193: A hidden gem in the side hall, a chance for a cloud-like garment

The central hall was temporarily guarded by Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan, while Lin Xuan took Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang into a relatively intact passageway on the left.

The passageway was still constructed from that silver-gray material, and the incomplete star patterns on the walls flickered in the faint light emitted by the netherworld token, as if silently recounting the glory and mysteries of the past.

The passage was silent, with only the soft echoes of the three's footsteps.

Although the Power of Stars permeating the air was not as dense as in the central hall, it was still pure, making Yun Shang, who possessed the Star Spirit Body, feel very comfortable. She could even faintly capture the extremely weak Dao Rhyme of the stars remaining in the wall patterns.

"Senior Brother Lin, the Power of Stars here... seems to have some kind of pattern." Yun Shang suddenly stopped, her jade hand gently caressing a relatively complex broken pattern on the wall as she closed her eyes to sense it carefully.

Lin Xuan heard this, and also stopped, his primal nascent soul sensing carefully while coordinating with the System's scan.

Sure enough, in the area where Yun Shang's fingers touched, the flow trajectory of the remaining Power of Stars was different from the scattered energy around it, more like a remnant of... guidance or a Seal.

"System, analyze the energy structure of this area."

【Ding! Detected hidden energy guidance circuit (severely damaged), pointing to the depths of the side hall. The core of the circuit contains a faint aura of 'Star Palace' Dao patterns, which has a latent resonance with the target Yun Shang's Star Spirit Body.】

Star Palace! Lin Xuan's heart stirred. It was indeed related to this! The ancient Star Palace was mysterious and unfathomable, with many branches. It seemed that even if this Star Remains Ancient Palace was not the main hall, it was certainly an extremely important peripheral stronghold of the Star Palace. Yun Shang's Star Spirit Body seemed like a dust-covered key in this place, slowly unlocking some forgotten mechanisms.

"Follow this feeling, Yun Shang," Lin Xuan said in a deep voice. "Your Spirit Body might be the key to unlocking some of the secrets here."

Yun Shang's spirits lifted, and she nodded vigorously, sensing that ethereal guidance with even greater focus.

She walked in the lead, occasionally pausing, occasionally turning, leading Lin Xuan and Gongsun Yu through the labyrinthine side hall passageways.

Gongsun Yu gripped her thunder urgency sword tightly, vigilantly watching her surroundings. Although there seemed to be no living creatures here, in ancient ruins, anything could happen.

Finally, guided by Yun Shang, the three arrived before a tightly closed stone door.

The stone door was archaic, carved with a complete star map of the heavens. However, unlike common star maps, the core of this map was not the North Pole Ziwei, but a strange, slightly hazy star surrounded by a star nebula.

The stone door was seamless, with no obvious mechanism or handle.

"The guidance... disappeared here." Yun Shang looked at the stone door, her brows slightly furrowed. "It seems like it requires... a specific method to open."

Lin Xuan stepped forward and scanned the stone door with his Divine Sense, discovering that the stone door was not a physical entity, but was composed of highly condensed Power of Stars mixed with some kind of spatial Restriction.

Breaking it by force would likely trigger unpredictable consequences.

"System, analyze the stone door structure and opening conditions."

【Analyzing... The stone door is a 'Star Seal', which requires pure Power of Stars to light up the nodes of the star map in a specific sequence to open. 93% of the sequence is missing.】

【Detected 7% matching degree between target Yun Shang's Star Spirit Body fluctuations and the missing sequence! One can attempt to use the Spirit Body's Origin to resonate and guide the remaining Power of Stars to automatically complete the sequence, but there is a risk of failure and backlash.】

Only 7% matching degree; the risk was not small. But this was the only clue for now.

Lin Xuan looked at Yun Shang, informed her of the situation, and asked solemnly, "Yun Shang, are you willing to try? I will share the risk with you."

Yun Shang looked at the stone door that might contain the secrets of the Star Palace, then looked at Lin Xuan's sincere and trusting gaze, and did not hesitate at all. "I am willing! Senior Brother Lin, I trust you!"

She walked to the stone door, took a deep breath, placed her hands slowly on the star map, and circulated her Star Spirit Body with all her might!

In an instant, starlight flared around her, like a lighthouse in the night sky, and pure Origin Power of Stars flowed through her arms into the star map on the stone door!

Hum!

The entire star map seemed to come alive, and countless starlight points began to flicker!

However, the light in most areas was chaotic. Only the few stars where Yun Shang's hands were pressed, and those in the very small area nearby, shone steadily and attempted to guide the surrounding energy, but it was like sinking into a quagmire, progress was extremely slow, and the pressure fed back from the stone door made Yun Shang's face turn pale rapidly, her delicate body trembling slightly.

"It won't work... the sequence is too incomplete... I can't hold on..." A trace of blood spilled from the corner of Yun Shang's mouth; she was clearly suffering from a huge backlash.

"Hold on!" Lin Xuan shouted in a low voice, and without hesitation, placed his hand on Yun Shang's back, infusing her with pure Tai Chu Spiritual Energy mixed with a trace of Power of Stars obtained from the star nether core, continuously!

Taichu Power derives all Laws; at this moment, it simulated the pure star attribute. Although it was not the Origin, it greatly enhanced Yun Shang's guidance ability and endurance!

With Lin Xuan's support, Yun Shang's pressure dropped sharply. She gave a soft shout and immersed her entire mind into the resonance with the star map!

The light of those few steadily shining stars flared, like a spider weaving a web, and began to forcibly connect and light up the flickering star points around them with faster speed and firmer will!

One, two, three...

The area of the star map that was lit up expanded slowly and firmly!

Ten percent... twenty percent...

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Yun Shang's forehead, and her body trembled even more violently, but her eyes were incredibly bright and focused.

She felt as if her Soul had connected with this ancient star map. Countless broken fragments of fuzzy information about the movement of stars and spatial positioning flooded into her mind. Although she could not understand them immediately, it gave her a deeper understanding of her own Star Spirit Body.

Finally, when the last key star was forcibly lit!

The entire star map of the heavens suddenly shone brightly! All the stars began to rotate slowly along an incredibly profound trajectory, as if projecting a miniature Universe onto the stone door!

Click...

A slight mechanical sound rang out, and the heavy stone door slid inward silently, revealing the scene behind the door.

Behind the door was not the treasure room or Legacy site as imagined, but a small quiet room.

In the center of the quiet room, there was only a simple meditation cushion, and floating above the cushion was a... crystal about the size of a fist, completely translucent, with a wisp of a constantly changing star nebula light band seemingly sealed inside!

The Dao Rhyme of the stars emitted by this crystal was pure and ancient, far exceeding the outside world, making even the star nether core in the central hall seem somewhat "crude".

As soon as it appeared, the Star Spirit Body within Yun Shang involuntarily produced a strong desire and resonance!

"This is... the 'Star Nebula Soul Seed'?!" Lin Xuan recognized this item based on the information instantly fed back by the System.

This was a type of Legacy seed condensed by an ancient Star Palace expert using their deep understanding of the Law of Stars and their Origin Power of Stars. It did not directly increase cultivation, but could fundamentally improve one's Aptitude for comprehending the Dao of Stars, and contained a trace of the mystery of condensing a "Star Nascent Soul"! For a Star Spirit Body, this item was priceless.

Yun Shang looked at that "Star Nebula Soul Seed", her breathing almost stopping. She could feel that as long as she fused with it, her path ahead would be bright!

However, Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the wall of the quiet room, where a few lines of ancient characters were carved. They were not a Cultivation Technique, but a message:

"Latecomer, to see the Soul Seed is to have affinity with the Star Palace. This is the key mechanism of my 'Yaoguang Hall' secondary register, containing the remnant score of the 'Small Heavenly Star Dou Array' and the Foundation of the 'Star Orbit Spatial Fixing Art'. Refining it can help you initially control the Restrictions on the periphery of this Ancient Palace, stabilize the disorder of the 'star nether core', or... in times of crisis, trigger the remnant array, Seal everything, and perish together. ——Yaoguang Star Patrol Envoy, Chen Yuan, final words."

Yaoguang Hall! Small Heavenly Star Dou Array! Star Orbit Spatial Fixing Art!

The amount of information was huge!

This "Star Nebula Soul Seed" was not just a Legacy, but also a key to controlling part of the permissions of this Star Remains Ancient Palace!

Especially that "Star Orbit Spatial Fixing Art", which seemed to involve spatial positioning and stabilization. Perhaps... it could play a key role in stabilizing the star nether core, delaying or even preventing the opening of the passageway!

"Yun Shang," Lin Xuan suppressed the excitement in his heart and looked at the girl who was still gazing infatuatedly at the Soul Seed. "Your Opportunity has arrived. Refine it here immediately! Xiaoyu and I will stand guard for you! Whether we can stabilize the crisis outside, perhaps depends on you!"

Yun Shang came back to her senses. Looking at Lin Xuan's trusting and encouraging gaze, she nodded heavily. Without any hesitation, she walked to the meditation cushion, sat cross-legged, and reached out to grasp the floating "Star Nebula Soul Seed".

Light enveloped her, and a transformation belonging to her was about to begin. And the crisis of the Ancient Palace also seemed to have ushered in a glimmer of hope because of this Opportunity of hers.