I want to tread the heavens

At the entrance to the underground palace, the protective barrier of the Earth-Defending Returning Origin Array was riddled with holes, cracks spreading like a spider web. Outside the array, demonic energy surged, and dozens of demonic soldiers clad in black armor formed a battle formation, continuously scorching the weak points of the barrier with their corrosive demonic fire. At the array's core, Guo Yun's face was ashen, the spiritual light on her phoenix-headed staff flickering, blood constantly seeping from the corner of her mouth, yet she stubbornly refused to retreat an inch. Behind her, the three remaining old women stood back to back in a formation, each wounded, but their eyes held the resolve of soldiers going to their deaths.

"Third Elder, the array base is about to shatter!" a nanny cried out hoarsely.

"Even if it breaks, we have to hold on! Buy them time!" Guo Yun gritted her teeth, shoved a treasured "Rejuvenation Pill" into her mouth, and forcibly squeezed out the last bit of spiritual power.

Just as the light shield was about to collapse—

"Retreat three from the Xun position, step seven from the Kun position, and lead the Earthly Fiend into the Li Palace!" A deep, resonant voice, like a bell, came from the depths of the underground palace.

Uncle Rong's figure appeared atop the broken walls and ruins, his grey robes fluttering in the wind, his broken sword pointing diagonally. Beneath his feet, the previously dim runes of the underground palace lit up one by one, like a reversed galaxy, transforming into streaks of silver light following the direction of his sword tip, instantly entangling the demonic soldiers outside the formation!

This is the "Star Lock Demon Binding Array" that he set up after his memories were restored, combining the Starfall Array and the Sky Dome Army Array! Using the remaining star power of the underground palace as the source and the Earth Guardian Array as bait, it lures the enemy deep into the array's core and kills them!

The demon soldiers' formation was thrown into chaos instantly. The light ropes coiled around them like venomous snakes, and those with weaker cultivation levels were immediately unable to move. The demonic energy was frantically purified and dissolved by the star power.

"Kill!" Uncle Rong roared.

Guo Yun understood immediately. She suddenly lowered her phoenix-headed staff, completely abandoning her defense and detonating all the remaining earth-guarding power!

"boom--!!"

The earth shook violently, and the brownish-yellow light shield shattered. The violent ground pulse shockwave, mixed with the strangulation power of the Star Lock Array, tore the front-line demon soldiers to shreds, while the rear-line soldiers were also thrown into chaos and disarray.

"Now's the time! Make a fortune!" Uncle Rong turned his blade and pointed it at the flank of the demon soldiers.

A silver-gray lightning bolt shot out from the shadows! Fa Cai's size did not expand to its limit, but remained agile, a size larger than an ordinary wolfhound. Its entire body was covered with condensed, almost tangible silver bristles, and its four paws were surrounded by pale purple moonlight flames—these were the "Moon Shadow Skimming" and "Soul-Splitting Claw" that it had awakened after initially mastering its bloodline!

Its speed was unbelievable, its figure leaving several afterimages as it weaved through the gaps between the demonic soldiers. Its claws rose and fell, specifically targeting joints and gaps in armor. Wherever its silver claws passed, the demonic armor tore like paper, and the accompanying moonfire seared straight into the soul, causing those struck to scream in agony and collapse to the ground. Occasionally, it would open its mouth and spew out a silent silver ripple (Advanced Wolf Howl - Soul-Sealing Howl), slowing the demonic soldiers' movements and buying Guo Yun and the others a chance to catch their breath.

"What a beast!" Uncle Rong exclaimed, but his body didn't stop. He wielded his broken sword like a tiger among sheep. Although his cultivation had not yet recovered, his eyesight, experience, and control over his weaknesses had reached a state of perfection. Every strike was precisely aimed at the gaps in the demon soldiers' moves, without wasting a single bit of strength. Wherever the sword flashed, severed limbs flew everywhere.

Guo Yun and the nannies also seized the opportunity to fight back, their swords flashing and staffs clashing as they reaped the enemies bound by the formation.

However, the chaos caused by the demon soldiers did not last long.

A terrifying, suffocating pressure descended from the sky like a collapsing mountain! From the crack in the sky that had been opened by the Boundary-Breaking Shuttle, a tall figure slowly descended, his feet treading on the void, the swirling demonic energy around him as thick as ink, and behind him faintly condensing into a hideous skull-shaped illusory core—a Golden Core stage demon general!

He was clad in dark gold heavy armor, his face shrouded beneath a mask, revealing only a pair of eyes burning with eerie green soul fire, and in his hand he gripped a massive halberd crackling with black lightning. Just a glance from him was enough to send a jolt through Guo Yun's chest, causing her spiritual energy to instantly stagnate.

"The struggle of ants only adds to the amusement." The demon general's voice was hoarse, with a metallic scraping quality, as he casually swung his giant halberd.

A hundred-foot-long black lightning bolt tore through the air, like a world-destroying demonic dragon, and slammed straight into the entrance of the underground palace! The star lock array light ropes set up by Uncle Rong shattered inch by inch the moment the lightning touched them, and the remaining earthen array base was directly reduced to dust!

"Pfft—!" Guo Yun could no longer hold on, spitting out a mouthful of blood as she flew backward, barely caught by the old woman. Uncle Rong was also thrown back by the shockwave, only managing to steady himself by planting his broken sword on the ground. His hand was split open, bleeding profusely.

The power of the Golden Core is truly astounding! This is an insurmountable barrier that cannot be bridged by skills or formations!

Fa Cai lay prostrate on the ground, its silver fur flattened by the demonic power, whimpering in pain, yet it stubbornly raised its head, its silver eyes fixed on the demon general, conveying the message: "Very strong...cannot bite...but not afraid."

The demon general's gaze fell on Uncle Rong, then swept over Fa Cai, his eerie green soul flame flickering: "The aura of the remnants of the fallen stars, and the Howling Moon Wolf... it seems the intelligence was correct. Hand over the Star Key and the cub, and I may grant you a complete corpse."

He took a step forward, shrinking the distance to an inch, and instantly closed in on Uncle Rong. The giant halberd, carrying immense force, crashed down upon him! Even before the halberd arrived, its terrifying pressure had already locked down the surrounding space, leaving Uncle Rong with no way to dodge!

"Don't even think about it!" Uncle Rong's eyes were bloodshot. Instead of retreating, he advanced and stabbed the broken sword into the ground. He formed a hand seal, spat out a mouthful of his life essence blood, and sprinkled it on the sword!

"With my broken body, I summon the stars back—Earth's Veins, Burn the Stars, rise!"

The floor beneath his feet suddenly lit up with dazzling crimson array patterns! This was him using his own blood essence as a guide to forcibly overdraw the last trace of unactivated meteorite source vein deep within the underground palace! The entire underground palace ruins began to shake violently, and countless fragments of stone fell from the dome, as if it were about to self-destruct.

"A mere trick." The demon general sneered, his giant halberd undiminished in its momentum, the black lightning intensifying.

Just at the critical moment—

Fa Cai let out a long, mournful, and resolute howl. Its silvery light instantly ignited, turning into dark red blood flames! Its size did not increase, but instead became more agile. Its four claws dug into the ground, and it withstood the pressure of the Golden Core cultivator. It transformed into a streak of blood-red light, not rushing towards the Demon General, but crashing into a broken meteorite pillar supporting the dome three zhang away from the Demon General!

"Crack—Boom!"

The stone pillar was already at its critical point, and with the impact of Fa Cai, which contained the essence of the Moon Wolf, it shattered with a roar! The huge stone pillar collapsed and crashed into the gap between the Demon General and Uncle Rong, raising a cloud of dust and triggering a chain reaction of collapse deeper into the underground palace!

The demon general's giant halberd was momentarily slowed by the collapsing stone pillars and the shockwaves from the ground.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Uncle Rong swiftly pulled out his broken sword, turned, and lunged at Guo Yun and the others: "Go! Get to the refuge deep within the underground palace! Quickly!"

Guo Yun was helped up by the nanny and hurriedly retreated into the underground palace passage. Uncle Rong brought up the rear, slashing down the falling rocks with his sword. He glanced one last time at the demon general who was temporarily swallowed by the smoke and dust, and at Fa Cai, who was struggling to get up from the rubble, his breath weak but his eyes stubborn.

"Xiao'er, the road has been paved, now... it's up to you." He murmured to himself as his figure disappeared into the darkness.

Outside the underground palace, the demon general shattered the massive boulder that had been pressing down on him, his black armor stained with dust, looking somewhat disheveled. He gazed at the collapsed entrance and the intricate network of passageways, his eerie green eyes flickering uncertainly. Ultimately, he didn't dare venture into this perilous place filled with unknown starfall restrictions, instead coldly ordering, "Seal off all exits! Dig three feet into the ground, dig them out!"

In the void, the meteor that the Boundary-Breaking Shuttle had transformed into had vanished into the depths of the turbulent currents. The story of the Old Land, amidst the roar and bloodshed of the underground palace, came to a tragic and unfinished end.