Chapter 1270: Purification

Han Wuxian's spirit and Dao Foundation are slowly yet steadily recovering. That perilous battle with the "Seed of Devour Silence" severely drained his vital energy, but it was also like an extreme high‑temperature tempering, removing dross and preserving essence, making his "Heart Mirror" more solid and transparent, and his insight into the nature of Silence Extinction deeply imprinted on the root of the Great Dao.

He no longer regards "Return to Xu" merely as a power or path, but sees it as a key to understanding the workings of the world, a unique frequency that resonates with the termination of all things. He even began to try to blend the newly grasped, almost "absolute background"‑like essence of Silence Extinction into his daily maintenance of the Beilin network, making its effect more silently effective and more in harmony with the very cycles of Heaven and Earth.

However, the real danger did not recede because of his insight. The gray vortex above Gu Jing dimmed slightly to the naked eye, and its rotation seemed a bit slower. The elder's figure grew increasingly stooped, his breath almost indistinguishable from the rocks, as if opening his eyes again would require enormous effort.

The power of the Silent Eye is fading rapidly. When the next Devour Silence tide arrives, it will likely be impossible to rely on the "Lure Enemy Inward" tactic for victory; the defenses risk collapse.

That day, Han Wuxian finished nurturing a core stone tablet, walked to Gu Jing, and, facing the elder who seemed asleep, spoke respectfully:

"Elder, the defensive stance is gradually weakening; we need a way to break the impasse. I, your junior, wish to leave the mountain for a time to seek ways to strengthen this eye or to counter Xu Jie; might you have guidance?"

The elder did not open his eyes, but his dry voice sounded as if it came directly from the void, carrying deep fatigue and a faint glimmer of hope:

"To strengthen this eye… requires a source‑aligned power… or… a higher‑level 'Sequence'…"

"Source‑aligned power is scattered across realms… ruins, secret realms, even… places where certain beings have fallen…"

"A higher 'Sequence'… may reside in… the Heavenly Dao Palace… forbidden zone… or… the Chaos Sea where realms intersect…"

The information remains fragmentary, yet points to two directions:

First, to seek fragments of Silence Extinction power that share the same source as the Silent Eye, to replenish its consumption.

Second, to find rule‑based power beyond the current Heavenly Dao order, a higher‑level force that might fundamentally strengthen or even reshape the Silent Eye.

Both paths are fraught with unknowns and danger. Source‑aligned power scattered across realms makes the search like finding a needle in an ocean, often accompanied by massive karmic repercussions and contests. And the "Heavenly Dao Palace forbidden zone" and the "Chaos Sea" are places even great Mahayana cultivators dread as deadly.

Han Wuxian pondered briefly, then asked again: "Elder, do you know where the most concentrated source‑aligned power might be found? Or any clues related to Xu Jie?"

The elder remained silent for a long time, so long that Han Wuxian thought he would not answer, when his voice finally sounded again, bearing an uncertain recollection:

"Ancient… 'Starfall Valley'… you have been there… its core… contains a trace… of a similar source…"

"Western Extremity… Demon Abyss… Yan Buji… Dao Corrosion power… and Devour Silence… may have… common aspects…"

"Endless Sea Eye… rumors… bury… the unwilling-to-sleep… silence of an ancient god…"

Starfall Valley! Western Extremity Demon Abyss! Endless Sea Eye!

Three place names, each representing a forbidden history and extreme peril.

He has personally experienced Starfall Valley; its core's star‑born Silence Extinction essence indeed resembles that of the Silent Eye, but the level and nature differ, being more like the ultimate physical annihilation, whereas the Silent Eye leans toward conceptual and law‑level "Silence". Yet a deeper foray might yield new findings, especially since his current understanding of Silence Extinction far surpasses his former self.

Western Extremity Demon Abyss is linked to Yan Buji. Yan Buji's "Way of My Desire" and Dao Corrosion power are indeed rife with plunder and erosion, similar to the Devour Silence demonic spirits; perhaps clues to the Xu Jie erosion method can be found there, or even… turned against it?

The Endless Sea Eye is even more mysterious, involving ancient deities; its "silence of unwilling slumber"—what form does that take? Could it provide another layer of supplement for the Silent Eye?

Three routes, each with its pros and cons.

Han Wuxian quickly weighed them in his mind.

Starfall Valley is relatively familiar, but the yield may be limited, and it would require confronting the chaotic laws there again.

The Western Extremity Demon Abyss clue directly ties to Xu Jie, but the danger is unknown, possibly involving Yan Buji's remnants or even stranger demonic creatures.

The Endless Sea Eye is even more mysterious; it may yield nothing, or it may touch ancient taboos and invite unpredictable consequences.

His gaze fell again on the Gu Jing vortex whose light grew ever dimmer. Time waits for no one.

Finally, he made his decision.

"I, your junior, wish to head to the Western Extremity first," he said in a low voice, "'Dao Corrosion' and 'Devour Silence' are most closely linked, perhaps allowing the quickest discovery of a key to counter Xu Jie erosion. If nothing is gained, I will then explore Starfall Valley and the Endless Sea Eye."

The elder gave no indication, which counted as tacit approval.

With his resolve set, Han Wuxian delayed no longer. He spent several days adjusting his condition to the best he could achieve, and then asked the elder in detail about the possible dangers and cautions of the Western Extremity Demon Abyss—though the elder's knowledge largely came from ancient rumors and was vague.

Before departing, he bowed deeply to the elder once more.

"Elder, take care; I will surely find a solution swiftly and return."

The elder remained as still as a stone statue, only the gray vortex in Gu Jing rippled slightly, as if seeing him off.

Han Wuxian turned, took a step, his figure merging into the dense silence of Wanji Mountain, silently leaving the place he had guarded and contemplated for so long.

Returning to the world, Han Wuxian's feeling was already different.

He still restrained his aura, taking the form of an ordinary cultivator, but as he traversed mountains and rivers, he could hear the "breath" of Heaven and Earth's spiritual qi more clearly, perceive the faint silence flowing in the earth veins more sharply, and even vaguely sense the "weakness" and "heaviness" of certain spatial structures. This is a unique perspective gained after deep contact with the world's foundational laws.

He did not go directly to the Western Extremity, but first returned to the familiar vicinity of the Yellow Sand Gathering by the Sunken Sand River. He needed to learn the latest external developments of the past few years, especially information about the Western Extremity.

He again assumed the guise of that inconspicuous Foundation‑Establishing wandering cultivator, blending into the market. Soon, he captured crucial information from idle chatter in taverns and tea houses.

Rumors about the Western Extremity have not only not subsided over these years, but have intensified!

It is said that deep within the Western Extremity desert, massive spatial fissures have appeared, spewing pure demonic qi and bizarre creatures.

It is said that several sect teams exploring the Western Extremity were completely annihilated, even the Refining Void elder could not escape.

Even more, rumors claim that someone on the edge of the Western Extremity saw a "revived" Yan Buji, unverified yet causing widespread anxiety.

The five major top forces seem to have also tightened monitoring toward the Western Extremity, yet show no signs of a large‑scale incursion, their stance subtle.

"The Demon Abyss is restless, spatial fissures… it seems the Western Extremity has indeed undergone a cataclysm," Han Wuxian thought. This change may be linked to Xu Jie's erosion, or the uncontrolled Dao Corrosion power left by Yan Buji.