The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 344: Elena’s Story

Elena gasped as she opened her eyes and raised her upper body from a lying position on the bed. She checked her body, touching every part to ensure nothing was wrong. When she found nothing amiss, she sighed in relief.

Looking around, she noticed that she was inside a room. She frowned, wondering where she was. When she spread her senses, she was stunned to realize that she was back inside the city, now staying in a luxurious inn—the very same inn where she had met Arthur.

Just then, the door to her room opened, and Sylphia entered with a smile.

"You’re awake. Aldrian brought you here after you passed out from getting hit by his technique. He already treated you, so you don’t have to worry about any wounds," Sylphia said.

Elena remained silent for a moment before asking, "Then, is this his—"

"No, this is my room, so you don’t have to feel uncomfortable. You can rest as long as you want," Sylphia interrupted, as if she already knew what Elena was about to ask.

"Wait, let me call him first. You probably want to talk to him right?" Sylphia added before stepping out of the room.

Elena sighed again as she stood up from the bed and walked toward the window, which wasn’t far from where she had been lying. She looked outside, taking in the scenery of Larson City and the corpse of the Cerberus. Parts of its massive body had already been chopped off and cleared from the area. Even from where she stood, the remains of the Cerberus resembled a small hill.

Creak.

The door to the room opened again, prompting her to turn around. This time, she saw Aldrian entering with Sylphia.

"How do you feel? Is there any part of your body that still doesn’t feel right?" Aldrian asked.

"No, I’m fine. Thank you for bringing me here, despite the fact that I already did something to offend you," Elena replied.

They then sat at a nearby table, which was designated for receiving guests. Sylphia also prepared drinks for them to enjoy.

"So, Miss Elena, you couldn’t have been so bored that you traveled across the continent and tracked me down just to spar for fun, right? I’d like to know your true purpose," Aldrian said as Sylphia placed their tea on the table and took a seat beside him.

Elena, seemingly ready to tell her story, glanced at Sylphia before looking back at Aldrian.

"Ah, you don’t have to worry about her. She’s trustworthy—she’s my lover, after all," Aldrian added.

Elena raised an eyebrow slightly but nodded in understanding.

"Before that, let me explain my origin first. Many people know me as one of the ten great swordmasters of the continent, but few know where I truly come from.

I was originally born into a barony family in the Atria Empire, located in a remote region near the border with the Buddhist Sect’s territory.

My ancestors are said to have come from another land, but I don’t know which territory they originated from before settling in the Atria Empire—millions of years ago."

"Now, for the main story. My family has a legacy treasure that we have always kept safe. This treasure is actually a piece of a beautiful, transparent scarf that has been with our family since the time our ancestors moved to the Atria Empire.

Although the scarf is incredibly soft and elegant, it is also astonishingly sturdy. At one point, we decided to test its durability. We tried everything to break it, but no matter what we did, the scarf didn’t even get a single scratch."

"We don’t really know the true purpose of the scarf. Aside from being a beautiful accessory, it could serve as a perfect shield, but it doesn’t seem to have been designed for that purpose. In the end, we decided to keep it secured in a special chamber dedicated to protecting it."

"Now, why am I bringing up our legacy treasure in this conversation? Because that scarf emits an aura and a type of energy that is uncommon on our continent—something unlike anything else we’ve ever encountered."

Elena then paused but kept her gaze fixed intently on Aldrian.

"That scarf emits an aura and energy that, to me, feels the same as yours. Every time you leave behind traces of your energy, I get the same feeling as when I stand before my family’s legacy treasure."

Aldrian’s eyes widened. The same aura and energy as him? But then he quickly suppressed his excitement.

But still, could this be another clue to his ultimate origin and past?

He hadn’t expected it to be exactly like his golden energy. It could be something similar to the Doria Imperial Family’s legacy artifact, which actually radiates divine energy—something strikingly close to his own golden energy.

Elena might have mistaken the aura or energy from the scarf as the same as his golden energy because she couldn’t differentiate between divine energy and his own. However, another question arose in his mind.

"How can she sense divine energy?"

Even the Doria Imperial Family, who possess the Crystal of Divinity and are surrounded by a dense concentration of divine energy, couldn’t perceive it for what it truly was—they simply assumed it to be an exceptionally thick natural energy of heaven and earth.

So how could Elena sense it?

Aldrian narrowed his eyes. To him, there were a few possibilities, but he didn’t want to draw any conclusions too soon.

"Now that you’ve told me all of this, what do you want me to do?" Aldrian asked.

"To be honest, I—no, my entire family—am deeply curious about our ancestors’ true origins and how they came to possess such a treasure or artifact. Our cultivation technique and sword technique have also been passed down through generations, originating from our ancestors. Although our family is considered talented and powerful because of these techniques, we’ve never been able to cultivate them to their fullest potential."

"Because of the inheritance from our ancestors, which seems extraordinary, we want to uncover the truth about our origins. And you—with that same energy as the scarf and such unparalleled strength—are our only clue to unraveling this secret. If we can understand it, we might even unlock the full potential of our cultivation."

Elena paused for a moment before pointing directly at Aldrian.

"What I want is you."

But then, the room fell silent. Sylphia seemed frozen as she looked at Elena expressionlessly, while Aldrian raised his eyebrows. Sensing the strange atmosphere, Elena was momentarily confused, but then she realized what was going on. She blushed and waved her hands repeatedly.

"Wait! What I mean is that you are the only clue I have to uncover the secret of our family’s origin and make us stronger. So, what I want is for you to help us in this regard," she said quickly.

Aldrian understood what she wanted. To be honest, he was really interested in the scarf and the origin of her family. He had a feeling that if he visited her family in the future, he would uncover something new about himself. He also had a few questions regarding her family that made the visit worth his time.

He looked at Elena, who was gazing at him with a hopeful expression, and smiled at her.

"Truly an intriguing story. Now you’ve piqued my interest."

Hearing Aldrian’s answer, Elena’s eyes brightened as her expression turned ecstatic.

"Then I will—"

"But I will not be visiting your family anytime soon. I still have a promise to keep with some people, so I cannot go to the Atria Empire yet. You’ll have to wait until I finish my business," Aldrian said.

Elena was stunned for a moment but then nodded.

"I understand. I will wait for you until you’re done with your business." She then stood up.

"I will stay at this inn so it will be easier to communicate with you."

She then stepped out of the room, but just as she did, she saw a man approaching from the opposite direction.

The man looked rather strange. Although his face was expressionless, his presence gave off an unpleasant vibe, as if he were irritated. He noticed her as well but only paused for a moment before continuing to walk past her.

She watched him curiously, feeling as though his gaze was somehow familiar.

Just then, the door she had exited opened again, and Aldrian and Sylphia stepped out. However, they froze upon seeing the man—who, in turn, also stopped in his tracks when he saw Aldrian.

Suddenly, Aldrian grinned at him.

"You arrived quite fast. I thought you’d get here much later. I’ll give you applause for your accomplishment," Aldrian said, clapping his hands as if congratulating the man.

The man was actually Xin Haotian in his usual disguise. He gritted his teeth, a vein bulging on his forehead as he recalled what had happened to him yesterday.

Aldrian had actually teleported him to the middle of nowhere—inside the territory of the Doria Empire, near the border of the Vindas Empire! He had to fly to the nearest city with a teleportation station, which was really far, before he could make his way back.

He had only just arrived, and it really pissed him off! Snorting, he ignored Aldrian and returned to his own room.

Sylphia giggled as she watched Xin Haotian—Aldrian had really gotten him this time. Meanwhile, Elena observed their interaction and suddenly remembered where she had seen that gaze before.

"The Sword Saint!"