The Glenborough Province of Cyart.
Amidst the chaos, the Stars Embrace Order officially rose up in Glenborough Province, causing imnse destruction. Coupled with the subsequent outbreak of the Disaster of the Dead, Glenborough Province was almost completely overrun in the span of a decade, resulting in a vast number of deaths.
The people who survived in Glenborough Province mostly beca refugees and headed towards other provinces unwilling to stay in the perilous and impoverished Glenborough Province.
Within this scorched land, however, a town known as teorfall Town experienced little change over those ten years and was well-protected by the power of the Reforging Church...
At least that was how it appeared to outsiders.
But Felix knew all too well that the town, while ostensibly under the influence of the Reforging Church, was in fact thoroughly infiltrated by the power of the Stars Embrace Order.
In the past ten years, Felix had made significant progress, having completely mastered the Power of Consecution of the "Sculptor" at 3rd Rank.
However, since the Path of Forging at the 4th Rank did not yet exist, Felix could not break through further in the Power of Consecution and was forced to remain at the "Sculptor" level for several years.
He thus directed more of his energy to developing his own power of Bloodline.
And in the recent weeks, Felix had also elevated the Bloodline power of the Crystal Jellyfish to mid-level Transmutation.
Now, he could make his body undergo "Limb Regeneration," and he was able to release powerful Light Energy for wide-ranging blasts, even emitting concentrated beams of light from his eyes to burn objects.
Today, Felix was going to officially beco a senior disciple of the Stars Embrace Order.
From now on, as soon as he broke through to high-level Transmutation with his Bloodline power, he could beco a "Starlight Supplent" for the Stars Embrace Order.
During the ten years of his undercover presence, Felix had completely figured out the organizational structure of the Stars Embrace Order.
They harnessed an evil forbidden power, a sort of stone heptagram that could easily assimilate outsiders into their kind at night, as long as the target was within range.
However, Felix learned that these stone heptagrams were only effective against Extraordinary Exponents below the Monarch Level.
But if an Extraordinary Exponent who was transford during the period of Transmutation were to break through to the Monarch Level, they still could not undo the transformation they had undergone.
Another point was that these stone heptagrams had a very limited number of uses, and the only person who could create these statues was the leader of the Stars Embrace Order, "Black Starlight."
Thus, the Stars Embrace Order was always seeking Extraordinary Exponents with potential, planning to entrap them with the stone heptagrams before they reached the Monarch Level.
"Black Starlight" was the leader of the Stars Embrace Order, veiled in secrecy, and had never exposed his true identity.
He was suspected to be a high-level Monarch, one of the top powerful experts. He once ventured alone to the Royal Capital to assassinate the forr Cyart King, nearly succeeding. Only when the forr Cyart King activated the barrier in ti and joined forces with other powerful Monarch experts from Adley was he repelled.
"Black Starlight" was an enigma, even more mysterious than the "Wordless Elder," but he certainly had the ability to manipulate ordinary people, likely without any limitations on frequency.
Because of "Black Starlight's" unique abilities, the Stars Embrace Order had as many as several hundred thousand disciples on the Ouden Continent, possibly making them the largest heretical cult in terms of disciple count. Below "Black Starlight's" position, there were six vice leaders known as "Starlights," all of whom, without exception, were Monarch powerful experts.
One of the forr "Starlights" eventually died at the hands of Aldrich, the "Dragon Taming Lord" from the Romann family. Isabel, the Reforged Church Archbishop who introduced Felix into the order, later took over as the succeeding "Starlight."
Beneath the vice leader "Starlights" within the Stars Embrace Order, there were the "Starlight Supplents" who were at high-level Transmutation, the senior disciples at mid-level Transmutation, and the "persons of potential" at low-level Transmutation.
Beneath them were the ordinary disciples of the Stars Embrace Order, who were nurous and not considered important, fundantally regarded as cannon fodder. Furthermore, a large proportion of the disciples were forcibly bewitched into joining the cult by evil powers.
In the previous years, the Stars Embrace Order had not been fully focused on Cyart; under "Black Starlight's" leadership, they had waged war on the Land of Fantasy, Arcadia, in the eastern region of the Terrara Church State in the south of the continent.
However, the outco was that the Saint of Sun, known as the "Child of the Sun God" from the Terrara Church State, suddenly joined the battle. The strong intervention of a Heavenly Enlightennt powerful expert led to a complete defeat for "Black Starlight."
The Stars Embrace Order's influence was entirely expelled from the southern reaches of the continent.
They could only replot their strategy for the east of the Ouden Continent.
And today, Felix would have his first opportunity to et the enigmatic "Black Starlight."
He had been waiting for this day throughout the ten years.
Deep within a valley near teorfall Town, there hid an evil secret base, its hallmark being a conspicuous black heptagram, akin to the most sinister star in the night sky, radiating an ominous aura.
The base's entrance was concealed behind a dense forest of darkness, with a secret path that wound its way through. Both sides of the path were laden with traps and alchemic devices that confounded the eyes, navigable safely only by those who knew the specific passwords and routes.
Following Isabel, Felix arrived at the base, which had an intricate layout, almost labyrinthine.
Under the dim candlelight, the hallway was flanked by cold stone walls and heavy iron doors, and the air was filled with a suffocating and uneasy atmosphere as if each room held unspeakable secrets.
Felix followed in silence and suddenly found that the black heptagram was the symbol of the evil base, ubiquitous, carved into the stone walls, drawn upon the floor, or serving as the core elent of mysterious rituals.
He had long been aware that this symbol signified endless darkness, power, and desire, and it was said that only the "Chaos Constellation" could satisfy those yearning souls.
Eventually, Felix and Isabel ca to a dimly lit eting room.
He saw the "Black Starlight."
Enshrouded in a black cloak, the mysterious figure stood silently at the high ground at the end of the eting room, seemingly a specter ford from the night itself.
The cloak was woven from the purest black fabric, fine yet heavy, as if it could swallow all the surrounding light, completely enveloping his figure in boundless darkness.
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The figure of "Black Starlight" was tall and slender, each step he took was firm and powerful, as if every step were on the threads of ti, silently controlling everything around him.
Although his face was hidden by the deep shadow of the cloak, "Black Starlight" exuded an indescribable aura, like a ssenger walking on the edge of darkness and light, belonging neither to this world of light nor wholly to the endless dark.
Felix had always had many speculations about "Black Starlight."
His existence itself was a mystery, arousing imagination and commanding awe.
Isabel said, "Stand behind , Felix."
Felix nodded and respectfully said, "Yes, I understand."
He waited silently, covertly observing the leader of the Stars Embrace Order, as more and more people arrived in the eting room.
Including Isabel's deputy leaders, a total of four "Star glories" took their seats in succession, with Felix standing as an assistant behind Isabel.
Among the four, a hoarse-voiced, one-eyed old man began to speak:
"The Words of Tranquility has reached an agreent with us, there will be a 'Great Feast,' and the primary target is to thoroughly annihilate the Fischer and Romann families, and then devour the entirety of Cyart."
Another square-faced man with glasses spoke up, "Isn't this too hasty?"
"The Fischer and Romann families, the power they possess is strong. Even if we unite with the Words of Tranquility, we need to go all out, right?"
"And there are many Monarch powerful experts called upon by the True Gods Church. If they detect our movent, they would intervene imdiately."
The hoarse-voiced one-eyed old man shook his head and continued:
"Although the ritual ten years ago had a peculiar outco, causing the Words of Tranquility to fall silent, the Decay of the Dead over the past ten years has spread the aura of the dead throughout Cyart, giving the Words of Tranquility enough power, they are completely different from before now."
The one-eyed old man paused for a mont, then chuckled.
"We will deploy eleven Monarch powerful experts to battle, and in an instant, we could eliminate both their families. Fischer and Romann won't even have ti to wait for the reinforcents from the True Gods Church."
"Black Starlight" remained silent throughout.
But at that mont, his voice finally ca through, a gender-ambiguous, completely neutral voice that sounded very eerie.
"I will also join the battle."
Felix's heart sank, and he trembled uncontrollably.
He was extrely shocked and fearful, knowing deep inside that this would be the greatest crisis the Fischer family had ever faced!
No!
He must do sothing!
At the very least, he must alert his family in advance!
"Felix Fischer, he is a direct mber of the Fischer family, the one present who knows the most about them, so I brought him here," Isabel's voice suddenly rang out.
The next mont, everyone's gaze turned and focused on Felix!
As he lifted his head, he imdiately t the gaze of "Black Starlight!"
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