Chapter 151: Two Evils Appear Together, The Sword Severs Falsehood

The dark red light surging from the cracks in the pedestal and the roars of monsters coming from the fissure on the left were like two death warrants, pushing the group—who had just escaped the danger of the stele's suction—back into a desperate situation.

"Shi Meng, Tie Shan, form the 'Rock Formation' to protect the right flank, watch out for eruptions from the pedestal cracks! Fellow Daoist Hanying, use the Ice Soul Mirror to assist in defense and slow down the monsters! Elder Xinghui, Chen Yue, find a way to interfere with the energy gathering in the cracks! Ying Qi, Ying Eleven, scout the types and numbers of the monsters, and find their weaknesses!" Zhao Yuan suppressed the roiling blood and the exhaustion in his sea of consciousness, issuing orders with extreme speed, his voice carrying unquestionable decisiveness.

The group responded and moved. Shi Meng and Tie Shan let out low roars, their feet planting into the metal debris as if they had taken root. Their blood and Qi connected, and a thick, earthy-yellow luster appeared on their skin. An invisible force field barrier unfolded on the right side of the team, facing the approaching monster roars and the fishy stench.

Hanying changed her hand seals, and the Ice Soul Heart-Protecting Mirror hovering above her shifted its light. Large swathes of "Mysterious Ice Condensation" surged toward the left fissure like mist. Wherever it passed, countless tiny ice crystals condensed in the air, and the temperature plummeted.

True Person Xinghui gritted his teeth and brought out his array disk again. This time, it was not for defense, but to condense several thin yet concentrated "Star Brilliance Chains," which shot toward the pedestal cracks like probes, attempting to interfere with the rhythm of the dark red light. Chen Yue braced herself to lift the star-gazing instrument, sweat streaming down her forehead as she struggled to analyze the nature and weaknesses of the energy erupting from the cracks.

Ying Qi and Ying Eleven had already merged into the shadows of the surrounding buildings like true phantoms, silently approaching the edge of the left fissure. The image-recording disks and miniature detection magic treasures in their hands began to work.

Zhao Yuan held his sword across his chest. Although his Silence Sword Intent was somewhat dim due to the heavy consumption from the "Heart-Questioning Slash" just moments ago, it became even more refined and pure under his clear sword heart. He stared intently at the two threats, his mind connected to "Silent Shadow," searching for the best moment to strike.

The rustling and roaring from the left fissure grew closer, and the thick demonic Qi and sea-fishy stench almost solidified. The first to rush out were not the humanoid monsters they had expected, but a group of extremely twisted, nauseating "things"!

They had a shape roughly similar to deep-sea arthropods, but their carapaces were not hard and smooth; instead, they were covered in dark red, blood-oozing pustules and constantly opening and closing suckers. Their mouthparts were ferocious, filled with spiral-shaped sharp teeth, and their compound eyes flickered with chaotic dark purple demonic light. Bone spurs grew at their limb joints, and their tails dragged slimy, sucker-covered tentacles. They varied in size, some as small as hunting dogs, others as large as houses, and there were at least several dozen of them at a rough glance! Even more bizarrely, these monsters were shrouded in wisps of blood-evil resentment similar to that at the stele, but even more frenzied, as if they had been transformed and spawned by two different evil forces combined!

"It's the demonized Deep-Sea Demon Pincer Crabs! They have been alienated by the dual pollution of the Abyss demonic Qi and the blood-evil resentment here!" True Person Xinghui exclaimed, "Watch out for their body fluids and spittle; they are highly corrosive and contain demonic intent!"

Before he could finish, the giant demonized Demon Pincer Crabs at the front had already opened their ferocious mouthparts, spitting out large amounts of dark green slime that emitted a pungent, fishy stench and demonic Qi! The slime shot toward the group like a rainstorm, and upon contact with the "Mysterious Ice Condensation" laid down by Hanying, it made a violent "hissing" sound of corrosion. Large swathes of ice crystals were dissolved, and dark green poisonous mist filled the air!

"Hold your breath! Raise your protective spiritual light to the maximum!" Hanying shouted coldly. The Ice Soul Heart-Protecting Mirror shone brighter, and a thicker ice wall rose in front of the group.

Shi Meng and Tie Shan roared, their blood and Qi power erupting. Their fist winds and hammer shadows blasted out, knocking away the sporadic slime that passed through the gaps in the ice wall and the small demonized Demon Pincer Crabs that lunged at them. But the monsters' carapaces were exceptionally hard, and they were fearless; after being knocked away, they would roll a few times before roaring and lunging again, while more monsters swarmed in from the sides and rear!

Almost simultaneously, the dark red light in the pedestal cracks reached its peak!

"ROAR——!!!"

A roar, deeper and more magnificent than the hissing of the Demon Pincer Crabs, as if originating from the depths of the earth and carrying endless sorrow and rage, suddenly exploded from the depths of the fissure! The entire ruin space trembled violently, and the metal structures at the edge of the crack groaned and shattered under the unbearable strain!

A torrent of dark red energy, over ten zhang in diameter and condensed into substance, mixed with countless tiny fragments of star skeletons and viscous, blood-like resentment, shot into the sky from the fissure like a volcanic eruption! The torrent did not shoot directly at the group; instead, it twisted and spiraled in the air, rapidly condensing and outlining a huge, blurred silhouette—the silhouette was vaguely humanoid, yet forcibly bonded together by countless broken star skeletons and dark red energy. It stood dozens of zhang tall, its head composed of several huge, broken star skulls stacked together, with cold, dark red soul fire burning in its eye sockets!

"Star Skeleton Wraith! It is a powerhouse of the Star-Fallen People who sank here. Their skeletons and resentment have been eroded and polluted by contracts and blood-evil power, forming a guardian or... an avenger!" Chen Yue shouted with a trembling voice. The star-gazing instrument in her hand was sounding frantic alarms, indicating that the energy fluctuations emitted by this Star Skeleton Wraith were already approaching the late Nascent Soul stage, and even faintly touching the threshold of Soul Transformation!

As soon as the Star Skeleton Wraith took form, its "head," burning with soul fire, slowly turned, locking onto the tiny intruders below. It did not attack immediately, but emitted a wave of intent that was unintelligible yet filled with endless sorrow and violence, as if questioning, or perhaps mourning. Then, it raised an "arm" spliced together from countless shattered bone fragments and pressed it down vaguely toward the direction of the group!

There was no grand momentum, but a terrifying, invisible force field mixed with stellar gravity, deathly silence, and blood-evil erosion suddenly descended! The group felt their bodies sink as if they were carrying mountains; their movements instantly became sluggish, their spiritual power circulation became obstructed, and even their thoughts seemed infected by that sorrowful and desperate intent, giving rise to a sense of powerlessness.

With dozens of demonized Demon Pincer Crabs besieging from the front and a Star Skeleton Wraith near the Soul Transformation level intimidating from the rear, the team's defensive line was in jeopardy under the dual pressure!

"Young Friend Zhao Yuan!" True Person Xinghui transmitted anxiously, "The Star Skeleton Wraith's force field is too strong. Our movements are restricted, and I'm afraid we won't last long!"

A sharp glint flashed in Zhao Yuan's eyes. He saw the key—although the demonized Demon Pincer Crabs on the left were numerous and threatening, the truly fatal threat was that Star Skeleton Wraith! Its force field suppression had severely crippled the team's combat effectiveness; he had to break the situation first!

But in his current state, facing the Star Skeleton Wraith head-on would be like throwing an egg against a rock. The "Heart-Questioning Slash" against the stele had made him realize that dealing with an existence entangled by multiple forces like contracts, resentment, and pollution might not be a simple matter of comparing power levels.

His gaze swept across the battlefield. He saw the blood-evil resentment lingering on the demonized Demon Pincer Crabs, then looked at the Star Skeleton Wraith's body composed of dark red energy and star skeletons. A bold, even crazy, thought suddenly emerged in his mind!

"Elder Xinghui, Fellow Daoist Hanying, use all your strength to buy me three breaths of time! Contract the defense, and use the Ice Soul Mirror and Star Brilliance Chains to temporarily drag down the Star Skeleton Wraith's force field sensing!" Zhao Yuan shouted via transmission, while his figure advanced instead of retreating, charging toward the area where the demonized Demon Pincer Crabs were densest on the left!

"Zhao Yuan!" Hanying exclaimed, but her hands did not stop. The Ice Soul Heart-Protecting Mirror flowed with brilliance, and a concentrated ice-blue beam shot toward the Star Skeleton Wraith—not to attack, but to attempt to create a "lag" in its force field. True Person Xinghui also gritted his teeth and drove all the Star Brilliance Chains, which entangled the Star Skeleton Wraith's "arm" like a spider web. Although they were easily broken, they successfully attracted some of its attention.

Although Shi Meng and Tie Shan did not understand, their trust in Zhao Yuan made them roar as they contracted the defensive circle, using their bodies to withstand more attacks from the demonized Demon Pincer Crabs, creating space for Zhao Yuan.

Zhao Yuan turned into a gray-white sword light, weaving through the group of demonized Demon Pincer Crabs. The "Silent Shadow" sword light was not blazing, but it was extremely precise. He was not trying to kill these monsters—that would consume his already limited spiritual power. His target was the blood-evil resentment lingering on the monsters' bodies, which was of the same origin as the Star Skeleton Wraith!

Every time the tip of the "Silent Shadow" sword tapped or swept, it skillfully "flicked" and "peeled off" a small wisp of dark red blood-evil resentment thread! Once these threads left the monster's body, they were like rootless duckweed. Guided by the Silence Sword Intent, instead of attacking Zhao Yuan, they were controlled by his exquisite swordsmanship, gathering around the sword body like butterflies dancing through flowers!

Three breaths of time passed in a flash.

Zhao Yuan had narrowly woven through the monster group. Around the body of the "Silent Shadow" sword, dozens of twisting, violent-smelling blood-evil resentment threads had gathered, forming a dark red, heart-palpitating energy ball!

At this moment, the Star Skeleton Wraith seemed completely enraged by the interference of Hanying and Xinghui. Its massive bone arm changed its posture from a vague press; its five fingers spread, and a more concentrated dark red energy ball, inside which scenes of stars shattering seemed to appear, condensed in its palm, about to smash down!

Now!

A sharp light shot from Zhao Yuan's eyes. His figure suddenly rose, leaving the monster group to face the massive Star Skeleton Wraith! He held "Silent Shadow" with both hands, the sword tip pointing directly at the terrifying energy ball about to be released from the wraith's palm. The dozens of blood-evil resentment threads circling the sword body surged into the sword tip as if attracted by a magnet!

"Use your resentment and evil to sharpen the sword! Slash!"

Zhao Yuan roared, pouring out all his remaining spiritual power and sword intent, and stabbed out with his sword!

This sword was not pure silence, nor was it the previous "Heart-Questioning." It fused Zhao Yuan's understanding of the "sinking," "contracts," and "resentment" of these ruins, and even used the blood-evil resentment of the same origin stripped from the monsters as a "guide"!

The sword light was a mix of gray-white and dark red. It was not grand, but it carried a strange power of "resonance" and "attraction," shooting straight at the energy core in the Star Skeleton Wraith's palm!

The Star Skeleton Wraith seemed to perceive the strangeness of this sword and let out a roar mixed with confusion and anger, accelerating the release of the dark red energy ball in its palm!

However, the two forces did not collide violently as expected.

The moment Zhao Yuan's gray-red sword light touched the energy ball, it was like a key inserted into a lock. The dozens of blood-evil resentment threads contained in the sword light, like the most skillful "spies," instantly merged into the interior of the energy ball! Immediately after, the sword intent that Zhao Yuan had infused into the sword light, which combined the concepts of silence and "severing falsehood," followed this tiny "channel" and erupted inside the energy ball like a virus!

The energy ball trembled violently. Its stable internal structure was disrupted by the resentment threads that were of the same origin but carried a different "instruction" (Silence Sword Intent), and it was "severed" from the inside by Zhao Yuan's sword intent!

BOOM!

The dark red energy ball disintegrated in mid-air, turning into countless chaotic energy flows that backlashed against the Star Skeleton Wraith itself! Although it failed to cause substantial damage, it successfully interrupted its attack and caused its massive body to pause slightly. The soul fire flickered violently, clearly indicating that the internal energy circulation had experienced a brief disorder!

"Now! Focus fire!" Zhao Yuan roared until his voice was hoarse, his body swaying slightly from exhaustion, but his eyes remained fixed on the Star Skeleton Wraith.

No words were needed; the group, who had been waiting for the opportunity, erupted instantly!

"Ice Soul: Mysterious Prison Suppression!" Hanying shouted. The Ice Soul Heart-Protecting Mirror shone brightly, and a thick ice-blue beam of light accurately hit a deep crack at the junction of the Star Skeleton Wraith's head and torso, which had been exposed due to the energy disorder! The power of extreme cold surged in, attempting to freeze the energy flow inside!

"Star Brilliance: Severing Chains!" True Person Xinghui disregarded the consumption and drove the array disk to shoot out the last few Star Brilliance Chains, which were as solid as substance, tightly entangling the Star Skeleton Wraith's bone arm joints that had just dissipated energy and had not yet recovered!

Shi Meng and Tie Shan seized the opportunity of the Star Skeleton Wraith's momentary confusion, rising to attack. With their blood and Qi power fully unleashed, they rolled over like two war chariots, smashing several larger demonized Demon Pincer Crabs in front of them into fragments!

The figures of Ying Qi and Ying Eleven appeared behind the Star Skeleton Wraith like ghosts. In their hands were not sharp blades, but several specially made "Demon-Breaking Awls" and "Soul-Suppressing Nails," which they accurately shot into several energy nodes and the suspected core of the remnant soul on its back!

The group's attacks landed on the Star Skeleton Wraith almost simultaneously. Although they failed to severely injure it, the superposition of interference, slowing, freezing, and stinging from multiple forces—especially since the internal energy circulation was already disordered by Zhao Yuan's sword—caused the massive wraith to let out a painful roar. Its movements became stiff and chaotic, and the terrifying force field suppression suddenly weakened!

"Go! Take this chance to enter below the pedestal cracks!" Zhao Yuan made a prompt decision, pointing to the pedestal crack that had temporarily expanded due to the energy eruption and where the dark red light had dimmed slightly. He judged that the Star Skeleton Wraith was the ruin's defensive mechanism, and its core might be connected to the true secret below. Staying here to tangle with it would only lead to being exhausted by more and more demonic creatures; it was better to risk going deep into the core!

Although the group was shocked, they knew this was the only chance to break the situation. Without the slightest hesitation, under a new starlight shield barely maintained by True Person Xinghui, the team fought and retreated, braving the pursuit of sporadic demonized Demon Pincer Crabs, and leaped down into the deep, ominous-glowing pedestal crack!

The Star Skeleton Wraith let out a roar of unwillingness, attempting to pursue, but its body was interfered with by multiple forces, and its movements were sluggish. It could only watch helplessly as this group of intruders disappeared into the depths of the crack. Having lost its main target, its rage seemed to turn toward the surrounding Demon Pincer Crabs emitting demonic Qi, and the dark red energy tide began to sweep indiscriminately in all directions...

The moment he leaped into the crack, Zhao Yuan felt himself wrapped in a cold, viscous dark red energy flow filled with resentment and ancient aura, falling rapidly. In his ears were the whistling wind and faint prayers and wails that seemed to come from the beginning of time. He gripped "Silent Shadow" tightly, and the sword body transmitted a slight tremor, as if sensing some "existence" that was even larger and more ancient in the depths below.

The fall seemed endless.