Danwu Refining Spirit

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Star Determination

The arrangement of stars on the Tianyun Continent is exactly the same as the starry sky Xiao Chong saw in his previous life. The reason for this is probably because the Tianyun Continent and Earth are in the same universe, only belonging to different spaces.

Of course, this was just Xiao Chong's speculation, and there was no direct evidence. But that wasn't important; what mattered was that Xiao Chong could draw a lot of inspiration from the arrangement of the stars.

For some unknown reason, the same starry sky has no concept of constellations or star systems in the culture of Tianyun Continent.

Let's not talk about the twelve constellations; that's foreign stuff, and Xiao Chong, who received a Taoist education, never cared about it. In his mind, the twenty-eight constellations were the orthodox classification.

Since the general outline of "Nine Transformations of the Stars" states that a Martial Saint can be achieved when the seven stars are in perfect harmony, then let's choose to draw the power of the Big Dipper into our bodies. And if we're talking about the close connection between the various stars, what could be more famous than the Taoist Big Dipper?

"It's the Big Dipper!" Gazing at the starry sky, Xiao Chong, lost in thought, finally made his important choice.

As for the eighth and ninth stars after the seventh star, Xiao Chong had his own ideas.

In their past lives, ordinary people only knew that the Big Dipper had seven stars, namely: Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji, Tian Quan, Yu Heng, Kai Yang, and Yao Guang. They were unaware that in Taoist culture, there was also a saying that the Big Dipper had nine stars.

Beyond the Big Dipper, there are two hidden stars, one called "Dongming" and the other "Yinyuan".

"Of the nine stars of the Big Dipper, seven are visible and two are hidden." The two hidden stars refer to Dongming and Yinyuan.

According to Taoist classics, these two stars are associated with wealth, nobility, and longevity. They are usually hidden and do not appear. If one can see them, it will surely bring great fortune and honor.

The Song Dynasty Daoist canon, *Yunji Qiqian*, states: "The surnames of the Nine Emperors and Nine Consorts are hidden. Knowing them will extend one's life by a thousand years. If one observes them every evening, imagining the majestic image of the Emperors and Consorts, and remembering their surnames, keeping them firmly in mind, one will be able to see the Eighth and Ninth Stars and extend one's life by no means."

Among them, the Nine Emperors refer to the nine star lords corresponding to the Seven Dippers and Nine Stars, while the eighth and ninth stars correspond to the Left Assistant Dongming Star Lord and the Right Assistant Yinguang Star Lord.

As a modern college student who had previously studied Taoist culture, Xiao Chong was already well aware of these claims during his studies.

Although the two hidden stars are invisible to ordinary people, who knows if they won't obediently appear before me after I become a Martial Saint? Who knows if I won't be able to sense them with my mental power as my divine sense strengthens?

Who am I? The culmination of a thousand years of Taoist culture. Throughout history, who on the Tianyun Continent understands the mysterious legends behind these stars better than I do?

Besides my brother, who else but me!

In a way, Xiao Chong felt that the "Nine Transformations of the Stars" technique was tailor-made for him.

Moreover, in Taoist scriptures, these nine stars are each presided over by a deity, namely a star lord. According to the names of the star lords residing in the star palaces, the nine stars are respectively called: Tanlang, Jumen, Lucun, Wenqu, Lianzhen, Wuqu, Pojun, Zuofu, and Youbi.

Listen to these powerful and elegant names! If we don't choose them, would we be worthy of the name "China"? Would we be worthy of being descendants of the Chinese people?

Although my body has been transmigrated, my loyalty will never change. I am definitely not the kind of person who would betray my ancestors!

Having finally determined his destiny star, Xiao Chong felt as if a huge stone had been lifted from his chest, and he felt completely relieved.

The position of God of War is already beckoning to him. All the demons and monsters that stand in his way are destined to be swept into the dust of history like trash!

After a moment of daydreaming, Xiao Chong calmed down and decided to light up his first destiny star.

As for who goes first and who goes last, don't worry about it anymore. Just do them one by one in order.

Under the starry sky, Xiao Chong sat alone in the courtyard, cross-legged, with his five palms facing the sky. Following the method described in the general outline of "Nine Transformations of the Stars", he visualized the Greedy Wolf Star in his mind and communicated with it with his divine sense, hoping to establish some kind of connection with it.

It was already late autumn on the Tianyun Continent. Although the heat in the Southern Wilderness was still intense, the dew was heavy, especially in the latter half of the night, when the night was as cool as water and the air was biting cold.

Originally, Xiao Chong's body was different from that of ordinary people due to his martial arts skills. After cultivating to the Martial Apprentice realm, he could resist the cold and heat if he used his internal energy.

However, the general principles state that when sensing the stars, one must empty one's mind and focus all one's attention on establishing a connection with the stars. One must not be distracted, otherwise one will not achieve the desired effect and will waste time.

Therefore, Xiao Chong completely abandoned his resistance to the cold air, letting the chill invade his body, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the arduous task of cultivation.

By dawn, Xiao Chong was so cold that his teeth were chattering, his head and body were covered in dew, and his clothes were soaked.

Just as he was about to finish his cultivation, the Greedy Wolf Star he had been contemplating suddenly lit up, and a change finally occurred.

As the Greedy Wolf Star lit up in his mind, the first star at the top of the Big Dipper suddenly shone brightly, and then wisps of starlight continuously fell from the night sky, entering Xiao Chong's body one by one.

A surge of heat rose from the dantian, warm and lively, and after circulating through the body along the meridians, it slowly flowed into the several acupoints that had been opened, dispelling all the coldness in the body.

This situation was short-lived, lasting only about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before it stopped. The light of the Greedy Wolf Star in the sky disappeared, and the brightness of the Greedy Wolf Star in my mind also dimmed.

"The effect isn't obvious enough! I don't know how many changes it will produce. But thinking about it, such a powerful technique can't be mastered overnight. I should stop for now and practice slowly later."

Xiao Chong slowly got up, stretched his slightly numb legs, and was filled with emotion.

"The stars tonight are not those of last night; for whom do I stand in the wind and dew at midnight?" As the sky began to lighten and the stars gradually disappeared, Xiao Chong recalled a line of poetry he had read before, and suddenly his poetic inspiration surged, and he couldn't help but recite it aloud.

"What a beautiful poem! It's so moving. Was it written just for me?" The fat man, who had gotten up in the middle of the night, overheard Xiao Chong's inner monologue. He tiptoed up behind him and gently patted him on the shoulder.

Xiao Chong was startled. He turned around and saw the fat man's dejected expression, with one hand still clutching his belt. He shuddered and shouted, "Don't be so presumptuous!"

"So you already have someone you love, then why did you recite such poignant words in front of me?" The fat man grabbed Xiao Chong's hand and asked resentfully.

How disgusting! Xiao Chong quickly pulled his hand out of the fat man's clutches and shouted in disgust, "Get lost!"

The loud shout was like a thunderclap, startling the fat man so much that he turned around, clutched his crotch, and quickly left.

On the way out, the fat man's sad singing kept coming.

"Do you know what loneliness feels like? Loneliness is about missing someone. Do you know what pain feels like? Pain is about trying to forget someone. Do you know..."

Even with Xiao Chong's exceptional skills and daring, he could only desperately cover his ears with his hands and flee in panic at the sound of such a heart-wrenching song.

At breakfast time, Xiao Chong came out of his room and went to the dining hall. He only meditated for a while using the method of refining spiritual consciousness taught in the "Refining the Spirit Chapter". He hadn't slept all night and couldn't feel sleepy at all.

Contemplating the Greedy Wolf Star for a night not only prevents drowsiness but also makes one feel exceptionally energetic.

"What a wonderful technique!" Xiao Chong thought to himself, then sat down to eat.

However, seeing the fat man sitting opposite him made Xiao Chong feel somewhat annoyed.

The fat man acted as if he hadn't seen Xiao Chong at all, not even raising his head, burying his entire fat face in the bowl, eating in an even more unsightly manner than Qing Meng.

While Xiao Chong wasn't paying attention, the fat man secretly glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, only to find that the other man was also looking at him. He quickly lowered his head and buried his red, chubby face in the bowl again.

What kind of behavior is this? So shy and charming, is she trying to seduce me? But even though we're good brothers, we're still quite different from old buddies.

I've always been straight, not gay. My orientation is absolutely correct. Trying to turn me gay and lead me down a path of no return is wishful thinking!

As Xiao Chong ate, his mind wandered. The breakfast, which looked quite sumptuous, tasted bland and tasteless, like chewing wax.

After barely managing to finish breakfast, seeing that the fat man's complexion had returned to normal, as if he had calmed down from his grief, she began to assign the task of finding the spiritual vein for the day.

Based on the precedents I've seen in my past life, this is the time when a mobilization is needed first.

Xiao Chong cleared his throat and said, "Today is the third day since our Xiao family's pioneering team arrived in the Southern Wilderness. After these few days of rest and our understanding of the situation in the Southern Wilderness, I have decided that the pioneering plan will officially begin."

At this point, Xiao Chong paused, looking at the eleven pioneer team members present, his face full of anticipation.

We know all of this, and we agree with your arrangements. Why are you staring at us? The crowd looked at each other, puzzled as to why the kind and respectable Captain Xiao had stopped.

Xiao Chong was also annoyed. In his mind, after a leader made his opening remarks, shouldn't the audience cheer loudly and applaud thunderously?

But judging from the current situation, the atmosphere isn't enthusiastic enough. Why isn't there applause? Xiao Chong looked at everyone one by one, his gaze unfriendly.

It has to be said that Yin Changkong is an old and shrewd man. Having been a son-in-law in the Xiao family for so many years, how could he not have any sense of judgment?

“The captain is absolutely right, that’s exactly how it should be done, but we need the captain to come up with a plan.” Yin Changkong noticed Xiao Chong’s eyes, and after a moment’s thought, he understood. He immediately clapped his hands and loudly agreed.

As expected of a martial arts master, even his clapping was so loud. What's most remarkable is that this old man is very good at understanding my intentions. He's a rare talent. If there are any benefits to be had in the future, I must save some for him first.

A smile finally appeared on Xiao Chong's face.

Seeing the two of them singing in unison, everyone understood and immediately joined in with enthusiastic applause.

Okay, although you guys were a bit slow to realize it, it's never too late to mend your ways. I forgive you, and I won't hold it against you.

Xiao Chong said with high spirits, "In that case, Uncle Yin and I will take Fatty, Yin Feng, Zhang Cheng and Zhao Li to form a team and go to the Ten Thousand Mountains to explore first. Once we find the spiritual vein, we will all move out together."

"Follow the captain's instructions!" Zhang Cheng and Zhao Li, two disciples of the Xiao family academy whose names were called, immediately stepped forward upon hearing this.

Given Captain Xiao's performance just now, they both felt that the best course of action was to quickly come out and pledge their loyalty.

"Alright, let's set off then! The rest of you stay here and watch the house." Xiao Chong waved his hand with satisfaction, and led the five of them onto a cloud boat, flying straight into the deep mountains of the Southern Wilderness.