Blackstone Star

At this moment, Ning Ming felt as though he were in a vast, pitch-black ocean, unable to find even a glimmer of light.

No stars?

Ning Ming could not believe this scene before him.

His primordial spirit drifted and drifted, not knowing how far he had drifted. It seemed as though he had forgotten about time and was even about to forget Lin Zuodao's warning.

Yet after an unknown period of time, Ning Ming still hadn't found even a speck of light. Everywhere around him was pitch black that he couldn't see five fingers in front of him.

"Where exactly is this place?"

Ning Ming was finding this completely unacceptable.

There were so many stars in the sky - the ZiWei Star, Heaven Pivot Star, Wenqu Star...

The stars were all different. Old man Li said the Heavenly Pivot Academy had categorized the stars into four grades: A, B, C and D. He hoped he'd be able to choose the Heaven Pivot Star if possible, or another top-grade A-list star.

Yet now...

Ning Ming had a black question mark for a face. "Do I even have a choice???"

Damn it!

The next moment, Ning Ming wanted to swear.

This was just like going on a blind date. Before going, he had had standards in mind - his girlfriend would have to be beautiful, highly-educated and from a good family...

Yet when he arrived at the blind date venue - good heavens! There wasn't a single person around!

What choice was there left! This was far too upsetting!

"They're forcing me back to Earth."

Ning Ming was getting anxious, and even thought about crossing the universe to run back to the Milky Way to find the Sun.

Yet at that moment, an eerie aura suddenly permeated all around, and the darkness seemed to grow even deeper.

"Hm?"

Ning Ming's primordial spirit felt a sudden creepy feeling.

He couldn't describe what this feeling was. It was as though countless eyes had opened up in the darkness and were staring right at him...

"What's going on?"

Ning Ming was starting to feel uneasy.

Then, to his great shock, he suddenly realized that there actually was a star here!

It's just...

That star was far too dark.

Yes, that's right. That star was truly far too dark, without any glow at all as it floated motionlessly in the pitch-black ocean.

"A black star in the dark of the night?"

Ning Ming didn't even know what to say to convey his feelings anymore.

"No...that's not right!"

The next moment, Ning Ming's heart shook. He didn't even want to look at it any further.

Stars were supposed to be dazzling and radiant. Yet this world was warped and the stars had dimmed, thus giving rise to eeriness.

Yet this star wasn't dim at all. It wasn't even glowing anymore. It was like a dead stone on the ground...

Suddenly, Ning Ming's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god!"

Wasn't this the little black stone that had fused into his body!

"No way, right?"

Ning Ming looked at the black stone. "How did you get in here? What are you doing here?"

Firstly, other people had dazzling stars in the sky as their life stars, yet this was just a broken little stone from the ground.

Secondly, Chen Jianjia and the rest had all developed cultivation taboos from this black stone, each mutating into monsters one by one.

The other stars might have varying levels of corruption too, but this black stone was likely the source of corruption!

Soon after, Ning Ming pretended not to have seen it and continued drifting, trying to find another star.

Yet time passed bit by bit. Outside, Lin Zuodao and Old Man Li grew increasingly anxious.

Ning Ming still hadn't encountered any other stars. His primordial spirit had been adversely impacted in many ways and he was feeling dejected too.

When he turned back again, that mysterious black stone was actually floating behind him, silent and seeming to be following him all this while.

By now, Ning Ming's face had turned bitter.

The Heavenly Pivot Academy had categorized the stars into four grades - A, B, C and D. If this black stone really became his life star, it'd probably be graded E, F, G or H...

"Should I just come back next time?"

Ning Ming still clearly remembered Chen Jianjia and the others' miserable states. Even if his own life star for cultivation was lacking, it still shouldn't directly give him a source of corruption, right?

Yet at that moment, something completely unexpected happened!

Whoosh—

As though it had grown impatient from waiting, that black stone suddenly transformed into a streak of light, shooting straight into Ning Ming's primordial spirit.

"What?!"

Ning Ming was completely unable to dodge it and his entire body shook violently.

If Lin Zuodao or any other cultivator knew about this, they would all have been greatly shocked and unable to believe it.

One had to understand that the stars were suspended high up in the firmament, an unknown distance away from the human realm.

The process of comprehending one's life star was like:

A person standing on the ground would first sense a star in the sky through his heart and soul. Next, a thread would emerge from his life's origin, coiling around that star. Doing so would signify that he had become a cultivator of that particular star.

The stars would remain high above. Cultivators would stand in the mortal world, merely absorbing the myriads of principles from them through that thread in order to cultivate.

Yet now, that mysterious black stone had directly shot into Ning Ming's primordial spirit!

What was even more terrifying was that this place didn't seem anything like the sea of stars at all. From the very start, Ning Ming's process of comprehending his life star was different from everyone else's.

...

...

"Why is it still not done?"

In the yard, Lin Zuodao paced back and forth, unable to keep still for even a moment.

He was truly somewhat frantic.

When he had comprehended his own life star in the past, it had taken less than a minute. Then, he had opened his eyes with the pride evident on his young face as he said to everyone around him, "My star is the Heaven Pivot Star!"

Beside him, Old Man Li continuously took drags from his cigarette, seemingly wanting to smoke his lungs into jerky.

"Think positively," Old Man Li suddenly said. "Ning is precocious and mature. His mind might be far beyond that of ordinary people. The sea of stars is vast and he's searching through it, trying to find the most dazzling star."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zuodao gave a start and quickly said, "Are you saying Ning Ming can choose his own star?"

Old Man Li said, "I've only heard that far away in the East, there are reincarnated prodigies. Their primordial spirits are powerful and can preserve their true hearts amidst the sea of stars while seeking out stars even better than those in their past lives under the gazes of the gods."

"What nonsense reincarnated prodigies are those? They're clearly just cowards who didn't dare continue cultivating in their previous lives."

Lin Zuodao's expression turned furious. "Moreover, how can Ning Ming possibly be a reincarnated person?"

Old Man Li was angered too. "Didn't I say to think positively?"

Right at that moment—

Ning Ming suddenly opened his eyes.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Lin Zuodao and Old Man Li immediately crowded over. "What life star is it?"

"Just say it. What's the color, size and feeling you get from that star?"

Lin Zuodao stared fixedly at Ning Ming's face and said, "I'm widely learned and can recognize all of them accurately. I've been reading the Myriad Star Catalogue of the Heavenly Pivot Academy ever since I was young..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ning Ming opened his mouth. "No light. Black. Thumb-sized."

At that moment, his complexion was dazed and lifeless while he spoke powerlessly, seeming as though life had just ravaged him.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zuodao's body abruptly stiffened, forcing his next words to halt in his throat.

Old Man Li's hand holding his cigarette stick also shook. "No light? Ning, don't spout nonsense. The star's glow is very dim, right?"

Ordinarily speaking, stars with dimmer glows would also have greater levels of corruption and more frightening cultivation taboos.

Ning Ming's lips moved. He didn't know if he should emphasize that there wasn't just dim glow, but a complete lack of light!

"A black star?"

Lin Zuodao was also badly frightened, his complexion instantly turning extremely awful. "Ning Ming, what were you thinking? A star like that is clearly bizarre and eccentric. How could you have chosen such a life star?"

Old Man Li still couldn't believe it and asked again doubtfully, "Thumb-sized? Could it be a stone? How did you choose it?"

Faced with all these questions,

Ning Ming felt utterly hopeless. "I...I didn't have any choice at all..."