Three nights later, in a secret chamber on Galaxy River Island, it was bright as day. Sixty-four candles, each as thick as a child's arm, had been planted in the ground. The sixty-four candles were arranged in the shape of the Eight Trigrams, while five pillars stood at the center of the floor, each bearing a round tray, and each tray held an egg-sized sphere. These five pearls were of different colors; two of them were the water- and fire-aspect demon cores Chu Jiaoling had brought back.
Two women stood in the middle of the room: Chu Jiaoling and Nie Bingyun. Chu Jiaoling was dressed as she always was, while Nie Bingyun wore white gauze.
Nie Bingyun sat cross-legged while Chu Jiaoling stood guard at her side. Five copper coins lay before Nie Bingyun. With a sweep of her jade-like hand through the air, there came a boom—the ceiling of the secret chamber suddenly scattered apart like clouds. This secret chamber had no roof to begin with; it had merely been concealed by a Restriction. Once the Restriction was withdrawn, the bright moon and countless stars in the sky were revealed in full.
Nie Bingyun said to Chu Jiaoling, "I'm about to cast the spell. No matter what disturbance occurs, as long as I am not injured, do not interfere."
Chu Jiaoling nodded, only to see Nie Bingyun slowly remove her upper garment, revealing her smooth, bare back. Upon it was painted a map of the starry sky.
With a single glance, Chu Jiaoling discovered that the star map corresponded exactly to the heavens above. Nie Bingyun prostrated herself on the ground, chanting under her breath as her body rose and fell like waves.
Abruptly, Nie Bingyun pressed together the thumb, middle finger, and index finger of her right hand,