A dummy's guide to Understanding the 14 Fate Star Effects
(image of the Fate Star selection screen.)
(Image of a red-tailed star among nebulae.)
[ (Heavenly Slaughtering Star)
An ill-omened starlight foretelling a great slaughter upon the world.
A rare murderer, a harbinger of death, harboring an insatiable thirst for blood
Those fated with the Heavenly Slaughtering Star must be killed.
If the Heavenly Slaughtering Star rises, all children born under its light must be slain, or else the world will be drowned in blood.]
Those flavor texts for the Destiny Traits are pure knock-off Dark Souls vibes, but they don't tell you squat about what they actually do. I mean, WTF? Who knows?
So the devs posted the actual effects on the Steam community, and since you probably can't read Chinese, I went ahead and translated it for you all.
[ Great Purple Star (Big Dipper)
Starts with a unique royal background.
Can choose two golden martial arts from the Imperial Palace Martial Library.
Late-game crisis fixed as "Yellow Dragon's Struggle" (Difficulty: EXTREME+++). ]
[ Heaven's Opening (Sirius )
Reduces cultivation point requirements for Orthodox martial arts by 33%.
Increases cultivation point requirements for Demonic martial arts by 33%.
Increases cultivation point requirements for Deviant martial arts by 50%.
Martial art power increases as alignment approaches Righteousness. ]
[ Fire of Calamity (Mars)
Reduces cultivation point requirements for Deviant martial arts by 22%.
Reduces cultivation point requirements for Foreign martial arts by 25%.
Increases cultivation point requirements for Orthodox and Demonic martial arts by 50%.
Martial art power increases as alignment approaches Deviance. ]
[ Iron Tyrant (Venus)
Reduces cultivation point requirements for Demonic martial arts by 33%.
Increases cultivation point requirements for Orthodox martial arts by 33%.
Increases cultivation point requirements for Deviant martial arts by 50%.
Martial art power increases as alignment approaches Tyranny. ]
[ Windswept Mystic Star (Arcturus) (Trash)
Reduces cultivation point requirements for Heretical Sects (TRASH) by 75%.
Starts with the purple-grade spell "Grand Peace Talisman Scroll" (TRASH). ]
[ Wolf Fang Solitary Star (Becrux)
Increases free cultivation point gain by 5%.
Reduces all martial art cultivation point requirements by 5%.
"Solo Wanderer" effect (no party play) increased 5x.
Martial art power decreases by 5% per companion. ]
...
...
...
[ Heavenly Slaughtering Star (Comet)
Enters a Berserk state upon entering combat (Increased martial art power, greatly increased damage taken, cannot escape from fights).
Martial art power increases with higher kill count. ]
And that is why the Heavenly Slaughtering Star is top-tier.
By mid-game, you'll be using Internal Energy Protection anyway, so your energy gets drained before your health.
The increased damage taken isn't even a penalty.
The no-escape thing? That's only a problem if you're about to die, and Berserk mode drops at near-death, so you can run then.
The only downside is having to fight every single mob, but you're going to be mass-murdering anyway to boost your kill count...
◇─◇────◆─◈─◆────◇─◇
A-Qing smiled brightly for the first time in a long while.
It was a pure, unclouded grin.
Anyone who saw it would've instinctively broken into a dad-like smile at how genuinely happy she looked.
A-Qing was the type to wear her emotions on her sleeve, so this meant she was happy as hell.
So, what was this dish called? Some kind of sweet and sour something. Whatever it was, it looked even better than A-Qing had imagined.
The perfectly fried, golden-brown skin was a feast for the eyes. The sizzling oil, still crackling, the rich, greasy aroma wafting up—it felt like it was drilling straight into her nose, burrowing into her very heart.
Gourmet food is an art of the five senses.
Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting...
Wait, why are there only four?
Whatever the fifth was, one thing was clear: it was time to enjoy this with her tongue.
A-Qing grabbed a chicken leg and bit into it.
Unlike the crisp skin, the tender, perfectly cooked meat inside oozed with rich juices.
The chicken leg practically melted off the bone.
It was absolutely delicious!
Even a Culinary King would pound the ground in regret, realizing their "special grade" was nothing but trash, and rip off their sleeves for this feast.
Ah, this was it.
Life might be hard and grueling, but people find solace in good food, and that's what gives them the strength to carry on.
Just as A-Qing was comforting herself, right then…
The ceiling collapsed with a crash.
Something dropped with a thud, smashing the table. CRASH! Chaos erupted, and suddenly, something hot splashed over her.
Her face was covered in a hot, sticky liquid, and crimson blood dripped from her bangs.
A sweet, pungent scent of blood stung her nose.
Was this really happening?
A-Qing couldn't believe her eyes.
The table, the food, even the exotic wine she hadn't even had a chance to smell—all gone.
All that remained was the chicken leg clutched tightly in her startled hand.
Right, at least the chicken leg!
A-Qing quickly checked on the chicken leg's well-being.
It was crimson.
Bright red blood dripped steadily from it.
The dish was perfectly cooked to a light brown, so there was no bizarre phenomenon of raw chicken blood gushing out.
A-Qing wiped her face with a heavy expression. She couldn't bring herself to let go of the chicken leg, so she used her left hand.
Was this how a singer felt, performing in a downpour?
Thick, crimson blood ran down her palm, dripping onto the floor.
Of course, this wasn't A-Qing's blood.
The owner of the blood was sprawled at her feet, amidst the shattered remains of the table and the poor, uneaten meal.
He was gurgling, vigorously spurting blood in a ragged rhythm, and twitching uncontrollably.
Hm. Just another normal day in the Murim.
Same old fucked-up Murim.
Why the hell can't I ever be happy?
Why just me?
A-Qing's gaze swept across the inn.
Those gripped by fear.
Those continuing their meals as if nothing had happened.
Those flailing and calling for a doctor.
Those screaming.
Those staring with curious eyes.
Everyone reacted differently, a hundred different ways.
And the numbers floating above their heads were different too.
Numbers representing their karma.
Good deeds raised it, bad deeds lowered it, so A-Qing could judge a person just by their number.
Of course, A-Qing was the only one in all the Central Plains who could see karma.
Only A-Qing in this whole damn world.
And her martial arts training methods were unique too.
A-Qing accumulated training points by using martial arts, and once she met the required points, she'd advance a stage.
At the same time, free training points accumulated, which she could invest freely to improve other martial arts without even using them.
It was a completely different growth system from the Murim martial artists who progressed through endless practice and research.
And what about acquiring martial arts?
If an intact, undamaged martial arts manual just touched her body, it would be pre-registered in her martial arts window.
These pre-registered martial arts could be learned anytime by investing free training points.
Is this really a normal training method?
This is how a game character grows.
Not a martial artist, not even a human.
So what am I?
Am I really human? Or just a game character?
Are my actions, my decisions, truly my own?
Maybe I'm being controlled by electrical signals from a keyboard and mouse somewhere on a screen?
Then what are these feelings I'm experiencing?
Where the hell is this place?
Is this a real, existing world?
Or just a game?
[ Sudden Mission Occurrence – Inn Turmoil ]
[ ( A disturbance has broken out in the inn.)
Actions to gain additional free training points:
Good Karma: Help the Four Heroes of Green River defeat the Ugly Demon of Zhengyou.
Bad Karma: Help the Ugly Demon of Zhengyou defeat the Four Heroes of Green River.
Bad Karma: Loot the inn's gold and silver amidst the chaos.
Heavenly Slaughter Star: Kill everyone and burn the inn. ]
"Ha…"
It was a terrible feeling.
A feeling that "terrible" couldn't even begin to describe.
A-Qing gritted her teeth.
She felt like she was utterly alone in the world.
This damned status window.
The most terrible thing in the world.
Gurgle. With a phlegmy sound, the middle-aged man at her feet finally stopped moving.
It was the moment a corpse (in progress) got promoted to a corpse (true).
As the deceased's sphincter relaxed, a foul stench wafted from the corpse's pants, now stained with the color of excrement, stinging her nose.
[ Good Karma: Help the Three Heroes of Green River defeat the Ugly Demon of Zhengyou. ]
Ah. So now they're the Three Heroes? Because one died?
A-Qing let out a snicker.
Blood from her blood-smeared face seeped between her bared teeth.
The bitter, salty, and thickly congealed smell of blood filled her, making her feel euphoric, almost floating.
Right, fine. Then I gotta deal with it.
Gotta rack up that good karma, right?
This fucked-up, bewildering world—is it ancient, primitive China, or a Murim-esque alternate dimension, or just a goddamn game? Who knows?
But there was one thing about this world that she liked.
In this world, you don't have to suppress and rot with your surging anger inside.
Because this is an era of blades, a world where you can deal with your inner frustrations in the most primal way possible.
A-Qing picked up her sword, which had been leaning against the table and was now sprawled on the floor.
Upstairs, the cacophony of crashes, bangs, and clangs continued.
Now she was about to add another layer of chaos to it.
A-Qing flashed a blood-red smile and headed for the stairs, dragging the tassel tied to her sword tip behind her.
◇─◇────◆─◈─◆────◇─◇
When describing martial arts realms, the sword is usually the standard.
This was unfair to saber wielders or fist fighters.
But it's said that half of all Murim practitioners use swords, so all Murim martial artists would agree that the sword is the most common weapon.
And, well, the majority always has the loudest voice.
The art of channeling qi into a sword and controlling its intensity was called 'Qi Infusion'.
Someone capable of 'Qi Infusion' was considered a 'First-Rate martial artist'.
When one could wield it as naturally as breathing, they were generally classified as 'Late First-Rate'.
Beyond the 'Qi Infusion' stage, one could even emit qi outside the weapon, shaping it into a visible form.
This was called 'Sword Qi External Manifestation', but since four Words are too long, they simply cut off the last two characters and called it Sword Qi.
Someone who could use Sword Qi was called a 'Peak Realm Master'.
The distinction between Late First-Rate and Early Peak Realm Master is only one stage, but up to First-Rate, one is called a martial artist, while from Peak Realm onwards, one is called a master.
Because it was the first cliff a martial artist encountered.
That's why reaching the Peak Realm was described as "breaking through a wall."
However, while people in the past were amazed by Peak Realm Master and worshipped them as great masters, martial arts had continued to develop in the current Murim.
So, Peak Realm Masters were surprisingly common.
After the incident where the former era's greatest master, Senior Celestial Martial Emperor, turned the Imperial Palace upside down, the government's power was significantly weakened, leading to a golden age for the Murim.
This rise in martial arts standards was achieved because the Murim developed without government checks and suppression.
Unlike in the past, it was generally accepted that a talented individual, if they diligently practiced a proper martial art, could reach the Peak Realm before they died.
Perhaps because of this, there was a tendency to underestimate Peak Realm Martial artists compared to the past.
Especially among martial artists in the Late First-Rate realm.
"If several of us attack together, an Early Peak Realm Master is nothing."
"If four of us ambush him, can't we defeat one guy?"
However, underestimating an enemy was a taboo that all strategists, from ancient times, universally emphasized.
The Four Heroes of Green River paid the price for forgetting this taboo.
The Four Heroes of Green River became the Three Heroes of Green River, and it was likely they would further become the Two Heroes of Green River or simply a single Hero of Green River.
Green River Swift Wind Hero Jo Gak-sun swallowed a lament.
'Damn, was the gap really this big?! Could it be that he concealed the fact that he'd reached the Mid Peak Realm?! What a sinister and despicable bastard!'
This would be unfair to hear for Ahn Seong-il, the Ugly Demon of Zhengyou. Because Ahn Seong-il was indeed an Early Peak Realm Master.
How did he deal with one guy so quickly?
He just noticed the ambush beforehand.
Demonic cultivators always lived with the threat of death.
Because demonic cultivators were people who deserved to die, so getting stabbed on the street was considered a natural death.
That's why long-lived demonic cultivators are inherently sensitive.
Amidst all this, the guys at the other table, who had been loudly shouting about being brothers, the peace of Murim, and whatnot, suddenly fell silent.
Of course, that's suspicious, isn't it?
From that moment on, Ahn Seong-il was on high alert, and his preparation paid off.
He parried the sword striking head-on with his left hand, drew his own sword, and cut the assailant's throat.
To avoid the three other assailants rushing him, he stomped hard on the floor and activated his Qinggong (light-body technique).
However, the weak floor collapsed, causing him to lose his balance, so he simply threw himself down, executing the Lazy donkey roll (roly poly).
For reference, the Lazy donkey roll simply means rolling disgracefully on the ground.
Martial artists, who care about their reputation, swore they would rather die than use it, but since no one actually practiced what they preached, half of what Murim martial artists said was just empty bravado.
Anyway, he saved his life instead of his dignity.
Ahn Seong-il bellowed.
"Who dares to ambush this 'Demon Ghost Swordsman' from behind?! Do you not fear the retribution of the 'Demon Ghost Martial Hall'?!"
Basically, it meant "Can you handle this?"
"Silence! You evil fiend! Who doesn't know you're the hideous monster called the 'Ugly Demon of Zhengyou?! Today, I will sever your head and restore justice to the world!"
Basically, it meant "I won't tell you my name just in case."
For Murim practitioners, fighting was part of social life, so it was necessary to understand the exact implications.
After this, there was no need for further verbal sparring.
There was no reason to waste breath when you had good weapons.
That's the Murim way.