Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Celestial Map of Zhou, The Emergence of the Solar Star

The Treasure Distribution System produced an artifact: the Celestial Star Map. This treasure was not a tangible object but rather a form of knowledge, a legacy, appearing abruptly in Yang Xin’s mind, and it was meant for him alone.

Yang Xin scrutinized the Celestial Star Map with care. After a long look, he drew in a sharp breath, and whispered uncertainly in his mind, “Is this the Celestial Star Array?”

“Look closely!” came the reply.

“So you finally speak! Good, that means we can negotiate.” Yang Xin muttered to himself, then observed more intently. This looked very similar to the legendary Celestial Star Array of the ancient wilderness, with the Sun Star and Lunar Star as pivotal points, three hundred and sixty-five giant stars as the core, and a myriad of stars scattered across the sky.

At the very top, the four bold characters of “Celestial Star Map” blazed like the sun—wait, there was a line of smaller characters behind it. If not for the artifact’s ability to zoom in and out, this crucial information would have been missed.

“Ninety-seven Popular Collector’s Edition? What in the world is that?” Yang Xin couldn’t help but ask.

“Counterfeit!” The Treasure Distribution System’s voice rang out.

“Counterfeit? You expect me to map Hell’s starry sky with the Celestial Star Map? Aren’t you overestimating me? Even with a knock-off Celestial Star Map, do you think I could snap my fingers with the power of the Infinity Stones and accomplish this? I’d be obliterated, not even a trace left!” Yang Xin shook his head repeatedly.

“Counterfeit! Counterfeit! Counterfeit! It merely imitates the principles of the Celestial Star Array, and thus becomes the Celestial Star Map.” The system roared, though Yang Xin sensed a hint of anxiety in its tone.

“Heh, saying it three times won’t fool me. Even if you repeat it three thousand times, you won’t sway me. ‘Imitates the principles’? I haven’t read much, but I know the Celestial Star Array was the greatest formation of the ancient demon race at their peak. Want me to snap my fingers? No way!” Yang Xin said disdainfully, then began plotting how to trick Captain America or the Hulk into snapping for him.

“Principles! Principles! Principles! Why won’t your wooden head understand? Let me give you an example…” The system shouted in frustration. “Like fireworks and a space rocket—same principle, but are they the same thing?”

“Well, that does make some sense. If that’s really true, maybe I could snap my fingers after all.” Yang Xin said, though he quietly edged toward Captain America, clearly intending to have him play the scapegoat.

“This snap must be made by you!” The system’s voice came again, this time with evident gravity and urgency.

“Why?!”

“Destiny! In Hell, establishing the Celestial Star Map is, in a sense, akin to the act of creation—like you joked about rearranging earth, wind, water, fire. Though you were bluffing, there is a sliver of truth.”

“What do I gain?” Yang Xin asked suddenly.

“Break open this realm, roam the heavens. From then on, the Treasure Distribution System will not passively generate treasures, but will create them according to your wishes.”

“So if I like someone, I give them whatever I want; if I don’t, even if they’re the Chosen One or the world’s protagonist, I can refuse to give anything?!”

“That’s about right. But the treasure cannot exceed the limits of the local world—for example, in a martial arts world, you can’t give an immortal artifact from an immortal world.”

“I see. So basically, nothing can surpass the world’s ceiling. If it’s allowed, it’s allowed; if not, it’s not, no matter what.” Yang Xin acknowledged. The destiny of this world had been harvested enough; it was time to leave. Who knew what greater villain might emerge after Thanos, the not-quite-antagonist, was redeemed.

Having made his decision, Yang Xin raised his right hand, adorned with the Infinity Gauntlet, and slowly snapped his fingers.

There was no world-shattering creation, no pain from backlash, no dramatic changes in heaven and earth, no sun and moon dimming, no earth crumbling, no rivers changing, no reversal of the cosmos—none of it.

Only a gigantic gray spherical object appeared at the far end of Hell’s dark sky.

“That’s not the Celestial Star Map, is it?” Yang Xin compared the image in his mind to the massive gray sphere in the distance.

“Foolish! Fireworks and rockets may share principles, but they’re not the same thing. This touches on a deeper Dao—the true Dao, beyond words. If the Celestial Star Map were completely manifested, you’d be obliterated.” The system said scornfully.

“So what is this?”

“Look closely, it’s the Sun Star.”

“And the other stars in the Celestial Star Map?”

“The system has sealed them. Only as humans expand in this world will they emerge, breaking their seals one by one.”

“I understand, but this Sun Star isn’t what I imagined. The Sun in the main universe is a fiery ball, but this Sun Star is gray?” Yang Xin puzzled.

“Everything is ready except for the spark. The Sun Star is in position; all that’s missing is a bit of primordial fire…”

Yang Xin caught on before the system finished.

He shut his eyes, then reopened them, revealing scarlet kaleidoscopic Sharingan pupils.

“Amaterasu!” Yang Xin unleashed all his strength, producing a ball of true solar fire. To the onlookers, it seemed immense, but compared to the Sun Star, it was minuscule. Yet this tiny flame shot skyward at a speed invisible to the naked eye, piercing into the gray Sun Star.

Boom!

The distant Sun Star began to shift from gray to fiery red, as if a celestial dog devoured the moon, the transformation visible to all…

In that moment, another star quietly peeked out from the opposite side, revealed by the Sun Star’s fire: the Lunar Star, which science would call the Moon. As sun and moon shone together, the Sun Star dominated the sky, and the Lunar Star slipped away in secret…

At that instant, all of Hell erupted in frenzied cries, the heavens changed color, wherever the Sun Star shone, spirits and demons fled, creatures of Hell shrieked in agony, either reduced to ashes or forced to flee far away…

The divine tree and the forest created by Yang Xin’s Wood Release eagerly absorbed the sunlight…

“Tony, and you, Director,” Yang Xin called over Tony Stark and the leader from China, “it’s all up to you to perfect the ecological chain.”

“Mr. Thanos, although the sunlight drives the demons into hiding, I believe they will return in the darkness after sunset. How you protect civilization’s achievements and expand new territory is up to you…”

“Master…” Yang Xin turned to the Ancient One.

“Leave everything to me!” The Ancient One smiled.

Yang Xin handed the Time Stone to Doctor Strange, who hung it around his neck. The remaining five stones he gave to the Ancient One. Not that he didn’t want to keep them, but it was impossible: the Infinity Stones, as the foundation of the main universe, could not be taken away. If they were, the universe would collapse. Since they couldn’t be taken, nor disposed of, he entrusted them to the Ancient One.

“Master, could you use the Space Stone to create some permanent portals for the intelligent beings of the main universe?” Yang Xin asked.

He did not overly favor China; they already had the advantage, for those who act early act swiftly…

“Of course!” The Ancient One smiled gently, left the Space Stone behind, and sliced the void, creating a sparkling portal, clearly leading to the starry sky of the main universe.

With a casual wave, the Ancient One sent the remaining four Infinity Stones into the cosmos, where they scattered and vanished.

“It’s just like Dragon Balls—make a wish and then they scatter…” Yang Xin’s mouth twitched.

The others were astonished; such treasures are coveted by all, yet Yang Xin surrendered them without hesitation, and the Ancient One disposed of them just as easily…

Under the amazed gaze of the crowd, Yang Xin’s figure slowly faded, disappearing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe…