114: Chapter 114 Deep Within the Rift, the Mystery of the Dragon Shadow

The sealed fissure resembled a giant abyssal maw, with black-red Spirit Devouring energy churning and surging forth like magma.

Standing at the edge of the fissure and looking down, one could only see endless darkness, along with the faint sounds of dragging chains, grinding bones, and that hair-raising chewing noise emanating from within the darkness.

"There are at least a hundred Spirit Devouring Imprisoned Soldiers down there."

Star Radiance held the shrunken star core fragment in her hand, which emitted a soft starlight, barely illuminating the surrounding ten-zhang area. "Moreover... their strength is far greater than those Inferior Demons on the periphery."

Lin Yue could feel the spirit slaying star scar trembling incessantly in its sheath—a sign of excitement when encountering a powerful foe.

"Three hours, not much time. We need to make this quick."

He looked at Star Radiance. "How's your condition?"

"Spiritual Qi has recovered by thirty percent. The loss of vital blood requires time to recuperate, but I can still hold on."

Star Radiance swallowed a recovery Medicinal Pill given by the Qinglan Sect, her complexion slightly improving. "However... once we go down, I may need to focus fully on maintaining the starlight illumination. In terms of combat, I'm afraid you'll have to take the lead."

"No problem."

Lin Yue nodded. "But I need you to do something for me."

"Speak."

"Use your Star Gazing Pupil Technique to scan the environment below in real-time, marking the locations of all Spirit Devouring Imprisoned Soldiers, their strength levels, and... the possible source of 'Dragon Qi'."

Lin Yue said solemnly, "We only have one chance; we must head straight for the core."

Star Radiance closed her eyes for three breaths. When she opened them again, the speed of the starry river swirling in her pupils suddenly accelerated.

"With the pupil technique fully activated, I can maintain it for half an hour. After half an hour, I'll fall into temporary blindness and will need you to protect me."

"Half an hour... that's enough."

Without further hesitation, Lin Yue leaped into the fissure.

Star Radiance followed closely behind, the star core fragment in her hand glowing brightly, illuminating the area around them as if it were daylight.

The inner walls of the fissure were not rock but a dark-red, eerie substance that seemed to be congealed flesh and blood.

The surface of this substance was covered with black blood vessels of varying thickness, through which viscous fluid flowed, emitting a strong stench of decay and devouring energy.

"This is all 'Flesh-Eroding Fungal Carpet' secreted by the Spirit Devouring Imprisoned Soldiers."

Star Radiance quickly explained, "They feed on devoured Spiritual Qi and flesh, and their excrement forms this fungal carpet. The carpet can slowly erode the Seal, accelerating its collapse."

Lin Yue frowned.

This meant that the damage to the Seal was not only caused by external forces but also by internal erosion.

The Spirit Devouring Clan... truly troublesome.

The two descended about a hundred zhang.

The surrounding temperature began to drop sharply, with fine black ice crystals floating in the air, each containing a trace amount of Spirit Devouring energy.

"Be careful, these are 'Spirit Devouring Ice Shards'. If they touch you, they'll quickly penetrate the skin and erode Spiritual Qi."

As Star Radiance warned, a starlight protective shield automatically expanded around her body, blocking the ice shards.

Lin Yue also mobilized his Spiritual Qi to protect himself.

But when his Spiritual Qi shield came into contact with the ice shards, it actually emitted a sizzling corrosion sound!

"These ice shards are even more corrosive to ordinary Spiritual Qi..."

His heart tightened, and he had no choice but to increase his Spiritual Qi output.

Fortunately, although the starlight spiritual fluid in his Dantian was nearly depleted, his basic Spiritual Qi reserves were sufficient, so he could hold on for now.

They descended another fifty zhang.

Suddenly, over a dozen pairs of dark-red "eyes" lit up in the darkness ahead.

Those eyes had no pupils, only pure red light, floating in the darkness like ghostly flames.

"The first wave of Imprisoned Soldiers is here."

Star Radiance's pupil technique locked onto them. "Thirteen of them, with strength equivalent to Early Golden Core Stage to Middle Stage. The three on the left are weaker, the two on the right are the strongest. I suggest breaking through the left side first to create an opening."

"Understood."

Lin Yue drew the spirit slaying star scar.

The sword's blade reflected cold starlight under the illumination.

"Star Scar·Meteor Shower."

He held nothing back, directly using the first form of the stellar sword technique recorded in the Star Lord Inheritance.

The sword light split, transforming into thirteen meteor-like Sword Qi, accurately shooting toward the eyes of each Imprisoned Soldier!

Thud! Thud! Thud!... The Sword Qi hit, emitting dull piercing sounds.

All thirteen Imprisoned Soldiers let out painful roars simultaneously, their bodies twisting and struggling in the darkness.

But their vitality was far more tenacious than that of Inferior Demons. After being struck, instead of dying immediately, they became even more frenzied and lunged forward!

"Indeed not easy to kill..."

Lin Yue's eyes turned cold, and a second sword strike followed closely.

This time, his sword stance changed.

"Star Scar·Chains!"

The Sword Qi no longer dispersed but condensed into thirteen starlight chains, accurately wrapping around the necks of each Imprisoned Soldier.

The chains tightened, with the Power of the Stars and the Spirit Devouring energy fiercely clashing.

Sizzle—!

Cracks began to appear on the black carapace of the Imprisoned Soldiers, oozing black-red pus from the cracks.

But their struggles also intensified. Two of the stronger ones actually managed to tear apart the starlight chains!

"Such formidable strength..."

Lin Yue stopped testing, his figure moving like lightning as he actively charged into the group of Imprisoned Soldiers.

The sword light of the spirit slaying star scar moved like a dragon, each swing carrying the purifying effect of the Power of the Stars.

Wherever the sword edge passed, the Imprisoned Soldiers' carapaces were sliced apart as if made of paper, with black-red blood spraying out.

But when that blood splashed onto Lin Yue's Spiritual Qi shield, it quickly congealed into black corrosive patches, continuously consuming his Spiritual Qi.

"We can't prolong the battle."

Star Radiance's voice came from behind. "I've marked a relatively weak route leading straight to a platform three hundred zhang below. There seem to be... traces of artificial structures on the platform."

Artificial structures?

Lin Yue's heart tightened.

Could it be an outpost left behind when the Star Lord set up the Seal back then?

"Lead the way!"

He no longer lingered in the fight. With a sweeping sword light, he forced back the nearest few Imprisoned Soldiers and followed Star Radiance as they rushed toward a relatively narrow fissure passage on the left.

The Imprisoned Soldiers pursued closely.

But the passage was narrow, allowing only two or three to advance side by side, greatly reducing the threat of being surrounded.

Lin Yue fought while retreating, relying on the restraining effect of the spirit slaying star scar to barely hold off the pursuers.

The three-hundred-zhang distance took a full quarter of an hour.

When the two rushed out of the passage and landed on a platform about thirty zhang in diameter, only seven Imprisoned Soldiers remained chasing them from behind.

Moreover, due to the consumption in the passage, these seven were also wounded and their energy was depleted.

"Deal with them, then rest temporarily."

Lin Yue turned and actively met them.

This time, he no longer used large-scale sword techniques. Instead, he concentrated the Power of the Stars at the tip of his sword, breaking through with pinpoint strikes.

Each sword thrust accurately pierced the gaps in the Imprisoned Soldiers' carapaces, striking directly at the core.

Efficiency greatly improved.

After ten breaths, the last Imprisoned Soldier fell to the ground, turning into a pool of writhing black sludge.

Lin Yue sheathed his sword, breathing slightly heavily.

Even at the Late Golden Core Stage, continuous high-intensity combat made him feel somewhat fatigued.

"This place..."

Star Radiance did not rest. Instead, holding the star core fragment, she carefully examined the platform.

The surface of the platform was paved with neat bluestone slabs, engraved with complex formation patterns.

The formation patterns were primarily star motifs, but mixed with dragon-shaped patterns and some ancient, barely recognizable runes.

At the edge of the platform stood nine stone pillars.

Eight of them were already broken, leaving only one relatively intact.

The top of the intact stone pillar was carved with a dragon head, its mouth slightly open as if originally holding something.

"These are the 'Nine Dragon Sealing Pillars'."

A flicker of excitement passed through Star Radiance's eyes. "The Star Lord Inheritance records that when the Nine Star Spirit Sealing Formation was set up back then, the essences of nine Flood Dragons who willingly sacrificed themselves were used as conduits, transformed into nine Sealing Pillars to suppress the main generals of the Spirit Devouring Imprisoned Soldiers."

She pointed to the intact dragon-head stone pillar. "This should be one of them. But the other eight are broken... This means the core sealing power of the Seal has been reduced by eight-ninths."

No wonder the Seal was collapsing so quickly.

Lin Yue walked to the dragon-head stone pillar and reached out to touch it.

The pillar felt cold to the touch, but deep within, there was a faint, weak fluctuation of Dragon Qi.

Very weak, like a candle flame in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment.

"This Flood Dragon essence... hasn't completely dissipated yet."

Lin Yue looked at Star Radiance. "If we can replenish Dragon Qi, perhaps we can temporarily revive it to buy us some time?"

"Theoretically feasible."

Star Radiance nodded. "But we need genuine Dragon Clan vital blood, at least three drops. And... it must be from a living dragon. Blood from a dead dragon is useless."

Living dragon vital blood.

Both of them simultaneously looked into the deeper darkness below the platform.

Star Radiance's pupil technique operated at full capacity, with starlight piercing through layers of black mist as she diligently searched.

After ten breaths, her body suddenly swayed, and two lines of bloody tears streamed from her eyes!

"Star Envoy!"

Lin Yue hurriedly supported her.

"I... saw..."

Star Radiance's voice carried unconcealable shock. "Five hundred zhang below... there's a massive dragon nest."

"In the nest... there is indeed a dragon."

"But..."

She raised her head, her face blurred by bloody tears, revealing a complex expression.

"That dragon... is already dead."

"Yet its corpse... is still moving."