Chapter 56: Star God's Broken Shadow

At this moment, Yunzhe had undergone a complete transformation, as if his very bones and flesh had been replaced. Even the profound weakness born from the torrent of blood he had once lost had vanished into the mists of time.

He stood beside the four fragmented corpses of the Jinlong, unsure how to proceed.

As Juliet had said, the body of this Jinlong—for him, for the entire Azure Wind Empire, even for the four mighty sects whose names echoed across the heavens—was nothing less than a treasure trove of unimaginable worth!!

This was a King-Xuan beast, a true dragon! Among all beasts, the dragon reigned as the supreme ruler, and everything belonging to a dragon of equal rank would utterly obliterate the treasures of lesser Xuan beasts. Its skin, flesh, blood, bones, horns, eyes, wings, and internal organs—all were treasures within treasures. The strongest being ever to emerge in the Azure Wind Land was the King-Xuan realm, which meant this Jinlong might very well be the first of its kind to be vanquished in an age! Such a corpse would hold incalculable value.

Especially its Xuan Dan. To obtain the Xuan Dan of a Heavenly Dragon, the Burning Heaven Sect dispatched five of their top cultivators of the Heavenly Xuan realm, trekking thousands of miles to this very place. As for the Xuan Dan of a King-Xuan dragon, even they dared not dream of such a thing.

The Jinlong’s body weighed at least hundreds of tons. Such a massive form, even split into four pieces, still loomed like four small mountains. Yunzhe withdrew a short blade from his Poison-Bead—though not particularly sharp, it had been brought from the Xiao Sect—testing it against the Jinlong’s corpse. A dull thud echoed as the blade bent upon striking the flesh. Only a shallow scar marked the dragon’s remains.

This Jinlong’s body was impervious even to the Burning Heaven Sect’s top cultivators’ Burning Blade. How could a mere ordinary dagger from Yunzhe slice through it?

Yet… such an incredibly dense body, yet Juliet had somehow cleaved it into four pieces in an instant. Thinking back to that scene, Yunzhe felt a chill crawl up his spine. How had Juliet, even starting from the womb, reached such a terrifying pinnacle? To her, all those “peerless geniuses” of the Azure Wind Empire were nothing more than scraps.

“Its skin and flesh you cannot cut. But the position where its Xuan Dan resides—Princess, I’ve already cleaved it open. Check the base of its neck.”

A voice echoed in Yunzhe’s mind—Juliet’s voice.

Yunzhe sheathed his blade and followed her direction. On the dragon’s corpse, at the severed end, he spotted an intensely brilliant scarlet glow.

It was—

Yunzhe sprang forward, his hand moving with precision to grasp that scarlet light. When he landed, in his palm rested a spherical orb, roughly three-fifths the size of his hand.

The Jinlong’s Xuan Dan!

An object capable of igniting chaos across the entire Azure Wind Land!

Yet for Yunzhe, it was utterly useless. If he dared attempt to refine and absorb its power, he would surely meet with a catastrophic explosion.

Having secured the Xuan Dan, the rest of the Jinlong’s body proved beyond his grasp. He merely stored the remains into the Poison-Bead. The spatial ring of the Tian-Xuan continent was exorbitantly expensive, and its space was limited to only a few factions. It could not contain such a massive corpse. But the Poison-Bead, brimming with boundless inner space, could easily accommodate even tenfold the size of this Jinlong without strain.

When Yunzhe finished collecting the Jinlong’s remains, Juliet spoke earnestly: “Within the next month, do not leave Red Dragon Range. Here, you must slay at least five nine-level or higher beasts or one first-level Xuan beast daily. During this time, do not attempt to break through—instead, focus on stabilizing your current Xuan power.”

“Understood!” Yunzhe nodded. Having ascended from the fourth level of Initial Xuan to the first level of Entry Xuan, he needed time to adapt to the sudden surge in his Xuan force.

“You mentioned teaching me Xuan techniques?”

“With your current Xuan force, Princess, I have only one technique to impart.”

“What is it?”

“Stellar Spirit Broken Shadow!” Juliet slowly spoke the name: “A martial arts Xuan technique. Its first stage requires only a small amount of Xuan force to activate.”

“A martial arts technique?” Yunzhe felt a touch disappointed: “Are there no attack-based techniques?”

“The attack techniques I possess, none can be cultivated by you in your current state. Though Stellar Spirit Broken Shadow is a martial arts technique, you must not underestimate it. Once unleashed, its speed will erupt in an instant, so swift that even the residual shadow cannot fade. If you master the first stage of Stellar Spirit Broken Shadow, you can face two opponents of equal rank and emerge victorious. Even if they are three or five levels above you, they need not fear your defeat.”

Juliet’s final words made Yunzhe’s blood boil: “And this is the only martial arts technique I possess!”

What sort of being was this Juliet? Her sole martial arts technique must be of such immense power. Yunzhe nodded immediately: “Very well, I’ll learn it. Now, let’s begin!” Juliet did not refuse. She simply said: “To cultivate Stellar Spirit Broken Shadow, you must possess exceptional aptitude. If your aptitude is sufficient, you can achieve minor success in three months. If not, you’ll never attain it even in a lifetime. How much you can learn, and how far you’ll progress, depends entirely on your own aptitude.”

“My current spirit is weak; I must rest soon in the Poison-Bead. I’ll first explain how to deploy Stellar Spirit Broken Shadow—the method of Xuan force circulation and the incantation… after that, it’s up to you.”

“Understood.” Yunzhe nodded solemnly, sat cross-legged, and began to listen intently to Juliet’s instruction. The cave of the Jinlong was far too dangerous for nearby residents or beasts to approach. The Burning Heaven Sect cultivators, too, had likely been terrified into retreat, so Yunzhe needed no one to disturb him here.

Stellar Spirit Broken Shadow… this was the first Xuan technique Yunzhe had ever cultivated in this world. Yet he had no idea what “Stellar Spirit” truly meant.

………………………………………………

A month later, Red Dragon Range.

The morning air was fresh and humid after a rain, droplets clinging to the leaves. A rustling in the grass signaled the sudden flight of birds, scattering into the distance. The grass parting, a white wolf—tall enough to match a man—emerged, its eyes gleaming with malice as it advanced.

As a first-level Xuan beast, it had far more prey than threats in this range. And due to the wolf’s presence, cultivators of the Initial Xuan realm dared not enter this area alone.

Soon, a target appeared in its sight—a young man in black robes walking toward it, his steps light, a tender smile on his youthful face, unaware of being watched by those terrible eyes. He approached step by step, drawing closer…

Whoosh!!

The wolf’s form shot from the grass like lightning, its explosive power terrifying. Even a true Xuan realm cultivator caught unprepared would have little chance of evading such a sudden attack. In the wolf’s gaze, its target was now within striking distance, teeth aimed at his throat—then it lunged.

Boom!!

The scene where the wolf was caught off guard unfolded. It had already touched the man’s body, about to clamp its jaws around his throat, yet in the next instant, its entire form passed through him, crashing to the ground. Only then did the young man’s image fade from that spot, and a powerful punch imbued with Xuan force slammed into the wolf’s right side, crushing its head with a thunderous crack. The beast howled in agony, blood spurting from every eye socket, and collapsed into unconsciousness.

Yunzhe patted his hand, paid the wolf no further mind, and continued on his way.

“You stabilized the first stage of Stellar Spirit Broken Shadow in just a month! Your ten-six years of disability were a waste of such prodigious aptitude!” Juliet couldn’t help but remark. She had assumed Yunzhe would need at least three months to achieve the first stage, yet here he was, having made remarkable progress in a single month, able to unleash the first stage of Stellar Spirit Broken Shadow at will.

————————————————

[These recent updates have been posted quite late, causing readers to wait uncomfortably. I sincerely apologize. It wasn’t for lack of time during the day—I simply hit a wall with the writing lately. I was stuck, desperate to push forward. The overall structure of the story, from its early to mid to late stages, is clear in my mind, but this particular segment has had me torn for days.]

[According to my original plan, Yunzhe would leave Red Dragon Range, enter New Moon City, and under various circumstances join the New Moon Sect. But the problem arose—my draft is already nearing twenty thousand words, and the protagonist, aside from the brief explosion after using the Star Hiding Dan to defeat Xiao Yulong, has remained suppressed or crouching, relying on women’s protection (first Summer Qingyue, then Juliet). From a reader’s perspective, especially my own tastes, I’ve written nearly twenty thousand words without the protagonist truly unleashing his power, letting him swagger and trample others under the guise of female protection—it’s unbearable! I can’t stand it!

If I proceed as originally planned, entering New Moon City would bring a period of calm. I feared this lull might drain readers’ patience. Having read the earlier volumes of *Stellar Transformation*, I know my protagonist typically starts arrogant and grows into his power by the end. Yet here, I’ve yet to see him truly explode. Even I can’t bear it anymore!!

So I’ve been desperately trying to figure out how to write the next section to make it enjoyable, not tedious. This would require altering some prior plans… I spent a day pulling my hair out over it. Then came the problem… every time I grabbed my hair and touched a metal door handle, a sharp *zap* would jolt me! Is this the legendary lightning-type ability? W-well, I’ve developed an ability!! Are you going to take me away as a lab rat?? Aaaah… I’m scared… scared so much I can’t type!!]