Chapter 1161: Star Source Pool

Han Wuxian weighed the options in his mind at lightning speed. The risk was enormous, but the reward was equally astounding! As long as the Dao Foundation wound remains, he can never regain his peak, let alone face future crises. The Star Axis Hall appears sincere for now; though perilous, it is also a sliver of hope.

"Good! I, the junior, am willing to go!" He finally made his decision.

Tian Shuzi's face broke into a satisfied smile: "Good. Young friend, prepare yourself well; in seven days, I will have Yun Chen come to fetch you."

After speaking, the starlight figure slowly faded away, as if it had never appeared.

In the quiet room, Han Wuxian slowly clenched his fist.

The seven days passed in an instant.

In the quiet room, Han Wuxian slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light gleaming within his pupils; although his surrounding aura still seemed weak, it had become far more consolidated than before. During those seven days, he dared not slacken at all, tirelessly circulating the Return-to-Primordial Sword Essence day and night, absorbing the pure stellar Qi of this place, and with the aid of the elixir sent by the Star Axis Hall, finally stabilized his injuries and regained some combat strength. Though still far from his prime, he was no longer completely powerless.

"Han Daoist friend, the time has arrived," Yun Chen's gentle voice sounded from outside the door.

Han Wuxian inhaled deeply, suppressing all distracting thoughts, tucked the Star‑Patrolling Torch by his pillow into his arms, rose, and pushed open the door.

Yun Chen, clad in a moon‑white Dao robe, stood in the morning light outside the door, his bearing elegant. Upon seeing Han Wuxian, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he smiled, "Your recovery speed far exceeds my expectations, fellow Daoist. Please follow me; the master and the Elders are already waiting in the Main Star Hall."

The two moved one after the other, becoming two streaks of light, soaring toward the deepest part of the Star Axis Hall, where the most towering palace, entirely built of star‑black obsidian, stood.

The closer they approached the Main Star Hall, the denser and more viscous the stellar Qi in the air became, almost solidifying into a luminous mist. Around the hall, countless arcane star‑pattern formations flickered and rotated, exuding a heart‑pounding, overwhelming power. From time to time, disciples dressed in Star Axis Hall attire glided with their implements, bowing respectfully to Yun Chen, while casting curious, probing glances at Han Wuxian.

Upon entering the Main Star Hall, a vast, ancient, majestic stellar Dao resonance struck his face. The great hall's dome was not solid but a shrunken, slowly rotating brilliant starry sky, countless stars flickering, casting pure stellar light pillars. The floor was a massive Yin‑Yang Taiji diagram, yet the fish‑eye of the Taiji was formed from stellar runes.

Around the Taiji diagram stood a dozen or so figures with profound aura. Leading them was the sect head Tian Shuzi. Today he wore an elaborate robe embroidered with a diagram of the celestial heavens, wielding a white jade dust‑sweeping staff, his expression solemn. Behind him, the Elders also exuded dense aura; even the lowest among them had reached the mid‑stage of the Transforming Spirit realm, and several others, Han Wuxian could not discern their depth, were likely great powers already in the Refining Void realm!

This display gave Han Wuxian a slight chill, heightening his sense of the peril and significance of this undertaking.

"Junior Han Wuxian, I have seen Sect Head Tian Shuzi and the senior Elders," Han Wuxian stepped forward, bowing with neither humility nor arrogance.

Tian Shuzi gave a slight nod, his gaze lingering on him for a moment, showing a hint of approval: "Young friend truly is extraordinary; in just seven days you have stabilized your injuries to this degree. In that case, I shall be brief."

He swept his dust‑sweeping staff, pointing to the core of the central Taiji diagram: "Beneath this formation eye lies the Star Source Pool, the foundation of my Star Axis Hall. Deep at the pool's bottom nurtures the 'Celestial Star Core'. Yet the Star Core is the essence of the stars themselves; its aura will draw the 'Star Sha' that have settled at the bottom for ten thousand ages."

"Star Sha are not living beings; they are a conglomerate of violent, Chaos will and energy left over after the stars' Silence Extinction and the collapse of laws, formless and shapeless, devouring souls and magical power, extremely hard to deal with. Normally, array formations suppress them, keeping things relatively stable. Yet every hundred‑year tide, the Star Core's activity peaks, and the Star Sha become most ferocious; that is the only window to harvest the Star Core, but also the most perilous."

Tian Shuzi's expression grew grave as he looked at Han Wuxian: "I and the Elders must exert all effort to maintain the 'Celestial Star Array', suppressing the majority of Star Sha and guiding the Star Core upward. Yet a small fraction of the strongest Star Sha will always break through the seal and disrupt the harvest. One person must dive to the pool's bottom and, before they fully erupt, lure them away—only ten breaths! After ten breaths, regardless of success or failure, withdraw immediately! The array will respond on its own!"

"Lure the Star Sha away?" A rugged‑faced Elder frowned and spoke, his voice booming, "Sect Head brother, this youth, though he possesses the ancient torch, his cultivation ultimately... is it too risky? Perhaps I should..."

Tian Shuzi shook his head and cut in: "Disciple Chu, your 'Geng Metal Sword Soul' is unmatched in sharpness, yet it most easily provokes the Star Sha into a rampage, which is undesirable. Young Han, bearing the ancient Star‑Patrolling Torch, has innate resistance to the Star Sha's aura, and his technique is unique; he may catch them off guard. In this matter, he is the most suitable candidate."

He looked at Han Wuxian again, flipped his hand and produced a palm‑sized jade bottle swirling with starlight: "This is the 'Void Star Bottle', capable of holding the Star Core. Young friend need only dive to the pool's bottom, approach the core source, and the bottle will collect it. Once collected, the Star Sha will be provoked; at that moment, fully activate the ancient torch and flee toward the southeast 'Injury Gate', luring it away for ten breaths, and the great task will be complete!"

Han Wuxian took the cool, tingling jade bottle that pulsed with strange spatial fluctuations, and nodded heavily: "Junior understands."

"Good!" Tian Shuzi said no more, exchanged a glance with the Elders, and they each sat cross‑legged at designated spots around the Taiji diagram.

"Initiate the array!" Tian Shuzi bellowed low.

Buzz!!!

The entire Main Star Hall shuddered violently! The dome's shrunken starry sky suddenly burst with brilliance, countless stars igniting, casting massive, solid stellar light pillars that struck each Elder with pinpoint accuracy! The floor's Taiji diagram spun wildly, the stellar runes at the fish‑eyes lit up, forming two bottomless vortices that exuded terrifying suction!

The overwhelming, vast stellar power converged and surged like tides! A colossal, intricate array composed of countless star‑light chains slowly rose above the Taiji diagram and pressed down!

Han Wuxian stood at the edge of the formation eye, feeling an irresistible colossal force envelop him as the surrounding scene instantly blurred and warped!

The next moment, heaven and earth spun!

When he steadied himself again, he found himself in an entirely different world!

This was an endless ocean of pure liquid starlight! The water was not ordinary water but a dense, liquid essence of the stars, warm, heavy, and brimming with unimaginable, overwhelming energy! Looking around, brilliant, dazzling starlight shone in every direction, breathtakingly beautiful.

Here is the Star Source Pool!

Yet, deep within this exquisitely beautiful sea of starlight, a faint, heart‑pounding, chaotic and violent fluctuation could be felt. Those were the Star Sha! They lurked like shadows beneath the light, awaiting the moment of eruption.

Han Wuxian dared not delay; he instantly circulated the Return-to-Primordial Sword Essence, resisting the immense liquid pressure around him, while activating the Star‑Patrolling Torch. A cyan radiance spilled forth, forming a protective light membrane around him, slightly shielding him from the overly intense stellar forces that threatened to Assimilate him.

He followed Tian Shuzi's guidance, diving with all his might toward the direction where the Star Core source was sensed!

The deeper he went, the greater the pressure, the more dazzling the starlight, almost scorching his eyes. Meanwhile, the Star Sha's fluctuations from the depths grew clearer and more ferocious!

After an unknown amount of diving, the view suddenly cleared!