Ashes of the star forge

Chapter 126: The Shadow of Vengeance

Lian closed his eyes shut.

His breathing was rigid and fast, each inhale sharp and labored. Blood had dripped from his clenched fist, the skin split from how hard he had squeezed it. The rage inside him was a living thing, twisting and burning, threatening to consume his reason. The image of the white-eyed man — the murderer of his uncle — burned behind his eyelids like a brand. He forced himself to turn around, facing Elara and Lirien. His steps were stiff, mechanical, as if his body was fighting against the storm of emotions raging within. His shoulders were locked, his jaw tight, every muscle coiled like a spring ready to snap. He moved like a man walking through thick mud, each footfall deliberate and heavy, the weight of his hatred slowing him down.

He stopped right in front of Lirien.

“Remove that monster now,” he said. His voice was deep and low, carrying a threatening tone that sent a chill through the training room.

Lirien looked up at his face, her violet eyes calm and understanding. She didn’t need him to say the name or point. She had already seen the scene he had created. With a small wave of her tiny hand, the white-eyed man and the spider-like creature beside him decomposed into black liquid and vanished into the air.

Lian exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself.

“I don’t want to look at that monster,” he said, his voice still tight but more controlled. “I will lose myself if I do. When I face him — the real one — I want to be calm. Rational. I will fight him with clear eyes and test my true strength. I will defeat him and that creature of his without being consumed by rage. Anything less would make my uncle’s death meaningless.”

Lirien stared at him for a moment. A very small, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips, then disappeared. My Master is interesting, she thought. He is not the type to act purely on emotion. Even in his anger, he seeks control. I find him... intriguing.

Lian opened his eyes and looked at both Elara and Lirien before turning back to face the remaining opponents. They stood in a line before him — the syndicate enforcers from Khar-9, the academy students he had fought, the guards he had killed in the undercity, and other faces from his bloody path. All of them recreated perfectly, motionless and blank.

Lirien stepped forward, her small figure moving with quiet grace.

“They are all too weak for Master to train with,” she said, a hint of displeasure in her voice. She paced slowly in front of the line of dummies, her silver hair swaying. “They will not push you. They will not help you grow.”

Elara spoke up, her voice cautious. “What about the representative? Lord Valerian Crowe?”

Lirien stopped pacing. She turned to Elara with a small smile and waved her hand. A holographic screen appeared in front of her, and she began typing rapidly, searching through Lian’s memories with lightning speed. The screen flickered, and the representative’s image appeared.

She closed the screen with a flick.

The other opponents vanished instantly. In their place, the figure of Lord Valerian Crowe began to form — tall, aristocratic, with silver-streaked hair and cold eyes. The replica stood there, lifeless for now, but Lirien adjusted its level to match the real one: early Nebula Dominion Realm.

Immediately, an oppressive pressure filled the training room. The air grew thick and heavy, like an invisible mountain pressing down on everything. Lian felt it — the same suffocating killing intent he had experienced before. His knees weakened slightly, but he held his ground. Elara, however, dropped to her knees, gasping as the pressure crushed down on her.

Lirien moved quickly. With a gentle wave, she lifted Elara and guided her to the entrance of the training room, placing her safely outside the main area. She then stayed where she was, standing calmly in the center.

“System,” Lirien said clearly, “put up the forcefield and initiate death protocol.”

A translucent forcefield shimmered into existence, covering the entire training room. The walls glowed faintly as the protocol activated.

Lian had already drawn his black blade. The replica of Lord Valerian Crowe stood five meters away, still lifeless but radiating the full oppressive aura of the real man. Lian’s breathing was ragged. The pressure made it hard to think, hard to move. It felt exactly like standing in front of the real representative — that same crushing weight that made him feel small and weak.

He tried to steel himself. He couldn’t afford to feel afraid. He couldn’t afford to feel weak. Not here. Not against a shadow of the man he had sworn to kill. He gripped the black blade tighter, forcing his body to remain upright, forcing his mind to stay clear. The representative’s aura pressed down harder, testing every ounce of his will.

Power Scale / Cultivation Realms (Quick Reminder)

Foundation Realm (Layers 1–9): Body forging, no external Qi.

Circuit Awakening Realm (Early–Peak): First Qi loop, internal bursts.

Core Condensation Realm (Early–Peak): External Qi release, short flight.

Stellar Circuit Realm (1–9 Stars): True flight, Qi armor, energy projection.

Nebula Dominion Realm and higher: Domain control, galaxy-level power, etc

Power Scale Reminder

Lian Yu: Stellar Circuit Star 1.

Elara Voss: Core Condensation Middle

Keep it as reminders