Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

Mo Heng sat cross-legged, the phantom of the Myriad Transformations Returning to Nothingness Furnace slowly rotating above his head. Countless fine runes flowed like a galaxy, frantically deducing and simulating the composition of the mixed spiritual energy in this region and the points of convergence between it and the cultivation techniques of the group. Chen Xueqing, on the other hand, activated the Purifying Lotus, and a verdant halo spread out, forming a purification domain with a diameter of ten zhang. Within it, the omnipresent feeling of erosion and restlessness was immediately greatly reduced.

Wang Cheng took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress his soaring domineering battle intent. The light of the Chaos Bone Arm also became more restrained and profound, as if covered by a layer of dark rock.

Yu Changsheng closed his eyes, and the power of his Emperor Soul sank into the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness.

The phantom of the Annihilation Sword floated within, the core gray dot of the Returning Void Star Orbit Compass at the sword's hilt pulsating slowly, faintly echoing the desolate land beneath his feet that had buried countless stars. He attempted to guide a wisp of extremely weak, desolate spiritual energy, initially filtered by the Chaos Emperor's blood, carefully merging it into the cracks in his Dao Foundation.

The stinging sensation persisted, but the purple-gold light emanating from the fragments of the Chaos Origin Core deep within the crack seemed to harbor an extremely subtle...desire for this energy containing the essence of star annihilation.
He realized something deeper: though this realm was perilous, it was also a place of great opportunity. If he could overcome the initial hardships and harness the unique "Star Annihilation" power of this realm for his own use, his Chaos Emperor Path might forge an unprecedented path here!
"Let's go!" Yu Changsheng opened his eyes, his gaze as cold as stars.

He chose a direction, took a step, and the space beneath his feet rippled slightly. His figure was already dozens of feet away. His speed seemed slow, but it carried a mysterious power of shrinking the distance to an inch. Every step he took was as steady as a mountain, cleverly avoiding the most dangerous corrosive energy nodes and hidden spatial rifts on the ground.

Wang Cheng immediately followed, his burly body landing silently, like a dark golden boulder rolling. Mo Heng was enveloped in the aura of deduce runes, but his pace was not slow at all, closely following behind Yu Changsheng.

Chen Xueqing moved with light steps, and the emerald green purification light field moved with her, as if opening up an oasis of life in a desolate wasteland.

The winds in the desolate region grew stronger, whipping up a sky full of gray-black stardust, like a frigid sandstorm. Visibility was severely obstructed, and spiritual senses were compressed to within a hundred feet.

Huge, varied skeletons of star beasts loomed in and out of view amidst the sandstorm, like ancient trolls lurking in the shadows.

Some of the skeletons flickered with faint phosphorescent light, traces left behind by the likes of the Bone Owl, or perhaps the strange creatures born from this land itself.

After traveling only a few hundred miles, Ling Wuying's figure quietly coalesced like ripples on water beneath a natural archway formed by countless intersecting massive ribs.

He didn't speak, but simply raised his hand, pointing the Guixu metal prosthetic arm to an inconspicuous shadow inside the archway.

Yu Changsheng's gaze sharpened.

In the shadows lay two corpses dressed in animal skin robes similar to those of the Bonebreaker Hunters.

Each corpse had a thin, hair-like black line on its neck, piercing straight through the cervical spine, indicating the annihilation of its primordial spirit.

Beside the corpse, a twisted skull pattern was etched into the glass floor with some kind of corrosive liquid. Between the skull's eyebrows, there was a drop of still-drying black blood that exuded a chilling aura—the mark left by the Ghost Shadow Child.

Next to the skull pattern, there are several fine engravings pointing in a northwest direction, and a cross symbol representing "danger" is engraved on it.

"The Black Star Fortress sentries have been eliminated. Thirty miles ahead, there is a small patrol team of three, all in the late Nascent Soul stage, well-equipped, and equipped with 'Spirit-Seeking Bone Whistles' that can detect spiritual energy fluctuations."

"The detour route has been marked." Ling Wuying's icy voice rang out directly in everyone's minds, while simultaneously sharing a short section of the terrain map ahead, perceived through the shadows.

"Well done." Yu Changsheng nodded approvingly. Ling Wuying and Gui Yinzi's efficiency and professionalism were especially important in this environment. "Follow the marked route and detour."

Guided by Ling Wuying's shadow, the group changed direction silently like ghosts, disappearing into a maze-like forest of rocks formed by the collapsed spines of star beasts.

The sandstorm was mostly blocked by the massive skeleton, but the concentration of stardust miasma in the air seemed even higher, mixed with a faint, strange, sweet and fishy smell that made one feel dizzy.

"Be careful, it's 'bewitching miasma,' mixed in with stardust, which can confuse the mind."

Chen Xueqing gently reminded him, and the light of the Pure World Lotus shifted slightly, the emerald halo becoming more solid, isolating the sweet and fishy smell from the outside.

Mo Heng also timely cast several Returning Void Runes to stabilize his mind and merge them into the light domain.

After walking through the rocky forest for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view ahead suddenly opened up. But the scene before them made everyone's hearts sink.

In the center of a relatively open basin of glazed tiles, three simple watchtowers, each over ten feet tall, stood out prominently! The watchtowers were built from rough black boulders and huge animal bones, with eerie green bonfires burning on their tops. The firelight flickered in the wind and sand, illuminating the conspicuous skull emblem dripping with black oil on the towers—the symbol of Black Star Fortress!
On each watchtower stood several imposing guards, their eyes scanning the basin entrance warily. Even more alarming was the faint connection between the three watchtowers, forming a triangular perimeter of protection covering the entire basin. Any strong spiritual energy fluctuation or life force intruding would likely trigger an alarm immediately.

“It’s an outpost of Blackstar Castle! It’s even further forward than Bone Owl remembers! They’re expanding their perimeter!” Mo Heng said gravely, quickly analyzing the energy fluctuations. “The perimeter array is quite primitive, but it covers a wide area. Forcibly breaking through or going around to a very far distance will waste a lot of time and may trigger unknown traps.”

A fierce glint flashed in Wang Cheng's eyes: "Just three broken towers! Your Majesty, let me smash them! I'll make sure they're all taken down before they sound the alarm!"

Yu Changsheng's gaze calmly swept over the three watchtowers and the triangular area they formed, then he looked up at the dark, inky blue sky obscured by sand and dust, and at the deep shadows cast by the massive skeletons around him. His Emperor Soul power spread silently, like the most precise probe waves, scanning the structure of every inch of space.

A moment later, a cold smile appeared on his lips.

“No need for a direct assault, nor for a long detour.” Yu Changsheng pointed to the area above the watchtower complex, where several toe bones of floating star beasts, shaped like giant claws and teetering on the verge of collapse due to weathering, were visible.

"This space is fragile, and deathly energy is accumulating. Mo Qing, use the Returning Void Array Pattern to draw upon the deathly power of the stars accumulated by the skeletons above, creating an 'accidental' collapse."

The scope should cover the triangular area.

Wang Cheng, once the chaos begins, you will flank and destroy the communication crystal of the central main tower as quickly as possible. Ling Wuying and Gui Yinzi, take care of the guards on both side watchtowers, making sure it's done silently.

“Xueqing,” he said, looking at Chen Xueqing, “use the power of the Azure Lotus to shield the energy fluctuations from leaking out of this place to the greatest extent possible, especially the domineering aura of Wang Cheng when he made his move and the spatial ripples caused by the collapse.”

"Yes!" The crowd accepted the order, their eyes gleaming with eager anticipation. The Emperor's plan was precise and deadly!
Mo Heng's withered fingers instantly turned into a phantom, and hundreds of extremely fine Returning Void Array patterns burrowed into the ground like living things, silently spreading towards the several huge suspended toe bones above.

The array patterns skillfully guided and gathered the stagnant energy of stars that had accumulated within the skeleton for countless millennia, stimulating the already fragile connection points.

Like a lurking tiger, Wang Cheng concealed all his aura, his Chaotic Bone Arm poised to strike, its target locked on a dark green crystal embedded in a skull's eye socket atop the central watchtower.

Ling Wuying and Gui Yinzi, like two venomous snakes slithering into the shadows, silently slid towards the base of the watchtowers on the left and right flanks.

Chen Xueqing took a deep breath, and the illusory image of the Pure World Green Lotus fully bloomed above her head. The emerald light was no longer soft, but instead flowed like mercury, forming a huge, inverted bowl-shaped light curtain that firmly enveloped the entire watchtower area and the hundreds of feet of space above it!

Inside the light curtain, all sound and energy fluctuations were forcibly suppressed and isolated!
The moment the light curtain took shape—

"Crack... Rumble!!!"

A tooth-grinding, deafening sound, like the breaking of star bones, came from above!
Those massive, suspended toe bones, whose internal energy had been detonated by the Returning Void Array Pattern and whose support points had been destroyed, crashed down like collapsing mountains, carrying billions of tons of deadly star power, towards the triangular warning area below!
"Enemy attack?!" "Is the sky falling?!"

The guards on the watchtower were instantly terrified by this sudden "natural disaster." The bone whistle that was about to sound the alarm was drowned out by the deafening sound of the collapse and the violent energy shockwave!
boom! boom! boom!
The boulders and giant bones crashed down, and the terrifying impact instantly tore apart the fragile protective array connecting the watchtowers!

The raging, deathly energy of the stars swept across the land like a tsunami, and the flying black rubble and bone fragments, like the deadliest shrapnel, tore apart and buried the unsuspecting guards!
The three watchtowers swayed violently in the core area of ​​the collapse, their protective lights flickering and teetering on the verge of collapse!
At the very center of this destructive energy eruption, chaos reached its peak in an instant!
Wang Cheng made his move!

He was like a long-dormant thunderbolt, leaving a dark golden afterimage in his wake!
The Chaos Bone Arm was no longer suppressed, and the crimson-gold power of the Overlord Blood erupted, instantly transforming into a giant energy axe that had been condensed to the extreme and was wrapped in a destructive gray light!
"Break it for me!"

With a roar, the giant axe tore through the chaotic energy currents, ignoring the flying debris, and with the force of splitting the heavens, it slammed down on the eerie green communication crystal at the top of the central watchtower!
boom--!
The crystal, along with a small portion of the tower's top, shattered like fragile glass!

The deafening roar of collapsing giant bones crashed wildly within the azure lotus light barrier erected by Chen Xueqing, only to be forcefully suppressed back into this death basin. Smoke and dust, carrying the deathly stillness of the stars, surged like a muddy torrent, completely engulfing the three Black Star Watchtowers. Debris and broken giant bones continued to fall, emitting dull thuds.

Wang Cheng emerged from the thickest part of the smoke and dust, his dark gold scales covered in black ash, yet his chaotic bone arm shone brightly. In his hand, he clutched several fragments of eerie green crystals—the communication core of the central watchtower had been crushed by his bare hands. "That was satisfying!" he roared, his gaze sweeping across the ravaged battlefield like lightning.

From the ruins of the watchtowers on the left and right flanks, the figures of Ling Wuying and Gui Yinzi appeared like ghosts. Ling Wuying's Guixu prosthetic limb dripped with viscous black blood, and at his feet were several corpses with twisted necks and their Zifu points pierced by the Annihilation Finger Force.

Gui Yinzi's face paled even more. In the shadows beneath his feet, several pitch-black "ropes" formed from Yin energy were slowly retracting, and the guards bound at the ends of the ropes had turned into shriveled skin.

"Go! This place is no place to stay!" Yu Changsheng roared, his voice piercing through the smoke and dust. Mo Heng pointed his fingers rapidly, and several Returning Void Array patterns shot into the collapsing core, accelerating the chaotic clash of deathly energy, completely disrupting the spiritual energy of this place, and erasing the faint traces of everyone's remaining presence.

Without pausing, the six figures, like phantoms blending into the sandstorm, sped off towards the northwest direction marked by Ling Wuying, following the shadow of the giant star beast's ribs.

Behind them, the man-made "natural disaster" was still raging, providing the best cover.

The further northwest you go, the more the wind changes. It's no longer a mournful whine, but a sharp whistling!
The wind no longer carries stardust-like miasma, but countless tiny, sharp crystalline particles that gleam with a metallic chill!
They spun at high speed, cutting through the air with a chilling hissing sound. Vision was completely obscured by the gray-black storm, and spiritual senses were suppressed to their limit within ten feet of one's body.

This is the "curtain" of Black Wind Valley—the Soul-Devouring Gale Belt.

"Damn it!" Wang Cheng cursed under his breath, his Chaos Bone Arm held horizontally in front of his face, the dark gold scales rubbing wildly against the wind crystals, scattering a string of dazzling sparks and emitting a sharp sound of metal scraping against metal.

The crimson-gold aura formed by the power of his domineering blood was constantly weakened, and fine bloodstains began to appear.

The stardust miasma, mixed with the unique soul-piercing power of the gale, was all-pervasive. Even with Chen Xueqing's Azure Lotus Light Domain protecting them, it was still like a cold needle, constantly probing into everyone's Purple Mansion.

The aura of runes surrounding Mo Heng flickered violently, and beads of sweat appeared on his withered face. His voice was more solemn than ever before: "Your Majesty! The gale contains fragments of shattered space and the killing intent of stars! The spatial structure here is extremely unstable, and the disordered laws are like a thicket of knives! Forcing our way through may result in disintegration! We must find a 'gap in the wind'!"

With difficulty, he traced lines in the air with his fingertips, and a constantly twisting and changing channel model made of gray lines appeared in everyone's minds.

In the model, the areas representing deadly turbulence and relatively weak "wind gaps" flicker and their paths are as narrow as silk.

"Follow me!" Yu Changsheng's eyes blazed with a purple-gold light, and he unleashed the power of his Emperor Soul to its fullest extent. He no longer relied entirely on his sight and intuition; the core gray dot of the Returning Void Star Orbit Compass at the edge of the Annihilation Sword pulsed at an unprecedented frequency, resonating with this chaotic and violent world in a profound and mysterious way.

An insight into the deep structure of space, stemming from the instinct of the "true key," was awakened.

He took a step forward, his body twisting strangely as if it had no physical form, narrowly missing several transparent spatial folds that were almost invisible to the naked eye and exuded an aura of destruction.

The spot where they landed was precisely the entrance to a fleeting "wind gap" within the Mo Heng model. (End of Chapter)