Chapter 261: Fate Star Hangs High, Sun and Moon Share the Sky

Kaihuang City, Luojia Village.

This village, like a paradise, leans against Tianzhu Mountain; the villagers usually enter the mountain to hunt, gather herbs, and chop firewood, then take them to the city to sell.

On a vacant plot in the village, a thin-faced boy of only eleven or twelve was practicing boxing; although malnourished from insufficient food, his face sallow, he threw every punch with utmost focus, occasionally making grunting and huffing sounds.

"Use force! Do not slacken!"

Beside the boy stood a burly, bare-chested man.

"Practicing boxing is like a boat against the current; one day without practice, your skill drops a layer; ten days without practice, even great ability will be wasted, so how can you sense your Fate Star?"

The man held a bamboo stick in his hand, scolding while using the stick to strike the boy's body, correcting flaws in his boxing form; his voice and movements were extremely severe, yet only when he saw the boy still gritting his teeth and persisting did a rare trace of tenderness appear in his eyes.

Thus, a little over half an hour passed.

"Enough, stop now, rest for a while."

As the man's words fell, he did not relax but stared straight at the boy, seeing that the boy did not instantly collapse on the ground but slowly retracted his boxing stance.

"Haaah"

He exhaled a long breath, condensed and不散 (not scattering), like a white arrow falling into empty space; only after doing all this did the boy stand calmly in place.

"Good!" The man nodded in satisfaction: "It seems you haven't forgotten what I taught you yesterday; the greatest taboo in boxing is losing breath; even when exhausted to the extreme and unable to persist, you must not slacken during rest, otherwise the breath escapes and this half-day of boxing is wasted."

"Hehe."

Hearing this, the boy scratched his head, revealing an expression that was somewhat simple yet also proud, then raised his head to glance at the sky above.

One look revealed countless stars shining brilliantly.

Whether the sun rises or the moon sets, even in daytime, countless stars still twinkle in the sky; some brilliant, some dim, some not yet lit.

The teachings he received since childhood told him that the stars in the sky correspond to people on earth, symbolizing the fates of all living beings; thinking of this, a hint of expectation appeared in the boy's eyes, and he couldn't help but look at the man: "Master, when will I be able to light my Fate Star?"

"Today."

The man said casually, leaving the boy stunned in place; only after a while did he react: "Today!? Then why didn't you tell me sooner, Master!"

"If I had told you earlier, it wouldn't work."

A smile appeared at the corner of the man's mouth as he said softly: "You just performed a set of 【Yingming Fist】; now look up at the sky and slowly close your eyes."

The boy hurriedly did as told.

Strangely, this action, which would normally be utterly meaningless, suddenly gave the boy an indescribable sensation.

"My Fate Star..."

In a trance, the boy's consciousness seemed to connect with the vaulted sky; he saw a star that had been dim slowly brighten under his gaze.

The next second, a thought descended along the starlight—

【Villager】

These two simple words left the boy stunned for a long time; only then did he open his eyes, seeing the man looking at him with some nervousness: "What Fate Star did you get?"

"It is 【Villager】." The boy answered truthfully.

Hearing this, the man's expression did not change, yet a trace of disappointment appeared in his eyes: "【Villager】... well, living a steady life isn't bad either."

Hearing this, the boy looked puzzled: "Can't 【Villager】 practice martial arts?"

"Of course you can."

The man patted the boy's head, then sighed: "But the wonder of 【Villager】 is only that you can eat anything when hungry."

"As for practicing martial arts, you are not a 【Wu Zu】, lacking the corresponding wonder's support; practicing would be twice the effort for half the result; rather than wasting that time, better to farm obediently, be a proper 【Villager】; rashly pursuing a change in fate would only result in a life worse than before."

Saying this, the man sighed again.

This was his own experience.

Unlike the boy, he was a 【Wu Zu】, yet he was unwilling to remain just a small soldier, determined to become a general in the army.

Yet he did not have that fate.

With his Fate Star unlit, everything went wrong; trying to break free from the destined trajectory would invite misfortune; the result was that he suffered severe injuries in a great battle.

Had it not been for this, he would not have retired and come to hide in such a small mountain village.

"But Master..." After hearing these words, the boy lowered his head, then said hopefully: "Does having a 【Villager】 Fate Star mean I will be a villager for my whole life?"

"... Not necessarily."

The boy was still young; the man did not want to crush his enthusiasm too much, so he changed the subject:

"Although all Fate Stars in the world have fixed numbers, there are still exceptions; for instance, during 【Heavenly Demons Enter the World】, countless variables arise."

"At that time, even if you are a 【Villager】, there is hope to become a 【Son of Heaven】."

"I know, I know!" The boy immediately raised his hand: "The Day Son of Heaven and the Night Son of Heaven; the Fate Stars corresponding to those two are the sun and the moon in the sky!"

"Exactly." The man smiled slightly: "Holding the Sun Star is the Day Son of Heaven; holding the Moon Star is the Night Son of Heaven; both are the supreme positions of heaven and earth."

"Whenever 【Heavenly Demons Enter the World】 arrives, martial artists across the land will sense it, ultimately achieving the two Sons of Heaven as supreme rulers, joining hands to slay the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons."

"At that time, the Son of Heaven will unify the world, bringing long-overdue great order to the land."

Saying this, longing appeared in the man's eyes: "Ancient texts record that the last 【Heavenly Demons Enter the World】 occurred a thousand years ago."

"At that time, forced by the might of the Heavenly Demons, the monarchs of the sixteen kingdoms of the Central Plains joined hands, swearing a blood oath atop Tianzhu Mountain behind us, establishing the era name Zhangwu, jointly resisting the Heavenly Demons; under the dynasty's rule, fierce generals were as numerous as clouds, strategists as plentiful as rain, all serving with death and loyalty, thus allowing the dynasty's lifespan to endure until today..."

The man's eloquence was quite good.

Under his narration, a moving history unfolded slowly, making the boy listen in a trance, wishing he had been born in that era of great struggle.

Yet just then.

"General Chen! Something's wrong, something's wrong!"

Outside the village, several young men ran over quickly, holding bows and short knives, their faces filled with terror: "The mountain is in an uproar; wild beasts are sprinting!"

"What?"

At these words, the man immediately showed shock.

Tianzhu Mountain covers a thousand li in all directions; how many poisonous insects and fierce beasts dwell within, perhaps even several Beast Kings; how could ordinary matters cause an uproar in the mountain?

'Could it be a Beast Tide?'

'Impossible. The City Lord reached an agreement with the Beast Lord of Tianzhu Mountain years ago; both sides have kept to their own territories. How could the Beast Lord suddenly launch a Beast Tide?'

Despite his words, the big man did not dare to be negligent.

After all, Luojia Village is merely a remote corner outside the mountains; facing a Beast Tide is like a pebble in the ocean, and the result will only be instant swallowing.

Fearfully, only the nearby Kaihuang City could barely be considered a reef.

Thinking of this, the big man decided immediately: 'Gather the villagers and evacuate to Kaihuang City at once. This is not something we can participate in; we must report to the City Lord first.'

Boom!

Before the big man's words had finished, the sound was cut off by a thunderous roar; thunder erupted from within the mountain, and at first glance, one might have thought Tianzhu Mountain had collapsed!

In an instant, countless villagers inside Luojia Village showed expressions of terror.

Even the big man, who considered himself well-traveled and experienced, showed shock, staring dumbfounded at a long, narrow rift suddenly torn open in the sky above Tianzhu Mountain!

'The sky has cracked...!?'

Descriptions from ancient texts flashed through the big man's mind; stories he had only seen in storybooks appearing before his eyes actually made him at a loss.

Heavenly Demons entering the mortal world?

Heavenly Demons entering the mortal world!

In an instant, billions of stars in the sky were lit up simultaneously; especially the Sun Star and the Moon Star, their light blazed forth, shining down upon that rift.

Almost at the same time, the rift's image appeared in the eyes of all martial artists whose Life Stars had lit up; they felt the constraints from their Life Stars, usually present, completely released, and no longer needed to be bound by the identities their Life Stars brought; moreover, a thought arose in their hearts, strong and irresistible:

'Kill!'

Kill the people coming out of the rift!

He who first takes their heads shall be the King of the World!

(End of this chapter)