News of the Star Crown Sect

It was nighttime in Dormitory Nine.

The student in the bed beside Ling Qianyue could not help asking, "Brother Ling, you meditate and cultivate this late every day. Aren't you tired?"

Ling Qianyue opened his eyes and chuckled. "Tired? A little, sure. But if it's for becoming stronger, what does a little exhaustion matter?"

The student gave him a thumbs-up. "Brother, you're awesome!" He decided to request a bed change tomorrow. Whenever he was trying to sleep and saw someone else still working hard, he could not help feeling anxious.

Other than those who had completely given up, most people would feel uncomfortable. This kind of rat-race behavior should be resisted!

"Brother, I'm going to sleep first."

Ling Qianyue responded, glanced at him, and drew his consciousness back into his body.

Among the 365 major acupoints, only the Mingmen Acupoint still shone with undying starlight. A warm yet resilient force flowed slowly within it, like trickling streams converging into rivers and seas, nourishing his tendons, veins, and soul.

The instant Ling Qianyue sank his consciousness into the Mingmen Acupoint, the starlight that had flickered like fireflies suddenly surged. Countless motes of light rushed through his meridians as the Soul Power within his body continuously gathered there.

The pearly white Soul Power was transformed there, becoming a deeper stellar energy, the color of violets in the night.

Compared to Soul Power, this stellar energy seemed more like something between liquid mercury and ionized gas. Star Sand particles appeared to float across its surface, constantly annihilating and reforming, dreamlike and illusory.

The stellar energy fused into his flesh, blood, bones, and marrow, bringing with it an indescribable sense of comfort. It was as though this new power had cleansed his entire body, making it purer and stronger.

He guided the stellar energy through his meridians according to his will, strengthening the Jizhong Acupoint, located in the depression beneath the spinous process of the eleventh thoracic vertebra.

During this time, he had nourished every acupoint in his body with stellar energy. In the end, only the Jizhong Acupoint could be reshaped.

Is it because I can currently only visualize the Big Dipper Seven Stars? My impression of the other stars in the Great Heavenly Star Array isn't as deep, so I can't draw insight from them.

The Kaiyang Star, also known as the Wuqu Star, likewise governed slaughter and conquest. Yet compared to the increase in attack power brought by Po Jun, Ling Qianyue felt that it enhanced his fighting spirit more.

Sometimes, battle instinct and fighting spirit played an even greater role in combat.

Ling Qianyue stopped visualizing, placed both hands behind his head, and lay flat.

Although they only enhance my own abilities, the cumulative effect of these boosts is probably terrifying.

He grew increasingly curious about the abilities the three Supreme Stars in the Great Heavenly Star Array Diagram would bring.

The Ziwei Emperor Star, the Sun Burning Heaven Star, and the Taiyin Cold Soul Star.

These were currently the three dimmest stars on the Great Heavenly Star Array Diagram in his mind. Ling Qianyue could only vaguely sense their existence and could not even determine their positions. Simply thinking about them met with resistance from his spiritual will.

Still, he did not mind. It was perfectly normal that his cultivation was insufficient to peer into their mysteries.

The next day.

Before Zhu Zhuqing arrived in the classroom, Dai Gonggong sidled up to Ling Qianyue with a cheeky grin.

"Brother, how was it? The news I spread traveled pretty fast, right? The Fourth Miss of the Zhu Family dragged you away yesterday. You were probably going to see Dai Mubai, weren't you?"

That was right. Dai Mubai's matter had actually been part of Ling Qianyue's plan from the beginning.

He had others gather information and pass it into Zhu Zhuqing's ears, making it impossible for her to resist investigating it herself.

Ling Qianyue glanced at Dai Gonggong, a faint smile curling his lips. "You're quite sharp. The news did spread quickly."

Dai Gonggong smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Haha, I just gave things a little push, that's all. I've hated that Dai Mubai for a long time. That guy bullied me plenty when we were kids. Collateral branch descendants have no rights, you know~"

He pulled open his collar, revealing a pale inch-long scar near his collarbone. "See? That was from that tiger's claws. When I get the chance, I'll give him one too."

Then he looked at Ling Qianyue with eager anticipation. "So, Brother, about that three-person battle at the end of term we discussed..."

Ling Qianyue nodded. "You're in."

Dai Gonggong's face immediately lit up with joy, and he rubbed his hands excitedly. "Brother, you're the best! I knew you wouldn't forget me. Don't worry, Brother. As long as we take first place in the team battle, we'll split the reward from my family seventy-thirty.

"Also, I heard our dean is pretty generous and has prepared rewards too. We can look forward to that."

"Why only seventy percent?" Ling Qianyue asked in feigned surprise. "How can that do?"

Dai Gonggong froze. Seventy percent? Seventy percent was already his share... "Then eighty-twenty?" Tears nearly welled up in his eyes. "Brother, you have to leave me something."

Ling Qianyue laughed and patted Dai Gonggong on the shoulder. "I'm teasing you. Look how nervous you got. Fifty-fifty is fine. No need to be so formal."

Dai Gonggong immediately sighed in relief and said in a low voice, "Brother, you're too generous! Fifty-fifty—this is better than I ever expected. Don't worry, I'll definitely give it everything I have at the end of term. I won't make you lose face!"

Look at that, and he even has to thank me for it, Ling Qianyue thought with an inward laugh.

"Any progress on the Star Crown Sect information I asked you to look into last time?"

Dai Gonggong nodded. "I heard some things from my parents, and I also saw some information in my family's study."

"This sect is actually quite famous. It's just that it has remained hidden from the world, so its presence isn't very noticeable. I heard the Star Crown emblem engraved on Spirit Hall elders' tokens represents this Star Crown Martial Soul."

"The most recent news says there seem to be only thirty-seven people left with the Star Crown Martial Soul, nine of whom are direct descendants. There are around a thousand outer disciples and affiliated members.

"My father told me that although it stays hidden, it secretly controls seventy percent of the Star Luo Empire's meteoric iron ore trade, along with other economic lifelines.

"It has a Martial Soul similar in nature to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's—rare but powerful, with a fairly deep foundation."

Ling Qianyue nodded slightly. He was not surprised that the Star Crown Sect had so few members. After all, a sect with such a powerful and rare Martial Soul naturally would not have many members. Moreover, from Dai Gonggong's description, he could sense the Star Crown Sect's aura of hidden strength.

The economic lifelines it secretly controlled might have been the foundation that supported its resistance against the Sun Moon Empire during the era of Douluo II.

It was obvious enough. Without financial backing and sufficient status, how could the Star Crown Sect have replaced the original Dai Family during the era of Douluo II and become the new Star Luo Imperial Family?

When Douluo Continent and Sun Moon Continent collided, the Star Luo Empire bore the brunt of the war due to its geographical location. It was the Star Crown Sect's emergence into the world that gave the originally one-sided situation some room to turn and stabilize.

"Did you find out whether anyone from the Star Crown Sect has appeared in the outside world in recent years?"

Dai Gonggong scratched his head. "That... I haven't heard anything. This sect has always been mysterious. My dad even bragged that they can divine the stars and foresee crises. So their seclusion is actually another form of entering the world."

Ling Qianyue narrowed his eyes. Could his Martial Soul's astrological abilities have come from the Star Crown Martial Soul?

Foreseeing danger... Perhaps that was one reason the Star Crown Xu Family later returned the throne to the Dai Family. After all, wasn't Huo Yuhao forced by Tang San to change his name to Dai Yuhao?