After arriving at the capital, Aeris met with Noe and decided to entrust Trung Hau to his care. Trung Hau was no ordinary boy; he was a Starseed burdened with a destiny known as the Heavenly Solitary Star (Thien Sat Co Tinh). This fate was a cruel one. It was said that anyone who drew near to him would be hounded by misfortune—if not a freak accident, then a sudden calamity. Because of this, he had been cast out by society, a pariah whom no one dared to approach. Despite his tender age, Trung Hau had already tasted the bitter sting of cold indifference. He lived in a world of profound isolation, his heart heavy with a boredom that only a soul starved of affection could know.

  Trung Hau himself lived in self-imposed exile. He understood the ruin he brought to others and chose to keep his distance to protect them. His parents had long since passed away, and his village and relatives had been struck by one disaster after another until, finally, they were forced to drive him away. It was a pattern that repeated throughout his life: wherever he stayed for too long, ruin followed. His last long-term refuge had been the White Wood Forest, but even that sanctuary was gone now, razed to the ground during an invasion by the Rat Kingdom.

  Among the practitioners of the dark arts, he was whispered to be a Demonic Cultivation Genius. Yet, Trung Hau possessed a heart of gold. He refused to walk a path that required harming others, choosing instead to wander the world as a lonely fugitive. Even though he knew people feared and avoided him, he held no bitterness. Instead, he cherished the memories of the "good people" he had met. There were many times he had collapsed by the roadside, dying of hunger or thirst, only for a kind stranger to save him, nursing him back to health with food and care. To spare them from his curse, he would always vanish into the night as soon as he was strong enough. Now, history was repeating itself. Noe treated him with genuine warmth and concern, but the more kindness Noe showed, the more Trung Hau felt the desperate urge to leave to protect his benefactor.

  Noe, however, was no ordinary scholar. He was a Prophet with the ability to peer into the veils of the future; it was said that out of every ten words he spoke, eight would manifest as reality. One day, sensing the boy's inner turmoil, Noe turned to Trung Hau and said softly, "Do you know, my boy? I am also a Starseed."

  Trung Hau’s eyes widened in shock. It was the first time in his life he had ever heard of another being like himself. "You... you are a Starseed? Just like me?"

  Noe offered a gentle, knowing smile. "Heh, I am both the same as you and yet very different. My destiny is governed by the Lucky Star."

  Trung Hau lowered his head, his expression clouding with a familiar sadness. "I see. So you are the opposite of me. You bring fortune to everyone you meet, while I... I only bring misery and bad luck to those around me."

  Noe shook his head firmly. "That is where you are wrong. All Starseeds, at their core, are stars of fortune. Do you not see how immensely lucky you have been? In these times of absolute chaos, a frail and weak child such as yourself has managed to survive, remaining safe and whole until this very moment. You’ve told me of your 'narrow escapes'—moments of life and death where everyone around you perished, yet you were the sole survivor. Is that not luck?"

  Trung Hau stood frozen, his mind racing as he re-evaluated his past. "I... I suppose you're right. When you put it that way, I really have been lucky."

  "This is the protection of Destiny," Noe said, his voice resonating with authority. "It is the protection of the Heavens granted specifically to you. You have a purpose, a mission to fulfill in this world. No Starseed is an accident or a mistake of fate."

  Hearing those words, Trung Hau’s vision blurred. Tears began to stream down his face as he choked out, "Hic... so everything I’ve been through... it wasn't meaningless? It wasn't a punishment? I thought... I thought I must have been an evil person in my past life to deserve this suffering. I thought I was worthless..."

  Noe stepped forward and pulled the boy into a warm embrace. "There now, son. Everything begins to get better starting today. If you want to cry, then cry until your heart is empty. Let the tears wash away the pain you’ve carried for so long."

  And so, the boy let out a primal cry. The emotions he had suppressed for years—the loneliness, the fear, the self-loathing—erupted with terrifying force. As his heart broke, a massive wave of Killing Intent (Sat Khi) exploded from his body. It was so potent that every living soul within a ten-mile radius felt a shiver of dread, as if a hundred thousand soldiers were charging onto a field of slaughter.

  Noe was primarily a scholar and had never been diligent in physical cultivation, leaving his constitution somewhat frail. Under the assault of this horrific killing intent, even with his energy shields raised, he felt as though he might be crushed. Fortunately, he had foreseen this possibility. He had already consumed a specialized potion and two Energy Restoration Pills to maintain his defenses. Furthermore, his thatched cottage had been reinforced with ancient defensive arrays; without them, the house would have surely collapsed into dust.

  When the storm of emotion finally subsided, Trung Hau noticed Noe’s face was deathly pale. "Master! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?"

  Noe didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pointed to the deep, jagged gashes that had appeared on the wooden pillars, the walls, and even his own torn robes. "You might not realize it, but your emotions can manifest as physical Killing Intent. This is the true meaning of the word 'Slaying' (Sat) in your Heavenly Solitary Star destiny. It is a divine talent that demonic cultivators, who spend lifetimes refining killing intent, would envy. Your path of cultivation is one that transforms negative emotions into self-strengthening."

  Trung Hau jumped to his feet, his face filled with suspicion. "Are you a demonic practitioner too?"

  "Certainly not," Noe replied with a chuckle. "I am an Immortal cultivator (Tiên tu). But tell me, what is so wrong with being a demonic cultivator? Why such a fierce reaction?"

  Trung Hau’s voice was resolute. "Demonic cultivators are villains! They are cruel, heartless murderers!"

  Noe smiled. "If we define a demonic cultivator as a murderer, then Immortal cultivators have spilled just as much blood. A single high-level spell from an Immortal can snuff out thousands of lives in the blink of an eye. Whether one is 'good' or 'bad' does not depend on the cultivation technique or the path they follow. It depends entirely on the heart. Have you truly never seen a demonic cultivator perform an act of kindness?"

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Trung Hau stammered, his conviction wavering. "I... I have seen some who did good things. But that doesn't mean they are all good!"

  "And that is exactly my point," Noe said. "Just as not all demonic practitioners are evil, not all Immortals are righteous."

  A long silence followed as Trung Hau processed this. Finally, he asked, "Then why the names? Why 'Demonic' and 'Immortal'?"

  Noe laughed heartily. "Haha! You are a bright one. You’ve finally asked the right question. Let me expand that for you: what is the difference between Buddha, Human, God, Monster, and Spirit cultivation?"

  Trung Hau shook his head immediately. "I have no idea."

  "A blunt and honest answer. I like that. If you don't know, say so; if you do, speak it. You are a child who can be taught," Noe praised. He then settled in to explain: "In the beginning, the world was not divided. However, great ancient beings began to train according to their own preferences and habits, which eventually branched into different orthodoxies.

  

  
• Immortal Cultivation (Tu Tiên): This is the path of turning oneself into a deity. However, being a 'God' comes with too many bureaucratic responsibilities. Thus, they stop at the level of 'Immortal' to keep their freedom from the Heavenly Court’s management.


  
• God Cultivation (Tu Th?n): A branch that doesn't stop at Immortal. They embrace the responsibility of management. One can become a God through raw power or by accumulating Merit, much like the division between Civil and Martial officials in a palace.


  
• Demonic Cultivation (Ma Tu): These are essentially all the other paths that haven't been fully mapped out or regulated. In the past, Buddha, Human, and Spirit cultivation were all lumped under the label 'Demonic.' Once a safe, repeatable method was found for a path, it got its own name. Anything unstable or unknown is still called 'Demonic.'"


  

  "So 'Demonic' just means... unknown?" Trung Hau asked.

  Noe nodded. "Precisely. It implies a path that is dangerous, where the risk of death or Qi Deviation (Backlash) is high. Demonic cultivation has no strict rules; you can practically train however you wish. Other paths are rigid. Immortal cultivation, for example, is obsessed with Spirit Roots (Grade 1, 2, or 3) and has specific manuals for each type."

  "So all those rules in Immortal cultivation are for the benefit of the practitioner?"

  "Correct, but only to a point. The original founders had maybe five or ten rules. But later generations of students, often out of arrogance or a desire for control, added hundreds or thousands of laws, creating the myriad of sects we see today."

  By now, Trung Hau had completely calmed down. He realized that the man before him was a sage who could truly solve the riddle of his life. He dropped to his knees. "Please, accept me as your disciple! Please guide me!"

  Noe smiled and waved his hand. "There is no need to kneel. I have never cared for tedious etiquette."

  "Yes, Master!"

  "Both of us are Starseeds," Noe continued. "That means there is always a deity or a Guardian Spirit supporting us. That is the secret behind your survival. Your first step is to connect with that entity to discover your life’s purpose. Sit down, close your eyes, and listen to the voice within. The internal sound will appear in your right ear, while the external world will be in your left."

  "What is the name of my Guardian?"

  "They usually do not have names. You may call them the Holy Spirit or the Divine Spirit. If they have a specific name, it means they were once a living person in this world."

  Trung Hau tried to meditate for a while but eventually opened his eyes. "Master, I don't feel anything."

  "Silence," Noe whispered. "Focus on the meaning of your existence. Cast aside your worries and your gloom. This entity is humble; He will only reveal Himself when you truly, sincerely seek Him."

  So, Trung Hau began his true training in meditation. He purged the thought that he was a "useless curse." His heart was no longer heavy with boredom but filled with the pride of being alive. After several months of practice, he finally heard it—the whisper of the Holy Spirit.

  He rushed to tell Noe: "Master! I’ve made contact! My purpose is to change the world and make it a better place. But... the Spirit requires me to become much stronger. I need to reach Level 600."

  Noe was stunned. Level 600 was the equivalent of breaking through to the Core Formation Stage. Noe himself was currently only at Level 490, still within the Qi Condensation Stage. He pulled out a crystal ball to measure the boy’s stats: Level 400, Qi Condensation, Triple Spirit Roots.

  "According to my reading," Noe said gravely, "you have Triple Spirit Roots. In the Immortal path, you could reach Level 499 very quickly. But breaking into the Foundation Establishment Stage (Level 500+) will be incredibly difficult, and reaching Core Formation (Level 600+) is statistically impossible. You would almost certainly suffer Qi Deviation and die."

  Trung Hau’s face fell. But Noe quickly reassured him, "That is the rule for 'normal' people. But you are a Starseed. You are meant to create your own path, one that others will eventually follow."

  Trung Hau cheered up instantly. "I understand!"

  "Your first lesson," Noe said, "is emotional mastery. Whether you are ecstatic or miserable, you must learn to restrain it. Your emotions are the trigger for the misfortune that strikes those around you. I know this is hard because you have been hurt so much, making you sensitive. Can you do it?"

  Trung Hau smiled brightly. "Before, I couldn't. But now I know people love me, and I have a Guardian by my side. I won't be sad anymore."

  After a few more weeks of training, Noe decided on a test. "This time, try to focus all that 'bad luck' on a single person. Use me as your target."

  Trung Hau hesitated, worried. "But Master... you might die!"

  Noe laughed with confidence. "You underestimate me, boy. I am a Starseed too. My luck stat is significantly higher than yours."

  Trung Hau took a deep breath and focused his gaze on Noe. He pulled up every memory of grief and pain. Noe watched the crystal ball; his luck index plummeted into the negative numbers. The world began to blur, and a wave of paralyzing fear and exhaustion washed over Noe. Suddenly, as Noe looked into Trung Hau’s left eye, a strange, intricate pattern appeared within the pupil. It was a branch of the Spirit Eye, known specifically as the Heavenly Slaying Ocular Technique (Thien Sat Dong Nhan Thuat)—an eye that could extinguish life with a single glance.

  "Excellent! It’s a success! The Eye has manifested!" Noe shouted.

  The moment Trung Hau felt joy, the Eye vanished, and Noe’s luck immediately restored. Noe then had him repeat the exercise using only his right eye while covering the left. This time, Noe’s luck didn't drop nearly as much, but the effort was so great that Trung Hau collapsed, unconscious.

  Later, Noe explained: "Every Starseed possesses special eyes. I have three: Human X-Ray Vision (the ability to see through objects and bodies), the Yin-Yang Eye (to see spirits), and the Eye of Merit (to see how the Heavens judge a person). We will continue to explore your hidden talents. For now, try your ocular technique on that tree over there."

  Trung Hau focused his gaze on a nearby tree. A visible ripple of energy shot from his eye, making the tree shake violently, but otherwise, nothing seemed to happen. "Nothing changed," he complained.

  Noe only smiled. "You will see tomorrow."

  The next morning, the tree had been completely transformed. It was turned to solid stone from the roots to the highest branch, its leaves fallen and brittle. Noe poured a special herbal solution over it, explaining that it would recover in a few days. From that day on, Trung Hau dedicated himself to mastering his new technique and learning the delicate art of brewing medicinal herbs.