True Sun Fire

Three days passed, neither quickly nor slowly.

Taiyi stayed in the Sun Palace and went nowhere, doing only two things: regulating his breath and staring blankly at the charred hole in the desk. The edges of the hole remained as they had been when they were burned that day, with traces of melted jade congealed there like a bizarre painting. He had tried repairing it with ordinary spells, but it was useless—the order of existence in that spot had been too thoroughly destroyed for conventional means to mend.

The Chaos True Sun Fire, on the other hand, had grown more obedient.

From a savage beast that had charged about wildly at first, it had gradually become a hunting dog on a leash. Though the leash was not very secure and it occasionally still bared its fangs, at least it could be called back. Taiyi tried guiding it, starting with a single thread and slowly increasing it to a flame as thick as a finger. It was still wickedly destructive when burning things, erasing whatever it touched without even leaving ashes behind.

On the morning of the third day, before dawn had fully broken, Taiyi opened his eyes.

The bedchamber was dim. Only the Fire Coral beside the window gave off a faint glow, casting long shadows across the walls. He rose, walked to the window, and pushed it open. The sea of clouds was still asleep, while the distant horizon had only just begun to pale.

It was time to set off.

He changed into a simple black fitted outfit, leaving off all the cumbersome ornaments and wearing only the jade pendant Di Jun had given him at his waist. When he pushed open the door, the corridor was empty save for the Demon Guard standing beneath a distant pillar. The moment the guard saw him emerge, he immediately straightened his back.

"Your Majesty."

"I'm going out for a while." Taiyi waved a hand. "No need to follow."

The Demon Guard bowed to accept the order without asking a single question.

Taiyi crossed the long corridor, his footsteps echoing through the empty palace. Over the past few days, he had become familiar with the Sun Palace's layout. From the bedchamber to the exit, he had to pass through seven palace gates, each engraved with patterns of True Sun Fire. As he passed the third gate, he suddenly stopped.

There was a mural on the wall.

It depicted the birth of two Golden Crows from the Sun Star. Flames towered into the heavens and stars trembled as two enormous golden birds spread their wings and flew from the sea of fire, their cries shattering the void. The artwork was exquisitely detailed, even the patterns on their feathers clearly visible.

Taiyi stood before the mural for a while, then reached out and lightly brushed the painting with his fingertips.

It felt cold.

But in his memories, it should have been scorching hot—the temperature at the Sun Star's core could instantly vaporize gold and iron. The moment he and Di Jun had broken from their shells, the entire Sun Star had rejoiced. Flames had become torrents swirling around them, and that heat had been branded deep into his soul, impossible to forget.

"Original owner," he murmured, "I'm borrowing your body. Don't mind it."

The Golden Crows in the painting watched him silently.

Taiyi withdrew his hand and continued onward.

Once outside the Sun Palace, he reached the Heavenly Court's main road. There were few people on the road at this hour, only several patrols of demon soldiers passing by. Upon seeing him, they saluted from afar and did not dare raise their heads until he had gone far away. The Heavenly Court's mornings possessed a peculiar stillness—not true silence, but the oppressive hush before a storm, with every sound subdued and every movement restrained.

He headed toward the South Heaven Gate.

He did not actually intend to leave through the South Heaven Gate. He simply needed to find somewhere deserted. The Sun Star should currently be moving through the southeastern celestial region, and it would be closest to ascend from there. Near the South Heaven Gate was a whirlpool in the sea of clouds that no one usually visited. It was perfect.

Halfway there, he suddenly heard someone call for him.

"Eastern Emperor Your Majesty!"

The voice came from the right. Taiyi turned and saw Bai Ze hurrying over from a side path, holding a jade slip in his hands. He seemed to be in such a rush that the hem of his robe had lifted.

"Bai Ze?" Taiyi stopped.

Bai Ze approached and bowed slightly. "Where is Your Majesty going?"

"Just taking a walk." Taiyi answered casually. "I'm feeling stifled."

Bai Ze raised his eyes. Something flashed through those perpetually calm eyes, but it was too quick to catch. He looked at Taiyi's attire, then at the direction he was heading, and pondered for a moment. "If Your Majesty wishes to clear his mind, the scenery in the Fusang Forest to the east is quite nice. The Golden Flame Flowers have just bloomed recently."

It sounded like advice, but also like a test.

Taiyi smiled. "I've grown tired of the Fusang Forest. I'll go somewhere else."

"Then..." Bai Ze paused. "Your Majesty, please be careful. The celestial phenomena have been unstable recently, and there are turbulent currents in the southeastern celestial region."

That was rather interesting.

Taiyi narrowed his eyes and stared at Bai Ze for two seconds. This wise man of the Demon Race wore no particular expression as he stood there holding the jade slip, as though he had merely mentioned it in passing. But Taiyi knew that Bai Ze never spoke nonsense.

"Understood." He nodded and turned to continue walking.

After taking a dozen or so steps, he looked back. Bai Ze was still standing where he had been, watching his retreating figure. When he saw Taiyi turn around, he bowed slightly again, then turned and headed in another direction.

That figure looked somewhat thin, his moon-white robe swaying gently in the morning breeze.

Taiyi withdrew his gaze and considered Bai Ze's words. Unstable celestial phenomena, southeastern turbulence—was there truly something unusual, or had Bai Ze noticed something and was warning him?

[System has detected abnormal energy fluctuations in the southeastern celestial region, matching the Sun Star's activity cycle]

The notification sounded in his mind.

Well, there was no need to ponder it anymore. That old fox Bai Ze had probably divined something but could not say it directly, so he had warned him in a roundabout way. Taiyi shook his head and quickened his pace.

When he reached the cloud-sea whirlpool near the South Heaven Gate, there truly was not a soul around. The vortex rotated slowly, the clouds at its edges being pulled into wispy strands that emitted low, mournful wails. It was close to the Heavenly Court's border, where spiritual energy was thin. Even patrols could not be bothered to come here.

Taiyi stood at the vortex's edge and looked down.

Its depths could not be seen.

The sea of clouds churned beneath his feet, occasionally revealing the deeper void below, pitch-black and unsettling to stare at for too long. He took a deep breath and leaped.

The wind howled past his ears.

He fell faster and faster, clouds sweeping by his sides, damp and cool. After falling roughly a hundred zhang, he abruptly activated his magic power. His body halted sharply in midair before transforming into a golden streak that shot toward the southeast.

The rainbow light tore through the sea of clouds, leaving a long trail in its wake.

After flying for about the time it took to burn an incense stick, the scenery around him began to change. The clouds grew thinner and thinner, but the temperature rose—not gradually, but in sudden leaps. One moment it was merely warm; the next, he was sweating; the moment after that, his skin had begun to burn.

In the distance, the outline of the Sun Star appeared.

This was not the gentle sun normally seen in the sky, but the real, unobscured Sun Star. Massive and scorching, its surface churned with golden waves of flame, each wave tens of thousands of zhang high. Its radiance was blinding, and the heat came rushing at him from afar as though it intended to roast him alive.

Taiyi stopped, suspended in the void.

As he gazed at that star, complicated emotions suddenly surged within him—closeness, yet fear. This was the place that had nurtured him, his root, yet the pressure it now radiated made even him, its "biological son," feel his scalp go numb.

[Check-in location: Sun Star Core]

[Danger level: ★★★★☆]

[Recommendation: Activate True Sun Fire at full strength to protect the body and proceed gradually]

"Do you really need to tell me that?" Taiyi muttered, forming hand seals.

Golden flames surged from within him and instantly enveloped his entire body. It was not the Chaos True Sun Fire, but pure True Sun Fire—when returning home, he had to use his original appearance. The flames flowed around him and formed a solid protective barrier. The heat was blocked outside, and the temperature immediately dropped somewhat.

He flew toward the Sun Star.

The closer he got, the greater the pressure became. The surrounding void began to distort, light bending into strange arcs. The temperature was so high that even space itself seemed to groan. Taiyi could feel his protective True Sun Fire being rapidly consumed, like ice thrown into a furnace, sizzling away.

When he was still a thousand li from the surface, he stopped.

He could not fly any farther—here, the concentration of True Sun Fire had reached a terrifying level. The flames were no longer simply burning; they had condensed into liquid form. The boundless golden sea of fire roiled with surging waves. The energy contained in every drop of fiery liquid was enough to blast a Grand Unity Golden Immortal to death.

Taiyi floated above the sea of fire and looked down.

Deep within the sea of flames, he could vaguely see the core's outline—brighter and more blazing, like the heart of this star, slowly beating. With every beat, endless torrents of flame burst forth and swept across the Sun Star's entire surface.

"So I have to go in..." he muttered.

[Yes. Check-in requires reaching the core region]

"You sure I won't be burned to ashes?"

[The host was nurtured by the Sun Star and is naturally compatible with it. However, caution is required]

That was as good as saying nothing.

Taiyi gritted his teeth, sank, and plunged into the sea of fire.

The instant he touched the liquid flames, the entire world changed.

Sound vanished. Light vanished. Even his sense of time became blurred. Pure fire energy filled every direction, crazily drilling into his body. His protective True Sun Fire shook violently, nearly collapsing. Taiyi abruptly activated all his magic power and forcibly stabilized it before diving deeper.

He descended.

And kept descending.

The pressure around him grew greater and greater. The flames changed from liquid into something even denser, like molten gold, so viscous that every inch was difficult to move through. The temperature was beyond description. Taiyi felt like a piece of iron being repeatedly forged—no, worse than that. Even his soul was being scorched.

He clenched his teeth and continued downward.

Who knew how long passed? Perhaps an instant, perhaps ten thousand years. The pressure around him suddenly eased.

He had arrived.

The Sun Star's core.

There were no flames here. Or rather, the flames had condensed to their ultimate extreme and become a sea of light. Pure light, pure heat, pure energy, slowly flowing through the void. At the center floated a fist-sized orb of light, crystal-clear, as though condensed from the purest sunlight, radiating waves that made his heart tremble.

Taiyi floated at the edge of the sea of light, looking at the orb.

That was the Sun Star's core origin, the accumulated essence of this star over countless ages. Merely looking at it made his eyes sting and his Primordial Spirit tremble.

[Check-in location reached]

[Beginning check-in...]

The system's voice was somewhat distorted, as if it had been interfered with.

Taiyi did not move, merely floating there in silence. He could feel something being drawn from the void and gathering toward him. It was not the violent aura of baleful blood, but something older and more fundamental, like... fragments of memory from the Sun Star's birth.

The orb of light suddenly trembled.

A faint strand of light peeled away from the orb's surface and drifted toward Taiyi. It was as fine as a hair, yet contained terrifying power. Everywhere it passed, even the surrounding sea of light gave way.

Taiyi extended his hand.

The strand of light landed in his palm. It had no temperature and no weight, simply lying there quietly. Then it melted, like snow and ice thawing, seeping through his skin, into his flesh and blood, and deep into his marrow.

Boom—

His mind exploded.

Countless images, sounds, and sensations surged in wildly. The first ray of light when the Sun Star was born from chaos; the paths of the star's movement over countless ages; the evolution of flames from their infancy to their peak; and... the earth-shaking cry when two Golden Crows broke from their shells.

Memories—the Sun Star's memories.

Taiyi closed his eyes and allowed those fragments to crash through his consciousness. He saw himself—no, Eastern Emperor Taiyi—at the moment he broke from his shell, young but carrying innate majesty. He saw Di Jun shielding him with his wings, blocking the True Sun Fire splashing in every direction. He saw the brothers fly from the Sun Star for the first time, looking back to see that star behind them radiating warm light.

So... that was how it was.

He slowly opened his eyes. Golden light flowed through them, as though something had awakened. It was not power, but a deeper connection—the bond between him and this star, branded deep into his soul from the moment of his birth.

[Check-in complete]

[Obtained: Sun Star Origin Mark (Fragment)]

[Effect: Greatly improves control over True Sun Fire; can borrow part of the Sun Star's power; growth potential: ★★★★★]

The system's notification returned to normal.

Why hadn't he gained any Taboo Points? Taiyi wondered whether it had to do with the check-in location or the check-in reward.

This system's functions still needed to be explored.

Taiyi sensed the changes within his body. After that strand of light had merged into him, the Chaos True Sun Fire in his dantian had suddenly quieted, as though it had met an elder, obediently circling the newly added origin mark. He could feel that his control over flames had improved by a great deal. The True Sun Fire that had once required great effort to suppress now became completely docile with a mere thought.

He tried activating a thread of True Sun Fire.

Golden flames danced at his fingertips, lively as living creatures. With another thought, dark red appeared at the center of the flames—the chaos attribute remained, but it had become more stable and controllable.

It worked.

This check-in had been worth it.

Just as he was preparing to leave, the sea of light around him suddenly began to churn violently.

It was not an attack, but some kind of... resonance.

The core orb shook fiercely, releasing layer upon layer of halos. When the halos swept over Taiyi's body, the Sun Star Origin Mark within him immediately responded, releasing the same ripples.

Then the phantom of the Chaos Bell emerged on its own.

Clang—

The bell rang. It was not its usual majestic roar, but a clearer and more lingering chime, as though... it had found a long-lost kin.

The orb trembled even more violently.

Golden runes emerged from the orb's surface one after another, drifting into the air and forming ancient arrays. Taiyi had never seen those arrays before, yet they felt inexplicably familiar—they were the Sun Star's own law patterns, the Dao traces naturally formed by this star over countless ages.

The Chaos Bell's phantom flew out and hovered above the orb.

The bell began to rotate. With every turn, it absorbed a portion of the array diagrams. Those golden runes merged into the bell, causing the patterns on its body to light up as restrictions were activated and strengthened one by one.

Taiyi watched this scene in a daze.

Was this... the Chaos Bell evolving on its own?

[Detected resonance between the Chaos Bell and the Sun Star's origin]

[Analyzing resonance content...]

[Analysis complete: The Chaos Bell is absorbing the Sun Star's laws. Restrictions are being strengthened. Three additional Great Sun restrictions are expected]

The moment the system finished speaking, the Chaos Bell suddenly shook.

New patterns appeared beside the already intricate markings on the bell's surface—miniature suns, each vividly lifelike, as though True Sun Fire truly burned within them. Three circles, three entire rings of sun patterns, surrounded the bell.

The resonance ended.

The Chaos Bell flew back to Taiyi's side, shrinking to the size of a fist before landing in his palm. The bell was warm, and the newly formed sun patterns still glimmered faintly, flashing like they were breathing.

Holding the bell, Taiyi could clearly feel it—things were different. The Chaos Bell had always been powerful, but there had always been a layer between them, as though its strength had been borrowed. Now it was different. The bell had truly acknowledged him, not Eastern Emperor Taiyi's identity, but him as a person.

That feeling... was like reuniting with an old friend.

He smiled and drew the bell back into his body.

It was time to go.

He turned and headed back the way he had come. This time, it was much easier. The True Sun Fire no longer rejected him. Instead, it actively parted to form a path, as though seeing off its sovereign. He passed through the sea of fire, flew beyond the Sun Star's surface, and returned to the void.

Looking back, the Sun Star floated there quietly, its radiance as blazing as ever.

But Taiyi knew things were different.

He now possessed a part of this star.