The Star-Picking Sacred Court was situated in the heart of the Sacred City. From afar, it resembled an ancient pagoda, its peak lost in the clouds, its true appearance obscured.
Its foundation was supported by three hundred and sixty colossal stone pillars, each spaced strategically to form arch-like entrances.
Xu Mu approached one of these entrances, gazing up at the uniquely shaped, spire-topped structure with a hint of bewilderment. He hadn't seen a tower like it before, but Charles had mentioned that in a certain region of Blue Star, human architecture was predominantly in this style. Was it a coincidence? He would know once he stepped inside.
The Wine Immortal walked ahead of Xu Mu. The Star-Picking Sacred Court had no guards; the three hundred and sixty entrances, each in a different direction, were freely accessible. Cultivators moved within like fish in a river, unimpeded.
After an indeterminate amount of time, as the crowd around them thinned, the Wine Immortal finally stopped. Xu Mu bumped into him, snapping back to attention. He scratched his head and asked, "Have we arrived?"
All along the way, he had been absorbed by the grandeur of the ancient tower. The murals adorning its walls depicted myriad postures, each imbued with a unique spirit, every painting seeming to narrate a tale both ancient and legendary. It reminded him of the paintings he had seen in the underground palace in Xishan. This strengthened his conviction about the secrets of the previous epoch, as proclaimed by the Xuanyuan clan, and intensified his desire to uncover them.
"We haven't arrived. We can't go any further," the Wine Immortal said after a moment of silence.
Xu Mu blinked and followed the Wine Immortal's gaze upward. To his surprise, countless stars now adorned the dome above them, floating and rotating like willow catkins dancing in the air. Their starlight emanated a faint, ancient glow, as if they had existed for eons.
Gazing at the sea of stars overhead, the Wine Immortal spoke with a voice seasoned by time, "The Star Sea is boundless. According to the Xuanyuan clan, in the previous epoch, a star was added to the heavens for every Supremacy-level expert who died."
"The cores of these stars contain infinite starlight. Before you can temper your body with starlight, you need the stars' acknowledgment. After acknowledgment, you must endure their tempering. These are the prerequisites for uncovering the secrets you seek."
Xu Mu looked up at the expanse of the night sky, his dark eyes mirroring the stars. He then slowly closed his eyes. "This is a dangerous undertaking, isn't it?"
"I can feel it. That so-called starlight seems to possess the power to crush everything."
The Wine Immortal nodded gravely. "Indeed. If these stars were to erupt with full force, even I could not withstand their starlight."
"Fortunately, when you temper your body with starlight, this tower will convey your will to the stars, causing them to descend starlight commensurate with your cultivation realm."
"After that, you can enter the Scripture Repository of the Star-Picking Sacred Court. It is said to contain all the books in existence, including those ancient texts that record the previous epoch."
Xu Mu nodded thoughtfully, his eyes reopening as he meticulously studied the starry sky. After a moment, he asked, "Senior, don't these stars vary in size and color?"
The Wine Immortal nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. "Naturally, they do."
"Excluding those too distant to be communicated with or even detected, the Star-Picking Sacred Court has currently identified four hundred and ninety-six stable stars."
"Among these are three hundred and sixty-one Azure Stars, seventy-two Violet Stars, thirty-six Gold Stars, eighteen Crimson Stars, and nine Celestial Stars."
"The stars that appear earlier in this sequence are easier to communicate with and temper with their starlight. If you earn the favor of a star, you might even gain unknown opportunities from it, related to the previous epoch."
Xu Mu narrowed his eyes, gazing at the shining stars in the vast cosmos. Each one was bright, but some naturally outshone others, just as the Wine Immortal had described in his ranking. Azure stars were the most numerous, twinkling amidst countless white stars like grains of sand. Violet stars were fewer but noticeably larger than Azure stars. Further on, the thirty-six Gold Stars shone even more brilliantly, appearing more than three times the size of Violet Stars. The eighteen Crimson Stars were similarly resplendent, their radiance so intense that ordinary white stars nearby were almost imperceptible, their light completely overshadowed.
And then there were the nine Celestial Stars. Compared to the previous stars, they could scarcely be called stars. They were immense, thousands of times larger than ordinary stars. Their majestic starlight poured down through the vast cosmos, making one feel utterly insignificant.
"The nine Celestial Stars orbit each other, rotating and drifting in an orderly fashion across the firmament," the Wine Immortal said with a sigh. "If these sights are real, I truly wonder how vast the outer heavens are."
"Perhaps very, very vast," Xu Mu mused, recalling the cosmological theories Charles had shared, and he too felt a sense of awe.
"But speaking of which, which star's starlight did Yan draw upon, and what is the result?"
The Wine Immortal pointed to a shimmering golden star. "That one."
"This young man originally wanted to choose one of the nine Celestial Stars, but tempering the body with starlight is a perilous undertaking. A single misstep could lead to utter annihilation, even for me."
"So, I persuaded him to take two steps back and choose a Crimson Star. I figured if he gained experience later, he could try for the more advanced ones."
"Why does it sound like Gold Stars are something ordinary in your words? You know, ever since the last All-Tribes Assembly, no one has ignited a star of this magnitude."
At that moment, from an entrance in the southeast, a white-browed elder with a benevolent face ambled in, leaning on a cane. He smiled at the Wine Immortal and said, "He is the disciple of my senior brother. A Crimson Star alone is hardly worthy of him."
The white-browed elder's smile deepened, and he playfully asked, "If that's the case, when this young man emerges, why not let him try for the Emperor Star, the one right in the center, to seize the legendary inheritance of the Sacred Emperor?"
The Wine Immortal's body stiffened. He then glared at the elder and exclaimed, "Do you take me for a fool?!"
"Even that person from back then only reached the third Celestial Star. My junior nephew's cultivation is still shallow; how could he possibly attempt the Emperor Star!"
The Wine Immortal pouted, seemingly indignant, and scoffed, "Moreover, I strongly suspect that the first two Celestial Stars were not meant for humans at all. Those who attempted them are all dead now!"
The white-browed elder smiled faintly and shook his head. "Brother Wine Immortal, your words are mistaken."
"Some days ago, a junior from my clan successfully communicated with the Taiyin Celestial Star and endured its starlight tempering."
"When you and your senior brother began your seclusion, she had already emerged some time ago."
"What!" The Wine Immortal was greatly astonished. He then looked at the elder suspiciously and asked, "Xuanyuan Xiyuan, are you deceiving me?"
"The first time that young man attempted it, he only reached the third Celestial Star, the Taibai Celestial Star. Someone from your Xuanyuan clan has gained the recognition of Taiyin? I don't believe it!"
The white-browed elder laughed heartily and said, "Believe it or not, just consider me to be talking nonsense."
"However, I must remind you, my clan's junior is also participating in the All-Tribes Assembly. If she encounters your senior brother's disciple, she will show no mercy."
The Wine Immortal snorted, feigning disdain. "Even if it's true, it doesn't prove anything. After all, the Taibai Celestial Star doesn't seem to have helped him much!"
"There's no point in further discussion. We shall wait and see. She will not disappoint you," the white-browed elder said calmly, his eyes serene.
Although he had absolute confidence in his junior female descendant, before the All-Tribes Assembly, no one could definitively say she could compare to that person, let alone surpass him. After all, at that time, he had merely tried his luck at the Star-Picking Sacred Court, and many believed that if time had permitted, the first Emperor Star might have been ignited by that person long ago!
At this moment, Xu Mu, standing nearby, listened to their conversation, completely bewildered. He couldn't help but ask, "Who was it that ignited the Taibai Celestial Star?"
"You can't even guess?" the Wine Immortal turned and sighed. "There has only been one other genius like him before you."
Xu Mu frowned and asked, "Ji Chang?"
The Wine Immortal nodded. "It was him."
"This young man, before the conclusion of the All-Tribes Assembly that year, made a detour to the Star-Picking Sacred Court. The first time he attempted to ignite a star, he chose a Celestial Star, specifically the Taibai Celestial Star."
"Understandably, he succeeded. However, even so, he didn't linger here for long. After merely meditating for an hour, he strode away, seemingly unwilling to waste any time here."
Hearing this, Xu Mu was also somewhat astonished. He had heard a great deal about Ji Chang's invincible prowess in those years, but he had never personally experienced it. Even when they encountered each other in the Ancient Wilderness Battlefield, they had never fought. Now, it seemed he had a benchmark.
Xu Mu looked up at the Emperor Star, the one at the very center, floating in the firmament. A restless emotion stirred within him. The third Taibai and the second Taiyin had already been ignited by someone. If he were to try, why not attempt the very center one?
"Don't get any wild ideas. You are injured. Attempting the Emperor Star will surely kill you," the Wine Immortal said sternly, looking back at Xu Mu.
"Not necessarily," Xu Mu scratched his head, still reluctant to give up. But under the Wine Immortal's unwavering gaze, he could only helplessly shrug. "Alright."
"I came here to learn about history. If there's an opportunity in the future regarding the Emperor Star, we can come back later."
"That's the spirit," the Wine Immortal nodded, and then, pointing to the sky, he said with satisfaction, "Then begin your selection. You can choose any of the nine Celestial Stars. Once you've chosen, close your eyes and communicate with your intent. The starlight will then guide you to the upper part of the ancient tower."
Xu Mu nodded, then hesitated.
The white-browed elder, overhearing their conversation, looked surprised and directly asked the Wine Immortal, "Brother, is this young man... your disciple?"
The Wine Immortal glanced at him and replied, "No."
"Then you were just discussing the attempt of the Emperor Star, and if I understood correctly, you wouldn't have stopped him if he weren't injured?"
The Wine Immortal snorted and said, "What, are the best stars in the heavens reserved only for your Xuanyuan family, and others are not allowed to try?"
The white-browed elder was speechless, shaking his head and chuckling. "That's not it. I just wanted to ask, aren't you afraid of him getting hurt? Or do you believe this young man is comparable to Ji Chang from back then?"
"You've been going in circles just to ask that," the Wine Immortal said, smiling slyly. "I'm not telling you."
"I learned from you. In any case, you'll know when the All-Tribes Assembly arrives."
Three dark lines appeared on the elder's forehead. He didn't say anything more.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu had already chosen a star. He closed his eyes and began to communicate with it using his intent. His ethereal consciousness soared upward, a wisp of his soul carried by the wind like a drifting willow. It ascended into the cosmos, finally settling upon an Azure Star.
Instantly, the star responded, bathing Xu Mu's body in its starlight. The ancient tower sensed this starlight, emitting a glow that enveloped Xu Mu and transported him to a solitary space where he sat in meditation.
"So fast," the white-browed elder remarked with surprise. Although Xu Mu had chosen the most ordinary Azure Star, the speed at which the connection was established was astonishing. It was almost instantaneous for the Azure Star to respond. Many cultivators, hailed as the strongest talents in their regions, struggled and exerted all their might just to attract the favor of an Azure Star, yet Xu Mu achieved it in a flash.
"What's there to be surprised about?" the Wine Immortal scoffed, having anticipated this. After all, this was Xu Mu, the genius who had obtained a sacred relic in the Elven Kingdom. It would be strange if the Azure Star didn't recognize him instantly!
"But you also mentioned he is injured, and I can sense he is severely wounded," the white-browed elder said with a grave expression. "While his talent may be immense, tempering the body with starlight is no easy feat. It requires a high degree of physical and cultivation prowess. Are you sure he can withstand it?"
"If it were a different trial, I might worry. But for body tempering..." The Wine Immortal, recalling Xu Mu's performance before the Eight Directions Heavenly Wall, couldn't help but laugh. Unless the starlight of an entire star was unleashed, with only the starlight corresponding to his cultivation realm descending, Xu Mu enduring it would be as leisurely as sunbathing, wouldn't it?