I want to tread the heavens

"Now, it's our turn."

Ling Xiao's calm voice echoed in the inheritance hall, which had fallen into a brief silence due to the eruption of the star's origin, carrying an undeniable power.

Guo Dahai's face was ashen, his greed and killing intent replaced by shock and uncertainty. The pure starlight that had erupted just now, enough to annihilate the "Formation-Breaking Cone," had made him feel an unprecedented threat. Guo Yan's face was even paler, his eyes fixed on the silver aura around Ling Xiao that had not completely dissipated. His hand holding another bone cone trembled slightly, the demonic energy remaining on the bone cone seemingly having an instinctive fear of the silver light.

The demon minions and mutated creatures that had been fiercely attacking were now cowering, letting out uneasy growls. The inner courtyard disciples were even more ashen-faced, and many of them subconsciously took a half step back.

Uncle Rong, leaning on his broken sword, gasped for breath. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, soaking his chest, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light as he gazed at Ling Xiao's upright back. The protective silver light emanating from Ling Xiao stirred a faint but real ripple of hope in the still lake of his heart. Fa Cai also retreated to his side, his body riddled with deep wounds that exposed bone, his silver hairs dulled, and his breath weak, yet he still stubbornly held his head high, his amber eyes fixed on the enemy.

A brief stalemate.

However, this stalemate was destined to be short-lived. The enemy still outnumbered them, and they were all ruthless. After the initial shock, greed and ferocity would surely overwhelm their fear once again.

Just as Guo Dahai's eyes flashed with renewed ferocity, preparing to issue another order for an attack—

"Buzz..."

In the center of the Inheritance Hall, the only intact "Star Power" platform suddenly emitted a deep hum once more. Immediately afterward, the ground at the bottom of the platform, paved with a single piece of star crystal and sealed beneath a river of silver star power, slowly cracked open to both sides, revealing a staircase entrance that extended downwards and flowed with a dense, mercury-like star power!

A stellar power, several times purer and more vast than that within the main hall, brimming with boundless vitality and ancient primordial energy, erupted from the depths of the steps like a sleeping dragon awakening, instantly filling the entire hall! This power was so pure, so gentle, so immense that even the ferocious aura emanating from Guo Dahai and the others was slightly diluted, and the wounds on Uncle Rong and Fa Cai began to tingle and slowly heal on their own!

The jade pendant around Ling Xiao's neck resonated with an unprecedented, joyful, and guiding force—downward! There was something more important there!

Is it a deeper layer of inheritance? A passage to escape? Or... the last glimmer of hope left by the ancestors of the Starfall Clan?

There's no time to hesitate!

"Uncle Rong! Fa Cai! Let's go!" Ling Xiao made a quick decision, grabbed the swaying Uncle Rong, and turned to rush towards the suddenly appearing entrance to the Star Staircase! Fa Cai roared and followed closely behind.

"Stop them! Don't let them go down!" Guo Dahai reacted and roared angrily.

A glint of ruthlessness and greed flashed in Guo Yan's eyes. He hurled the bone cone in his hand towards the entrance of the stairs, attempting to blast it apart. However, the bone cone was easily dissolved by the dense, water-like starlight power as soon as it approached the entrance. His expression changed; he knew that ordinary methods would no longer be able to stop it.

"Chase them! All of you, chase them! They're exhausted, they can't get much further!" Guo Dahai waved his hand, leading the crowd to surge forward and rush down the steps. He absolutely wouldn't allow the prize he had in his grasp to slip away, nor would he allow Ling Xiao to gain any more opportunities.

The Starry Staircase winds downwards, its depth unknown. The staircase itself seems to be composed of solidified starlight, smooth and springy to the touch. The walls on either side are no longer stone, but flowing, shimmering silver curtains of starlight. Behind these curtains, one can vaguely see the magnificent spectacle of countless stars rising and falling, and the galaxy in motion, as if walking through a passageway leading to the depths of the starry sky.

The deeper they went, the denser and more viscous the stellar energy became, almost transforming into a liquid silver mist. Inhaling it brought a cool, soothing sensation, nourishing every inch of their parched meridians and cells. Ling Xiao could feel his newly acquired cultivation level rapidly stabilizing in this environment, even showing signs of improvement. A trace of color returned to Uncle Rong's pale face, and his breathing seemed smoother. The wound on Fa Cai's back visibly scabbed over and healed.

However, the pursuers behind them were hot on their heels. Footsteps, shouts, and the roars of monsters echoed through the narrow stairwell, growing ever closer.

After running downhill for an unknown amount of time, the view suddenly opened up ahead.

At the end of the stairs lies a vast underground space whose beauty and awe are beyond words.

At the center of the space was a "pond" over a hundred feet in diameter, bottomless, yet filled with liquid stellar energy radiating a soft silver light. No, it was no longer a pond, but a small "lake" formed from the purest stellar essence! The lake was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the spatial dome—there, not rock, but a real, complete, slowly rotating, and infinitely smaller projection of a magnificent star field, which, together with its reflection in the lake, formed a perfect and mysterious cycle.

This is the Star Source Pool. It is the energy core and source of the entire underground palace, and even the star veins of this region! That vast and powerful, yet gentle and pure life force originates from here.

The shore of the source pool is not covered with mud and sand, but with a kind of warm, jade-like, silvery-white crystal. Some fragrant, strangely shaped, translucent flowers and plants grow naturally on the crystal, swaying gently with the breath of the source pool.

This is the true land of creation, the final place of life and hope prepared by the ancestors of the Starfall Clan for themselves and for those who come after them.

However, in stark contrast to this tranquil and peaceful scene, the edge of the Source Pool was littered with more traces of battle and remains. Fragments of star puppets, grotesque black bones, shattered magical artifacts, and... several humanoid skeletons, still retaining their silvery-white hue despite the passage of time, but in various postures, clearly having died from exhaustion in fierce battle. They sat around the Source Pool, facing outwards, as if guarding this sacred land even in their final moments.

A sense of tragedy and desolation, yet imbued with an indomitable will to protect, permeates the air.

As Ling Xiao and his companions rushed down the steps, the sight before them sent a jolt through them. Ling Xiao, in particular, felt a surge of emotion; the jade pendant around his neck burned with warmth, conveying his deep affection, sorrow, and profound attachment to this source pool.

Behind them, the footsteps of the pursuers were already closing in.

"Nowhere to run now! Hahaha!" Guo Dahai laughed wildly as he rushed down the steps. When he saw this source pool, his eyes instantly blazed with extreme greed! Such pure and vast stellar source! If he could obtain it, he would be more than just a Foundation Establishment cultivator; Core Formation and Nascent Soul would be just around the corner! This was simply a heaven-sent opportunity!

Guo Yan, demon minions, and inner court disciples also poured out, completely surrounding the small space on the shore of the Source Pool. Everyone was stunned by the Star Source Pool before them, and then overwhelmed by greed.

"Kill them! This source pool is ours!" Guo Dahai's eyes were fixed on the shimmering silver lake, nothing else mattered.

Despair has descended once more. And this is a true dead end, with the Star Source Pool behind them, offering no way out.

Uncle Rong looked at the enemy who was closing in step by step and whose face was ferocious, then looked at the source pool that contained endless vitality, and finally his gaze fell on Ling Xiao, who was pale but had a firm look in his eyes.

A complex mix of emotions flashed in his bloodshot eyes—struggle, resolve, reluctance—which ultimately dissolved into a calm sense of relief.

"Xiao'er," Uncle Rong's voice was hoarse but unusually clear. He raised his trembling hand and pointed to the Star Source Pool, "Jump in."

"What?" Ling Xiao was taken aback.

"Jump!" Uncle Rong's tone was resolute, carrying an unquestionable command. "This power of the Source Pool can only benefit you, not harm you! It can nourish your Starfall Bloodline, stabilize your cultivation, and may even help you refine that restless power within your body! Quickly!"

"And what about you? How about getting rich?" Ling Xiao asked anxiously.

Uncle Rong revealed a rare, almost ethereal, gentle smile: "I have my own way. Listen to me, jump down, dive as deep as you can! Down there, perhaps there's a way out, perhaps... a new opportunity. Remember, no matter what happens, survive, become stronger, and then... leave this place."

He paused, then looked deeply into Ling Xiao's eyes, his gaze seeming to etch the boy's image into the deepest recesses of his soul: "Your parents... are towering heroes. You are too."

With that, he suddenly exerted force, shoving the unsuspecting Ling Xiao towards the Star Origin Pool! At the same time, he slapped Fa Cai's buttocks with his other hand, pushing it towards the edge of the pool as well: "Beast, protect him!"

"Uncle Rong! No!" Ling Xiao's eyes were bloodshot as he tried to struggle, but Uncle Rong used all his remaining strength to push him, causing him to stagger and fall towards the edge of the source pool.

At the same time, Guo Dahai and others rushed up, unleashing a barrage of attacks on Uncle Rong and Ling Xiao and Fa Cai, who were about to fall into the water!

"That old bastard's asking for it!"

"Don't let them jump!"

Uncle Rong whirled around, facing the overwhelming attack, his face expressionless. He slowly raised the rusty, broken sword in his hand, and the dark blood on the blade suddenly turned a vibrant, dripping crimson! A terrifying aura, tragic, resolute, and seemingly capable of burning soul and flesh, erupted from his battered body!

"With my remnant soul, burning with my battle blood, I sacrifice this body to protect my lord's offspring—I will burn myself to the point of breaking mountains!"

He let out a hoarse, violent battle roar that sounded inhuman! His entire being, along with the broken sword in his hand, transformed into a burning, blood-red blade of light, yet filled with endless sorrow and determination, defying countless attacks and crashing headlong into the onrushing enemy ranks!

"boom--!!!"

An indescribable explosion and flash of light engulfed everything on the shore. The shockwave tore several of the leading enemies to shreds, while many more were sent flying backward, coughing up blood. Even Guo Dahai and Guo Yan were horrified and retreated hastily.

As the light faded, only scorched earth and the lingering stench of blood remained. Uncle Rong's figure had vanished, leaving only the broken sword, which lay askew in the scorched earth. The rust on the blade seemed to have faded somewhat, revealing the cold, snow-white blade beneath, yet it was covered with new cracks, as if it might shatter completely at any moment.

"Uncle Rong—!!" Ling Xiao let out a heart-wrenching scream, tears instantly blurring his vision. He had barely managed to steady himself at the edge of the pool, thanks to Fa Cai's desperate grip on his clothes to prevent him from falling in. He watched helplessly as Uncle Rong transformed into that crimson blade of light, perishing together with the enemy…

Grief, anger, despair... gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes. He wanted to rush forward, but Fa Cai held him back tightly.

"Hehehe... You overconfident old dog!" Guo Yan recovered from his shock, a cruel pleasure spreading across his face as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "Good riddance, saves me trouble. Ling Xiao, it's your turn!"

Guo Dahai steadied himself, his eyes flashing with renewed killing intent: "Go! Capture him! Alive!"

The remaining enemies slowly approached again, their eyes gleaming with greed and ferocity.

Ling Xiao stood by the pool, his back to the shimmering, life-filled Star Source Pool, facing the ever-approaching death. His face was still wet with tears, but his eyes were dry, filled only with an icy, deathly stillness, like ancient ice, and deep within them, a single, raging flame of destruction about to ignite.

He slowly clenched his fist, and beneath his skin, purplish-gold lightning began to surge uncontrollably once more. The jade pendant around his neck was burning hot, and the source pool beneath him emanated a gentle call.

Should they jump down to save their lives, or fight to the death here and go with Uncle Rong?

Just as he was about to be consumed by endless sorrow and destructive desire—

"Tick-tock".

A faint, almost inaudible sound of water dripping suddenly rang out behind him.

It wasn't the sound of water from the source pool, but rather... a tiny drop of silvery lake water splashed up from the pool and landed precisely on the hilt of the broken sword, which was stuck diagonally in the scorched earth and covered with new cracks.

A miracle happened.

The seemingly ordinary drop of silvery lake water, the moment it landed on the hilt of the sword, seemed to possess a life of its own, rapidly seeping into the tiny cracks! Immediately afterwards, the broken sword seemed to be infused with some kind of vitality, trembling slightly and emitting a faint yet clear hum!

As the buzzing sound rang out, a pure, gentle, yet familiar stellar energy flowed upstream along the blade, like a sentient silver snake, swiftly burrowing into the scorched earth and extending towards the Star Source Pool!

The next moment, under the horrified gazes of Ling Xiao, Fa Cai, and all the enemies—