Chapter 41: Battle! Star Child

Xing Chenzi stared straight ahead, his pace slowing down compared to before. He took off his large bundle, swung his right hand forward with all his might, and struck the leader in the black robe.

The black-robed leader slowly turned around, looked at the person in front of him, and said, "Where did this wild brat come from? If you don't want to die, get lost!"

"Haha, your grandpa is right here, come and hit me!" Xing Chenzi wore a provocative expression, turned around, and stuck out his backside at them.

The figure of the man in the black robe flashed. Like a leopard in the dark night, he crossed several meters in an instant, his speed kicking up a faint gust of wind as he lunged straight at Xing Chenzi.

His right leg raised abruptly, muscles taut as if gathering the strength of his entire body, drawing a sharp arc in the air before landing a fierce kick squarely on Xing Chenzi's undefended backside.

"Bang!" With a muffled thud, Xing Chenzi felt as though he had been struck by a giant boulder. He lost his balance, staggered forward a few steps, and then crashed heavily onto the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.

He propped himself up with his hands, barely managing to lift his upper body. A mixed expression of shock and pain crossed his face, his mouth twitching slightly as he gritted his teeth and forced back a cry.

He looked back at the man in the black robe, his eyes holding a mixture of unwillingness and a trace of admiration, and muttered, "Ouch, that kick of yours packs a punch! But it's still way too early to make me yield!"

With that, he struggled to stand up. Amidst the rising dust, his unyielding stubbornness stood out vividly.

Xing Chenzi drew the sword from his back, his gaze far firmer than before, and said, "Let them go, or else your grandpa here will chop off your dog head!" There was deep contempt in his words.

The man in the black robe did not waste words. He crossed several paces in a flash, seized Xing Chenzi by the neck with one hand, and lifted him slowly into the air. "Little brat, how dare you speak to me like that? Didn't your parents teach you? Let me teach you some manners then!"

"You need to respect your elders, understand?" With that, he tossed Xing Chenzi toward a nearby tree. "Bang!" Xing Chenzi collided with the trunk, producing a dull, resonant thud.

Xing Chenzi was slammed heavily against the tree trunk. The tremendous impact shook his entire body, making even the tree seem to tremble.

With his back against the tree, his body curled up from the pain, and a thin trail of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, yet he refused to submit.

His eyes shone exceptionally bright in the dim light, flashing with the brilliant light of defiance and fury.

He raised his head with difficulty, his gaze piercing as he stared straight into the cold and merciless face of the man in the black robe.

His hands were clenched tightly into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he wanted to concentrate all his frustration and anger into this single moment.

"Cough... cough..." Xing Chenzi managed a few coughs, his voice weak yet resolute. "You're wrong. Respect is not something gained through coercion, but earned through strength."

"Today, I will show you what true respect is!" Carried by a certain mystical power, Xing Chenzi's mind and soul became completely immersed in the moment.

Xing Chenzi held his breath, locking his gaze on the illusory and unpredictable sword shadows, reciting the incantation silently in his heart: "First sword revolves, second sword slashes, third sword sweeps..." As he chanted inwardly, the wooden sword in his hand seemed to be imbued with a soul, its tip tracing gorgeous patterns in the air.

"Sister Ghost Spirit, please grant me strength!" Xing Chenzi slowly closed his eyes, entering that realm of absolute nothingness.

***

"Xing Chenzi, follow me and chant the incantation: 'All under heaven is dust; I, Xing Chenzi, shall be the one to cleave the dust.'" Their voices blended into one as they spoke simultaneously.

As Xing Chenzi's low and resolute voice echoed through the void, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, and even the wind held its breath.

His consciousness gradually broke free from the shackles of reality, stepping into a bizarre and fantastical world.

Here, the stars shone brilliantly yet felt within arm's reach, each star containing ancient and formidable power.

Xing Chenzi's figure began to blur, as if merging into this ocean of stars.

He closed his eyes, yet he could clearly feel the power surging from the void—warm and majestic, like a mother's embrace and a father's guidance all at once. His heartbeat resonated with the pulse of the stars, every beat causing a slight tremor in the surrounding celestial bodies.

Xing Chenzi said, "I can feel power surging through my entire body."

"Here I come, mister!" Xing Chenzi picked up the sword from the ground. The power from the void poured continuously into the blade, and that single-edged sword seemed to spring to life.

Before he knew it, Xing Chenzi was moving uncontrollably, following the sword's lead as he gripped the hilt tightly.

That sword drove the black-robed leader back step after step.

Xing Chenzi's figure unfolded like a shooting star piercing the night sky. The tip of the sword in his hand flashed with a dazzling radiance—the condensed power of the stars—with every blade-light containing the power to tear through the darkness. He let out a low cry, and his figure surged forward instantly. The sword tip sliced through the air, emitting a sharp whistle as it aimed directly at the heart of the man in the black robe.

Seeing this, a flash of panic crossed the black-robed man's eyes, but it was instantly replaced by viciousness. With one hand, he tightly gripped a strange longsword drawn from his waist. The blade was pitch-black and exuded a faint, chilling light, clearly an extraordinary artifact.

The black-robed man retreated violently while flicking his wrist, his longsword tracing a bizarre arc in the air to violently collide with Xing Chenzi's sword beam.

Bang! The sword light and the blade produced a subtle flash of sparks...

The laughter of the man in the black robe echoed in the night sky, tinged with a chilling and madness-driven tone.

His legs seemed rooted to the ground as the posture of his clasped hands suddenly changed. His right hand slammed fiercely against his left eye. Accompanied by a low roar, his left eye slowly cracked open, spilling a vast amount of ink-black liquid that rapidly condensed in mid-air into writhing tentacles, resembling monsters from the abyss as they swept frantically toward Xing Chenzi.

The surfaces of these tentacles were covered in a sticky fluid that emitted a nauseating stench, gleaming with an eerie blue light under the moonlight. Every wave was accompanied by the distortion and tearing sound of the air.

Seeing this, Xing Chenzi's pupils constricted sharply. He could feel the evil and terror contained within those tentacles, as if they could devour all light and vitality.

"Come on! Little brat!" the black-robed leader shouted, throwing his head back in wild, dark laughter. Wherever the black mist passed, flowers and plants turned to ashes.

Faced with this sudden and terrifying spectacle, though turbulent waves raged in his heart, Xing Chenzi's gaze grew increasingly resolute.

He took a deep breath, and the starlight power within his body seemed thoroughly awakened. A faint ring of light enveloped his body, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding darkness and evil.

***

The black mist surged like a tidal wave. Xing Chenzi leaped lightly, like the brightest star in the night sky, dodging the first wave of attacks.

Infused with starlight power, the sword in his hand gleamed with brilliant radiance. Every swing was accompanied by a faint rumble of thunder—the melody of the stars resonating with heaven and earth.

"Dawn of the stars, purge the darkness!" Xing Chenzi roared softly, the tip of his sword flicking upward. A dazzling sword beam soared into the sky like a dragon, meeting the overwhelming black mist head-on.

The sword light and the black mist collided fiercely in the air, bursting into a dazzling brilliance as if day had broken prematurely.

The clash between the sword tip and the black mist was like stars wrestling with the shadows, devouring the blade's power and making it grow ever stronger. "Sister Ghost Spirit, what should I do?" Sister Ghost Spirit replied, "It's fine, channel all your power into a single strike and unleash it!"

Around the blade, purple lightning coiled and expanded rapidly, weaving a breathtaking picture of light and darkness locked in a decisive battle.

Xing Chenzi's sword was no longer ordinary iron; the purple lightning wrapped around it roared like an angry dragon, every single arc of current containing world-shattering might.

The purple electricity not only illuminated the surroundings but also cast Xing Chenzi's silhouette as heroic and fearless, as if he were the sole emissary of light in this dark world.

With a furious shout from Xing Chenzi, all his power converged at the tip of the sword. Ten thousand swords returned to one, transforming into an unstoppable purple sword beam that tore through the firmament and aimed directly at the heart of the black-robed man.

Wherever the sword beam passed, the air seemed torn apart, leaving scorched trails in its wake. Even the surging black mist trembled and retreated before this power, unable to swallow a single ray of light.

The clash between the sword tip and the black mist reached a fever pitch. Xing Chenzi's eyes flashed with absolute resolve and defiance. At this moment, the purple lightning-wrapped blade seemed to condense the purest energy between heaven and earth, dazzling and brilliant.

As the power within his body was fully released, the purple light at the tip of the sword swelled abruptly like a blooming purple lotus, instantly illuminating the surrounding darkness and revealing his resolute face and unyielding soul.

"Break!" Xing Chenzi roared, his voice like thunder echoing across the heavens. At that moment, time seemed to freeze and all things fell silent, save for the purple sword beam—condensed with starlight power—that pierced through layers of black mist with unstoppable momentum, stabbing straight toward the heart of the man in the black robe.

Where the sword beam passed, the black mist scattered like morning fog scorched by the blazing sun, exposing the terrified, distorted face beneath the black robe.

Seeing the purple sword beam rushing toward them like the light of judgment, the black-robed figures turned as pale as paper, their eyes filled with disbelief and terror.

Caring no longer for the life or death of their companions, they bolted upright and scattered in all directions like startled night owls. In the night sky, black robes fluttered like fast-moving shadows, attempting to escape this abyss of death.

Xing Chenzi did not pursue them. He merely gazed coldly at their retreating backs, the purple lightning-wrapped tip of his sword slowly lowering, though the chilling pressure still lingered in the surroundings.

His figure appeared exceptionally solitary yet unyielding, resembling a god of war returning from the battlefield, draped in a faint halo of starlight that contrasted sharply with the fleeing darkness.