Chapter 136: The Tide Rises in the Vast Sea, the Thunder Prison Descends for the First Time

Lin Hai City, the top-floor sea-viewing terrace of the "Sea-Suppressing Military Governor's Mansion."

A salty, humid sea breeze blew in, carrying the faint scent of distant thunder. On the horizon, thick, lead-gray clouds moved slowly toward the coastline like a massive pot lid. Within the clouds, dark purple electric serpents wove silently, brewing a large-scale maritime storm.

This was no ordinary weather phenomenon. In the perception of the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets and Lin Xuan, the energy core of this forming storm was faintly resonating with the restless "Star-Evil Demonization Node" in the direction of Blood Shark Island. It was as if the anomaly in the earth's veins was triggering a drastic change in the celestial phenomena.

"When Heaven unleashes its killing intent, stars shift and constellations change; when Earth unleashes its killing intent, dragons and snakes rise from the land." The blurry figure of the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets stood by the railing, gazing at the dark clouds in the distance, his voice ethereal. "The 'Graveyard' beneath Blood Shark Island is awakening. The collision of star-evil and demonic energy has begun to disturb the laws of celestial phenomena in this sea area. We must launch our attack before the storm fully forms and the node reaches its peak activity. Otherwise, we shall lose both the timing and the geographical advantage."

Lin Xuan stood at his side, his gray-purple hair fluttering slightly in the wind. In his eyes, the dark purple lightning deep within the clouds was reflected, and faint gray-purple thunder light resonated and echoed with it. After several days of regulating his breath, the vital energy he had damaged by forcibly devouring the self-destruction energy of the Sky-Patrolling Shuttle had recovered; he had even turned a misfortune into a blessing, advancing his control over the power of Annihilation Thunder by another level. The blue-gray luster on the Chaos Tribulation Crystal flowed ceaselessly, appearing increasingly deep and unfathomable.

"A storm may not necessarily be a hindrance." Lin Xuan spoke slowly, raising his right hand, palm upward. A thin, gray-purple electric arc leaped and flickered at his fingertips, emitting a faint "crackle" sound, faintly responding to the thunder on the distant horizon. "My 'Tribulation' is inherently in harmony with the might of Heaven. This storm may perhaps be used by me."

Hearing this, the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets glanced sideways, a hint of approval seemingly beneath his blurry face. "Using the Tribulation to command thunder, drawing the might of Heaven for one's own use... Young friend's Dao is becoming increasingly astonishing. Since that is the case, this old man shall add fuel to this storm."

He flicked his sleeves lightly, and several streams of light flew toward the horizon, merging into the clouds. Those were the "Wind-Cloud Guiding" talismans, a secret craft of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, capable of guiding and gathering the power of wind, thunder, and water vapor within a small range to accelerate or fine-tune the progress and scope of the storm.

In the mansion square below, the gathered murderous aura surged into the sky.

After intensive preparation and screening, a small but elite assault team had been formed. It totaled three hundred people, with the lowest cultivation base being mid-stage Golden Core, and all were experienced, well-coordinated individuals skilled in naval warfare or siege tactics.

The core was divided into several squads:

Eunuch Wei commanded the one-hundred-man elite of the "Sea-Suppressing Guard," forming the "Sea-Covering Whale Wave Array," primarily responsible for frontal assaults and battlefield control.

Beichen led twenty Star Palace sword cultivators, forming the "Big Dipper Army-Breaking Sword Array," responsible for siege and breaking formations, especially against potential star-type restrictions.

Ling Shuang led fifteen Profound Ice Pavilion cultivators, forming the "Profound Ice Heavenly Net Array," primarily responsible for crowd control, freezing, and purification, countering demonic energy and sea beasts.

Yan Gang commanded thirty Giant Spirit Sect body cultivators and a portion of the imperial dynasty's fierce soldiers, acting as the assault spearhead, responsible for tearing through defensive lines and close-quarters combat.

Zhao Yuan was assigned to a ten-man "Surprise Attack Squad" personally designated by Lin Xuan. The members were all cultivators proficient in concealment, escape techniques, or possessing special detection abilities. Their mission was to infiltrate from the weak point of the "Dead Silence Gorge" in the southeast, guided by Zhao Yuan, while the main force drew attention, striking directly at the core of the potential formation nodes.

Lin Xuan himself served as the "Needle to Calm the Sea" and the strongest breaker for this operation, possessing the highest freedom of action.

"Everyone!" Eunuch Wei stood on the command platform, his voice spreading across the square with the aid of spiritual power. "The demonic scourge on Blood Shark Island concerns the safety of the dynasty's eastern frontier and is connected to the Great Sea Demonic Tribulation! The traitors of Xinglan have colluded with the Demon Abyss and deserve to die! In this battle, we must destroy the demon nest, slay the mastermind, disrupt the nodes, and uphold the might of our dynasty and the righteous path overseas!"

"We obey the command of the Chief! Slay the demons and defend the Dao, we swear never to retreat!" Three hundred cultivators roared in unison, the sound waves shaking the sky, even scattering the raindrops falling in the air.

"Depart!"

There was no grand procession, no deafening drums. Three hundred streaks of light of various colors, like arrows released from a bow, quietly left Lin Hai City and plunged into the increasingly gloomy, thunder-and-lightning-filled sea and sky ahead. Several camouflaged, high-speed small and medium-sized warships and Sky-Patrolling Shuttles followed closely behind as support and backup.

Under Lin Xuan's guidance, the team skillfully utilized the gradually violent waves and the increasingly dense thunderstorm areas to advance. A field of invisible Chaos Tribulation power permeated Lin Xuan's body, not only masking most of the team's aura and spiritual power fluctuations but also drawing in and absorbing the surrounding violent thunder power, strand by strand, converting it into energy to maintain the Tribulation field and replenish his own consumption. This allowed them to advance in such harsh weather even more covertly than usual, without their speed being significantly affected.

The cultivators of the three overseas sects, especially Beichen and Ling Shuang, felt the "affinity" and "command" that strange field had over the thunder and storm, and their estimation of Lin Xuan rose even higher. This means of "unity of heaven and man," turning natural disasters into assistance, had already touched upon a certain profound application of laws.

Several hours later, the ferocious outline of Blood Shark Island finally appeared amidst the churning giant waves and misty rain.

The island resembled a giant shark waiting to devour people, with jagged black reefs forming its sharp dorsal fin and fangs. Vegetation on the island was sparse, mostly salt-tolerant, twisted, strange trees. At this moment, the entire island was shrouded in a thick, pitch-black demonic energy mixed with faint, dim starlight. Within the demonic energy, countless formation runes could be seen flickering, and squads of patrol teams riding strange sea beasts or flying demonic artifacts cruised along the edge of the demonic energy. To the southeast of the island, the color of the demonic energy was significantly darker and flowed sluggishly, forming a relatively "thin" but deathly, dilapidated area—this was the "Dead Silence Gorge" mentioned in the intelligence.

From tens of miles away, everyone could feel the evil, chaotic aura rising from the island, along with a strange atmosphere mixed with the decay and madness of a collapsed star.

"The demonic flames are indeed towering." Beichen's expression was grave, his Seven-Star Sword already emitting a clear, crisp sound. "The island's perimeter is layered with formations, and there is interference from star-evil demonic energy; a frontal assault will not be easy."

"Proceed according to the plan." Lin Xuan's voice was calm but carried unquestionable decisiveness. "Wei Ban, you lead the 'Sea-Suppressing Guard' and Elder Yan Gang's troops to feign an attack from the due west, attracting the main force of the defenders and creating chaos. Elder Beichen, Elder Ling Shuang, you two lead your troops to follow closely behind and seize the opportunity to break through the weak points of the outer formations. Zhao Yuan, you take the 'Surprise Attack Squad' and come with me."

With the orders given, each unit acted separately.

The main force led by Eunuch Wei and Yan Gang erupted with powerful spiritual energy fluctuations without any concealment. The warships raised the imperial dynasty's battle flags and billowed their sails, piercing toward the heavily defended port area on the west side of Blood Shark Island like a sharp sword! The Sea-Covering Whale Wave Array stirred up monstrous waves, and Yan Gang let out a wild roar, transforming into a giant, wielding dual hammers, and was the first to strike the demonic energy barrier on the island's perimeter like a god of war!

"Enemy attack—! It's the dynasty's Sea-Suppressing Guard and overseas cultivators!" The alarm on Blood Shark Island was instantly raised to the highest level, and the shrill sound of conch shells and the roars of demonic creatures merged into one. On the west side of the island, demonic energy churned, formation lights shone brightly, and countless demonized sea beasts and Blood Shark pirates swarmed out to meet the incoming team; the great battle erupted instantly!

Taking advantage of the war on the west side, which attracted the vast majority of attention, Lin Xuan led Zhao Yuan and the other ten, suppressing all their auras. Like shadows blending into the background of the sea and sky, they bypassed the island toward the southeast, shielded by the waves and the increasingly dense thunderstorms.

The closer they got to the "Dead Silence Gorge," the heavier the aura of decay and death became. The seawater here presented a strange, dark gray color, calm and ripple-free, as if it had lost its vitality. The cliffs were steep and jagged, devoid of grass, with only some moss-like organisms emitting faint phosphorescence attached to them. The demonic energy here became thin and chaotic, as if repelled or neutralized by some invisible force, but in its place was a more uncomfortable "star-evil" and "death intent" that seemed capable of eroding the soul's origin.

The "Silent Shadow" broken sword in Zhao Yuan's hand emitted a faint hum at this moment, and the dark golden pattern on the blade suddenly lit up, conveying a clear sense of guidance and... longing. It seemed to have sensed something in the depths of the "Dead Silence Gorge" that was of the same origin as itself or could complete it.

"Senior, the sword spirit's response is strong, pointing to the depths of the gorge, slightly to the lower left, about three hundred zhang away. There seems to be a naturally formed cave. The aura is completely different from the outside, the death intent is the strongest, yet it is also the most 'pure'." Zhao Yuan whispered through sound transmission, sweat on his forehead; clearly, maintaining this high-intensity sensing was a significant burden for him.

Lin Xuan nodded, his Chaos Tribulation power acting like the most sensitive tentacles, having already scanned the area ahead in detail. He also discovered the cave; the entrance was obscured by twisted rocks and thick, inseparable gray-black deathly energy. If not for the guidance of the "Silent Shadow" sword, it would have been extremely difficult to find. The aura coming from the cave was indeed more extreme, but also... closer to a certain "origin." That place might be a natural vent for the "star-evil," or the core of the "Dao wound" caused when the star fell all those years ago.

"That is the place. Suppress your auras and follow." Lin Xuan was the first to transform into a blurry gray shadow, sliding silently toward the cave entrance along the steep, slippery cliff wall that emitted an ominous aura. Zhao Yuan and the others followed closely, all pushing their concealment skills to the limit.

The cave entrance was not large, only wide enough for two or three people to walk abreast. As soon as they entered, an extremely cold, deathly aura that seemed capable of freezing the soul rushed toward them. The cave walls were not rock, but a strange crystal that flickered with dim starlight yet was covered in cracks and signs of decay—these were star fragments or derivatives that had been eroded by star-evil for years!

The passage wound downward, bottomless. The deeper they went, the thicker the deathly aura became, and even the circulation of spiritual power began to become sluggish. But the humming of the "Silent Shadow" sword became clearer and more excited; Zhao Yuan could even feel that the sleeping spirituality within the sword was greedily absorbing the pure "deathly" and "decaying" intent in the environment, and the dark golden pattern spread at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After traveling about a thousand zhang deep underground, the passage suddenly opened up, and a massive underground cavern appeared before them.

In the center of the cavern, there was no expected demonic formation or nest of demonic creatures, but a black "water pool" as smooth as a mirror, covering an area of over a hundred zhang. But this "pool" did not contain water; it was filled with thick, liquid-like, slowly swirling dark gray "star-evil death energy"! In the center of the pool of death energy grew a strange plant—it had no leaves or flowers, only a straight, gray-white stalk about the height of a person, topped with a fist-sized "fruit" that constantly flickered with dim starlight. Every time the fruit flickered, it caused the deathly energy of the entire cavern to ripple slightly, emitting a Dao charm of "ending" and "returning to silence."

"This is... the 'Silent Star Fruit'?!" An old, knowledgeable cultivator in the team couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, his voice trembling. "A rare treasure of heaven and earth that legend says only has a tiny chance of gestating after ten thousand years in the ancient star graveyard where star-evil death energy gathers! It contains the purest 'Annihilation' star-evil origin. It is a supreme treasure for cultivators who practice death, ending, or destruction-type arts, but it is also a deadly poison; ordinary cultivators would die upon touching it!"

Everyone's gaze burned for a moment, then cooled down. This place was strange, and clearly not their final target.

Lin Xuan's gaze, however, passed over the "Silent Star Fruit" and the pool of death energy, landing on a cave wall deep in the cavern where the death energy was thickest and almost solidified. There, a faint, extremely ancient and incomplete sword mark could be seen! The sword mark was deeply embedded in the cave wall, its edges as smooth as a mirror. Even after endless years, it still emitted a terrifying sword intent that seemed to sever everything and return all things to silence! This sword intent resonated faintly with the aura currently emitted by the "Silent Shadow" broken sword!

"So that's how it is..." Lin Xuan realized. "This place is not only a vent for star-evil but also where an ancient master who practiced the 'Annihilation' sword Dao perished together with a falling star (or its fragments). Their final sword intent merged with the star-evil death energy, forming this unique 'Dead Silence Sword Domain.' The 'Silent Shadow' sword likely has a deep connection with that ancient sword cultivator."

Zhao Yuan was trembling all over with excitement; the "Silent Shadow" in his hand seemed about to fly out of his grasp and rush toward that sword mark. "Senior... the sword spirit... it craves that sword mark..."

"Go. This is your opportunity, and also the key to this sword regaining its edge." Lin Xuan nodded. "We will stand guard for you here. Hurry, although the death energy here can shield against general detection, it may not be able to completely deceive the perception of that 'Shadow Erosion'."

Zhao Yuan nodded heavily, no longer hesitating, and holding the "Silent Shadow," he walked step by step toward the cave wall. As he approached, the humming of the "Silent Shadow" sword was like a dragon's roar, and the dark golden pattern shone brilliantly! When he finally stood before the ancient sword mark, the broken sword automatically broke free from his hand, and with a "clang," the tip of the sword precisely pierced into the very center of the sword mark!

"Hum——!!!"

In an instant, the deathly energy of the entire cavern surged wildly, gathering toward the "Silent Shadow" sword and the sword mark! The dark golden light and the gray-white deathly sword intent intertwined and merged! The ancient sword mark seemed to be activated, and countless tiny sword intent runes flowed out from it, merging into the body of the "Silent Shadow" sword! The cracks on the sword body healed and disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye in the light! The aura it emitted climbed step by step, and the sharpness and annihilation intent that truly belonged to an ancient divine weapon slowly awakened!

Zhao Yuan sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, fully guiding this vast inheritance of sword intent and merging it with his own Dao foundation. His aura also began to undergo a earth-shaking change.

Just at the critical moment when Zhao Yuan was receiving the inheritance.

Outside the cavern, at the core of Blood Shark Island, in the deepest part of the demonic energy.

Xinglan, who was sitting by the ancient altar, suddenly opened his eyes, starlight and demonic energy interweaving within them. He looked toward the southeast, his expression changing drastically: "Not good! Someone has triggered the inheritance seal of the 'Dead Silence Sword Domain'! It's that broken sword! Damn it, how did they find that place?!"

Beside him, the churning demonic energy of Shadow Erosion also let out a low roar: "The Sword Domain inheritance has been triggered, which will briefly disturb the balance of the entire 'Star-Evil Graveyard' and accelerate the node activation process, but it may also expose the precise location of the node core! Xinglan, immediately activate the 'Star Evolution Compass' to interfere with all your might, and at the same time, mobilize the elites to head to the Dead Silence Gorge, kill the intruders, and seize the inheritance! You must not let that sword fully recover!"

"Yes!" Xinglan gritted his teeth, grabbed the Star Evolution Compass—which was much dimmer than before—from his side, and frantically injected magic power into it. At the same time, he issued orders to his confidants and demonic creatures on the island through a special communication method.

On Blood Shark Island, the defensive forces that had originally been attracted by the main battlefield on the west side immediately split off an elite force, which surged toward the Dead Silence Gorge in the southeast like a black torrent! Among them were several powerful demonic shadows whose auras were comparable to the late Nascent Soul stage!

Almost at the same time the demonic creatures on the island moved.

Lin Xuan felt something, looked up at the top of the cavern, as if piercing through the thick rock layer to see the murderous intent rapidly approaching from the outside.

"It seems we've been discovered." He said calmly, turning to look at Zhao Yuan, who was receiving the inheritance at the most critical moment, and the other nine surprise attack team members who were on high alert. "Guard this place and buy time for Zhao Yuan. Leave the ones outside to me."

As his voice fell, he took a step, and his figure disappeared from the cavern.

The next moment, under the gloomy sky of the Dead Silence Gorge, Lin Xuan's figure appeared out of thin air above the entrance to the gorge.

Ahead, demonic energy rolled, and nearly a hundred fierce-looking Blood Shark pirate elites and demonized cultivators, led by several Nascent Soul demonic generals, had already arrived! Further away, more black shadows were gathering.

Lin Xuan stood alone, blocking the path of this murderous team.

He slowly raised both hands, palms toward the sky.

Above his head, the maritime storm that had been guided by the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets and had already brewed to the extreme, now seemed to have found an outlet. Endless black clouds surged and swirled wildly toward the sky above the Dead Silence Gorge, forming a massive, thunder-and-lightning-filled vortex!

"Chaos Tribulation Dao..." Lin Xuan's voice, like a thunderous decree from the nine heavens, resounded throughout the entire gorge, overpowering the roars of the demonic creatures and the howling of the storm. "...Thunder Prison Form."

"BOOM——!!!"

The firmament shattered! Billions of dark purple thunderbolts, as if having received the command of a monarch, crashed down from the center of the vortex! However, these thunderbolts did not directly attack the demonic creatures below; instead, under the guidance and transformation of the gray-purple Chaos Tribulation power around Lin Xuan, they intertwined, coiled, and constructed!

In just an instant, a terrifying "Thunder Prison," formed entirely of violent thunder and Chaos Tribulation power, covering a radius of several miles, took shape at the entrance of the Dead Silence Gorge with a boom!

Within the Thunder Prison, thick thunder dragons roared and churned, and fine electric serpents wove and cruised, each bolt of thunder containing the dual tribulation power of annihilation and returning to the void! The color of the thunder also gradually dyed with a layer of gray, hazy luster representing chaos and ending!

Lin Xuan stood in the center of the Thunder Prison, his hair dancing wildly, his robes fluttering, thunder light leaping around his body, like a Chaos Thunder God wielding heavenly punishment and conducting the tribulation on behalf of Heaven! His cold eyes, through the layers of thunder light, locked onto the demonic creatures and cultivators below who had stopped in horror.

"This path is closed."