The Primordial Star Gives Birth to the Star Art

Ye Fan watched quietly as the Sunset City army stopped to rest. They had raced a thousand miles solely to resist a powerful enemy. Even if they died far from home, they would have no regrets. This was the backbone of the Qian Kingdom.

Ye Fan slowly descended, hiding the entrance to his world among the treetops as Spiritual Qi spread out. For now, he could do no more for these soldiers than secretly help them with a small trick.

The Spiritual Qi continued to spread, slowly enveloping the Sunset City army.

A moment later...

The warhorses neighed and reared high on their hind legs, seemingly enjoying the pure Qi. Their raised forehooves seemed to proclaim their delight.

"Hm? I seem to have recovered a lot of my strength." Though Commander Zha was puzzled, he gave it no further thought. He sat down cross-legged, hoping to restore his body to its best condition.

Chahar was not the only one who felt it. Most of the soldiers felt the same: their exhausted bodies had suddenly recovered, leaving them full of vigor. But they were, after all, made of mortal flesh and could not understand what had happened.

After resting for an hour, the army set off again! The warhorses galloped, their strides more powerful than before.

Ye Fan did not follow them. He transformed into a streak of dark light and vanished, leaving only a long, indistinct shadow behind.

The capital of the Wu Kingdom

The Wu Emperor sat in the main hall, with the messenger who had brought the intelligence report kneeling below the jade steps. Several ministers stood trembling on either side of the dragon-embroidered carpet.

Smack... The Wu Emperor slammed his palm down hard on the dragon desk.

"Where is Guo Youshan? He is an utter fool. He took an army of two hundred thousand and, in just one month, brought back barely a thousand men. I will tear him limb from limb!" The Wu Emperor was beside himself with rage.

The ministers shuddered, their eyes full of fear and unease.

"Reporting to Your Majesty... General Guo is currently, currently on his way to Wuling City to seek General Chen's support, intending to fight again..."

"Fight again? Has he not lost enough soldiers?" The Wu Emperor gradually calmed down, his voice cold and merciless.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has something to say!" Though Chancellor Cao feared the furious Wu Emperor, it was clear that the emperor was now waiting for the ministers to speak.

The Wu Emperor glanced at Chancellor Cao, his face cold. "Speak..."

"Your Majesty, General Guo's crushing defeat this time was entirely due to the generals dividing their forces. According to the battle report, General Guo led his troops over Eastward-Looking Mountain, but instead of making camp and resting, he hurried to attack the city. With his soldiers exhausted, how could they possibly defeat the Qian troops, who had rested while awaiting them?"

"Your Majesty, this defeat has already put the Qian troops on alert. If we continue attacking the city, we will suffer even greater losses. This old minister believes we should withdraw for now, wait for the soldiers to recover their morale, and then plan our next move carefully."

"Your Majesty, Chancellor Cao's proposal is unsound. When two armies clash, attacking cities is the lesser strategy; attacking hearts is the greater. If we withdraw now, it will only make the Qian troops more brazen and damage our own army's morale. I believe we should send other generals to assist in the fighting, select a point of breakthrough, and concentrate all our forces there. Only then can we succeed. Once we have taken a city or a piece of territory from the Qian Kingdom, we can advance steadily and ultimately annex it." Another great general, Liang Zhongda, voiced a different opinion. He was clearly a member of the pro-war faction.

Inside the Wu Kingdom's imperial palace, the atmosphere in the great hall was tense and oppressive. Ministers from both sides argued fiercely over the failed campaign, their words heated as they locked horns.

Liang Zhongda's dignified official robes accentuated his authority. Brow tightly furrowed, he looked resolutely at the ministers of the opposing pro-peace faction, his voice conveying an unquestionable resolve. "This defeat was caused by Guo Youshan's greed for personal gain. We should send other great generals to continue the fight until we crush the Qian Kingdom!"

Chancellor Cao's expression was calm, but a hint of resolve showed in his eyes. "Great General Liang, war has already brought us far too much pain. Our people cannot bear any more sacrifices. We should seek a more prudent approach to reduce our soldiers' casualties."

The argument between the two factions grew more heated, their words full of criticism and challenges to each other's views. The atmosphere in the great hall grew increasingly tense, as though a clash might erupt at any moment.

The Inner World in which Ye Fan resided sped along like a streak of light! He reached home before midnight.

Ye Fan slipped out and tiptoed over to lie down on his bed.

"The soldiers at the front are fighting to the death to guard the gates of the Qian Kingdom. I'm a member of the Qian Kingdom too. Though I can't go out and kill the enemy, I can still support the Qian troops in another way." Ye Fan was talking about the vast quantities of medicinal herbs. Though they could not determine the course of the war, they could help keep his side's soldiers safe.

With a thought, Ye Fan entered the Inner World.

The vast quantities of medicinal herbs had already spread beyond the area covered by the World Tree. Their fragrance filled the air. This was the Qian army's support.

"An army hundreds of thousands strong-these herbs are nowhere near enough. I'll have to keep cultivating more." With that, Ye Fan set to work.

An unknown amount of time passed. Suddenly, the earth began to tremble. Ye Fan sensed it: there was a problem with the Earth Vein!!!

Ye Fan stopped what he was doing and focused on sensing it. Just then-

The earth shook without cease, and the mountain split in two. Its two halves slowly opened, releasing brilliant azure light. Something seemed to be slowly rising from deep underground.

Ye Fan held his breath and stared. What was that? It looked like a book. The source of the azure light continued to rise until it reached the space between the summits of the two halves of the mountain, where it stopped and spun.

It really was a book. With a thought, Ye Fan summoned it over.

"Star Art"

Born alongside heaven and earth, it brought all things into being.

Ye Fan carefully opened the Star Formula. Starlight flickered across its pages, as though brilliant stars were leaping within them. He read every page closely and discovered that the manual recorded methods and techniques for cultivating the power of the stars.

Ye Fan decided to begin cultivating according to the Star Formula's guidance. He closed his eyes, and with a thought, the power of the stars began circulating within him. He felt a tremendous force surge from the Star Formula and permeate his body, leaving him feeling incomparably refreshed.

As his cultivation deepened, Ye Fan's strength steadily increased. At the same time, his understanding of nature grew more profound, as though he had become one with this world.

Star Ye Fan held the Star Formula cultivation method in his hands and slowly studied it. Every cultivation session let him feel a power connecting him to heaven and earth, as though he had formed some wondrous connection with the stars of the universe.

Ye Fan's body gradually grew strong and powerful, the lines of his muscles forming a picture of perfect beauty. His gaze also grew sharper, gleaming with a piercing light. Every movement he made was filled with the power of the stars, its might immeasurably great.

He began observing the stars in the sky, carefully studying their paths and patterns of change. He discovered that there seemed to be some subtle connection between them. They influenced and drew on one another, as though silently conveying some kind of message.

He began trying to draw the power of the stars into his body and incorporate it into his cultivation. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, feeling the power of the stars permeate his body.

A powerful force flowed through Ye Fan's body, and he felt as though he had become one with the entire universe. His body began emitting a faint starlight, and the surrounding air grew heavy. His mind grew sharper, allowing him to perceive subtle changes he would normally have missed.

The "Star Art" was the god-level cultivation method truly suited to Ye Fan. After all, in this vast world, Ye Fan was the only one who possessed an Inner World.