Medusa's teasing poke, laced with amusement, drained the last shred of Fa's strength. She lay on the cold metal floor, her star pupils dimmed, vision blurred. She could barely make out Medusa's face—playful yet tinged with disappointment.
"Is this really the end?" Medusa's voice was lazy, yet it struck Fa's heart like a hammer. "Star-Eyed Girl, you and your little companions… truly full of surprises. Fine, I've had my fun." She reached up and lightly tapped the pendant at her neck. The greatsword "Thousand Peaks" trembled faintly. A low, deep hum emanated from within the blade, as though something inside was awakening.
Hum—!
A ripple of dark gold spread outward from the sword body, resonating at varying frequencies. In an instant, six semi-transparent soul shadows enveloped the six lifeless bodies lying on the ground—Arya, Tisk, Kayla, Zhamisi, Lin Ya, and Rex—as well as the four gravely wounded and near-death: Fa, Salsa, Celestia, and Yuyuer.
A miracle unfolded.
The six souls that had been forcibly extracted and imprisoned by "Thousand Peaks" suddenly seemed to receive a warm summons. They broke free from the blade's invisible restraints, transforming into six streams of light that precisely returned to their respective broken bodies!
"Urgh…"
"Cough…"
"Hss…"
Groans of pain, choking coughs, and sharp intakes of breath rang out one after another. Arya's emerald eyes snapped open, filled with the daze and agony of survival. Tisk struggled to rise, only to aggravate his severe internal injuries, grimacing in pain. Fierce light flashed in Kayla's beastly pupils, yet she lacked even the strength to lift her thunder claws. Zhamisi's snake tail feebly slapped the ground. The plant-like luster on Lin Ya's body had dulled. Rex's electronic eyes flickered erratically with chaotic red light, his armor heavily deformed in multiple places. Fa felt her soul as though it had been torn apart and crudely stitched back together—every thought brought stabbing pain. Salsa's soul form flickered violently above her mechanical cat shell, barely able to maintain shape. Celestia's six wings hung limply, her ice-blue eyes devoid of spirit. Yuyuer clutched her crystal-ball staff tightly, her breathing faint.
Though their souls had returned, the physical trauma and soul shock left them unable to move even a finger. The entire team was immobilized, held together only by sheer willpower as they warily stared at Medusa.
Fa struggled to prop herself up. Her star pupils, though dimmed, remained sharp: "Why… didn't you kill us?"
Medusa shrugged, stood up, and dusted off her hands as though she had done something trivial. "Alright, test over. Congratulations—you passed." She glanced around at the wreckage and the gravely injured group, pursing her lips. "This dumpy place got a skylight thanks to my sword—air's better, but the stench of blood is disgusting. Not a place for talking. Come with me."
She walked to Fa's side, bent down, and unceremoniously hoisted Fa onto her shoulder—her grip far from gentle. "Hey, tree-boy," she jerked her chin toward Lin Ya, "still got any juice left? Use your nature power to stabilize them. Don't let their injuries worsen too fast." Then, like picking up a chick, she grabbed Rex's heavy metallic body with her left hand and lifted him effortlessly.
Lin Ya endured the dual agony of soul and flesh, forcing himself to concentrate. Faint emerald nature spirit leaked from his fingertips like dying fireflies, turning into specks of vibrant green stardust that drifted toward the nearest—Arya, Yuyuer, and Zhamisi. The dust merged into their bodies. Though it couldn't heal grave wounds, it miraculously eased some of the excruciating pain, stabilized their chaotic breathing, and prevented further deterioration during movement. This was the absolute limit of what Lin Ya could manage right now.
"The rest of you," Medusa said, shouldering Fa and holding Rex. She touched "Thousand Peaks" with her right hand. The pendant glowed faintly, releasing a dark gold sword beam.
"Open!"
With a seemingly casual slash of the small sword toward the empty space ahead—
Sizzle—!
No earth-shattering noise—just space silently torn open into a massive rift whose edges shimmered with halos of dark gold, crimson gold, and deep blue! Inside was not void, but a strange realm filled with gentle flowing starlight and an overwhelmingly rich, almost tangible aura of stellar energy! The moment it appeared, the oppressive pain of their wounds and soul-shattering agony strangely eased by several degrees!
Medusa stepped through first, carrying Fa and Rex. Celestia, mustering her last reserves, struggled to help up the nearest—Arya and Yuyuer—and staggered after her. Kayla let out a low growl, relying on beastkin tenacity to drag her broken body forward. With one hand she pulled Zhamisi and Salsa (still in cat form), using the other to brace against the ground as she crawled into the rift. Tisk and Lin Ya supported each other—Tisk using his lava hammer as a crutch, Lin Ya summoning residual vines for assistance—before finally stepping through.
Once everyone was inside, the spatial rift rippled like water and sealed shut instantly, vanishing from the dead silence of Wan Teng's Tomb. All that remained was the massive, smoking sword scar in the ceiling and the ruins covered in molten metal.
Inside the Stellar Realm – Explanations
Beyond the rift was an entirely different world.
It resembled a serene hall constructed of starlight. The ground was soft like nebulae, and the surrounding walls flowed with galaxy-like bands of brilliant light. Rich, gentle stellar power filled every inch of space, like warm spring water continuously nourishing their grievous wounds and damaged souls. The searing pain rapidly subsided, depleted strength slowly recovered, and even the soul tremors gradually calmed.
Lin Ya immediately sat cross-legged and closed his eyes in meditation. In this environment saturated with natural stellar energy, his abilities were greatly amplified. A powerful surge of emerald radiance mixed with flecks of starlight erupted from his body like gentle green waves, enveloping everyone. Mighty healing power began repairing fractured bones, mending ruptured organs, and smoothing soul fissures. Salsa's soul form stabilized and started absorbing the ambient energy to repair herself. Blue light flickered across the damaged areas of Rex's armor—his built-in repair systems seemed to activate under the stellar stimulation. Arya's bowstring automatically mended itself. The dents in Tisk's chestplate gradually flattened. Kayla's scales regrew. Zhamisi's wounds clotted. Celestia's wings regained their luster. Yuyuer's crystal ball shone brightly once more.
Fa lay on the soft nebular floor, feeling her injuries heal at astonishing speed. Some light returned to her star pupils. She looked toward Medusa, who was casually lounging on a nearby starlight stone, idly toying with the "Thousand Peaks" pendant.
Once everyone had recovered significantly, Fa stood first. Her star pupils locked onto Medusa: "Now… can you explain? You could have easily killed us all. Why spare us? Why even save us? Why join Doomsday Rebirth? And why do all five of you inheritors insist on gradually increasing your power to 'test' us?"
Medusa sat with arms crossed, amber eyes flickering with memory and mischief. She burst into laughter: "So many questions, Star-Eyed Girl. But since you passed my test, fine—I'll tell you. First reason: boredom! Killing you all would be no fun at all. Finally found some decent punching bags that could actually make me stretch a little. If I broke you right away, game over. And besides…" Her smile faded slightly, replaced by seriousness. "We can't kill the Star-Eyed Inheritor."
"The Star Heart is the core of the world's origin. We five inheritors each hold a portion of its power, tasked with guarding and eventually passing it to the next suitable person. You are the Star-Eyed Inheritor—destined to gather all the fragments and awaken the complete Star Heart. Killing you would mean betraying our very purpose."
"Star-Eyed Inheritor?" Fa's heart jolted. She had always thought her star pupils were some kind of mutation or curse—never that they marked her as someone to be "protected."
The group was stunned. No one had imagined Fa's star pupils carried such an astonishing origin and destiny!
"Then… why do you keep 'testing' us like this? Gradually ramping up power?" Kayla asked hoarsely, still grumpy about being treated like a sandbag, though mostly filled with lingering fear. At just 25%, Medusa had nearly wiped them out.
"Hah!" Medusa laughed again, smug like a prankster who succeeded. "Normal inheritance is boring as hell! Just dumping power into you and preaching some grand speech? Please, way too dull! All five of us agreed: real power only awakens under life-or-death pressure, under extreme oppression. That's how you truly understand its essence. So we made a pact—whoever finds the Star-Eyed Inheritor first gets to give her a good beating first! Of course, not to death." She shrugged. "See? The results aren't bad. After my 'lesson,' haven't your grasp and application of power deepened considerably?"
The group: "…"
The logic was so absurd they were speechless. Beating them half to death just because regular inheritance was "too boring"?!
Fa took a deep breath, suppressing the ridiculousness, and pressed: "Then why join Doomsday Rebirth? They're lunatics trying to destroy the continent!"
"As for why I joined Doomsday Rebirth…" Medusa's smile faded. A complex look of memory crossed her amber eyes. "That was twenty-five years ago. I was wandering the world, hunting for clues to the other Star Heart fragments and looking for good fights. Roman Chronos and his crew found out I had a fragment." She pointed to the golden-glowing shard in her hand. "He brought some lackeys to try and take it. Result?" She sneered disdainfully. "I beat them so badly they were eating dirt."
She paused, a reminiscent smile appearing. "But Roman's smart. When brute force failed, he invited me to join Doomsday Rebirth. Said the organization was powerful enough to help me find the other fragments faster. Said I could just hang my name on the roster—didn't have to deal with their petty crap. Do whatever I want." Medusa shook the pendant. "I was tempted. Searching alone was too slow. But do you think Rhea Medusa is that easy to convince? I turned him down flat. World affairs have nothing to do with me. We inheritors are neutral guardians—we don't meddle in mortal conflicts."
The group stared in confusion. Yuyuer frowned: "Then why did you agree in the end?"
Medusa's gaze fell meaningfully on Fa. "Because he said the one thing that actually interested me. 'Lady Medusa, don't you want to witness the awakening of the Star-Eyed Inheritor with your own eyes? Don't you want to see what happens when we defeat her after the Star Heart fully awakens and claim that power for ourselves?' Roman seemed to know some secret about the Star-Eyed awakening. It made me curious enough to watch it personally. So I said yes. After joining, I did get better leads on the fragments… and I got to see how much you've all grown. Heh, didn't expect you to come knocking so soon."
Medusa's words exploded like thunder in the quiet stellar realm!
Awakening? Defeat her and seize the Star-Eyed power?!
Everyone's eyes instantly focused on Fa—filled with shock, worry, and disbelief. They couldn't imagine what Fa's "awakening" would entail, nor why Doomsday Rebirth had targeted her from the very beginning.
Fa's heart pounded violently. The light threads in her star pupils accelerated unconsciously. She had thought she was merely caught in the war between Doomsday Rebirth and the continent—never that she had been one of their core targets all along.
"So… you joined them just for that?" Fa asked hoarsely.
"Exactly!" Medusa admitted openly, pure excitement burning in her eyes. "To me, that's a thousand times more interesting than any grand world-domination nonsense or destroying everything! So I agreed to hang the title—became one of their top ten leaders in name only."
The group was once again speechless. This Star Heart inheritor's thought process was truly one of a kind. Joining a world-destroying organization just to watch the Star-Eyed awakening.
"Then… what exactly is my 'awakening'?" Fa pressed—this was the question that mattered most to her.
Medusa gave a mysterious smile and waved her hand. "That… is a secret of heaven. Spoiling it would ruin the fun. You'll know when the time comes. For now…" She stood, stretched lazily, and swept her gaze over the group—most of whose injuries had healed significantly thanks to the stellar power and Lin Ya's treatment. "You're mostly patched up. Time to get to the real business."
Stellar Inheritance – Attribute Ascension
Medusa walked up to Fa and looked down at her. "Star-Eyed Girl, are you ready to receive my inheritance? Gold's Sharpness, Fire's Explosion, Thunder's Swiftness!"
Fa took a deep breath, calming her turbulent thoughts, and nodded solemnly: "I'm ready."
"Good!" Medusa's eyes sharpened. She pressed her right index and middle fingers together. Her fingertips instantly blazed with brilliant gold, crimson, and deep blue light! Without hesitation, she pointed straight at Fa's brow!
Hum—!
The moment her fingertip touched Fa's forehead, a vast, boundless torrent of stellar law power—containing three distinct yet perfectly unified forces—surged into Fa's body like a broken dam!
"Argh—!"
Fa let out an uncontrollable groan of pain. Her body shook violently. Her right-eye star pupils erupted in blinding light. The original dark blue (water), dark green (poison/psychic), and silver-white (ice) threads spun and intertwined madly, desperately trying to accept this violent foreign power! Gold's Sharpness pierced her meridians and bones like billions of steel needles; Fire's Explosion roared through her veins like molten lava; Thunder's Swiftness turned into countless electric serpents dancing wildly across her nerve endings! The pain transcended the physical and stabbed straight into her soul!
Yet under this extreme pressure, the power of the star pupils was fully ignited! The radiance that had once been confined to her right eye began spreading across her entire body! Star-like luster flowed beneath her skin. Her hair floated without wind, sparkling with tiny motes of starlight. The newly infused gold, fire, and thunder stellar laws violently clashed and fused with her existing ice, earth, water, light, wind powers—and the still-immature poison, psychic, and dark forces!
In the midst of this process, something extraordinary happened.
Because Arya (possessing fire affinity), Tisk (metal affinity), Rex (whose nano drones and armor were fundamentally tied to metal), Kayla (powerful thunder affinity), and Celestia (thunder and wind affinity) all had core powers highly compatible with Medusa's gold, fire, and thunder inheritance—when Medusa poured these three stellar laws into Fa and triggered her own power resonance explosion, the overflowing, extremely pure stellar origin energy was drawn like a magnet toward those five as well!
Arya: Her pure light-flame within resonated explosively with Medusa's "Fire's Explosion" stellar origin—like dry tinder meeting wildfire! Boom! Her eyes ignited with golden-red flames. An aura far surpassing her previous one—scorching, purifying, and destructive—rose from her body! Runes on her storm bow lit up automatically. The bow grew scalding hot. The wind-thunder power coiling around it fused with far more domineering stellar fire! She felt her mastery over flames leap to an entirely new level—able to faintly touch the edge of the "Explosion" law.
Tisk: As a top-tier rune-forging master, his understanding of metal was already profound. When "Gold's Sharpness" stellar origin flooded him, he felt as though he had been thrown into a stellar forge! His lava hammer "Earthshaker" hummed excitedly. Runes on its surface surged wildly. The edges of its ice-blue and crimson patterns were now plated with dazzling gold! His perception, manipulation, and especially his ability to imbue weapons with "sharpness" and "durability" underwent a qualitative leap! The dwarf's eyes gleamed with the fervent zeal of a craftsman facing a divine material.
The dwarf's eyes gleamed with the fervent zeal of a craftsman facing a divine material.
Rex: His mechanical body and nano swarm were creations of metal and technology. The influx of stellar gold origin caused his alloy armor to emit a low, reforged hum! Technological circuits across his surface gained an ancient, pure metallic sheen. Defense and energy conduction efficiency skyrocketed! Even more astonishing: every micro-drone in his released nano swarm now bore an ultra-thin yet incredibly resilient stellar-gold coating—speed and penetration power surged! His core processor's computation speed rose under the stimulation, making battlefield analysis and control even more terrifyingly precise.
Kayla: Her thunder-frost power was already ferocious. When Medusa's "Thunder's Swiftness" stellar origin poured in, it was like pouring cold water into boiling oil! Crackle! Her entire body erupted in blinding blue-white electric arcs. The beast soul giant god phantom flickered uncontrollably behind her—more solid than ever. Lightning on her thunder claws was no longer writhing serpents but near-solid spears of thunder! She felt her speed, burst power, and especially her ability to condense and destroy with lightning reach an entirely new realm! The stellar "Swiftness" law set her beast blood ablaze, craving even greater velocity and more savage attacks!
Celestia: She already possessed wind-thunder affinity and extreme speed. The injection of stellar "Thunder's Swiftness" origin was like fitting star engines onto her six wings! Hum! Every feather on her wings flowed with deep blue thunder-light, their edges gleaming with metallic sharpness! She felt space's restraint on her body weaken dramatically. A single thought, and she felt she could become true lightning! The range and cooldown of "Shadow Leap" were drastically reduced. The thunder power within "Delusion-Breaking Spear" became far more condensed and piercing! Speed had always been her domain—now that domain had been expanded to near its absolute limit!
Medusa watched the changes in the five, surprise flashing in her eyes before turning into satisfied laughter: "Tsk tsk, unexpected bonus. Thanks to the Star-Eyed Girl's light, you five little ones got your foundations refined by stellar origin too. Your future paths just got a lot wider. Not bad, not bad at all!"
At that moment, Fa finally completed her initial acceptance of the three stellar laws. She slowly opened her eyes. In her right-eye star pupils—besides the original dark blue (water), dark green (poison/psychic), and silver-white (ice)—now shimmered brilliant gold (gold), leaping crimson flames (fire), and flowing electric arcs (thunder)! Seven halos slowly rotated and fused within her profound pupils, radiating an even more mysterious aura. She felt an incredibly clear perception of gold—able to guide its sharpness effortlessly; flame control became far more natural, explosive yet precise; thunder understanding deepened— with a mere thought, tiny electric arcs danced at her fingertips. Though these new powers still needed time to settle and refine, her overall strength had undoubtedly stepped onto an entirely new level!