Stepping out of the park, Zhang Yuanqing feigned zipping up his trousers as he turned a corner toward the wall.
He was proving to the eyes following him that he truly needed the restroom—mainly to fob off Guan Ya.
At this critical juncture, few were paying attention to him; everyone was gleefully awaiting the settlement rewards.
*Guan Ya is a Scout. Even the most brilliant acting will reveal flaws before the Insight skill. I already went to the bathroom; what I'm doing now is bound to look somewhat fishy in her eyes...*
*I need to hurry and find a chance to meet Guan Ya in the flesh—say, once this killing trial is over.* Leaning against the wall corner, Zhang Yuanqing thought of the set's cost and let out a couple of chuckles.
Then he felt the laugh was too sleazy, unbefitting an upstanding young man of society like himself, so he quickly reined it in and focused on awaiting the quest settlement.
He looked forward to the Starlord skills, looked forward to the transformation of advancing to Saint, looked forward to the rewarded items, and looked forward to the Demon Lord character card's exclusive reward...
Just then, the Spirit Realm notification chimed again:
[Reward settlement in progress... Item acquired: Daluo Astrolabe]
[Reward EXP: 36%]
[Ding! Congratulations on your successful class change. You have advanced to Level 4 Starlord.]
[Reward EXP: 5%]
[Main quest settlement completed!]
[Leaderboard rewards calculating... Item acquired: Mountain God Scepter]
[Settlement complete!]
[Ding! Character card reward activated. Rewarded item: ???]
[Settlement finalized! You will exit the Spirit Realm in ten minutes.]
Advanced to Starlord! Leaning against the wall, Zhang Yuanqing pumped his fist in excitement, waiting for the familiar scalding sensation between his brows—the harbinger of the black moon mark manifesting.
Yet right then, the scenery before his eyes suddenly shifted. The city ruins vanished, replaced by a hazy, gray world devoid of scenery or any concept of cardinal directions—an entirely abstract space.
*This is my sea of consciousness...* Zhang Yuanqing was at a loss, tinged with a faint dread. He had not actively peered inward into his sea of consciousness, yet his consciousness had immersed itself within on its own.
Just like one's body breaking into song, dance, and rap beyond one's control, it was something truly terrifying.
Suddenly, from the depths of his sea of consciousness, an incomparably pure, quintessential surge of lunar energy welled forth.
Like floodwaters bursting a dam, this force washed over his astral projection before congealing into an enormous black full moon deep within his sea of consciousness.
Hazy, ethereal moonlight cascaded down, enveloping Zhang Yuanqing's astral projection. He felt an unprecedented sense of comfort and ease, like an infant returning to the womb.
*This is the power hidden within the character card. Why is it manifesting on its own now? Was it triggered by my advancement to Starlord?*
Zhang Yuanqing "looked up" and discovered in shock that the immense black full moon was waning bit by bit, turning into a crescent moon.
In the next second, his consciousness exited his sea of consciousness on its own accord, and the ruined city returned to his vision.
What was going on? Filled with bewilderment, he had not yet wrapped his head around the situation when the scalding sensation between his eyebrows cut off his train of thought.
A crescent moon manifested on his forehead. A majestic surge of lunar energy burst from the mark, sweeping through his body with almost domineering brute force, melding into cell after cell, fusing into bone after bone.
Scoured by lunar energy, his physique approached ever closer to perfection.
This power came from the 42% EXP just rewarded by the Spirit Realm.
At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing had reached the peak limit of a Transcendent stage Night Walker.
"Why did the black full moon suddenly turn into a crescent?" Zhang Yuanqing keenly noticed the change in the mark. Rubbing his forehead, he furrowed his brows.
Such a change had never occurred at the end of any previous trial.
He guessed it might be related to advancing to Starlord.
*Seriously, if I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have needed the bathroom escape...*
Presently, the lunar energy gradually receded inward, and the scalding crescent on his forehead sank beneath his skin. After about three or four seconds of calm, the burning heat struck his forehead once more. What manifested this time was no longer a black moon, but a mark shimmering with brilliant starlight.
—A more vivid description: his forehead looked dusted with fluorescent powder.
Wisps of fine starlight wandered through Zhang Yuanqing's body, illuminating his bones, meridians, and internal organs. As though fluorescent powder had been injected into his bloodstream, his entire person turned translucent.
"Ugh..."
Zhang Yuanqing curled up like a shrimp, a groan of agony escaping his throat. He twitched uncontrollably, feeling his life level undergoing a qualitative change and his genetic sequence reorganizing...
These stardust particles refashioned his body, bringing intense pain while simultaneously reorganizing his genetic sequence; his level of life was quietly shifting.
The last time he had felt something like this was when he transformed from a mortal into a Night Walker.
The entire process lasted a full three minutes. By the time the stardust integrated into his flesh and blood and his body ceased being translucent, Zhang Yuanqing was drenched in sweat, like someone who had been bedridden with illness for ages.
Yet his eyes shone brilliantly as if containing stars, brimming with charm and mystery.
This was the shift in demeanor brought about by advancing to Starlord.
In addition, all his physical attributes had undergone explosive growth. If the Transcendent stage was likened to a child, then a Starlord was an adolescent.
With physical strength alone, he could fell a kid with a single punch.
And physical prowess was not even a Starlord's forte; classes renowned for melee combat like Bewitching Demons and Fire Specialists would see even more exaggerated boosts.
Thus, a grand realm separated Transcendent and Saint.
Leaving items aside in a one-on-one duel, a Saint slaughtering a Transcendent was as easy as butchering a chicken.
Zhang Yuanqing could not wait to open his status panel to perceive the changes from becoming a Starlord and the newly mastered skills.
[Name: Yuanshi Tianzun]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Starlord]
[Level: 4]
[Skills: Night Walker—Night Travel, Spirit Devouring, Lunar Spirit, Moon Howl, Charm Art, Spirit Talisman]
[Starlord—Star Physiognomy, Star Illusion, Star Escape, Body of Stars]
[EXP: 5%]
[Morality Points: 2,100]
[Reputation Points: 90]
[Star Physiognomy (Active): Read a target's Twelve Houses through their facial features: Destiny, Wealth, Friends, Kin, Home, Labor, Travel, Affinity, Virtue, Emolument, Secrets, and Calamity.]
[Star Illusion (Active): Conjure illusions by drawing upon the power of the stars. (Prerequisite Skill: Charm Art)]
[Star Escape (Active): Teleport short distances via starlight within a range of twenty meters. Ignores all physical attacks while in motion.]
[Body of Stars (Passive): A body cleansed by the power of the stars, capable of casting numerous spells within the astral domain.]
Zhang Yuanqing quickly grasped the four newly learned skills; they felt like instincts etched into his genes, mastered from birth.
Among the four skills, Star Illusion was an upgraded version of Charm Art, with the latter serving as its prerequisite. Star Escape was akin to Flash, sharing some similarities with Fire Movement.
Body of Stars was the foundation for everything, requiring no elaboration.
The core skill was Star Physiognomy. Star Physiognomy had to be activated through the eyes, allowing him to perceive the short-term trends of an individual's fortune through their facial features.
The twelve houses symbolized different domains of a person's life, together constructing one's karma and causality.
Affinity symbolized marriage, romance, contracts, fateful encounters, lawsuits, and so on.
Home symbolized family relationships, marital relations, relationships with children, and the like.
Labor symbolized occupation—wage slave, parasite, boss, good-for-nothing, and so forth.
Take "Destiny" as another example: Destiny referred to the true self, or could be understood as fate—the most core essence of a person.
Of course, Zhang Yuanqing could not yet foresee someone's long-term fate, but by observing "Destiny," he could see through certain disguises and transformations.
Everyone's Destiny was unique. Appearance could change, but Destiny could not be altered.
A natural counter to shapeshifting and disguise arts!
Take Virtue, for instance: "Virtue" symbolized morality. Whether this person had committed unscrupulous deeds recently, whether they had done charity, what their moral conduct was like—all could be seen clearly.
Of particular importance was Calamity. Calamity represented crises; whether someone faced imminent misfortune, Zhang Yuanqing could tell at a glance.
It was worth noting that Star Physiognomy could also be used on oneself. The simplest example was that during combat, one could first look into a mirror to glance at one's own houses. If calamity was seen, a Starlord would sense it, producing a vague premonition that allowed for preemptive precautions.
*A Level 4 Starlord can only see short-term fortune. Later on, one will be able to see the course of someone's fate. Those powerhouses from the Taiyi Sect who can sit at home and know the trends of the world, knowing all things—they must specialize in the power of the stars.*
*If one specializes in lunar energy, what is attained should be the full moon, but for now, I still don't know the full moon's abilities... The divine power of the sun cannot be specialized in. Should I choose the stars, or the moon?*
*Right, I remember during the arena tournament, the Ghost King of Fengdu looked at his own face with a small mirror. He must have been checking 'Calamity' back then. In future fights, I should prepare a small mirror for myself... Tsk, that style feels a bit weird...*
Having long possessed some understanding of a Starlord's abilities, Zhang Yuanqing did not feel an overwhelming surge of shock, but his satisfaction was immensely high.
Star Physiognomy was an intensely gratifying skill: it silently pried into people's privacy and saw through everything about them.
Before a Starlord, all was transparent.
Moreover, it was exceptionally practical in battle.
Reading calamity through one's own face to anticipate danger in advance, backed by Star Illusion and Star Escape to preserve life, plus Night Travel for stealth—killing a Starlord was extraordinarily difficult.
One could act as an assassin, a summoner, a clairvoyant sorcerer, and when necessary, unleash Moon Howl to play the role of a crude brute.
Aside from lacking particularly destructive offensive skills, it was virtually flawless.
*There has to be a flaw somewhere; otherwise, Night Walker wouldn't be merely one of the pinnacle classes, but the sole pinnacle class,* Zhang Yuanqing thought with gratification, opening his inventory to inspect the rewarded items.
First was the Mountain God Scepter. The handle was woven from three vines, topped with a jade-green gemstone, measuring roughly one meter in total length.
[Name: Mountain God Scepter]
[Type: Staff]
[Function: Mountain God]
[Description: This item was once wielded by the Mountain God's master. The Mountain God respected her master immensely; her only criticism was that her master was far too fickle in love, constantly surrounded by all manner of men. Until one day, the master passed this item down to the Mountain God, and the Mountain God also turned into a serial heartbreaker. After her death, the staff absorbed part of its owner's power, elevating its quality. The staff possesses the abilities of healing, beast speech, Resurgence, monstrous strength, plant mutation, and commanding animals to assist in battle.]
[Remark 1: Please restrain your overly vigorous vitality and your urge to reproduce.]
[Remark 2: The longer you spend around humans, the more you prefer dogs.]
[Remark 3: It repels all metallic objects. At the same time, it despises Scouts.]
Without a doubt, this was an item of Saint quality—and stronger than the Houtu Boots.
"Three penalties: intense lust, fondness for the company of animals, and repulsion toward metal objects and Scouts. Taken individually, these three penalties are nothing much. As a seasoned craftsman, I can skillfully defuse my own reproductive urges. But when the first penalty gets mixed with the second, it becomes terrifying..."
Zhang Yuanqing put the item away with mixed joy and worry, secretly swearing to seek out items that could diminish desire whenever possible, such as Commandery Princess Yinyao's Ghost Mirror—countering item effects with items.
He then took out the other item: the Daluo Astrolabe.
[Name: Daluo Astrolabe]
[Type: Auxiliary Tool]
[Function: Stargazing]
[Description: An item crafted by a powerful Starlord. It aids its master in stargazing, deduction, distinguishing solar terms, discerning yin and yang, and observing meteorological conditions.]
[Remark 1: It can cure cervical spondylosis for most people.]
[Remark 2: Please stay away from cities with severe smog and light pollution.]
The moment he gripped the item, Zhang Yuanqing gained a deeper understanding of its functions.
Stargazing: He could not utilize the ability to assist in stargazing for now, as he had not yet learned Stargazing Art.
Deduction: By relying on the astrolabe to deduce a matter, an answer could be obtained—though of course, the user had to decipher the answer themselves.
Distinguishing solar terms: He could know the twenty-four solar terms without checking a calendar.
Discerning yin and yang: A living, walking human clock—he could know the hour, how long until nightfall, and how long until dawn without looking at a watch.
Observing meteorology: No need to check weather forecasts anymore.
There were two penalties:
First, an instinctive urge to tilt his head upward; if no one reminded or stopped him, he might remain in that posture indefinitely.
Second, an obligation to stargaze every night, failing which his whole body would ache with discomfort, much like nicotine withdrawal.
Finally, Zhang Yuanqing retrieved the character card reward item.
It was an electronic watch without a strap, cheap in appearance and crudely made, its dial displaying the time and date.
Gripping this item, information surfaced after a few seconds:
[Name: ???]
[Type: ???]
[Function: ???]
[Description: ???]
[Remark: ???]
Seeing the screen full of question marks, three question marks flashed across Zhang Yuanqing's mind as well: ???
What was this supposed to mean?
It was his first time seeing such exaggerated item information—every single field filled with question marks. Even as he held the bare watch face, no function or penalty registered in his mind.
Had it not displayed item information at all, Zhang Yuanqing would have doubted whether it was just an ordinary mortal object.
*Could it be...* A conjecture suddenly flashed through his mind, and he hastily stowed the watch dial back into his inventory, his heart thumping wildly. Zhang Yuanqing realized that this object was very likely the Demon Lord's true legacy.
Yes, the Demon Lord's true legacy.
The uniqueness of the Demon Lord character card lay in the "black full moon" and the "character card exclusive reward." Among them, the black full moon had already appeared, concealed within the character card. Though he could not touch the full moon, he knew it was no ordinary thing.
Then what about the character card exclusive reward?
Zhang Yuanqing had previously speculated that whatever item the Sect Master of Taiyi valued so dearly would likely emerge through the recurring exclusive rewards.
In the previous Spirit Realm settlements, the items granted by the character card exclusive reward were standard items—hardly distinguishable from trash in the eyes of true bigwigs.
Until this watch dial appeared.
It was completely different from any other item, as evident from its capricious properties alone.
*As my level rises and I advance to Saint, the Demon Lord's true legacy has finally surfaced... The stronger I become, the more dangerous it gets...* Zhang Yuanqing sighed.
Composed and calm, he walked back into the park, slipped past his beaming colleagues, found his yin corpse Blood Rose, and rested a hand on her shoulder.
A dozen seconds later, ripple-like distortions spread across the surroundings, and the entire world blurred.
***
Watching the young members of the organization vanish from the trial one after another, the elders of the Five Elements Alliance finally set down the heavy stone in their hearts.
The Transcendent stage killing trial was over.
Next, all they needed was to dedicate their full attention to the Saints' battles. The Saint stage killing trial would require two more days to conclude.
So far, only two Saints had fallen—one from the official faction and one from the evil organizations.
The other Saints possessed deep foundations; their items and combat strength were all top-tier, making them far less prone to death than Transcendent stage walkers.
An elder from the Scarlet Fire Gang chuckled, "Yuanshi Tianzun's forehead mark is a crescent. See? He really isn't the Demon Lord's successor."
Elder Dog said impassively, "After passing the Tiger Tally test, he had already cleared his suspicion."
The female Grand Marshal turned her gaze toward Elder Dog, her voice crisp, sultry, and commanding:
"Once the killing trial ends, tell young master Fu to condescend and come to Capital City to meet this 'piece of trash.'"
Elder Dog: "...Understood."
Inwardly, he observed a few seconds of silence for both Fu Qingyang and Yuanshi Tianzun.
Especially the latter: not only would he have to face the iron fist of his immediate superior, but he would also likely taste the iron fist of Grand Elder Baihui.
Oh, right—he would first have to face Elder Dog's own iron fist. Elder Dog clearly remembered cautioning Yuanshi Tianzun that the Chu family annihilation case was a secret of top confidentiality, strictly forbidden from being leaked.
***
Unaware that countless iron fists awaited him, Zhang Yuanqing regained sight of his surroundings: white-painted walls, a double bed, a wool carpet, a large desk...
He had returned to his private room in the Fujia Bay Villa, Blood Rose standing beside him.
"It feels like a lifetime ago..."
Zhang Yuanqing sighed softly.
Afflicted by curses and poisons, the yin corpse Blood Rose was temporarily incapacitated. Now that combat was over, Zhang Yuanqing was in no rush to purify her with the Demon-Subduing Pestle.
He strode out of the bedroom into the living room and asked the bunny girl cleaning there:
"Has the Centurion come out yet?"
Having encountered unimaginable danger in the killing trial, he figured Fu Qingyang was extremely likely to have been targeted as well.
Thus, he was eager to know Fu Qingyang's condition.
"Not yet..." The bunny girl stared at Zhang Yuanqing, a faint blush dusting her pretty face, and said softly, "Mr. Yuanshi Tianzun, have you advanced to Saint? What a transformation."
The sinister nobility of a Night Walker and the ethereal mystique of a Starlord intertwined into an indescribable charm. Paired with his already handsome looks, he possessed an immense magnetism toward young women.
*Not out yet? Does the Saint stage killing trial take this long? The higher the level, the lower the need for food, so it makes sense... Hopefully the Centurion will clear the trial smoothly. He's a man whose martial skill borders on the Dao...* Zhang Yuanqing immediately said:
"Prepare a car for me. Address: Room 302, Third Floor, Tianchen Apartments, No. 291 Xinmen Road."
He was going to help Guan Ya resolve her reproductive urge.
Chapter 283