Chapter 148

The smoke of Broken Star Island finally dissipated thoroughly seven days after the Blood Skeleton Star God was killed.

The foul blood clouds that once shrouded heaven and earth were cleansed by imperial dragon energy and the gradually recovering clear sunlight. The viscous blood plasma-like foam and floating foul remains on the sea surface were also evaporated or settled in the deep sea under the action of purification arrays and arts that cultivators worked day and night. The seawater returned to its past blue, but under that blue, dark currents originating from the depths of the Return to Ruins Sea Eye, which became relatively gentle but still fatal after losing its core, were still surging.

The island itself was scarred. Nearly half of the array bases of the Zhou Tian Star Dou Array were damaged, the peripheral defensive works were almost destroyed, and the originally immortal pavilions and towers collapsed in many places, and the spiritual fields and medicine gardens were all eroded and withered by foul energy. The casualties were even more shocking: disciples of the Star Palace, Profound Ice Pavilion, and Giant Spirit Sect, together with the Demon-Slaying Army that arrived later, fell by over a thousand, and the seriously injured were countless, among whom there was no lack of Golden Core and even Soul Formation cultivators. The entire Broken Star Island was filled with a heavy sorrow and the fatigue of surviving a disaster.

However, on this heavy ember, there was also a stubborn glimmer of light.

In the center of the island, the "Nurturing Spirit Hall," which was built temporarily but set up with the alliance's highest-level protective and nourishing arrays, became the spiritual pillar for everyone. In the spiritual liquid jade pool in the hall, Lin Xuan was still sleeping quietly. The cracks on his body were nourished by countless heaven and earth treasures and gentle arrays, and the speed of healing accelerated slightly, but it was still slow. His breath was as weak as a candle in the wind, but miraculously maintained a trace of life that was not cut off. The Chaos Tribulation Crystal located at the heart was rotating near stagnation, its surface dim and lusterless, as if it would be thoroughly extinguished at any time, but in the deepest part, it stubbornly retained a trace of "fire seed" belonging to the chaos origin that was imperceptible.

Wei Gong guarded outside the hall almost without leaving, this Soul Formation old eunuch who had experienced vicissitudes, now his face looked more old, his eyes, in addition to worry, had more of a heavy responsibility—guarding this hero who had burned everything for the alliance and this realm, until he woke up, or... the last moment.

Beichen, Lingshuang, and Yangang took up the heavy burden of reconstruction and aftermath in grief and fatigue. They knew that the breathing space Lin Xuan exchanged with his life must not be wasted.

"The core array base and array map of the Zhou Tian Star Dou Array are well preserved, and although the peripheral array eyes are damaged, there is hope for repair. Just... the gap in special materials such as 'Star Essence Gold' required for repair is huge." Beichen's face was haggard, but his eyes were firm, and he was discussing with several Star Palace array masters and the Ministry of Works craftsmen accompanying the imperial dynasty army, "I have sent a message to the Palace Master, requesting the allocation of Star Palace inventory, and opening the mining rights of some Star Essence Gold mines. But distant water cannot quench near thirst."

Lingshuang's cold voice carried a hoarseness after fatigue: "The Profound Ice Pavilion can provide 'Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice' and 'Fairy Fairy Bingpo Cold Jade' for constructing temporary purification nodes and sealing the demonic energy overflowing from the Sea Eye. But maintaining large-scale purification arrays, the consumption of spirit stones is a bottomless pit. In this battle, the inventory of all sects has bottomed out."

Yangang scratched a new scar on his bald head and said in a muffled voice: "Our Giant Spirit Sect doesn't have much else, just strength. Reconstruction work, cleaning up ruins, transporting materials, these heavy tasks are on us! But arrays and spirit stones... we really have no way."

Huangfu Hao (projected through a special communication array), who had been listening silently, spoke slowly, his voice carrying the emperor's decision: "Within the imperial dynasty, all inventory spirit stones and related refining materials have been urgently requisitioned and are being transported day and night through teleportation arrays and fleets. I have issued an edict to open three imperial secret mines and increase the acquisition price and merit exchange ratio for related resources among the people, at all costs, to support the reconstruction of Broken Star Island and the establishment of the Sea Eye monitoring system."

He swept his gaze over everyone and said in a deep voice: "Although this battle was tragic, the Blood Skeleton Star God was killed, the threat of the Return to Ruins Sea Eye was temporarily eased, and two great demonic commanders of the Demon Abyss were one fled and one injured, our alliance's first battle was a victory, and morale can be used! The top priority is to restore the defense and monitoring capabilities of Broken Star Island as soon as possible, and build it into the first iron wall to monitor, warn, and resist the invasion of the Demon Abyss from the direction of the Endless Hanhai! At the same time, intensify the clearing of the 'Erosion Realm' infiltration nodes and 'Rebirth Sect' remnants inside the continent, and never give the Demon Abyss a chance to collude inside and outside."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Everyone bowed.

Reconstruction work was carried out in a tense and orderly manner. On the broken island, the clanging sound of knocking, the buzzing sound of arrays, and the sound of cultivators transporting materials intertwined, dispelling the dead silence. The remains of the fallen were properly collected, identified, and sent back to their respective sects or hometowns for burial, and the pension matters were also being carried out simultaneously. A sad but resilient atmosphere permeated above Broken Star Island.

And in this busy reconstruction, an urgent secret message from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master (the main body was still healing in the imperial capital) was presented to core figures such as Wei Gong and Beichen through special channels.

The content of the secret message was extremely brief, but it made the heartstrings of several people that had just eased tighten again:

"The stone slab fragments from the Starfall Plains, Heishuicheng, and the nameless altar in the Endless Hanhai, after reverse deduction of damaged runes and comparison with ancient star map remaining scrolls, have been initially confirmed to point to the same ancient lost civilization—'People of Starfall.' This civilization worshipped stars and was good at star secret arts and contract arts, and its last record disappeared about 30,000 years ago in a 'Star Meteorite Catastrophe' that affected the entire Endless Hanhai."

"The runes of the three fragments complement each other, pointing to a hidden coordinate deep in the Endless Hanhai. Combined with the Star Palace's ancient sea map and the old man's vague deduction at the cost of lifespan, the coordinate is located at the junction of the 'Chaotic Star Vortex' and the 'Silent Graveyard,' which is highly likely to be an important ruin of the 'People of Starfall' or... the location of the sunken capital."

"More critically, the 'People of Starfall' seemed to have some kind of 'blood contract' or 'worship contract' with ancient stars (or star gods). The 'Blood God' worshipped by the Heishuicheng cult is likely not created by the Ruins Abyss demons, but borrowed the name and part of the rituals of a certain 'Star God' who had long since fallen or been twisted, which was involved in the ancient contract of the 'People of Starfall'."

"Suggestion: Quickly send an elite team to secretly investigate the coordinate. The ruins may contain important clues about ancient contracts, the whereabouts of Star Essence Gold, and even ways to confront the 'Erosion Realm.' However, the ruins are hidden in dangerous places in the Endless Hanhai and may be related to twisted star gods or Demon Abyss remnants, which is extremely dangerous, so the candidates must be chosen with great caution."

After reading the secret message, Wei Gong, Beichen, and others looked at each other, their eyes full of shock.

"'People of Starfall'... sunken capital... ancient blood contract..." Beichen muttered to himself, "No wonder the rituals and runes of the 'Rebirth Sect' were mixed with starlight power and bloody sacrifices, it turns out the root is here! They were trying to awaken or tamper with a certain ancient, terrifying contract involving stars!"

Lingshuang's ice-blue light flickered: "The Pavilion Master's deduction is that the ruins may contain ways to confront the 'Erosion Realm.' If this is true, no matter how dangerous it is, it is worth exploring. The power of the 'Erosion Realm' is infiltrating deeper, and conventional means treat the symptoms but not the root cause, so we must find a new breakthrough point."

Yangang frowned: "Exploring the ruins is a must. But Fellow Daoist Lin is unconscious, and we need to sit in this place to guard against the Demon Abyss's counterattack and the Sea Eye's change. Who to send? Ordinary Soul Formation cultivators, going deep into such dangerous places, I fear there will be no return."

Just then, Zhao Yuan, who had been standing silently beside Wei Gong and was responsible for taking care of Lin Xuan's daily life and also assisting in handling miscellaneous affairs, suddenly stepped forward and bowed: "Eunuch Wei, Elder Beichen, this junior is willing to go."

Everyone's eyes focused on him. At this time, Zhao Yuan's aura was condensed, his eyes were sharp and calm, and after the baptism of Blood Shark Island, Heishuicheng, and this battle of Broken Star Island, he had shed the last trace of greenness, like a divine sword that had been sheathed but contained sharpness. Although his cultivation was still stuck at the peak of Golden Core, the "Silent Shadow" divine sword that had already awakened and the sword intent of annihilation he inherited made his actual combat power comparable to ordinary mid-stage Soul Formation, and he had unique advantages in purifying evil spirits and severing falsehoods.

Wei Gong looked at him and pondered for a moment: "Zhao Yuan, is your heart determined? That ruin, even the Pavilion Master said it is extremely dangerous, I fear there are unknown evil things or ancient prohibitions, and it may even be related to Demon Abyss remnants. Although you have obtained the divine sword inheritance, your cultivation is still shallow..."

Zhao Yuan looked up, his eyes clear and firm: "This junior knows the danger. However, Senior Lin has been unconscious to this day to protect this realm. This junior has received Senior Lin's rescue and guidance many times, and has been trusted by him to be entrusted with heavy responsibilities. Now that the senior is seriously injured and the alliance is in need of people, how can this junior retreat because of fear of danger? And the 'Silent Shadow' sword has a fate with star meteorites and the Dao of annihilation, perhaps it can have some resonance in the ruins and avoid some risks. This junior is willing to sign a military order, will definitely do his best to explore the ruins, bring back useful clues, and not live up to the expectations of the senior and the alliance!"

His tone was calm, but every word was clangorous, carrying a determination to burn the boats.

Beichen and Lingshuang looked at each other and nodded slightly. Zhao Yuan was indeed a relatively suitable candidate that could be drawn out at present. He had a special status (close relationship with Lin Xuan, obtained the inheritance of annihilation sword), extraordinary combat power, and his temperament had been tested; more importantly, his "Silent Shadow" sword might really become the "key" to exploring the star ruins.

Wei Gong pondered for a moment again, and finally nodded slowly: "Very well. Since you have this heart, I will give you this opportunity. But remember, exploration is the priority, do not fight to the death unless necessary, preserve yourself, and bring back intelligence, which is the first priority."

He turned to Beichen and others: "The Star Palace is most familiar with Endless Hanhai geography and star secret arts, so you need to send capable people and experts proficient in arrays and star astrology to accompany. The Profound Ice Pavilion can provide secret treasures to resist deep-sea pressure and filth. Giant Spirit Sect... pick two strong-bodied, good at water warfare and close-quarters combat experts to accompany. The team size should be refined rather than large, within ten people is appropriate. In addition, draw two elites from the imperial dynasty's 'Shadow Guard' who are good at concealment, exploration, and self-preservation, carrying the newly developed 'Prohibition-Breaking Awl' and 'Projection Positioning Disk'."

"As Wei Gong said." Beichen and others agreed and immediately began to prepare separately.

Three days later, a secret pier on Broken Star Island.

A medium-sized "Star-Exploring Shuttle" about thirty feet long, built of deep-sea black iron and "Concealment Wood," with Star Palace concealment arrays engraved on its surface, set sail quietly. On the ship, including Zhao Yuan, there were nine people in total.

On the Star Palace side, the one sent was a mid-stage Soul Formation cultivator named "Xinghui," proficient in star positioning and array breaking, with a calm personality; a late Golden Core young astrologer "Chenyue," good at observing star power flow and deducing good and bad luck.

The Profound Ice Pavilion sent Lingshuang's personal disciple "Hanying," peak Golden Core cultivation, possessing the "Fairy Fairy Bingpo Heart-Protecting Mirror" and several "Profound Ice Escape Talismans," responsible for dealing with deep-sea extreme cold and foul environments.

The Giant Spirit Sect sent two bald men who were eight feet tall, with knotted muscles, carrying giant axes and water-splitting thorns, one early Soul Formation "Shi Meng" and one peak Golden Core "Tieshan," both of whom were excellent in water and fearless of death.

The imperial dynasty's Shadow Guard sent two black-clothed cultivators whose auras were completely restrained and almost merged into the shadows, codenamed "Shadow Seven" and "Shadow Eleven," both with late Golden Core cultivation, proficient in stealth, assassination, mechanism exploration, and intelligence collection.

Zhao Yuan, as the team leader, held "Silent Shadow" and stood at the bow of the ship. The sea breeze blew his slightly thin but straight body, and the gray-white sword intent of annihilation flowed slightly around him, echoing with the dark gold patterns on the "Silent Shadow" sword body.

"The goal of this trip is the ruins of the 'People of Starfall' deep in the Endless Hanhai. The danger is unknown, everyone must be cautious, listen to instructions, and look after each other," Zhao Yuan's voice was not loud, but clearly entered everyone's ears. "Set off."

The Star-Exploring Shuttle slid into the seawater without a sound, stirring up a circle of tiny ripples, and then the ship's arrays were fully activated, turning into a blurred shadow that was almost merged with the deep blue seawater, galloping toward the secret coordinate provided by the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master.

Broken Star Island gradually became smaller behind them, and finally disappeared below the sea level.

In the cabin, Zhao Yuan sat cross-legged, placed "Silent Shadow" across his knees, and closed his eyes to concentrate. He tried to use the sword heart of annihilation to sense the "calling" related to stars, meteorites, and contracts that might come from the distant ruins.

And in his arms, a small piece of the most complete "People of Starfall" stone slab fragment brought back from the Heishuicheng altar was emitting a faint, warm starlight that resonated with the "Silent Shadow" sword body.

The Endless Hanhai is deep and full of crises. But their exploration and journey have just begun.

At the same time, imperial capital, Star Observatory secret room.

The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master sat on a meditation cushion, in front of him floated the phantom of three spliced stone slabs (restored according to fragment information), and the ancient star map remaining scroll. His blurred face was dimmer than before, obviously the previous deduction consumed a lot of his origin.

Suddenly, the star disk used to sense the position of Zhao Yuan's team in front of him, after entering a predetermined sea area range, flashed violently, and then... deviated from the originally calculated course, slowly sliding toward an area covered by large chaotic symbols that had not been marked on the star map remaining scroll!

"Hmm?" The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master opened his eyes suddenly, a flash of suspicion in his eyes, "Star power turbulence? Or... the power of the ruin itself, interfering and attracting?"

He pinched his fingers and calculated urgently, but his face became more and more grave.

"Great evil appears, but a glimmer of life is hidden in the desperate situation... Contract of Starfall, secret of sinking... Fellow Daoist Zhao Yuan, your sword may really be able to cut open the mist that has been sealed for ten thousand years, but it may also... awaken a deeper nightmare."

He sighed long, his gaze cast toward the west, as if piercing through heavy palace walls, seeing that vast and mysterious blue.

"What the old man can do has been exhausted. The rest depends on your good fortune."