The void opened like a wound in reality.
Shen Yue stepped through the spatial tear into absolute darkness, then light erupted—not the warm light of sun or flame, but the cold, eternal radiance of stars burning across infinite distance. The Hall of Infinite Stars materialized around him, a pocket dimension torn from the fabric of space itself, sustained only by the power of the Celestial Codex.
Ten stellar platforms crystallized from cosmic dust, arranged in concentric circles around his central throne. Each platform pulsed with faint light, growing brighter as his summons reached across the continent.
He ascended to the Sovereign's Throne, a seat carved from what appeared to be solidified starlight. The moment he sat, his body dissolved into stellar projection—his true form obscured by cascading luminescence, his features suggested only by the vague outline of a human shape wreathed in celestial phenomena. Meteor trails circled his head like a crown. Nebula clouds shrouded his shoulders.
The facade was automatic now. Three years of practice had made the transformation instinctive.
They can never see you sweat, he reminded himself. Gods don't sweat.
The first platform flared crimson.
Solar materialized in a pillar of flame, her spiritual projection taking form as she appeared on the Throne of the Sun. Her avatar blazed with barely contained fire qi, crimson robes whipping in a wind that didn't exist. She dropped to one knee immediately, fist pressed over her heart in military salute.
"Sovereign." Her voice carried the snap of a battlefield commander, but underneath lurked something deeper. Worship. "Your call is answered."
"Rise, Solar." Shen Yue kept his voice level, allowing the Hall's natural resonance to add layers of echo. "We await the others."
Nine more platforms ignited in sequence.
Lunar appeared in a cascade of silver moonlight, her slender form seeming almost translucent, dressed in pale robes that shifted like liquid mercury. She prostrated fully—forehead touching her platform—before rising with fluid grace. Her eyes, when they lifted to his throne, shimmered with devotion that made something uncomfortable twist in Shen Yue's chest.
She believes I'm a god, he thought, not for the first time. Really believes it.
Quicksilver manifested with the jingle of coin and the smell of expensive incense, a rotund figure in merchant's finery, his face still obscured despite the Hall's revealing light. He bowed with theatrical flourish. "Sovereign, this humble servant arrives to serve."
Morningstar bloomed into existence amid a shower of pink petals, her beauty so refined it seemed calculated—because it was. Everything about Hua Meilin was calculated. She curtsied with perfect elegance, her smile warm and adoring. "My Sovereign calls, and I answer with joy."
Warbringer appeared like an iron fortress, massive and unyielding, his scarred face set in stone. He saluted with military precision that rivaled Solar's. "I stand ready, Sovereign."
Stormlord crackled into existence amid arcing lightning, his wild hair standing on end, eyes bright with manic energy. "Sovereign! Your timing is, as always, impeccable! I've just completed—"
"Report when asked, Stormlord." Shen Yue's gentle rebuke carried absolute authority.
The lightning cultivator immediately shut his mouth, bowing quickly. "My apologies, Sovereign."
Timekeeper simply was, as though he'd been standing there all along, waiting for reality to catch up. The ancient man's eyes held depths that made even Shen Yue uneasy. When he spoke, his words came in disjointed fragments: "The hour... arrives... as was seen... as will be..."
I really need to ask him to speak more clearly one of these days, Shen Yue thought. If I could understand what he's saying without interpreting it three different ways.
Voidwalker materialized in complete silence, space folding around him like a cloak. His young face bore old scars, and his eyes fixed on Shen Yue's throne with desperate intensity. He bowed low. "Sovereign."
Just that single word, but Shen Yue heard the subtext: You are my anchor. You are the reason I'm still human.
Abysswalker rose from a pool of water that appeared on his platform, his weather-worn face splitting into an easy grin. "Aye, Sovereign. Your timing's as inconvenient as ever—I was three drinks deep with a lovely—" He caught Shen Yue's silence and coughed. "But of course, your call takes precedence."
Finally, Gravewarden emerged from black mist that smelled of funeral incense and grave soil. Her pale face remained emotionless, but she sank to one knee with her head bowed. "My Sovereign. My purpose. My deathless star."
She's getting worse, Shen Yue noted with concern.The death qi corruption is spreading.
All ten thrones occupied. All ten cultivators awaiting his word.
The weight of their expectation pressed against him like physical force. They were looking at their god, their salvation, their mysterious Sovereign who commanded the stars themselves.
Shen Yue was very aware he was a twenty-seven-year-old man who'd gotten extremely lucky eight years ago and had been improvising ever since.
"Celestial Court convenes," he intoned, his voice rolling across the void like thunder. "Speak, Solar. Your transmission indicated urgency."
Solar's fists clenched, fire qi flaring around her. "Sovereign, three nights ago, the village of Blackwood was destroyed. Forty-seven mortals dead. Twelve low-level cultivators massacred." Her voice dropped to a growl. "I investigated personally. The qi signature belongs to Elder Crimson Sky of the Azure Cloud Sect."
Murmurs rippled through the Court.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator," Warbringer stated flatly. "Attacking mortals."
"Not just attacking." Lunar's soft voice cut through the whispers like a blade. "Harvesting. This one has confirmed through my shadows—Elder Crimson Sky practices a forbidden cultivation technique. He drains life force from mortals to purify his Nascent Soul. Blackwood was the seventh village in three months."
Gravewarden's head snapped up. "The seventh?"
"Why there?" Shen Yue asked, already knowing the answer but needing the Court to hear it.
Lunar hesitated, just for a heartbeat. "Because... I had placed twelve orphans under protection there. Children I had saved from—"
"From the slave rings," Morningstar finished softly. "The very operation we disrupted two months ago."
Solar's platform erupted with fire. "Then this was retaliation! That bastard knew those children were connected to us somehow—"
"Impossible." Quicksilver's jovial tone had vanished, replaced by cold calculation. "We left no traces. I ensured every transaction was scrubbed. The Azure Cloud Sect couldn't possibly—"
"The Sovereign's Court is not invincible," Timekeeper's voice drifted across the Hall. "Shadows cast by stars... still are shadows... still can be... seen..."
Silence fell.
Shen Yue's mind raced behind his stellar mask. A Nascent Soul cultivator. One full major realm above me. If he knows about the Court's involvement, if he's testing our response...
He ran through scenarios with the cold precision he'd learned from five years in isolation studying the Celestial Codex. Every option carried risks. Ignore the incident—show weakness, lose Lunar's loyalty, embolden future attacks. Retaliate directly—expose the Court's existence, potentially start war with a Great Sect. Half-measures—satisfy no one.
His Astral Sense pulsed, showing him threads of fate branching from this moment. Most led to ruin.
But one thread, narrow and treacherous, led somewhere else.
"Stormlord," he said, decision made. "The Azure Cloud Sect's Enforcement Hall. Its formation arrays. Speak."
The lightning cultivator's eyes lit up. "Ah! Yes, Sovereign! The Azure Cloud's formations are based on the Heaven's Yang Scripture, primarily defensive, with—"
"Can they be breached?"
"By a direct assault? Would require Spirit Severing level power at minimum. But..." Stormlord's grin turned manic. "There's always the back door."
"Elaborate."
"Every formation requires maintenance. The Azure Cloud contracts with the Cloudpeak Formation Masters' Guild for monthly inspections. If one were to, say, intercept that inspection and replace certain core nodes with modified versions..." He pulled out a jade slip from nowhere. "I've been theorizing about this for months. Give me two days, and I can create formations that appear normal but will fail catastrophically under stress."
Warbringer leaned forward. "You're proposing we infiltrate the Azure Cloud Sect itself?"
"No," Shen Yue said, voice carrying absolute certainty. "I'm proposing we kill Elder Crimson Sky in his own fortress, in front of his own sect, and leave no trace it was murder."
The Hall fell absolutely silent.
Solar spoke first, her voice trembling—not with fear, but with barely contained enthusiasm. "Sovereign... you mean to..."
"I mean to render judgment," Shen Yue stated, allowing star fire to flare around his throne for emphasis. "Elder Crimson Sky has violated heaven's law, slaughtered innocents, and dared to strike at those under our protection. His death is decreed."
Lunar's eyes shone with tears. *He's doing this for me,* her expression said. For my children.
"The plan is three-fold," Shen Yue continued, committing fully now. "Stormlord, you will infiltrate the formation inspection crew. I leave the details to your expertise. Voidwalker will provide transportation. Morningstar, you will ensure Elder Crimson Sky attends the upcoming Sect Elders' Council—use whatever leverage necessary."
Morningstar's smile turned predatory. "The elder has... appetites. I know exactly which pressure points to exploit."
"Lunar, your shadows will monitor the Azure Cloud Sect's movements. The moment we strike, I need to know where every Nascent Soul cultivator in that sect is located. We cannot afford reinforcements."
"It will be done, Sovereign."
"Warbringer, prepare a contingency extraction plan. If this goes wrong, we need exit strategies for everyone involved."
"Aye, Sovereign."
"Abysswalker, position your fleet along the coast. If we need to disappear, water is our escape route."
The pirate lord's grin returned. "Already there, Sovereign."
"Quicksilver, create false evidence trails. Make it appear Elder Crimson Sky had enemies among the demonic factions. Plant evidence that the Blood Moon Cult wanted him dead."
"Delightfully devious, Sovereign. Consider it done."
"Gravewarden..." Shen Yue paused. The death cultivator's face remained impassive, but her hands trembled slightly. "You need not participate. These were your orphans. No one would question—"
"I will go," Gravewarden stated flatly. "I will be there when he dies. I will ensure his soul suffers for eternity."
She needs this, Shen Yue realized. Needs the closure.
"Very well. You will accompany me."
Solar straightened. "Sovereign, you're going personally?"
"I am." Shen Yue allowed steel to enter his voice. "A message must be sent. When the Celestial Court passes judgment, the Sovereign himself delivers it."
Timekeeper's laugh was dry as ancient parchment. "The star descends... to burn the corrupt... as was written... as will be..."
"One question, Sovereign." Quicksilver's merchant instincts surfaced. "Elder Crimson Sky is Nascent Soul realm. You are..." He trailed off delicately.
Asking if I can actually kill him, Shen Yue translated. A fair question.
"I am the Celestial Sovereign," he stated with a confidence he didn't entirely feel. "That is sufficient."
But he activated his Astral Sense fully, examining the fate threads more carefully. The path he'd chosen was razor-thin, but it was there. He *could* kill Elder Crimson Sky—if everything went perfectly, if his preparations were flawless, if he was willing to push his Stellar Core System beyond safe limits.
No pressure.
"You all have your tasks," Shen Yue declared. "We execute in three days. The Azure Cloud Sect will host their Elders' Council. Elder Crimson Sky will die during that gathering. The sect will believe he died from cultivation deviation triggered by his forbidden technique. The continent will never know the Celestial Court was involved."
"And if they discover us?" Lunar asked softly.
Shen Yue allowed himself a moment of dramatic pause. "Then the Azure Cloud Sect will learn that there are powers in this world that do not fear Great Sects. That justice exists beyond their precious orthodoxy. That the stars pass judgment on all equally."
And I'll be scrambling for survival while trying to keep us all alive, he thought. But they don't need to know that part.
Solar's platform blazed with renewed fire. "For the Sovereign!"
"For the Sovereign!" The other nine echoed.
"Dismissed," Shen Yue commanded. "You know how to contact me if complications arise. Otherwise, we reconvene in three days."
The platforms began to fade, one by one. Solar disappeared first, eager to begin preparations. Stormlord followed in a crackle of lightning. Warbringer, Abysswalker, Quicksilver—all vanishing back to their positions across the continent.
Morningstar blew a kiss toward his throne before dissolving into petals.
Lunar lingered longest, her silver eyes locked on his stellar form. "Thank you, Sovereign," she whispered. "Those children... they were all I had left of..."
"I know," Shen Yue said gently. "No one strikes at this Court without answer. No one harms those we protect. This is my vow."
She prostrated one final time, then vanished.
Only Timekeeper remained, his ancient eyes studying Shen Yue's throne with unnerving intensity.
"You see something, Timekeeper?" Shen Yue asked.
"This one... sees many things... the Ordained One walks... a blade's edge... the fall... is far... but the blade... cuts both ways..."
"Are you saying I'll fail?"
"This one says... nothing is certain... not even... for those who decree certainty..." The ancient cultivator's gaze intensified. "The previous guardian... also walked... this path... also burned bright... also fell..."
Cold spread through Shen Yue's chest. "What previous guardian?"
But Timekeeper had already vanished.
Alone in the Hall of Infinite Stars, Shen Yue finally allowed his stellar projection to fade. His true body reappeared on the throne—a young man with sharp features, dark hair, and eyes that held too much weight for his twenty-seven years.
He slumped forward, exhaustion crashing over him.
A Nascent Soul cultivator. I just declared I'll kill a Nascent Soul cultivator in three days.
His hands trembled slightly. He clenched them into fists.
The Celestial Codex rested in his soul space, the ancient tome that had changed his life eight years ago when he'd found it in those forbidden ruins. It had given him power beyond his dreams—the Stellar Core System, techniques that bent reality, knowledge that made him seem prophetic.
But it hadn't made him invincible.
It hadn't made him a god.
He pulled out a jade slip from his storage ring and activated it, reviewing everything he knew about Elder Crimson Sky. Nascent Soul, Mid stage. Three hundred years old. Specialized in the Vermilion Heaven Palm technique. Known for cruelty and excess.
I'll need to push my third satellite core to the limit, he calculated. Channel the destructive aspect through my Meteor Fall technique, aim for his Nascent Soul directly, ignore defense and bet everything on a single strike.
It was suicidal.
It was also the only way.
"They believe in you," he muttered to himself. "Ten incredible cultivators look at you and see a god. Solar would die for you. Lunar worships you. Even Quicksilver, cynical bastard that he is, follows your commands without question."
He stood, drawing his stellar qi into circulation, feeling the nine satellite cores orbit his primary golden core.
"So you'd better not let them down."
The Hall of Infinite Stars began to collapse as he withdrew his power. The pocket dimension sealed itself, waiting for the next summoning.
Shen Yue stepped through spatial tear back into reality, appearing in his private cultivation chamber—a modest room in a nameless inn in a mortal city, where no one would think to look for the mysterious Celestial Sovereign.
Three days until he either cemented his legend or died trying.
He sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.
Time to prepare for godhood.
Or a very impressive death.