In the western corner of Suotuo City stood an old building, as if defying time itself. It wasn't a place of significance—just a small orphanage called Eastern Light, home to children who had no one else. Among them was a boy who spent longer than anyone staring at the night sky. His name was Lu Xingchen.
Xingchen never knew his parents. He had been found as a baby, wrapped in tattered cloth, with a small note bearing only his name. Aunt Lin, the kind-hearted caretaker of the orphanage, raised him like her own. Though frail as an infant, Xingchen grew into a healthy, strong boy, healing faster from injuries than any of the others.
"The night sky was so bright that day," Aunt Lin once said as she gently combed his hair. "You cried beneath the starlight. Maybe that's why your name is what it is—Lu Xingchen, the child of the stars."
And indeed, Xingchen felt connected to the night. When the sun set and the stars emerged, his body felt lighter, his mind clearer. It was as if the heavens whispered strength into him under the cover of darkness.
But Xingchen wasn't a child beloved by all. The others found him strange. He often sat alone, preferred solitude to play, and recovered from injuries unnaturally fast. They called him names—"the quiet monster" or "the crazy star boy."
"I saw him fall down the stairs, and his leg healed by the next day!"
"I don't think he's even human..."
Xingchen never responded. He learned early that not everyone would understand him, and not all hatred was worth replying to with anger. Night after night, he found comfort in the quiet glow of the stars.
Only Aunt Lin remained steadfastly by his side.
"A child like you wasn't born to stay here forever," she told him on his sixth birthday. "Someday, you'll leave, and the world will know who Lu Xingchen is."
When Xingchen turned six, a major announcement swept through the orphanage: a spirit master from the Spirit Hall would visit the district to test the potential of underprivileged children. It was a rare opportunity—a chance to rise from an orphan's life to that of a true spirit master.
Excitement filled the air. The children preened before mirrors, wearing their best clothes. Xingchen remained calm, but deep inside, a quiet tremor stirred. The night before, while meditating under the stars, he had felt something inside him stir—a power yearning to be released.
That morning, the orphanage's hall was packed. Standing among the crowd was a man in black robes holding a large crystal. His name was Master Wei, a mid-tier spirit master sent by the association.
One by one, the children placed their hands on the crystal. Most had no spirit power. A few reached level 2 or 3, and one or two managed level 5.
"Next, Lu Xingchen."
Xingchen walked up without haste. As he placed his hand on the crystal, the air in the room shifted. The crystal flared with a brilliant violet light, dazzling everyone present.
"This... impossible!" Master Wei exclaimed.
The crystal displayed a ten—the highest possible innate spirit power. Before the shock could fade, a radiant figure formed behind Xingchen: an elegant white deer with a crown of silver stars on its head. It shimmered with soft starlight, surrounded by tiny glowing motes.
"Spirit soul: Crowned Star Deer?" Master Wei was stunned. "This... this isn't a registered spirit soul. It might be a rare type... or even a high-level mutation!"
The children who once mocked him were now speechless. Even the adults in attendance murmured in disbelief. Lu Xingchen, the boy they had labeled strange, turned out to be a rare genius with full innate spirit power—a treasure among spirit masters.
The next day, men from the Spirit Hall arrived. They wore official robes and carried scrolls. Their purpose was clear: to recruit Lu Xingchen.
"We will provide him with elite education, resources, and top-tier protection. This is an offer no one can refuse," said a bald man with a wide smile.
Xingchen asked only one question, "Will I be free to choose my own path if I go with you?"
"No," the man replied coldly. "You will be trained to serve the Hall, participate in competitions, and carry out missions we assign. But in return, you'll gain power."
Xingchen was silent for a moment. He remembered the quiet nights on the orphanage rooftop, the comfort of starlight, and the promise he made to himself: I don't want to be controlled.
"I refuse," he said at last.
The room went still. The bald man narrowed his eyes. "You'll regret this."
"I'd rather be free than become a tool," Xingchen replied calmly.
A few days later, with Aunt Lin's help, Xingchen enrolled in Rixing Academy—a nearly unknown school at the edge of the city. The building was old, the students few, and the resources scarce. But there were no strict rules, no binding contracts, no pressure from powerful organizations.
Headmaster Mo Xuan, a half-bald old man, welcomed Xingchen with a warm smile.
"Why did you choose a place like this?" he asked curiously.
"Because here... I can walk my own path."
Mo Xuan laughed heartily. "You're a strange one. But the world needs people like that."
On his first night in the academy's small dormitory, Xingchen once again climbed to the rooftop. He looked up—the stars were shining, as always. But this time, he felt something different. A connection. A subtle pull from above.
He sat cross-legged and began to meditate. A silver glow surrounded his body. The air chilled, became crisp and pure, and his spirit power surged. In just one night, he felt progress equal to three days of normal training.
Later that night, he decided to experiment with his spirit soul. Sitting beneath the stars, eyes closed, he focused on the Crowned Star Deer within him. Gently, he tried to draw starlight into his body. Slowly, the energy coursed through his meridians, accelerating his cultivation. His body glowed faintly, while his natural healing ability began mending the bruises from earlier training. He felt himself getting closer to something far greater—something he had yet to understand.
"My spirit soul is truly bound to the night and stars..." he whispered.
At that moment, he knew he had chosen a path unlike any other—a path of solitude, perhaps danger, but also freedom.
And deep within his heart, Lu Xingchen made a vow:I will become strong. Not for ambition. But so I can live by my own will. Beneath the starlight, I will walk without fear.