For three days and three nights, Chen Fei worked tirelessly at the golden array. To him, it was a masterpiece of ancient formation arts, a puzzle of immense complexity. He poured all of his spiritual energy and knowledge into deciphering its patterns, his righteous determination unwavering. The array, of course, was designed by Hu Mei'er to be exactly that: impressive-looking but full of deliberate, subtle flaws that a dedicated and talented individual could eventually overcome. It was a lock designed to make the key-holder feel like a master locksmith.
On the dawn of the fourth day, with a final, triumphant push of his spiritual energy into a critical node, the shimmering golden light of the array flickered, wavered, and then shattered into a million motes of light. Panting from exhaustion but with a proud smile on his face, Chen Fei stepped into the grotto.
The air inside was cool and still. His eyes immediately went to the woman lying in the center of the dark circle. As the seal broke, the illusionary slumber faded. Bai Xin Yue's eyes fluttered open. She sat up slowly, a look of profound confusion on her face. The dream-like memories Hu Mei'er had implanted settled into place: a great battle, a betrayal by her most trusted subordinate, and the pain of being sealed away by the "righteous" sects of a forgotten era.
Her mind reeled, processing the influx of a lifetime she hadn't lived. A great battle... betrayal... a ten-thousand-year seal. It felt real, a deep and bitter grievance. But beneath the implanted narrative, her true nature, the cold and calculating soul of the Nether Empress's successor, remained untouched. She assessed her situation with chilling speed: her power was unstable, her original plan was in ruins, and a naive, righteous fool with a high karmic value stood before her, radiating pity. He was the perfect key. The role of a tragic, long-suffering victim was a new one, but the art of manipulation was as natural to her as breathing. She would play this part until she had what she needed.
"Where... am I?" she whispered, her voice intentionally weak and raspy. She looked at Chen Fei, her eyes widening with a perfectly feigned mixture of fear and hope. "Who are you? Have the seals finally broken?"
Chen Fei's heart went out to her. He sheathed his sword and approached slowly, his hands open to show he meant no harm. "My name is Chen Fei, a disciple of the Blue Water Sect. I sensed your call for help. You are safe now. The array is broken."
Bai Xin Yue looked around the grotto, a single, perfect tear rolling down her cheek. "Sealed... for how long? What year is it? Does the Azure Emperor still reign?"
Chen Fei frowned in confusion. "Azure Emperor? Senior, there has been no such emperor for at least ten thousand years according to the oldest records."
The "shock" and "despair" on Bai Xin Yue's face were a masterclass in acting. She clutched her head, swaying slightly. "Ten thousand years... I have been imprisoned in this darkness for ten thousand years..."
Chen Fei rushed to her side to support her. "Senior, you are weak. You must rest."
It was at that moment that Bai Xin Yue's eyes "happened" to fall upon the trident resting on the stone altar. An intense, instinctual pull emanated from it. The starlight essence infused into its core by Lian Xin was calling out to her Nether Empress bloodline, promising not just recovery, but a power far greater than she had ever imagined. The Soul Devouring Pearl in her storage ring began to thrum, recognizing the perfect catalyst.
"That weapon..." she breathed, her eyes wide. "I can feel... a pure, starlight energy from it. It could help me recover a fraction of my strength. Young hero, you have already done so much for me... could you possibly retrieve that trident for me? I am too weak to even approach it."
Of course, the hero could not refuse. Chen Fei, filled with sympathy and a sense of righteous duty, walked to the altar. The moment he touched the Trident of the Sea King, it hummed, recognizing his pure, water-affiliated spiritual energy and his high karmic value. It was, by all accounts, his destined weapon.
"It seems this treasure has an affinity with you, young hero," Bai Xin Yue said, her voice soft and encouraging. "But its starlight core is what I need. Please, bring it here."
Without a second thought, Chen Fei brought the powerful artifact to her. Bai Xin Yue reached out a trembling hand and placed it on the trident's core.
The moment Bai Xin Yue's fingers touched the trident's core, the grotto was engulfed in a blinding torrent of starlight. The condensed essence, infused by Lian Xin and perfectly keyed to her bloodline, surged out of the righteous weapon and into her body like a river finding its true course. Her Soul Devouring Pearl flew from her storage ring, hovering above her head and absorbing the raw, chaotic life force from her sacrificial array, refining it through the trident's starlight, and pouring a purified, potent energy directly into her.
Chen Fei was thrown back by the sheer force of the energy release, stumbling to the edge of the grotto. He watched in utter awe as Bai Xin Yue floated into the air, her long white hair whipping around her as if caught in a celestial gale. The weak, flickering aura she had projected was consumed by a presence of immense, ancient, and terrifying power. The black robes she wore seemed to writhe, embroidered with new, crimson patterns that looked like dying stars. Her transformation was not just a recovery; it was an awakening. The dormant power of the Nether Empress, a being who had once terrorized entire star systems, was finally, truly, born into this world. Yet, as the power settled, a nearly invisible, golden thread of law, woven by Long Jing, wrapped itself around the core of her newly formed power. It was the karmic leash, absolute and undetectable. Her new strength was immense, but it now had rules.
The torrent of light subsided. Bai Xin Yue landed gracefully on the stone floor, the picture of ethereal beauty. The chilling indifference in her eyes was now perfectly concealed behind a mask of profound gratitude. She looked at Chen Fei, who was still staring with wide-eyed wonder, and gave him a gentle, benevolent smile. "Young hero... Chen Fei," she said, her voice now clear and resonant, holding a hint of ancient authority. "You have not just saved me. You have helped me reclaim a part of myself I thought was lost for ten thousand years. I owe you a debt that can never be truly repaid."
"Senior, I... I only did what was right," Chen Fei stammered, his face flushing with pride and humility. "To see you restored to health is all the reward I need."
"Nonsense," she insisted, her tone warm but firm. She could feel his immense positive karma, a beacon of pure, naive goodness. He was the perfect shield, the perfect tool. "A debt must be repaid. My cultivation has been restored, but I am a stranger to this new era. I have nowhere to go. Allow me to accompany you. I can guide you in your cultivation. The insights of an old monster like myself might prove useful to a prodigy like you."
To Chen Fei, this was an unimaginable blessing. A powerful senior, a victim he had personally rescued, was now offering to be his mentor. It was a fated encounter beyond his wildest dreams. "I would be honored, Senior!"
Watching the scene unfold from their pavilion, Ao Xian chuckled. "The hook, the line, and the sinker," he said with satisfaction. "The little hero is now the official guardian and student of the realm's future greatest calamity."
"You have set a cruel path for him, Young Lord," Feng Wu noted, her voice neutral. "He is a good man. To have his kindness twisted into the catalyst for so much potential suffering seems... unjust."
"Unjust?" Ao Xian countered, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Perhaps in the short term. But what was his original destiny? To find a magic trident and kill a monster. He would have been a hero, yes, but a hero defined by his weapon. His story would have been the trident's story." He gestured to the celestial mirror, where Chen Fei was now eagerly listening to Bai Xin Yue's fabricated tales of the "ancient era." "Now, he has lost his destined weapon. He has been tricked. He will eventually face a monster that he himself helped create. He will be forced to confront his own naivety, to question the very nature of good and evil. He will have to dig deep into his own soul, find his own strength, and forge his own path, independent of any fated treasure. He will suffer, yes. But in the end, he will emerge not as the wielder of the Sea King's Trident, but as Chen Fei, a true hero who earned his power through hardship and will. I haven't destroyed his destiny," Ao Xian concluded, a genuinely pleased smile on his face. "I have given him the chance to have a much better one."
Weeks turned into months. Chen Fei and Bai Xin Yue traveled the Whispering Star Realm together. To the outside world, they were a curious pair: a kind-hearted, rising star of the righteous path, and the beautiful, enigmatic senior he respectfully called "Master Yue." To Chen Fei, it was the greatest period of his life. Master Yue's guidance was profound; she would point out flaws in his techniques with a single glance and offer insights that would untangle cultivation bottlenecks he'd struggled with for years. His progress was explosive. For Bai Xin Yue, the experience was an exercise in masterful manipulation. Her power, while immense, was shackled by the karmic leash. This made direct conquest impossible. But this naive boy, this walking beacon of positive karma, was the perfect shepherd. He could lead her to the wolves.
"Chen Fei," she said one day, her voice carrying a hint of melancholic remembrance as they rested by a river. "In my era, there was a demonic sect known as the Crimson Vulture Sect. They practiced a vile art, sacrificing mortal souls to refine their weapons. I thought they were wiped out in the great war, but I can feel a familiar, tainted aura on the wind. A remnant, perhaps." Her eyes, filled with a fabricated sorrow, looked at him. "They wronged many of my old friends. It is a regret I have carried for ten thousand years. But I am a relic of the past; it is not my place to interfere in the matters of this new age."
The hook was perfectly baited. Chen Fei, his heart burning with righteous fury on his mentor's behalf, immediately stood up. "Master Yue, you have suffered enough! A debt of blood must be paid in blood. If this evil sect still exists, it is my duty as a righteous cultivator to bring them to justice! Please, guide me to them!"
Bai Xin Yue's lips curved into a subtle, hidden smile. "You are a good boy, Chen Fei. But be careful. Their leader, Elder Gou, was a cunning and cruel man. This will be a dangerous trial for you."
Following her directions, Chen Fei found the hidden stronghold of the Crimson Vulture Sect. It was a small, degenerate remnant of its former self, but its evil was potent. Elder Gou, a man with a karmic value of -7,800, was indeed cruel. Chen Fei, filled with righteous purpose, challenged the sect. He fought valiantly, his skills honed by Bai Xin Yue's recent tutelage. His sword moved like flowing water as he executed the Blue Water Sect's signature art, the Raging River Sword Style. With a 'Tidal Crash Slash,' he sent three disciples flying, their demonic arts extinguished. He spun like a whirlpool, his 'Vortex Parry' deflecting a dozen cursed arrows at once.
But Elder Gou was a veteran of a hundred battles, his cultivation far surpassing Chen Fei's. "Insolent brat!" he roared, leaping into the fray. His soul-forged saber glowed with a malevolent crimson light. He unleashed the Crimson Vulture's Cruel Talon, a vicious, five-pronged slash of blood-red energy that tore through the air with a screech. Chen Fei met the attack head-on, his sword glowing with a pure, azure light. "Ocean's Embrace!" he yelled, creating a swirling shield of water-aspected spiritual energy. The shield held for a moment, but Elder Gou's attack was infused with the resentful spirits of his past victims. The blood-red talons tore through the shield, and the force of the blow sent Chen Fei crashing to the ground, a bloody wound on his chest.
"You righteous fools never learn!" Elder Gou cackled, raising his saber for the killing blow. "Your master's old grievances die with you!"
Just as the blade was about to fall, a shadow fell over the battlefield. Bai Xin Yue descended from the sky, her white hair flowing behind her, her expression one of cold disappointment. "To think my old foe has fallen so far, reduced to bullying children," she said, her voice echoing with an ancient power.
"You!" Elder Gou snarled, recognizing the immense pressure. "Who are you?!"
Bai Xin Yue didn't answer. She simply raised a hand. A vortex of pure, dark power, tinged with the cold light of the stars she had absorbed from the trident, formed in her palm. Elder Gou, the target of her attack, had a karmic value deep in the negative. The leash that bound her was, for the first time, released. "Nether Star Annihilation," she whispered, her voice devoid of all emotion. The vortex shot forward. It did not roar or explode; it simply consumed. Elder Gou's demonic arts, his protective aura, his very spiritual energy were devoured in an instant. He screamed as his life force and soul were ripped from his body and absorbed by Bai Xin Yue, leaving behind nothing but a desiccated husk that crumbled to dust.
She turned to Chen Fei, her terrifying power instantly vanishing, replaced by a warm, concerned expression. She rushed to his side and helped him up. "Are you alright? I'm sorry, I should not have let you face him alone. I was merely testing you. You were very brave."
Chen Fei, wounded but alive, looked at the spot where Elder Gou had vanished, then at his beautiful, powerful mentor. He was not afraid. He was filled with awe and a fierce sense of loyalty. "Thank you, Master Yue," he said with heartfelt sincerity. "Your guidance has once again saved me."
Watching from the celestial mirror, Ao Xian laughed. "The wolf has learned to use the shepherd to find her sheep," he commented to his maids. "And the shepherd thanks her for it. This is going to be a wonderfully tragic play."