The wind blew cold through the night as Lin Xuan sat alone in meditation within the broken constellation circle of the Celestial Formation Grounds.
Moonlight bathed the ancient stones, and a thin mist drifted around him like ghosts remembering forgotten stars.
The Chaos Core pulsed steadily within his chest.
Each breath he took drew celestial energy through the cracked formation stones—star qi fragmented by time, useless to most cultivators, but refined into pure chaos essence by Lin Xuan's unique constitution.
[Progress: Star-Forged Chaos Body – 32%]
[Qi Gathering Stage – 47%]
He exhaled slowly.
Stronger—but not strong enough.
The memory of the Sect Master's warning echoed in his mind.
> "There are rumors… of a forbidden Dao resurfacing."
He had little doubt they knew, or at least suspected, who he truly was. And the Blood Shadow Sect would never allow him to grow unchecked.
He opened his eyes just as a shadow passed across the moon.
---
Elsewhere – In a Forest Drenched in Blood
The trees were silent. The birds were gone.
Two figures in black silk robes knelt beside a river of corpses—merchant guards, caravan travelers, even cultivators. All dead. Their bodies unnaturally pale, not from wounds but from something far worse.
Their souls were missing.
The Soul Binding Twins—a brother and sister with faces hidden behind porcelain masks—stood slowly, eyes glowing faintly red.
"They say Lin Xuan walks the mortal world again," whispered the brother.
"We will find him," the sister replied, her voice a chilling echo. "And bind his soul to the Well of Night."
They vanished in a swirl of black mist.
---
Back at the Sect – The Dream
That night, Lin Xuan slept for the first time in days. But the Chaos Core stirred within him, whispering—dragging his spirit into a dream realm.
He stood in a void of stars. Endless, silent, terrifying.
Before him hovered a throne of broken constellations, and on it sat a horned figure cloaked in chaos, its face hidden behind a shifting mask of light and dark.
"You awaken faster than the others," the being spoke.
Lin Xuan stepped forward. "Who are you?"
"I am the one who walked the Chaos Dao before you. The first. The fallen. The forgotten."
"You're the original master of the Star-Forged Chaos Body," Lin Xuan said slowly.
The figure tilted its head. "Not yet. But I will be… when you complete it."
Before Lin Xuan could ask more, the vision shattered—and he awoke, breathless and covered in sweat.
---
Morning – Yue Lian's Warning
Lin Xuan met Yue Lian again during morning drills. She watched him with the same quiet suspicion she always had, but today, her tone was urgent.
"There were strange deaths last night in the surrounding villages," she said. "All cultivators. Their qi and souls… gone."
Lin Xuan tensed. "A technique like that… only Soul Binding Arts can cause."
She nodded slowly. "You know of them?"
"I've heard rumors," he lied smoothly. "Forbidden techniques."
"The Sect Master is raising the inner disciple alert level. We suspect a Soul Cult is active nearby."
Lin Xuan said nothing—but inside, he knew.
The Soul Binding Twins had found his trail.
---
Nightfall – A Deadly Encounter Begins
That night, he returned to the formation grounds to train—but the stars above had vanished. The sky was black. Ominous. Wrong.
Suddenly, the mist thickened. The grass turned cold beneath his feet.
He turned just in time to see two masked figures materialize from the shadows—not walking, but floating.
The air around them bent and cracked.
"Lin Xuan," the sister said. "The soul of the Grand Sage… you've escaped us once. Not again."
"We will offer your essence to the Well of Night," the brother added.
Lin Xuan drew a slow breath, summoning the Chaos Core's power.
The broken formation stones around him began to glow faintly in response—recognizing him as the rightful heir of chaos and starlight.
[Warning: High-Level Soul-Binding Cultivators Detected]
[Success Chance: 21%]
[Suggestion: Engage With Celestial Chaos Techniques – Activation Possible at Current Progress]
Lin Xuan's body crackled with dark light.
"You want my soul?" he said, raising both hands. "Come take it."
---
[Quest Activated: Battle of the Broken Stars]
– Objective: Survive the Soul Binding Twins
– Bonus: Unlock Phase 1 of the Star-Forged Chaos Body During Combat
– Reward: Chaos Step (Movement Technique) + Soul Barrier (Passive)