That was no Ancient Star from the ancestral memories of the great beasts.

Yet a colossal, malformed eyeball now hung suspended where the Ancient Star should have been.

It had replaced the ancient sun, bathing the world in sickly emerald light.

Across vast stretches of time and space, the grotesque orb lowered its gaze upon the ant-like creatures below.

And where its gaze fell, it was like a supernova erupting.

That unprecedented, malevolent emerald radiance surged violently downward, flooding the world below!

A chaotic power—one that seemed to warp the very laws of existence—now... rampaged through the Illusory Star Field!

As descendants of the Ancient Star Beast, the colossal creatures below felt it most acutely.

Their blood, their very bodies, twisted uncontrollably under the emerald light’s radiation.

Scales sloughed off some beasts on the spot; their flesh rippled, rotting as bone spikes burst through their bodies, twisting and sprouting grotesquely!

Others swelled uncontrollably—their scales splitting apart as bulging flesh rolled and grew, sprouting bizarre, malformed limbs!

Worst of all, some began to rot around the eyes. Nerves and raw meat crawled out of their sockets, quickly forming withered, secondary heads atop their own!

Beyond the Illusory Star Field, countless creatures wailed as their flesh swelled and burst.

Even plants grew frenziedly in all directions, sprouting jagged teeth and maws that pierced the great beasts’ bodies, gnawing on their flesh.

Atop the Endless Peak—closest to the eyeball—the Star Beast suffered the most.

She lay prone on the ground, face contorted in agony. Her vocal cords had twisted beyond use.

Her entire body seemed to melt. Her bloodline mutated wildly; writhing flesh and spiraling bone spines slowly consumed the mountain peak. In her torment, her wings snapped—

Only for membranous tissue to instantly seal the tears. Amidst repeated ruptures and regenerations, fleshy buds sprouted into countless tentacles, stretching toward the emerald sky like sea anemones swaying toward a green pupil.

Everything seemed to awaken as if from a deep slumber, blinking open their eyes.

Mountains slowly unfurled tentacles. Rivers of flesh undulated with countless grotesque faces.

The green eyeball shone like a sun, warmly illuminating this world.

"Huh?"

Luyi stood beside the Star Beast, staring blankly at the grotesque scene.

The fish jerky in her hand suddenly didn’t smell so good anymore.

What was with this sudden shift in tone?

*You call this evolution?*

Anyone could see the Star Beast’s evolution had gone horribly wrong.

And the problem was massive!

The green sun’s corruption reached beyond the living.

Next, Luyi watched her fish jerky begin to mutate.

Liquid-like flesh writhed across its surface. Within the pulsating meat, tiny eyeballs swelled, slowly turning to stare...

*Whoosh—*

Black flames ignited at Luyi’s fingertips. The jerky turned to ash instantly.

Emerald smoke dissipated into the air.

Luyi wrinkled her nose.

Only then did she grasp the true nature of this green light.

It carried a scent she loathed.

A scent disturbingly similar to the alien corruption mixed within the Source of Magic back in the Abyssal Demon Realm.

*Terror lurks deep in the starry void.*

She suddenly recalled the reflection of the Star Devouring Demon Emperor—and his warning within the crystal.

Had the Star Beast awakened something?

"This... might be a bit hard to clean up..."

Standing in the green sunlight, gazing at the world’s grotesque, thriving transformation, she murmured softly.

"What to do now?"

"Hm?"

Then—a call.

Faint. Impossibly distant.

It came from the starfield projection beneath the great wings.

From... the darkness beyond the giant eyeball, untouched by the emerald light.

She looked up. The Star Bridge still stood.

At its end hung the colossal eyeball.

Emerald threads now spread from its center, creeping along the bridge.

As if seeking to follow this path of evolution and fully descend upon this world.

"Enough."

Luyi shook her head slightly. She dropped the snack wrapper and strode toward the crumbling Star Bridge.

Stepping into the illusory starfield projection.

The Star Beast was beyond recognition, yet a shred of reason remained.

Her eyes churned within the writhing flesh. Through her chaotic, spinning vision, she faintly saw the girl walking deeper into the starfield.

*Lu... Lu... Yi...*

She instinctively tried to cry out—but her mutated throat only produced wet tearing sounds.

*Run...*

*Don’t go... there...*

This was far beyond what she could handle now.

Not even a Domain Lord could reverse this.

After tonight, the lineage of the Ancient Star might vanish forever.

The green sun shone upon the world.

A carnival of abominations.

And through the Illusory Star Field echoed a long, sorrowful sigh.

*Vvvvv—*

Ancient Star Power rippled from beyond the great wings.

The mutations slowed under its influence.

The colossal mountains encircling the Star Field cast immense shadows.

And now, from the deepest shadow, a dark figure slowly rose.

Its form was woven entirely of Star Power—a phantom mist shimmering with stardust.

Ancient starlight flowed from the shadows, gathering around it.

An imperial will, silent for centuries, reawakened upon this land.

—The figure was the Ancient Star Beast.

It carried the primordial starlight once hidden within its body.

Dense, heavy Star Power pressed outward in all directions, forcing the emerald light to retreat.

Bathed in this radiance, the mutated beasts halted their transformations. Under the ancient power’s soothing touch, some even began reverting to their original forms.

"An... Ancestor..."

A beast, regaining its voice, rasped the words with difficulty.

This seemed to be the last remnant the Ancient Star Beast left behind—for its kin’s survival.

But a remnant was only a remnant.

The Star Power couldn’t erase the emerald light—only temporarily push it back.

Seeing the Ancient Star Beast appear, the giant eyeball instantly fixed it with an even colder stare.

Chaotic beams of light once again rained down upon the world below!

It *was* a sun. It could flood the world with endless light. No fading spirit could extinguish it.

Starlight clashed against solar radiance. Order warred with chaos.

Gradually, the starlight dimmed.

The Ancient Star Beast had fallen a century ago. This remnant—its status, its mastery over Star Power—was but a shadow of its former glory.

So it chose to burn its soul, fighting back with its last strength.

Its spiritual presence weakened rapidly in the beasts’ senses.

All the great beasts watched, hearts heavy.

They never expected to meet their Ancestor like this.

When the last starlight was devoured by the corrupting glow, their progenitor would vanish from this world forever.

"Ancestor..."

Amidst the collision of light and shadow, chaos and order, all the beasts overlooked Luyi—

Overlooked the only girl walking uncorrupted through the emerald beams, deep within the starfield projection.

She walked the path of starlight, guided by faint, beckoning whispers. Unnoticed, she reached the bridge’s end.

Calmly, she stared up at the colossal, corrupted eyeball—a being no mortal should face.

The eyeball seemed fixed only on the world below, utterly ignoring the insignificant girl.

Beneath the great wings lay a projection of the distant starfield.

Here, *status* mattered far more than mere power level.

Feeling that filthy, world-defiling aura, Luyi finally unleashed the full divine authority of the Constellation Dragon upon the broken, monstrous orb.

*Vvvvv—*

A presence surpassing both sun and star diffused through the cold, chaotic starfield.

In that instant, the entire Star Field world... plunged into momentary darkness.