574: Chapter 574 Seven Stars Guiding the Stars - The Third Young Master Inherits the Dao

After the meal, Qi Jie explained Ai Luo and Jiang Chen's abilities in detail to his brother. Qi Lei listened, eyes blinking in disbelief, not even bothering to adjust his glasses as they slid to the tip of his nose. "This... is this really possible?"

"Brother, they are going over there! Big Brother, can we follow and watch?"

"Of course you can." Jiang Chen waved his hand. "I never intended to keep these things to myself. By the way, Qi Lei—you were supposed to have a Guardian Mark. Come tomorrow as well; learn as much as your comprehension allows. This mountain forest nurtures people, but it also relies on people to nurture it." His tone was casual, yet he knew clearly in his heart: how could the art of the Eight Trigrams be mastered with just a few glances? Without that spark of spirituality, one couldn't even touch the threshold.

"What about me? What about me? Can I learn too?" Qi Jie leaned forward eagerly.

"Yes, everyone can learn. But you must be diligent." Jiang Chen turned to Ai Luo. "Ai Ai, you will take the lead tomorrow. Take it slow and explain things in detail."

"Understood! Don't worry, Big Brother!" Ai Luo puffed out his chest, his voice clear and bright. "I will definitely teach them well, without any ambiguity!" Being a teacher for the first time, his heart felt like a trapped sparrow, fluttering with a joy that left him speechless.

A night of peaceful sleep passed. The next morning, the four stood before that patch of wasteland again. Qi Lei crouched down, his fingertips brushing the soil that had been dry and cracked just last night. When he looked up, his eyes nearly bulged out of his lenses. "This... how is there green sprouting from this soil?"

"Brother, do you believe me now?" Qi Jie crouched beside him, pointing into the distance. "Ai Luo and Big Brother did all of this! Look—the tips of the grass have grown so high! Before long, the shadows of trees will cover the hillside. Our old home will be even more vibrant than before!" His voice trembled, his eyes sparkling, unable to look away.

Qi Lei slowly pushed up his glasses, took a deep breath, and nodded heavily. His brother was right; he believed it.

"Ai Ai, let's begin." Jiang Chen patted Ai Luo's shoulder. "Let the land breathe as soon as possible. Remember—don't just set up the formation. You must listen to the wind, feel the temperature of the soil, and wait for the shadows of the clouds. Let the Origin Qi flow with your breath. Go on, you two boys follow him."

"Alright! Big Brother, leave it to me!" Ai Luo pulled Qi Lei and Qi Jie along.

With helpers, the formation diagram was laid out quickly and steadily. While Ai Luo placed stones and drew lines, he mimicked Jiang Chen's tone to explain. His words were few, but every sentence hit the mark; occasionally, he would use a metaphor that made the two brothers giggle. Jiang Chen watched from afar, feeling at ease.

Qi Lei and Qi Jie became more and more absorbed as they watched. It turned out that outside of being a Guardian, there was such a silent yet burning power in the world. They were both manipulating Origin Qi, yet the Qi within their own bodies always felt locked away, sunken deep, unreachable and immovable. It wasn't that their strength was insufficient, but that they had been walking the wrong path.

As the sun tilted westward, Ai Luo had already laid down seven or eight formation eyes. As he pushed himself further, beads of sweat lined his forehead, and his fingertips began to feel weak. Jiang Chen strolled forward. "Rest for a while. Leave the rest to me. We'll continue tomorrow morning—this task must be carried out continuously until the day you leave this place."

"Big Brother, I'll remember!" Ai Luo wiped away his sweat and grinned brightly. "I will definitely make this land grow its sinews and bones again!"

"That's the spirit." Jiang Chen's gaze swept over the brothers. "Have you ever asked where 'Ling' comes from? It is the root born of hatred, the fruit of conflict. Once internal strife begins, the mountains and rivers lose their voice. From now on, a calm and peaceful heart is more important than anything. Even if you are just an ordinary person chopping wood and tending a fire, if your heart is steady, your hands will not shake."

Qi Lei and Qi Jie lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling slightly. The old scars remained, but the hands now protecting each other held on tighter than before.

Jiang Chen spoke no more and lightly flicked his sleeves. A wisp of Origin Qi, as clear as spring water, flowed from his palm and silently merged into the unactivated formation diagram. Instantly, the formations resonated, halos of light swirled, and a blue-white Qi surged like living water, cleansing the turbid malevolence accumulated in the soil. He looked up at the sky and raised his fingertip slightly—the Spring Spirit Rain Formation opened in response. A fine rain fell quietly, neither splashing nor splattering, but gently soaking into the parched earth. Tender sprouts broke through the surface, curling and stretching, arching out of the ground inch by inch—timidly yet stubbornly standing as life.

It was Qi Lei's first time seeing this, and although Qi Jie had caught a glimpse before, both were still dumbfounded—what kind of power was this? It was simply too inconceivable. Ai Luo, however, grinned, not taking their shock seriously at all, clearly having had his own plans all along.

"Snap out of it! Big Brother's work is done. If you want green grass and lush meadows to grow here, it will take a few more days. We cannot stay for long, so you must firmly remember the formation diagrams I taught you earlier. Also, Big Brother will teach you hand-on-hand how to use Origin Qi. As long as you are willing to put in the effort, you will surely become experts in the future, not inferior to a Guardian in the slightest."

The two looked at each other in disbelief: Could they really learn this? Wasn't it said that one must have a Guardian Mark to touch Origin Qi?

"Look at me, do I have a Guardian Mark? I don't, right? According to Big Brother, that mark is just a sign that one particular aspect of the Five Elements talent is exceptionally prominent; it isn't a threshold. You can practice without it, it's just slower; the key lies in Comprehension Ability—Comprehension Ability is the root. Once you see through the changes within, Origin Qi and formation diagrams will naturally be yours to use."

Jiang Chen had just finished his work and, hearing Ai Luo's words, followed up: "Yes, in a moment, quiet your hearts and feel the Origin Qi between heaven and earth. Remember, you must sincerely love this mountain wilderness and this sky. Nature is never stingy; if you respect it by one part, it will return ten parts to you. As long as your heart is in communion with it, even if you only draw a single wisp of Origin Qi, it will be enough to resist the erosion of Ling and steady your mind."

Both Qi Lei and Qi Jie had been possessed by Ling before, and the memory made their spines chill. But if they could truly block Ling on their own... their eyes instantly lit up. How could they hesitate? They had to learn! As Scouts of Jiugong Ridge, they lived their lives on the edge of a blade every day; how could they not be overjoyed to gain a protective power?

"Good! Come, let's set the formation—let's choose those few rock pillars; they form a natural Seven Stars layout. Wait a moment, I'll start now, it'll be quick." Before his voice even faded, Jiang Chen had already glided between the seven rock pillars.

Ai Luo and the two brothers stood outside the formation, watching with bated breath, their hearts itching with anticipation: What exactly was going to happen next?

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Chen stood atop the highest rock pillar. His fingertips flew as a clear shout broke through the air: "Seven Stars Assemble! Winds and Clouds Move! Thunder Shakes the Nine Heavens! The Firmament is Vast! Ancient Star Power, return to your positions—Gather! Gather! Gather!"

Instantly, seven silver beams descended from deep space, piercing into the seven pillars like divine oracles. The entire wasteland suddenly burst with a blinding, magnificent light.

"Quickly, come inside! One person per pillar, Move fast!" Jiang Chen's voice tightened slightly. "I didn't expect the ancient Star Power to be so majestic... it far exceeds my expectations!" He had arrived in a hurry before and hadn't inspected it closely; now that he was personally channeling it, he truly felt that profound and vast power—it was indeed the ancient starry sky, its might was staggering.

Ai Luo, Qi Lei, and Qi Jie leaped onto the rock pillars. As soon as their feet touched the stone surface, they felt a jolt through their entire bodies: the starlight was like a tide, rushing at them, so intense it almost scorched their skin.

"Commander Pozhen! Look quickly—what is that in the sky?! It's too strong! I can hardly believe it!" Zi Yan had just stepped out of Jun Tian Hall when he saw seven pillars of light tearing through the night sky. He ran toward Commander Pozhen, his voice cracking.

Commander Pozhen stepped out of the hall doors, and his breath suddenly hitched. That was clearly a miracle from the ancient starry sky. Hot blood surged in his chest, yet he also felt a secret dread—if that power lost control even slightly, it would be enough to crush thousands of mountains and valleys. If it weren't for the fact that no killing intent was being emitted, that land would likely have been turned to dust by now.

"Investigate immediately! Where is that place?" His voice was extremely tense.

"Yes! Right away!"

Every Guardian who came out of Jiugong Ridge stopped and looked up; people across the entire planet, whether in cities or villages, raised their heads. The Ling of Mei Valley were no exception. Lord Jiaye, the head of the Seven Pores, stood at the edge of a cliff, his face instantly turning as dark as iron, cold light flashing in his eyes. He turned and ordered: "Dispatch the Ling, depart immediately."

The night sky was soul-stirringly beautiful, yet it couldn't stop the masses from looking up—everyone watched, everyone whispered, everyone marveled.

And the four within the formation, especially Ai Luo and the Qi brothers, felt it most deeply. The Star Power poured into them, washing through their Meridians like a torrent; it was an overwhelming power the likes of which they had never tasted in their lives.

Jiang Chen looked up at the sea of stars, knowing this commotion had been noticed by the world. His expression remained unchanged as his hand seals shifted slightly—an invisible force quietly dissipated, sealing away all the mysteries. The Seven Star Tomb thus sank into the folds of time, no longer findable by anyone.

"Ai Ai, Qi Lei, Qi Jie, quiet your minds and touch the starlight—not with your eyes, but recognize it with your Bloodline; do not reach out to grab it, but open your hearts to receive it. There is light in the wind, breath in the soil, veins in the water, and sound hidden in the fire. Joy is it, sorrow is it, indifference is it, and heat is also it. All things live within this breath; do not doubt, do not dodge, it is truly, definitely there."

Jiang Chen spoke no more, only guiding them with gestures. Wherever his finger pointed, the treetops trembled slightly, the streams slowed to a halt, and even floating dust suspended for half a second—he didn't teach Moves, he only led them to listen to the heartbeat of the earth.

The three stood motionless with eyes closed, the furrows between their brows gradually smoothing out, their shoulders and backs dropping naturally, as if being lifted by mountain mist and soaked by morning dew. The deeper the night grew, the brighter their hearts became, as if they were truly seeing themselves standing between heaven and earth for the first time.

As the first light of dawn broke, Jiang Chen flicked his sleeves, and the starlight filling the sky silently receded like a tide, leaving not a single trace behind.

And on this night, the living beings of the entire planet had all looked up in dazed wonder at that exceptionally clear starry sky. As the morning breeze blew, the strange sight vanished, and no one could say where the light had come from or where it had gone. Even the fastest-reacting Guardians and Ling, after scouring ancient texts and traversing mountains and rivers, still could not find the source—leaving only a soft sigh: if they had locked onto the coordinates one step earlier, perhaps they could have used the momentum to break the deadlock.

The cool breeze brushed their faces, and the three suddenly opened their eyes. Their entire bodies felt as if they had been infused with fresh spring water; their fingertips were hot, their ears buzzed, and even their breathing carried an echo.

"This... what is this?!"

"Too strong! It's like an entire mountain has been pressed into my bones, and an entire river is surging through my blood vessels!"

"Brother, have you ever seen this? This feeling... I wouldn't have even dared to dream of this before!"

"Never. I truly have never seen this. It's more than ten times stronger than when we entered the formation trials back then."

The three looked at each other, their throats moving, yet they couldn't utter a single word—the power was too full, so full it left them speechless.

"Alright, since you have entered the gate, from today on, Ai Ai will lead the teaching of the Eight Trigrams Origin, and will also break down and teach you the Qian Ling Formation. Once you've practiced it well, the guarding, breath regulation, and Qi Gathering of the Seven Star Tomb will all rely on the three of you. After we leave, this place cannot go to waste, and certainly cannot fall into chaos. Are you willing to take on this responsibility?"

Qi Lei and Qi Jie stepped forward in unison, cupping their fists and bowing their heads: "We are willing to guard it! We swear to guard it! We will never fail the Seven Star Tomb."

"Good." Jiang Chen nodded. "Ai Ai, while you set up the formation, lead the Origin Qi into the formation eyes and let them personally feel how heaven and earth breathe. However much they can absorb, let them fill up—only through solid practice can one remember." Having said that, he retreated to a green stone and sat cross-legged. "I'll rest for a bit, you guys go ahead."

"Yes, Big Brother." Ai Luo bowed in response, took the two by their wrists, and walked toward the formation positions with swift, unhesitating movements.