"Qing'er," Wang Jian drawled, amusement dancing in his eyes. "What brings you to this delightful corner of the cosmos?"

Yu Qing, her anger momentarily eclipsed by confusion, let out a frustrated sigh. "Jian, this is no time for jokes. You need to leave, now. This city is crawling with devils, and they're not exactly known for their hospitality."

"Oh, I see," Wang Jian smirked. "So, you're not here for a friendly visit to some devils?"

Yu Qing gritted her teeth. "This isn't about pleasantries, Jian. There's a weapon here, a sword reforged from the core of my… my power source." Her voice trailed off, a flicker of vulnerability crossing her face.

Wang Jian raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine interest replacing his amusement. "A weapon forged from your power source, you say? Tell me more, Qing'er."

Thus, Yu Qing launched into a hurried explanation. She spoke of the Scarlet Slaughtering Star, her legacy as a goddess, and the discovery that the Infernal Steller Smith Tribe had somehow acquired the star's core and reforged it into a sword.

"Months I've spent here, searching in the shadows," she confessed, frustration lacing her voice. "But there's been no trace of it. No rumors, no whispers. Perhaps they took it to another star."

Wang Jian pondered this for a moment, his eyes gleaming with a cunning glint. "Perhaps," he conceded, "but perhaps there's another way."

"Another way?" Yu Qing echoed, a sliver of hope flickering within her.

"We draw them out," Wang Jian declared, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "We create such a commotion they'll have no choice but to reveal their hand. How about... we destroy this entire star?"

Yu Qing's eyes widened. "Destroy the star? Are you insane?"

"Not insane," Wang Jian countered, "just pragmatic. When the Infernal Steller Smith Tribe scrambles to evacuate their precious treasures, that's when we strike. We snatch the sword amidst the chaos."

Yu Qing, however, wasn't convinced. "Destroying a star is easier said than done, Jian. These devils have formidable defenses. Layers upon layers of formations crisscross this entire starwith many settlements monitoring the important weak spots of this star, not to mention powerful devil warriors that are present in each settlement."

"Ah, but Qing'er," Wang Jian chuckled, a hint of pride in his voice, "there's one thing I'm particularly good at – stealth. They won't even know I'm there until it's too late."

To make his point, he raised a hand, and a wave of darkness pulsed outwards. Shadows materialized around them, engulfing them in an inky cloak. When the shadows receded, Yu Qing found herself in a different part of the city, far from where they'd been hovering moments before.

She gaped at her surroundings. They stood near a towering structure, pulsating with an ethereal glow – the city's power core. Here, earth veins and celestial veins converged, feeding energy into a colossal formation array that hummed with power.

A shiver ran down Yu Qing's spine. They were deep within the city's heart, right under the noses of the devilish guards, and yet, they remained undetected. Wang Jian had infiltrated this heavily guarded area with such ease, it bordered on the impossible.

"See, Qing'er?" Wang Jian's voice echoed in the shadows beside her. "They haven't a clue I'm here. Now, let's get to work."

Yu Qing stared at Wang Jian, her initial shock morphing into a hesitant smile. "Not bad, Jian. I have to admit, I underestimated the depth of your understanding after merging with that planet containing the... what was it called again, the Sky Martial Continent?"

Wang Jian chuckled, a hint of pride in his voice. "Indeed. That world broadened my horizons in more ways than one. Especially when it comes to the intricate workings of formations and the manipulation of natural energies."

"But destroying a star," Yu Qing countered, her expression turning serious. "That's a monumental task. Even with your stealth, simply reaching the power core of each settlement is one thing. But how do we siphon their very lifeblood, the essence of the earth and heaven veins that power their formations?"

She raised a finger, her brow furrowing. "The sheer magnitude of that energy... it couldn't be contained in any storage artifact we possess. It's simply too potent."

A thoughtful gleam entered Wang Jian's eyes. He wasn't oblivious to the challenge Yu Qing presented. This wasn't a simple smash-and-grab operation. Destroying a star required finesse and a thorough grasp of celestial mechanics.

"You're absolutely right, Qing'er," he conceded. "Stealing the entire power source is not only impractical, but near impossible. But what if we… redirected it?"

Yu Qing's brow shot up. "Redirected?"

"Precisely," Wang Jian affirmed, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. "We don't need to steal the power; we simply need to reroute it. Think of it like diverting a river's flow."

He gestured towards the pulsating power core. "See this grand formation array? It acts as the heart of the city, drawing upon the earth and heaven veins to fuel its various functions. Now, what if we added another layer, a carefully constructed sub-array?"

Intrigue sparked in Yu Qing's eyes. She grasped his meaning. "This sub-array would then siphon off a portion of the energy, directing it elsewhere?"

"Exactly," Wang Jian confirmed with a satisfied nod. "Think of it as a parasite, slowly draining the lifeblood of the star without them even realizing it."

"And the redirected energy?" Yu Qing pressed, her mind racing with the possibilities.

"Ah, that's the beauty of it," Wang Jian said, a hint of theatricality in his voice. "That energy will flow to a separate array, one I'll set up elsewhere – a convergence point, if you will."

Yu Qing understood now. Wang Jian envisioned a series of these sub-arrays, strategically placed throughout the Infernal Steller Smith Tribe's settlements. Each one would act as a silent leech, slowly draining the star's power.

"And this convergence point?" she queried.

"That's where the true destruction happens," Wang Jian revealed, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "There, I'll unleash the accumulated energy, triggering a chain reaction that tears the star apart from within."

Yu Qing had to admit, a twisted sense of admiration bubbled up within her. While audacious and undoubtedly risky, Wang Jian's plan had merit. It bypassed the need for brute force and played to his strengths – stealth and formation manipulation.

"This might actually work, Jian," she acknowledged, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "But we need to be swift and precise. The Infernal Steller Smith Tribe are no fools. They'll notice the disruptions in their formations eventually."

Wang Jian's grin widened. "The key to this entire operation, Qing'er, is subtlety. We need to add our sub-array without raising any alarms. That means perfect camouflage."

He tapped a finger thoughtfully against his chin. "The sub-

array's formation disk needs to be virtually invisible. Not only in its energy signature, but also in its physical form. It needs to appear identical to the existing disks within the grand array."

Yu Qing's eyes narrowed. "Essentially, you're suggesting we forge a replica formation disk. And to do that flawlessly, we'll need the exact materials the Infernal Steller Smith Tribe used."

"Bingo," Wang Jian snapped his fingers. "So, our first step involves a little… borrowing."

With a flourish, he shrouded them both in a cloak of shadows. The power core pulsed behind them, oblivious to the two figures who had just hatched a plan to dismantle its very existence.

Emerging from the shadows in a deserted alleyway, Yu Qing raised an eyebrow. "So, where do we find these… special materials?"

"Logic dictates they wouldn't keep them scattered around town," Wang Jian mused, stroking his chin. "Most likely, a heavily guarded central storage facility. We need to find the biggest vault in this settlement."

Yu Qing, ever the pragmatist, pointed towards a colossal structure in the distance. Its imposing walls gleamed under the twin moons, and demonic sigils pulsed with a faint red glow.

"Looks like our shopping spree just got a whole lot more interesting," she remarked, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

Wang Jian chuckled. "Indeed. Though subtlety seems to be a lost art on these devils. Who needs subtlety when you have brute intimidation, right?"

They weaved through the bustling night market, a kaleidoscope of sights and smells assaulting their senses. Devils of various shapes and sizes haggled over wares, their guttural voices a constant thrum in the background.

Reaching the outskirts of the market, they were met with a wall of burly devil guards. Each one radiated a formidable aura, their eyes glowing with a malevolent red light.

"Well, this is delightful," Yu Qing muttered, her hand hovering near the hilt of her celestial sword.

Wang Jian, however, simply smirked. "Leave this to me, Qing'er."

He raised a hand, and a wave of darkness rippled outwards. The shadows writhed and contorted, morphing into a pair of identical devil guards, complete with the telltale red glow in their eyes.

Yu Qing's jaw dropped as the shadow duplicates marched towards the real guards, engaging them in a conversation that sounded suspiciously like a heated debate on the merits of a particular brand of demon firewhiskey.

Seizing the opportunity, the real Wang Jian and Yu Qing slipped past the bewildered guards, their forms a mere whisper in the night. They navigated a labyrinth of corridors, their senses stretched thin, until they reached a colossal metal door, fortified with intricate demonic runes.

"Looks like this is it," Wang Jian murmured, tracing the runes with a finger. "These wards are child's play compared to some I've encountered."

With practiced ease, he weaved his fingers, his celestial energy thrumming. The runes flickered and died, the door groaning open with a rusty sigh.

A wave of heat and the metallic tang of raw materials washed over them as they entered the vault. Mountains of precious metals, glowing stones, and exotic flora overflowed from shelves, each item radiating potent celestial energy.

"Wow," Yu Qing breathed, her eyes widening at the sheer scale of the Infernal Steller Smith Tribe's hoard. "It's like a treasure trove for a celestial blacksmith."

Wang Jian, however, ignored the glittering riches, his gaze scanning for the specific materials they needed. He spotted a section stacked high with shimmering silver plates, each etched with intricate patterns.

"There," he announced, pointing towards the stack. "Those are Celestial Silver Disks. The perfect base for our replica formation disk."

Carefully, they selected a handful of disks, ensuring they wouldn't raise suspicion by taking too much. As they were about to leave, a guttural voice boomed from the entrance.

"Halt! Who dares trespass in the Infernal Treasury?!"

A hulking figure, easily twice the size of a normal devil, stood framed in the doorway. His obsidian skin was etched with crimson tattoos, and his eyes burned with barely contained rage.

Yu Qing's hand instinctively tightened around her sword hilt. It seemed their shopping spree had been cut short.