Lin Wudao tightened his grip on the Jade Slip. The phantom of the Star Palace flickered in his palm, and a mysterious pulling force reached him from the distant horizon. He raised his head toward the starry sky. Amid the countless stars, the outline of a palace could faintly be seen, appearing and disappearing. Su Yao and the Holy Maiden stood shoulder to shoulder, spiritual power surging around all three as they prepared to face unknown challenges at any moment.
"This journey to the Star Palace will surely be fraught with danger on every side." The Holy Maiden's expression was grave, a faint halo rising from her jade flute. "Though the Ancient Witch Clan has suffered a heavy blow, remnants must still be lurking in the shadows. Not to mention the unknown restrictions and secret treasures within the Star Palace. One careless move..."
"My mind is made up," Lin Wudao interrupted. The power of the falling star circulated around him, dispersing every trace of lingering Devil Qi. "Whatever dangers lie ahead, I will uncover the truth behind all of this." He turned toward Su Yao, a trace of tenderness flashing through his eyes. "If you don't wish to risk your life, you can..."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Su Yao abruptly seized his hand, her gilt whip cutting through the air with a crisp crack. "If we go, we go together. If we die... we die together too!"
The Holy Maiden sighed softly and lightly raised her jade flute. "Very well. In that case, I will go with you. I have already sent word to the sect leader at Jade Void Palace. If anything unusual happens, they will come to our aid."
The three became streaks of light and shot into the clouds, speeding toward the Star Palace. As they drew closer, the power of the falling star within Lin Wudao grew increasingly restless, and the phantom palace in his sea of consciousness gradually overlapped with the outline before them. When they reached the palace gates, the entire palace suddenly blazed with light that stretched ten thousand feet. The runes on the gates swam like living things, resonating with the Jade Slip in Lin Wudao's hand.
"Humm-" With a tremendous sound, the palace gates slowly opened, and an ancient, mysterious presence washed over them. Lin Wudao drew a deep breath and stepped inside first. The palace interior was actually a vast starry sky, with countless stars suspended in the air, each corresponding to different restrictions and secret treasures. At the center, a massive star chart flickered, exactly matching the image in Lin Wudao's sea of consciousness.
"Watch out!" the Holy Maiden suddenly warned. Before her words had faded, the stars ahead suddenly turned into countless streaks of starlight and shot toward them, each containing the power to destroy heaven and earth. Lin Wudao activated the Chaos Heaven-Devouring Instruction and opened a devouring vortex, drawing in every streak of starlight. Su Yao wielded her gilt whip, its afterimages forming a golden barrier. The Holy Maiden played her jade flute, and its sound waves collided with the starlight, unleashing peal after peal of thunderous booms.
Amid the fierce battle, Lin Wudao keenly noticed a subtle connection between the trajectories of the starlight and the Ancient Witch Clan's witchcraft. He circulated the power of the falling star and traced the Star Palace's runes in the void. The starlight actually changed direction abruptly, shooting into the depths of the palace. "So that's it. These restrictions are meant to select someone who can truly control the palace." A glimmer of understanding flashed through Lin Wudao's eyes.
The three continued deeper inside. The farther they went, the greater the pressure within the space became. Lin Wudao's falling star physique activated on its own, converting the pressure into the power of the stars. Flames blazed along Su Yao's gilt whip, driving back the surrounding darkness. The sound waves from the Holy Maiden's jade flute soothed the restless spiritual power.
Suddenly, a vast curtain of light appeared ahead, projecting scene after scene: in High Antiquity, immortals and devils waged war, and corpses littered the land; the Ancient Witch Clan manipulated events from the shadows, seeking to overthrow the cultivation world; and a blurred figure left the final seal before the Star Palace... Lin Wudao's pupils abruptly contracted. These images corroborated the scenes he had seen in the immortal corpse's memories, yet revealed many more crucial details.
"This is..." The Holy Maiden covered her mouth in astonishment. "So the Ancient Witch Clan was the root of all this turmoil!"
Su Yao clenched her fists. "No wonder they stopped at nothing to resurrect the Devil Master. They were actually trying to use his power to seize control of the Star Palace!"
Lin Wudao was just about to examine the images closely when the curtain of light suddenly shook violently, and a familiar voice came from within it. "Want to know the truth? Then pass the final trial!" Before the words had faded, a figure stepped out of the curtain of light-it was none other than the Devil Master of High Antiquity! Unlike before, however, the Devil Master now radiated a gentle light, and the brutality and greed were gone from his eyes.
"Who... exactly are you?" Lin Wudao warily tightened his grip on the Sword of the Falling Star.
The Devil Master chuckled softly. "Who I am is unimportant. What matters is whether you are worthy of inheriting the Star Palace's power and protecting this heaven and earth." He raised his hand and swept it through the air, and countless chains of starlight lashed toward the three...