Death... and me

"I don't know what to say." Kihin was lost. "I can't really say I've never expected that there was a star compatible with each person. However, there are too many of them for one to start searching. At the very least, you're the first person I've ever heard of to have found your own compatible star. In my head, it was just a delusion."

Kihin continued, "Now, not only is there such a thing as a compatible star, it's probably behind that barrier you commented about."

Roan nodded in response. "Yes. There's one thing I can guarantee about it. The Starlight Energy from the stars beyond the barrier is very different from the ones behind it. I'm not sure that only the stars beyond the barrier are compatible with you and the others. However, just the difference in the quality of Starlight already makes it a lot more worth connecting with stars that are on the other side."

Kihin agreed with Roan. Since Roan 'signed' the Soul Binding Contract, he knew that Roan wasn't lying. "You said that you used your own Starlight's energy to open a hole in the barrier for you to pass, right? As you can imagine, I haven't cultivated the Starlight Technique yet, let alone the new version. After all, I didn't want to start with it before I was sure it was safe. Do you reckon I can do the same thing with my own Starlight? Naturally, I've already found my own Starlight a long time ago since that's a necessary step for either technique. The danger is after you select a star."

Roan immediately shook his head, telling him, "I'll be honest, I don't think the power of your Starlight alone is enough to pierce through the barrier. In my case, I believe my own Starlight happened to carry the same property as my Elemental Affimity. After all, I told you that it was a Dark Starlight. It was thanks to that fact that I was able to pierce through." Roan wasn't lying. His Dark Starlight indeed gave him the impression of being similar to his own Dark Element. It's just that he didn't add the World Essence in the conversation.

Kihin bitterly smiled in response. "That's not something I can copy, you know?"

Roan had an idea, though. "It's not like you are without options."

Kihin's eyes lit up when he heard that. "What is it? Do you have some other method?"

Roan shook his head, telling him, "It's nothing that impressive. Basically, you can try to brute force your way through the barrier."

"That doesn't make sense," Kihin replied. "You said it yourself. My own Starlight alone shouldn't be enough to break that barrier."

Roan confirmed his words. "Indeed. That's why you must find some auxiliary energy source that your Starlight can use. Surprisingly, that flawed technique that killed the guy in the Ruins of Yaz just so happens to have it described there."

"It does?" Kihin did give Roan the version he found as well, so he also knew it. "How come I don't know of this?"

Roan then took the jade slip with the Ruins of Yaz's version of the technique and pointed it into a specific thing there. "Starlight Fusion."

That puzzled Kihin even more. "Starlight Fusion refers to the fusion of the Starlight Energy from the star you connected to with the material that will calm it down. Not only will it not give you a boost, but it will also reduce the power of the Starlight. First of all, it's only possible after you have selected a star. If I select a star to do it, I won't be able to look for another one anymore."

Roan shook his head, expanding his horizons as he told him, "Your mind is too narrow. Who said that only the Starlight from your connected star can be used here? Have you not noticed it yet? This technique is all about reducing the harmful effect of the Starlight you're receiving. Then, why not do the same thing with the Starlight Energy from other stars? Make the oppression power of the other Starlights go down so much that it can be used even by someone not connected to a star."

Kihin looked at Roan as if he was seeing a monster. "Yes! Yes! That's it! Why didn't I think of such a thing before?"

"You can't be blamed," Roan told him. "It's not that you couldn't think about it, but that it would be useless. The other stars' Starlight Energy can't be used to cultivate the Starlight Technique. That being said, why should you bother to fuse them and reduce their oppression power? They would be useless for you in the end. However, if it's to use them as an energy source for your own Starlight, then that's another story."

Kihin didn't waste time and immediately called his subordinates. "Bring me Cold Tusan Peak Flowers, Amarel Swamp Beast blood, the..." Kihin then passed a list with the materials necessary for the fusion, which he had long since prepared.

After that, Kihin and Roan were left alone in an alchemy room. Surprisingly, it turns out that Kihin was an alchemist himself and a Golden Middle-level one at that. He could concoct the solution that would be used to reduce the Starlight Power on his own. Roan, of course, also helped him as he was also at the Golden Level.

Later that day, the duo finished concocting a lot of it so that Kihin would not run out during his attempt to break the barrier.

Roan, unfortunately, couldn't help him much with that. "You have researched the Starlight Technique a lot, so you should know that I can't help you in the journey around the sea of stars. Everyone can only do it on their own. However, I can give the solution a test to see if I can use other stars' Starlight Energy. It won't do anything for my Starlight Technique cultivation, but it should be of some use as an energy source."

Kihin took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, give it a try."