A faint sound of tides echoed within the ancient ley lines of Crescent Island, and the seawater surrounding the island shimmered with a pale blue halo, quietly dissolving the dark red threads.

In the first round of confrontation, three islands were held, consuming ten percent of her mental intent.

But the reaction of the corrosion network was faster than she had anticipated.

The second wave of attacks was no longer a probe, but a dark red tide surging from seven directions simultaneously, with three of the currents heading straight for Star Chart Island itself.

“They want to force me to scatter my strength,” Bai Cheng understood instantly.

If she used most of her intent to defend Star Chart Island, the other strongholds would fall.

But if she dispersed her defense, the strength of each stronghold would be weakened, and they would eventually be picked off one by one.

She had to find another way.

Her intent swept across the entire star chart, and she noticed that at the edge of the corrosion network, the star points of several islands, though dim, were still flickering tenaciously.

The faith networks of those islands had been eroded by over eighty percent; logically, they should have been extinguished long ago, yet they were not.

“Why?”

A wisp of intent silently probed toward one of them—Ash Island.

The moment her intent made contact, Bai Cheng heard countless overlapping whispers:

“...How much longer must we wait...”

“...Will the Guardian come...”

“...Can't give up, can't give up...”

That was the final obsession of the residents of Ash Island, a slim yet firm belief that there might still be hope.

Even though the Enforcement Officer's corrosion had reached the level of the soul, this bit of faith remained like a spark in the wind, refusing to be extinguished.

Bai Cheng's silver radiance gently enveloped that spark.

“I am here.”

Two simple words caused the star point of the entire Ash Island to tremble violently.

That spark suddenly brightened; though still faint, it broke free from the shackles of the dark red threads and began to flicker once more.

Immediately following, several other islands on the verge of being extinguished also lit up one after another.

It wasn't that Bai Cheng had lit them; rather, she had allowed them to remember that they were still glowing.

Seven new star points joined the array; though their light was faint, they caused Bai Cheng's intent network to expand abruptly.

The offensive of the corrosion network came to a halt.

Just then, an unexpected change occurred.

Outside Star Chart Island, in the real world.

Erosion Heart's bone boat had already penetrated the outermost coral barrier.

The incantations of twelve Obsession Priests were like dark red chains, wrapping around the island's astrological force field and emitting a tooth-grinding sound of corrosion.

“Once the Astrological Trial begins, the island's source defense will concentrate on maintaining the stability of the Mind Image Star Sea.”

Greed flashed in Erosion Heart's crimson eyes. “At this moment, Star Chart Island... is like an open-shelled clam.”

He raised his hand, and dark red mist condensed into a giant claw, viciously clutching toward the Observatory.

Atop the Observatory, Mo Yan snapped his eyes open.

“As expected, they've come.”

The old man formed hand seals, and the star track runes atop the Observatory flowed rapidly. Six observation towers simultaneously shot out beams of silver-white light, interlacing in the air to form a star shield that blocked the giant dark red claw.

But the power of the giant claw was beyond imagination, and cracks instantly appeared on the surface of the star shield.

“Master, we won't last long!”

A young Astrologer shouted with a pale face; the star instrument in his hand had already developed cracks.

Mo Yan did not answer, only looking toward the starlight portal at the entrance of the Secret Vault.

On the surface of the portal, the silver radiance representing Bai Cheng's consciousness was moving rapidly across the star chart, having already lit the glimmers of over twenty islands, and these glimmers were forming some kind of profound formation.

“Just give her a little more time...” the old man whispered to himself, while simultaneously biting his fingertip and letting a drop of dark red blood fall onto the central carving of the Observatory.

The moment the blood seeped into the carving, the entire Observatory lit up with a blinding golden light.

The final defense left by the ancient Stardust Remnants—the Starfall Array, which used the Star Keeper's life as a primer—was activated.

Golden light soared into the sky, transforming into a massive star ring that completely enveloped the entire island.

The moment the giant dark red claw touched the star ring, it rapidly dissipated as if being scorched.

Erosion Heart groaned and took a half-step back. “Old thing... do you even value your life anymore?”

Mo Yan stood atop the Observatory, his white hair dancing wildly in the golden light. His aura was rapidly weakening, but his eyes were brighter than ever before.

“Star Chart Island has guarded the secrets of the star track for three thousand years, waiting for this very day.”

His voice spread across the island through the star ring. “All Astrologers, heed my command! Form the Starfire Heritage Array and pour all our faith into the Secret Vault!”

Throughout the island, dozens of Astrologers sat cross-legged simultaneously. Their star instruments lit up, and streams of silver-white faith light surged from their bodies, converging into the Observatory,

Then passing through the Secret Vault portal to be injected into the Mind Image Star Sea.

Within the Mind Image Star Sea, Bai Cheng suddenly felt a majestic and pure power of faith surging in.

It was not a glimmer, but a blazing starfire. The astrological faith passed down through three thousand years on Star Chart Island was being handed over to her without reservation.

The silver radiance suddenly exploded in intensity.

The star point array, which had originally been defensive, now began to take the initiative and attack.

With Star Chart Island as the core, twenty-seven star points lit up simultaneously. The silver radiance connected into a massive star net, wrapping back toward the corrosion network.

The dark red threads touched by the silver radiance were like prey meeting a natural predator, rapidly disintegrating and vanishing.

In just ten breaths, the corrosion network shrank by thirty percent.

But Bai Cheng did not press the advantage.

Her intent focused on the northeast corner of the star chart, the core region of the Thousand Reef Sea, where the star points of hundreds of islands were as dense as a sea of stars, and where the corrosion network was also at its thickest.

“To truly turn the situation around, a new starfire node must be ignited there.”

Her intent locked onto one specific island. Its star point was not silver, nor was it dark red; instead, it was a pale golden, warm light.

The moment resonance was established, Bai Cheng recognized it.

“Cuiluo Bay...”

Even though Cuiluo Bay in the ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) real world had been corroded to the point of nearly being extinguished,

In the Mind Image Star Sea, its original appearance was still recorded by the star chart.

That was the place where Bai Cheng had truly begun to collect glimmers, the starting point of her path of the emperor.

It was also the node with the deepest bond to her in the entire Emerald Sea faith network.

“This is the place.”

All the silver radiance suddenly retracted, pouring entirely into the star point of Cuiluo Bay.

That pale golden star point began to expand and burn, eventually transforming into a small golden sun suspended above the star chart.

As the light spilled down, the dark red network wherever it passed was like frost and snow exposed to a blazing sun, rapidly melting away.

And the island star points that had originally been corroded began to slowly regain their luster in the golden light.

When the starfire of Cuiluo Bay was fully ignited, the entire Mind Image Star Sea had undergone a fundamental change.

The faith network, interlaced with silver radiance and golden light, for the first time overwhelmed the dark red corrosion, occupying over fifty percent of the star field.

“Deduction complete.” The voice of the sealed will sounded once more, this time carrying a trace of imperceptible approval.

“Defended over seventy percent of the island glimmers and successfully ignited a new starfire node.”

“Rating: Perfect.”