Chapter 270: The Killing Star at the Tail
“The star chart always reveals where destiny lies. Especially when it comes to things or events that occur naturally—none can escape the gaze of the starry sky. And as for destinies that even the star chart cannot observe…”
The old man stopped halfway through his sentence, but Xu Zhi understood what he meant.
If even the starry sky—watching over all things on earth—could not detect something, then it must be extremely concealed.
And unnatural.
Unnatural. Intervened with. Who could accomplish such a thing?
It would have to be someone powerful beyond reach—so powerful that even the star chart could not see through them.
Xu Zhi had read in books that every extraordinary individual had their own path. When an extraordinary person grew strong enough, their path would no longer guide them forward—they would have to carve the road beneath their feet themselves.
To evade the trajectory of the star chart must mean one had long since begun walking their own road—perhaps already far along it, perhaps even beginning to grasp control over their own destiny.
Xu Zhi thought of the “Archbishop” in the prison.
Was it such an extraordinary being?
Clearly not.
It could not control its own fate—it had been imprisoned.
Which meant that whatever this star chart photo foreshadowed possessed an extraordinary level at least above that Archbishop.
Then… who could it be?
Xu Zhi felt a jolt in her heart. Even her breathing slowed for a moment.
Was this a joke?
If this truly was a recent photo, then this teacher was using it as homework material for new students?!
Shouldn’t this be some extremely secret and potentially fatal major event?!
Xu Zhi suddenly felt she could no longer understand the educational philosophy of the real world.
The old man did not continue his earlier thought but instead shifted direction.
“Concealment implies that the key aspects of something currently happening—or about to happen—have been hidden.”
“The course of events, their origin, their future—all lie within a fog.”
“It may also indicate that the person, object, or matter shown in the star chart is itself in a fog-like state, lost and unaware of where to go.”
As he continued explaining, Xu Zhi suppressed her shock and listened more carefully.
“But we cannot focus on this alone. We must examine it together with the other star paths.”
He pointed to several particularly bright stars. “You should all recognize what these stars represent. But what concerns us is their trajectory.”
His finger traced over them one by one, finally resting on the last star at the very end.
“You all know what this star represents, don’t you?”
The students nodded. Xu Zhi nodded as well.
This was the star of “Killing.” When it appeared, circumstances often turned extremely dangerous—though not always entirely so.
“The Killing Star at the tail—its most famous implication is… the descent of a Fiend.”
“Or the arrival of calamity.”
The moment his words fell, the classroom went silent.
He withdrew the overly solemn expression and tone he had used, softening slightly. “However, whether it truly refers to the descent of the Killing Star must be judged in context.”
“First, although the Killing Star is at the tail and signifies great misfortune, it is not within the fog. It is visible—observed by the star chart.”
“Either the matter being concealed failed to account for this Killing Star, exposing it accidentally or deliberately…”
“Or what is being hidden is so important that even after concealing most of it, this star still had to be revealed.”
“Or perhaps it does not belong to the same faction as the hidden entity within the fog. It may be connected to it, yet not protected by it.”
“No matter which possibility it is, the implications behind it are not good.”
Though the old man tried to keep his tone gentle, the caution and concern in his words still affected the students present.
After a pause, he said directly, “This is the star chart the Stargazers observed at the top level a few days ago.”
The classroom erupted.
“Recently?!”
“No wonder I couldn’t find it online or in the library.”
“Does that mean a disaster is coming?”
“And the descent of a Fiend—it doesn’t sound good. Are we going to war?”
The students chattered anxiously, shock written across their faces.
Xu Zhi mirrored their expressions convincingly—but her shock was for entirely different reasons.
It was recent.
Combined with what the old man had said, Xu Zhi almost immediately realized what this star chart was pointing to.
Wasn’t it the destruction of the Federation—and the fact that the Supreme Being of the [Cup] was still lurking in the shadows, plotting something?!
You’re using something like that for class?!
Even if the students had no idea what was really going on, this was still—
Was it that the real world’s education was bold, or that the Light Institute’s education was bold?
As for the Killing Star, Xu Zhi instinctively believed it referred to the Archbishop of the [Cup].
After all, the [Cup] attribute had resurfaced. Its existence would naturally be discussed again. Perhaps the extraordinary individuals in the real world were already speculating about its current state.
They didn’t know it had never been in the prison to begin with. Now that the prison had been destroyed, they would instinctively assume it was responsible. Had it escaped alive?
Or had it died at the final moment, only for a new one to be born?
In any case, it had reentered people’s field of vision. Didn’t that match what the teacher said—that it would inevitably be exposed?
Xu Zhi felt her reasoning was extremely sound.
As for the possibility that the Killing Star might actually refer to her—the only one who had truly escaped the prison—
How could that be?
She was perfectly harmless right now! How could she possibly be some fiend?
“Silence!”
Seeing the classroom grow noisy, the old man barked sharply. “There is no need to panic. The Named Ones are already investigating this matter. All things in this world have an origin. No matter how well something is hidden, there will come a day it is uncovered. That is a matter for the adults. I am not telling you this so that you may panic.”
“Although the star chart has given warning, the disaster is not yet close.”
“The reason I tell you this is so that you understand—someday in the future, a great calamity may occur. No one knows when, or why, or… by whom.”
“Even though powerful extraordinary individuals are pursuing this matter, accidents may still happen.”
His tone and expression grew serious again.
“Therefore, you must work even harder. Study diligently. Train diligently. Advance your extraordinary ranks. Strengthen your extraordinary abilities.”
“So that when disaster comes, you will have sufficient power to protect yourselves.”
When he finished speaking, the classroom quieted.
Various expressions appeared on the students’ faces, but most seemed to settle into determination—a resolve to work harder.
Ah.
Xu Zhi suddenly understood.
So this was an early warning and a motivational speech?
