155: Star Rank Inquiry, Sword Breaks All Laws

The Star Staircase appeared to be made of illusory light, but stepping on it yielded a solid, cold sensation.

The moment he stepped onto the first stair, an invisible pressure descended—not merely pressure from the Power of Stars, but more like a manifestation of will that targeted the Dao Heart and interrogated the Divine Soul!

Lin Xuan's figure swayed slightly, then he steadied himself.

A flash of understanding passed through his eyes; this staircase tested not just cultivation, but the firmness of the Dao Heart and the clarity of the "Dao" one practiced.

His Dao Heart was as firm as a rock.

His experiences as a transmigrator, his insights from two lifetimes, coupled with the grand ambition of the Primal Beginning Sword Scripture to encompass all things and derive all Laws, made this wave of mental pressure feel like a gentle breeze brushing against a hillside.

He climbed steadily, not fast, but with an unstoppable composure.

Su Wanqing followed closely behind.

Her Dao Heart was pure, devoted only to the sword and her feelings; her Path of Taiyin was cold and aloof, also flawless.

In her icy eyes, there was only Lin Xuan's back ahead and the path beneath her feet.

Though the mental pressure was intense, it could not Move her in the slightest.

Qu Feiyan frowned slightly.

Although the Blood Lotus Demonic Art was uniquely powerful, it was ultimately a deviant path, and she had once betrayed her Sect, leaving her with deeper obsessions and inner demons.

This mental pressure stirred many distracting thoughts within her, and her pace became slightly sluggish.

But when she saw Lin Xuan's steady back ahead and felt the pure, firm Sword Intent from Su Wanqing beside her, her heart inexplicably settled.

The blood-red color in her eyes faded, turning firm once more.

She let out a cold snort and followed steadily.

Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang had weaker cultivation and less experience with Dao Heart tempering.

As soon as they stepped on the stairs, they felt their Divine Souls shake and illusions arise.

Gongsun Yu held tightly to her trust and reliance on Lin Xuan, using the fierce momentum of her Lightning Heart to disperse the confusion; Yun Shang relied on her Star Spirit Body to resonate with the starlight of the staircase itself, barely managing to hold on.

The five of them formed an arrow formation, with Lin Xuan at the tip, climbing step by step.

The higher they went, the stronger the mental pressure became, even mixed with various soul-bewitching illusions and interrogations that struck directly at the weaknesses of the Dao Heart.

Behind them, Ling Tianyu and his subordinates also stepped onto the staircase.

Their situation was far worse.

Several Mid-stage Golden Core guards with weak wills screamed the moment they stepped on the stairs, clutching their heads and rolling down, their Divine Souls damaged, losing their combat effectiveness in a short time.

Ling Tianyu himself was pale.

Although his Aptitude was good, he had been pampered, and his Dao Heart had many flaws.

At this moment, he was relying entirely on a Magic Treasure that protected the Divine Soul and a greedy obsession for the Opportunity to force his way up, his speed far slower than Lin Xuan's group.

"Damn it! How can they be so relaxed!"

Ling Tianyu watched the five of them, especially Lin Xuan, moving forward steadily and almost unaffected.

Seeing Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan following Lin Xuan's pace, jealousy and resentment burned in his heart like poisonous fire.

Climbing to the middle section of the staircase, a change occurred.

In the Void Realm on both sides of the staircase, dozens of figures suddenly condensed!

These figures were not physical entities but were formed from pure Power of Stars and ancient Battle Intent.

They held various starlight weapons, exuding auras no weaker than the Late Golden Core Stage, and launched an indiscriminate attack on the climbers like a tidal wave!

"It's the Star Palace Battle Intent projections! Be careful!" Yun Shang shouted.

These Battle Intent projections had no intelligence, only combat instinct, and attacked fearlessly, instantly bringing immense pressure to everyone.

Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed.

Instead of unleashing a wide-range attack, he controlled his initially perfected Taichu Sword Domain within three zhang of his body!

Inside the domain, shadows of earth, fire, water, and wind swirled.

The Battle Intent projections that rushed into the domain instantly had their movements become sluggish and distorted, and the Star Power they invoked was disturbed and decomposed by the basic Laws derived within the domain, greatly reducing their power.

"Break!"

Lin Xuan waved his sin-severing sword lightly.

Where the sword light passed, several Battle Intent projections vanished like bubbles.

Within his sword domain, he seemed like a Dominator, strolling leisurely.

Su Wanqing's frost silence sword danced, moonbeams poured down, and wherever the sword light reached, the Battle Intent projections froze and shattered, cold and efficient.

Qu Feiyan's whip, like a blood-red venomous dragon, was even more at home with the assistance of the sword domain.

Where the whip shadows passed, the Battle Intent projections were whipped away and devoured, and her aura grew faintly stronger.

Under the protection of Lin Xuan's sword domain, the pressure on Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang was greatly reduced, allowing them to attack with full force.

Lightning and starlight intertwined, cleaning up the stragglers.

The five of them cooperated tacitly.

Under the siege of the Battle Intent projections, they acted as a whetstone, making their coordination increasingly proficient, especially Lin Xuan's use of the Taichu Sword Domain, which became more and more handy.

In contrast, Ling Tianyu's side was in perilous danger.

The siege of the Battle Intent projections left them in a panic, their protective spiritual light flickered violently, and from time to time, guards were injured and screamed as they fell off the stairs.

Ling Tianyu himself was forced to retreat repeatedly by a powerful Spear Intent projection, in a sorry state, and could only rely on his subordinates forming a battle formation to struggle, with the gap between them and Lin Xuan's group growing wider.

Finally, after defeating the unknown number of waves of Battle Intent projections, Lin Xuan's group of five was the first to step onto the end of the Star Staircase, the magnificent altar shrouded by thousands of star rings!

The altar was built entirely of a silver material that was neither gold nor jade, engraved with vast star maps and mysterious runes.

In the center of the altar, three items were suspended:

On the left was a book woven from starlight, exuding an aura of knowledge and wisdom—the "Star Ancient Scroll" (Legacy Cultivation Technique).

On the right was a miniature, crystal-clear seven-stringed zither, with the Big Dipper pattern flowing on the zither body—"yaoguang immortal sound zither" (musical Magic Treasure).

And in the very center was a palm-sized star path compass, identical in shape to the one in Lin Xuan's hand but more ancient and complete, with the central needle rotating slowly on its own!

It exuded a mysterious aura of guiding the way forward and piercing through the Void Realm; it was the key token to the "Hall of All Stars"!

The three treasures were all extraordinary items!

However, a solid light curtain shrouded the center of the altar, evidently still having a final defense.

Just as Lin Xuan fixed his gaze on the complete star path compass and prepared to break the light curtain—

"Lin Xuan! Leave the compass and the zither behind!"

Accompanied by a roar full of jealousy and madness, Ling Tianyu finally rushed onto the altar with his remaining three scarred guards.

He looked frantic, his eyes bloodshot, staring fixedly at the three treasures on the altar, especially the star path compass and the zither that was clearly suitable for female Cultivators.

"Just by relying on your current state?" Qu Feiyan sneered, the blood lotus slowly rotating behind her, her Evil Qi oppressive.

Su Wanqing's frost silence sword pointed diagonally, her icy eyes locking onto Ling Tianyu, her killing intent undisguised.

This person was crooked-minded, had repeatedly provoked them, and leaving him would cause endless trouble.

Lin Xuan turned slowly, looking at Ling Tianyu, his gaze calm but carrying a sense of oppressive condescension.

"Young Lord Ling, it seems you still cannot recognize reality."

He took a step forward, his aura no longer restrained, and the massive spiritual power of his Great Perfection Golden Core mixed with the blood energy of his Five-Turn Golden Body erupted, like a sleeping dragon waking up!

Although the initially perfected Taichu Sword Domain was not fully expanded, an invisible Sword Intent that derived all Laws and destroyed all Daos had already shrouded the entire scene!

Ling Tianyu and his guards turned pale instantly.

Under the pressure of this aura, they felt breathing difficult, and their spiritual power circulation became obscure, as if they were not facing a Cultivator of the same stage, but a peerless Prodigy about to step into the Nascent Soul!

"You... you..." Ling Tianyu's lips trembled, his previous arrogance gone, leaving only boundless fear and regret.

He finally understood what a terrifying existence he had provoked.

Lin Xuan did not say more, pointed his fingers like a sword, and slashed remotely at Ling Tianyu and the others!

It was not some earth-shattering Move, just a condensed, ultimate Chaos Sword Gang containing the Primal Beginning Law-breaking meaning, appearing instantly in front of Ling Tianyu as if crossing space!

Ling Tianyu was terrified, desperately urging his protective Magic Treasure and all his spiritual power to resist.

"Crack!"

A family-inherited Nascent Soul-level heart-protecting jade talisman on his chest shattered upon impact!

The remaining momentum of the Sword Gang did not diminish, slashing fiercely at his protective spiritual light.

"Puff—!"

Ling Tianyu was struck hard, spat out a mouthful of blood, and flew backward like a broken sack, smashing heavily onto the edge of the altar.

His aura instantly withered to the extreme, obviously having suffered extremely heavy internal injuries, and even his Golden Core had cracks!

The three guards were even more shaken by the aftermath of the Sword Gang, losing their combat effectiveness completely.

The power of one sword was terrifying!

Lin Xuan had not even used the sin-severing sword itself.

He didn't even look at Ling Tianyu, who was like a dead dog, turned around, and his gaze fell back on the light curtain in the center of the altar.

"It is time to collect our spoils."