Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

Inside the underground cave, all was deathly silent, except for the heavy breathing of the group and the buzzing of chaotic energy.

The air was filled with the stench of blood, burnt remains, and the crisp scent of residual Star Origin Marrow, all blending together to create a strange smell of war embers.

Wang Cheng gently laid Yu Changsheng flat on the silver sand. Every slight rise and fall of his cracked chest tugged at everyone's heartstrings.

Chen Xueqing knelt to one side, with the Pure World Lotus floating above her. The clear light of the lotus petals poured down like moonlight, continuously flowing into Yu Changsheng's body, trying its best to repair the terrible wounds left by the rampaging violent energy.

Her face was as pale as paper, and her smooth forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. Maintaining the output of the Azure Lotus Source had almost drained her of every bit of spiritual power. Her delicate body trembled slightly, and the bloodstains at the corners of her mouth added to her tragic beauty.

"Fairy Xueqing, hold on!" Mo Heng, barely able to keep his body from collapsing, trembled as he pulled out a few remaining pills from his robes, each emitting a faint medicinal fragrance. He swallowed one himself and then offered one to Chen Xueqing and Wang Cheng.

"Take the Qi-Strengthening Pill quickly to stabilize your mind and foundation!"

Guiyinzi moved swiftly along the edge of the cave like a ghost, chanting incantations and forming sinister hand seals.
A thick, pungent aura of yin energy surged from his sleeves, merging into the shadows of the surrounding rock walls to form a thin, constantly writhing "veil of yin miasma."

This is not a powerful defense, but it can effectively distort light and confuse the perception of auras. It is a concealment method commonly used by ghost cultivators. "The Yin Sha Concealment Array is better than nothing... I hope it can hold out for a little longer."

His voice was hoarse, clearly indicating that he had also expended a great deal of energy.

Ling Wuying's figure was pressed against a recess in a rock wall with roots entwined around it. His Guixu metal prosthetic limb was pressed against the cold glass rock. He closed his eyes and concentrated, as if he had become one with the rock.

His senses, like the most sophisticated radar, penetrated the ghostly miasma of the underworld, cautiously extending outwards, alert to any unusual activity in the direction of the desert, while also exploring the depths of this underground cave.

"Temporarily...safe." A moment later, Ling Wuying's cold voice rang in everyone's minds, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.
"The sand sea is fluctuating violently, as if a powerful will is searching, but it is weakened by the barriers of rock layers and roots. This place... is strange; there are faint spatial ripples deep within, like... artificial traces?"

His report eased the tension slightly, but everyone's attention immediately returned to Yu Changsheng. At this moment, the conflict within Yu Changsheng's body had reached its final and most dangerous point.

The purplish-gold Chaos Emperor Blood and the silver-blue Star Extinction Dao Principle were like two ancient ferocious dragons forcibly trapped in a furnace on the verge of collapse. Every bite and collision caused Yu Changsheng's "furnace" to groan under unbearable pressure.

The cracks on its surface flickered, sometimes shining brightly with a purplish-gold light that suppressed the silver-blue; at other times, they were torn apart by the cold starlight, releasing a destructive aura.

Chen Xueqing's Azure Lotus Power was like the gentlest craftsman, trying his best to repair the cracks, but it couldn't keep up with the speed of destruction.

"Uh...cough..." Yu Changsheng, who was unconscious, suddenly convulsed and coughed up a mouthful of black blood mixed with stardust.

"My lord!" Wang Cheng's eyes widened, and his Chaos Bone Arm clenched instinctively. The dark golden bone fragments gleamed with a cold light under his suppressed anger, yet he dared not make the slightest move, for fear that even a trace of energy leakage would disrupt the balance.

Data streams flashed wildly in Mo Heng's eyes, and the phantom of the Myriad Transformations Returning to the Void Furnace was desperately deducing in his sea of ​​consciousness. "The core of the conflict is at the intersection of the Dao Foundation Crack and the Purple Mansion!"

The fragments of the Chaos Source Core and the primordial essence of star destruction are incompatible! Forcibly suppressing them will only lead to mutual destruction! It requires… channeling! It requires one to overpower the other, or… finding a way for coexistence!

Coexistence? Easier said than done! Those are diametrically opposed, fundamentally repulsive forces!

At this critical moment, deep within Yu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness, at the core of the Returning Void Star Orbit Compass on the edge of the Annihilation Sword, the silver-blue starlight that had been lit up suddenly shone brightly!

A cold, vast, all-encompassing sense of "silence," like a guide from the ancient starry sky, instantly flowed into his chaotic will.

This guidance is not a force, but an enlightenment of the "Tao," a supreme understanding of seeking order in destruction and giving birth to new life in annihilation!
The Emperor's Soul Will, on the verge of collapse, burst forth with unprecedented resilience and enlightenment, like a drowning person grabbing onto the last piece of driftwood!

"Chaos...not born...annihilation...not dead..."

A broken thought resounded deep within Yu Changsheng's soul.

"All things...return to nothingness...even the stars...are reduced to ashes..."

"Use chaos as a furnace... absorb annihilation as fuel... and forge... yourself!"

boom!
It was as if a thunderclap, capable of splitting the heavens and earth, exploded within Yu Changsheng's body! He no longer tried to forcibly suppress or separate the two forces, but instead opened the "furnace" on the verge of collapse—his broken Dao foundation and Purple Mansion!
The light of the Chaos Emperor's Blood is no longer merely for defense and repair, but transforms into an invisible, all-encompassing "Chaos Furnace" phantom that actively envelops and absorbs the violent and conflicting power of star destruction!
The excruciating pain surged a hundredfold in an instant! It felt like millions of red-hot steel needles were repeatedly piercing him from the inside out! Yu Changsheng let out a low growl that was suppressed to the extreme, his body convulsed violently, and the purplish-black star mist emanating from his seven orifices suddenly intensified.

"Your Majesty!" Chen Xueqing exclaimed, as the essence of the Azure Lotus surged in recklessly, attempting to stabilize the precarious "furnace wall".

"Don't move!" Mo Heng suddenly shouted, his withered face bursting with a mixture of ecstasy and shock. "My lord... my lord is actively accommodating! He is attempting... to forge!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Cheng, Ling Wuying, and Gui Yinzi were greatly shocked, staring incredulously at the body that was convulsing in pain yet possessed an unyielding will.

To forge the power of annihilated stars? That's practically suicide!

But the Emperor... is really doing it!
Enveloped by the Chaos Furnace and guided by the "silence" of the Returning Void Star Orbit Compass, the violent power of stellar annihilation seemed to have found an outlet. It no longer charged chaotically, but instead, like a tamed wild horse, began to run wildly, compress, and purify within the Chaos Furnace along some mysterious trajectory!
With each cycle, a portion of the raging power is assimilated and absorbed by the Chaos Emperor's blood; with each compression, a trace of pure stellar annihilation essence is stripped away, like tempered steel, shimmering with a restrained and profound silver-blue luster.

This trace of pure essence was not assimilated by the chaos, but rather, like a brand, began to slowly merge into the depths of the cracks in Yu Changsheng's Dao Foundation.

The massive crack that pierced through the foundation of the Dao became the perfect "forging platform" and "branding spot".

chi chi chi...

A sickeningly subtle sound emanated from Yu Changsheng's body, as if an invisible giant hammer was repeatedly forging him. The cracks on his skin began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The newly formed flesh and meridians are no longer pure purple-gold, but flow with a thin layer of silver-blue halo like liquid starlight, which perfectly blends with the original chaotic imperial blood, forming a new, more resilient, and deeper purple-gold base with star patterns and strange texture!
The pain continues, but its nature has changed. The previous pain was a destructive tearing, the current pain is the rebirth pain of being forged into something new!

Chen Xueqing keenly sensed the change. The injected Azure Lotus power was no longer violently rejected, but instead acted as the best tempering agent, nourishing her newly formed body and strength. A relieved, tired smile finally appeared on her pale face.

Time passed silently in the deathly still cave. No one knew how much time had elapsed—perhaps the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, or perhaps an hour.

The earth-shattering conflict within Yu Changsheng's body finally subsided completely.

The phantom of the Chaos Furnace slowly dissipated, and the raging power of star destruction was completely tamed, decomposed, and absorbed.

The remaining wisp of the purest essence of the annihilated star, like a gentle galaxy, was deeply imprinted in the core crack of his Dao foundation, transforming into a winding, flowing, and dazzling silver-blue star pattern!
This star pattern not only mended the deepest rift but also granted him the most fundamental affinity and control over the Dao of Star Extinction! His aura was no longer violent and chaotic but became restrained, profound, and vast, like a chaotic starry sky that contained the birth and death of stars. Although he was still weak and his cultivation level had not yet returned to its peak, a fundamental transformation had been completed!
He slowly opened his eyes.

In those deep, purple-gold eyes, it seemed as if a galaxy had been extinguished and reborn, containing endless vicissitudes and coldness, yet when looking at his companions, he revealed a trace of warmth after surviving a catastrophe.

"Your Majesty!" Wang Cheng's voice choked with emotion, and the eyes of this towering man were slightly red.

"My lord!" Mo Heng let out a long sigh of relief, his tense body almost collapsing.

Chen Xueqing's tense nerves finally relaxed, the light of the blue lotus faded, and she swayed, almost falling over, but was quickly caught by the ghost Yinzi beside her.

"Xueqing, you've worked hard." Yu Changsheng's voice was still hoarse, but it carried an unprecedented calm and strength. His gaze towards Chen Xueqing was filled with gratitude and a hint of barely perceptible heartache.

"Mo Qing, Wu Ying, Yin Zi, you all did very well." He glanced at everyone and gave them his approval.

Just then, Ling Wuying, who had been silently exploring, appeared in front of an unusually thick root barrier deep in the cave.

“Your Majesty, there is something unusual here. Behind the roots, the space fluctuates regularly, not naturally formed. And…” He pointed to a faint yet exceptionally pure milky-white halo emanating from the gaps in the roots, “with the pure life force of stars seeping out.”

Everyone's spirits lifted!
Pure stellar life force? In the Waste Star Abyss, this is like an oasis in the desert!

"Break it open!" Wang Cheng said impatiently.

Supported by Gui Yinzi, Mo Heng approached, his withered fingers touching the roots covered in a dull metallic sheen. The phantom of the Myriad Transformations Returning to Nothingness Furnace reappeared, faintly analyzing. "It's some kind of... sealing restriction! Very ancient, its power severely depleted, and the core seems to be behind this halo. My lord, perhaps the regenerative power within you could give it a try?"

Yu Changsheng slowly rose to his feet. Although each step caused a stinging pain in his newly formed meridians, the feeling of regaining control of his power calmed him down. He walked to the root barrier, gazed at the milky white light, and extended his right hand.

This time, he did not use the Chaos Emperor's Blood, but instead tried to activate the newly formed silver-blue star pattern deep within his Dao Foundation.

hum!
A wisp of cold, pure starlight, carrying the power of the source of annihilation, flowed from his fingertips, gently touching the ancient root seal.

A strange thing happened!

The roots, which were originally strong and full of repulsive force, were like ice and snow melting away when they came into contact with this aura containing the origin of the extinction of stars. They silently retreated to both sides!

It was as if they had encountered a superior being of the same origin! A cave entrance, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, radiating a soft, milky-white glow, was revealed.

Inside the cave entrance was a small stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber stood a lotus platform carved from a single piece of warm, white jade. Above the platform floated three drops of milky-white liquid, each the size of a pigeon's egg, crystal clear and radiating an intense, almost palpable, stellar vitality and the nurturing power of space—Heavenly Star Jade Marrow! This was a supreme treasure formed over millennia by the essence of the stars under extremely stable conditions, possessing unparalleled wonders for repairing Dao injuries, stabilizing the soul, tempering the body, and enhancing cultivation!

Scattered around the lotus platform are several high-quality, small fragments of star cores, as well as several star-patterned stones engraved with the ancient trajectories of stars.

In a corner of the stone chamber, there was a skeleton sitting cross-legged. The skeleton was as clear as jade and had remained intact through the ages, clearly indicating that the person was a great being in life.

Before the skeleton lay an ancient jade slip and a broken short sword that still emitted a faint, sharp starlight.

"Celestial Jade Marrow! Star Core Fragment! Star Dao Pattern Stone!" Mo Heng's voice trembled with wild joy.

"A tremendous opportunity! An incredible opportunity indeed! This jade marrow is the supreme holy medicine that can stabilize the foundation of the newborn Dao and repair injuries! The star core fragments can help General Wang temper his bones and arms and repair cracks! The Dao pattern stones will also benefit Fairy Xueqing, Wuying, and Yinzi in their comprehension of the laws of the stars!"

Yu Changsheng's gaze swept across the stone chamber, lingering for a moment on the skeleton, sensing a desolate and lonely yet somewhat comforting lingering thought. He bowed slightly to the skeleton.

"I, Yu Changsheng, am deeply grateful for your legacy. I will repay this kindness and grace if the opportunity arises."

He stepped forward and carefully wrapped the three drops of Heavenly Star Jade Essence in Chaos Emperor Yuan and put them away. He also put away the Star Core Fragment, Star Dao Pattern Stone, Jade Slip and Broken Sword one by one.

The jade slip felt warm to the touch. When I probed it with my divine sense, a vast torrent of knowledge about star formations and weapon crafting flooded into my mind. It was called "The Secret Record of Starry Sky Refinement" and its value was immeasurable!
Although the sword is broken, it is made of rare "Silent Star Cold Iron," which contains a hint of annihilation and sharpness. With a little repair or reforging, it will be extremely powerful.

"This place is excellent, safe for now. The spiritual energy is thin but pure. Let's go into seclusion here, digest what we've gained, and restore our cultivation!" Yu Changsheng decided immediately.

The following period became a golden time for everyone to digest the results and undergo a complete transformation.

Yu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the lotus platform and took out a drop of Heavenly Star Jade Marrow and swallowed it.

boom!
The pure, vast, and incomparably gentle stellar life force instantly dissolved, like sweet rain from the heavens, nourishing every inch of his newly formed body, meridians, and dantian.

The silver-blue star pattern greedily absorbed this power, becoming even more solid and dazzling.

The remaining minute cracks on the foundation healed completely at a speed visible to the naked eye, making it stronger and wider than before the injury, with faint silver-blue star patterns flowing around it.

The feeling of weakness receded like a tide, and not only was his cultivation fully restored, but also, driven by the power of his newly formed Dao Foundation and Jade Marrow, he broke through the bottleneck in one fell swoop and stabilized at the peak of the Void Refining Realm!
They're only a thin layer of paper away from merging! (End of Chapter)