27 The Turning Point of Fate

Shen Yuchen slowly opened his eyes, finding himself surrounded by an endless sea of stars. It felt as though he was floating in the depths of the universe. The stars shimmered gently around him, their soft glow whispering ancient secrets.

"Where... am I?" he murmured, bewildered and uneasy.

A serene yet commanding voice echoed near his ear, "Welcome to the Source of Fate."

He spun around to see a woman clad in a flowing silver-white robe approaching him. Her face exuded an air of mystery and nobility, her deep eyes seemingly capable of seeing through time itself.

"Who are you?" Shen Yuchen took a cautious step back.

"I am Yun, the Celestial Envoy." Her serene smile radiated grace and authority. "You have entered the Path of Fate. This is the final threshold to the truth."

His heart skipped a beat. After all the dangers and pursuits he'd faced, he never imagined ending up in a place like this. "Path of Fate? What does that mean?"

Yun raised her hand gracefully, and the surrounding starlight gathered into a floating star map, its countless intersecting points gleaming softly.

"Each light represents a soul's destiny. You, me, even Lin Xinyi—all are but stars in this vast cosmic sea. But one star is veering off its destined path, threatening the balance of the entire network of fate."

Shen Yuchen's pulse quickened. Memories flashed in his mind—those fragmented recollections, those distant, calling voices—all hinting at an impending crisis.

"Which star is it?" he pressed.

Yun's gaze deepened as she gently touched one of the brightest stars on the map. "It is you."

His pupils dilated, struggling to comprehend her answer.

"The fracture in your destiny stems from a division in your soul," Yun explained. "You drift between reality and the virtual world, past and future entwined. If you cannot reclaim your true self, everything will collapse."

Images of Lin Xinyi's tear-filled eyes and Su Wanning's desperate cries surged into his mind. Those faces, those emotions, had never struck his heart so profoundly before.

"What must I do?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Find the lost fragments of your memories and soul," Yun said solemnly. "And the first step... is to unravel the bond between you and Lin Xinyi."

Stunned, Shen Yuchen opened his mouth to question further, but before he could speak, the surrounding stars trembled violently, as though responding to a massive external force.

"There's no time left!" Yun's expression turned grim. "Your body is under severe threat in the real world. If you don't return soon…"

The celestial space began to shatter, the light breaking apart like a fractured mirror and vanishing into the void.

Darkness enveloped Shen Yuchen's vision. The last thing he heard was Yun's expectant yet sorrowful whisper:

"Fate's turning point is never a coincidence. Go... and become the person you were destined to be."