Chapter 157: Shadows of the Broken Reef, Traces of Blood Sacrifice

The "Swift Shadow Boat" galloped on the surging Hanhai like a silver stream of light, leaving the silhouette of the Star-Shattering Isle far behind. The closer they got to the "Broken Reef Labyrinth," the worse the sea conditions became. The lead-gray clouds in the sky hung low, obscuring the starlight, the sea wind became cold and biting, rolling up turbid spray. Ahead, an area composed of countless black reefs with dog-toothed intersections and strange shapes, like ferocious giant beast skeletons, lay quietly on the rolling sea surface, stretching for unknown how many miles. Between the reefs, undercurrents surged, water mist permeated, visibility was extremely low, and the divine sense probing into it seemed to fall into a quagmire, receiving strong interference.

"Daoist Zhao, we are at the outer perimeter of the Broken Reef Labyrinth." Captain Li Feng, the mid-stage Soul Formation cultivator leading the patrol guards, came to Zhao Yuan's side, his expression grave. "The sea conditions here are complex, with dense underwater reefs, unstable spatial folds, and natural illusion mists. Even with a sea chart, one must be extremely careful. The coordinates where the distress signal last vanished are deep within the labyrinth, in a place called 'Ghost Yawan.' The terrain there is even more treacherous."

Zhao Yuan nodded, his gaze sharp as lightning, scanning the black reef forest that stood like a beast waiting to devour them. "Shadow" continued to transmit a faint, vigilant tremor from its scabbard—not an intense warning, but a natural reaction to the negative energies permeating the environment (chaotic heaven and earth spiritual energy, residual resentment of sea beasts, and... a trace of an extremely subtle aura that he instinctively loathed).

"Captain Li Feng, in your opinion, would ordinary cultivators venture deep into 'Ghost Yawan' without urgent business?" Zhao Yuan asked.

Li Feng shook his head. "Very rarely. 'Ghost Yawan' produces several rare types of deep-sea cold iron and 'Yin Soul Algae,' but the difficulty of extraction is high and the risks are great. Usually, only desperate outlaws or cultivators in urgent need of specific materials would risk entering. But there have been no reports of large-scale collection activities recently."

"What about the abnormal fluctuations in the distress signal? Is it confirmed to be related to the Youming Sect?" Zhao Yuan looked at the patrol guard in charge of the monitoring magic tool.

The patrol guard replied, "Back to Daoist Zhao, the fluctuation characteristics are 70% similar to the Youming Sect evil energy residuals recorded in Black Water City and the Star Fall Mystical Realm, but they are much weaker and more heterogeneous, as if... mixed with something else."

Zhao Yuan's suspicions deepened. He recalled the mutated monsters in the Star Fall Mystical Realm that had been subjected to dual pollution. "Accelerate, maintain vigilance, keep the communication array fully open, and be ready to contact Elder Lingshuang and Star Fall Island at any time."

"Yes!"

The concealment and defensive arrays on the surface of the "Swift Shadow Boat" shimmered, and the boat maintained its speed while maneuvering nimbly through the gaps between the massive reefs, like a cautious fish, sailing into the depths of the labyrinth.

Upon entering the labyrinth, the light dimmed abruptly. The towering black reefs blocked most of the daylight, and the seawater took on a deep, murky green color. Shadows flickered underwater, as if countless sinister ghosts were lurking. The suppression of spiritual sense was even stronger, feeling sluggish and difficult to move beyond ten feet. The only sounds were the roar of waves crashing against the reefs, the sobbing of surging undercurrents, and the sharp, infant-like cries of some unknown seabird, which made one's hair stand on end.

"Three o'clock on the port side, intense energy disturbance underwater! Watch out!" a patrol guard suddenly warned.

Before the words fell, several thick tentacles flashing with dark blue electric light lunged out of the pitch-black seawater, coiling toward the "Swift Shadow Boat" like giant pythons!

"It's a 'Thunder-Pattern Ghost-Face Octopus'! At least a peak Golden Core beast!" Li Feng shouted sharply. A star-studded longsword appeared in his hand, and with a flash of sword light, he slashed at the foremost tentacle.

The other patrol guards reacted quickly, either casting magic tools to bombard or strengthening the boat's defenses.

Zhao Yuan did not move. His gaze pierced through the attacking tentacles and looked deeper into the seawater. With the resonance of "Shadow" and his own keen perception of starlight and negative energy, he discovered that the attacks of these beasts... seemed somewhat "deliberate"? Their attack angles were not entirely random; it was more like they were driving or forcing the flying boat to deviate in a specific direction?

His heart stirred. He let his Sword Intent of Silence brush past like a gentle breeze, not attacking the tentacles directly, but "touching" the extremely faint energy aura remaining on one of the tentacles.

A trace of an extremely obscure "guiding" intent, homologous to the heterogeneous evil energy in the distress signal, was captured by him!

These beasts were being influenced! Or rather, they were being secretly driven by some power to "lead the way" for them!

"Captain Li Feng, no need to entangle, just repel them. Pay attention to the course; we seem to be being guided in a certain direction," Zhao Yuan transmitted.

Li Feng was stunned, then realized the abnormality. Although the beasts' attacks were fierce, they were not fighting to the death. Once the flying boat made evasive maneuvers or counterattacks, they would retreat slightly, then force them from another angle, indeed resembling a "driving" maneuver.

"Understood!" Li Feng changed his sword style from killing to blocking and repelling. Coordinating with the other patrol guards, they quickly shook off the entanglement of the tentacles. The "Swift Shadow Boat" increased its speed, and with Zhao Yuan's intentional "cooperation," it followed the secret guiding force and sailed toward the deeper, more chaotic energy area of the labyrinth.

The deeper they went, the stranger the environment became. Fine black fragments, appearing both bone-like and metallic, began to float in the seawater, emitting a faint, decaying aura similar to the materials of the Star Fall Mystical Realm. Occasionally, one could see fragments of broken, ancient-style magic tools half-buried in the crevices of the reefs.

"Here... it seems a battle once took place, and it was quite ancient," Li Feng frowned. "It doesn't look like something left behind by recent cultivator disputes."

Zhao Yuan nodded, his vigilance raised to the highest. The Star-Sinking Ruins were not an isolated case; under the Hanhai, I don't know how many ancient secrets were buried. The Wangsheng Sect chose to set an ambush here (if it was indeed a trap), probably also because they took a fancy to the concealment and chaos of this environment, and the possible "geographical advantage" related to the ancient times.

Finally, after traversing a narrow waterway composed of countless sharp stone pillars, resembling the gaping mouth of a monster, the view ahead suddenly opened up. A relatively calm, gloomy bay surrounded by ring-shaped cliffs appeared—it was "Ghost Yawan."

The area of the bay was not large, and the seawater presented a kind of ominous dark red, as if mixed with blood. The air was filled with a heavy fishy smell and a kind of sweet and rotten taste. In the center of the bay, several broken wooden boards and sail cloth remnants were floating, looking at the style, it was a medium-sized "Sea-Exploring Boat" commonly used by Hanhai cultivators. And on the shallow beach near the right cliff, several motionless figures were lying!

"There!" a patrol guard pointed to the shallow beach.

The "Swift Shadow Boat" lowered its altitude and cautiously approached. Li Feng and two patrol guards leaped off the flying boat first, landing on the shallow beach, weapons held in alert. Zhao Yuan followed closely, his gaze scanning the surroundings sharply.

Five people were lying on the shallow beach, three men and two women, all wearing ordinary Hanhai loose cultivator clothes, with varying degrees of injuries and traces of seawater soaking, their aura was weak, and they were unconscious. From the residual spiritual power fluctuations, their cultivation was mostly between the late Foundation Establishment and early Golden Core stages. On the waist of one of them, there was a positioning jade talisman that was still flickering extremely faintly, of the same origin as the distress signal.

They looked just like a team of ordinary cultivators who had encountered a shipwreck or beast attack and drifted here by luck.

But Zhao Yuan's heart sank.

It was too "standard." Standard victims, standard injuries, standard unconsciousness, standard... flawless.

However, the tremor of "Shadow" intensified the moment he stepped onto this shallow beach! The Sword Intent pointed directly at those few "unconscious" bodies, and the sand and stone beneath them that had been soaked by the dark red seawater!

What made his scalp tingle even more was that deep within his sea of consciousness, that dark purple "Demon Seed" under heavy seal also transmitted a trace of an extremely faint, yet clear... resonance and palpitation! It seemed to have sensed a homologous power, or... had received some kind of summons!

These were not ordinary victims! These were... sacrifices? Or killers disguised as sacrifices?

"Careful! Retreat!" Zhao Yuan shouted, and "Shadow" was unsheathed instantly! The grey-white Sword Intent of Silence, mixed with a trace of dark blue starlight, expanded violently like a ring-shaped ripple, sweeping toward those five "corpses" and the surrounding ground!

Almost at the same moment Zhao Yuan shouted the warning!

A sudden change occurred!

Those five bodies that were originally "unconscious" suddenly opened their eyes! There was no consciousness in them, only a turbid dark red and dullness! Their bodies twisted and sprang up at angles that defied the laws of joints, like puppets on strings, moving with astonishing speed as they lunged toward Li Feng and the two patrol guards nearest to them! Their mouths emitted inhuman, beast-like wheezing sounds!

Even more terrifying was that the dark red sand and stone ground beneath them suddenly lit up with dense, dark red runes that twisted and squirmed like blood vessels! A formation with a diameter of over ten feet, emitting a strong aura of blood and evil filth, was activated instantly! The light of the formation connected with the dark red evil energy erupting from those five "corpses," forming a powerful binding and corrosive force field that enveloped everyone on the shallow beach!

"Blood Fiend Binding Spirit Formation!" Li Feng was furious and shocked. His sword energy erupted as he slashed at the lunging "corpses," only to find that their skin was as hard as iron and they had astonishing resistance to spiritual energy attacks. After being struck, they merely staggered back, and the dark red viscous liquid flowing from their wounds only made the formation's light shine brighter!

The two patrol guards also fell into a bitter battle. Their magic tools struck the "corpses" with similarly poor results, and instead, they were continuously weakened by the formation's corrosive force field.

"These are not living people! They are 'Blood Puppets' refined by evil arts! The formation is absorbing our blood energy and spiritual power to strengthen them!" Zhao Yuan saw through the key. He swung his sword to slash at the squirming runes on the ground. Wherever the Sword Intent of Silence passed, the runes became dim and disintegrated as if scorched, but the formation's range was too large, and the runes were endless, making it difficult to destroy completely in a short time.

Moreover, he felt that this formation was not just to trap and weaken them. It was more like a prelude to a... sacrificial ritual! These "Blood Puppets" and this formation were transforming this area, including them, the intruders, into some kind of "sacrifice"!

"Must destroy the formation core!" Zhao Yuan's gaze was sharp as lightning, scanning the entire bay. The source of the formation's light seemed to come from the center of the bay, beneath the area where the dark red seawater was most concentrated!

Just then.

"Cackle... cackle... not slow to react... as expected of a little guy who could survive that broken mystical realm and even bring back some 'good stuff'..."

A charming, bone-deep laughter, yet filled with bone-chilling coldness and madness, suddenly rang out over the bay.

Everyone looked up and saw that on top of the hideous reef at the entrance of the bay, a slender figure had appeared at some unknown time.

It was a woman in a gorgeous red dress, her appearance enchanting, but her eyes flowed with an evil charm. She stood barefoot on the reef, her skirt fluttering without wind, surrounded by faint, pink and dark purple mist. Her aura... had actually reached the late Soul Formation stage! And the nature of that aura was homologous to the Youming Sect evil energy, yet even purer and more bizarre, carrying a strong sense of seduction and decay.

"Youming Sect... Saintess?" Li Feng gritted his teeth, recalling some vague descriptions of the Youming Sect's upper echelons in the intelligence reports.

"You can call me 'Blood Charm'." The red-dressed woman covered her mouth and chuckled, but her gaze stuck to Zhao Yuan like a poisonous snake, lingering especially on the "Shadow" at his waist and his brow (sea of consciousness location), a flash of greed and surprise in her eyes. "I originally just wanted to fish for a few small fry to replenish the consumption of the 'Blood Pool,' but I didn't expect... to actually lure a little treasure like you, carrying the 'scent of stars' and... a 'Demon Seed'."

She could actually sense the starlight quality of "Shadow" and the "Demon Seed" in Zhao Yuan's sea of consciousness! Zhao Yuan felt a chill in his heart; this woman was definitely no ordinary Youming Sect leader!

"Blood Charm" seemed to enjoy the grave expressions of Zhao Yuan and the others, continuing in that charming voice: "This 'Ghost Yawan' was a side table for a certain 'Star Feast' a long, long time ago... The residual star resentment and blood fiend are just right for nourishing my 'little darlings.' You came at the right time. Using your flesh and soul, especially you, little treasure..." She pointed at Zhao Yuan, "Using the 'Star Fire' on you and that 'Seed' should allow my 'Blood Fiend Star-Summoning Formation' to complete the final step, summoning a trace of true 'Star Fiend Blood Light'... By then, perhaps we can knock a crack in the turtle shell of Star Fall Island."

Blood Fiend Star-Summoning Formation! Summoning Star Fiend Blood Light! Her target was actually the defensive array of Star Fall Island!

Zhao Yuan instantly understood the true purpose of this trap. The remnants of the Youming Sect had not given up their plot against Star Fall Island; they were looking for other ways to weaken or destroy the defensive line! And he, because he carried the starlight inheritance and the Demon Seed, had become the perfect "catalyst" in the eyes of the other party!

"Wishful thinking!" Li Feng shouted, trying to break free from the entanglement of the Blood Puppets to attack "Blood Charm."

"Blood Charm" gave a disdainful smile and waved her slender hand. The pink and dark purple mist around her turned into several long whips, easily dispersing Li Feng's sword energy and forcing him back into the formation. "Don't be in such a hurry. The good show hasn't even started yet. To welcome distinguished guests, I prepared a special program..."

She formed an ancient and evil seal with both hands and began to chant obscure syllables.

Following her chanting, the dark red seawater in the center of the bay churned violently! A massive whirlpool began to form, and in the center of the whirlpool, something was faintly surfacing! At the same time, the movements of those five "Blood Puppets" became even more frenzied and fearless, and the binding and corrosive power of the formation intensified! An eerie, soul-piercing seductive sound and fearful illusions began to impact everyone's mind!

Zhao Yuan felt the "Demon Seed" in his sea of consciousness stirring again, seemingly triggered by this evil formation and the power of "Blood Charm"!

In the critical moment, he bit his tongue hard. The sharp pain cleared his mind. A fierce look flashed in his eyes; he could not wait any longer!

"Captain Li Feng, everyone, buy me three breaths! Attack the Blood Puppets with all your might, interfere with the formation, and contain that evil woman!"

Before the words fell, Zhao Yuan had already concentrated all his mind on "Shadow." The dark gold and dark blue light on the sword body was unprecedentedly intense! He no longer tried to destroy the ground runes, but pointed the sword tip at the center of the bay, at the dark red whirlpool that was forming and emitting terrifying suction and ominous aura!

He would use offense as defense, using the strongest sword of silence and starlight to strike directly at the energy core and summoning source of this evil formation!

"Blood Charm" seemed to sense Zhao Yuan's intention, and for the first time, a trace of gravity—and... excitement? —appeared on her charming face.

"Want to strike hard at the core of the 'Blood Fiend Star-Summoning Formation'? Interesting... Let me see how bright your 'Star Fire' really is!"

She increased the intensity of her chanting, and the thing surfacing in the whirlpool became clearer—it appeared to be a massive section of a... spine? Or tentacle? Covered in dark red scales and decaying bone spurs, emitting an evil Star Fiend aura that froze the soul!

Three breaths passed in a flash.

Zhao Yuan followed his sword, man and sword as one, turning into a brilliant sword rainbow of grey and blue, as if to slash open this filthy world, and plunged without hesitation into the deepest part of the dark red whirlpool!

At the same time, in the clouds above the entrance of the bay, an ice-blue escape light arrived at an astonishing speed, and Elder Lingshuang's cold voice resounded through the bay:

"Evil woman, stop your arrogance!"