Dust-Hidden Star lay at the edge of a barren star system, a grayish-brown rocky planet with a thin atmosphere. Ravines crisscrossed its surface, almost devoid of vegetation, and fierce winds howled without end. The underground base the Stargazers had established there years ago became a temporary refuge for Lin Ye and his companions.
Deep within the base, Xingli's treatment continued. Sakura and Karin took turns working alongside the healers of the People of the Stars. Even after trying every method at their disposal, they could barely keep her vital signs from deteriorating further. The corrosive energy clung like a disease rooted in her bones, entrenched deep within her soul and steadily consuming her life essence.
Outside the treatment room, the atmosphere was grim. Elder Mochen and Elder Stardust were doing everything they could to decipher the star gate technology records in the Ancient Compass's database, but progress was slow. Sasuke took several warriors of the People of the Stars and Kankuro to set up detection and early-warning barriers around the base. Naruto helped settle the evacuated residents of Star-Celestial Island, all of whom struggled to adjust to the planet's harsh conditions.
Lin Ye stood alone on the base's highest observation platform, his Jōgan piercing the thin atmosphere as he gazed into the cold depths of space. The stars remained boundless, yet he could feel an invisible net tightening around them. Karin's theory about the "mark" weighed on his heart like a boulder. They had acted decisively in evacuating Star-Celestial Island, but whether they had truly shaken off their pursuers remained unknown.
The Watcher... the one who implanted the First Kāma... Lin Ye silently repeated the name, trying to search the Legacy system's knowledge base. All he found were vague fragments describing it as a "forbidden name," connected to "the origins