Legend says that 300 years ago, when the Star-Gazing Secret Realm was first discovered by humanity, its environment was far more dangerous than it is now.
Inside the Star-Gazing Secret Realm, meteors fell at every moment. Their power was so immense that they could reduce a 7th stage Martial Artist to ashes.
This was also the origin of the name “Star-Gazing.” Back then, inside the Star-Gazing Secret Realm, you truly could watch a meteor shower together.
Such a perilous secret realm made it impossible to investigate its interior.
At that time, one of humanity’s top 9th stage Martial Artists, the Order Adjudicator Zhang San, took action.
Legend has it that Zhang San entered martial arts through scholarship. For the first 40 years of his life, he did not cultivate any martial knowledge and devoted himself solely to reading. At the age of 40, he suddenly entered the Enlightenment State and stepped into the 9th stage in just three steps, becoming one of the most powerful Martial Artists.
His brush pointed straight toward the layered clouds, judging men, judging gods, and even judging immortals.
With a single stroke of his brush, Zhang San directly reconstructed the order within the Star-Gazing Secret Realm. The falling meteors transformed into countless strands of Star Radiance that gently scattered across the land, no longer possessing destructive power.
Just as Zhang San intended to further transform the Star-Gazing Secret Realm, he suddenly stopped writing and withdrew, never interfering with it again.
When later questioned, Zhang San sighed and said that the Star-Gazing Secret Realm was not truly a secret realm, but a massive prison.
If he altered it further, he might release whatever was imprisoned inside.
After finishing her account, Leng Tianjiao raised her eyes toward the Star-Devouring Worms and added, “It is said that originally there were no living creatures inside the Star-Gazing Secret Realm. The Star-Devouring Worms only appeared after the meteors transformed into Star Radiance.”
Zhu Ping’an fell into thought. If the legend were true and the Star-Gazing Secret Realm was a prison, then the original meteors were likely meant to suppress the prisoner inside.
And the Star-Devouring Worms lived by consuming Star Radiance…
“Are the Star-Devouring Worms the creation of whatever was suppressed inside the Star-Gazing Secret Realm?” Zhu Ping’an made a bold assumption.
“I think so too. Judging from the current situation… it’s likely that whatever was sealed inside is about to come out,” Leng Tianjiao replied calmly, though a trace of worry flickered in her eyes.
Even Zhang San, a 9th stage Martial Artist known as the Order Adjudicator, had feared that thing. If it were to break free, none of them would survive. Perhaps the entire city of Qingcheng would be reduced to ruins.
In truth, Leng Tianjiao was extremely anxious, but standing beside Zhu Ping’an gave her an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
“Zhu Ping’an…”
Just as Leng Tianjiao was about to say something, a soft and delicate voice interrupted her.
Yan Shubing ran over quickly, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, and threw herself directly into Zhu Ping’an’s arms.
“Brother Ping’an, I’m so scared. What exactly happened in the Star-Gazing Secret Realm? Sob, sob.”
Yan Shubing acted spoiled in his embrace. She had already gone to look for Ye Qingxian, but he was injured. After learning from him that Zhu Ping’an had wounded him, she comforted Ye Qingxian briefly and then came here under the pretext of standing up for him.
After weighing the pros and cons, it was clear that Zhu Ping’an could better protect her at this moment. She no longer cared about being hugged.
“Don’t worry. I will definitely protect you,” Zhu Ping’an said gently, rubbing Yan Shubing’s head and gazing at her affectionately, while inwardly calm as a rock.
What a joke. The male lead, the female lead, and him, the second male lead, were all here. Could the Star-Gazing Secret Realm really overturn the heavens?
Watching this scene, Leng Tianjiao clenched her fair hands tightly until her knuckles turned white.
She did not know why, but seeing Zhu Ping’an and Yan Shubing being so intimate made her feel vaguely uncomfortable.
Zhu Ping’an had deliberately acted that way for Leng Tianjiao to see. If you constantly chase your goddess, she will not value you. But if one day you suddenly turn to pursue another woman, especially one not even as good as your goddess, your goddess will inevitably feel uncomfortable. Humans are strange creatures.
“I’m leaving.”
Leng Tianjiao’s pride did not allow her to lose composure, so she turned and walked away.
At that moment, the ground suddenly trembled violently. The earth shook and mountains quaked, and many people were thrown to the ground.
A crack split open at the top of the slope. Only then did everyone realize that it was not a slope at all. It was clearly a massive grave.
The grave split open, and a humanoid creature bound by several iron chains rose slowly from its depths.
The creature stood about 3 meters tall, its entire body covered in black scales that shimmered coldly under the starlight. Its muscles were knotted and powerful, like a giant lizard that had just taken human form. A bloodthirsty aura emanated from it. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Everyone felt suffocated by the pressure radiating from the creature. This was not something that 1st stage Martial Artists like them could handle.
No matter how talented they were, they were still only 1st stage Martial Artists.
“I have finally… seen the light of day again…”
The humanoid creature opened its eyes. They were blood-red vertical pupils, filled with an eerie aura, staring directly at the star curtain above.
Perhaps due to being sealed for too long, even its speech was somewhat stiff.
“Ancient Star Sage, you lost. When I step out of here, I will let your human race know what true cruelty is!”
The creature roared at the sky, venting the resentment accumulated over countless years of imprisonment. Then it lowered its gaze toward the College Entrance Examination candidates.
“Only a little over a hundred humans? But it’s enough. Enough to restore one percent of my strength.”
“My children and grandchildren, come!”
As soon as its voice fell, the surrounding Star-Devouring Worms surged toward it like a rushing river, desperately burrowing into its body.
As more and more worms entered, the iron chains binding the creature gradually lost their starlight glow. Once they completely dimmed, they shattered.
Everyone shuddered. So the Star-Devouring Worms were the offspring that had crawled out from this monster?
Zhu Ping’an felt a wave of nausea.
“Damn it, how many times did this monster secretly release inside the Star-Gazing Secret Realm to produce so many descendants? Producing them is one thing, but then you eat them back? Self-produced and self-sold, is that it?”
The moment he said this, the expressions of those around him turned strange. Even the humanoid creature absorbing the worms paused for a moment.
Producing them yourself, eating them yourself, self-produced and self-sold.
When everyone connected those three key words to the creature, it suddenly did not seem as terrifying anymore. It even felt somewhat absurd.
The creature’s murderous vertical pupils locked onto Zhu Ping’an. After a moment of uncertainty, it asked, “Why… do you carry the aura of the Ancient Star Sage? What are you to him?”