0p0 Chapter 1016 Inside Chuchen Station
Chapter 1016 Inside Chuchen Station
Inside Chuchen Post Station, the light membrane isolated the howling of the stellar remains and chaotic energy turbulence from the outside world, and the long-awaited tranquility finally allowed everyone's tense nerves to relax for a moment.
The post station was small, roughly a hundred feet in diameter. Ancient star array patterns were engraved on the ground, emitting a faint, pale blue light. The surrounding stone walls were inlaid with star crystals that had long lost their luster, faintly revealing the grand scale of the nodes built by the creators of the star system. In the center was a half-damaged celestial altar, above which floated a cracked, rhomboid crystal—the core hub of the post station's array.
Elder Qingyi withdrew the Purifying Lotus barrier, its shadow dimming, the edges of its petals showing signs of decay. Her essence had been damaged in the fierce battle at the Burial Star Sea, and she had forced herself to maintain the barrier as she traversed the turbulent ancient road. Now, her face was ashen, her breath weak. She sat cross-legged beside the altar, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing. The illusory image of the Purifying Lotus slowly rotated above her head, drawing upon the remaining meager starlight within the post station to repair herself.
Chen Xueqing's emerald-gold cocoon was no longer as solid and dazzling as it had been in the Sea of Buried Stars, her spirit form appearing and disappearing. She floated to the altar and brought the fragment of the island's core—the Star Key fragment inherited from the Starry Sky Forger—close to the rhomboid crystal. The moment the fragment touched the crystal, a soft hum rang out, and strands of icy blue starlight flowed from the cracks on the crystal's surface, like water seeping back from a dried-up riverbed. The star array patterns around the altar lit up one by one. Although the light was weak and intermittent, the spatial stability within the station was significantly enhanced, and the sounds of impacts from the remaining spirits outside became distant and indistinct.
“The array’s core is too badly damaged,” Chen Xueqing’s voice was weak from exhaustion. “The Star Key fragments can only activate the basic protection of the station and repair some of the guidance functions. To fully activate the teleportation array and go to a deeper node… we need at least three complete Star Dome Crystal Cores as energy, or… a Nascent Soul cultivator or above who is proficient in Star Dome Arrays to redraw the array patterns with their own essence.”
She looked at Yu Changsheng, her eyes filled with deep worry.
Yu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the other side of the altar, the cracks in his Dao Embryo of the Ruins of Annihilation spreading like a spiderweb through his divine senses. Five forces—the chilling cold of the Silent Foundation, the corrosive power of the Devouring Void Runes, the ferocity of the Abyss Fire Core, the domineering power of the Chaos Emperor's Blood, and the resilient guiding power of the Emerald Gold Dao Rhyme—clashed incessantly within his body, each conflict widening the cracks in his Dao Embryo. Although the Ruins of Annihilation vortex in his left eye was no longer spinning out of control, a hungering sensation of devouring still emanated from its depths from time to time; the embers in his right eye flickered erratically, like a candle burning in the wind.
He forcefully guided the five forces into a fragile cycle using the Daoist principles of "The Return to the Void: The Pivot of Origin," but each cycle felt like walking on a knife's edge. Dark golden Chaos Emperor Blood seeped from his cracked skin, then slowly flowed back under the emerald-gold Daoist influence. He closed his eyes and concentrated, desperately suppressing the five tamed yet still restless "destructive dragons" within his Dao Embryo.
The Burial Abyss Black Sword lay silently before his knees. The blade was pitch black, with only a fleeting glimpse of dark red blood occasionally flowing across its tip. Mo Yu's remnant soul resided within the sword, its annihilating sword intent restrained yet maintaining a sliver of clarity, like an undying star in the darkness.
Elder Jian Chen took stock of the remaining Xuan Tian Sword Sect disciples. Of the hundreds who set out, only 273 remained after traversing the treacherous outer perimeter of the Starfall Ancient Road, all wounded, their cultivation levels ranging from Golden Core to Nascent Soul. More than ten were critically injured, clinging to life only with the spiritual energy of their fellow disciples. His face was filled with grief, his eyes bloodshot—the betrayal of the Xuan Tian Venerable, the sect's destruction, the disciples' tragic deaths—these were like rusty knives repeatedly slicing through his Dao heart. But he forced himself to remain calm, directing the less wounded disciples to set up a simple warning sword array at the edge of the post station, while placing the severely injured in areas with slightly brighter array patterns, using the pure energy of the stars to stabilize their injuries.
The inn was temporarily safe, but a tense atmosphere permeated the air. Everyone knew that this was only a brief respite from the storm.
Two hours later, an unusual fluctuation suddenly came from outside the light membrane of the post station.
It wasn't the chaotic, disorderly impact of a stellar remnant, but rather a rhythmic, sinister erosion. Dark purple ripples spread across the surface of the light membrane, as if corroded by venom.
Elder Qingyi suddenly opened her eyes, and the illusory image of the Pure World Green Lotus shone brightly: "The Yin Sha Sect's tracking methods... they were actually able to locate the interior of the Starfall Ancient Road?"
Chen Xueqing's spirit body trembled slightly. After sensing for a moment, her expression turned solemn: "It's the 'Ten Thousand Souls Eroding Void Incense'! Before the light gate of the Xuan Tian Sword Sect closed, the Soul Devouring Demon must have used a secret method to attach a wisp of incense to one of our bodies or an object. This incense is colorless and odorless, difficult to detect, yet it can penetrate spatial barriers and guide the caster's location. They... have caught up with us."
The words had barely left his lips when the dark purple ripples outside the light membrane intensified abruptly. A gigantic bone claw, pieced together from stark white skeletons and enveloped in viscous black demonic energy, slammed fiercely into the light membrane!
"Shoot-"
The light membrane twisted violently, and the part gripped by the bone claws quickly dimmed, emitting a mournful cry of unbearable strain. The star array patterns within the post station flashed rapidly, the rhomboid crystal trembled violently, and the cracks seemed to widen slightly.
Through the thinning membrane of light, a jet-black demonic ship, adorned with countless skulls, could be vaguely seen slowly approaching against the distorted backdrop of stellar debris. On the ship's deck stood the Soul-Devouring Demon, his face pale and his aura unstable—clearly still recovering from the severe injuries inflicted by Yu Changsheng's previous attack with the Flames of the Abyss—but his eyes gleamed with even greater ferocity. Beside him stood three Yin Sha Sect elders, all clad in black robes and possessing auras at the early Nascent Soul stage. Behind them stretched a massive, dark demonic army. Though many had perished in the turbulent currents of the ancient road, several thousand remained, their demonic energy coalescing and corroding the surrounding stellar space.
"Hiding inside this tortoise shell?" The Soul-Devouring Demon's voice was hoarse, coming through the light membrane with a chilling aura. "You destroyed the Xuan Tian Sword Sect, seized the Star Key, and still want to escape through the ancient road? Wishful thinking! Today, I will make this Chu Chen Post Station your burial ground!"
He suddenly swung the tattered yet still sinister white bone banner in his hand. Ghostly green flames burned fiercely on the banner, and the phantom of the nine-headed ghostly poisonous beast condensed once more—though much more ethereal than when it was at the Xuan Tian Sword Sect, its nine ghostly eyes were fixed on the people inside the post station, emitting a silent shriek.
Three Nascent Soul elders attacked simultaneously. One summoned a pitch-black soul drum, its deep, muffled sound like a heartbeat, each beat causing the blood and spirits of everyone in the post station to surge and their souls to tremble. Another threw out a sky full of emerald green phosphorescent flames, which clung to the light membrane, sizzling and corroding it. The last one formed hand seals, summoning countless twisted vengeful spirits that relentlessly attacked the weak points of the light membrane.
The light film was teetering on the verge of collapse.
Elder Jian Chen's eyes were bloodshot as he drew his sword: "Disciples, form the 'Mysterious Heaven Star Sword Formation'! Even in death, we cannot tarnish the last vestige of dignity of the Mysterious Heaven Sword Sect!"
The remaining two hundred or so Sword Sect disciples, regardless of the severity of their injuries, all summoned their spiritual power upon receiving the order and stood in formation according to the celestial positions. Their sword energy intertwined, forming a slightly damaged yet awe-inspiring sword curtain that blocked the inner side of the light membrane, preparing to meet the onslaught of the demon army as it broke through the membrane.
Elder Qingyi struggled to her feet, the Pure Lotus radiating light, preparing to use her last bit of essence to reinforce the light membrane. Chen Xueqing anxiously looked towards the Burial Abyss Black Sword where Yu Changsheng and Mo Yu were.
At the critical moment, Yu Changsheng opened his eyes.
His left eye swirled with a vortex of desolation, deep and unfathomable; his right eye flickered with a faint yet resolute heat of embers. The internal conflict continued, but the cycle constructed by the "Origin Pivot of the Desolation Guide" was forced to operate slightly faster under immense external pressure. Destruction and rebirth, devouring and purification, achieved a precarious balance amidst intense pain.
He reached out and grasped the Burial Abyss Black Sword before his knees.
The sword was cold, but the moment it touched his palm, he felt a faint, familiar tremor—it was the response from the remnant soul of Mo Yu.
“Xueqing,” Yu Changsheng’s voice was hoarse, yet unusually calm, “Use the Star Key as a guide to direct all the remaining stellar power of the post station to me.” Chen Xueqing was taken aback, then understood his intention: “You want to forcibly activate the Dao Embryo of the Ruins of Return to the Abyss to counterattack in conjunction with the post station’s formation? But your Dao Embryo’s state…”
“There is no other choice.” Yu Changsheng stood up, the fragments of the Guixu Origin Armor making a slight clattering sound with his movements, the dark gold imperial blood still seeping out, but his back was straight. “Elder Qingyi’s source is exhausted, Elder Jianchen’s sword formation is broken, they can’t withstand the combined attack of the Nascent Soul stage. The only way to survive is to attack instead of defend and disrupt their formation.”
He looked at Chen Xueqing with a firm gaze: "Trust me, and trust Mo Yu too."
Chen Xueqing bit her lower lip, her spiritual light flickering, and finally nodded emphatically. She floated to the diamond-shaped crystal altar, pressed her hands together, and the emerald-gold Daoist energy resonated with the Star Key fragments, fully activating the remnant array of the post station. The crystal above the altar erupted with an unprecedented icy-blue light, the array patterns on the ground lit up like a galaxy, and the vast but scattered stellar power was forcibly gathered, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, surging towards Yu Changsheng.
At the same time, the Burial Abyss Black Sword hummed and trembled. Mo Yu's remnant soul burned within the sword, and the sword intent of annihilation was no longer restrained, but erupted completely! On the pitch-black sword body, dark red blood-fiend patterns emerged and spread like blood vessels, and a resolute sword intent that annihilated everything and returned to nothingness soared into the sky, merging with the aura of Returning to the Void and the Abyss that began to rise from Yu Changsheng's body.
Yu Changsheng gripped the sword with both hands and raised it towards the sky.
The vortex of the void in his left eye spun wildly, devouring the surging star power, as well as the panic, determination, and obsession with protection that permeated the post station, and even the sinister demonic energy seeping in from outside the light membrane! The embers in his right eye suddenly burst into flames, no longer a flickering candle, but transformed into a raging dark red flame, resonating with the chaotic imperial blood surging within him!
The Dao Embryo of the Ruins of the Abyss emitted a cracking sound due to the unbearable pressure, and the cracks widened again. However, under this extreme pressure, the five forces were forcibly twisted into one—a torrent of destruction based on annihilation, with the Devouring Void as its blade, the Ember Fire as its edge, the Emperor's Blood as its soul, and the Emerald Gold Dao Rhyme as its guide and restraint!
"Mo Yu," Yu Changsheng murmured to himself, "This sword is for you, for Xue Qing, and for all those we must protect."
A silent yet resolute response came from the Black Sword of Burial Abyss.
The next instant, Yu Changsheng swung his sword.
There was no earth-shattering move name; it was just a simple vertical slash.
The sword fell.
A sword light, defying precise color description, erupted from the blade of the Burial Abyss Black Sword. Initially pitch black, it contained the annihilation of all things; then it transformed into dark red, flowing with the embers that incinerate everything; next, it was tinged with chaotic dark gold and channeled emerald gold; finally, carrying the immense stellar power gathered from the Beginning Star Station, it transformed into a chaotic torrent of starlight that distorted space and tore through energy, forcefully piercing through the crumbling light membrane of the station!
Wherever the sword light passed, the corrosive trail of the Myriad Souls Eroding Incense was erased, the emerald phosphorescent flames were extinguished, and the vengeful spirits shrieked as they dissipated. It slashed with unparalleled precision at the nine-headed ghostly phantom unleashed by the Soul Devouring Demon using the White Bone Banner, as well as the soul drum sound waves, phosphorescent sea, and vengeful spirit tides jointly unleashed by the three Nascent Soul elders!
"boom--!!!"
A silent explosion resounded in the outer space of the Star Remains Ancient Road. A chaotic surge of energy raged, tearing nearby Star Remains to shreds. The Yin Sha Sect's demonic ship was violently shaken by the impact, its demonic army formation instantly collapsing amidst screams of agony.
The Soul-Devouring Demon was horrified. He hadn't expected Yu Changsheng to unleash such a terrifying attack when his Dao Embryo was on the verge of collapse! The sense of annihilation and return to nothingness contained in that sword light made his very soul tremble. In haste, he held the White Bone Banner in front of him and spat out a mouthful of his primordial blood essence to strengthen his defense.
The three Nascent Soul elders also displayed their supernatural powers to protect themselves.
The sword light clashed violently with the multiple defenses.
The blinding light engulfed everything.
As the light faded, several deep sword marks appeared on the Soul Devouring Demon's white bone banner, and the ghostly flames on the banner had dimmed considerably. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his aura weakened further. Of the three Nascent Soul elders, the elder controlling the Soul Drum had its drum surface shattered, his soul injured; the elder releasing phosphorescent fire had his magical artifact's aura dissipate; and the elder summoning vengeful spirits was deathly pale, clearly suffering a severe backlash.
The demon army behind them suffered even greater casualties, with nearly a thousand people wiped out by the aftershocks of the sword light!
In contrast, at Chuchen Post Station, the light membrane shattered completely the moment Yu Changsheng swung his sword, as a large amount of energy was drained away. However, the post station itself, protected by the array patterns, did not completely collapse. Yu Changsheng, leaning on the Burial Abyss Black Sword, knelt on one knee, panting heavily. Fragments of the Returning Void Origin Armor clattered to the ground, dark golden blood seeped from all seven orifices, and the cracks in his Dao Embryo were shocking. His aura was extremely weak. Chen Xueqing's spiritual body was almost transparent, Elder Qingyi's mouth was bleeding, and the sword formation formed by Elder Jianchen and his disciples had also collapsed by more than half, with everyone injured.
However, this sword strike intimidated the pursuers and gave them a chance to catch their breath.
The Soul-Devouring Demon looked with suspicion and uncertainty at Yu Changsheng, who appeared to be on his last legs inside the inn, the black sword in his hand that still exuded a dangerous aura, and the Star Key fragments floating beside Chen Xueqing. His eyes were a mixture of greed and apprehension. He wasn't sure if Yu Changsheng could still unleash a second strike.
"Form ranks and hold your ground, seal off this area!" The Soul-Devouring Demon gritted his teeth and ordered, "They're at their last gasp, they won't last much longer! We'll wear them down!"
The Yin Sha Sect's demonic army regrouped and, under the command of three Nascent Soul elders, formed a massive demonic trapping array, completely surrounding the star-shaped ruins where Chu Chen Post Station was located. However, they were in no hurry to attack immediately. They intended to use the power of the array to slowly erode the remaining defenses of the post station, trapping everyone inside.
Inside the post station, the atmosphere did not ease despite the temporary repelling of the attack; on the contrary, it became even more somber.
“They…are waiting for us to exhaust ourselves,” Elder Jianchen said bitterly.
"The remaining stellar power of Chuchen Post Station is almost exhausted, and its defenses have been breached," Chen Xueqing said weakly. "We... are trapped here and will die." (End of Chapter)