Chapter 1 Star Bearer
In the Stellar Continent， each star in the sky harbored immense power.
Every night， as the stars twinkled， their energy seeped onto the land， nourishing the bodies of those who absorbed it， granting them unique abilities.
A thousand years ago， a strange disturbance occurred， enveloping the continent in a special energy.
The stars dimmed， and starlight faded， cutting off the cultivation path. Lifespans are shortened， rarely exceeding a century.
Cultivators aged and passed away. A hundred years ago， the last batch of powerful cultivators sacrificed themselves， restoring some starlight.
Only 108 celestial officials were awakened， each controlling a special rule of power， seeking suitable carriers.
These carriers were known as Star Bearers. Though ordinary cultivators were scarce， only Star Bearers had the chance to surpass their lifespans and become the world’s strongest. For the common folk， cultivators were rare.
One night， the sky was clear， with just a few stars. A faint， cold light barely pierced the dense foliage， casting dappled shadows. A black carriage sped along the winding road， its wheels breaking the silence.
Suddenly， rustling came from the roadside. Nightjars took flight， their dark silhouettes flitting past the moon. Alastair’s heart tightened as something closed in. He tightened his grip on the reins and shouted， “Whoa!”
The horse’s hooves lifted， and the carriage jolted. Two youths， bound with ropes， nearly fell. Griffin Moore was about to complain when Scott Carter whispered， “Shh… Something is coming.”
A cold aura spread， freezing the air and moonlight. Alastair closed his eyes， forming seals， and pressed his fingertips to his forehead.
“Open your Heavenly Eye!”
When he opened his eyes， the world was bathed in a flowing light. His forehead’s ribbon fluttered without wind. His vision stripped away color， revealing energy lines. Pure natural qi was devoured by thick， black fog， like living tendrils wrapped around the carriage.
" Not a spirit，” Alastair said with a cold voice. “It’s a ‘Ghost Walker.’”
Before he could finish， twisted shadows emerged from the ground and trees， emitting countless wails.
Alastair quickly pulled out papers with runes， sticking them around the carriage. Lightning flashed， scattering nearby ghosts. A force gathered in his eyes， locking onto an energy vortex behind a tree.
“Nothing can hide from my eyes!”
He threw his longsword， slicing through the ancient tree， which exploded in light. A figure retreated， stepping out of the darkness， laughing hoarsely.
“Indeed， the Starlight Seer’s Heavenly Eye lives up to its reputation，” the voice said.
Griffin and Scott shivered， feeling the voice like a snake’s tongue， cold and biting. They turned to see a figure in a wide cloak， his face hidden in shadows， only his short sword glinting.
His every step spread frost over the dried grass， and the air grew colder. The most striking was the eight-sided ancient bronze lamp he held.
The lamp was old， its runes worn. A green flame burned within， casting eerie light. In the green light， darkness receded， but the cold was sharp. Shadows twisted， as if countless unseen figures whispered.
If one looked closely， the flame core and lamp body glowed with fine， silvery light， like a miniature starry sky， flickering and contrasting with the green ghostly flames in a grotesque way.
“An ancient ghost summoning lamp? You are Phoenix Warren，” Alastair’s eyes narrowed， his voice stern.
“What’s this? He’s so powerful?” Griffin stretched his neck forward， puzzled. Scott frowned， silently looking at Alastair.
“Host of the Dark Star，” Alastair’s gaze never left Phoenix， his words concise.
" Star Bearers?” Scott whispered.
“What is a Star Bearers?” Griffin turned to ask.
“Many cultivators exist in the world， but few can awaken their star souls，” Scott explained quietly. “Once awakened， they become star hosts， known as Star Bearers.”
" Star Bearers, powerful?”
“Not all Star Bearers are strong，” Scott said， pursing his lips. “But the strongest cultivators are always Star Bearers.”
The two had never seen a Star Bearers before， but they weren’t intimidated by the cold aura. Instead， they curiously examined Phoenix’s peculiar attire and the ghostly lamp that emitted starlight.
Phoenix Warren stopped a few steps away， his gaze sweeping over Alastair and the two youths.
“Ah， these are your chosen ones? One fat boy， one skinny boy， and both so plain-looking，” he said.
“Don’t you look good? You’re like a rat hiding in a sewer， covered head to toe， a guy with a foul mouth，” Griffin was livid， his neck stiff.
Trying to hide his fear with a loud voice， he said， “I’m adorable， a symbol of wealth!”
He hated being called fat.
Two years ago， he had suffered a major illness， and since then， his body had swollen like a balloon. Even drinking cold water made him gain weight. He was helpless.
Phoenix’s gaze turned icy， a solid icicle sweeping across his face.
Griffin was instantly silenced， feeling a cold chill run up his spine， as if a venomous snake had locked his throat. His breathing paused.
Scott kicked him， whispering， “If you want to live， shut up! You can’t afford to anger this man!”
Griffin’s fear hit him， and he shrank， moving closer to the corner of the carriage to avoid Phoenix’s deadly gaze. Seeing the small boy’s cowardice， Phoenix ignored him and turned his full attention to Alastair.
