Chapter 1170: then translation of chapter title

Yet that arrow imbued with terrifying power, at the moment of impact, was struck back by the indestructible nature of the star stele and Han Wuxian's guided Silence Extinction sword intent; it suddenly reversed its head and, at greater speed, reflected back along its incoming trajectory!

Pfft!

From the twisted spatial shadow behind and to the side came a stifled groan that could not be contained!

A blurry black figure stumbled out of the void, the reflected gray arrow starkly protruding from his chest! The Silence Extinction power on the arrow frenziedly eroded his vitality!

That black figure incredulously lowered his head to glance at the arrow in his chest, then abruptly lifted his head to look at Han Wuxian; his eyes were filled with shock, hatred, and a hint… of incredulous confusion, as if he could not understand why Han Wuxian could draw upon the star stele's power to counterattack.

He no longer had time to think.

How could Han Wuxian let such an opportunity pass? At the moment he collided with the star stele, he had already turned around, the Star-patrolling Torch suddenly in hand!

Die!

Without the slightest hesitation, a beam of purifying light, condensed to the utmost and fused with his newly grasped Starry Silence Power, erupted instantly!

That black figure suffered backlash, severely wounded, had no time to react before being completely engulfed by the light pillar of the Star-patrolling Torch!

No screams, no struggle. As the light faded, only a pinch of ash remained on the spot, along with a peculiarly shaped gray spindle-shaped artifact that had fallen to the ground.

All of this happened in the flash of lightning and flint.

Han Wuxian stood in place, his brow slightly red, his breath a little disordered, yet his heart lingered with lingering fear. How fortunate! If he had not just grasped a hint of spatial profundity, if not for the extraordinary nature of the Wordless Star Stele, the one turned to ash at this moment would have been himself!

He walked to the spindle-shaped artifact and picked it up carefully. The artifact was icy cold throughout, neither metal nor wood, its surface covered with twisted runes never seen before, emitting a Silence Extinction aura akin to that of the arrow, yet more recondite.

This was not something of the Netherworld Dao, nor an artifact known to any sect in the Heavenly Origin Realm. The assassin's aura was also extremely unfamiliar; his cultivation path actually bore some resemblance to his Return to the Void Sword Dao, yet he had taken a pure route of assassination and annihilation.

Who? A test from the Heavenly Pivot Master? An emissary from the Star Pivot Pavilion's ghost faction sent to silence him? Or… some unknown force coveting the Star-patrolling Torch?

Han Wuxian frowned tightly, realizing his enemies were likely far more numerous and complex than he had imagined.

He put the spindle-shaped artifact away, his gaze once again falling upon the Wordless Star Stele.

After this encounter, he and the stele seemed to have formed a subtle connection. The stele's defense he had spur-of-the-moment activated in that critical juncture was certainly no coincidence.

He once again placed his palm on the stele's surface, attempting to communicate.

This time, the stele was no longer unresponsive; instead, it transmitted an extremely faint yet unusually clear guiding thought, pointing toward the depths of the Star-watching Cliff, to a more secluded direction where space was even more disordered.

There, something seemed to be hidden still.

Han Wuxian drew a deep breath, suppressed all distracting thoughts, followed that hint, and stepped deeper into the Star-watching Cliff.

Han Wuxian followed the faint guidance transmitted by the Wordless Star Stele, heading deeper into the Star-watching Cliff.

The deeper he went, the more perilous the environment became. Spatial wrinkles like transparent waves were visible everywhere; stellar chaotic flows turned into visible pale or dark blue bands of light, twitching disorderly in the air, slicing the rocks into fragments. Occasionally enormous spacetime rifts yawned open, their interiors filled with heart‑pounding void storms, then slowly sealed. This place had become a forbidden zone for living beings.

He focused completely, merging his divine sense with the perception of the Star-patrolling Torch to the utmost, cautiously threading through the peril‑filled ruins. That hint from the stele came and went, yet it always pointed toward a definite direction—a region abnormally twisted, encircled by a colossal ring of mountains.

Finally, he reached the end of the guidance.

Before him lay a half‑collapsed giant hall, far grander than any structure he had seen on the cliff face. Most of its structure had been buried underground or melted into vitrified rock layers; only a small part of its tilted dome and broken giant columns protruded above ground, covered in thick stardust. Strong spatial undulations emanated from the depths of this ruin.

The guidance became clear and strong here.

Han Wuxian drew a deep breath, Return to the Void Sword Essence spreading across his body, the Star-patrolling Torch hovering at his side, shedding clear radiance to protect him as he stepped step by step into the deep, broken entrance.

Inside was not the darkness he had imagined; instead, various strange halos flickered. These were phantoms produced by the collision of highly disordered spiritual energy and stellar radiation. Underfoot lay shattered jade tiles and metal fragments; the walls retained remnants of long‑failed rune formations.

After passing several collapsing corridors, the front suddenly opened up into a vast underground space. This appeared to be the core of that hall.

At the center of the space, contrary to expectations of an altar or a place of inheritance, lay…… a huge, irregular, scar‑like spatial rift!

This rift was not completely pitch‑black; its edges flickered with chaotic colors, within dimly starlight flowed, yet it exuded an unsettling aura of dead stillness. It hovered stably in midair, like a gateway to an unknown realm, yet also like an unhealable wound upon this world.

What made Han Wuxian's eyes narrow even more was that, seated cross‑legged on the open ground before the rift, lay a corpse!

This corpse was not the weathered white bones outside; it still had flesh and skin, as if it had only just entered meditation‑death. He wore a faded yet still recognizably exceptional Star Palace Dao robe, his visage withered, eyes tightly shut, his hands forming a peculiar seal placed upon his knees.

His body, especially the side facing the rift, displayed a bizarre vitrified state; the flesh beneath his skin seemed to have turned into semi‑transparent crystal, within which tiny starlight slowly circulated and faded.

And that enormous spatial rift seemed to be being held in check by some restriction the corpse had laid down in life, or rather, by using himself as a medium and anchor, barely sealing and stabilizing it to prevent further expansion or collapse.

The hint in Han Wuxian's heart ultimately settled upon this corpse… or rather, upon the space between his clasped hands forming the seal.

There hovered a pearl roughly the size of a fist, neither metal nor jade, of chaos‑colored hue. Its surface was smooth, yet within it seemed to contain countless swirling nebulae, emanating an aura that shared the origin of the Wordless Star Stele but was more inwardly condensed and core‑like.

This pearl was what the Wordless Star Stele truly meant to guide him to find!

Han Wuxian approached cautiously, vigilantly surveying the surroundings and that rift. After confirming there was no other danger for the moment, he turned his gaze toward the corpse.

Even after countless ages, this corpse still exuded an awe‑inspiring, mighty aura; his cultivation in life had absolutely surpassed the Void‑Refining stage, very likely being a great power of the Unity or even Great Completion stage! He had entered meditation‑death here, apparently to seal this bizarre rift!

Han Wuxian solemnly bowed before the corpse: 'Junior Han Wuxian, having come under the guidance of the star stele, dare disturb your rest, senior.'

After the rites, he extended his hand, cautiously reaching toward that chaos‑colored pearl.