Secret Whispers of the Stars: The Divine Map Binds Their Fates, Friends United as One

Inside a guest room of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, candlelight flickered, casting unusually grave expressions across everyone's faces. Ever since Lin Zhixia had encountered Ye Jin on the back mountain last night, they had all been on edge—Dai Mubai had gone out early to inquire about Ye Jin's whereabouts, Oscar had silently prepared several bags of "Invisibility Sausages" that could temporarily conceal one's aura, and Xiao Wu clutched the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, insisting on following Lin Zhixia every day.

At that moment, Lin Zhixia sat at the center of the round table, her fingertips repeatedly tracing the patterns on the Star Guidance Bell. The starlight on its surface flickered between bright and dim, as if responding to the turmoil in her heart. She raised her eyes toward the people seated around her—Tang San's gaze was steady, though he was quietly watching her expression from the corner of his eye; Xiao Wu held her hand, her palm warm; Ning Rongrong sat beside her, her eyes filled with concern; Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun were all looking at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Actually... Ye Jin coming to find me last night wasn't a coincidence." Lin Zhixia took a deep breath and finally broke the silence, her voice carrying a faint, barely perceptible tremor. "He came for something my parents left behind—the Star Chart."

"The Star Chart?" Dai Mubai frowned. "What is that? Does it have something to do with you being hunted when you were five?"

Lin Zhixia nodded and lightly tapped the Star Guidance Bell with her fingertip. The bell suddenly emitted a fine halo of light, and a pale blue phantom rose from its body—it was a star map formed from countless points of light. The points flowed along strange paths, as though an entire sky of stars had been compressed into the space before them. "This is the Star Chart's phantom. The real chart is recorded within my parents' Remnant Souls and can only be awakened through the Star Guidance Bell. It isn't an ordinary map. It is the key to finding the divine position of the Starfall Judgment God."

"The Starfall Judgment God?" A trace of surprise flashed through Tang San's eyes. He had seen records of deities in ancient books, but he had never heard of this divine position.

"It is a First-level Deity, meaning it is at the Lord God level." Lin Zhixia lowered her voice, as though recounting a secret that had been buried for ages. "My parents were descendants of the family that guarded the Star Chart. They told me that this deity governed the cycle of destruction and New Life among the stars of the cosmos—with star paths as strings, it could stir the universe's most fundamental power; with falling stars as arrows, it could unleash Arrows of Destruction that judged all things. The symbol of this divine position was 'reforging the balance of the universe with the Arrow of Destruction.' Simply put, it existed specifically to judge those who defied the Heavenly Dao Order and sought to disrupt the movement of the stars."

The candlelight flickered, and everyone held their breath. A First-level Deity's divine position was enough to drive the entire continent mad—hadn't Spirit Hall spent years gathering spirit bones and recruiting spirit masters in pursuit of greater power, even seeking to touch the domain of the gods?

"Spirit Hall and Ye Jin's father came for the Star Chart?" Zhu Zhuqing asked softly, a flicker of anger passing through her cool eyes.

Lin Zhixia nodded, her eyes reddening slightly. "When I was five, Ye Jin's father brought people from Spirit Hall into my home. My father said that the Star Chart must never fall into the hands of evil people—if Spirit Hall obtained it, they would surely use the power of the divine position to control the continent. Countless people would suffer then. My parents fought desperately to protect me and the Star Chart, and in the end..."

Her voice caught. Xiao Wu hurriedly tightened her grip on Lin Zhixia's hand and comforted her softly. "Fourth Sister, don't say any more. We understand."

"Later, I escaped and was hunted all the way until I met Uncle Tang Hao and Little San." Lin Zhixia wiped the corner of her eye, and her tone gradually became firm. "All these years, I never dared mention the Star Chart. First, I was afraid of bringing trouble to everyone. Second, I was afraid I couldn't protect it. But now Ye Jin has found me. His father must know that I'm in Heaven Dou City too. I can't keep hiding anymore."

"Why hide?" Ning Rongrong suddenly spoke, her tone carrying unquestionable resolve. "Fourth Sister, this is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! My father said that from now on, Shrek's affairs are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's affairs! Besides, Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa are here. They definitely won't let Ye Jin or Spirit Hall's people hurt you!"

"Rongrong's right." Dai Mubai slapped the table, his eyes full of boldness. "Isn't it just Ye Jin and that father of his who murdered your father? If he dares show up again, I'll beat him until he's crawling around looking for his teeth!"

Ma Hongjun nodded along and thumped his chest. "Fourth Sister, I have an evolved Phoenix Spirit now. I'll burn the bastard!"

Oscar silently pushed a bag of "Invisibility Sausages" and "Recovery Sausages" in front of Lin Zhixia. "Fourth Sister, take these. If you run into danger, the sausages can make you invisible for a while and restore your Soul Power too."

Seeing the sincerity on everyone's faces, a warm current welled up in Lin Zhixia's heart. She turned to Tang San and found him staring thoughtfully at the phantom of the Star Chart on the Star Guidance Bell. "Little San, what are you thinking?"

Tang San looked up, his tone steady. "I'm thinking that Ye Jin may not have come looking for you solely because of the Star Chart. His father is with Spirit Hall, and we're about to participate in the Elite Competition. Spirit Hall will definitely send people to watch us. They may want to use Ye Jin to unsettle us, or even seize the Star Chart while they have the chance."

"What should we do, then?" Xiao Wu asked nervously.

"We'll stick to the original plan for now." A sharp glint flashed through Tang San's eyes. "After the break ends, we'll return to Shrek and focus on preparing for the Elite Competition. The Star Chart is in your hands, and with the Star Guidance Bell and your parents' Remnant Souls protecting it, they can't take it for the time being. As for Ye Jin, we'll keep a close eye on his movements. If he dares make a move, we'll join forces and deal with him."

Lin Zhixia looked at Tang San's determined eyes, then at the supportive faces around her. At last, her tightly wound heart relaxed. She gripped the Star Guidance Bell, and the starlight upon it gradually brightened, as if answering her resolve. "Thank you, all of you. I always thought I was carrying this alone. Now I know I'm not alone."

The candlelight reflected their smiling faces. The heavy atmosphere in the guest room gradually dispersed, replaced by a strength born of unity. They all knew that what lay ahead was not only the opponents of the Elite Competition, but also Spirit Hall, which coveted the Star Chart, and the obsessive Ye Jin. But as long as they stood shoulder to shoulder, they could weather any storm together.