to the secluded training grounds behind the Star Palace—The Silence Field.
There, the power of the starstones bent the realm itself. Every step pressed against the flesh and mind. She endured endless cycles of icy winds, lightning fire, and illusionary torment. Over and over, she unleashed her abilities: Frost Shard Edge and Phantom Step.
She learned to read the pulse of her stone, to follow the flow of energy. At first, each activation felt like her body being carved apart. But she clenched her jaw and bore the pain.
Her movements became swifter. Her blade, colder.
And her heart—numb.
She no longer dreamed, questioned, or remembered why she fought.
One night, she saw Lü Yan again—within an illusion.
Bloodied, kneeling on the battlefield, his eyes locked onto her with confusion and pain. He had been gravely injured and personally thrown back to the Celestial Lord by her own hands. He had survived, but barely, and remained imprisoned within the heavenly realm.
"Why…?" Illusionary Lü Yan murmured. "Why was it you…?"
She wanted to step closer but froze mid-step.
The emotional severance struck. Something soft in her chest was suddenly carved away. She turned her back to him and walked off, without a word.
Starstone Status: Bright = Alive. Red = Injured. Dim = Dead.
That was the Celestial Lord's decree.
Her stone had never dimmed—nor turned red.
She often saw the others chatting, laughing, caring. She watched them from a distance, unfeeling, untouched by their warmth. When asked how she felt, she only replied:
"If I can move, it's enough."
As for the First Star—Cangyan, he was the true anomaly.
The strongest among them. His starstone granted him cataclysmic power.
With a single strike, he could split formations and scorch mountains. Lightning and flame danced at his call. But his price was the most terrifying—Soul Corrosion.
Every use of his stone shredded his consciousness. He often sat alone at night, dazed, broken. Witnesses once found him slumped against a palace wall, eyes red, clothes soaked. Clutching his starstone, he whispered, "Don't sleep… can't sleep…"
He had once begged the Celestial Lord to change his burden. The reply was simple:
"You are the most suitable."
No one knew what he did after, but the next day, he returned to the training ground—silent, steadfast. Later, someone noticed bloodied cloth hidden in his sleeve.
He was too powerful, too alone.
One day, he passed the training field and caught sight of Miexing.
"Do you… still feel pain?" he asked.
She looked at him and shook her head slowly.
"Good," he said quietly, eyes full of sorrow.
She, Miexing, had moved from cold to merciless.
Then came her summons.
"You have adapted to the starstone," the Celestial Lord stated.
She knelt, silent.
"If I am absent, you shall command the battlefield."
She hesitated, then nodded.
"Remember—if your stone dims, you will die."
She looked to the sky. Among the twelve beams of light, hers gleamed like frost—chilling yet brilliant.
From that day forward, she needed no empathy, no hesitation.
Only victory—
Only survival.
——
Other Starstones and Their Costs:
Fifth Star, Chiluán: Emotional instability. Battles while haunted by hallucinations, unable to distinguish friend from foe.
Seventh Star, Xuanhu: Amplified pain. Every attack feels like being pierced by a thousand blades.
Tenth Star, Liguan: Loss of taste and smell. Slowly grows indifferent to life and death.
Ninth Star, Lingyin: Speech erosion. The stronger her magic, the harder it is to speak. Eventually fights in silence.
Second Star, Jinglan: Illusory shadows. Each battle leaves behind phantoms that torment her sanity.
Eighth Star, Quye: Visual distortion. Cannot bear light, fights by sensing breath and killing intent.
Eleventh Star, Hanyou: Narcolepsy. After casting, falls into brief unconsciousness—great power but poor endurance.
——
The Celestial Lord reminded them:
"You are the avatars of stars… and the sacrifices of destiny."