Chapter 161: Star Island Blood Battle, The First Awakening of the Tribulation Crystal

"Woo——!!!"

A shrill, ear-piercing alarm resounded throughout the entire Star Fall Island, instantly drowning out the roar of the sea and the storm! It was the highest-level invasion alert! Countless rays of array light flickered urgently all over the island; the shouts of cultivators, the sound of blades being drawn, and the whistling of escape lights intertwined, resembling a disturbed beehive.

Zhao Yuan rushed out of the Star Quenching Terrace cavern, but before he could steady his footing, he was shaken to his core by the sight before him.

On the southeast sea surface, that terrifying spatial rift, spanning a hundred zhang in diameter and stretching across the sky and sea like a wound torn into the world, was gurgling out filthy, dark red and pitch-black energy. In the center of the rift, the phantom of a massive dark purple altar covered in blasphemous runes had already mostly solidified, radiating an evil pressure that made the soul tremble; its scale and the aura it emitted far exceeded the crude Blood Fiend Star-Summoning Array of Ghost Tooth Bay! Around the altar, countless figures clad in tattered armor, twisted in form and reeking of dense demonic energy and blood, poured out of the rift like dumplings, dense and numerous enough to blot out the sky! Among them were dozens of demonic shadows with exceptionally powerful auras that had reached the Nascent Soul level!

"It’s the regular army of the Demonic Abyss! And a large number of demonized cultivators and war puppets!" True Person Beichen’s eyes were splitting, his voice hoarse. "They actually managed to open a spatial passage of this scale in the Vast Sea! That altar... it’s a variant of the 'Abyss Summoning Array'! They are forcibly anchoring and expanding the passage!"

At the same time, the internal unrest erupting on the west and north sides of the island was also intensifying. The sounds of fire, explosions, and screams came from the direction of several key facilities; clearly, insiders or infiltrators had been turned long ago and were striking at the critical moment, intending to create chaos and destroy defensive nodes.

The most fatal blow came from the sky. The filthy energy emitted by the spatial rift collided violently with the "All-Heaven Star Array" upon which Star Fall Island relied for survival. Under the erosion from the direction of the rift, the array's light screen was thinning and dimming at an alarming rate, and countless star runes flickered unsteadily, emitting a shrill screech like metal fatigue. At this rate, this defensive line, rebuilt with the countless efforts of the Alliance, would likely not last for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense!

"We must stop them from expanding the rift! Destroy that altar!" Elder Ling Shuang’s cold voice rang out. She had already flown over from the other side of the island, followed by a team of Profound Ice Pavilion elites, each of them wearing frost on their faces, their killing intent chilling.

The figure of Wei Gong appeared above the island's core array eye, his hair and beard standing on end. He released his terrifying Soul Transformation realm pressure without reservation, acting like a pillar of stability that barely steadied the hearts of those panicked by the wavering array. His aged yet resonant voice spread across the entire island:

"All cultivators, hear my order! Perform your duties and engage the invading enemy! Array masters, maintain the array core with all your might, at any cost! Patrol squads and garrison troops, wipe out the internal rebels! Demon-Slaying Army and elites of all sects, follow me and the other Elders to engage the main force of the Demonic Abyss head-on; you must prevent them from landing and destroy the summoning altar! The awakening ceremony for Consultant Lin... is postponed! The Star Fixing Palace will be converted into a temporary command post and emergency treatment point for the severely wounded!"

The order was clear and decisive, and the chaotic situation was brought under slight control. Countless streaks of light began to converge toward their respective posts, meeting the demonic creatures and demonic cultivators rushing in from the sea and sky.

Zhao Yuan endured the waves of weakness and dizziness brought on by his damaged Nascent Soul, as well as the "Demonic Seed" in his sea of consciousness that felt restless again due to the drastic changes outside, and looked at True Person Beichen beside him: "Elder, I..."

"Little Friend Zhao Yuan, you have just entered the Nascent Soul realm, your cultivation base is not yet stable, and you have hidden dangers within you; it is not suitable for you to participate in a direct frontal assault." True Person Beichen said quickly, his eyes carrying an unquestionable tone. "You will come with me to the Star Fixing Palace! That is the core of the island, the array is strongest there, and there are a large number of wounded and important supplies that need protection; furthermore... it is where Consultant Lin is! If any demonic creatures break through the outer defensive line to attack that place, we will need combat power like yours!"

Protect Senior Lin and the core of the ceremony? Zhao Yuan’s heart tightened, and he immediately understood what he should be doing right now. The front line had Wei Gong, Ling Shuang, and other Soul Transformation and late-stage Nascent Soul powerhouses holding it; his own weak, newly-promoted Nascent Soul would have limited effect and might even become a liability due to the "Demonic Seed" issue. And the Star Fixing Palace was indeed a vital point that could never be lost!

"This junior understands!" Zhao Yuan nodded, gripped "Silent Shadow," and followed True Person Beichen, turning into two streaks of light as they sped toward the Star Fixing Palace in the center of the island.

What he saw along the way was shocking. The once orderly Star Fall Island had turned into a bloody battlefield. In the low sky and on the ground, Alliance cultivators were locked in fierce combat with hideous demonic creatures and bewitched individuals with blood-red eyes. The flames of spells, the clashing of blades, and the screams of the dying wove together into a symphony of death. Buildings collapsed in the fighting, spirit fields and herb gardens were soaked in filthy blood, and the air was filled with the heavy stench of blood, burning, and demonic energy.

From time to time, powerful demonic thoughts or shockwaves of energy swept past, forcing Zhao Yuan to divide his attention to defend against them. This made his already weak state even worse; his face grew paler, and his aura fluctuated. But he gritted his teeth and persisted; "Silent Shadow" emitted a low hum in his hand, and gray-blue sword intent flowed spontaneously, severing the stray demonic energy and negative thoughts that approached.

Soon, the towering silhouette of the Star Fixing Palace, constructed from Star Gold and Deep Sea Cold Jade, appeared ahead. Several layers of tight defensive arrays had already been set up outside the palace, guarded by a mix of elites from the Star Palace, Profound Ice Pavilion, and Giant Spirit Sect, the atmosphere grim and murderous. From within the palace, the groans of the wounded and the urgent instructions of medical cultivators could be heard faintly.

True Person Beichen landed and quickly coordinated with the guard commander. Zhao Yuan walked quickly into the palace.

The scene inside was equally busy. A large number of severely wounded soldiers who had retreated from the front were placed on temporarily laid-out cushions. Medical cultivators and alchemists moved among them, casting spells and distributing elixirs; the air was a mixture of medicinal and bloody scents. In the deepest part of the main hall, the circular high platform originally used for the awakening ceremony, engraved with countless complex star and life runes, still stood quietly. In the jade pool at the center of the platform, Lin Xuan remained in deep slumber. Only the ripples of the spirit liquid in the pool seemed to have become somewhat unstable due to the violent energy shocks from the outside.

Beside the high platform, several array masters from the Star Palace and the Imperial Dynasty were sweating profusely as they adjusted the surrounding stabilization arrays, trying their best to isolate the interference from the outside. Seeing Zhao Yuan enter, they merely nodded before continuing their work.

Zhao Yuan walked to the edge of the jade pool, looking at Lin Xuan’s pale yet calm face, and feeling his weak yet resilient aura, the anxiety and unease in his heart miraculously calmed down a little. He gently pressed his hand against the edge of the pool, attempting to inject a sliver of his newly recovered spiritual power—which fused the power of extinction and stars—cautiously into the pool, trying to help stabilize the energy field around Lin Xuan.

As soon as his spiritual power entered, he felt that deep within the jade pool, the Chaos Tribulation Crystal belonging to Lin Xuan seemed to... twitch, extremely faintly? It was as if parched earth had sensed a tiny drop of rain.

A reaction! Zhao Yuan’s spirit lifted, and he was just about to sense it carefully.

Boom——!!!

A loud noise, closer and more violent than all the previous explosions, suddenly came from outside the Star Fixing Palace! The entire palace shook violently, dust fell from the dome with a rustle, and the defensive array light screen emitted blinding flickers and mournful cries!

"Enemy attack! Something big has broken through the outer defensive line and is heading for the Star Fixing Palace!" The shrill warning and roars of the guards came from outside the palace!

Zhao Yuan turned abruptly and rushed out of the palace.

He saw a behemoth hovering above the square in front of the Star Fixing Palace! The thing resembled a magnified, rotting deep-sea manta ray, with a wingspan of over thirty zhang, its entire body covered in sticky dark green pustules and bone spurs dripping with corrosive mucus. It had no eyes on its head, only a giant mouth filled with spiral sharp teeth, constantly spewing ink-green poisonous mist and shrieks containing chaotic mental shocks. The aura it emitted had actually reached the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage! Even more troublesome was that beneath its broad fleshy wings, dozens of smaller, locust-like flying demonic creatures were attached, constantly detaching and pouncing on the guards below!

And on the back of this "Rotten Wing Demon Ray" stood a figure familiar to Zhao Yuan—the alluring red dress, the charming yet resentful eyes; it was none other than the "Blood Charm" who had escaped earlier! Her aura was slightly disordered at the moment, and there was blood at the corner of her mouth; clearly, she had also been injured while breaking through the outer defensive line, but the madness and greed in her eyes were even more intense than at "Ghost Tooth Bay"!

"Hehehe... Little treasure, we meet again!" Blood Charm’s gaze instantly locked onto Zhao Yuan, who had just rushed out of the palace gate, and she let out a charming yet chilling laugh. "Sister came specifically for you and that half-dead guy inside! Hand over the 'Star Essence' fragments and the 'Star Fire' on you, and let me extract the Chaos Origin from the one inside, and perhaps... Sister can let you die a little less painfully?"

She had actually come for the "Star Essence" fragments and Lin Xuan! Clearly, the Demonic Abyss or the Afterlife Sect had a clear plot for these two!

"Demoness! Don't even think about it!" True Person Beichen roared, having already summoned his natal star magic treasure, and together with several Star Palace Nascent Soul cultivators, formed an array to attack the "Rotten Wing Demon Ray" and Blood Charm. The guards on the square also engaged in a fierce battle with the small flying demonic creatures.

Blood Charm let out a charming laugh, and a pair of short daggers as red as blood appeared in her hands. Her movement technique was eerie as she circled with True Person Beichen and the others, while constantly urging the Demon Ray beneath her to spew poisonous mist and sound waves, interfering with the arrays and attacking the Star Fixing Palace's defenses. Her goal was clear: to pin down experts like Beichen and let the Demon Ray and demonic creatures strike the Star Fixing Palace!

Under the Demon Ray's violent attacks and the corrosion of the poisonous mist, the Star Fixing Palace's defensive array began to fluctuate violently, and cracks appeared on the light screen! Exclamations came from inside the palace, and the wounded and medical cultivators began to retreat deeper inside.

Zhao Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the weakness and discomfort in his body, cold light condensing in his eyes. He knew that someone had to block this Demon Ray's direct impact on the palace gate right now! True Person Beichen and the others were entangled by Blood Charm, and the guards inside the palace were already stretched thin dealing with the small demonic creatures.

Without hesitation, he took a step, his figure soaring into the sky, blocking the path between the "Rotten Wing Demon Ray" and the Star Fixing Palace gate!

"Silent Shadow" was unsheathed, the sword body shimmering with dark gold and deep blue light; although it appeared slightly dim due to its master's poor state, the sword intent to sever illusions and cleanse filth was even purer and more piercing due to its master's resolute will!

"Courting death!" Seeing this, a flash of disdain crossed Blood Charm’s eyes, which then turned into cruel excitement. "Perfect, I'll finish you off first, then take the fragments!"

She waved her blood daggers, and a condensed beam of blood light, carrying strong alluring and corrosive power, shot toward Zhao Yuan. At the same time, the Demon Ray beneath her also opened its giant mouth, and a thick column of ink-green poisonous liquid surged out, aiming straight for Zhao Yuan!

Facing the pincer attack of the peak mid-Nascent Soul demonic creature and Blood Charm, Zhao Yuan’s expression was as calm as water. He did not block it head-on, but pushed his movement technique to the limit, and at the most critical moment, like a willow catkin in the wind, he narrowly avoided the main impact of the blood light and the poison column. At the same time, the tip of "Silent Shadow" trembled, and several gray-blue, hair-thin sword qi rays shot out quietly—not attacking the Demon Ray's massive body, but precisely piercing the connection points of several pustules and bone spurs on its fleshy wings, as well as... the energy gathering point where it spewed poison from its mouth!

He had just entered the Nascent Soul realm, and his total spiritual power and strength were far inferior to his opponents, but he had the restraint of the Extinction Sword Intent against evil filth, the keen perception of energy flow from his newly acquired star power, and a combat consciousness far beyond his peers, honed in desperate situations!

Pfft, pfft, pfft!

The fine sword qi pierced in, pustules burst, mucus flew everywhere, the bone spur connections emitted crisp sounds, and the poison spray stalled! Although it failed to cause a fatal wound, it successfully interrupted the Demon Ray's attack rhythm, causing it to let out an angry, pained roar.

A flash of surprise appeared in Blood Charm’s eyes, and then she sneered: "Small tricks!" Her figure flickered, and she actually broke free from part of True Person Beichen’s entanglement like a ghost, instantly closing the distance to Zhao Yuan. Her blood daggers struck like a venomous snake, stabbing straight at Zhao Yuan’s throat and heart! The speed was extreme, and the angle was tricky and ruthless!

Zhao Yuan swung his sword to parry; with two "clangs" of metal, sparks flew! The immense force made his arm numb, his blood surged, and he staggered backward. The gap in realm and strength was, after all, difficult to fully bridge.

"Pfft!" He finally couldn't help it and spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning even paler.

"Little treasure, you can't do it anymore, can you?" Blood Charm licked her lips, the desire in her eyes intensifying. "Just obediently let Sister eat you!"

She was about to take advantage of the situation to pursue and finish Zhao Yuan off completely.

Just at this moment——

Deep inside the Star Fixing Palace, on that circular high platform, in the jade pool, Lin Xuan, who had been sleeping quietly, had his tightly closed eyelids twitch... extremely slightly!

Immediately following, a faint yet incomparably pure stream of gray-misty air, seemingly containing the Dao rhyme of the beginning and end of all things and the opening of chaos, quietly permeated from the Chaos Tribulation Crystal at his heart!

This stream of air was weak at first, but as soon as it appeared, it seemed to possess life, spontaneously beginning to absorb and assimilate the chaotic and mixed heaven and earth energy (including demonic energy, blood fiend, star power, and the remnants of cultivators' spiritual power) around it due to the battle, then transforming it into an even purer Chaos Tribulation Power with a faint sense of purification and termination!

The ripples in the jade pool’s spirit liquid suddenly stabilized, and even became more crystal clear!

This strange change was extremely subtle, and Blood Charm and the Demon Ray, who were in the midst of a fierce battle, did not notice it at first.

But Zhao Yuan, who was close at hand, and "Silent Shadow," which had been in contact with the Chaos Tribulation Power and was connected to his heart, sensed it at the same time!

Zhao Yuan’s heart shook violently! Senior Lin... is he waking up?! Or is the Chaos Tribulation Crystal beginning to recover autonomously?!

Almost at the same time, deep in his sea of consciousness, the heavily sealed "Demonic Seed," as if sensing the awakening of its natural enemy or the threat of some higher-level "terminating" power, began to tremble uncontrollably and violently! The sealing chains rattled!

And the "Silent Shadow" sword emitted an unprecedented, clear, and long chime filled with excitement and resonance! The sword's light flared, and within the dark gold and deep blue brilliance, a hint of... gray-misty color, originating from the same source as that Chaos Tribulation Power, was faintly revealed!

At this moment, Zhao Yuan, the Silent Shadow sword, Lin Xuan’s Chaos Tribulation Crystal, and the Demonic Seed in his sea of consciousness... between the four, a mysterious and indescribable resonance and confrontation seemed to have been generated!

Blood Charm finally sensed that strange aura deep in the Star Fixing Palace that made her instinctively feel palpitations and disgust, and her expression changed: "What is that?!"

She could not care about Zhao Yuan and looked toward the palace in shock and suspicion.

And Zhao Yuan, in this strange resonance and the intense pain brought by the violent struggle of the "Demonic Seed" in his body, felt a flash of inspiration! He forcibly swallowed the mouthful of blood that had surged to his throat, gripped "Silent Shadow" with both hands, and poured all his remaining spiritual power, sword intent, his anticipation for Lin Xuan’s awakening, his anger toward the Demonic Abyss, and his firmness in his own path... into this one sword strike!

On the sword body, the gray, blue, and gold colors intertwined and rotated crazily, finally condensing at the tip of the sword into an unprecedented... three-colored sword qi, as if it could open chaos and end illusions!

He did not look at Blood Charm, nor did he look at the Demon Ray.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the walls of the Star Fixing Palace and landed on the figure in the jade pool deep inside, who had just begun to diffuse a trace of chaotic aura.

This sword strike was protection, it was a response, and it was also... his own Dao!

"Slash——!!!"

The sword qi broke through the air, not shooting straight, but drawing a profound arc, carrying an indomitable resolution, and slashed toward... the energy connection node between the "Rotten Wing Demon Ray"—which was slightly uneasy and sluggish due to the appearance of the chaotic aura—and the suspicious "Blood Charm" on its back, as well as the filthiest and most chaotic energy core within the Demon Ray’s body!

At the same time, deep in the Star Fixing Palace, in the jade pool.

Lin Xuan’s fingers, which had been silent for months, curled... extremely slightly.

(End of Volume Seven: [The Rekindling of the Embers])

Volume Afterword:

Star Fall Island is suddenly attacked from inside and outside by the Demonic Abyss army, and a bloody battle erupts! Zhao Yuan initially condenses his Nascent Soul in a desperate situation, but is plotted against by the Demonic Seed, damaging his Dao foundation. In front of the Star Fixing Palace, he fights Blood Charm and the Rotten Wing Demon Ray, his life hanging by a thread! At this critical moment, the long-slumbering Lin Xuan’s Chaos Tribulation Crystal finally shows signs of recovery! The Tribulation Power is neither fully awake nor asleep; can Zhao Yuan’s sword strike, which echoes his Dao heart, reverse the crisis? Can Lin Xuan truly wake up? What kind of terrifying existence is hidden behind the spatial rift opened by the Demonic Abyss? Where will the fate of Star Fall Island lead? To know what happens next, please look forward to Volume Eight: [The Return of Chaos].