Chapter 62: Star-Remnant Secret Hall? I Hear of Heavenly Secrets for the First Time!

The Star-Mist Mountains were deathly silent.

The black metal mountain range was cold and hard, as if it could absorb all light and sound. The dense star-mist here transformed into tangible gray currents, flowing slowly; it not only obstructed vision but also suppressed spiritual sense. Lin Xuan pushed his "Eye of Truth-Breaking" to its limit to see the scene within a hundred feet.

The mountain was steep and covered in various strange, metal structures that looked as if they had been twisted by immense force, resembling parts of the wreckage of some massive star-ship. The air was filled with a dense power of the stars, but this power was full of decay, deathly silence, and an indescribable heaviness, completely different from the relatively active star power of the Meteor Lake.

The throbbing of the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order acted like a beacon, guiding Lin Xuan to climb upward along a seemingly abandoned metal staircase.

The staircase wound its way toward a massive hole in the mountainside that looked as if it had been torn open by giant claws. The edges of the opening retained fragments of powerful restrictions, but they had long since lost most of their effectiveness under the erosion of time.

Lin Xuan concealed his aura and slipped inside without a sound.

The interior was not a natural cave, but the inside of an extremely vast metal hall! The dome of the hall was towering, supported by countless thick metal pillars, but many had already snapped and collapsed, causing parts of the dome to cave in and reveal the gray sky outside. Scattered on the ground were various broken instruments, puppet remains, and some strange crystals that had long lost their luster.

This place seemed to be an outpost established by an ancient sect on a meteorite, or... perhaps the core of a crashed giant star-ship!

His "Eye of Truth-Breaking" swept over, revealing faint energy patterns remaining on the wreckage that were vastly different from current formation systems; they were more ancient and concise, yet contained a certain Dao rhyme that pointed directly to the origin.

From deep within the hall came faint energy fluctuations and... the sound of conversation!

Lin Xuan’s heart stirred. He pushed his "Turtle Breathing Technique" and "Shadow Stealth Art" to their peak, and combined with his newly acquired luck-concealing function, his entire being seemed to become a part of the hall's shadows as he crept closer without a sound.

After bypassing several piles of massive metal wreckage, the scene ahead suddenly opened up.

In the deepest part of the hall stood a relatively well-preserved circular altar. The altar was cast from some kind of dark silver metal, its surface engraved with a map of the celestial stars. At this moment, over a dozen cultivators were surrounding it.

One side was, shockingly, the remnants of the Nether Sect! There were only five or six of them, led by that Golden Core peak Elder who had fled with You Quan; he was currently unstable in his aura, clearly not yet recovered from his injuries. They were casting streaks of Nether magic arts toward the altar, attempting to activate something.

The other side consisted of three cultivators wearing star-patterned Dao robes—two men and one woman, all with auras at the early Nascent Soul stage! Their attire was uniform, with the Big Dipper constellation embroidered on their robes, radiating pure star power as they confronted the Nether Sect members, preventing them from approaching the center of the altar.

"You Liang! This place was left behind by the ancestors of my 'Star Fall Pavilion'; how can you let the Nether Sect defile it! Retreat at once!" The long-bearded elder leading the three star cultivators shouted sternly, holding a starlight compass in his hand that emitted rays of starlight, neutralizing the Nether Sect's magic arts.

The Nether Sect Elder known as You Liang gave a sinister laugh: "Star Fall Pavilion? Hmph, just a bunch of losers living off the scraps of ruins! This 'Star-Summoning Altar' has been dormant for ten thousand years; today it is destined to be opened by my Holy Sect to usher in holy power! Get lost if you know what's good for you, or don't blame this old man for being ruthless!"

"Shameless! Relying on you few remnants?" Another burly Nascent Soul cultivator from the Star Fall Pavilion glared, starlight condensing around his body to form a suit of battle armor.

Both sides were at daggers drawn, the atmosphere tense.

Lin Xuan, hidden in the shadows, had his gaze fixed on the center of the altar. It was not empty; suspended there was a crystal about the size of a fist, perfectly round, with what looked like a rotating galaxy inside, emitting a soft yet vast starlight!

[Star Core (Damaged)]: ??? (Grade too high, partial information missing). Formed from the most fundamental core fragments after an ancient star collapsed, it contains the purest star laws and vast star power. Can be used to comprehend the Great Dao of Stars, refine supreme star treasures, or serve as an energy source for certain ancient formations. Status: Energy dormant, requires special methods to trigger.

Meanwhile, the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order in Lin Xuan’s embrace was throbbing violently toward that star core, as if with longing! It was not hostility, but an attraction bordering on "complementary" and "same-origin"!

"The Soul-Suppressing Order... needs the power of the star core to repair itself?" A thought flashed through Lin Xuan's mind. The Soul-Suppressing Department governs the Nether; the Nether and the stars, seemingly opposites, but at a higher level, do they both belong to some balance of cosmic order?

Just as he was pondering, a change occurred in the scene!

Elder You Liang, seeing that a direct assault was failing, flashed a ruthless look in his eyes, bit his tongue, and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto a small black banner in his hand!

"Nether Blood Sacrifice, Ten Thousand Ghosts Break the Restriction!"

The small banner grew in the wind, becoming several feet in size. Countless painfully twisted ghost faces appeared on the banner's surface, emitting ear-piercing shrieks and condensing into a foul, blood-colored beam of light that slammed fiercely into the altar's protective starlight!

"Careful! It’s the Nether Soul-Devouring Banner!" The long-bearded elder of the Star Fall Pavilion changed color, hurriedly pushing his starlight compass while the other two also outputted their star power with all their might.

Boom!

The blood-colored beam and the brilliant starlight collided violently, emitting a hissing sound of corrosion. Although the starlight was pure, the foulness and resentment contained in the blood-colored beam were extremely vicious, and it actually had a tendency to erode the starlight!

The three Nascent Soul cultivators of the Star Fall Pavilion trembled, their faces turning pale; they were clearly struggling to hold on. They specialized in the righteous path of stars, and their resistance to such foul, evil arts seemed slightly weaker.

Seeing this, Elder You Liang wore a look of triumph and intensified his control over the Soul-Devouring Banner.

Just as the starlight protection was about to be broken—

Whoosh!

A gray beam of finger-force shot out from the shadows on the side without warning, arriving first despite being fired later, and struck the pole of the Soul-Devouring Banner with extreme precision!

Nirvana Finger!

Pfft!

Like a hot knife through butter, the seemingly sturdy pole was easily pierced with a small hole by the finger-force containing the power of chaos and annihilation! The wailing ghost faces on the banner instantly froze, and the blood-colored beam shook violently, its power greatly diminished!

"Who?!" Elder You Liang was both shocked and furious, turning his head abruptly to look at the source of the finger-force.

The three Star Fall Pavilion cultivators were also taken aback, not expecting someone to be helping from the shadows.

Lin Xuan walked slowly out of the shadows, his expression calm. Since he had decided to obtain that star core, he naturally could not let the Nether Sect succeed. The enemy of an enemy is a temporary friend.

"It's you?!" Elder You Liang saw Lin Xuan’s face (still disguised as Jin Shisan) and his pupils shrank, his face instantly filled with terror! He had seen this person contend with Elder You Quan outside the basin with his own eyes, and had even heard that he had survived the terrifying Chaos Heavenly Tribulation! "Jin Shisan! This matter has nothing to do with you, why make an enemy of my Holy Sect?!"

"I just don't like the look of you." Lin Xuan spoke indifferently, not bothering to explain further. His gaze swept over the star core and then toward the three Star Fall Pavilion cultivators. "I want this item."

His tone was flat, yet carried an unquestionable dominance.

The three from the Star Fall Pavilion looked at each other. The long-bearded elder pondered for a moment and cupped his hands: "Many thanks to the fellow Daoist for your help just now. However, this star core is a relic of our pavilion's ancestors and is of great importance..."

"If I am not mistaken, you cannot trigger it either, can you?" Lin Xuan interrupted him. His "Eye of Truth-Breaking" had long since seen that the star core was in a state of deep dormancy; although the three from the Star Fall Pavilion cultivated star techniques, they seemed to lack the method and could not truly communicate with the core.

The long-bearded elder was speechless, his face showing embarrassment. They had indeed been researching it for many days but had never been able to activate the core.

"Rather than letting it gather dust here or fall into the hands of the Nether Sect, it is better that I take it." Lin Xuan stepped forward, the aura of chaos flowing slightly around his body; although he was only at the early Nascent Soul stage, he brought a heavy pressure to everyone present. "In exchange, I can help you repel the Nether Sect and promise that if I gain anything from my research, I can share some of the mysteries of the star core with your pavilion."

He offered a seemingly fair condition, but in reality, the initiative was entirely in his hands.

The three from the Star Fall Pavilion exchanged glances. Finally, the long-bearded elder sighed and nodded: "In that case... we shall follow the fellow Daoist's words." They knew very well that facing a ruthless person who could survive the Chaos Heavenly Tribulation and break the Nether Soul-Devouring Banner with a casual move, they had no room to bargain. Being able to save their lives and potentially gain some mysteries about their ancestor's relic was already the best outcome.

"Bastards! You dare..." Elder You Liang was trembling with rage, but facing Lin Xuan’s cold gaze, he could not bring himself to utter the threats that followed. He knew that today's matter was beyond saving.

"Let's go!" He made a decisive choice, put away the damaged Soul-Devouring Banner, and led his remaining subordinates in a pathetic retreat toward the hall's exit, not even daring to leave behind any harsh words.

After driving away the Nether Sect, Lin Xuan’s gaze fell on the star core at the center of the altar. He could feel the Soul-Suppressing Order in his embrace longing for it even more.

He walked up, but did not rashly reach out to take it. Instead, he first tried to probe the star core by wrapping a wisp of chaotic spiritual power around a thread of gentle Nether aura guided from the Soul-Suppressing Order.

A strange scene occurred!

The previously dormant star core, upon contacting this aura mixed with the origins of chaos and the Nether, actually began to tremble slightly; the starlight on its surface became active, and the speed of the rotating galaxy inside accelerated by a fraction! It did not repel him, but instead transmitted a faint, probing fluctuation!

It’s working!

Lin Xuan’s heart settled, and he continued to guide the aura with caution. At the same time, he secretly communicated with the system: "System, initiate law analysis, analyze the energy connection between the star core and the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order, and the method to trigger it."

[Ding! Command confirmed, consuming 8% energy, starting analysis...]

[Analyzing... Energy homology detection... Law fragment matching...]

[Analysis complete: The Star Core (Damaged) and the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order (Damaged) belong to the two poles of Yin and Yang, but originate from the same ancient 'Celestial Star-Suppressing Demon Formation'! The star core is the 'Yang Formation Eye', governing suppression and purification; the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order is the 'Yin Formation Eye', governing suppression and binding. The two complement each other and neither can be missing. To trigger the star core, one must use pure star power or a higher-grade inclusive power (such as chaotic power) as a guide, supplemented by the aura of the Yin formation eye (Soul-Suppressing Order) for harmonization...]

The Celestial Star-Suppressing Demon Formation! Yin and Yang formation eyes!

Lin Xuan’s mind suddenly cleared! So, this star core and the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order were originally two components of a complete sealing system! No wonder they attracted each other!

He no longer hesitated. Following the guidance method provided by the system, he mobilized a wisp of pure chaotic spiritual power, simulated a pure star fluctuation, and simultaneously guided the aura of the Soul-Suppressing Order to merge into it, forming a gray beam of light containing specks of starlight and faint Nether light, which he gently pointed toward the star core.

Hum—!

The star core suddenly erupted with unprecedented, brilliant starlight! The map of the celestial stars on the entire altar lit up, as if it had come to life! A vast, ancient, and majestic star pressure permeated the area, making the three Star Fall Pavilion cultivators nearby feel a palpitation, unable to resist the urge to bow down in worship!

The starlight lasted for several breaths before slowly receding. The star core turned into a streak of light and flew into Lin Xuan’s hand of its own accord; it felt warm to the touch, pulsing gently as if it had a life of its own.

[Successfully collected Star Core (Damaged). Resonance with the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order (Damaged) has occurred; both have been slightly repaired. Unlocked partial joint usage permissions: Can briefly trigger 'Star-Nether Light', possessing extremely strong purification and sealing effects.]

It worked! Not only did he obtain the star core, but the Soul-Suppressing Order was also repaired, and a joint skill was unlocked!

Lin Xuan was overjoyed and carefully put away the star core.

He turned to look at the stunned trio from the Star Fall Pavilion and, fulfilling his promise, selectively told them some information about the "Celestial Star-Suppressing Demon Formation" and the star core serving as the "Yang Formation Eye".

The three listened, mesmerized and deeply moved. For their Star Fall Pavilion, this was undoubtedly finding the true direction of their ancestor's inheritance!

"Many thanks to the fellow Daoist for your guidance! This kindness, the Star Fall Pavilion will never forget!" The long-bearded elder, along with his two companions, bowed deeply to Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan accepted it calmly, then asked: "The three of you have lived in this secret realm for a long time; do you know any news about the 'Heavenly Secret Pavilion'?" He remembered that when he was snatching the Pill-Condensing Jade Liquid before, Master Mo of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion seemed to have mentioned this mysterious organization.

Hearing this, the expressions of the three turned solemn. The long-bearded elder pondered: "The Heavenly Secret Pavilion... the fellow Daoist actually knows of them? This organization is mysterious and unfathomable, claiming to hold the secrets of heaven and to understand the past and future. Their people occasionally appear near the 'Heavenly Mandate Hall' at the very core of the secret realm. However... it is said that trading with them requires paying a huge price, perhaps even... luck."

Luck? Lin Xuan’s gaze narrowed. This Heavenly Secret Pavilion sounded even more bizarre than the Nether Sect.

Just as he was pondering, the entire metal hall suddenly vibrated violently without warning! It was as if some behemoth was waking up from beneath the ground!

"Not good! It's the guardian puppets! Collecting the core has disturbed them!" The long-bearded elder’s face changed drastically.

They saw the metal walls around the hall cracking open one after another. Giant puppets, several feet tall and composed of various metal components, with red lights flickering in their eyes, stepped out from behind the walls with heavy strides, surrounding the altar area! Their auras were at least at the late Golden Core stage, and a few of the leaders had even reached the Nascent Soul level!

At the same time, Lin Xuan keenly sensed an extremely obscure yet malicious spiritual sense sweeping over from a very hidden corner of the hall, locking onto him!

This spiritual sense... did not come from the puppets! It belonged to someone else! Their strength was unfathomable!

(End of Chapter 62)