"Sister Qingzhu, be careful!!" Du Wei's face turned ashen.

In her view, the South Dipper's Star Punishment hurtling down from Hong Guchen was like a banner of death. Simply watching it made her feel as if her life was about to end, that she would die at any moment!

If she were hit by it, death would be certain!!

However, Chen Qingzhu's expression remained unchanged. She seemed to have no fear of dying. The confident smile still graced her lips as she looked up at Hong Guchen in the sky and said, "You can't kill me."

BANG!

Simultaneously, with a crisp sound, a faint golden light descended from the sky, intercepting the South Dipper's Star Punishment and instantly shattering the death-bearing long spear!

"Such insignificant skill, and you dare to show it off?" Qin Heng sneered. "Since you pride yourself on wielding Star Power, then I shall use Star Power to crush you, to kill you!!"

In the realms of martial arts and cultivation, there is only one source for the Dao of Stars: the unparalleled grand formation deduced from the Innate Supreme Treasure, the River Picture Luo Book—the Grand Cosmic Star Formation!

In his previous life, Qin Heng had once toyed with the River Picture Luo Book and had even entered the Grand Cosmic Star Formation to comprehend it for two or three days, thoroughly mastering its essence.

When it came to the Dao of Stars, even if Eastern Emperor Taiyi were resurrected and Emperor Jun reborn, they would be no match for him!

Let alone a mere Hong Guchen.

However, Hong Guchen believed Qin Heng was courting his own demise. He sneered, "Since you insist on seeking death, don't blame me for being merciless!!"

As he spoke, the Innate True Qi within Hong Guchen's body surged violently. It condensed into strands of pitch-black light that pierced the void, connecting heaven and earth. The six stars of the South Dipper blazed brightly in the sky, and a potent aura of death began to coalesce around Hong Guchen!

The Big Dipper commands life; the South Dipper commands death!

True Qi intertwined with starlight. In the night sky, the Tianfu Star blazed with brilliance. Behind Hong Guchen, a majestic Star Palace seemed to materialize, as if it wielded the profound power over the lifespans and fates of all living beings!!

In that instant, everyone along the banks of the Qinhuai River felt an unfathomable and terrifying will observing them, as if their very lifespans could be snatched away at any moment!

Many were so terrified their faces turned ashen. They collapsed to the ground, staring at Hong Guchen in the sky and begging for mercy in utter fear.

"Star Lord, spare us! Star Lord, spare our lives, please!!"

Hong Guchen surveyed the scene and roared with laughter towards the heavens. "Hahaha! Qin Xuantian, I am a True Disciple of the Encompass Starry Pavilion, an ancient Divine Sect, and a direct disciple of the Star Lord of South Dipper! The Divine Skill I cultivate is the ancient 'Southern Dipper Star God's Mandate of Fate Jade Annuls'! I command life, death, and destiny!

"In the Ancient Era, I would have been an Immortal who decreed life and death, worshipped by myriad peoples and even the Son of Heaven! And you, a mere Loose Cultivator, a savage who stumbled upon some lost inheritance! What gives you the audacity to challenge me?

"Kneel and beg for mercy at once, and I might grant you an intact corpse! Otherwise, I shall strip you of your lifespan this very instant, then slaughter your entire clan, exterminating your whole family! Qin Xuantian! Kneel!!"

「Meanwhile, on a mountain peak across the Qinhuai River.」

An old man in Daoist robes, accompanied by two youths, was intently watching the battle above the Qinhuai River.

The old man's gaze was serene, as tranquil as a steady stream. He appeared to be in his seventies or eighties, yet possessed white hair but a youthful complexion, and an air of immortal grace. He held a bamboo scroll in his hand and carried a longsword on his back, exuding the aura of a true master.

The two young men, both around eighteen or nineteen, also wore Daoist robes. One was clad in pure black, the other in pure white. The stark contrast of black and white resembled the division of Yin and Yang, forming a Tai Chi.

"Master, who do you think will win this battle?" the black-robed youth asked enthusiastically. His eyes shone brightly as he gazed at the figure standing proudly above the Qinhuai River. "Hong Guchen's technique is truly dazzling! His Innate True Qi can actually condense into the illusion of a palace—it's incredible!"

"Is this a Secret Technique of the Encompass Starry Pavilion?" The white-robed youth, more composed, fixed his gaze on Hong Guchen in the distance. "It's said that in the Ancient Era, the Encompass Starry Pavilion was known as the Star Palace. At that time, even the Sun Temple and the Moon Temple were under its dominion. Is that true?"

"Ancient secrets... who can truly unravel them?" The elder shook his head gently, his gaze fixed on Hong Guchen. He spoke softly, "The South Dipper has six stars, with the Tianfu Star of its Star Palace holding the primary position. Within it resides Star Lord Siming, who governs human life, death, and longevity! Qin Xuantian is in grave danger."

"Master, Qin Xuantian's origins are mysterious, and his martial arts are equally enigmatic. Can you discern his lineage?" the black-robed youth asked. "Many Divine Skills must have been lost over the ages, after so many calamities since the Ancient Era, right?"

"Perhaps he hails from some reclusive Ancient Divine Sect," the elder mused with a smile. "Let us see how he counters Hong Guchen's Star Power. We might glean a clue or two from that."

"However, Hong Guchen's strength is truly formidable; he is the most exceptional genius the Encompass Starry Pavilion has seen in a millennium. I only hope Qin Xuantian isn't defeated too swiftly—"

「Back on the banks of the Qinhuai River, within the hazy confines of the now single-story Misty Rain Riverside Pavilion.」

Aside from Qin Heng, Chen Qingzhu, and Du Wei, everyone else had knelt before Hong Guchen in the sky, revering him as a Star Lord descended from the Heavenly Realm.

"So, it's the Star Power of the Tianfu Star, the foremost star of the South Dipper." Qin Heng chuckled softly and shook his head. "You claimed to be a Star Lord. I thought you had cultivated your Star Power to its zenith, controlling the might of all six stars of the South Dipper. Yet, it turns out to be merely one star!

"Such paltry, ant-like abilities, and you dare to roar before me? Utterly laughable. Very well, before you die, I shall let you witness what true Star Power really is!!"

"Qin Xuantian! Enough of your nonsense! If you have any skill, then make your move!" Hong Guchen, treading the waves with the Star Palace faintly visible behind him, sneered, "Or are you too frightened to even lift a finger?"

"Du Wei, may I borrow your hairpin?" Qin Heng beckoned to Du Wei beside him and said with a smile.

"Ah? My... hairpin?" Du Wei was bewildered but still obediently removed the hairpin from her hair and handed it to Qin Heng.

"Thank you." Qin Heng took the hairpin, nodded slightly, then looked up at Hong Guchen in the sky. He said nonchalantly, "Have you heard the tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl? The Weaver Girl was seized by celestial soldiers, and the Cowherd gave chase.

"However, just as he was about to reach her, the Queen Mother plucked a hairpin from her own head. With a gentle stroke, a celestial river, the Milky Way, descended and separated them."

"What are you getting at?" Hong Guchen frowned, instantly wary. He subconsciously circulated his Innate True Qi, connecting with his Star Power, poised to strike at any moment.

"Nothing much." Qin Heng chuckled. "I merely want you to understand how minuscule, how utterly insignificant, a mere Tianfu Star is compared to the boundless Milky Way and its hundreds of billions of stars!"

RRRIP!!

A tearing sound ripped through the void! As Qin Heng made a gentle stroke with Du Wei's hairpin, the very heavens seemed to split asunder!

Infinite starlight cascaded down like a waterfall, its silvery brilliance illuminating heaven and earth. In an instant, a "Milky Way" of starlight, thousands of meters long, hung suspended in the night sky!

Hong Guchen's face instantly turned deathly pale, as white as a sheet of paper!!

On the mountain peak across the Qinhuai River, the elder's eyes bulged. His body trembled, utterly astounded, and he muttered, "How can this be? How is this possible? Heavens! What am I witnessing?!"

A single hairpin! It tore open the void, conjuring a celestial river!