Sixteen Pearls Become One!
The First Star Chart Exchange was bustling with people.
At the counter, the young saleswoman looked at the bill with a slightly strange expression. "Sir, are you sure you want to buy 16 identical [Black Iron One-Star Shadow Wolf Step] Star Beads all at once? Even if you absorb Star Beads of the same type and rank repeatedly, their effects won't stack..."
"I'm sure, please swipe your card."
Dongfang Yueming calmly handed over the terminal.
"Ding--Payment successful, 160,000 Star Coins deducted, current balance: 0."
A moment later, an exquisite black metal briefcase was handed to Dongfang Yueming.
Inside, 16 gray-black star beads emitting a faint dark light were neatly arranged.
Shen Yuyan clung tightly to Dongfang Yueming's arm the entire time, her full, snow-white breasts gripping the young man's arm tightly.
Although she was full of doubts, seeing Dongfang Yueming's confident demeanor, she didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she cautiously scanned the surrounding martial artists and escorted Dongfang Yueming back to the hovercar.
Before long, the silver-white hovercar traced a graceful arc above the Fallen Star First Martial Dao Academy and landed steadily on the helipad reserved for top-level teachers.
As the premier academy in Fallen Star City, its area is comparable to that of a small city, with towering spirit-gathering towers and modern tactical training halls standing side by side.
Shen Yuyan, wearing black high heels and lifting the hem of her pencil skirt, led Dongfang Yueming through the tree-lined path.
Along the way, many students and young male instructors cast admiring and envious glances at Dongfang Yueming walking side by side with Shen Yuyan.
At this moment, Shen Yuyan's white shirt accentuated her stunningly full figure, while her long, black-stockinged legs swayed gracefully beneath her high-waisted, bodycon skirt, exuding a mature and alluring charm that was impossible to look away from.
"Yueming, this is my aunt's private gravity training room."
Shen Yuyan led Dongfang Yueming into a quiet basement room of a detached villa and locked the alloy door with the highest level of access.
She turned around, looking at the boy with a mixture of worry and anticipation. "It's absolutely safe here. Even Star River Realm expert can't spy on it with their Divine Sense. Just focus on absorbing the energy; your aunt will guard you outside!"
Thank you, Auntie.
Dongfang Yueming's lips curled into a slight smile. He reached out and pulled her close, his arms encircling her soft, boneless waist clad in black silk. He lowered his head and gently kissed the beautiful woman's delicate, slightly flushed cheek. "Wait for me a moment."
"Ah..." Shen Yuyan's body went limp, her pretty face instantly turning crimson. She gave him a shy and timid glare before reluctantly leaving the quiet room.
Click.
The door to the quiet room closed, and the surrounding soundproof array and gravity shielding system instantly activated.
Dongfang Yueming sat cross-legged on the refined gold stone platform and opened the black briefcase.
Sixteen Black Iron One-Star Shadow Wolf Star Beads floated in front of him, emitting faint fluctuations of Star Power.
"System, begin fusing star techniques!"
Dongfang Yueming's eyes narrowed slightly, and his Divine Sense surged out like a tide, instantly enveloping all sixteen star beads!
"Buzz--!"
[Ding! 16 identical star beads [Black Iron One-Star - Shadow Wolf Step] detected. Begin tiered smelting?]
"Smelt them all!"
In an instant, the sixteen gray-black star beads collided violently in the Xukong! The system's power, which disregarded the laws of nature, was like a divine furnace, frantically eliminating impurities and refining the essence!
Sixteen illusory shadow wolves, each at the first level of the Black Iron One-Star, howled mournfully in the Sea of Consciousness, then frantically merged and advanced in pairs through collisions.
16 Black Iron One-Star ➔ 8 Black Iron Two-Star!
8 Black Iron 2-star ➔ 4 Black Iron 3-star!
4 Iron 3-star + 2 Bronze 1-star!
"Boom!!"
Finally, the two orbs of bronze-level energy, radiating a dark blue light, crashed together heavily in mid-air!
The originally rough wolf-shaped phantom instantly transformed into an ancient Wind Shadow Demon Wolf, its entire body Entanglement in azure gales and its feet treading on Anying!
[Forging successful! Star skill quality has achieved a major-level ultimate sublimation -- Obtained: [Bronze Two-Star - Shadow Gale Step]!]
"Snap!"
A high-grade star bead, crystal clear and as if carved from jade, landed steadily in Dongfang Yueming's palm.
"Bronze II, huh...?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Dongfang Yueming directly mobilized the vast pure Yang Star Power within his body to instantly refine the bronze-level star bead!
"Buzz!"
The jade-like star bead transformed into a stream of light, shooting straight into his dantian star palace and firmly embedding itself in the first groove among the ten star slots!
[Embedded Star Skill: 1/10]
[Currently activated Star Skill: [Bronze 2-Star - Shadow Gale Step]]
In an instant, a profound understanding of the Way of Wind and Shadow surged into Dongfang Yueming's mind.
With a slight thought, without exerting any force with his feet, he instantly moved several feet away, leaving behind three solid and persistent afterimages of wind shadows in his original position!
It was so fast that it even tore through the air with a piercing sonic boom!
"Good."
Dongfang Yueming slowly withdrew his movement technique, a satisfied glint flashing in his eyes.
Among the new students of the Fallen Star Academy, even a single Black Iron Three-Star Star Skill would be enough to serve as a trump card for an ordinary person. But he now not only possesses a God-level Star Soul, but also has mastered this Bronze Two-Star Extreme Speed Movement Technique!
But that's far from enough!
The heavy alloy doors of the quiet room slowly slid open to both sides.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Yuyan, who was waiting outside the door, brightened up and quickly went to greet them.
When she saw Dongfang Yueming walk out unharmed, and even exuding an ethereal, elusive aura like a gentle breeze, her heart finally settled down.
"Yueming, how are you feeling? Have you refined those sixteen star beads?"
Shen Yuyan subconsciously stepped forward and took the boy's arm. Her tight white shirt and pencil skirt pressed her mature and voluptuous body against the boy, bringing with them a mature fragrance that would make any man lose control.
"It has already been refined."
Dongfang Yueming remained calm, gently stroking the outside of her shapely, long, black-stockinged thigh, and smiled, "However... one movement technique alone is far from enough."
"Auntie, I need to go out of the city to the [Anying Wasteland] outside the city."
"What?! Leaving the city for the Anying Wasteland?!"
Shen Yuyan's delicate body trembled, her beautiful eyes widening instantly. She grabbed his hand anxiously, her face contorted with worry. "No! Absolutely not! Thousands upon thousands of ferocious star beasts roam the wastelands outside the city, and countless desperados lurk there! Besides... that beast Qin Feng is surely watching you intently from the shadows. If you leave the city now, wouldn't you be walking into the lion's den?!"
In her view, even if Dongfang Yueming was exceptionally talented, he was still just a fledgling, how could he possibly go to such a dangerous place where people would devour him without spitting out the bones?
"Don't worry, Aunt Yuyan, I'm confident I can protect myself."
Dongfang Yueming's eyes were clear and resolute, his tone exuding imperial dominance. "A towering tree cannot grow in a greenhouse. In the academy competition three days from now, I need more real combat experience."
Looking into the boy's deep, resolute eyes, which seemed capable of swallowing all darkness, Shen Yuyan swallowed back the words of advice that were on the tip of her tongue.
She bit her full, red lips, though she was utterly puzzled as to why the boy was in such a hurry, she finally nodded in relent. "Alright... then be careful in everything you do, your aunt will be waiting for your good news at the academy."
However, in the instant Dongfang Yueming turned to leave—
Shen Yuyan's stunningly beautiful face was instantly covered with a layer of chilling frost!
[How could your aunt possibly let you go to the wilderness alone!]
Shen Yuyan quickly turned around and went back to the locker room, ripped off her instructor uniform, and changed into a tight-fitting black tactical leather jacket.
The form-fitting, high-grade tactical leather outfit perfectly accentuated the exaggeratedly voluptuous curves of her thirty-year-old mature mother figure. Her breasts were high and firm, reaching towards the clouds. Below her slender waist were astonishingly round and plump hips. Her long thighs were tightly wrapped in cut-resistant ice silk stockings, and she wore high-top combat boots. A short alloy blade gleaming with a cold light was placed at her waist. In an instant, she transformed from a dignified academy instructor into a cold and deadly Star River Realm Valkyrie!
"If Yueming loses even a single hair, I will make the entire Qin Family pay with their lives!"
A chilling killing intent flashed in Shen Yuyan's eyes. Her delicate body transformed into a streak of dark blue light, silently slipping out of the back door of the villa and secretly following them.
at the same time.
Inside a black hovercar outside the gates of the First Martial Dao Academy.
"Young Master Qin! Dongfang Yueming has left the academy! And... he actually rented an off-road hoverbike all by himself and headed towards the Anying Wasteland outside the city!"
An urgent report from a trusted subordinate came through the holographic projection on his wrist.
Upon hearing this, Qin Feng, inside the Heavenly Palace Grand Hotel, was first taken aback, then burst into a cruel and arrogant laugh:
"Hahaha! You've got the road to heaven but not the gate to hell, so you've barged in!"
"That little bastard really thinks he's invincible just because Shen Yuyan is protecting him?! He actually dared to go out of the city alone?!"
Qin Feng's eyes were filled with fierceness, and he roared ferociously:
"Send the order to the ' Falcon Squad '! Send three Late Star Vortex Realm assassins to follow them!"
"Catch him in the wasteland! Don't kill him outright, crush his limbs inch by inch! I want that bitch Shen Yuyan to watch as the little bastard she's protected for ten years turns into a useless dog!!"
"Yes, Young Master Qin!"
Thirty kilometers outside of Fallen Star Base City.
This is a desolate and vast black rock hill. Due to the constant erosion of the abyss's aura, the sky has a gloomy gray color, and the howling wind carries the pungent smell of star beasts' blood.
Dongfang Yueming parked the hoverbike behind a hidden boulder.
And several miles behind him, atop a weathered rock.
Wearing a tight-fitting tactical leather jacket, Shen Yuyan was crouching behind a boulder, her mature and alluring figure fully revealed in the gale.
Suddenly, Shen Yuyan's expression hardened, and her immense perception at the Peak Star River Realm instantly locked onto the three sneaky and powerful auras following behind her!
"Three assassins at the Star Vortex Realm Seventh Layer or higher?!"
A raging fire instantly ignited in Shen Yuyan's beautiful eyes, and her delicate body trembled slightly with extreme anger.
"The Qin Family... you damned bastards! You finally couldn't hold back anymore!!"
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Three figures clad in black combat suits and wielding poisoned alloy swords burst forth from three sides of the Black Stone Hills like three hyenas hunting their prey!
The violent Star Power surge exploded, completely sealing off all of Dongfang Yueming's escape routes!
The leader, a scarred-faced man carrying a heavy blade, looked down at Dongfang Yueming with a cruel, mocking smirk.
"The Dongfang Clan's good-for-nothing, Young Master Qin asked us to give you his regards."
"If you know what's good for you, kneel down and break your limbs, then I might spare you some pain!"