The small clearing where Xu Tian’s group rested was quiet, the only sounds the faint rustle of leaves and the crackle of a small fire. The fight with the Wrathbringer had left them shaken, their exhaustion weighing heavy in the stillness of the night.

  Xu Tian sat apart from the others, his back against a gnarled tree. His shadows flickered faintly at his feet, sluggish and uneven, as though even they had been drained by the battle. His body ached, and the whispers of the star, though quieter now, still gnawed at the edges of his mind.

  “You should have let me take over,” the star murmured, its voice cold and insistent. “You barely survived because of your pride. Do you think you can keep fighting like this?”

  Xu Tian closed his eyes, his jaw tightening. “I survived because I didn’t let you consume me,” he muttered under his breath.

  The star laughed, the sound low and mocking. “For now. But every time you call on my power, you come closer to losing yourself. You cannot win without me.”

  The tension in the group was palpable as Yan Mei handed out bowls of thin soup, her movements careful and deliberate. Qiao Rui leaned against a nearby rock, his bow resting on his lap as he watched Xu Tian with a mixture of curiosity and unease.

  “So,” Qiao Rui said, breaking the silence, “that was something.”

  Xu Tian glanced at him, his expression unreadable. “What’s your point?”

  “My point,” Qiao Rui said, his tone casual but edged with something sharper, “is that you’re walking a very thin line. That star of yours—it’s not just power, is it? It’s something worse.”

  Yan Mei shot Qiao Rui a warning look. “That’s enough.”

  “No, he’s right,” Xu Tian said, his voice flat. He set his bowl down, his shadows rippling faintly. “The star’s power isn’t a gift. It’s a curse. And every time I use it, it takes a little more of me.”

  Yan Mei’s expression softened. “Then why keep using it?”

  “Because if I don’t, I die,” Xu Tian said simply. “And so does anyone who stands with me.”

  Qiao Rui raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading. “Well, that’s grim.”

  Xu Tian didn’t respond. He stared into the fire, his mind racing with thoughts he didn’t dare voice aloud.

  Far away, within the Scarlet Peak Sect’s grand hall, the sect master sat upon his throne, his expression calm as he listened to the reports from his subordinates. The Wrathbringer’s failure had not deterred him; if anything, it had only strengthened his resolve.

  “He grows stronger,” the sect master said, his voice even. “But he is still vulnerable. The star is feeding on him, as we knew it would.”

  An elder stepped forward, their robes shimmering with faint spiritual energy. “And what of the Obsidian Covenant?” they asked. “They have not contacted us since their defeat.”

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  The sect master’s lips curled into a faint smile. “The Covenant was a tool. Their role in this is over. Now, we will proceed with the next phase.”

  He gestured to a robed figure standing in the shadows. They stepped forward, their face obscured by a mask etched with intricate, glowing runes.

  “You have your orders,” the sect master said. “Bring him to me, alive. And if anyone stands in your way…”

  The masked figure inclined their head. “Understood.”

  Back at the camp, Yan Mei approached Xu Tian, her expression hesitant. She sat down beside him, her presence quiet but grounding.

  “You’ve been quiet,” she said softly.

  Xu Tian shrugged. “What’s there to say?”

  “You could start by telling me what’s really going on with the star,” Yan Mei said. “I’ve seen cultivators wield incredible power before, but this… this is different. It’s not just draining you. It’s changing you.”

  Xu Tian hesitated, his shadows curling faintly at his feet. For a moment, he considered brushing her off, but something in her gaze stopped him.

  “The star isn’t just a source of power,” he said finally. “It’s alive. It speaks to me, constantly. It wants me to give in, to let it take control. And every time I use it, it gets harder to resist.”

  Yan Mei’s brow furrowed. “Then why keep using it?”

  “Because I don’t have a choice,” Xu Tian said, his voice hard. “Without the star, I’m just… broken. Crippled. Weak.”

  Yan Mei’s hand rested lightly on his shoulder. “You’re not weak,” she said firmly. “And you’re not broken. Whatever the star tells you, it’s lying. You’re still you, Xu Tian. Don’t let it take that away.”

  For a moment, Xu Tian didn’t respond. Then he nodded, though his expression remained grim.

  Dawn came slowly, the pale light creeping over the horizon as the group packed up their camp. Xu Tian was silent as they prepared to move, his thoughts heavy with doubt.

  As they started down the trail, Qiao Rui suddenly stopped, his hand raised in a silent signal.

  “Trouble,” he said, his voice low.

  Xu Tian tensed, his shadows stirring instinctively as he scanned the area. The forest around them was quiet—too quiet. Even the birds had gone silent.

  Then he felt it: a faint, almost imperceptible pulse of energy, like a ripple in still water. It was distant, but it was coming closer.

  “They’re tracking us,” Xu Tian said, his voice grim.

  “Who?” Yan Mei asked, her talismans already in hand.

  Xu Tian’s expression darkened. “Scarlet Peak. And they’re not sending amateurs this time.”

  The group moved quickly, but the sense of pursuit grew stronger with every step. By midday, they reached a narrow gorge, its rocky walls towering above them like jagged teeth. The only way forward was a narrow path that wound along the edge of the cliff.

  “This is a trap,” Qiao Rui said, his tone grim.

  Xu Tian nodded. “They know we’re here. We need to move quickly.”

  But as they began crossing the gorge, the air grew heavy with an oppressive energy. Xu Tian stopped, his shadows flickering around him as he turned to face the path behind them.

  A figure emerged from the shadows, their presence radiating power. They were clad in dark robes, their face obscured by a mask etched with glowing runes. The energy around them crackled with menace, distorting the air like heat waves.

  “Xu Tian,” the figure said, their voice calm but cold. “The Scarlet Peak Sect has sent me to collect you. Come quietly, and I promise your suffering will be brief.”

  Xu Tian stepped forward, his shadows rising defensively. “If you think I’m just going to let you take me, you’re dumber than you look.”

  The figure tilted their head, their masked face unreadable. “So be it.”

  The figure raised a hand, and the air around them shimmered as a massive wave of energy surged toward Xu Tian and his group. The ground beneath their feet trembled, cracks spidering through the rocky path as the attack bore down on them.

  Xu Tian braced himself, his shadows coiling tightly around him as he prepared to fight.

  Far above, the sky darkened, the faint shimmer of stars barely visible through the gathering clouds.

  The hunt was far from over.