Chapter 112

Inside the main hall of the Hunyuan Star Palace, it is not magnificent, but empty and dilapidated. The dome is broken, revealing the dead starry sky outside, and the ground is covered with cracks. Only a broken armillary sphere made of star divine gold stands in the center, still slowly rotating on its own, emitting a weak yet tenacious spiritual light.

This is the holy land where Hunyuan Dao Ancestor once deduced the universe and mastered the stars. Now, only broken walls and ruins remain, telling of the cruelty of past glory and calamity.

Lin Xuan steps into the hall, and his gaze is immediately attracted to a crystal at the core of the broken armillary sphere, about the size of a human head, covered in cracks, with dim light, yet still emitting the most original star fluctuations.

"Star core..." Lin Xuan whispers. This is not the small star core that fused with his Dao seed in his body, but the real, complete star core that supports the existence of the entire Starfall Mystical Realm! It is just that now, it is on the verge of shattering, which is also the fundamental reason why the Mystical Realm is so dilapidated and decaying.

The inheritance memory of Hunyuan Dao Ancestor contains the method to repair and refine this star core. Only by refining this core can one truly control this broken Mystical Realm, and perhaps, one can also glimpse a possibility from it to make the Mystical Realm regain its vitality.

He does not hesitate, walks to the armillary sphere, and sits cross-legged. His hands press virtually onto the cracked star core, and the newly obtained "Hunyuan Star General Outline" mental cultivation method in his body runs naturally, and the incomparably pure chaotic star spiritual power flows into the core like a gentle stream.

At the same time, at the spiritual platform of his brow, the Starfall Token mark that has already fused with the inheritance glows slightly, emitting the permission aura belonging to the "Observation Envoy," soothing the star core's instinctive resistance.

This is a slow and delicate process. Although the star core is broken, its essence is extremely high, and the star origin contained within is as vast as the sea. Lin Xuan needs to use himself as a bridge and the Dao of chaos as a guide to sort out the chaotic and decaying star power within bit by bit, bridge the cracks, and lay down his own spiritual imprint.

There are no suns or moons in the hall, and he does not know how much time has passed.

When Lin Xuan's final chaotic origin imprint is successfully branded into the deepest part of the star core, the entire broken star core shakes violently! The hideous cracks on the surface begin to bridge and repair at a speed visible to the naked eye! Although it is still far from complete recovery, the light it emits has become stable and gentle, no longer like a candle in the wind.

A feeling of being blood-linked to the entire Starfall Mystical Realm surges into Lin Xuan's heart. At this moment, he has become the nominal new master of this broken Mystical Realm!

He can vaguely perceive the situation in various parts of the Mystical Realm: those heroic spirits that are still wandering but have slightly reduced hostility; the broken continent that is slowly repairing and expanding; and he can even faintly perceive the spatial fluctuations above the Starfall Lake outside the Mystical Realm that are gradually weakening.

"It's a pity that the origin of the Mystical Realm is too severely damaged. To fully recover, it is not a task that can be done in a day or two, and it requires a massive amount of star origin to nourish it." Lin Xuan understands in his heart. But even so, controlling a Mystical Realm (even a broken one) means he has an absolutely safe base, as well as a huge treasure house of resources (although most are currently abandoned).

With a thought, the star core that has been repaired a little turns into a stream of light, sinks into his dantian, hangs above the chaotic Dao seed, circles with the smaller star core, rotates slowly, and swallows and spits out the star power of the Mystical Realm and the outside world on its own, feeding back to himself and slowly nourishing the Mystical Realm.

After doing all this, Lin Xuan stands up. His aura is deeper and more restrained, his peak Soul Formation cultivation base is completely consolidated, and between his gestures, he seems to be integrated with the surrounding starry sky.

"Brother Lin... did you succeed?" Huangfu Hao, who had been guarding outside the hall, feels the movement, walks into the hall, and feels the increasingly unfathomable aura on Lin Xuan, feeling both envious and awed.

Feng Xi also lets out a cheerful clear cry, lands on Lin Xuan's shoulder, and rubs against his cheek affectionately.

"Well, the matter here is done, we should leave." Lin Xuan nods. Through the Mystical Realm permissions he controls, he can feel that the spatial passage to the outside world is about to close completely.

He glances outside the hall in the distance, at the ruins where Elder Xing Yan fell. The old monster still has a breath, but he is on his last legs, his Dao foundation is severely damaged, and it will be difficult to recover without hundreds of years of hard cultivation. Lin Xuan does not take his life, not because he is soft-hearted, but because he leaves him to be guarded by the heroic spirits of the Mystical Realm, which can be considered a warning and a check on the Star Palace.

"Let's go."

Lin Xuan waves his sleeve, and a starlight portal condenses in the hall, which is the exit to the Starfall Lake outside.

The three of them step in, and their figures disappear into the Hunyuan Star Palace.

By the Starfall Lake.

The stargazing platform has long since sunk back to the bottom of the lake, and the phenomena above the lake have basically subsided, leaving only a faint starlight mist still enveloping it. Most of the cultivators who came to try their luck have dispersed, leaving only some who are unwilling to give up still wandering nearby, as well as the troops of the Imperial City Division still maintaining order.

When Lin Xuan and the other two appear out of thin air by the lake, it immediately causes a commotion.

"They're out! They're out!"

"Only the three of them? What about that Spirit Transformation senior from the Star Palace? What about the Zhao family?"

"His aura... seems stronger! Could it be that he obtained a great opportunity inside?"

Countless gazes focus on Lin Xuan, filled with inquiry, jealousy, and awe.

Lin Xuan turns a deaf ear to the surrounding discussions, nods slightly to the Imperial City Division general who greets him, and intends to leave with Huangfu Hao and Feng Xi.

However, just at this moment—

"Boom!!!"

A dull and evil-sounding loud noise, as if coming from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, suddenly comes from the direction of the imperial capital in the south! Even though they are thousands of miles apart, they can still feel the heart-palpitating fluctuations!

Immediately following, a pitch-black, twisted, and ominous demonic energy light pillar, mixed with streaks of blood-colored lightning, rises into the sky from the center of the imperial capital, dyeing that piece of sky a dark red! A vast, violent will, full of destruction and chaos, sweeps out like a storm!

"That is... the direction of the imperial capital?!"

"What terrifying demonic energy! What happened?!"

"Could it be... the Ruins Abyss demon?!"

The lakeside is in chaos instantly, and everyone is frightened pale by this sudden earth-shattering change!

Huangfu Hao's face changes drastically, and he exclaims: "Not good! The imperial palace! It's the direction of the imperial palace!"

Lin Xuan's pupils shrink suddenly, looking at the demonic energy light pillar that connects heaven and earth, feeling the evil aura within that is of the same origin as the Imperial Mausoleum forbidden area and the Starfall Mystical Realm but a hundred times stronger, and a cold chill rises from the bottom of his heart.

"Ruins Abyss demonic awareness... it actually erupted at the core of the imperial capital?!"

He understands instantly that the imperial capital, and even the entire Tianyuan Imperial Dynasty, is likely facing an unprecedented catastrophe!

Without any hesitation, the starlight around Lin Xuan surges, and the Chaos Immortal-Slaying Sword lets out an urgent hum!

"Feng Xi! Rush back to the imperial capital at full speed!"

He grabs Huangfu Hao and jumps onto the back of the Azure Luan, which has instantly manifested its true form.

Feng Xi lets out a long cry, its wings surging with azure flames, raising its speed to the extreme, turning into an azure rainbow that tears through the sky, rushing toward the imperial capital regardless of everything!

The imperial capital is in upheaval, and the catastrophe has descended!

Lin Xuan, who has just returned from receiving the inheritance, has to immediately throw himself into an even more dangerous battle concerning the survival of hundreds of millions of living beings!

(End of Volume 2 【Wind Rises in Tianyuan】)