September 9th, the Double Ninth Festival, early morning.
As dawn approached, the sky was clear with no clouds in sight. The nine stars shone exceptionally brightly, their combined light overshadowing the countless stars scattered across the heavens.
The nine stars aligned.
Seven of them had already formed a straight line—known as the Seven Stars Aligning. The eighth star slowly moved, aligning itself with the seven.
"Whoosh!"
Eight stars in a row! A faint wave of light spread outwards. After the wave, the nine stars became even more brilliant, while the other stars in the sky grew dimmer.
But it wasn't over yet. The ninth star continued its movement, gradually joining the alignment.
Across the world, countless powerful beings gazed at the sky, waiting for the moment of the Nine-Star Alignment.
September 9th, the Double Ninth Festival, also known as the Day of the Sun's Zenith. On this day, when the balance between yin and yang is disrupted, peak cultivators seize the opportunity to break through to higher realms and defy destiny.
The Nine-Star Alignment was a rare event, occurring only once every thousand years. With the alignment, the gates of heaven would open!
When the gates of heaven opened, the breath of the underworld flowed into the realm of the living, nourishing the souls and spirits of the world. This boon made it easier for peak cultivators to breakthrough.
The world's top warriors were all stirred with anticipation, waiting for the celestial phenomenon.
However, ordinary people could not perceive the profound nature of this celestial event. Most likely, many were still lost in their dreams at this moment.
At the foot of a large mountain, in a vast bamboo grove!
In the center, there was a clearing with several houses made entirely of bamboo. Despite their construction, the bamboo cottages were grand and elegant.
"Kill them!"
"Protect the prince!"
Outside the bamboo cottage, chaos reigned.
On one side were forty silver-armored soldiers, holding long spears and defending the bamboo cottage. On the other side were two hundred black-armored soldiers, wielding battle blades, engaged in a fierce fight with the silver-armored soldiers.
The silver-armored soldiers fought valiantly, outnumbered four to one, their bodies covered in wounds, and their armor stained with blood, yet they refused to retreat.
The battle raged on, with the most intense fighting between the two leaders.
The silver-armored leader was a middle-aged man around thirty, while the black-armored leader was a forty-year-old man with a dark face.
"Ho Guang, what are you still doing in the Great Yan Kingdom? You've achieved great feats on the front lines, yet now you're just a mere guard for a young master? Come to the Great Zheng Kingdom. I'll recommend you to the Grand Marshal, and you'll at least get a position as a lieutenant!" the black-armored leader urged.
"Dogs and pigs may forget loyalty and righteousness, but I, Ho Guang, have never!" Ho Guang retorted. "Once my Protector Camp arrives, none of you will escape!"
"Dogs and pigs? Hmph, ungrateful. Today, that bastard must die. Our dynasty's enshrined protector has set up a grand formation outside. No news from within will leak out. The Protector Camp will never find out. Give up on that hope. I'll give you one more chance—surrender or not?" the black-armored leader demanded.
"Surrender? Hahaha, my Ho family has always valued loyalty. We've never feared death. If I were to betray my country out of fear today, how could I face my ancestors? If you want to harm the prince, you'll have to step over my dead body!" Ho Guang declared.
"Not surrendering? Then die!" The black-armored leader's eyes darkened as he swung his blade at Ho Guang again.
"Boom!"
Ho Guang blocked the attack, but the surrounding silver-armored soldiers were finding it increasingly difficult to resist.
"Sizzle!"
"Sizzle!"
…
Several silver-armored soldiers were slain on the spot. The black-armored soldiers grew more ferocious as the battle continued.
"You want me, Ho Guang, to betray my country? Dream on! Toxic Dragon Piercer!" Ho Guang's spear suddenly gleamed with a silver light.
"Boom!"
The black-armored leader was startled, retreating seven steps before stabilizing himself.
"Kill! Kill Ho Guang!" the black-armored leader roared with rage.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
…
Five more black-armored soldiers joined the fight against Ho Guang!
The silver-armored soldiers were on the brink of annihilation, but none of them yielded. They held their ground, defending the bamboo cottage.
Outside the main bamboo cottage stood seven or eight servants, their faces pale and bodies trembling. The leader among them was a middle-aged eunuch dressed in court attire, holding a whisk and looking anxious.
At that moment, the ninth star finally aligned with the line of eight.
"Boom!"
The Nine-Star Alignment created a deafening roar throughout the heavens.
"Whoosh!"
A fierce wind began to blow, and countless black clouds appeared in the sky, stretching endlessly.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
…
With the appearance of the dark clouds, heavy rain began to pour.
Under the celestial phenomenon, the two sides of soldiers outside the bamboo cottage were too absorbed in their battle to notice, thinking it was just ordinary rain. The only difference was that the surroundings darkened, giving the silver-armored soldiers a slight respite.
The silver-armored soldiers swore to protect the bamboo cottage and the prince inside at all costs.
The middle-aged eunuch looked sorrowful. "Old Emperor, I beg you, protect the prince with your spirit!"
Inside the main bamboo cottage, the door was tightly closed.
The interior resembled a study, with eight redwood bookshelves filled with various books. A large redwood desk stood in the center, with ink, brushes, and paper neatly arranged. Sixteen glazed oil lamps cast a bright light throughout the room.
On the eastern side was a wooden bed with a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth lying on it.
The youth was dressed in an elaborate yellow robe embroidered with dragons, lying motionless, his face ashen, and his forehead covered in sweat, as if in great pain.
"Buzz!"
A green light flickered across the youth's face, then vanished, only to reappear again and again. The youth's sleep grew increasingly tormented.
For hours, the youth's suffering showed no signs of abating.
At the moment of the Nine-Star Alignment, a chilling wind swept through the room.
"Whoosh!"
The chill was suddenly drawn towards the youth, sucked into the "Heaven's Gate" point on his forehead.
"Boom!"
The Heaven's Gate point erupted with a loud bang. A surge of green light enveloped the youth's body, and a powerful aura burst forth from him.
The sixteen flames in the room flickered violently, as if threatened by the powerful aura.
"Rumble!" The youth's body emitted a series of booming sounds.
"Roar!"
A dragon's roar suddenly emanated from within the youth. The roar was grand, yet strangely, no one outside heard it.
The aura from the youth grew stronger, rising steadily.
Through the bamboo cottage, it reached the sky.
"Boom!"
The dark clouds above the bamboo cottage were shattered by the powerful aura, and the heavy rain began to dissipate.
As the clouds broke apart, a dragon-shaped white cloud formed above the cottage, swirling with majestic horns and fierce eyes staring at the heavens!
Unfortunately, before dawn, the fighting soldiers did not notice the distant, high-altitude phenomenon.
Inside the cottage.
The green light gradually settled within the youth. His eyes suddenly opened.
"Whoosh!"
Two sharp beams of light shot from his eyes, and the atmosphere seemed to be swept by a strong wind.
However, the youth quickly adapted to his surroundings, and his aura gradually receded.
His gaze was deep and wise, filled with an age and experience beyond that of a mere seventeen or eighteen-year-old.
Nearby, a mirror stood.
The youth walked slowly to the mirror, extending his arms to examine his hands, and then touched his face.
"Just the same. This appearance is identical to my previous life!" The youth squinted and sighed.
He then lifted his left sleeve to reveal a birthmark on his wrist, resembling a seed.
Gently stroking the birthmark with his right middle finger, the youth's eyes narrowed. "'Destiny Alteration' technique? It was worth my effort to unlock that immortal tomb… Destiny Alteration? The secret technique left by the immortal in that tomb is indeed marvelous!"
"Immortal Tomb Treasure?" The youth seemed to recall a painful memory, his brow furrowing deeply, his eyes flashing with rage.
Surveying the study, he walked over to the desk.
On the desk were several dozen brushes.
The youth glanced briefly and picked one with a purple jade dragon handle.
Dipping it in ink, the youth's eyes burned with anger, his face darkening. He began to write on the prepared rice paper.
His eyes were filled with hatred and rage, but his hand was steady as a mountain, writing each stroke with precision.
"Whoosh!"
A whirlwind suddenly swept through the room, rapidly circulating through every corner. Books were flipped by the wind, and small items were tossed around. Strangely, the whirlwind avoided each oil lamp, keeping the flames intact.
The youth himself did not emit any aura; the fierce wind was caused by the characters he wrote. The first character he wrote, "Zhen," was so powerful it seemed to stir up a storm.
If any cultivator skilled in calligraphy saw this, they would be shocked, for the youth's writing had reached the realm of "The Brush Stirs the Wind"!