161: Chapter 161 Abyss Stealth, Ancient Tree Seed

Three days later, noon.

The periphery of the Burial Dragon Abyss, Eastern Defense Line.

Lin Yue wore a Plain White Daoist Robe and stood on the temporarily erected Formation platform.

In front of him were three treasures he had just finished refining.

The first item was the "Void Star Concealment Robe," which was silvery gray all over and thin as a cicada's wing.

The robe's surface was forged from starfall iron and void stone, flowing with a mercury-like luster.

Wearing it could conceal one's aura and distort space, making it difficult for even a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator to detect.

The second item was the three-foot-long "Starfall Boundary Breaking Sword."

The sword body was refined from starfall iron, and the blade was embedded with nine fragments of void stone, specifically designed to cut through spatial barriers.

This was the tool prepared for obtaining the void ancient tree seed.

The third item was the most inconspicuous—a thumb-sized "Stand-in Puppet."

The Puppet was refined using Lin Yue's Essence Blood and Divine Soul fragments; when infused with Spiritual Qi, it could transform into a Clone identical to him, simulating 90% of his aura, cultivation, and even the fluctuations of his star dragon nascent soul.

"Master, everything is ready."

Haotian's voice rang out in the Sea of Consciousness:

"Feints on the west, south, and north routes have been launched as planned. True Person Qing Luan and True Person Xuan Jian are each leading fifty Golden Core Cultivators to assault the weak points of the Seal, and the Star Track Pavilion Master has used the Star Gazing Technique to create the illusion of 'Ten Thousand Swords Firing Simultaneously,' successfully drawing away most of the Spirit Devouring Clan's attention."

"At least seventy percent of the core Seal's guard strength has been diverted."

"Good."

Lin Yue nodded and put on the Void Star Concealment Robe.

The moment the robe settled on him, his figure blurred, seemingly merging with the surrounding space.

Even his aura was contained to the extreme; unless directly observed, his presence was undetectable.

"Remember, there are three traps in the core of the Seal."

Haotian reminded him again:

"The first is the 'Soul Devouring Mist' at the entrance, specialized in attacking the Divine Soul. Master needs to protect his Sea of Consciousness with the Dragon Soul Origin of the star dragon nascent soul and simply force his way through."

"The second, in the middle section, is 'Void Turbulence,' which randomly teleports intruders throughout the Seal. Master needs to use the Starfall Boundary Breaking Sword to carve a stable path."

"The third, surrounding the seed, is 'Space-Time Solidification.' Those who enter will find their movements become extremely slow, giving the guardians time to react. This is the most dangerous one..."

"I have a way to deal with it."

Lin Yue said calmly.

He put away the Starfall Boundary Breaking Sword and the Stand-in Puppet, and finally checked the Medicinal Pills and Talismans in his Storage Ring one last time.

Everything was ready.

"Master, there is one last thing."

Haotian paused:

"When I was making calculations, I found that the energy fluctuations at the core of the Seal... are somewhat abnormal. There seems to be an extra layer of 'dark red' energy barrier around the void ancient tree seed, which is not recorded in the star lords manual."

"Dark red?"

Lin Yue's eyes narrowed.

The evil qi of the Spirit Devouring Clan was exactly dark red.

"Do you mean... the seed might have been corrupted?"

"Uncertain, but highly likely."

Haotian's tone was grave: "If the seed has been corrupted, forcibly taking it might detonate the evil qi within it, possibly alerting all the Spirit Devouring Clan members in the Seal."

Lin Yue was silent for a moment.

"Even so, we must go."

He looked toward the depths of the Burial Dragon Abyss: "Without the seed, the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array cannot be completed, and we cannot defend the Southern Territory."

"Besides..."

A look of determination flashed in his eyes: "Even if the seed is corrupted, as long as we bring it back, with the World Tree's purification ability, combined with the Origin of the Cave Heaven, it might still be purified."

"...Understood."

Haotian stopped trying to dissuade him: "I will prepare in the Cave Heaven to receive Master at any time."

"Mhm."

Lin Yue said no more, his figure flashed, and he disappeared from the spot.

The Void Star Concealment Robe was operating at full power; his figure passed through the defense line like a phantom, silently approaching the weak point on the east side of the Seal.

There, a rift just wide enough for one person was slowly rotating.

Surrounding the rift was the dark red "Soul Devouring Mist."

Twisted faces could vaguely be seen wailing in the mist, formed from the residual souls of creatures devoured by the Spirit Devouring Clan.

Lin Yue took a deep breath, activating his star dragon nascent soul.

Buzz!

A layer of pale golden Dragon Soul shield enveloped his body, and he stepped into the mist.

Sizzle—!

The moment the mist touched the shield, it emitted a corrosive sound.

Countless residual souls rushed forward like hungry wolves, but upon touching the Dragon Soul shield, they dissipated like ice meeting fire.

The Dragon Soul was supremely Yang and rigid, precisely the nemesis of such evil and filthy things.

Ten breaths later, Lin Yue passed through the mist, and the view before him suddenly widened.

Inside the Seal was a... distorted space.

The sky was dark red, the earth was cracked, and magma flowed like blood in the fissures.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur and decay, and the Spiritual Qi was so thin it was negligible.

Further away, three dark red altars, a hundred zhang high, were vaguely visible, arranged in a triangle.

At the top of each altar sat a terrifying figure—they were the three Late Nascent Soul Stage Spirit Devouring Clan Generals!

At this moment, two of them were looking toward the west and south, clearly drawn by the feints of True Person Qing Luan and True Person Xuan Jian.

The last one, though sitting motionless, swept its Divine Sense across the entire sealed space like a tide.

"Such powerful perception..."

Lin Yue's heart tightened. He immediately contained his aura and, relying on the concealment effect of the Void Star Concealment Robe, slowly moved toward the core of the Seal.

The core of the Seal was located right in the center of the three altars, where a... silver Light Sphere was suspended.

The Light Sphere was about three zhang in diameter, its surface flowing with a mercury-like luster; it was the protective barrier of the void ancient tree seed.

The seed itself was in the center of the Light Sphere.

Lin Yue approached cautiously.

A hundred li, fifty li, ten li... the distance grew shorter.

He could clearly see that the seed's surface indeed had an extra layer of extremely faint dark red markings, spreading like blood vessels.

It was corrupted, just as expected!

Just as he was only three li away from the Light Sphere—

Buzz!

The motionless Spirit Devouring Clan General suddenly opened its eyes!

Its dark red pupils were like two blood moons, staring directly in the direction where Lin Yue was located!

"I've been discovered?!"

Lin Yue's heart skipped a beat, but he immediately realized that the other party's gaze hadn't locked onto him; it was merely... scanning.

"A rat has sneaked in..."

The General's hoarse voice echoed through the sealed space: "Though cleverly hidden, it... cannot escape this General's perception."

It slowly rose, its body ten zhang tall, radiating terrifying pressure.

Lin Yue held his breath, remaining perfectly still.

The effect of the Void Star Concealment Robe was still active; the opponent must have only sensed an anomaly, not truly pinpointed his location.

"The attacks in the west and south were feints; the true target... is here."

A cold smile flashed in the General's eyes: "Trying to take the Void Seed? Truly... naive."

It raised its massive hand and, in the direction of Lin Yue... lightly squeezed!

Boom—!

Space instantly solidified!

Lin Yue felt as if his entire body had sunk into a swamp, and his movements became extremely slow.

Space-Time Solidification!

"I found you."

The General sneered, slamming its massive palm down!

In the nick of time—

"Now!"

Lin Yue shouted internally, activating the Stand-in Puppet in his embrace.

Buzz!

A figure identical to him appeared a hundred zhang away in a different direction, radiating intense star dragon nascent soul fluctuations!

"What?!"

The General froze for a moment, slightly shifting the direction of its massive palm to strike the Clone.

Meanwhile, the real Lin Yue seized this instant of delay, drawing the Starfall Boundary Breaking Sword!

"Open—for me!"

The sword light was like the Milky Way reversing, fiercely hacking down onto the solidified space!

Crack—!

The space shattered like glass.

Lin Yue moved like lightning, charging straight toward the silver Light Sphere!

"You court death!"

The General roared in fury, striking out with a backhand palm.

But it was too late.

Lin Yue had already rushed into the range of the Light Sphere, and the Starfall Boundary Breaking Sword swung out again, slashing toward the dark red markings on the seed's surface!

"Stop!"

The other two Generals also realized something was wrong and attacked simultaneously.

Three world-destroying attacks rushed in from three directions.

If struck, Lin Yue would surely die!

But in the instant the attacks were upon him—

Lin Yue made a move that everyone found unexpected.

He... gave up on the seed.

Instead, he slashed his sword at the Light Sphere itself!

"What is he doing?!"

The three Generals exclaimed in unison.

The Starfall Boundary Breaking Sword struck the Light Sphere, but instead of destroying it, it... activated a hidden mechanism.

Buzz!

Countless Star Talismans appeared on the surface of the Light Sphere.

That was a contingency left by the Star Lord back then—a Teleportation Formation that could only be activated by a Star Lord Inheritor using the Power of the Stars!

"So that's it..."

Enlightenment flashed in Lin Yue's eyes.

The true meaning of the obscure mention in the star lords manual, "The seed is sealed in the place of suppression to suppress the Void Realm," was that the seed itself was the formation eye of a Teleportation Formation!

And the destination of the teleportation... was the Star Lords Palace!

A great light erupted.

Lin Yue's figure, along with the void ancient tree seed, instantly vanished inside the Light Sphere.

All three Generals' attacks missed their mark.

"Damn it! He activated the Star Lord's Teleportation Formation!"

"Chase him! The other end of the Teleportation Formation must be the Star Lords Palace!"

"He won't get far!"

The three Generals roared in fury, simultaneously tearing space to pursue him.

But just then—

Rumble!

The entire sealed space trembled violently.

The Light Sphere from which the seed was taken began... to collapse.

"Not good! The seed was taken, and the spatial stability of the Seal is decreasing!"

"We must stabilize it immediately, or the passage for the Spirit Devouring Army to descend will collapse!"

The three Generals had no choice but to stop and use all their power to stabilize the Seal.

Meanwhile, Lin Yue had appeared in... the Star Lords Palace.

The star palace suspended in the Void Realm was as brilliant as ever.

And in his hand, he was holding that... void ancient tree seed.

On the seed's surface, the dark red markings squirmed like living things, attempting to corrode his palm.

But Lin Yue was prepared.

"Haotian, receive me!"

With a thought, the Gate of the Cave Heaven opened beside him.

The World Tree's roots stretched out, pulling the seed and Lin Yue together... into the Cave Heaven.

The next moment, the Cave Heaven closed.

In the Star Lords Palace, only a gradually dissipating spatial ripple remained.

As well as... the furious roars of the three Spirit Devouring Clan Generals who arrived shortly after, only to find nothing.

"Star Lord Inheritor... you cannot escape!"

"When our great army descends, we will surely... tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

The roar echoed in the Void Realm.

Inside the Cave Heaven, Lin Yue looked at the seed in his hand, which was wrapped layer upon layer by the World Tree's roots and undergoing purification, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"The first step... is complete."

He looked up at the dome of the Cave Heaven.

Next, he needed to purify the seed and transplant it into the Cave Heaven.

Then... advance to Level 12!

The real challenge has just begun.