Chapter 1009: Rising Light Sect

Cold. Boundless cold and darkness, like thick ink, wrapped around Han Wuxian's shattered consciousness.

Every heartbeat came with rending pain; every weak breath felt like swallowing broken glass. The body seemed no longer one's own, only pain spreading throughout, enough to make the soul tremble, screaming wildly. Arms were bloody pulp, stark white bones exposed in the salty sea breeze, each pulse bringing out viscous blood plasma.

The collapsed chest turned each inhalation into torture; broken ribs threatened to pierce the organs at any moment. Worst of all was the dantian—the Golden Core that had just broken through and should have shone brightly, now covered in spiderweb-like cracks, dim and lifeless, exuding deathly stillness.

Mana was utterly exhausted; meridians resembled scorched earth then frozen, inch by inch severed. The soul was like a candle in the wind, flickering on the verge of extinction; consciousness drifted and sank at the edge of the endless dark abyss.

"Will... I die?" a fuzzy thought rose in the chaos, bringing a weariness like relief.

Just as this consciousness was about to completely dissipate and sink into eternal darkness...

"Xiruo..."

That name, etched deep in the soul, was like a weak yet unyielding bolt of lightning tearing through eternal night!

A resolute back view, a deep glance... the promise made to find her!

"No!!!" The lingering will in the dying body let out a silent roar! Like the last spark bursting from ashes about to be extinguished!

Hum...

At the instant this willfire was forcibly burning, within his shattered body, deep in the nearly completely shattered, dim Golden Core core, a point of extremely weak yet pure to the utmost platinum light, like an awakened star seed, extremely slowly yet extraordinarily tenaciously... lit up!

This light was weak as a firefly, yet it contained a newborn, pure essence, merging the purifying origin of the Light Dao with a hint... of the vast life essence drawn from the Abyssal Terror Whale, forcibly purified and refined!

That's it!

That final strike, "Light Punishment·Star Fall," not only slew the Terror Whale, but in the process of purifying its corrupt demonic body, forcibly plundered and transformed its most core, most pure thread of life essence!

This thread of essence is now turning into the purest vitality, clinging to his last breath of vital energy!

"Uh... ah..." Han Wuxian's throat emitted a bellows-like hoarse sound; beneath tightly shut eyelids, his eyes rolled violently. The survival instinct overwhelmed boundless pain; he struggled, using all his soul's strength, began attempting to mobilize that barely-there platinum light.

The light flowed like drifting stardust, seeping with difficulty through the cracked Golden Core, like a trickle, beginning to flow toward the severed, withered meridians. Where it passed, it was like drought meeting sweet rain, bringing faint yet real coolness and a sense of repair. The purified Terror Whale's life essence, containing vast vitality, was nourishing his collapsing flesh in the gentlest way.

But this process, the pain persisted! Like forcibly gluing shattered bones, like scattering regenerative medicine on a burnt wound. Each flow of the light was accompanied by deep bone‑piercing agony and soul‑trembling. He needed time! He needed an absolutely quiet environment!

However, this is the perilous edge of the boundless sea! The terrifying energy surge and tsunami triggered by slaying a Nascent Soul giant beast were like the brightest beacon in the night!

Whoosh

Whoosh!

The heavy sound of breaking waves, from far to near, carried a cold sensation of metal scraping seawater, shattering the dead silence of this horror‑sea that had just regained a little calm.

Han Wuxian's remaining consciousness tightened suddenly! He endured the heart‑rending pain, barely extending the last wisp of his divine sense outward.

Not far away on the sea surface, three ships, their bodies flashing cold metallic luster, sleek like sharks, were cleaving the turbid water floating with Terror Whale carcasses and polluted blood, speeding toward the reef area where he was!

The ships were small but sturdy; their hulls engraved with intricate silver star patterns, the prow set with a large, eye‑like blue crystal emitting probing ripples. Above the ships fluttered a flag: deep star‑blue background, silver thread embroidering a towering mountain peak, at its summit a rising moon shedding cool light.

The flag of the Rising Light Sect!

Han Wuxian's heart rang with alarm! Exactly what he feared had come! In his present state, let alone fighting, moving a finger was hard! If discovered, the consequences would be unthinkable! The Baocheng Emperor's "shadow" was also silent now—unknown whether it had failed to catch up or chosen hidden observation.

He immediately restrained all aura, including the faint platinum light and life pulse, disguising himself as a cold corpse drifting among the rocks. At the same time, enduring the pain, he struggled to shift his body so as to be as much as possible covered by the shadow of a huge rock stained with Terror Whale blood.

Three Rising Light Sect patrol ships swiftly reached the core of this hell‑like sea. The blue "eye" crystals on the ships emitted several scanning beams, sweeping over the floating huge Terror Whale skull remnants, shattered bone plates, murky green polluted blood, and the surrounding sea area devastated by terrifying energy blasts.

"Good heavens...... this, this is an Abyssal Terror Whale?! A Nascent Soul‑stage deep‑sea overlord!" A young, shocked voice came from the lead ship, trembling with disbelief.

"Look at this skull's wound...... what terrifying purifying power! The lingering energy fluctuations...... are pure, high‑level! Yet mixed with something...... a feeling of stellar power?" A calmer voice spoke, filled with deep doubt and gravity.

"The battle traces are too horrific! Could the Terror Whale have been beheaded in a single strike? Impossible! A Golden Core cultivator could never do that! Perhaps a late‑Nascent Soul expert passed by?" The third voice was full of awe and speculation.

"Form array! Focus search on nearby reefs and wreckage! See if there are any survivors... or whether that senior who struck is still nearby!" The leader issued the order.

Several stronger scanning beams swept again over the sea surface, like searchlights skimming the reef area where Han Wuxian hid.

The icy beam lingered on his broken body for a moment. Han Wuxian's heart rose to his throat; every muscle tensed to the limit, breathing ceased entirely, he pushed the Turtle Breath Technique to the extreme, simulating the cold stillness of a dead thing.

The scanning beam lingered on him for several breaths, seemingly unable to detect any effective spiritual light or power fluctuation.

"Report captain! No effective spiritual light detected! Energy residue points to the Terror Whale carcass and this polluted sea area; the source seems to have dissipated or departed!" The ship's inquiry cultivator reported.

"Hmm...... the Terror Whale carcass's foul energy is too strong, interfering with detection. It seems that senior has already left." The leader pondered, voice tinged with regret: "Record the coordinates, collect valuable Terror Whale carcass samples (avoiding the purified, split‑open skull core), especially the purification‑trace remnants on its bone plates! This information is vital! Also, use the Purifying Sea Talisman to cleanse this sea area, preventing foul spread from affecting the shipping lane."