152: The desperate situation of Fallen Saint Cliff, Seven Star Dou Zun!

Deep within the Void Sea, in a desolate starfield, space was shattered, laws were in disarray, and even light was twisted and swallowed, forming an eternal zone of darkness. Only a solitary, massive black cliff, as if cleaved by a giant axe, floated in the void, exuding an aura of desolation and despair that could freeze one's soul. This was the forbidden zone that even Dou Saints feared—the Saint-Felling Cliff!

Legend has it that in ancient times, several Dou Saints battled fiercely here, ultimately perishing together. Their grievances intertwined with the shattered laws, forming this terrifying region that devoured everything. Deep within the cliff's base, there were rumored to be the bones of Saints and fragments of Origin Qi laws, attracting countless powerful individuals to explore, yet few ever returned alive.

At this moment, a crimson streak of light was breaking through layers of spatial turbulence at an astonishing speed, heading straight for the Saint-Felling Cliff! It was Xiao Chen, piloting the flame dragon flying boat!

“As expected, I’ve been led here…” Xiao Chen stood at the bow of the flying boat, his Heavenly Realm Soul perceiving the chillingly desolate area ahead, his eyes icy. He could clearly feel the aura of the four Heavenly Secret Pavilion Fate Manipulators, like maggots clinging to bone, still trailing far behind, forcing him closer and closer to the Saint-Felling Cliff. And deep within the Saint-Felling Cliff, there was an extremely subtle yet fatally alluring strange fluctuation, as if calling to him.

“Heavenly Secret Pavilion… are you trying to use the power of the Saint-Felling Cliff’s forbidden zone to bury me completely?” A cold arc formed on Xiao Chen’s lips. “Then let’s see who buries whom!”

Not only did he not slow down, he accelerated the flying boat to its maximum speed, like a burning meteor, boldly charging into the invisible death-force field surrounding the Saint-Felling Cliff!

“Buzz—!”

The moment the flying boat entered the force field, Xiao Chen felt his entire body sink, as if billions of pounds of giant rocks were pressing down on him! Even more terrifying, a tide of despairing resentment, eroding the soul and grinding down the will, surged in, violently assaulting his Sea of Consciousness! Even the defenses of his Heavenly Realm Soul fluctuated intensely!

“What terrifying resentment! As expected of a Saint-falling ground!” Xiao Chen’s face paled slightly, and he quickly activated the Star God Contemplation Method. His Power of Starlight transformed into a solid barrier, steadfastly defending the clarity of his spirit. At the same time, he urged the flying boat forward, struggling to approach the main body of the Saint-Felling Cliff.

The deeper he went, the greater the pressure, and the stronger the resentment! The flying boat’s defensive light shield groaned under the strain, and cracks began to appear on its surface. Xiao Chen had no choice but to release his Dou Qi to personally reinforce the defenses.

Behind him, the four Fate Manipulators stopped at the edge of the force field, not following in. The leader sneered, “Entering the Saint-Felling Cliff means certain death! Xiao Chen, your destiny ends here! We only need to wait here and confirm your death.”

“Hmph! You want me dead? It won’t be that easy!” A fierce glint flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes. He piloted the flying boat, forcefully breaking through the outermost force field and truly stepping into the Saint-Felling Cliff’s domain!

The scene before him suddenly changed! It was no longer a void of darkness, but the ruins of a shattered ancient battlefield! Gigantic bones were piled up like mountains, and fragments of broken weapons were scattered everywhere. The air was filled with an incredibly thick scent of blood and death! Even more terrifying, the space here was extremely unstable, with countless spatial rifts appearing and disappearing like black lightning, exuding destructive fluctuations! Occasionally, law storms would sweep through, annihilating everything in their path!

“I must find a relatively safe place as quickly as possible!” Xiao Chen’s soul perception was fully open. He carefully avoided various dangers, piloting the flying boat with difficulty through the ruins. He felt that the strange summoning fluctuation originated from the deepest part of the Saint-Felling Cliff.

After flying for about an hour, a massive altar, constructed from countless giant bones, appeared ahead! The altar was entirely black, exuding a dense aura of resentment. Atop the altar, a constantly twisting and shifting grey light sphere floated! Within the light sphere, countless tormented faces seemed to be wailing, and it was the source of the summoning fluctuation!

“That’s it!” Xiao Chen’s gaze sharpened. He could feel that the grey light sphere contained a type of extremely pure yet incredibly evil fragmented Origin Qi! Although this Origin Qi had degenerated and been polluted by resentment, if refined by special methods, it might grant immense power! This was likely the true purpose of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion in luring him here—to assimilate or destroy him using this polluted Origin Qi!

“Heavenly Secret Pavilion, you’ve certainly made a good plan!” Xiao Chen sneered. If it were anyone else, facing this polluted Origin Qi, which presented both temptation and danger, they would likely be unable to resist trying to refine it, ultimately being swallowed by the resentment. But he possessed a Heavenly Realm Soul and multiple supreme inheritances, and even had the Void Dragon Scale Talisman gifted by Azure Dragon Elder as a trump card, so he might not be without a chance to fight!

“Fortune favors the bold! Since I’m here, how can I return empty-handed!” Xiao Chen’s eyes showed determination. He put away the flame dragon flying boat and landed beneath the altar. He ascended the steps, paved with bones, one by one. With each step, the surrounding resentment grew denser, wildly assaulting his soul defenses.

The moment he stepped onto the top of the altar, the grey light sphere suddenly erupted! Countless resentful spirits shrieked and lunged out, transforming into twisted law chains that wrapped around Xiao Chen! At the same time, the space around the altar completely collapsed, forming a forbidden zone that isolated inside from outside! He was completely trapped here!

“Roar—!”

In the center of the grey light sphere, a giant, blurry face of resentment condensed, opening its massive mouth and letting out a soul-shaking roar! This face vaguely resembled the remnant will of a fallen Dou Saint, but its consciousness had long been polluted and twisted, leaving only pure destructive desire!

“You want to devour me? Let’s see if you have the ability!” Xiao Chen roared, his Six-Star Dou Zun aura fully erupting! His Star Immortal Body shone with golden light, resisting the impact of the resentment! A dark-gold battle axe condensed, and his Heaven Opening Axe Intent slashed towards the law chains!

“Clang, clang, clang!”

Axe blades collided with chains, erupting in ear-piercing metallic clashes! The chains were incredibly tough, and the polluted Origin Qi attached to them continuously eroded Xiao Chen’s Dou Qi! The face of resentment constantly spewed destructive death rays, their power comparable to a full-force attack from a Seven-Star Dou Zun!

Xiao Chen was locked in a bitter struggle! He unleashed all his techniques: Power of Starlight, dragon phoenix essence blood, Yan Ancestor's fire, heaven burning furnace… various powers circulated wildly, fiercely confronting the face of resentment and the countless chains! On the altar, an energy storm raged, and space constantly shattered and reformed!

However, the face of resentment, relying on the altar and the polluted Origin Qi, had seemingly endless power! Xiao Chen’s Dou Qi and soul power, however, were rapidly depleting! At this rate, he would eventually be exhausted to death!

“I can’t let this continue!” A look of madness flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes. “I must refine this Origin Qi and turn the tables!”

He gritted his teeth, making an extremely daring decision! He stopped attacking the face of resentment and instead plunged all his focus into his Qi Sea, frantically circulating the Heaven Burning Furnace Art and the Star God Contemplation Method!

“star furnace, encompass all things! heaven burning furnace, purify everything! Refine for me!”

He actually took the initiative to guide the polluted Origin Qi from the grey light sphere into his own Qi Sea! He intended to use his body as a furnace to forcibly refine this terrifying energy, which was enough to cause a Dou Saint to fall!

“Boom—!”

The moment the polluted Origin Qi entered his body, Xiao Chen felt as if his entire being was about to explode! The violent and evil energy, like a wild horse unbridled, rampaged through his meridians, frantically corroding his flesh and soul! The endless resentment, moreover, felt like billions of steel needles piercing into his Sea of Consciousness!

“Ah—!” Xiao Chen let out a painful roar, blood seeping from his seven orifices! Strange grey patterns appeared on the surface of his body, as if he were about to be assimilated!

“Hold your true self! Purify!” Relying on the powerful will of his Heavenly Realm Soul, he desperately held onto the last shred of clarity in his spiritual platform! The star furnace spun wildly, attempting to refine the impurities and resentment within the Origin Qi! The dragon phoenix essence blood and Yan Ancestor imprint also erupted with sacred light, resisting the pollution!

This was an extremely perilous process; the slightest mistake would lead to eternal damnation! But Xiao Chen’s will was as firm as a rock, and his thirst for power and his persistence in seeking the truth supported him as he engaged in a desperate struggle against the destructive energy!

Time passed bit by bit. On the altar, Xiao Chen’s body alternately swelled like a ball and shriveled like firewood, his aura fluctuating violently between raging and faint. The face of resentment also seemed to sense the threat, and its attacks became even more frenzied!

Just as Xiao Chen was about to collapse, the star origin imprint in his glabella and the Yan Ancestor imprint on his forehead suddenly resonated! Both imprints shone brightly, transforming into two phantoms—one of a star and one of flame—and merged into the Qi Sea furnace!

“Buzz—!”

The furnace’s light surged, and the refining speed suddenly accelerated! The evil resentment within the polluted Origin Qi was purified and stripped away by the Power of Starlight and Yan Ancestor's sacred fire, little by little! Pure star source origin energy began to be slowly absorbed by Xiao Chen!

His aura began to climb at an astonishing speed!

Mid-stage Six-Star Dou Zun, late-stage, peak… The barrier to Seven-Star Dou Zun was within reach!

“Break! Break! Break!” Xiao Chen roared in his heart, guiding the vast, pure Origin Qi like a Heaven Opening Axe, fiercely striking the bottleneck of Seven-Star Dou Zun!

“Crack—!”

It was as if the cosmic barrier had been shattered! An unprecedented, vast power, like a river of stars bursting its banks, swept through his entire body! Xiao Chen’s body emitted crackling sounds, and every cell cheered with joy! His soul power also surged dramatically, his mid-stage Heavenly Realm Soul thoroughly stabilized, even touching the threshold of the late stage!

Seven-Star Dou Zun! Achieved!

Not only that, he successfully refined a portion of the fragmented Origin Qi. Although the quantity was small, its quality was extremely high, causing a qualitative transformation in his Dou Qi, imbuing it with a subtle, almost imperceptible Origin Qi characteristic! His strength was more than ten times greater than before!

“Roar!” The face of resentment let out a terrified roar; it felt the aura of its prey become incredibly terrifying!

“Now, it’s my turn!” Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes, stars appearing and disappearing, and flames burning within them! He raised his hand and clenched it, and a brand new battle axe, solid as reality, entwined with star flames and a trace of chaotic airflow, condensed!

“Nine Axes of Heaven Opening—Eighth Form, Chaos! Slash!”

One axe strike, no longer tearing space, but reshaping laws! Where the axe light passed, the resentful chains snapped inch by inch, the altar vibrated violently, and the face of resentment let out a shrill scream, instantly assimilated and annihilated by the chaotic will contained within the axe light!

“Boom—!”

The entire altar collapsed with a roar! The grey light sphere completely dissipated, leaving only a wisp of pure, unowned Origin Qi, which Xiao Chen absorbed into his body.

Breaking through in a desperate situation, successfully counter-killing! Xiao Chen stood atop the shattered ruins of the altar, the oppressive might of a Seven-Star Dou Zun as if he ruled the world! His gaze, sharp as lightning, looked towards the outside of the Saint-Felling Cliff.

“Heavenly Secret Pavilion… your schemes have failed! Next, it’s my turn to settle the score with you!”

He took a step, tearing space, and instantly appeared before the four Fate Manipulators waiting outside the force field!

The four Fate Manipulators, seeing Xiao Chen, whose aura was monstrous and who was completely unharmed, looked as if they had seen a ghost, their faces draining of color in horror!

“How is this possible?! You’re not dead?! And you broke through to Seven-Star Dou Zun?!”

“Run! Quick, run!”

The four were scared out of their wits and turned to tear space and flee!

“Trying to run now? Too late!” Xiao Chen’s icy voice was like the whisper of death, and the Chaos Battle Axe swept out!

“No—!!!”

Four desperate screams rang out almost simultaneously! The four Six-Star Dou Zun-level Fate Manipulators were like chickens and dogs before the Seven-Star Dou Zun Xiao Chen, all of them instantly cut down by a single axe strike! Their souls scattered!

Xiao Chen collected his spoils, not even glancing at the Saint-Felling Cliff behind him, his gaze fixed on the deeper reaches of the Void Sea. That was his true destination—the Chaos Sea!

“Heavenly Secret Pavilion, we’ll see who prevails in the Chaos Sea!”

He moved, transforming into a streak of light, and disappeared into the endless void.