I want to tread the heavens

The registration line was despair-inducingly long. After queuing for an entire afternoon, as the sun began to set, I finally reached the registration table. The process itself wasn't complicated: they checked my temporary ID, used a bronze mirror-like artifact similar to those used by the Sky Patrol Guards to assess my bone age and cultivation level, recorded my name and origin (Ling Xiao still registered as "a wandering cultivator"), and I received a wooden numbered tag. That was it. His number was "T-zone, 7421," an inconspicuous number. Specific arrangements for the preliminary selection would be announced on the notice board in the square ten days after the registration deadline.

Clutching the rough wooden sign, he squeezed out of the still bustling square without pausing for a moment. With Fa Cai by his side, he traversed the streets and alleys, quickly returning to the dilapidated courtyard in the west of the city. Only after closing the gate, bolting it, and securing it with a wooden stick, with Fa Cai standing guard inside, did he truly breathe a sigh of relief.

The hustle and bustle of the market, the crowds registering, the countless scrutinizing and calculating gazes, and the potential presence of Zhao family spies lurking in the shadows… all of this kept his nerves on edge. Only back in this temporary, humble abode could he slightly lower his guard. He didn't rush to light a lamp. Using the last glimmer of light on the horizon, he sat down at the rickety table in the main room, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing for a moment, completely withdrawing his mind from the external disturbances. Then, he carefully took out the black iron piece wrapped in tattered cloth from his pocket.

In the dim light, the iron sheet remained dark, greasy, and unremarkable. But the heavy, cool, and solid feel in his hand, and the faint resonance between his fingertips and the power of the meteorite within his chest and body, reminded him that this was no ordinary object. He first drew a basin of well water, found some rough soap shavings he had saved earlier, carefully washed his hands, and then gently wiped the grease off the iron sheet with a clean cloth. The grime was stubborn; only the surface dust could be removed, the deep-seated stains and oxidation layers remained firmly attached. But this did not hinder his next attempt. He placed the iron sheet flat on the table, hovering his fingertips about an inch above it. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on his dantian, slowly mobilizing a wisp of the purest and most peaceful meteorite power. This power originated from the *Zhou Tian Xing Chen Da Dao Jing* (The Great Dao Scripture of the Celestial Stars), carrying the most primordial stellar Dao rhythm, and was the key to activating the jade pendant and resonating with the compass. Controlling this wisp of meteoric power, as faint as a hair's breadth, he carefully and slowly channeled it from his fingertips, like an invisible, starlight-laden "flow" of water, gently "soaking" it onto the surface of the iron sheet. At first, there was no reaction. The iron sheet remained lifeless, like the most ordinary, stubborn iron. He maintained a stable output of meteoric power, attempting to adjust its frequency and intensity, simulating the warm, inviting fluctuations naturally emanating from the jade pendant. Simultaneously, he gripped the jade pendant at his chest with his other hand, amplifying his own senses.

Time passed slowly. The room fell completely dark, save for the faint city light filtering through the window, illuminated by distant lights. Fa Cai lay prone at the doorway, his silver eyes gleaming slightly in the darkness, his ears twitching, alert to any movement inside and outside the courtyard, making no sound to disturb the peace. Just as Ling Xiao sensed the wisp of meteorite power was about to run out and prepared to withdraw and regroup...

hum...

A faint, almost imperceptible, resonance, seemingly emanating from the depths of a distant time and space, or perhaps resounding from the very soul, suddenly resounded! It wasn't a sound heard by the ears, but rather a direct impact on the mind! Simultaneously, the black iron sheet beneath the fingertips abruptly lit up! Not with a blinding light, but with a restrained, deep, almost ethereal blue halo, seemingly emanating from the very core of the iron sheet! The halo swiftly dispelled the grime and gloom on the surface of the iron sheet, revealing the true material beneath—a dark silver, slightly metallic texture. And on that dark silver surface, twisted, discontinuous, and incomplete pale gold lines and runes, like ignited sparks, lit up and appeared one by one!

These lines and runes bear a resemblance to the markings on the meteorite compass and the patterns inside the jade pendant, but are far more ancient, complex, and abstract! They are not static, but rather, under the backdrop of a ghostly blue halo, they seem to possess life, flowing and flickering extremely slowly and laboriously, as if trying to piece together a fragmented painting, chanting an ancient ballad incomplete. Holding his breath, he was completely immersed in it. He "saw" those pale golden lines vaguely outlining a distorted, bizarre, and unconventional starry sky trajectory. The arrangement of stars (or points of light representing stars) was incredibly chaotic, some areas dense like vortexes, others eerily empty. Several main trajectory lines extended into the unknowable depths of darkness, marked along the way with several extremely blurry nodes marked with ancient characters or symbols that he could not understand at all.

One of the symbols on the node vaguely resembled the "Return to the Void" mentioned in the jade pendant's inheritance, but was more distorted. Another symbol resembled a vortex devouring stars, carrying an ominous aura that reminded him of the scattered descriptions of the "Devouring Abyss." Between these fragmented star chart tracks, pale golden runes flickered, their meanings obscure. Ling Xiao could only barely grasp a faint "meaning" based on his rudimentary understanding of the basic chapters of the *Zhou Tian Xing Chen Dao Dao Jing* and the vague resonance with the jade pendant: some conveyed a desolate, tragic sense of time; some carried a sharp, decisive killing intent; and others seemed to point to some profound method of spatial positioning or energy circulation, but all the crucial parts were missing!

The light and patterns on the iron plate lasted for less than three breaths! Just as he was struggling to memorize and understand the fleeting patterns and runes, the azure halo suddenly dimmed. The pale golden lines and runes flickered violently like candles in the wind, then quickly faded, dissipated, and finally went out completely. The iron plate returned to its dull, tarnished state, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion. The wisp of meteorite power he had channeled from his fingertips was also completely exhausted. His face was slightly pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He felt a profound sense of emptiness and exhaustion. The power and energy required to activate this iron plate were far greater than he had anticipated, and it seemed extremely unstable and unsustainable due to its incompleteness.

Leaning against the cold wall, he slowly regulated his breathing, calming his turbulent blood and exhausted mind. In his mind, however, the fragmented star map and strange runes he had just seen flashed back and forth like a brand. "As expected…it's related to the Starfall Clan," he thought with certainty. The style of the ancient star patterns, the faint hints of "Return to Nothingness" and "Black Abyss" in the star map's trajectory, and the desolation and resolute determination emanating from the runes all subtly resonated with the fragments of information from the jade pendant's inheritance and the ancient city ruins. This piece of iron was likely a fragment of a vessel containing an ancient star map, some kind of stellar secret technique, or even secrets related to the "Devouring World Black Abyss" and "Return to Nothingness." Its special material, capable of responding to the power of starfall, was far from common on the Azure Profound Continent. It might even have originated from the Starfall Clan's heyday, being part of an important star chart, magical artifact, or inheritance jade slip. Its value was beyond doubt. If the information within can be deciphered, it might be possible to piece together a more complete history of the Starfall Clan, find precise clues about their parents, and even obtain some clues to fight against the "Devouring Abyss".

But... it's too incomplete. Undecipherable. Extracting any truly useful information from it is virtually impossible. Unless, of course, other fragments can be found, or a more complete set of Starfall Clan's inherited knowledge can be obtained as a "key" to decipher it. Right now, this piece of iron is more like a precious, yet unopenable, "puzzle box." We know it's important, but we're powerless to use it.

He picked up the iron piece again and carefully stroked it. Even without activating it, the unique texture that subtly resonated with his own power remained clear. This in itself was proof. "I must keep it safe and never expose it," Ling Xiao muttered to himself. A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. If news of this fragment, possibly related to ancient secrets or a celestial treasure, were to leak, not only the Zhao family, but likely the three major sects, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, and even more terrifying entities, would all scramble to tear him to pieces.

He found the most inconspicuous corner of the courtyard, carefully dug a small pit with his broken knife, and meticulously wrapped the iron piece in several layers of oilcloth and moisture-proof herbs (torn from the packaging of the Dew Grass given to him by Liu An). He buried it there, filled in the soil, and sprinkled some dust and chopped grass leaves on top, making it indistinguishable from its surroundings. This was the safest way he could think of to store it—carrying it on his person might expose it during a battle or search. Only after doing all this did he truly relax. Exhaustion washed over him, but his spirits were somewhat high. Although he couldn't decipher the iron piece for the time being, the harvest from this "treasure hunt" was undoubtedly enormous. It was like a road sign, blurry yet firmly pointing in the direction he was pursuing—the past of the Starfall Clan, the whereabouts of his parents, and the "Devouring Abyss" shrouded in endless darkness.

"Get rich," he called out. The gray wolf immediately glided lightly from the doorway to his feet, its silver eyes looking at him with an inquiring expression.

"Is the item hidden well?" "Yes, it's hidden well. It's very important, but we don't need it right now." Ling Xiao stroked its head, feeling the warm, solid touch under his palm. The slight sense of helplessness he felt due to the missing piece of metal was somewhat dispelled. "We need to hurry. Put the metal piece aside for now. The most important thing right now is to pass the preliminary selection."

He looked out the window, where the lights of Falling Star City stretched into a hazy sea of ​​light in the distance, turning the night sky a dark red.

Three days later, or perhaps even earlier, the preliminary selection will begin. And he, apart from this temporarily useless piece of iron, is still penniless and will also face the potential threat from the Zhao family.

But at least, he had something more in his heart. A clue about the distant starry sky, a confirmation of a heavy responsibility, and... a determination to become stronger, strong enough to unravel all the mysteries. He sat cross-legged back on the bed, closed his eyes, and began to circulate the "Zhou Tian Xing Chen Dao Jing" (Scripture of the Great Dao of the Celestial Stars), absorbing the exceptionally active stellar power of the night, slowly and steadily recovering from his depletion and accumulating strength.

The night is still long. The road is still long. But it seems that another clue has been added to the chain of events. Although it is blurry and incomplete, it is undeniably real.