The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 536: The Cat Out of the Bag?

There are a few things in recent years that can stir an uproar across the entire Barisan continent. Most of them have to do with the figure known as the mysterious swordsman—now known as Aldrian.

Various titles have been attached to his name. Many call him young master Aldrian because of how young he looks and the belief that he might be a descendant of a noble family. Many others call him lord Aldrian, already considering him far above the status of a mere young master.

There are also many who call him saint Aldrian, most of them from the Weilmar March of the Atria Empire. His actions as a savior—rescuing the empire from tyranny and healing many people—have left a lasting mark on their minds. When the situation was dire and many were dying, he was the only one who could come to their rescue.

There is one title even more excessive—he is called a god. A god who came in answer to the prayers of countless people. It is not surprising, as many see him as the only person capable of responding to certain crises.

In these uncertain times, as chaos spreads through the works of devils and rumors of a prophesied time circulate, people pray for the arrival of a messiah who can guide them through their tribulations.

The appearance of Aldrian’s figure is like that of a god arriving in an age of turmoil. His power and character match their image of divinity—strong, benevolent, and just.

But the most popular title, the one that people across the continent believe truly befits him, is— freeweɓnovel-cøm

Aldrian the Great.

His greatness is unmatched. His strength is so extraordinary that even a peak Emperor Stage cultivator supported by two divine-grade artifacts cannot defeat him. Many people doubt that anyone on this continent is as strong as he is.

He might be the one who can unite the entire continent through his power and influence alone. Normally, something like this would unsettle the imperial families across the continent—someone holding enough power to stand against an entire empire on his own.

But the ruling families across the continent seem unbothered by Aldrian’s existence. Why? Many believe they simply do not dare to cause trouble for him. There is far more to gain from befriending Aldrian than from becoming his enemy.

Perhaps they have already formed bonds with him and built relationships behind the scenes. That might be why they do not appear concerned about Aldrian’s presence. He could be the one to help them face the prophesied time. People can only imagine how remarkable it must be for someone to earn the respect of every ruling family across the continent.

With all his achievements and titles, Aldrian’s name has become the most talked-about in recent years. There is no place where his name or stories are not mentioned. Many storytellers have already spread his tales far and wide, and his legend has become a source of inspiration for young cultivators who dream of becoming like him.

However, despite his fame—and the admiration and even worship he receives—there is one thought that commonly lingers in people’s minds. At the very least, it crosses their minds once, and it adds fuel to the rumors and stories about Aldrian.

That thought is the origin of Aldrian.

Many truly wonder how someone like him could have appeared on this continent. His strength is astonishing, and many believe he is the only person who has comprehended a divine-grade technique. He can fight opponents with a far higher cultivation base—and in his case, the gap is not ordinary. The cross-level battles he wins are nothing short of absurd.

The proclaimed geniuses across the continent—most of them can fight across cultivation levels, which is not particularly surprising. They are usually noble descendants, trained from childhood and supported by their families’ vast resources.

Stories of a low Duke Stage cultivator defeating a high Duke Stage opponent are sometimes heard, as are tales of a peak Duke Stage defeating a low Grand Duke Stage.

Most of them can fight one to three realms above their current level. That alone is an incredible feat. Their potential is undeniable, and their future appears bright.

But Aldrian?

He can battle opponents at the Emperor Stage even while in the Duke Stage. Some rumors even claim he could do it as early as the Marquess Stage—or lower. Whether those rumors are true or not, the fact that he is clearly not an Emperor Stage cultivator while achieving such things has left people shocked.

Everything they thought they understood about cultivation levels and power scaling feels like it has been thrown into the trash when faced with Aldrian.

How can someone like that exist? What kind of technique does he use to make him so strong? Is it the effect of a divine-grade technique? If so, where did he get that technique? A divine technique is not something just anyone can acquire. As far as people know, only the ruling families of each major territory possess their own divine techniques.

But due to the strange circumstances across the continent, even they have failed to comprehend theirs.

That raises another question: even if Aldrian did obtain such a technique, how could he possibly comprehend it?

All of these questions make people truly wonder about Aldrian’s real background. What kind of parents could give birth to someone like him? Did the divine-grade technique come from his family? This topic has become one of the most popular subjects of gossip.

Many have started to guess his origins based on the path of his journey. Some believe he may be related to the elven race, since his first known appearance was in Balin City. Others think he might be from the demon territory, as traces of him were found there not long after the incident in Balin City.

Each territory has its own version of Aldrian’s origin—but none of them has any proof.

However, this topic has always been more of an interlude—most people do not dwell too much on Aldrian’s origin. They are curious, yes, but the most important thing is that someone like Aldrian exists, and he is on their side. Where he came from? They do not really care, as long as he does not stand against them.

Many believed they would never learn the truth behind his mysterious origin.

But the rumor that spread yesterday completely shook the continent. It spread faster than any news about Aldrian ever had.

What they heard was about his family—or more specifically, his parents.

Plenty had guessed that Aldrian was the descendant of a noble family, but this rumor was still something no one expected. Yes, it claimed that he truly came from a noble lineage—but not from the families anyone would have imagined, even in a million years. The name of his parent alone was enough to make many dismiss it as nothing more than a ridiculous joke.

But the reactions of the two family patriarchs made it clear to everyone—the rumor was likely true.

The Flamecrest family and the Rivas family.

Aldrey Flamecrest and Irene Rivas.

The successors of two houses with a long-standing fire and water relationship—actually had a child together.

At first, when the rumor spread, many thought it was just another baseless gossip about Aldrian. How could those two families—so different like fire and water—have Aldrian as their descendant? Forget about their two heirs who became successors, even ordinary family members sometimes ended up fighting whenever these two families met.

No one knew who had started the rumor, but most assumed it was someone with a terrible sense of humor.

But the shocking thing is, the action of Grand Duke Flamecrest and Grand Duke Rivas. Witnesses from both grand duchies saw the two grand dukes, clearly fuming, racing toward each other’s territories. They moved at full speed, as if they could not wait to unleash their wrath.

Even more astonishing was how the two imperial families from each empire reacted upon hearing that the grand dukes seemed ready to kill each other. The two emperors themselves personally intervened to hold them back, doing everything they could to prevent any reckless actions.

The situation quickly descended into chaos as the two families appeared to follow their leaders’ example, forcing the imperial armies to step in and calm everyone down. Meanwhile, the two central figures of the rumor, Aldrey Flamecrest and Irene Rivas, rushed after their fathers, clearly desperate to contain their raging fury.

After the persuasion of the two emperors, Aldrey and Irene, the two families finally agreed to hold a meeting to discuss everything—the events that had happened, the truth about Aldrian, and his birth. The two patriarchs needed to know.

The place chosen was the border between Flamecrest and Rivas, with the two emperors also attending. The meeting was scheduled for the next day—now, today.

News of the meeting spread quickly, and many parties wanted to witness it for themselves. Many people began traveling to the border between the two lands.

Today, as the meeting day and the exact time drew near, another shocking scene unfolded. Suddenly, the leaders from other ruler families and organizations across the major territories also appeared in person at the meeting.

The meeting place quickly transformed into a gathering of peak cultivators from almost all major territories, turning what was meant to be a discussion about Aldrian and his parents into a far grander event.

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