"What's going on? Look at the sky! The stars—so many stars! They're so bright, so huge! Bigger than the moon! What's happening? Is another disaster coming? Oh heavens, are you really not going to spare humanity? Are you truly not giving us even a sliver of hope?"
A desperate cry echoed out.
"So many stars, like a web across the sky. I've never seen a starry sky this dazzling. But… it looks like it's just hanging right above our heads. And if you count the time, it's daytime! Stars appearing during daylight—that's a bad omen for sure!" someone exclaimed in shock and despair.
"The darkness outside is gone!"
From the underground parking garage, the people also saw the sight outside. The world, once shrouded in pitch-black darkness, was now lit up brightly, like midday sunlight. Even the underground garage was faintly illuminated.
The sudden change startled Yi Tianxing and the others awake.
"Something must have changed again outside," Zhao Ziyan said with worry.
"This world is getting stranger and stranger. Anything could happen now. Disasters are arriving one after another. I think the whole world is undergoing a massive upheaval," Li Zhilin added as he handed the Sitting Oblivion Sutra back to Yi Tianxing. A cultivation technique was a faction's foundation—its core strength—best left in Yi Tianxing's care.
"The Fifth Day: Daylight stars appear, the sky full of shining stars."
Yi Tianxing immediately took out the Wordless Heavenly Tome.As he flipped it open, a new entry appeared, evidently reflecting the latest celestial transformation of the fifth day.
"Let's go take a look."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing put away the tome and strode outside.The other residents, though hesitant, soon followed him.
Above ground, what had been a pitch-black world now gleamed with light, as if it were daytime. Near and distant scenes were clearly visible. It was a complete reversal of the previous dark reality.
Thick snow covered the ground. Everywhere was ruined.Cracks split the land, and once rapidly growing plants were now mostly destroyed.
The entire city was in ruins. Buildings continued to collapse. Plant roots had burrowed into walls, bringing already weakened structures crashing down.
Many survivors stood on the rubble, gazing up at the sky, their faces filled with despair, fear, and confusion.
"So many stars… and it's daytime. How is this possible? And these stars are enormous! Bigger than the moon! I think I can even see scenes on their surfaces," Tang Zitong remarked in awe.
"Daylight stars… in ancient times, that would've been considered a terrible omen. Even emperors would issue public apologies to heaven," said Li Zhilin, adjusting his glasses.
"Brother, look—there seem to be people on those stars!" Zhao Ziyan suddenly pointed up.
Yi Tianxing looked too.
The world now was bizarre beyond imagination.
Stars filled the sky like chess pieces on a board. Each was as large as a millstone, clearly visible to the naked eye, brighter than the moon, illuminating the Earth and banishing the darkness.
There were so many stars they could no longer be counted—tens of thousands, millions, even hundreds of millions—densely packed, shining brightly like a celestial tapestry. It felt as if one were standing inside the endless starry cosmos. The sheer scale of it defied description.
"These stars aren't right. They're too close to the ground," Yi Tianxing said slowly, taking a deep breath.
The stars varied greatly in size—some dozens or hundreds of times bigger than others—and hovered disturbingly close to Earth. It wasn't just human eyesight that made them visible; their light projected images onto their surfaces, magnified countless times.
Even from afar, one could glimpse chaotic scenes, flickering visions.
"Brother, look! That star shows two ancient armies locked in battle!" Zhao Ziyan pointed at one.
Yi Tianxing saw it too. The star wasn't small, and on it appeared images of two armies clashing. War banners flapped in the air—emblazoned with golden characters, the name 'Song', the name 'Yue', and others.Swords and spears danced; the battlefield was a bloody hellscape. Corpses littered the ground. Screams filled the air. It was brutal and merciless.
But the image passed quickly, replaced by another—this time of a bustling ancient city, filled with people and old-fashioned architecture.
"There's fighting on that one too—leaping rooftops, sword lights everywhere!" Tang Zitong pointed at another star.
On that star, a duel raged. One person moved like a dragon; sword light flashed, sword intent flying everywhere.The scene was thrilling, dangerous—life and death decided in an instant. It was a martial world duel, just as fierce as the battlefield, though different in flavor.
More stars revealed more visions: glorious sights, chaotic wars, political intrigue, philosophical debates, dazzling scenery.
Mount Hua, Mount Tai, the Yellow River, the Yangtze—all majestic and awe-inspiring.
Even modern scenes appeared: gunfights, high-speed races, massive space battleships—all real, all vivid.
Every star seemed to contain an entire living world.
Yi Tianxing even recognized some of the people in the images, and they looked exactly like modern celebrities.
This couldn't be coincidence. Only one explanation made sense.
"These stars… they're entire worlds, created by collective imagination. These are fantasy worlds brought to life through the countless desires and dreams of all beings. Each star represents a story, a novel, a TV show, a piece of history, or a war. Human desire and imagination, too much for the heavens to bear, have transformed dreams into reality."
This aligned with what Yi Tianxing had once seen in the Wordless Heavenly Tome regarding the root cause of the cataclysm. Now, the truth was unfolding before him.
"Brother… these worlds were really born from our thoughts? That's insane," Zhao Ziyan murmured.
"In modern times, with overflowing materialism, exploding ideas, and the rise of the internet, cultural output skyrocketed. Coupled with millennia of historical accumulation, it really could happen. I saw scenes that looked like movies—only far more real," Tang Zitong mused.
"I saw stars showing The Return of the Condor Heroes—with Carman Lee as Little Dragon Maiden in one, and Liu Yifei in another. Different versions—different stars. It's definitely fantasy!" said Liu Qingqing, stunned.
"I even saw fairy tales—Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!" muttered Chen Xuerou, her eyes glassy.
These visions left everyone reeling, barely able to believe what they were seeing.
But Yi Tianxing wasn't distracted. He was pondering: what consequences would come from this many stars appearing? He was shaken by the sheer number of fantasy-born worlds.
Suddenly, Zhao Ziyan exclaimed, "The concentration of Heaven and Earth Vital Qi is increasing! So fast! It's like the air itself is turning into energy!"
This sensation was strange yet undeniable—clearly the result of the light radiating from the stars above.
"There's a legend that in ancient times, Starforce was a special kind of Heaven and Earth energy. Refining it could rapidly enhance one's cultivation. Now, with daylight stars and a sky full of radiance, the power of the stars is bathing the entire world. It must be an unprecedented surge in energy. Let's go back—this is the perfect time to cultivate," Yi Tianxing said, eyes gleaming.
Though the sight of the stars was shocking, it was secondary.As long as it wasn't an immediate catastrophe, the priority was growing stronger.
"Mm, let's go cultivate," the others quickly agreed.
Li Zhilin was especially eager—he had yet to truly step into the path of cultivation.
Back at their shelter, Yi Tianxing returned the Sitting Oblivion Sutra to Li Zhilin.Everyone settled around the fire and began meditating.
Liu Qingqing looked on enviously but said nothing.She knew she had no right to demand a look at such a precious technique—it was earned through a contract. She wasn't stupid enough to think she could get it for free.