116: Chapter 116 Seal the Pillar with Essence Blood, The True Inheritance of the Star Lord

When Lin Yue rushed out of the Dragon Qi fissure, the entire Burial Dragon Abyss was trembling.

The passage behind him completely collapsed, countless black root-like tendrils surged out like a tide, but were temporarily blocked by the falling rocks.

He had no time to check his injuries. Clutching the dark golden heart source essence blood in his left hand, he used the recoil from the collapse to climb upwards with all his might.

The excruciating pain of broken bones piercing flesh, the chilling spread of Spirit Devourer corrosion within his body, the weakness of nearly depleted spiritual power... none of these could make him stop.

Because from the Seal fissure below, that heart-palpitating roar was getting closer and closer.

The Spirit Devouring Imprisoned Soldiers were about to break the Seal!

"City Lord Lin!"

From above came Star Radiance's weak cry.

Lin Yue looked up and saw Star Radiance leaning halfway over the platform's edge, a rope of starlight hanging from her hand.

"Grab it!"

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the rope. Star Radiance used her last bit of spiritual power to pull him onto the platform.

Both of them slumped to the ground, faces pale, auras withered.

"The essence blood... I got it..."

Lin Yue gasped as he handed over the heart source essence blood.

The liquid mass trembled slightly in his palm, emitting pure and vast Dragon Qi, forming a stark contrast with the pervasive Spirit Devourer aura around them.

A flicker of relief passed through Star Radiance's eyes, but she did not take it.

"There's no time... the Seal can hold for at most another quarter of an hour. We must first repair the sealing pillar to temporarily stabilize the Seal, then consider other matters."

She forced herself to stand and walked to the intact dragon-headed stone pillar.

"City Lord Lin, drip the essence blood into the dragon's mouth. I will use the star core fragment as a guide to activate the remaining dragon essence spirit within the pillar."

Lin Yue nodded and struggled to his feet.

He walked to the stone pillar and raised the essence blood.

The dragon-headed stone pillar seemed to sense something, trembling slightly. The stone around the dragon's mouth began to soften and writhe, as if coming to life.

"Now!"

Star Radiance pressed the shrunken star core fragment in her hand onto the top of the stone pillar.

The fragment erupted with dazzling starlight, which seeped into the pillar like threads, activating the formation patterns that had lain dormant for millennia.

Simultaneously, Lin Yue dripped the heart source essence blood into the dragon's mouth.

The moment the essence blood entered its throat—

Hum!!!

The entire stone pillar erupted with blinding golden light!

The dragon head seemed to come alive. The stone eyes lit up with majestic dragon pupils. The dragon's mouth opened, releasing a dragon's roar that echoed through the abyss!

Roar——!!!

The dragon's roar spread like waves. Wherever it passed, the Spirit Devourer aura melted away like snow and ice under the sun.

From the Seal fissure below, those roars on the verge of breaking the Seal suddenly turned into terrified shrieks!

"It's working!"

Star Radiance's spirits lifted. "But it's not enough... this single pillar cannot hold alone. It needs resonance with the remnants of the other eight pillars."

She looked at Lin Yue. "City Lord Lin, can you still move? I need your help to guide the power of the star core fragment to the Foundations of the other eight broken pillars."

Lin Yue gritted his teeth and nodded.

Although his injuries were severe, Haotian within his grotto-heaven was mobilizing the remaining power of the spirit vein to slowly repair his internal injuries.

He could at least hold on for a while longer.

"How?"

"You guard with your sword. I will use starlight as threads to connect the eight broken pillar Foundations."

Star Radiance formed hand Seals. Eight slender threads of starlight appeared around her.

The threads extended like spiritual snakes, accurately wrapping around the roots of the eight broken stone pillars at the platform's edge.

"I'm starting the guidance... this process cannot be interrupted, or all our efforts will be wasted."

She closed her eyes and concentrated, fully activating the star core fragment.

The fragment's light intensified. Starlight flowed along the eight threads towards the broken pillar Foundations.

The broken pillars began to glow faintly, their surface's remaining formation patterns being relit.

But at this critical moment—

Boom!

From the Seal fissure below, a mass of black mist suddenly exploded!

From the black mist, three distorted figures forcibly squeezed out of the fissure and landed on the platform!

They were three Spirit Devourer monsters whose auras far surpassed all previous Imprisoned Soldiers.

They were larger in size, with thicker carapaces. The red light in their eye sockets was condensed like substance, surrounded by a viscous black Spiritual Pressure.

Their strength... all had reached the Peak of the Late Golden Core Stage!

"Spirit Devouring Lieutenants..."

Star Radiance's face changed dramatically. "Has the Seal weakened to this extent? Even Lieutenants can force their way through the fissure..."

She looked at Lin Yue, a flash of determination in her eyes.

"City Lord Lin, I'll hold them off. You continue maintaining the guidance—we need to hold for at least another thirty breaths!"

"No!"

Lin Yue stopped her. "In your current state, going up there is suicide."

"Then what? The guidance cannot be interrupted, otherwise the backlash from the eight broken pillars is enough to annihilate our Divine Souls!"

Star Radiance anxiously watched the three Lieutenants.

The Lieutenants also seemed to sense the revival of the sealing pillar. They let out furious roars and pounced simultaneously!

At the critical moment.

Lin Yue made a decision that surprised Star Radiance.

He thrust the spirit slaying star scar into the ground, pressing both hands on the hilt.

"Haotian, grotto-heaven spirit vein... burn completely."

"Master! Doing that will damage the grotto-heaven. It will take at least half a year to recover—"

"Do it."

Lin Yue's voice was calm.

Within the grotto-heaven, Haotian's main trunk trembled.

The World Tree's roots frantically drew from the earth vein Origin. The Spiritual Qi of the entire grotto-heaven surged out like a volcanic eruption, pouring into Lin Yue's body through the mark!

This was not empowerment, but burning!

Using the grotto-heaven's Foundation as fuel to forcibly exchange for a brief burst of power!

Boom——!!!

Lin Yue's aura instantly broke through the Late Golden Core Stage, reaching the Peak, and even... faintly touching the threshold of the Nascent Soul Stage!

The cost was that within the grotto-heaven, three-tenths of the spirit fields withered, the Spirit River dried up, all Mineral Veins dimmed, and even the World Tree's main trunk developed fine cracks.

But at this moment, he could not care about these.

"Thirty breaths... enough."

Lin Yue drew his sword and looked at the three pouncing Lieutenants.

In his eyes, stars reversed.

"Star Scar... Falling Star Descent."

He raised the spirit slaying star scar overhead. The sword's light was as intense as the sun.

That was not mere starlight, but the stellar might far exceeding his Realm, exchanged by burning the grotto-heaven's Foundation!

One sword strike descended.

No technique, no variation.

Only pure, extreme power suppression.

The Lieutenant at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before being engulfed by the sword light, turning to dust.

The second Lieutenant tried to block. Its carapace held for one breath within the sword light before shattering.

The third Lieutenant was the most cunning. It did not resist head-on but transformed into black mist, attempting to escape.

But the sword light followed like a shadow, piercing through the black mist and annihilating its core.

Three Lieutenants, annihilated in three breaths.

And after delivering this strike, Lin Yue's aura plummeted. He slumped to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth.

The backlash from burning the grotto-heaven had arrived.

His Meridians were shattered, his Dantian cracked, his Divine Soul shaken.

If not for the Foundation of his Star Body still holding, this alone would have been enough to cripple his cultivation.

"City Lord Lin!"

Star Radiance exclaimed, but she dared not interrupt the guidance, only watching helplessly as Lin Yue was severely injured.

"Don't mind me... continue..."

Lin Yue gritted his teeth, took out his last spirit recovery pill and swallowed it, then grabbed a handful of healing Medicinal Pills and stuffed them into his mouth.

The medicinal power dissolved within his body, barely stabilizing his injuries.

Time passed, second by second.

Ten breaths, twenty breaths, twenty-five breaths... When the thirtieth breath arrived, Star Radiance finally completed the guidance.

"Nine Dragons Resonance... Seal!"

She forcefully pressed her palms together.

The Foundations of the eight broken pillars simultaneously erupted with dazzling golden light, resonating with the central intact dragon-headed stone pillar.

Nine beams of golden light shot into the sky, weaving into a huge golden dragon net above the platform.

The dragon net slowly descended, covering the Seal fissure.

The roars from within the fissure were gradually suppressed and weakened.

Finally, they fell silent.

The Seal... was temporarily stabilized.

"We succeeded..."

Star Radiance collapsed to the ground. The star core fragment in her hand completely dimmed, turning into ordinary stone.

She looked at Lin Yue, wanting to say something, but darkness swept over her vision and she fainted.

Lin Yue also reached his limit.

But he forced himself not to lose consciousness. Instead, he sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

Although the grotto-heaven was severely damaged, its Foundation was not destroyed. The World Tree was slowly repairing the cracks.

Threads of Spiritual Qi seeped from the grotto-heaven, nourishing his shattered Meridians.

Time passed in silence.

He didn't know how long it had been.

Star Radiance woke up first.

She opened her eyes and found Lin Yue sitting not far away, meditating with closed eyes.

Although his face was still pale, his aura had stabilized considerably.

"He's recovering so fast..."

A flicker of doubt crossed Star Radiance's mind.

Logically, the backlash from burning one's Foundation to forcibly erupt should be so severe that it would require at least several months of recuperation to barely move.

But how long had it been for Lin Yue?

Two hours? Three hours?

She didn't dwell on it, instead looking at the Seal fissure.

The fissure was completely covered by the golden dragon net. The Spirit Devourer aura was firmly locked below, no longer leaking out.

Although only one sealing pillar was repaired, the Foundations of the eight broken pillars were reactivated, forming a temporary "Nine Dragons Illusory Formation" that could maintain the Seal for at least a year without breaking.

One year... enough time to do many things.

"Awake?"

Lin Yue's voice came.

He opened his eyes. Though weak, his gaze was clear.

"The Seal is temporarily stabilized. But to completely repair it, we need the complete Nine Dragons Sealing Pillars, or... find the 'Seal Core' left behind by the Star Lord in the past."

"Seal Core?"

Star Radiance's spirits lifted. "Do you have a clue?"

Lin Yue took out the bronze token obtained from the Star Lord's coffin—the star lord token—from his storage ring.

"This token might be the key."

He handed the token to Star Radiance.

Star Radiance took it and examined it carefully.

The star pattern on the token's front was vivid. The ancient character for "Lord" on the back emitted an aura of majesty.

"This is... the Star Lord's identity credential."

Shock flashed in her eyes. "How do you have this?"

"A fortunate Opportunity."

Lin Yue did not elaborate. "Can the token sense the location of the Seal Core?"

"Let me try."

Star Radiance pressed the token to her forehead, communicating with it using the Power of the Stars.

A moment later, she lowered the token and pointed deeper into the abyss.

"The direction the token points to... is below the Seal."

"So, the Seal Core is likely in the lair of the Spirit Devouring Imprisoned Soldiers?"

"I'm afraid so."

Star Radiance smiled bitterly. "It seems we'll have to go down there eventually."

"No rush."

Lin Yue put away the token. "The Seal can hold for a year. In this year, we have plenty of time to improve our strength and prepare."

He looked at Star Radiance.

"Star Envoy, was the cooperation satisfactory?"

Star Radiance was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"You saved my life. The Star Track Pavilion repays its debts. I will remember this favor."

She paused. "Also, regarding the Star Lord Inheritance... I won't ask where you obtained it, but I hope you use it well. The Star Lord lineage has fought against the Spirit Devouring Clan for millennia. Their Legacy should not be buried."

"I will."

Lin Yue promised solemnly.

They said no more, each meditating to recover.

Another two hours passed. Lin Yue's injuries had stabilized by sixty to seventy percent, at least allowing him to move without hindrance.

Star Radiance had also recovered some spiritual power.

"Time to go up."

Lin Yue looked towards the top of the abyss. "Your Senior Brothers must be anxious."

"Mm."

They stood up and began climbing upwards along the path they came.

This time, without the obstruction of Spirit Devouring Imprisoned Soldiers or the erosion of Spirit Devourer aura, it went much more smoothly.

An hour later, they rushed out of the fissure and returned to the mouth of the abyss.

Star Dust and Star Sea immediately came forward.

"Junior Sister! Are you alright?!"

"City Lord Lin..."

Seeing the two pale but intact, both Senior Brothers sighed in relief.

"The Seal is temporarily stabilized."

Star Radiance briefly explained the situation. "But it can only last a year. After a year, we must resolve it completely."

"One year..."

Star Dust pondered. "Time is tight, but it's better than immediate collapse. We need to return to the Star Track Pavilion quickly to report and seek the Pavilion Master's decision."

Star Sea nodded and looked at Lin Yue.

"City Lord Lin, your contribution this time is immense. The Star Track Pavilion will surely reward you generously. Also... regarding the star core fragment..."

"The star core fragment is still deep in the abyss."

Lin Yue interjected. "We can retrieve it after the Seal is completely resolved. As for distribution... as previously agreed."

"City Lord Lin is magnanimous."

Star Sea cupped his hands. "In that case, we'll take our leave first. Junior Sister, you..."

"I'll stay."

Star Radiance suddenly said.

The two Senior Brothers were taken aback.

"Junior Sister, what are you..."

"I need to stay in Luoxia City to assist City Lord Lin in comprehending the Star Lord Inheritance and prepare for the final battle a year from now."

Star Radiance's voice was calm, but her eyes were firm. "Also, I need to monitor changes in the Seal and adjust strategies as needed."

Star Dust and Star Sea exchanged glances, understanding dawning in each other's eyes.

Assisting comprehension, monitoring the Seal... all excuses.

Their Junior Sister had taken an interest in that City Lord Lin.

"Very well."

Star Dust did not expose her. "Then take care, Junior Sister. We will report the situation as soon as possible and strive for support from the Pavilion."

"Senior Brothers, travel safely."

After seeing off the two Senior Brothers, Star Radiance looked at Lin Yue.

"City Lord Lin, for the next year, I look forward to your guidance."

"Likewise."

Lin Yue smiled. "But before that... we need to return to the city to heal. Also, there are some matters where I need the Star Envoy's help."

"What matters?"

"Some doubts regarding the stellar Formations in the Star Lord Inheritance..."

The two transformed into streams of light and flew towards Luoxia City.

And deep below the abyss.

Deep within the Seal fissure covered by the golden dragon net.

A pair of eyes darker than darkness slowly opened.

The owner of the eyes looked towards the direction of the abyss's top and let out a soundless cold laugh.

"Successor of the Star Lord... found."

"Good..."

"When this seat breaks the Seal, it will be time for you all... to be sacrificed."

The voice was swallowed by the endless darkness.

Above the Seal, the dragon net trembled slightly, as if responding to something.

But for now, no one knew of this.

The one-year countdown had begun.