Chapter 18: Spring of the Fourth Year of Qingli

Regardless of the circumstances, Su Ziye successfully joined Dark Star. Yet, at the same time, he lost the opportunity to see Xingxi for the foreseeable future.

The young girl spent the vast majority of her time in the Forest of Fading Glory, standing by and awaiting orders. Su Ziye knew he could not simply idle away his time alongside her; this was something he had understood clearly before he ever joined the organization. That was precisely why he had orchestrated that journey through the Forest of Fading Glory. In the end, he had simply wanted to spend a little more time with her.

He had now learned almost everything about the experiences that had shaped Xingxi’s past, and he had come to fully accept the person she had become. To Su Ziye, the fact that she was still alive was the greatest reward he could ask for. As for truly "saving" her life, that felt like a goal far beyond his reach. Even if he were one day granted the authority to command her, it would still be subordinate to the twelve Elders.

Even so, Su Ziye continued to strive with all his might.

In the blink of an eye, nearly four years had passed since he left the Ster Empire. In his first year of exile, he had encountered Liu Ru and joined the Yeye Academy before his father’s death, successfully evading the Empire’s pursuit and launching his plan to build an industrial powerhouse from within the academy. While the dream of a powerful nation was not fully realized, he had laid a precious industrial foundation at Yeye Academy, cultivated a generation of industrial talent, and gained substantial practical experience and wealth—even if, in truth, he had not personally kept those riches.

Upon becoming the chairman of the Student Union, he had instantly gained access to vast resources and power, along with the opportunity to preside over the Yeye Tri-Annual Examinations. In a sense, this meant that nearly every student admitted that year would be his protégé. Yet, to Su Ziye, this was not the most precious gain. The most valuable prize was his study of the Yueyi Notes. After memorizing and transcribing a portion of them, he had chosen to leave the academy early, for his time was running thin. Before departing, he entrusted everything to Liu Ru, who would manage his legacy and serve as an indispensable ally, ready to answer his call whenever the need arose.

Shortly after leaving the academy, Su Ziye had entered the Forest of Fading Glory and met Xingxi and Zhuying. This had been an unexpected turn of events; he had originally intended only to head to the ice lake to meet Xiao and resolve many of his pressing concerns. Meeting those two, however, brought him a measure of joy. At that time, it had been about two and a half years since he left the Empire.

And now—another year had passed.

Su Ziye had been working for Dark Star for a full year. He was an incredibly powerful youth; even without the Blade of Desolation, he stood at the peak of the Cave Profound realm. With the blade, he could even slay those of the Heavenly realm. In truth, the average strength of the Star-Track Council of Elders was merely at the Ziwei Heavenly realm. While it was confirmed that the Grand Elder was a formidable master of the Taiwei realm, the lowest-ranking Elders were only at the Tianshi realm.

This meant that if she were allowed, Xingxi could easily kill them. After all, within the same tier, Xingxi was invincible. But she could not; even before those Elders who were weaker than her, she had to kneel in reverence, awaiting their commands.

By efficiently completing various missions for Dark Star—including assassination, infiltration, intelligence gathering, kidnapping, and even large-scale skirmishes with other dark factions—Su Ziye’s status within the organization had steadily risen. He was arguably the highest-ranking operative aside from Xingxi herself. Yet, even so, he remained a world away from gaining the authority to command her. As things stood, obtaining that authority required a seat on the Star-Track Council, a body that had not changed its composition for decades. Even when shifts did occur, they were usually limited to the hidden clans behind Dark Star; for an outsider like Su Ziye, there was almost no possibility of such a promotion.

Over the past year, thanks to his tact and interpersonal skills, Su Ziye had made many friends within Dark Star. Whether sincere or superficial, these connections provided him with various channels of information—though, without exception, intelligence regarding Xingxi remained scarce.

Regardless, Su Ziye had decided to return to the Ster Empire next spring. The uncle who had murdered his father and usurped the throne ruled under the era name "Qingli," and Su Ziye had set the spring of the fourth year of Qingli as his deadline. He would return to his homeland and reclaim everything that was rightfully his.

It would, of course, be difficult. But every task Su Ziye had undertaken thus far had been difficult, and he had accomplished them all.

It was now the autumn of the third year of Qingli. Just then, a black tombstone slowly manifested before him, interrupting his contemplations.

Su Ziye did not kneel; it was his privilege, and a reflection of his current standing.

"Third Elder, what is the new mission?" Su Ziye asked.

"A very interesting one," the Third Elder replied calmly, "with a very generous reward."

"How generous, exactly?" Su Ziye countered.

"Generous enough to grant you the authority to command the weapon," the Third Elder said.

Su Ziye sighed. "I wonder if I’ll live long enough to claim that authority."

The Third Elder chuckled. "Are you willing to hear the contents of the mission?"

"Of course," Su Ziye said.

"You must immediately proceed to Kunka and rendezvous with our informant. All signs indicate that a convergence is about to occur there that will alter the landscape of the entire world. You are to go, discern the truth behind the manifestations, and strive to guide the final outcome toward a situation favorable to us."

"If you truly provide enough contribution and utility, then as a reward, we may just share the command authority of the weapon with you."

"I don't care for vague promises," Su Ziye said calmly. "I need a clear standard for judgment."

"What constitutes 'enough' contribution? Can it be as concrete as that Heavenly-tier beast crystal core from before?"

The Third Elder was silent for a moment before finally speaking: "You must obtain intelligence on what the Alaya-Vijnana is, who exactly the Alaya-Vijnana is, and ultimately ensure that the Alaya-Vijnana does not become an enemy of Dark Star."

"If you can confirm these three things, we will share the command authority of the weapon with you."

"It’s a deal," Su Ziye said, standing up. "I leave at once."