Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: The Three Spirits

Truly, to meet such a miserable end—what heaven-defying sins had the boy committed to incur the wrath of the four overlords? What was it that they sought to seize from him, driving them to exact such a ruthless and bloodstained fate upon him? Was it something of immeasurable value, something worth the annihilation of a life so young?

Tonight’s dream was unlike any of those before it. The past dreams were fleeting whispers, distant echoes, but this… this was brilliant, vivid, and terrifying in its clarity.

“Choose. The time has come.”

The countless stars above gathered their voices in a solemn chorus, their light trembling as they urged Yun Xi forward with anxious insistence.

“Choose… choose what?”

Still trapped in the haze of a dream that felt too real, Yun Xi found himself bewildered.

“Choose your spirit!”

“Choose, there isn’t any time left!”

The voice that reverberated in his ears carried the ancient wisdom of the stars, and though its origins were beyond his understanding, one thing became clear: he stood at the crossroads of destiny. What he was about to choose would shape his life, ripple through the cosmos, and alter the course of the stars themselves. There was no escape, no time for hesitation. His decision was inevitable.

Before him, three radiant paths stretched across the heavens, carved from the celestial river itself, each leading to an unknown fate.

At their ends, three cocoons emerged from the starry void, pulsing with an otherworldly glow. Each cocoon resonated with an aura of its own, as if whispering secrets to his soul, waiting for his touch to awaken them.

The first cocoon was an abyssal black, darker than the deepest void, absorbing even the faintest glimmer of light. Within its shadowy depths, Yun Xi could faintly glimpse tiny purple demon wings, pulsating with an eerie allure. It exuded an ominous presence, the promise of forbidden power.

“In there, the deepest abyss awaits you—an endless corridor of darkness. Should you choose this path, you will never return. You shall become the Dark Lord, sovereign of the eternal night, ruler of all that lurks beyond the light.”

The second cocoon swirled in misty, ethereal white, clouds shifting within its translucent shell. A figure slumbered inside—a fairy, curled upon a colossal stone tablet, cradling a lantern of celestial fire.

“Beyond the veil of obscurity, in the dawn of creation, the Primordial was born. Here, in the place where the Stele of the Heavens rests, you shall rise above all things, transcending time and space, a free and unfettered immortal.”

The final cocoon shimmered in a soft, golden light, gentle yet unwavering. It radiated warmth, like the first rays of dawn piercing the darkest night.

“Like the sun that rises each day, though surrounded by relentless darkness, I shall break through with my torn and battered form.

Like the night that follows without fail, though fate may twist and turn, I will believe in the unchanging world. We are the ones who change. The truth of our existence is our greatest weapon.

Son of the stars, should you walk this path, be prepared to face the most dreadful and terrifying of enemies.”

Three paths, three choices—there was no right or wrong, no good or evil, only the destinies that lay before him.

Demon Lord. Immortal. Starchild.

Yun Xi stood frozen in contemplation, his heart wavering between the temptations of absolute power, eternal freedom, and a path paved with endless struggle. Until, finally, drawn by the glimmering embrace of the stars around him, he reached out and placed his hands upon the golden cocoon.

A wave of warmth enveloped him as the cocoon burst apart with a gentle pop! The other two faded into the void, yet their presence lingered at the edges of his consciousness, whispering promises of futures that might have been… or might still be.

From the golden cocoon emerged a delicate figure—small, tender, and exuding a quiet allure. She had golden ears that twitched with nervous anticipation, her wide, tearful eyes shimmering with relief.

“Boo hoo… master!”

Without hesitation, the girl leaped into Yun Xi’s arms, her lithe frame pressing against him as she nuzzled into his chest. Her tongue darted out, licking his face with warm affection.

Yun Xi gazed down at her in stunned silence. She was… unbelievably adorable. Her body, small and fragile, trembled slightly, yet the fullness of her chest, mismatched against her petite frame, made it hard to resist the urge to comfort her.

And those ears… golden and soft, possessing an almost hypnotic charm that could make anyone reach out without thinking.

Her tail wagged excitedly, her pleading expression a mixture of overwhelming joy and lingering fear.

“Don’t leave Mei’er, this time I will do my best.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she pressed closer, rubbing against him with a devotion that sent Yun Xi’s heart racing.

He could hardly believe it—was this truly the spirit he had chosen? Her warmth, her innocence, her playful energy. It was like holding a golden puppy in his arms, an impression that deepened with every lick she eagerly bestowed upon him.

“You are called Mei’er?”

She continued to shower him with affection, her soft tongue leaving his face dripping with her devotion. Blushing, Yun Xi gently held her shoulders, his fingers sinking into the softness of her small frame.

“Yes! I’m Mei’er, the star spirit.”

Nestled in his embrace, she gazed up at him with an expression that tugged at his heartstrings, her tail wagging so vigorously it almost seemed to create a breeze.

She was another puppy he would have to care for.

The first, of course, was Hua Huo—his childhood friend, fierce, energetic, and insatiable when it came to his bread. He couldn’t help but wonder how she’d survive in the Sword Palace without his daily treats.

“Is this… a dream? How did I end up here?”

Even as he questioned his reality, Yun Xi couldn’t deny that his heart had guided his choice. Yet he still struggled to grasp why—why him, why now?

Mei’er, still basking in his scent, smiled dreamily. “Ah… that’s because my past master died.”

Yun Xi stiffened.

“Who… who died?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Mei’er tilted her head, looking at him with innocent eyes. “Didn’t you see? It was you, master. You were the one killed in the memory of the stars.”

A chill ran down his spine. The realization struck him like a lightning bolt.

Those visions—those memories—hadn’t just been dreams.

I… was the one who died?

That unfortunate soul, the one who had been mercilessly torn apart by the combined might of the four overlords, the one whose body was shattered into countless fragments of jade-like brilliance and scattered across the void—he was him. Yun Xi.

To perish in such a wretched manner, with no dignity, no mercy, was truly the definition of tragedy. A cruel, inescapable fate.

“This… this has to be a joke, right?” Yun Xi’s voice wavered as a sinking sense of unease coiled within his chest. The more he thought about it, the more the illusion of a mere dream began to crumble. The cold weight of reality pressed against him.

If this was a dream, then it was no ordinary one—it was a nightmare. A horror beyond his wildest imagination. The greatest nightmare of his life.

“But why… why did I die so miserably?” Whether it was an illusion, a dream, or something far worse, Yun Xi needed answers. His heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to make sense of it all.

If that boy was truly him, then what crime had he committed to deserve such a fate? What had he done to provoke not one, but four overlords to unite in their wrath and annihilate him so ruthlessly?

And that boy—his other self—had been holding something. Something delicate and precious. Mei’er. The small, innocent girl now clinging to him, as harmless as a gentle breeze, as pure as freshly fallen snow. Her golden dog ears twitched slightly, and those wide, shimmering eyes gazed up at him with such sincere devotion, it was impossible to believe she could have any connection to such a tragic demise. She was sweet, kind, fragile—like a tiny white rabbit trembling in his arms.

Yun Xi swallowed hard, his thoughts a tangled mess.

“This… is actually because…” Mei’er’s voice grew small, hesitant. She fidgeted in his embrace, as if struggling with whether to speak at all.

Yun Xi’s breath hitched. “Because…?”

A deep blush spread across Mei’er’s cheeks, and she cast her gaze downward, her golden tail swaying nervously behind her.

“They… they were your ex-girlfriends…”

“Ah!”

The word pierced through Yun Xi like a bolt of lightning, leaving him utterly dumbfounded. The revelation was so absurd, so beyond comprehension, that his mind went blank for a moment, unable to process the weight of it.

Ex-girlfriends? Those four terrifying, godlike beings—overlords who could shatter worlds with a single thought—were his ex-girlfriends?

Mei’er shrank back slightly, her small hands clutching tightly onto his shirt, her expression pitiful yet apologetic.

Yun Xi could only stare at her, his face frozen in disbelief, his entire body stiff with shock.

If this was a dream, it had just taken a turn for the worse. If it wasn’t… then he was truly doomed.