Chapter 1125: Sound

It did not come from the wound, nor from the outside.

But came from the bronze lamp he clutched tightly in his arms!

At the center of the lamp, the bluish‑gray stone's warm, moist glow seemed…… to have weakened a trace? Although extremely faint, Han Wuxian, who had been fully focused on sensing the lamp's state, keenly caught this change!

"Consumption?" His heart sank. The lamp's power is not endless! Purifying death‑qi and nourishing the origin are both consuming the power of this bluish‑gray stone itself!

He hurriedly examined the lamp. Indeed, the bluish‑gray stone set in the center of the lamp plate seemed to have lost a trace of its luster compared to when it was first unearthed, its volume…… perhaps shrunk by an amount almost imperceptible to the naked eye? It is being consumed!

This discovery cast another heavy shadow over Han Wuxian, who had just caught a breath. The lamp is key to his survival, yet its power is continuously draining! He must find a way to replenish it, or…… find more objects that contain similar power!

Just as he grew anxious over this discovery,

Gurgle… gurgle…

An extremely faint yet unusually clear sound, like bubbles bursting, came from beneath the murky water at the edge of the platform.

The sound was very close!

Han Wuxian's hairs stood on end instantly; all his fatigue and pain seemed to be startled away by the sudden sound. He tensed his body, his left hand instinctively gripping the Star Torch fragment in his arms, and his eyes shot like lightning toward the direction of the sound.

The murky water surface, at the edge of the bronze lamp's bluish‑gray light, was disturbed. A fist‑sized bubble slowly rose and burst. Immediately after, another……

These bubbles are certainly not natural! Their frequency and position carry a…… sense of probing!

It seemed as if something was lurking in the dim waters beyond the light, behind the murky sewage, silently and coldly…… observing him on the platform, and the lamp in his arms that emitted that strange glow!

A cold, viscous aura, brimming with endless malice and greed, like invisible tendrils, seeped through the murky water and quietly wrapped around Han Wuxian's mind! This aura differed from the corrupt madness of the Star Corpse Core, and from the primal ferocity of the earlier water monster; it was something far older, deeper, and…… more vengeful!

It was drawn to the lamp's light!

Or perhaps it has always been here, merely startled by the lamp's power, or…… awakened!

Han Wuxian's heart felt as if clenched by an icy hand! He stared fixedly at the rippling murky water, back against a cold stone pillar, daring not to move. The bronze lamp's light still shone steadily on him, granting his last refuge and warmth, yet it also acted like the brightest beacon in the darkness, revealing his position and attracting a more terrifying presence!

The moment of respite ended.

A new, unknown threat, seeming even older and more bizarre than the Nine Abyssal Pollution, has silently descended! In this underwater palace ruin that has lain still for untold tens of thousands of years, a voiceless hunt for survival is about to begin! And he remains that heavily wounded, near‑death prey with almost no strength to fight back! His sole reliance is the ancient lamp in his arms, its glow slowly draining.

Gurgle… gurgle…

That faint yet clear bubble‑bursting sound, like an icy venomous snake, coiled around Han Wuxian's tensed nerves. The murky water surface, at the edge of the bronze lamp's bluish‑gray light, rippled in concentric circles; each bubble's rise and burst resembled the silent breath of some massive lurking entity in the darkness. The cold, viscous aura, brimming with endless spite and greed, pierced the polluted water, locking firmly onto him and the lamp in his arms that emitted that warm, moist glow!

It has come! Lurking just beneath the polluted water at the boundary of light and dark!

Han Wuxian leaned against the cold, slick stone pillar; his heart felt as if gripped by an invisible icy hand, each beat tugging at the sharp pain in his chest. His left hand clenched the Star Torch fragment until his knuckles whitened, though the fragment's power was nearly exhausted. His right arm had crystallized, heavy as stone. His only reliance was the ancient lamp in his arms, its glow slowly fading.

He dared not move, even his breath reduced to the slightest. His mind was intensely focused, his perception pushed to the limit, detecting any tiny motion beneath the water. Yet aside from the incessant, regular bubble sounds that made his scalp prickle, there was no other abnormal noise. The lurking presence seemed to possess endless patience, merely watching coldly in the dark, assessing the prey and the light that it both loathed and craved.

Time crept slowly in the deadlocked silence. Each breath felt as long as an age. The bronze lamp's bluish‑gray light steadily enveloped him, continually nourishing his shattered body and suppressing the death‑qi within. He could feel his chest wound, under the light's immersion, slowly tightening its edges, newborn flesh bringing a faint tingling. This ought to be a sign of hope, but now the light had become the deadliest target!

What made him even more anxious was that he clearly sensed the bluish‑gray stone at the lamp's center, whose glow had…… dimmed another trace compared just before! Though extremely faint, it was undeniable! It is being consumed! Every emission of its light drains the essence of this miraculous stone!

"I can't wait any longer!" Han Wuxian's mind rang with alarm. This stalemate is extremely disadvantageous for him! The entity in the dark can wait, waiting for the lamp's power to run out, for him to become utterly weak! But he cannot afford to wait!

He must take the initiative! Even if only a sliver of hope!

His gaze swept across the cramped platform like a hawk's. Broken stone pillars, collapsed stone tablets, slick moss…… there was hardly any way to push off and move. The sole "retreat" was the massive doorway behind him, half‑submerged in the murky water, leading deeper into the palace. Beneath the dim water, only the outlines of collapsed walls and deeper darkness could be seen. There lay unknown territory, possibly more perilous, but staying here meant only waiting to die!

He needed bait! Something that could briefly draw the attention of that lurking thing!

His gaze fell on the few tiny Star Crystal fragments he had previously tucked into his arms besides the lamp. These fragments emitted a weak light, containing pure yet chaotic stellar power.

An extremely daring plan instantly formed in his mind!

He held his breath, slowly and carefully extracting with his left hand the tiniest Star Crystal fragment from his arms. The fragment was only the size of a fingernail, emitting a faint starlight. He dared not make a large movement, lest he disturb the presence below. He gently pinched the fragment between his left thumb and forefinger, then, with all his might, he poured the last trace of weak power—remnant from burning his essence blood, belonging not to spiritual force but pure life‑will—into his fingertip!

Go!

A silent shout in his heart! His fingertip snapped forward!