Chapter 166

The darkest hour before dawn.

Starfall Isle was shrouded in the deathly silence and exhaustion following the great battle. Only the core of the island and several important defensive nodes shone with vigilant light, like the single eye of a giant beast that remained open while it slept. Patrolling teams of cultivators shuttled back and forth, silently clearing the battlefield debris and repairing damaged formations. The air was filled with a thick, strange smell of blood, burnt matter, and the residue of purification spells.

In a temporary quiet room partitioned off from the side hall of the Star-Fixing Hall.

Lin Xuan had finished adjusting his breathing. Although he had not fully recovered to his peak, the chaos halo around his body flowed steadily, and the vortex deep within his eyes was as profound as an abyss. He had changed into a simpler and more agile dark cyan martial outfit, his long hair tied up casually with a wooden hairpin. He stood with his hands behind his back in front of the window, watching the line of fish-belly white gradually appearing at the junction of the sea and sky in the east.

The memory fragments obtained from the Star Brilliance Soul Reflection last night were repeatedly deduced and pieced together in his heart. The "Aberration Core" deep within the Return-to-Ruins Sea Eye, the homologous connection of the Demonic Seed, the shadow of the ancient contract backlash, the long-term infiltration of the Demonic Abyss... all of this was like scattered puzzle pieces, gradually revealing an unsettling outline.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, everything is ready." Wei Gong's voice sounded from behind. In his hand, he held a palm-sized shuttle that was neither gold nor jade, carved with dense spatial and protective runes. "This is an imitation of the 'Void Shuttle.' Although it is not as good as the genuine article for traveling through realms, its concealment, protection, and pressure-resistance capabilities are excellent for short distances. It may help you resist the pressure and filth erosion deep within the Sea Eye. There are also three 'Imperial Supreme Forbidden-Breaking Talismans' that may tear open barriers at critical moments."

Lin Xuan turned around, took the "Void Shuttle" and the talismans, and nodded: "Thank you, Wei Gong. After I leave, I entrust Starfall Isle to you. The Demonic Seed within Zhao Yuan must be monitored at all times. If there is any movement, you may use the power of the 'Star Essence' fragments to assist in suppression, but do not forcibly extract it. We shall discuss it again when I return."

"This old man understands." Wei Gong said solemnly, "Fellow Daoist, you must be careful. If there are any changes, prioritize your own safety. Starfall Isle can be lost, but you cannot."

Lin Xuan said no more and nodded slightly to Wei Gong. His figure flickered, and he had already transformed into a gray, hazy stream of light that almost blended into the darkness before dawn. He passed silently through layers of protective formations and shot into the cold, churning Endless Hanhai from a hidden exit on the east side of Starfall Isle.

Once he entered the deep sea, the light disappeared rapidly, and the pressure increased sharply. In Lin Xuan's perception at this moment, the ordinary seawater was like viscous mud, mixed with wisps of dissipated demonic energy, blood-evil, and the aftermath of the "Primordial Demonic Energy" unique to the Return-to-Ruins Sea Eye, which was full of decay and chaotic aura. Although the great battle had ceased, the environment had been severely polluted.

With a thought, the "Void Shuttle" in his hand flashed with a faint brilliance, transforming into a thin, nearly invisible light membrane that covered his entire body. It not only isolated the seawater pressure and filthy energy but also reduced his own aura and presence to the minimum. Immediately, he identified the direction and dived rapidly toward the location of the Return-to-Ruins Sea Eye.

The further down he went, the more bizarre the surrounding environment became. Light disappeared completely, replaced by some deep-sea creatures emitting faint phosphorescence—some ghostly blue, some miserable green, some dark red. Their forms were twisted, clearly affected by the pollution. There were more and more impurities suspended in the seawater: broken fragments of magic treasures, decaying skeletons, and even some ancient-style building blocks that were neither gold nor stone—traces of land or islands that might have been closer to the sea surface in ancient times, which had sunk over long ages and geological changes.

Spiritual sense was greatly suppressed here; it felt sluggish and difficult to move after extending a hundred feet, and it was easy to attract some dangerous creatures lurking in the darkness that were sensitive to spiritual sense fluctuations. Lin Xuan simply retracted most of his spiritual sense, retaining only basic sensing for energy flow and dangerous auras, relying more on the "Essential Insight" ability of his Chaos Tribulation Pupils.

The Chaos Tribulation Pupils rotated slowly, and the world in his field of vision became completely different. It was no longer pure matter and energy, but abstract pictures of "existence states" and "decay processes" composed of different "colors" and "textures." Pure seawater appeared as clear light blue, flowing smoothly; areas polluted by demonic energy appeared as filthy dark purple and twisted lines; those sunken ruins emitted dim earthy yellow and gray-white, representing the solidification and silence of time.

And in the direction he was heading, where the Return-to-Ruins Sea Eye was located, in the vision of the Chaos Tribulation Pupils, it was a huge, constantly rotating and writhing "Chaos Vortex" composed of the deepest darkness, glaring dark red, filthy gray-purple, and countless tiny, screaming-like points of light! It was as if it were a festering wound of the world, constantly "leaking" filth and decay into the surroundings!

Even from a considerable distance away, the grand sense of oppression originating from the world's origin, mixed with the wills of "devouring," "chaos," "ending," and "madness," had already surged over like a tangible tide.

Lin Xuan did not change his expression, the chaos halo around his body flowing naturally, offsetting most of this sense of oppression. He did not rush directly to the center of the "wound" but adjusted his direction according to the faint "trajectory" and "frequency" of the resonance between the Demonic Seed and the "Aberration Core" deep within the Sea Eye that he had captured last night. Like the most patient hunter, he approached quietly along a tortuous and hidden "energy vein."

As he went deeper, the surrounding pressure and filth concentration rose exponentially. The light membrane of the "Void Shuttle" emitted a faint buzzing sound, and ripples of erosion began to appear on its surface. Lin Xuan had to continuously inject Chaos Tribulation Power to maintain it. At the same time, he also began to encounter some "native" dangers—not demonic creatures, but terrifying existences naturally derived from the Sea Eye environment.

These were "energy lifeforms" composed entirely of concentrated "Primordial Demonic Energy" combined with deep-sea resentment and decaying matter. Their forms were strange and varied; some were like huge, constantly dissolving and reforming slime masses, while others were like deformed aggregates forcibly pieced together from countless skeletons and rocks. They had no clear intelligence, only the most primitive instinct for devouring and destruction, launching indiscriminate attacks on any "foreign object" that intruded into their domain.

Lin Xuan did not want to get entangled. Chaos Tribulation Power condensed at his fingertips, transforming into gray lines as thin as hair but containing the true meaning of "Return-to-Ruins." As the gray lines swept past, the internal, highly unstable energy structures of those seemingly huge and ferocious energy lifeforms would often ignite like gunpowder barrels the moment they were touched, self-disintegrating and annihilating, turning into more basic Chaos Primordial Energy, which was instead absorbed slightly by Lin Xuan to replenish his consumption.

He continued to sneak forward in this way, avoiding the strong and striking the weak, like walking on a blade's edge, cautiously and firmly approaching the location of the "Aberration Core" in his perception.

He did not know how deep he had dived—perhaps ten thousand feet, perhaps several tens of thousands. The surrounding seawater was no longer liquid but a "paste-like" substance that was viscous to the point of being almost solid, yet with a terrifyingly low temperature, mixed with demonic energy, star-evil, blood-resentment, and unknown energy deposits. The pressure was great enough to instantly crush the protective spiritual light of a Soul Formation cultivator. Light disappeared completely, and even the vision of the Chaos Tribulation Pupils began to be interfered with; all that remained around him was boundless, writhing darkness and chaotic energy turbulence.

If not for the protection of the "Void Shuttle" and the characteristics of his own Chaos Tribulation Power, Lin Xuan would probably have been unable to move an inch at this moment.

"It should... be very close." Lin Xuan murmured in his heart. He could feel that the end of the resonance "trajectory" he was following was right in front of him, within that darkness that was even more profound, more deathly silent, yet faintly emitting heart-palpitating "active" fluctuations.

He stopped his figure, suspended in this viscous "sea of paste," his Chaos Tribulation Pupils operating at full power, piercing through layers of obstacles, and "looking" forward.

What met his eyes was not the huge entity or energy mass he had expected.

It was a piece of... "nothingness."

A spherical "void" about a hundred feet in diameter, absolute, as if even the concept of "existence" had been stripped away! The edges of the void were not smooth but presented a peculiar state between matter and energy that constantly writhed slightly, as if "breathing." From the perspective of the Chaos Tribulation Pupils, inside this "void" flowed a "fluid" that was as viscous as asphalt yet flashed with countless tiny dark gold and dark purple starlight, which could not be accurately described in words. It was precisely this "fluid" that emitted the foul star-evil and blood-resentment aura he had sensed earlier, which shared the same origin as the Demonic Seed but was immeasurably more vast and profound, as well as that cold, weak primitive will!

This was where the "Aberration Core" was located! Or rather, it was the "domain" from which it "radiated" and "influenced" the outside!

What made Lin Xuan's mind tremble even more was that in the "sea of paste" around this "void," he "saw" countless dark red and dark purple "veins" that were half-virtual and half-real, like blood vessels or nerves! One end of these veins was connected to the "void," while the other end extended in all directions like the roots of a plant, especially upward (toward Starfall Isle and further sea areas), as if they were constantly extracting and transporting something.

"It is absorbing... the filthy energy diffusing from the entire Return-to-Ruins Sea Eye, as well as... further away, the homologous auras emitted by those ruins, nodes, and even 'sub-bodies' like the Demonic Seed within Zhao Yuan related to the ancient star contracts?" Lin Xuan realized instantly, "It is 'eating,' 'growing,' or rather... 'recovering'!"

This so-called "Aberration Core" was not a static, inanimate object but a slowly operating "pollution circulation system" and "energy converter" with primitive instincts! It collected the negative energy and information (such as resentment, blood-evil, corrupted star power, demonic energy, etc.) generated by events like ancient contract backlashes, star falls, and Demonic Abyss infiltration within the Return-to-Ruins Sea Eye and a wider range, transformed and purified them through an incomprehensible method within this "void," and perhaps it was even gestating... something even more terrifying!

No wonder the Demonic Abyss valued this place so much! This was simply a natural, excellent "culture dish" and "energy source" for their "World-Erosion" plan!

Lin Xuan attempted to probe a wisp of extremely minute Chaos Tribulation Power toward the edge of the "void," wanting to analyze its internal structure more deeply.

However, the moment the Chaos Tribulation Power touched that writhing boundary—

The viscous "fluid" inside the "void" surged violently!

A weak will, cold, ancient, filled with endless resentment, hunger, and a trace of... instinctive hatred for the power of "order" and "purification," like a venomous snake startled by a needle prick while sleeping, suddenly "locked onto" the wisp of Chaos Tribulation Power Lin Xuan had probed out!

Immediately following, the dark red and dark purple veins around the "void" lit up simultaneously! A terrifying suction force, vast beyond imagination and mixed with foul star-evil, blood-resentment, Primordial Demonic Energy, and a certain quality of "contract backlash," erupted suddenly! It was not aimed at Lin Xuan's body but acted directly upon his soul, Dao foundation, and even... the "order" and "ending" Dao rhymes contained within his Chaos Tribulation Power!

This "Aberration Core" actually seemed to possess some extremely primitive "defensive" or "predatory" instinct! It regarded Lin Xuan's Chaos Tribulation Power as... an "intruder" and a "delicacy"!

Lin Xuan's expression did not change, and he decisively severed the connection of the wisp of Chaos Tribulation Power that had been "locked onto." The severed tribulation power was instantly swallowed by the "void" and disappeared, but the cold will and terrifying suction force did not stop; instead, they followed the wisp of connection from the netherworld, spreading and enveloping toward Lin Xuan's location like countless invisible tentacles!

Worse still, with the movement of the "Aberration Core," this deathly silent deep sea seemed to have been completely awakened! The surrounding viscous "sea of paste" began to churn violently, and countless larger and more ferocious energy lifeforms lurking within (perhaps the "guards" or derivatives of the core) began to manifest, rushing crazily toward the direction where Lin Xuan was! Several of the auras had actually reached the level of late-stage or even peak Soul Formation!

"Cannot fight head-on." Lin Xuan made a judgment instantly. The energy level and bizarre characteristics of the "Aberration Core" itself far exceeded what he could deal with in his current state. Moreover, he was on its home turf, the surrounding environment was harsh, and there were countless derivatives besieging him.

He had to retreat and bring the intelligence back.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Xuan retreated violently! He pushed the "Void Shuttle" light membrane to the limit, forcibly tearing a gap in the viscous "sea of paste." At the same time, his hands flicked continuously, and several gray lines containing the true meaning of "Return-to-Ruins" shot toward the most powerful energy lifeforms chasing behind him, not seeking to kill the enemy, but only to delay them.

Bang, bang, bang!

The Chaos Tribulation Power detonated within those monsters, causing small-scale energy disorder and disintegration, which indeed slowed their pursuit momentum.

Lin Xuan took the opportunity to accelerate, rapidly ascending along the "energy vein" he had come by. Behind him was the unwilling "gaze" of the cold will of the "Aberration Core" and the angry roars of countless monsters (silent, but clearly perceptible at the level of consciousness).

The process of ascending was equally perilous. It was not just the monsters around the core that were alarmed; the filthy energy throughout the deep layers of the Sea Eye seemed to have become more active and violent because of the core's movement. From time to time, huge energy turbulence swept over, invisible spatial folds attempted to drag him into unknown dimensions, and there were even more bizarre collections of resentment, seemingly between virtual and real, emitting wails and curses that pierced straight into the soul, attempting to erode his Dao heart.

Lin Xuan operated his Chaos Tribulation Power to the limit, either dissolving, dodging, or forcibly breaking through, like a gray meteor flowing against the current, struggling to climb upward amidst the endless darkness and chaos.

He did not know how much time had passed; the viscosity of the surrounding seawater began to decrease, the pressure eased, and the concentration of filthy energy also lowered. Above his head, a trace of extremely weak, filtered daylight appeared vaguely.

Finally, just as the light membrane of the "Void Shuttle" was about to reach its limit and his own Chaos Tribulation Power was also mostly consumed, Lin Xuan rushed out of the suffocating deep-sea region of the Sea Eye and returned to a relatively "normal" deep-sea environment.

He did not dare to stop and continued to ascend until he broke through the sea surface, breathing in the air that was salty but no longer filthy and pungent once more.

At this moment, it was already broad daylight. The outline of Starfall Isle stood quietly on the distant sea horizon.

Lin Xuan hovered above the sea, looking back at the sea area below that was still deep ink-blue but seemed to hide endless nightmares. The chaos vortex in his eyes rotated slowly, and his expression was extremely grave.

The situation with the "Aberration Core" was even more thorny than he had expected. It was not a simple energy aggregate or pollution source, but a living "pollution hub" that possessed a primitive will and was slowly "growing" and perhaps even "gestating" something!

Solving it would be no easy task. Perhaps it would require more powerful purification power, more thorough means, and even... the need to trace back to the essence of the ancient "Star Contract" from the source.

And the Demonic Seed within Zhao Yuan, as its "sub-body," likely played a role far more critical than a "poisoned bait."

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, suppressed the heaviness in his heart, turned into a stream of light, and sped toward Starfall Isle.

Some intelligence must be told to Wei Gong immediately.

Some decisions need to be faced together by the alliance.

Some crises... are probably only just revealing the tip of the iceberg.