Alert! The Dragon Lord has emerged from seclusion!

"It's a long story." Lin Chen walked over and looked at Xingchen. "Now, let's talk about our matter."

Stardust smiled bitterly: "I know. As agreed, you offered three-tenths of your source energy to help me purify the star core, and I will let you leave."

"But..." He looked at Lin Chen, "You have now fused with seven origins, and your cultivation has greatly improved, while I have suffered severe losses. Killing me would be as easy as turning your hand."

Lin Chen was silent for a moment, then asked a question: "What do you plan to do after purifying the star core?"

Stardust paused for a moment, then said frankly, "The guardian's mission is complete. I will stay here and spend the rest of my life suppressing the star core to prevent it from being contaminated again."

"As for my father..." He looked at his trembling hands, "His remnant soul has become deeply fused with mine, and we can't separate them anymore."

"I will take him with me and protect this place together."

Lin Chen looked at the pure star core.

It now radiates a soft and steady starlight, no longer displaying its former rage and pollution.

Such a stellar core, if it falls into the hands of an ambitious person, could indeed cause a great disaster.

"I can spare your life," Lin Chen said slowly, "but you need to swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao—that you shall never leave Death Valley, never use the Star Core for evil, and never reveal what happened today."

"Furthermore, I will leave a restriction on the star core. If you break your oath, the restriction will detonate the star core, reducing you to ashes."

Stardust nodded without hesitation: "Okay."

He bit his tongue, using his blood as a catalyst, and swore an oath to the heavens: "I, Stardust, swear in the name of the Guardian of Stars that I will guard Death Valley for the rest of my life, never committing evil, never leaving the valley, and never revealing secrets. If I disobey, may my soul be scattered to the winds!"

The moment the oath was made, an invisible force of constraint descended upon him.

Lin Chen also walked to the star core, formed a hand seal, and sent a wisp of chaotic true energy, which was fused with the seven origins, into the depths of the star core.

That was a restriction that only he could trigger.

After doing all this, Lin Chen looked at everyone and said, "It's time to leave."

There were eight people when they arrived, and there were still eight people when they left, except for one more, Luo Changfeng, who had just woken up.

Stardust led them to the exit between the star cores—a natural stone staircase that wound its way up to the ground.

"This secret passage is known only to the Star Guardians, and it leads directly to the outside of Death Valley," Stardust said. "Once those monsters lose the support of the star core's contamination, they will gradually revert to normal biological forms, or simply perish naturally."

He looked at Luo Yunyi one last time, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Miss Luo, your Yao Guang Physique has been awakened."

"Although I have extracted three-tenths of your original essence, it will slowly recover over time."

"However... from now on, you may occasionally sense the presence of other stellar bodies. This is the price of awakening, and also a gift."

Luo Yunyi nodded, supporting her father, without saying anything more.

The group stepped onto the stone steps and began their long ascent.

After walking quite a distance, Lin Chen looked back.

Stardust remained standing, his black robes appearing solitary yet resolute against the silvery glow of the star core.

The last member of this family, which has guarded the star core for three hundred years, will spend the rest of his life continuing this mission.

Perhaps, this is destiny.

……

three days later.

At the foot of Kunlun Mountain, in a makeshift camp.

Luo Changfeng, wrapped in a blanket, sipped the medicinal soup prepared by Shen Qingqiu.

Although physically weak, he was fully conscious.

After listening to his daughter's brief account of her experiences over the past three years, the scholar remained silent for a long time.

"Star Core... Star Guardian... Seven Star Body..." he murmured, "So those ancient book fragments I discovered back then were all true."

He looked at Lin Chen, his gaze complex: "Mr. Lin, you said you have a marriage agreement with my daughter. May I see the token?"

Lin Chen took out the marriage certificate that belonged to Luo Yunyi.

Luo Changfeng carefully examined the paper, handwriting, and seal, especially the depiction of the butterfly birthmark, and finally sighed, "That's right, this is indeed my father's handwriting—that is, Yunyi's grandfather's handwriting."

"My father, Luo Shanhe, traveled extensively in his youth and met a mysterious Taoist priest. According to him, the priest possessed extraordinary spiritual cultivation and had once saved his life."

"My father did mention the engagement to me before he passed away, but he was vague about it. He only said that if someone came to me with a marriage certificate one day, I must treat them well."

Luo Changfeng smiled bitterly: "I thought it was just an old person's obsession at the time, but I didn't expect... it was true."

He looked at his daughter: "Yunyi, what do you think about this?"

All eyes were on Luo Yunyi.

She sat beside her father, head down, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

After emerging from the star core, she remained quiet and hardly spoke.

When her father asked her about it, she looked up, glanced at Lin Chen, then at the five women with different personalities beside him, and finally said softly, "I... don't know."

"The engagement was arranged by my grandfather, and I've never even met that Taoist priest." Her voice was soft but clear. "Besides, Mr. Lin already has five...confidantes."

These words created a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Ye Qingcheng crossed her arms and turned her face away.

Shen Qingqiu continued tidying up the medicine box, but her movements were a beat slower.

Chu Ling'er and Mu Qingyao exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat at a loss.

Only Lin Chen looked at Luo Yunyi calmly and said, "Regarding the engagement, I've said before that I won't force you."

"My primary purpose in seeking you out was to protect you from the Netherworld Sect. Now that the crisis is over, the choice is in each of your hands."

He took out five more marriage certificates and laid them out in a row:

"Su Qingxue, Qin Yurou, Ye Qingcheng, Shen Qingqiu, Chu Ling'er, Mu Qingyao, plus you, Luo Yunyi—seven marriage certificates, corresponding to seven individuals with the Nine Yin Body."

"Although the Netherworld Sect's 'Seven Stars Return' plan failed, your special physiques are an objective fact."

"Whether it will be coveted by other forces in the future is anyone's guess."

"So," Lin Chen said seriously, "my suggestion is that you should at least stay in touch and look out for each other. As for the engagement... if you don't want it, you can break it off."

"I won't break it off." Ye Qingcheng was the first to speak, her tone decisive. "Whether the engagement is final or not doesn't matter, but I acknowledge you as a person."

"Count me in if anything happens in the future."

Shen Qingqiu adjusted his glasses: "As a physician, I need to continuously observe the long-term effects of the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Body and the Nine Yin Body after they are harmonized."

"Therefore, I will stay by your side to continue my research."

These words sounded grand and dignified, but the slight blush on her ears betrayed her.

Chu Ling'er whispered, "I...I want to follow Brother Lin. A spiritual body needs guidance, and...and I like being with everyone."

Mu Qingyao nodded vigorously: "Me too! I also want to learn medicine from Sister Shen and self-control from Sister Chu..."