Chapter 1017: Ling Xuzi

"Report, Deputy Hall Master Ling Xuzi!" the Star Scar Guard squad leader bowed before a middle‑aged cultivator a short distance away, his back turned to them as he stared at a massive star chart, his voice sounding especially deferential in the cavernous hall.

"Target secured. Located deep within the Bone‑burial Trench, gravely wounded and near death, both arms useless, meridians severed, dantian bearing traces of 'Silence Extinction Star Light.' Yet a sliver of an extremely pure and unique 'Light Dao Star Power' still lingers within its body; I deem it of great research value, so I risked bringing it back. Please, Deputy Hall Master, decide its fate!"

The Deputy Hall Master known as Ling Xuzi turned slowly. His face was gaunt, temples tinged with frost, eyes deep as if harboring a galaxy, calm and unruffled, yet bearing an indifferent insight that seemed to comprehend everything.

He wore a deep‑blue star‑track robe similar to those of other researchers, but its cuffs and collar were inlaid with dark‑gold star patterns, his aura dense as a abyss—clearly a mid‑stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

Ling Xuzi's gaze, like a tangible probe, instantly fixed on Han Wuxian. The stare was cold and sharp, merciless as if inspecting an object. Han Wuxian felt his disguise rendered helpless under that gaze; he strained to suppress his heartbeat and breath, letting the preset "light" within flicker faintly, simulating a state about to fade.

Ling Xuzi's eyes lingered a moment on the charred wound between Han Wuxian's twisted arms and torso, his brows shifting imperceptibly.

"The Shadow's 'Silence Extinction Star Light'… yet it failed to completely erase that power?" he murmured, his voice sounding like ice grinding.

He paced forward slowly, stopping a few steps before Han Wuxian. Without touching, he extended his gaunt finger, pointing at Han Wuxian through empty space.

Buzz!

A refined, pure, pale‑blue star light imbued with powerful analytical force shot from Ling Xuzi's fingertip, instantly enveloping Han Wuxian's entire body! The radiance was not an attack but an exceptionally sophisticated probing technique, like countless fine probes attempting to penetrate flesh, bone, and meridians to the dantian, dissecting the nature of his power and the source of his injuries!

Alarm bells rang loudly in Han Wuxian's mind!

This probing technique's intensity far exceeded that of the previous Star Scar Guard! His disguise could fool early‑stage Nascent Soul detection, but under such close‑range, focused scrutiny by a mid‑stage Nascent Soul master, could he still conceal the truth?

He summoned all his will, tightly suppressing the primal Qi of his dantian's air sea and heart meridian, allowing only the simulated 'Light Dao Star Power' to 'naturally' manifest under the probing beam.

Simultaneously, he pushed the sealed state of his arms to the limit, causing the broken meridians and bones to appear completely necrotic and inert under the probe, showing no sign of Qi flow.

The pale‑blue probing beam swept back and forth over Han Wuxian like a scanner, especially over his chest and dantian. Wherever the beam passed, Han Wuxian felt his flesh, bones, even soul being peeled away layer by layer for inspection; the excruciating pain and a terror of being fully exposed nearly shattered his disguise.

Cold sweat instantly froze into frost in the icy air, soaking his tattered clothes; he trembled violently beyond control, a reaction that perfectly matched the agony of a mortally wounded body under a powerful probe.

Time seemed to solidify.

Ling Xuzi's gaze remained deep, revealing no joy or anger. The probing beam lasted a full ten breaths before slowly withdrawing.

"Hmm…" Ling Xuzi emitted an indecipherable low hum, his eyes still fixed on Han Wuxian, as if appraising a fragment of a priceless relic.

"Strange… the pure origin of light, yet it coexists so perfectly with star power, even… bearing a faint imprint of an ancient star chart?"

His words sent a massive shock through Han Wuxian's mind! The old man truly was formidable, able to sense a trace of the star chart's imprint!

Though he seemed to mistake it for some kind of 'imprint.'

"Shadow's assessment is correct; this one is already a wreck, not worth concern." Ling Xuzi finally averted his gaze, turning to the Star Scar Guard squad leader, his tone regaining that all‑controlling indifference: "But this residual power… is indeed significant. Its nature subtly resonates with certain sealing runes in the core area of the Star Sea Map currently being analyzed."

Resonance!

Han Wuxian's heart raced wildly!

As expected! Qing He Fairy's Star Sea Map is right here! And it seems to be in the process of being deciphered!

"Deputy Hall Master, what do you mean?" the squad leader asked respectfully.

"Send him to the Star Source Chamber." Ling Xuzi said calmly, as if assigning a object's destination: "Seal him with the highest‑grade Star Lock Formation. Ensure his remaining life force and that sliver of power do not dissipate. At dawn tomorrow, I will personally take him to the Star Observation Platform, attempting to use the Star Sea Map's power for a source‑trace analysis, perhaps unlocking the key to that core seal…"

Star Source Chamber!

Star Lock Formation!

Star Observation Platform!

Source‑trace analysis?

Each word sank Han Wuxian's heart a little deeper, while also clarifying his plan; he was being treated as the 'key' to unlocking the Star Sea Map's core seal!

"Yes!" the Star Scar Guard squad leader accepted the order, waving a hand to signal his subordinates.

Han Wuxian was again roughly hoisted and carried deeper into the hall. Passing through several massive energy doors forged from star‑light runes, the temperature plummeted, and the air was suffused with a soul‑freezing chill and the purest possible stellar radiation.

Finally, he was led into a cramped cell entirely built from that black star‑stone. The cell's walls, floor, and ceiling were etched with dense, ever‑circulating silver runes that emitted a heart‑pounding energy vibration. After dropping him onto the cold stone floor, two Star Scar Guard members swiftly embedded several crystal stones flashing intense starlight into the doorway and several key points inside the cell.

Buzz!

The entire chamber activated instantly!

Countless silver runes lit up, weaving an airtight energy net that sealed the whole space! The powerful binding force fell like an invisible mountain with a thunderous crash!

Not only did it completely lock away his remaining spiritual flow, it also heavily suppressed his faint heartbeat and breath, as if to freeze and solidify him together with that sliver of 'light' inside this eternal stellar cage!

The icy, dead‑silent, boundless pressure instantly engulfed him.

The heavy stone door slammed shut behind him, cutting off the last sliver of external light. Inside the cell, only the cold silver glow of the Star Lock Formation's circulating runes remained, reflecting Han Wuxian's paper‑white, sweat‑drenched face.

Excruciating pain, cold, and a suffocating pressure continuously assaulted his nerves. The Star Lock Formation's power was like billions of icy steel needles piercing every corner of his body, attempting to freeze, disintegrate, and assimilate him into the cell's stellar energy.

"Uh…" Han Wuxian let out a suppressed, wind‑box‑like screech from his throat. He curled on the cold stone floor, his body trembling violently from the extreme pain and cold.

The broken ends of his arms sent searing, bone‑gnawing pain; the wound at his waist, stimulated by the formation's force, ruptured again, blood seeping slowly, spreading a small dark‑red stain across the cold stone floor.