Chapter 156: Starlight Quenches the Sword, Dark Tides Surge Again

Deep within the sea of consciousness, that dark purple "Demon Seed" star-point was like a malignant tumor, stubbornly parasitizing the edge of the inherited memories of the Star-Fall people. Zhao Yuan’s Annihilation Sword Intent and the power of the newborn stars wove into layers of sealing nets around it, with gray-white and deep blue light acting like chains, tightly imprisoning that wisp of dark purple evil energy that constantly attempted to spread and erode.

Every time the sword intent struck, the "Demon Seed" would tremble violently, emitting a silent, venomous, and bewitching shriek, attempting to shake Zhao Yuan’s mind and stir the fear, anger, or greed hidden deep within his heart. At the same time, it would release extremely faint fluctuations that resonated with fragments of Zhao Yuan’s own memories—mostly fragments concerning the pain, despair, or paranoid obsessions of the Star-Fall people—attempting to disguise itself as a part of the inheritance itself, making it difficult for Zhao Yuan to distinguish or resolutely cut it away.

"What a sinister method..." The cold sweat on Zhao Yuan’s temples had not yet dried, but his mind grew increasingly cold and clear. He realized this was no accident. Either the civilization of the Star-Fall people had been eroded by some power originating from the "Three Enclosures Star God" contract or the early days of the Demon Abyss, polluting part of the inherited information; or the Rebirth Sect or the Demon Abyss had tampered with the ruins, using a blasphemous ritual to implant this "information toxin" into the ruins' energy network or the inheritance carriers (such as "Star Essence" fragments or specific rune nodes), waiting for a successor to trigger it.

Regardless of which it was, it meant that the Demon Abyss’s layout for the "Erosion Realm" was far more insidious and far-reaching than previously estimated. They were not only attempting to violently pollute and catalyze ancient ruins, but had also buried such hidden "poisoned bait" at the information level.

The trembling of "Silent Shadow" slowly subsided, and a trace of soothing and firm intent came from the sword body, as if telling him: Do not panic, I am here.

Zhao Yuan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his churning emotions. Now was not the time for panic. Since it had been discovered, there was a possibility of dealing with it. The fact that the Annihilation Sword Intent and the power of the stars could temporarily seal it meant it was not unsolvable. Perhaps, as his cultivation base improved, his digestion of the inheritance deepened, or he found a more suitable method (such as Senior Lin’s Chaos Tribulation Power, or the deeper power of the "Star Essence" fragments), he would be able to eradicate it.

The most urgent task was to consolidate his foundation, improve his strength, and at the same time... inform the alliance leadership, such as my lord Wei, of this discovery.

He did not leave the quiet room immediately, but instead used his Annihilation Sword Heart to perform an extremely meticulous internal scan of his sea of consciousness, meridians, and dantian, confirming that apart from the sealed "Demon Seed," there were no other hidden dangers. The improvement in cultivation and the transformation of sword intent brought by the inheritance were solid, with no signs of instability. Although the "Demon Seed" was dangerous, as long as the seal remained stable, there should be no major issues in the short term.

After doing this, he straightened his robes and pushed open the door to the quiet room.

Outside the door, True Person Xinghui had already been waiting for a while. Seeing him come out, he looked concerned: "Little Friend Zhao Yuan, I just sensed abnormal energy fluctuations and a burst of sword intent in your quiet room. Did something go wrong with your cultivation?"

Zhao Yuan felt a warmth in his heart and bowed, saying: "Many thanks for your concern, Elder Xinghui. This junior is fine; it is just that while digesting the inheritance, I discovered some... unexpected 'impurities,' which I have temporarily dealt with." He pondered for a moment and decided to be direct: "This matter concerns the safety of the inheritance, and this junior needs to see my lord Wei immediately to report it."

True Person Xinghui’s expression turned solemn: "'Impurities'? Is it related to the Demon Abyss? Let’s go, I will go with you."

The two arrived at the Star Discussion Pavilion once again. At this moment, only my lord Wei and True Person Beichen were in the pavilion discussing important matters, while Ling Shuang, Yan Gang, and others were either overseeing defenses or studying the materials brought back from the ruins.

Upon hearing Zhao Yuan’s discovery and speculation regarding the "Demon Seed" in his sea of consciousness, the expressions of my lord Wei and True Person Beichen instantly became extremely grim.

"Pollution at the information level... poisoned bait within the inheritance..." My lord Wei’s aged fingers tapped lightly on the back of his chair, his eyes as sharp as an eagle’s: "What a Demon Abyss! What an 'Erosion Realm'! They truly stop at nothing, not even sparing the legacy of a vanished civilization, turning it into a poison to corrode those who come after!"

True Person Beichen closed his eyes to sense for a moment, then took out a secret treasure of the Star Palace, the "Star Mirror," and shone it at Zhao Yuan (with Zhao Yuan voluntarily opening part of his mental defenses). Sure enough, the mirror surface revealed a tiny, dark purple spot heavily locked down by the Annihilation Sword Intent and the power of the stars.

"It truly exists, and it is extremely hidden and vicious," True Person Beichen said in a deep voice. "If not for Little Friend Zhao Yuan’s clear sword heart, his Annihilation Intent’s keen perception of falsehood and evil, and the strengthening of his soul and star perception by the 'Star Essence' fragment, it would have been extremely difficult to discover. This object is deeply hidden and will slowly 'release' as the inheritance is interpreted more deeply, subtly influencing the host’s temperament, distorting cognition, and potentially triggering a mental collapse or pollution of the Dao foundation at a critical moment."

My lord Wei snorted coldly: "This scheme of the Demon Abyss kills several birds with one stone. It can pollute the talents who obtain the inheritance, turning them into potential hidden dangers or puppets, and can also use their hands to spread the pollution. Zhao Yuan, your discovery this time is a great merit! If you had not detected and sealed it in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

He looked at Beichen: "Within the Star Palace inheritance, are there any methods to deal with such 'information inner demons' or 'inheritance pollution'?"

True Person Beichen frowned and pondered: "The Star Palace does have secret techniques like the 'Star Cleansing Art' and the 'Method of Seeing One’s Nature,' which purify the mind and stabilize the Dao heart, but for this kind of 'information toxin' that is deeply bound to specific inherited memories and nearly symbiotic, the effect is hard to guarantee. Perhaps... it requires combining the purest star origin purification power contained in the 'Star Essence' fragments with Little Friend Zhao Yuan’s own Annihilation Sword Intent, and proceeding slowly. Furthermore, if Fellow Daoist Lin wakes up, his Chaos Tribulation Power might..."

Mentioning Lin Xuan, a glimmer flashed in my lord Wei’s eyes: "Speaking of Guest Official Lin, the research on the 'Star Essence' fragments has made preliminary progress." He took out a jade slip and handed it to Zhao Yuan: "The star origin contained in the fragments is vast in vitality and gentle and inclusive in nature, which indeed has miraculous effects on repairing the Dao foundation and nourishing the soul. The Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets and several grandmasters of alchemy and medicine have deduced remotely that by using a specific array to guide the power of the fragments, supplemented by the imperial secret treasure 'Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Grass' and other elixirs, there is a fifty percent chance of awakening the dormant Chaos Tribulation Crystal of Guest Official Lin, helping him begin self-healing. But the process must be extremely careful, without the slightest external interference."

A fifty percent chance! This was already a very high hope! Zhao Yuan’s spirit lifted.

"However," my lord Wei changed the subject, "awakening Guest Official Lin requires time to prepare and must be done in an absolutely safe environment. At present, although Star-Fall Island has been rebuilt and the defense line is initially solid, it is far from stable. Although the disturbances at the Return-to-Void Sea Eye have subsided, the Demon Abyss will never give up. The 'Demon Seed' in your sea of consciousness also needs to be resolved. Therefore, I have a proposal."

"Please instruct me, my lord Wei."

"The 'Star Quenching Platform' on Star-Fall Island has been initially repaired," my lord Wei said slowly. "That is a secret place built by the Star Palace using the unique star power of this place and the deep-sea earth veins to quench magic treasures and comprehend the Dao of the stars. You can go to the 'Star Quenching Platform' and borrow the star power gathered there to further quench your 'Silent Shadow,' consolidate your own cultivation, and attempt to integrate the newly acquired star inheritance more deeply with your Annihilation Sword Intent. At the same time, in an environment of pure star power, it may produce a continuous suppression and purification effect on the 'Demon Seed' in your sea of consciousness. True Person Beichen will activate the array for you and guard you from the side. Once your state is stable and the awakening ceremony for Guest Official Lin is ready, we will proceed to the next step."

Zhao Yuan pondered for a moment and understood my lord Wei’s deep meaning. This was to create the best environment for his cultivation and "detoxification," while keeping him away from the potential front lines of battle (in his current state, with the hidden danger in his sea of consciousness not yet removed, he was not suitable for high-risk missions), while also being able to respond to emergencies at any time. And quenching "Silent Shadow" to improve himself was undoubtedly the foundation for dealing with future changes.

"This junior obeys," Zhao Yuan bowed and accepted.

The "Star Quenching Platform" was located in the southeast corner of Star-Fall Island, in a natural rock cave deep under the sea. Later, it was modified by the Star Palace to draw in the sea-floor earth veins and the star power guided by the "All-Heaven Star Array" above. The top of the cave was not rock, but a transparent crystal dome engraved with complex arrays. Looking up, one could see the brilliant starlight, transformed by the array, flowing slowly like a real galaxy in the dark seawater.

Stepping into the cave, a rich, almost tangible star power rushed toward him, cool and vast, with a pure feeling that washed the soul. In the center was a circular stone platform three zhang in diameter, the surface as smooth as a mirror, engraved with runes for gathering and guiding star power. The surrounding rock walls were embedded with crystals of various colors of different sizes, emitting a soft starlight.

True Person Beichen activated the array. Suddenly, the "galaxy" on the dome shone brightly, and countless condensed pillars of starlight descended, gathering on the stone platform to form a brilliant silver energy vortex. The concentration of star power in the air soared again.

"Quenching here will yield twice the result with half the effort. I will guard you at the entrance; if there is any abnormality, send a message at any time," True Person Beichen instructed, then retreated to the stone room at the entrance of the cave.

Zhao Yuan walked onto the stone platform and sat cross-legged. "Silent Shadow" lay across his knees.

He did not start quenching immediately, but first operated his cultivation technique, guiding the surging star power around him into his body, letting it travel along specific meridians to nourish his physical body and stabilize his dantian, while simultaneously guiding a portion of the purest star power into his sea of consciousness to work with the Annihilation Sword Intent to reinforce the seal on the "Demon Seed." As the cool star power flowed through, the restlessness of the "Demon Seed" was clearly suppressed, and its dark purple light dimmed significantly.

Feeling that his state was adjusted to the best, Zhao Yuan focused his mind on "Silent Shadow."

He stroked the sword body with his hands, and the Annihilation Sword Intent slowly poured in. The dark gold patterns on the sword body lit up, and the new, deep blue star luster inside also emerged. The two types of light intertwined, resonating with the starlight falling from above.

"Guiding the stars to quench the blade..." Zhao Yuan silently recited a method he had comprehended from the inheritance star sea for quenching objects with the power of the stars. He carefully guided a condensed pillar of starlight, like a forging hammer, to slowly "strike" the body of the "Silent Shadow" sword.

Ding—!

A crisp, pleasant sound, as if gold and jade were striking each other, echoed in the cave. The sword body trembled slightly, and the dark gold and deep blue light shone brightly, actively absorbing the starlight. The sword body seemed to become more transparent, and the patterns inside seemed to come alive, slowly flowing and growing.

Zhao Yuan was overjoyed and continued to guide the starlight, one beam after another, washing and quenching "Silent Shadow" like a waterfall. At the same time, he integrated his own insights into the "Star Dust-Cleansing Art," his understanding of the "purification" and "opening" true meanings within the Annihilation Sword Intent, and his experience of the resilience and sorrow of the Star-Fall civilization into his sword intent, hammering them into the sword along with the starlight.

Time passed quietly in the deep cultivation.

The light on the "Silent Shadow" sword became more restrained and profound. The dark gold became like ancient bronze that had been tempered by time, while the deep blue became like the starry sky in the deepest part of the night, the two perfectly blended. The sword intent became increasingly condensed; amidst the annihilation, there was an added vastness and inclusiveness like the starry sky, as well as a pure sharpness to cut through falsehood and wash away filth.

Zhao Yuan’s own cultivation base also improved steadily under the continuous infusion of star power and mental quenching. His Golden Core became increasingly round and full, with light contained within, and it seemed only a thin veil remained before the critical point of breaking the core to form a Nascent Soul.

The "Demon Seed" in his sea of consciousness, under the continuous washing of pure star power and the suppression of the Annihilation Sword Intent, although not eradicated, had its activity reduced to a minimum, its dark purple light almost imperceptible, locked firmly in a corner.

Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.

However, on the seventh day when Zhao Yuan was immersed in deep quenching.

The perimeter warning array of Star-Fall Island suddenly sent out an urgent alarm!

It was not a large-scale monster attack, nor a disturbance in the sea eye, but a weak but clear distress signal belonging to a human cultivator! The source of the signal was located about three hundred miles southwest of Star-Fall Island, in a dangerous sea area known as the "Broken Reef Labyrinth." What was even more unsettling was that the signal was mixed with extremely weak energy fluctuations similar to the evil power of the Rebirth Sect!

The deacon in charge of monitoring did not dare to delay and reported it immediately.

True Person Beichen received the news, his brows locked in a frown. The "Broken Reef Labyrinth" had complex terrain, surging undercurrents, and often had spatial rifts appearing; usually, except for a few cultivators looking for special materials, very few people ventured deep into it. Why would a distress signal appear now, and why was it involved with the Rebirth Sect?

He immediately sent a message to my lord Wei, and at the same time interrupted Zhao Yuan’s quenching (which was already nearing its end) and informed him of the situation.

Zhao Yuan finished his cultivation and stood up, "Silent Shadow" returning to its sheath. His eyes were bright, and although his cultivation had not broken through, his sword intent and mental state had already made a qualitative leap. Hearing that there was a distress signal that might be related to the Rebirth Sect, he immediately said: "Elder Beichen, this junior is willing to go and investigate."

True Person Beichen pondered: "How is your state? The hidden danger in your sea of consciousness?"

"The seal is stable, no problem. After quenching 'Silent Shadow,' my perception of evil spirits is even sharper. Moreover, the environment of the 'Broken Reef Labyrinth' is complex, and my perception of star power has increased, so I might be able to find the target faster," Zhao Yuan said firmly. He was not trying to be brave, but truly felt that his state was quite good and that he had a responsibility to find out if it was related to the remnants of the Rebirth Sect.

True Person Beichen looked at my lord Wei (projection) who had just arrived.

My lord Wei swept his gaze over Zhao Yuan and nodded: "You may. But be cautious; focus on investigation and rescue. If there are strong enemies or traps, withdraw immediately. Beichen, you dispatch a team of elite 'Star Patrol Guards' to accompany and support them on the 'Swift Shadow Boat.' Elder Ling Shuang is patrolling the nearby sea area; you can order her to go and provide support."

The order was quickly issued.

Half an hour later, a silver flying boat about ten zhang long, streamlined and extremely fast, the "Swift Shadow Boat," quietly departed from Star-Fall Island and sailed toward the "Broken Reef Labyrinth" in the southwest. On the boat, besides Zhao Yuan, there were four "Star Patrol Guards" carefully trained by the Star Palace, who were good at coordination and reconnaissance, all at the late Golden Core stage, and the captain was a middle-aged cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage.

The sea wind whistled, and the flying boat broke through the waves.

Zhao Yuan stood at the bow of the boat, his robes fluttering, and "Silent Shadow" hummed slightly in its sheath. His gaze pierced through the churning waves, looking toward the area of broken reefs that stood like the fangs of a giant beast under the starlight.

The sense of crisis in his heart, which had eased slightly due to his cultivation progress, rose quietly once again.

This time, would what awaited him be a cultivator who had narrowly escaped, or... another carefully laid trap?