192: Temporarily control the crisis, heal the wounds and devise a plan.

The strong enemies retreated, and the Star Remains Ancient Palace temporarily returned to a deathly silence, with only the star nether core humming on its own, emitting unstable yet constrained energy fluctuations.

"Cough, cough..." Lin Xuan could no longer suppress his churning Qi and blood, coughing up another mouthful of stagnant blood, his face pale as paper. Forcibly using his newly formed Nascent Soul to drive the Taichu Power Origin to resist the backlash of the star nether core, and then guiding its energy to heavily wound the strong enemies, had placed a burden on him far exceeding his imagination. The primal nascent soul within his Dantian was dim, and there was even an imperceptible crack on its surface.

"Lin Xuan!"

"Senior Brother!"

Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan supported him from left and right, sensing the weak and chaotic Qi within his body, their faces turning pale with shock and distress. Su Wanqing immediately channeled pure and gentle Taiyin Power into his body to help him clear his Meridians. Qu Feiyan also did not hesitate to take out the treasured healing holy medicine and fed it into his mouth.

Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang also gathered around, their little faces filled with worry.

"It's fine... I'm not dead yet." Lin Xuan squeezed out a comforting smile, sat cross-legged, and fully operated the Taichu Evolution Technique, guiding the medicinal power and Su Wanqing's Qi to repair his wounded body and stabilize his Nascent Soul, which was on the verge of collapse. He knew that now was definitely not the time to fall.

Su Wanqing looked at the still dangerous energy core, her icy eyes filled with gravity: "We cannot stay here for long. Although the Guixu Cult members have retreated, there is no guarantee that they won't have follow-up measures, or attract other fierce creatures in this place."

Qu Feiyan nodded in agreement, her charming eyes sweeping across the surroundings: "And this damn thing (referring to the star nether core) is like a furnace that could explode at any moment. Lin Xuan's condition is too poor right now; we must leave as soon as possible."

However, Lin Xuan slowly shook his head, his voice weak yet exceptionally firm: "We cannot leave yet..."

He looked up, his gaze once again fixed on the ball of light: "I used my Taichu Power Origin to temporarily imprint it, gaining partial control. I can sense... that the Guixu Cult's pollution is like maggots on the bone, continuously eroding that delicate balance. If I leave now, losing the suppression, the passage will likely be forcibly opened in a short time... At that time, whatever comes out from inside, we will be the first to bear the brunt, and it might even affect the entire Eastern Region."

He paused, feeling the slowly repairing injuries in his body, and continued: "Moreover, the residual Power of Stars here is extremely pure, which is greatly beneficial for healing and stabilizing cultivation, especially for Yun Shang." He looked at Yun Shang, "Cultivating here for one day is probably equivalent to a month's effort in the outside world. We need to use this time to recover as quickly as possible, and find a way... either to completely purify the pollution and close the passage; or to find a method to utilize or completely destroy it."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions became heavy. Staying carried huge risks; leaving carried endless future troubles. This was almost a dilemma.

Su Wanqing was silent for a moment, then spoke first: "Since that is the case, then we shall stay. I will act as your Protector." She did not hesitate in the slightest, placing the frost silence sword across her knees, her cold gaze like the most loyal guard.

"Big sister will naturally accompany you." Qu Feiyan smiled beautifully, although her face was still a bit pale, her eyes were incomparably firm, "It just so happens that I also need to stabilize my newly achieved Breakthrough in cultivation, and by the way, see if I can comprehend anything from the Death Qi emitted by this damn thing." She practiced Demonic Technique, and had her own unique understanding and way of utilizing the Nether Death Qi.

Gongsun Yu nodded vigorously: "Wherever Big Brother Lin is, I will be there!"

Feeling the consideration for her in Lin Xuan's words, a warm current surged in Yun Shang's heart, and she said solemnly: "Senior Brother Lin, rest assured, Yun Shang will definitely not fail your expectations and will Cultivate with all her might!" She walked to a corner of the main hall where the concentration of the Power of Stars was relatively high, sat cross-legged, and began to absorb and refine it with all her might.

Seeing that everyone was in agreement, Lin Xuan felt reassured. He forced himself to communicate with the star nether core again, relying on that trace of weak control to carefully guide and constrain its energy eruption, maintaining it within a relatively "safe" fluctuation range, at least so it wouldn't collapse immediately. At the same time, he also guided a portion of the relatively gentle Power of Stars out, permeating the entire main hall for everyone to absorb.

After doing all this, he could no longer hold on and fell into a deep state of meditation and healing.

Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan looked at each other and tacitly divided the work. Su Wanqing was mainly responsible for guarding the entrance of the main hall and the surrounding environment, as her Taiyin Sword Intent had keen perception. Qu Feiyan was more focused on the state of the star nether core to prevent any sudden changes. Gongsun Yu guarded near Lin Xuan and Yun Shang, acting as a reserve force.

Time passed slowly in silence and tension.

In the main hall, starlight twinkled, and ghostly light flickered. Lin Xuan's body was wrapped in Chaos Qi currents and pure Power of Stars. His damaged Meridians and Nascent Soul were slowly and firmly repairing under the miraculous effect of the Taichu Evolution Technique. That crack was also gradually healing, and even due to a blessing in disguise, the Nascent Soul appeared even more condensed.

While acting as Protectors, Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan were also absorbing the energy here to Cultivate. Su Wanqing's Taiyin Power vaguely echoed with the Power of Stars, and the moonlight on the frost silence sword seemed even colder and purer. Qu Feiyan tried to refine a trace of Nether Death Qi and integrate it into her own Demonic Technique, causing the edges of the blood-colored lotus to have an extra trace of eerie dark patterns, and its power seemed even more restrained and eerie.

Yun Shang's progress was the most obvious. Being in such a dense environment of Power of Stars, her Star Spirit Body was like a long drought meeting sweet rain, crazily devouring energy. Her aura became thick at a speed visible to the naked eye, steadily advancing towards the Golden Core Realm.

I don't know how much time passed, perhaps a day, perhaps several days.

Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes, a divine light contained within his pupils. Although his injuries had not fully recovered, his aura had stabilized, and his Nascent Soul had also steadied. Even because of this extreme challenge, his cultivation had vaguely improved.

He looked at the star nether core for the first time, his brows slightly furrowed. In his perception, the pollution left by the Guixu Cult was like ink dripping into clear water. Although it was temporarily confined to a certain range by his Taichu Power and had not spread, it had not been purified either, and was still slowly and stubbornly eroding the core's balance.

"How is it?" Su Wanqing noticed he had woken up and immediately asked via voice transmission.

"My injuries are no longer an issue." Lin Xuan stood up and walked to the star nether core, his expression grave, "But this pollution... is very troublesome. My Taichu Power can suppress and isolate it, but it is difficult to completely strip and purify it from this complex energy structure. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Qu Feiyan also walked over.

"Unless we can find the backup plan or purification device left behind by the existence who laid out this place, or rather, created this star nether core." Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the damaged consoles and jade walls around the main hall, "Or... we possess power that transcends the level of this pollution and forcibly annihilate it."

But these two possibilities, at present, both seemed to have slim hopes.

"Then what should we do now?" Su Wanqing asked.

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment, a flash of determination in his eyes: "We cannot sit and wait for death. We will split up. Wanqing, Feiyan, you two continue to act as Protectors here, and at the same time try to see if you can find any clues from those damaged records. I will take Xiaoyu and Yun Shang to explore other parts of this ancient palace, to see if there are any other discoveries, or... other exits."

He could not pin all his hopes on this one unstable main hall. He had to be prepared to evacuate quickly in case the passage went out of control. Moreover, this ancient Star Palace ruin might still hide other secrets.

After making the arrangements, Lin Xuan took Gongsun Yu, who had recovered quite a bit, and Yun Shang, whose aura was significantly stronger, left the central main hall and headed towards a deep passage in the side hall to explore.

The secrets of the Star Remains Ancient Palace were far from being fully revealed. And the game with the Guixu Cult had entered a more dangerous stage.