Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

He stood there, seemingly one with the chaotic and filthy wasteland beneath his feet, or like a reef that had stood firm despite being eroded for millennia.

His face was covered by a half-worn, dark silver metal mask that obscured the area above his nose, revealing only his strong jawline and eyes.

What kind of eyes are those?
Like a frozen pool that has never melted, it is deep, cold, and sharp, yet it also contains a sense of having seen through life and death and having experienced many hardships.

There was no murderous intent, no emotion, only a calm indifference, as if the fierce battle before them was nothing more than the rise and fall of dust.

He didn't look at the struggling hunting team; his cold gaze, like a tangible blade, pierced through the blood prison and landed precisely on the core of the constantly rotating energy vortex "eyes" on the carapaces of the three Corrupted Abyss Scorpions.

Then, he moved.

There was no earth-shattering burst of energy, not even the act of drawing a sword.

He simply raised his right arm, his fingers forming a knife-like shape, and made three empty slashes in the air towards the three poisonous scorpions.

The movements were as fast as lightning, yet incredibly clear.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Three extremely refined, dark red blade beams, each only a foot long, appeared out of thin air!
The blade's light wasn't scorching; instead, it carried a chilling killing intent and an aura of annihilation that penetrated to the bone. It was silent and imperceptible, disregarding spatial distance, as if it existed inherently before the "eyes" of the scorpion's carapace.

puff!puff!puff!
Three soft sounds, like a hot knife cutting into solidified grease.

The core of the energy vortex on the carapace of the three Corrupted Abyss Scorpions, which they were so proud of and could absorb and reflect spells, was precisely struck, pierced, and annihilated by the three dark red blade beams!
"squeak--!!!"

The three scorpions simultaneously let out a terrifying, shrill scream that went so far as to become distorted!
That wasn't a painful wail, but rather a desperate cry of despair from a destroyed core and a collapsed source of power!

Their massive bodies suddenly stiffened, the light on their carapace dimmed instantly, and the chaotic energy flow they had triggered suddenly went out of control and backfired!
boom! boom! boom!
Three filthy orbs of light, mixed with dark green venom, broken carapace, and runaway energy, suddenly exploded!

The violent shockwave instantly tore apart the crumbling Blood Fiend Cage!
Puff puff!
The five members of the hunting team were struck as if by a heavy blow. They all coughed up blood and flew backward, crashing onto the crystal platform. They looked in utter horror at the three scorpions whose cores were destroyed, were being devoured by their own out-of-control energy, and were twitching and rapidly dying.

The gray figure stopped after unleashing three sword beams and remained standing quietly atop the crystal, as if it had only done something insignificant.

The cold gaze finally turned to Yu Changsheng and his group, who had just emerged from their hiding place.

His gaze lingered on Yu Changsheng the longest, especially on Yu Changsheng's chest, which still bore cracks and faintly revealed silver-blue star patterns, and on the Extinction Sword on his lap, whose restrained aura caused a barely perceptible furrowing of his brow beneath his mask.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior!" The sinister old man from the hunting team struggled to his feet, enduring his injuries, and bowed to the gray figure, his voice trembling with relief and awe.

The opponent's strength was at least at the late stage of the Void Refinement realm, or even at its peak!

Moreover, the precision and annihilation properties of that blade of light were unprecedented.

The gray-clad swordsman ignored the old man's thanks, his cold gaze sweeping over them. His hoarse, low voice, devoid of any emotion, rang out, like two rough stones rubbing against each other.

"Corpse tax".

Those three short words turned the faces of the five members of the hunting team deathly pale, their eyes filled with fear and resentment.

The sinister old man gritted his teeth, reluctantly pulled out a storage bag from his robes, and gestured for his team members to pile together the few pieces of ore containing faint star power and the relatively intact chitinous carapace fragments from the scorpion. He then respectfully placed them on the ground, bowed deeply to the gray-clad swordsman, and without daring to linger, helped each other up and staggered away, disappearing into the chaotic energy flow as if a prehistoric beast was chasing them.

The gray-clad swordsman then raised his hand and summoned the "offerings" on the ground. An invisible force swept them up and flew into his hand, which he put away without even looking at them.

After doing all this, his cold eyes fell on Yu Changsheng and the others again, especially lingering on Yu Changsheng and the Sword of Annihilation for a moment longer.

"A newcomer?" The hoarse voice rang out again, carrying a hint of scrutiny that was barely perceptible. "To get this far, you must have some skill, or you've had enough bad luck."

Yu Changsheng stepped forward, the Purple-Gold Emperor Seal faintly appearing between his brows, his aura as steady as a mountain, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you for your assistance. We are new to the Abyss of Wasteland and know nothing of its rules. We hope you can enlighten us. My name is Yu Changsheng. May I ask your honorific title?"

The gray-clad swordsman did not answer the question about his name. His cold gaze swept over Wang Cheng, Mo Heng, and the others before finally returning to Yu Changsheng's face. He spoke slowly, each word carrying the cruel aura unique to the Waste Star Abyss.

"The Abandoned Star Abyss is a land without an owner, a place where bones are buried. There are only three rules."

"Firstly: the strong prey on the weak, and one is responsible for one's own life and death. There is no law or order here. Murder and robbery, the weak being eaten, is a matter of course. Trust is a death warrant."

"Secondly: Territories are owned, and those passing through must pay taxes. As you can see, the Abandoned Star Abyss is not entirely chaotic; it has been divided among several major forces. This 'Corrupted Poison Crystal Plain' beneath your feet belongs to the outer hunting grounds of the 'Blood Slaughter Hall.' Anyone hunting, gathering, or even just passing through here, upon seeing the 'tax collector,' must pay 30% of their harvest or equivalent goods. Those who violate this rule will be considered to have provoked the enemy and will be killed without mercy. I am one of the tax collectors here." He pointed to himself.

Everyone was shocked.

Tax official!

Such a powerful swordsman is actually just a tax collector on the periphery of some faction?

What kind of existence is the "Blood Slaughter Hall"?
"Thirdly: The abyss has eyes; forbidden paths must not be crossed. Deep within the Abyss of Wasted Stars, connecting to the entrance to the 'Heavenly Ruins,' lie ancient battlefield ruins and perilous wastelands. Certain areas and certain entities are universally recognized as forbidden. Those who stray into them will face certain death. For example,"

He paused, his icy gaze seemingly piercing through the chaotic void, fixed on a certain direction. “The ‘Thousand-Eyed Evil Nest’ at the core of the ‘Soul-Devouring Sand Sea,’ the ‘Ancient Demon’s Remnant’ beneath the ‘Dragon Burial Gorge,’ and… the ‘Abyss Patrol Envoys’ lingering near the ‘Pier of Silence.’ If you encounter areas marked with ‘Bone Emblems’ or ‘Blood-Dripping Curved Blades,’ detour.” His speech was slow, yet each word was like a knife, etched into everyone’s hearts, outlining the naked survival rules of the Waste Star Abyss—absolute rule by violence, a strict division of power, and taboos lurking in the deeper darkness, taboos that even powerful forces fear.

"As for powerful forces..." The gray-clad swordsman's voice remained calm, yet it carried a deeper sense of gravity, "There are three main families that rule the outer areas of the Waste Star Abyss."

"Blood Slaughter Hall: Known for body refinement, blood cultivation, and beast taming. Its hall master, 'Blood Slaughter Child,' is rumored to have reached the threshold of the late-stage Integration Realm. He is ferocious and tyrannical, controls the widest area, and has the most henchmen. Those people just now were paying taxes to the Blood Slaughter Hall."

"Bone Prison City: Specializes in skeletal puppetry, necromancy, and curses and poisons. The city lord, 'Lady Skeleton,' is mysterious and rarely appears in public. It is said that she is related to the ancient Corpse Path. Her 'Bone Prison Guards' are fearless and their territory is filled with traps and poisonous miasma."

"The Shadow Stream Society: The most mysterious, renowned for assassination, intelligence gathering, and spatial magic. Its leader, 'Faceless,' is unknown to all. Its members are like shadows, deeply infiltrating. Although its territory may seem the smallest, no one dares to underestimate it, because you never know if the shadow beside you belongs to them."

"The three factions fight each other, but also cooperate to divide the spoils. Below them are numerous smaller forces, hunting groups, and lone wolves who depend on them. There are no good people who can survive in the Abyss of Waste Stars."

He glanced at Yu Changsheng and the others, especially at the traces of battle still on their bodies and the aura of the newly acquired Star Origin Ore, and his voice grew even colder.

“You carry the scent of Star Origin Ore and the resentful mark of that old bat, Black Fiend… This is quite troublesome. The Blood Slaughter Hall will soon be coming after you by the scent. Black Fiend is a guest elder of Bone Prison City; if he suffers a loss, Bone Prison City will not let it go.”

Having said all that, the gray-clad swordsman seemed to have fulfilled some kind of "duty" or "interest," and said no more. He turned around, took a step, and his figure appeared on another floating boulder dozens of feet away. After a few flashes, he was about to disappear into the turbid energy turbulence.

"Your Excellency!" Yu Changsheng spoke in a deep voice, his voice piercing through the chaotic energy background, "I have not yet asked your honorable title? This favor, Yu Changsheng will surely repay."

The gray-clad swordsman paused slightly, but did not turn around. Only his hoarse, deep voice, like a cold wind sweeping across jagged rocks, drifted from afar:
"His name... I've long forgotten. In the Abyss of Wasteland, only the sword remains alive."

He turned his hand and gently patted the ancient-looking scabbard on his back.

"Just call me 'Return to Stillness'."

Before he finished speaking, his figure had completely disappeared into the chaotic grayness, as if he had never existed.

“Return to Silence…” Yu Changsheng repeated in a low voice, his gaze sharp as lightning, firmly locking onto the direction in which the other party had disappeared. The Sword of Annihilation resonated very slightly in his hand, and the silver-blue starlight at the core of the Returning Void Star Orbit Compass at the hilt seemed to brighten a little more.

"Your Majesty, this person..." Wang Cheng said in a deep voice, his Chaos Bone Arm clenched tightly. He could feel the unfathomable strength and blade-like danger of the gray-robed man.

"Unfathomable, both righteous and wicked." Mo Heng's expression was extremely solemn. "He told us all this not out of kindness. Perhaps... he saw the Emperor's extraordinary nature and believed we had the potential to stir up trouble, or... he himself is playing a game?"

Chen Xueqing's Azure Lotus Domain rippled slightly: "The sense of 'loneliness' on his body is very strong. It is of the same origin as the Waste Star Abyss, yet it is incompatible with it. It is like... a knife stuck in rotten flesh."

“Blood Slaughter Hall… Bone Prison City…” Wang Cheng chewed on these two names, his Chaotic Bone Arm unconsciously clenching, the joints making a slight cracking sound, and dark golden runes flickering at the edges of the cracks, as if sensing the fighting spirit and killing intent churning in his master’s chest.

"I don't care what kind of palace or city it is, if they dare to come, I'll tear their bones down and use them as building blocks!"

Mo Heng's withered fingers moved rapidly through the void. The Myriad Transformations Returning to Nothingness Furnace hovered above his head, its mouth pouring out fine gray runes that merged into the surrounding space. He tried his best to smooth out the spatial ripples that had been exacerbated by the fierce battle and the powerful aura of returning to nothingness. His voice was solemn like never before.

"Your Majesty, we cannot linger here! Gui Ji's words are true. The aura of the Star Origin Mine is like a torch in the night, and the hyenas of the Blood Slaughter Hall will not let it pass. The resentment mark left by the Black Fiend Old Demon before he fled is like a malignant sore. The methods of Bone Prison City have always been insidious and unpredictable, and it is only a matter of time before they track us down."

He pointed northwest, the direction where the silence had vanished, and also the only way to reach the core area of ​​the deeper Abyss of Waste Stars. A huge, grayish-yellow shadow, like a solidified sandstorm, stretched across the chaotic horizon, exuding an ominous aura that made one's soul tremble.

"The Soul-Devouring Sand Sea! One of the forbidden areas warned by Guiji! If one wants to delve deeper into the Heavenly Ruins, this is a dangerous place that cannot be bypassed. The Black Fiend Old Demon's roar before his escape, connecting this place to the entrance of the Abyss of Wasted Stars, is no coincidence. He may have a treacherous intention to use someone else to kill him!"

“Soul-Devouring Sand Sea…” Chen Xueqing repeated softly. The illusory image of the Pure Lotus slowly rotated beneath her feet, its emerald radiance striving to dispel the filthy thoughts and cold radiation that were constantly eroding everyone’s surroundings.

She looked at Yu Changsheng, her clear eyes reflecting his scarred chest and his still-unsettled breathing, her expression filled with undisguised worry: "Brother Yu, your injuries..."

Yu Changsheng slowly straightened up.

Within his body, the Chaos Emperor's Blood surged and roared, while the purple-gold light and the silver-blue Star Extinction Dao Principle were like two raging dragons tearing, entangled, and merging wildly in the cracks of his meridians and Dao Foundation. Each collision brought excruciating pain that tore at his soul.

His face was as pale as paper, but his lips were pressed into a resolute straight line. The Sword of Annihilation lay quietly across his lap, and at the core of the Returning Void Star Orbit Compass at the hilt, the newly formed silver-blue starlight, like a pointer drawn by a magnet, firmly pointed to the depths of the Soul-Devouring Sand Sea, where the coordinates of the Heavenly Void called out.

"No injury." His voice was low and hoarse, yet carried an undeniable composure, as if the terrifying conflict within him, enough to tear apart a Nascent Soul cultivator, was nothing more than a gentle breeze.

His deep gaze swept over his companions, past the cracks in Wang Cheng's bone arm, Mo Heng's withered state from excessive exertion, Chen Xueqing's trembling fingertips as she maintained the Azure Lotus Light Domain, and the tense, alert figures of Ling Wuying and Gui Yinzi, before finally settling on the desolate, gray-yellow sand sea.

"Tigers and wolves are ahead, jackals and jackals are behind. The desert is dangerous, but it is the only passage. Mo Qing, use the Star Origin Mine as a base to immediately set up the 'Conceal Breath and Hide Tracks' and 'Consolidate Essence and Guard the Spirit' double formations! Wang Cheng, restrain your fighting spirit and unleash your domineering blood! Xue Qing, use the power of the Azure Lotus to protect your heart meridian and resist the soul-devouring sound of the desert! Ling Wuying and Gui Yinzi, go forward to set up the alert, and lie in wait at the edge of the desert!"

"Yes, sir!" the crowd roared in response.

Mo Heng moved the fastest. With a flick of his withered palm, several pieces of star source ore of varying sizes flew out, shimmering with pure silver-blue starlight.

His hands formed hand seals like butterflies flitting among flowers, and profound and obscure gray runes were precisely imprinted on the mineral marrow. The mineral marrow hummed, drawing upon pure stellar power and spatial energy, and quickly constructing a nearly transparent distorted light membrane around everyone. At the same time, another warm, stable, and soul-nourishing power spread out and merged into Chen Xueqing's Azure Lotus Light Domain.

With the double array formations stacked, the leaking aura of everyone was instantly suppressed to a minimum, as if blending into the background noise of the Abyss of Wasteland. (End of Chapter)