Chapter 174

Top floor of the Star-Gazing Platform, the atmosphere was more grave and oppressive than a few days ago.

The huge "Star-Gazing Hun Tian Instrument" was now emitting a low, near-mournful operating sound, and the three-dimensional star map of the Return-to-Ruins Sea Eye area projected from its core had been magnified to the extreme, occupying half of the hall space. On the star map, the dark red light point representing the "Distortion Core" was moving along a twisted yet clear trajectory at a speed visible to the naked eye, far exceeding the previous few days, pushing toward the dark area marked as the "absolute blind zone" deep in the Sea Eye!

What was even more heart-wrenching was that around the light point, circles of tiny yet clear dark red ripples were continuously diffusing. Every time a ripple rippled, several key energy monitoring values at the edge of the star map would jump up a small grid—indicators representing its energy activity, filthy star evil concentration, blood resentment fluctuation intensity, and some kind of unparseable "life sign" were all climbing synchronously and steadily!

"In the past six hours, the movement speed has increased threefold! The slope of the energy activity curve has soared, breaking through the 'accelerated growth' threshold!" A Star Palace deacon's voice trembled, pointing to several data curves on the water mirror that were almost at a 45-degree angle upward. "The 'fetal movement' frequency captured by the 'Deep Sea Listening Formation' has increased from three times per hour to nine times per hour! And the intensity of the energy pulses triggered by each 'fetal movement' is increasing!"

Another deacon added, his face pale: "Seven 'space hysteresis formations' deployed on the periphery of the 'energy vein' nodes have had three destroyed because they could not withstand the continuously increasing energy scouring! The remaining four have also issued overload warnings! According to this trend, in at most twelve hours, all hysteresis formations will fail! By then, it will have no obstacles and will reach the blind zone directly!"

True Person Beichen stared fixedly at the star map, his fists clenched: "That 'absolute blind zone' was not even marked by the ancient star map, and our detection formations cannot penetrate deep into it. What exactly is hidden there? Why is that monster so persistent in wanting to go there?"

Elder Lingshuang's whole body was icy: "Perhaps, there is the key 'nutrient' it needs for 'gestation,' or... it is the location of a more terrifying 'lesion' left by the backlash of the ancient contract!"

A tortoise shell in the hands of the special envoy of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion shattered completely, and he groaned, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, hissing: "The Pavilion Master... forcibly deduced again... the backlash worsened... and only transmitted four vague characters... 'There is an eye in the blind zone'."

There is an eye in the blind zone?!

Everyone was shocked. Did it mean there was some kind of "observer" or "observation point" there? Or... in the literal sense, an "eye"?

Just then, the figures of Lin Xuan and Zhao Yuan appeared at the entrance of the Star-Gazing Platform. Everyone's eyes immediately focused on them, especially staying on Zhao Yuan for the longest time.

In just seven days, Zhao Yuan's changes were visible to the naked eye. The aura that had been floating and withered due to serious injuries and demonic seed erosion was now condensed like an abyss, starlight flowed faintly around his body, and his eyes contained essence when they opened and closed, the whole person like a precious sword that was sheathed but whose sharpness was self-evident. More importantly, he stood there, naturally producing a subtle resonance with the star power in the surrounding environment, yet carrying a unique sharpness that seemed to be able to cut off all vanity.

"Nascent Soul stable, starlight restrained, Chaos initially formed... Good!" Wei Gong's turbid old eyes erupted with stunning essence, and he couldn't help but praise, "Young master Zhao Yuan, it seems the 'Star Anchoring Formation' has extraordinary effects!"

Lin Xuan nodded slightly, his gaze already cast on the huge star map, the vortex in his Chaos Tribulation Pupils rotating slowly: "I have already perceived the situation. Fetal movement intensified, movement accelerated... Did it sense something? Or... has its 'gestation' process reached a key node that must be reached to be completed?"

He walked to the star map, staring at the dark red light point continuously approaching the "absolute blind zone," and the energy ripples around it. After a moment, he suddenly asked: "Is there a detailed record of the specific frequency and waveform characteristics of the monitored 'fetal movement' energy pulses?"

"Yes!" A deacon immediately called up several water mirrors, which showed complex and regular pulse waveform diagrams.

Lin Xuan scanned for a moment, Chaos light flickering in his eyes. He stretched out his finger and drew a few times in the air on the waveform diagram. Several gray Chaos fine lines were "outlined" by him, connecting the peak values of those seemingly chaotic pulses, forming an extremely subtle, yet carrying a certain ancient evil rhythm... rune outline!

"This is..." True Person Beichen's pupils shrank. "Ancient magic runes?! No, not entirely... it seems to be mixed with some variant runes of the star contract!"

Lin Xuan nodded, his voice low: "The Demonic Abyss used the pollution of the ancient contract backlash as a base, and integrated their demonic path imprints into it, forming these unique 'filthy contract runes.' This 'fetal movement' pulse is not a disorderly energy release, but... a kind of 'ritual' 'resonance' and 'call.' It is using this method to perform deep-level 'synchronization' and 'positioning' with something deep in the 'blind zone,' or rather, with the 'target' it is 'gestating' itself."

He turned to Zhao Yuan: "You have the deepest connection with the demonic seed, and your newly comprehended 'Chaos starlight' has a special perception of filthy power. Can you perceive the intent pointing contained in this 'fetal movement' pulse?"

Zhao Yuan immediately stepped forward, focused his mind, integrated a wisp of "Chaos starlight" into his own spiritual sense, and carefully probed toward the pulse waveform diagrams in the water mirror. He did not directly contact the Sea Eye energy, but performed perception through these recorded "traces."

At first, there was no abnormality. But as his mind immersed, and he pushed the parsing characteristics of "Chaos starlight" to the extreme, those cold waveform data seemed to come alive in front of his "eyes," turning into streams of dark red energy full of viscous malice. And at the core of these energy streams, he actually "captured" a few extremely weak, yet incomparably clear intent fragments!

"... Return... return..."

"... My half-body... star skeleton as bed... resentment blood as nourishment..."

"... Contract... completion... I am... complete..."

"... Devour... evolution... transcendence..."

Fragmented intent, full of endless greed, resentment, longing, and a creepy obsession to "complete itself"! And all these intents finally pointed to an incomparably clear "coordinate feeling"—it was exactly the core of the "absolute blind zone" on the star map!

Zhao Yuan's face turned pale, he withdrew his spiritual sense, and said the information he perceived.

"Half-body? Star skeleton as bed? Resentment blood as nourishment? Contract completion?" Wei Gong's eyes shot out sharp light. "Could it be that the 'Distortion Core' is not complete? It is only a part in the depths of the Sea Eye? Its 'other half,' or rather, the 'target' it is 'gestating,' is actually sleeping in that 'blind zone'? It wants to go there to complete the final... fusion and completion?"

This speculation made everyone's scalp tingle!

A "living pollution hub" that was already so thorny, and it was not a complete body? It had "another half" sleeping deeper? Once the two fused and completed, what would be born? A remnant of the ancient "Star God" that was truly complete, twisted and corrupted by the filthy contract backlash? Or some kind of... ultimate monster that had never existed before, fusing contract backlash, Demonic Abyss pollution, and Sea Eye origin?

"Must stop it from fusing!" Master Yan Lie roared, his beard and hair standing up, "While it hasn't combined, smash it!"

Qian Wantong also lost his usual composure, saying urgently: "The fusion process must require time and huge energy, and may produce great movement and flaws! This is our last chance! If we wait for it to complete the completion, I am afraid..."

Lin Xuan's gaze was grave, his fingers tapping the star map base beside him unconsciously. After a moment, he spoke slowly: "Two things must be done immediately."

"First, concentrate all power, at all costs, before it reaches the edge of the 'absolute blind zone,' deploy the last, and strongest, 'composite hysteresis great formation.' The goal is not to block it completely, but... to 'delay' it at the edge of the blind zone for a long enough time, and consume its energy as much as possible, interfering with its resonance with the 'other half'."

"Second," he looked at Zhao Yuan, his gaze as sharp as a sword, "we need to know in advance what the so-called 'other half' in the depths of the 'blind zone' is, what its state is, what its weaknesses are, and what the key nodes of the fusion process are. Conventional exploration means cannot penetrate the blind zone, but... the demonic seed within Zhao Yuan, as its 'offspring' and 'beacon,' may become the 'eye' for us to peek into the 'blind zone'."

As soon as this was said, everyone was shocked.

"No!" True Person Beichen immediately opposed, "Young master Zhao Yuan has just stabilized, and although the demonic seed is suppressed, the risk remains! Using the demonic seed as a medium to peek into that level of existence is no different from exposing the soul directly to the filthy core. A moment of carelessness, and it will be eternal damnation!"

Elder Lingshuang also frowned: "Daoist Lin, this method is too dangerous. If the demonic seed is inversely controlled by that 'Distortion Core' or its 'other half,' the consequences will be unimaginable."

Zhao Yuan stepped forward, his expression calm and firm: "This junior is willing to be the 'eye'." He looked at Lin Xuan, "Since Senior proposed this method, you must have a comprehensive consideration. The 'Star Anchoring Formation' and the 'Chaos starlight' this junior newly comprehended should be able to protect this junior's soul to the maximum extent, and provide a backup for disguise and severing the connection. This junior trusts Senior."

Lin Xuan looked at Zhao Yuan and nodded: "The risk does exist, but it is not that there is no way. I will deploy a layer of 'Chaos Mirror Image Barrier' on the basis of the 'Star Anchoring Formation.' When you use the demonic seed as a bridge to extend your perception toward the 'blind zone,' your connection with the demonic seed and 'Chaos starlight' will be 'copied' and 'distorted' by this barrier, transmitting carefully disguised, false 'beacon' information to the other party. At the same time, your real perception will be wrapped and encrypted layer by layer by the barrier, like observing through a one-way, constantly deforming mirror. Once danger is detected, I can instantly detonate the barrier, sever the connection, and suppress the demonic seed back into the deepest seal."

He paused and continued: "In addition, the target of the peeping is not to directly contact the core of the 'other half,' but to perceive its general state, energy characteristics, and surrounding environment through its resonance connection with the 'Distortion Core.' This is like judging the outline and movement of a giant beast underwater by observing the ripples on the water surface. Although blurred, it is enough for us to make key judgments."

Wei Gong pondered for a long time, his gaze sweeping between Lin Xuan and Zhao Yuan, and finally sighed: "Since Daoist Lin is confident, and young master Zhao Yuan has this determination... fine! This old man agrees! But we must make full preparations, and all protection and rescue resources must be in place! Once the situation changes, stop immediately!"

"That is natural." Lin Xuan responded, and immediately began to deploy quickly, "Shopkeeper Qian, Master Yan Lie, please maximize the power of the 'Star Source Marrow' and 'Star Essence' fragments to fully stabilize the 'Star Anchoring Formation.' Elder Beichen, Elder Lingshuang, Daoist Hunyou, please join me in deploying the 'Chaos Mirror Image Barrier.' Wei Gong, please sit in the center yourself, coordinate the overall situation, monitor all energy changes, and be ready to respond at any time."

Orders were issued, and everyone acted immediately. The top floor of the Star-Gazing Platform was quickly transformed into a more precise and complex multi-formation center.

Zhao Yuan returned to the Geocentric Quiet Room again, sitting cross-legged in front of the "Star Source Marrow." At this moment, the "Star Anchoring Formation" had been activated to the extreme, and the dark blue starlight almost condensed into substance, wrapping him like a sculpture in blue crystal. The "Star Essence" fragment hovered above his head, hanging down curtains of purification light. Lin Xuan, Beichen, Lingshuang, and Hunyou sat on four sides, each forming seals, and gray Chaos energy streams, brilliant starlight, icy cold air, and dark soul power intertwined and entangled, beginning to construct a more mysterious and obscure "Chaos Mirror Image Barrier" that constantly changed images and runes outside the heavy Star Source light cocoon.

Time passed second by second, and the barrier gradually took shape, like a layer of transparent crystal shell with countless distorted images reflected inside, shrouding Zhao Yuan together with the "Star Anchoring Formation."

"Are you ready?" Lin Xuan's voice was transmitted directly into Zhao Yuan's consciousness sea.

Zhao Yuan took a deep breath, adjusted his state to the peak. "Chaos starlight" flowed slowly in the Nascent Soul, ready to erupt at any time. "Ready."

"Start." Lin Xuan shouted in a low voice.

Zhao Yuan's mind moved, and he carefully guided a wisp of extremely fine "Chaos starlight" through the only and extremely unstable "channel" left by the "Star Source light cocoon" and "Chaos Mirror Image Barrier," and slowly probed toward the demonic seed heavily sealed deep in his consciousness sea.

This time, he did not purify, did not suppress, but... tried to simulate the most essential "resonance frequency" of the demonic seed homologous to the "Distortion Core" with "Chaos starlight," and gently "knocked" on the core of the demonic seed!

Hum—!

The demonic seed shook violently! Dark purple light flickered crazily, as if it had been activated instantly! A "pulling feeling" and "sense of belonging" that were clearer and stronger than ever before erupted from the depths of the demonic seed along the frequency that was "knocked"!

At the same time, the "Chaos Mirror Image Barrier" operated with all its might! It distorted and disguised Zhao Yuan's real "knocking" action and aura into a false scene of "the demonic seed struggling in pain due to purification and accidentally leaking the core frequency," and carefully transmitted this disguised fluctuation toward the direction of the Return-to-Ruins Sea Eye, the "Distortion Core," and the "absolute blind zone" where its "other half" was located...

Zhao Yuan held his breath, all his heart and mind attached to that wisp of "Chaos starlight," and along the unprecedentedly clear connection channel produced after the demonic seed was "activated," carefully extended his perception... toward that endless deep-sea "absolute blind zone" where even starlight seemed to be swallowed...