Chapter 1143

Mountain wind bitterly cold, carrying a bone‑piercing chill and a faint, heart‑pounding bloody‑sweet scent. Han Wuxian's figure moved swiftly along the rugged, steep mountain trail, his feet landing on moss‑covered rocks, making almost no sound. The Returning to Void Sword‑body gave him not only strength but also ultimate control over his own aura, weight, and even sense of existence, making him like a gray phantom in the wilds.

Heading northwest, the surroundings grew increasingly desolate and dead‑silent. Towering ancient trees were gradually replaced by twisted, stunted trees of dark, gloomy hue, while bare rocks showed an ominous purple‑black tint. The spiritual qi in the air not only failed to thicken but became thinner and more chaotic, mixed with a corrosive miasma; ordinary cultivators lingering here would likely see their cultivation regress. Yet for Han Wuxian, this chaotic, thin environment actually slightly eased the world's laws' partial rejection of his "foreign" origin.

He unfurled the animal‑skin map given by Village Chief Zhao. The rough lines pointed to a deep‑mountain area marked with a crimson skull — Burial Star Ridge. Following the chief's description and the map's markings, not far ahead he would officially step into that land of death.

At his brow, the lamp‑mark's warm sensation persisted, steadily pointing to the core of Burial Star Ridge, aligning with the direction of the "Shattered Star" symbol shown on the map and illuminated by the Star‑torch Stone. The Star‑torch Stone in his bosom steadily emitted a cyan glow, continuously nourishing his fractured sword‑core; though slow, it was indeed repairing bit by bit and harmonizing the conflict with world law.

Suddenly, his swift figure jerked to a halt, silently slipping behind a huge, hole‑riddled purple‑black strange rock. The keen perception granted by the Returning to Void Sword‑body caught an extremely faint yet unusually sharp fluctuation of spiritual qi in the air ahead… and a faint smell of blood.

He restrained all his aura, becoming as still as a rock, and peered forward through a hole in the stone.

About a hundred zhang ahead lay a narrow mountain‑valley pass. At the pass, the scene was gruesome.

Three corpses lay among the scattered rocks, their garb not the ragged attire of Black Wind Stronghold's lackeys but uniform dark‑red tight‑fitting clothes, each chest embroidered with a ferocious dripping‑fang motif. Their deaths were horrific: essence and blood seemed drained dry, leaving skin‑wrapped skeletons, faces frozen in utter terror. Lingering sword intent and a scorching fire‑like aura clung to the wounds, showing the attacker was strong and practiced a fierce, domineering art.

Beside the corpses stood two people.

One wore a splendid cloud‑patterned brocade robe, his visage handsome yet arrogant, gripping a long sword that flowed with red flame, its tip still dripping dark‑red blood beads. His aura blazed — he was a mid‑Foundation Establishment cultivator. At present he frowned, staring at a compass‑shaped magical device in his hand, its needle spinning wildly, as if under strong interference.

The other was a tall woman in plain blue‑gray Daoist robes, her expression cold, bearing an ancient, simple sword in a scabbard. Her cultivation was slightly weaker, roughly the peak of early Foundation Establishment, but her aura was refined and tranquil, her eyes sharp as a sword, vigilantly scanning the surroundings, especially the pervasive seven‑color toxic miasma.

"Senior Brother Zhou, this place is strange, the compass has failed, we shouldn't linger," said the blue‑robed junior sister, her voice cold, with a note of warning.

"Hah, what's there to fear!" Senior Brother Zhou impatiently put away the compass, shook the blood from his sword, "A few patrolling disciples of the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect are nothing. It seems the rumors are true — Heaven‑Slaughter Sect indeed has designs on Burial Star Ridge. The 'Star‑Fall Valley' must be birthing some treasure; otherwise why would they send Inner Gate disciples to set up a checkpoint here?"

A gleam of greed flashed in his eyes: "Junior Sister Lin, if we join forces and carefully avoid the core area's miasma, we might yet beat the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect to the opportunity! If we can find the legendary 'Star Core Fragment' and offer it to the sect, we won't have to watch the faces of those core disciples."

Junior Sister Lin frowned slightly: "Senior Brother Zhou, the opportunity may be good, but you also need the life to claim it. Burial Star Ridge's fearsome reputation is no exaggeration. The distress signal those few sent before dying…"

Her words had not yet finished!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh"

Several sharp tearing‑through‑the‑air cries suddenly rang from the cliffs on both sides of the valley! Volley after volley of grim‑green phosphorous fire ghost‑arrows shot down like poisonous snakes, instantly enveloping the two! The arrows were wrapped in thick vengeful spirit killing qi, specifically to shatter body‑protecting spiritual light!

"Careful!" Junior Sister Lin reacted instantly; her ancient sword behind her sang "zheng" as it left the sheath, turning into a blue sword curtain before her, shredding the incoming phosphorous fire arrows to pieces!

Senior Brother Zhou also shouted angrily, his crimson‑flame long sword sweeping out a vast wave of fire that burned the arrows to ashes.

But the assault did not cease. On the cliffs, more than ten silhouettes appeared, likewise clad in the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect's dark‑red garb; their leader emanated a yin‑chill aura, indeed also a mid‑Foundation Establishment cultivator, wielding a soul‑summoning banner, and sneered: "Scum of the Blazing Yang Sect! You dared kill my Heaven‑Slaughter disciples — today I will use your souls to feed my banner!"

More attacks followed in quick succession! Yin lightning, poisonous mist, and flying bone forks rained down like rain, mixed with soul‑disturbing ghostly wails! The Heaven‑Slaughter Sect had clearly laid an ambush here — many numbers, vicious means, seamless coordination.

Senior Brother Zhou and Junior Sister Lin instantly fell into a bitter struggle. Zhou's Blazing Yang Sword Art, though fierce and capable of burning away many attacks, consumed huge amounts of energy, while the opponent's yin‑poisonous, weird evil art continually eroded his fire spirit. Lin's swordplay was exquisite, her defense watertight, but facing many foes she could barely protect herself, danger lurking at every turn.

"Junior Sister Lin, form the Two‑Aspects Sword Formation!" Zhou shouted urgently.

Their figures crossed, red and blue sword lights intertwining, attempting to merge into a sword formation. Yet the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect cultivators seemed to have anticipated this; the banner‑leader gave a strange laugh and violently shook the soul‑summoning banner!

"Ooooh—!" A black ghost‑head, utterly solid, formed from countless anguished souls compressed together, emitted a soul‑shaking howl and slammed straight into the forming core of their sword formation!

Boom!

The sword formation was forcibly broken! Zhou and Lin both grunted, staggered back, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, their aura thrown into disarray.

"Now! Kill them!" the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect leader bellowed fiercely; all attacks instantly converged, pouring down like a violent storm toward the two! It seemed they would soon be completely drowned.

At this critical moment

A gray shadow, like a phantom, silently appeared at the edge of the battlefield, in an inconspicuous patch of shade.

It was Han Wuxian.

He coldly watched the melee before him. Blazing Yang Sect? Heaven‑Slaughter Sect? None of his concern. He had no intention of intervening.

However, just as the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect leader exerted all his strength shaking the soul‑summoning banner, with all disciples focusing on the Blazing Yang duo, Han Wuxian's gaze fell upon the token hanging from the leader's waist.

That token was neither metal nor wood, its hue dark and dull, engraved with a complex pattern made of countless fine lines. At its core lay a miniature star symbol, wrapped in chains!

This symbol resembled the "Shattered Star" symbol projected by the Star‑torch Stone onto the inner wall of the stone chest's map to about seventy‑eighty percent — only it had chains wrapped around it.

More importantly, the moment this token's symbol appeared, the lamp‑mark on Han Wuxian's brow, which had been steadily pointing toward the depths of Burial Star Ridge, shifted its warm sensation for an instant, briefly aiming at that token!

"Huh?" A flicker of odd color crossed Han Wuxian's eyes. Could this Heaven‑Slaughter Sect identity token actually resonate with the lamp‑mark? Did the Sect's activities in Burial Star Ridge truly relate to the fallen star core, or rather to the bronze lamp?

In the flash of lightning and stone, thoughts turned.

Saving these two might yield more information about Burial Star Ridge and the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect. And that token… perhaps it is the key.

Just as the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect's attack was about to devour the Blazing Yang duo

Han Wuxian moved.

He did not unleash the mighty Returning to Void Power; instead he gathered the limited strength he had just recovered in his fingertips. A wisp of extremely fine, nearly invisible gray‑white qi, mixed with a trace of the Star‑torch Stone's purifying power, like an invisible poison‑thorn, shot forth silently — straight at the back of the head of the Heaven‑Slaughter Sect Foundation Establishment cultivator who was fully exerting himself to wave the soul‑summoning banner!