Chapter 8: Commanding Life and Death

After arranging everything concerning the Stellar Vault Church, Xingfeng severed the church from the Empire. From that moment, divine authority and royal authority were completely separated. In truth, everyone sensed that although the church was now independent, because Xingfeng was the God’s Chosen, his power still transcended that of the Empire. In other words, at this moment, all of humanity shared a unified thought: divine authority surpassed royal authority.

In the following years, Xingfeng continued to spread faith in the Star Father, even as his body gradually succumbed to age. It was now the year 3146 of the Celestial Vault Era, and for Xingfeng, born in 3090, he had reached the advanced age of fifty-six. In an era when human lifespans were generally short, Xingfeng was considered long-lived. Each day, he could only sit quietly before the statue of the Star Father and pray, knowing his life was nearing its end.

Unlike other rulers, Xingfeng did not fear death; instead, he was able to embrace it wholeheartedly. He believed that after death, he would surely join the Star Father’s side and serve him for eternity.

“Star Father… your child is about to return the life you bestowed…” Xingfeng’s clouded eyes opened slightly, staring at the ground beneath the statue’s feet, lost in thought or perhaps waiting for something.

He raised his scepter, and with the aid of gravity, drove it forcefully into the ground before the statue, nearly half its height sunk into the earth.

“Yanhe, remember this: after I die, make my body into a statue and place it at the feet of the Star Father,” Xingfeng released the scepter and turned to his son, who bowed slightly.

“And only the High Priest of the Stellar Vault Church may attempt to retrieve the scepter. I can sense its power… it will only allow those of unwavering faith to wield it.”

“I understand, Father,” Yanhe’s eyes brimmed with moisture. He wished to support Xingfeng, but the elder’s legs gave way, and he collapsed into his son’s arms.

“My life is nearly at its end. Begin preparing now…” Xingfeng’s eyes felt unbearably heavy; only his formidable willpower kept him alive, yet he could clearly feel his body’s warmth slipping away.

Just as Xingfeng was on the verge of death, the sky seemed to suddenly dim. In a haze, he saw the Star Father descend once more upon this world. He thought it was a hallucination, paying no heed to his son’s frightened attempt to lay him down and kneel in reverence.

“Star Father… have you come to take me?” Xingfeng’s breath was faint, his consciousness fading.

Meanwhile, above the Empire, night had fallen, but the sky was not entirely dark. The stars began to align in a strange order, as if preparing for a miracle.

Drawn by this mysterious power, Xingfeng’s mind regained a flicker of clarity. He saw a radiant divine light descend from the heavens, piercing the thick clouds and illuminating the temple where he lay.

Within the starlight, the Star Father’s figure gradually appeared, his form composed of countless stars and nebulae, radiating awe-inspiring brilliance.

The Star Father’s gaze fell upon the dying Yanhe, filled with compassion and mercy. He extended a hand, its palm seemingly gathering the essence of the universe.

The hand formed of stars gently touched Xingfeng’s forehead, and a warm, powerful energy surged into his body. Like a fountain of life, it awakened every cell, repaired his aged tissues, and even remade his bones and muscles.

As the starlight flowed, Xingfeng’s complexion regained its color, his breathing became steady and strong. His body, under the Star Father’s power, was revitalized, as though granted a second life. At last, he understood what had happened.

He rose and knelt before the Star Father, his eyes filled with unwavering faith and devotion.

“All things I have created are subject to life and death.”

“Xingfeng, your devout faith has not gone unnoticed, even placed above life and death.”

“Today, I grant you another lifetime, as a mark of my favor.”

With that, the Star Father’s figure vanished above the Stellar Vault Empire.

While the people still basked in awe of the Star Father’s majestic presence, they were astonished to see that the once feeble High Priest Xingfeng emerged from the temple. His youthful face and strong physique announced his return to vitality.

The citizens of the Stellar Vault Empire were overwhelmed with unparalleled shock and joy, as well as reverence and adoration for the Star Father.

Was this truly the power of the Star Father?

The Star Father not only created all things, but could also command life and death!

“The High Priest of the Stellar Vault Church, on the verge of death, was granted a second life by the Star Father in recognition of his devout faith,” Shen Xing read aloud from the records inscribed in the Stellar Vault Church’s Oracle Hall, written in the Sacred Stellar Vault Codex, nodding in approval.

He had used this divine descent as an opportunity to conduct an experiment. To resurrect Xingfeng, he first used the Unity of All Things to dissolve and fuse his bodily tissues, then exercised the power of Creation to replace them with new organs, repeating the process with conscious energy.

“It seems the upper limit of conscious energy is high, but constrained by the quality of consciousness,” Shen Xing mused, never ceasing his quest to explore his abilities. From years of research, he concluded that unlocking new abilities required reaching certain milestones or fulfilling powerful inner needs.

Or, perhaps, this so-called system was merely a manifestation of his conscious energy.

It was even possible that conscious energy was the foundation of it all.

After receiving his second life, Xingfeng’s faith in the Star Father became boundless.

He continued to wield the life granted by the Star Father, spreading his faith across the supercontinent, establishing temples in every city and village under the Empire’s rule.

Every newborn child could experience the Star Father’s grace from the very beginning, and the strength of humanity’s collective faith soared.

This lifetime quickly passed; perhaps due to the Star Father’s modifications, Xingfeng lived for another ninety years, becoming the longest-lived human on the continent.

Finally, in the year 3236 of the Celestial Vault Era, Xingfeng passed away at the age of one hundred forty-six. His body was sealed in a bronze coffin and placed at the feet of the Star Father’s statue.

In his final moments, Xingfeng did not ask the Star Father for further life; after more than a century, he had seen through most things in the world. At the end of his life, he wished only to rest quietly beneath the Star Father’s statue, eternally accompanying the faith that mattered most to him.

The Stellar Vault Empire mourned as one; all understood that a great era had drawn to its close.