zoom123

In a realm where cultivation once defied the heavens, Li Wei, the Heavenly Sovereign, meets a fate worse than death. Stripped of his godlike power during a failed ascension, his soul is hurled into a dystopian future ruled by Elysium Corp—a megacorporation that has replaced divine law with AI dogma. Reborn in a body laced with self-replicating nanobots, Li Wei discovers his ancient qi clashes violently with this world’s cold, mechanical logic. Worse yet, Elysium’s tyrant CEO, Director Veyra, hunts him, believing his soul holds the key to her Ascension Protocol: a plan to digitize humanity’s essence and consume it to fuel her own godhood.

Now, Li Wei must choose: reclaim the throne of heaven by destroying this corrupted world, or sacrifice his last shred of immortality to save it. But time is running out. The nanobots in his veins are mutating, Kara’s true identity is unraveling, and the stars themselves whisper a chilling truth—the entity is already here.

“In a world where souls are code and dragons are machines, one ancient cultivator will defy both heaven and silicon to ignite a revolution—or become the final spark of humanity’s extinction.”

Stellar Tribulation

The Starblade drifted through the nebula's crimson haze, its hull scarred from the battle at Elysium's last bastion. The crew moved in tense silence, each lost in the weight of what they had just endured. Kara stood at the main console, her mechanical eye flickering as she reviewed the star map. Eleven points of light burned across the galaxy—each marking an awakened Core.

Li Wei leaned against the bulkhead, arms crossed over his crystallized chest. The fissures in his skin pulsed faintly, a constant reminder of the cost of wielding the spear shards. His body no longer felt entirely his own.

"We should regroup," Aria's voice crackled over the comm. "Xuánwǔ Prime is lost. The Cores are waking up faster than we predicted. If we don't act soon, the Prisoner won't need an army—it'll be free."

Kara exhaled sharply. "We don't even know where to start. Eleven Cores spread across the galaxy, and we're running on fumes."

Li Wei pushed off the wall, stepping closer to the holographic display. His fingers traced the map's glowing lines. "We don't need to chase all of them. The Cores are awakening in a sequence. If we find the next one before the Prisoner does, we might have a chance to disrupt its plan."

Kara's gaze sharpened. "And how do we do that? We barely survived the last fight."

A new voice interrupted them—low, distorted, and laced with ancient authority. "I can guide you."

Every weapon in the room snapped toward the shadows as a figure emerged from the dim light of the ship's corridor. Cloaked in tattered robes woven with flickering constellations, the stranger moved with an eerie grace. Their face was hidden beneath a hood, but the glow of twin celestial eyes burned beneath it.

"Who the hell are you?" Kara demanded, her pistol aimed steady.

The stranger inclined their head. "A remnant of the First Sovereign's order. I have watched over the Cores for eons. And I know where the next one will awaken."

Li Wei's jaw tightened. "If you know so much, why haven't you stopped this before?"

The figure's gaze lingered on him. "Because you were not ready."

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken questions. Kara exchanged a glance with Li Wei, then lowered her weapon—but not completely.

"Talk fast," she said. "Because we don't have time for cryptic nonsense."

The stranger extended a hand toward the star map. One of the eleven points pulsed brighter. "The Hollow Throne. A world forsaken by time, where the Eleventh Core slumbers. If the Prisoner's forces reach it first, the galaxy's last barrier will shatter."

Li Wei stared at the glowing point. Something inside him resonated with the name—a distant memory, not his own, pulling at the edges of his mind.

Kara hesitated, then nodded. "Aria, fire up the engines."

The Starblade turned, plunging into the abyss, where the past and future would collide once more.

Chapter 24: The Hollow Throne