84: Meteorite Terrace undergoes a shocking change, and the Blood Axe appears.

Inside the Meteorite Platform, time flowed quietly. One day outside was three days inside. Xiao Chen, Zi Yan, Lin Xiuyai, and Han Yue were each immersed in deep cultivation.

Vast and pure stellar energy surged into their bodies like a tide, refining their Dou Qi and nourishing their souls.

Xiao Chen sat cross-legged beside the broken altar, his Spirit Realm Great Perfection soul power acting like the most precise bridge, carefully connecting with the stellar light sphere suspended above the altar.

Inside that light sphere was not merely stellar energy, but fragments of an extremely faint yet ancient stellar Origin Law.

As his soul made deeper contact, the dormant Origin Qi seed deep within his Qi Sea was once again stirred, emitting a faint resonance.

At the same time, his comprehension of the "Heaven Opening Axe Intent" in his Sea of Consciousness became increasingly clear and profound as it merged with the stellar Origin fragments.

He seemed to "see" the birth and demise of the ancient starry sky, and the majestic artistic conception of splitting chaos and establishing the star river subtly aligned with his axe intent.

"So that's how it is... The Intent of Heaven Opening is also the Way of Ordering, connected to the laws of stellar operation and the creation and destruction of the universe..." A realization dawned in Xiao Chen's heart, and his understanding of the axe intent entered a completely new level.

His cultivation steadily improved under the infusion of stellar energy, advancing towards the mid-stage of Five-Star Dou Zong.

Purple light swirled around Zi Yan, and the ethereal shadow of an Ancient Void Dragon flickered, greedily devouring the stellar energy. Her aura became deeper and more profound.

A trace of starlight merged into Lin Xiuyai's green Dou Qi, making it more condensed and powerful.

Han Yue's moon-white sword qi became even colder and more incisive, carrying the sharpness to cleave stars.

However, the peaceful cultivation did not last too long.

Just as Xiao Chen was immersed in a crucial moment of comprehension, an extremely subtle, yet utterly chilling and terrifying pressure, like an invisible tide, silently permeated the protective light barrier of the Meteorite Platform!

This pressure did not come from an external attack; instead, it seemed to originate directly from the void, carrying a dead silence that froze the soul, instantly enveloping the entire platform!

"Not good!" Xiao Chen's Spirit Realm Soul shrieked a warning, and he abruptly awoke from his cultivation state!

Zi Yan, Lin Xiuyai, and Han Yue were also startled awake simultaneously, their faces changing dramatically!

Above the Meteorite Platform, the protective light barrier, which had originally flowed with starlight, was now being corroded by a layer of viscous black mist!

Within the mist, countless twisted faces of vengeful spirits flickered in and out of view, emitting silent wails!

The light barrier violently fluctuated, letting out groans of unbearable strain, clearly unable to hold on for much longer!

"It's the Soul Hall! They actually found this place and can even penetrate the protective formation!" Lin Xiuyai exclaimed in horror.

The formation of the Meteorite Platform was an ancient legacy of the academy, incredibly solid, but the Soul Hall's methods were too bizarre!

"Hehehe... The Jia Nan Academy's turtle shell is nothing more than this." A sinister laugh echoed deep within everyone's souls, sending shivers down their spines.

The black mist churned, condensing into three figures.

The leader's figure was indistinct, as if merged with the darkness, but the pressure he exuded caused the entire space of the Meteorite Platform to solidify!

His aura was far stronger than that of the previous Soul Hall Elder, evidently reaching the Dou Zun level!

Although it seemed to be only a soul hall heavenly venerate projection and not his true body, the Dou Zun-level law pressure he exerted was still terrifyingly absolute!

The two figures behind him also had auras that reached the high-level Dou Zong stage!

"Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable!" Han Yue's pretty face turned pale, her voice trembling slightly.

A Dou Zun expert was truly an existence at the pinnacle of the continent; even a projection was absolutely not something they, as Dou Zongs, could contend with!

"Target, Xiao Chen. Surrender, and you can avoid the pain of soul-searching." The Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable's projection emitted a cold voice, his gaze like a tangible entity, locking onto Xiao Chen.

The soul pressure contained within that gaze caused Xiao Chen's Sea of Consciousness to ache intensely, his soul feeling as if it was about to be torn from his body!

"Dream on!" Zi Yan roared, her Ancient Void Dragon bloodline erupting.

She transformed into a purple light soaring into the sky, her dragon claws tearing through space, directly pouncing on the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable projection!

Lin Xiuyai and Han Yue also attacked simultaneously, sword qi and vines crisscrossing, striking at the other two high-level Dou Zongs!

"An ant trying to shake a tree." The Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable projection didn't even move; he merely rippled the black mist around his body slightly, and an invisible law fluctuation spread out!

Zi Yan's dragon claws were like striking an invisible iron wall; she grunted, flying backward, her dragon scales cracking!

Lin Xiuyai's and Han Yue's attacks were even more like a clay ox entering the sea, instantly swallowed and dissolved by the black mist!

The disparity was too great!

"Protect Xiao Chen!" Lin Xiuyai roared, spitting blood, and he and Han Yue desperately shielded Xiao Chen.

Zi Yan also struggled to get up, an unyielding flame burning in her dragon eyes.

Xiao Chen's eyes were bloodshot, and a monstrous rage and sense of powerlessness surged within him!

Facing a Dou Zun, even a projection, they had no chance of winning!

Were they really going to perish here?

Just at this critical moment, another change occurred!

"How dare you touch a descendant of my Xiao Clan, you Soul Hall scum, you're courting death!"

An ancient yet incomparably majestic and furious roar, like a clap of thunder, exploded across the entire Meteorite Platform!

The source of the sound was not from outside, but from the seemingly ordinary ancestral stone that Xiao Chen carried with him!

The ancestral stone automatically flew out of Xiao Chen's embrace, suspended in the air, erupting with an unprecedented brilliant golden light!

Within the golden light, a slightly ethereal, yet incredibly solid, elderly figure stepped out!

The old man's hair and beard were white, his face ancient, and as his eyes opened and closed, lightning seemed to flash.

His body exuded a terrifying, primordial aura, and his imposing pressure was in no way inferior to that of the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable's projection!

Even more striking was the giant battle axe phantom the old man held in his hand—it was almost corporeal, entirely dark red, with shattered space ripples flowing along its blade!

Blood Axe Xiao Chen!

This wisp of a battle imprint left by a Xiao Clan ancestor was finally fully activated after sensing the aura of a Dou Zun-level mortal enemy from the Soul Hall and the crisis in Xiao Chen's bloodline!

"Xiao Clan Battle Axe?! Impossible! You have long since perished!" The Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable projection revealed a look of shock for the first time, his voice carrying a trace of unbelievable horror!

"Even if only a wisp of remnant thought remains, it's more than enough to cleave this projection of yours!" The remnant thought of Blood Axe Xiao Chen roared, and the giant axe phantom in his hand suddenly struck down!

Nine Axes of Heaven Opening—Sever the Star River!

There were no fancy moves, only a dark red axe energy, pure to the extreme, tearing through space.

Wherever it passed, the light of the stellar light sphere dimmed, and the Meteorite Platform's protective light barrier shattered directly under the axe energy's aftermath!

The axe energy's target was directly the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable projection!

"Netherworld Guardian!" The Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable projection shrieked, and the black mist around him condensed into a giant skull shield, with countless vengeful spirits wailing on the shield!

"Chhh—!"

The axe energy collided with the shield; there was no earth-shattering explosion, only a faint tearing sound!

The Netherworld Shield, condensed with the power of Dou Zun laws, was like paper in front of the dark red axe energy, split in two from the middle!

The axe energy continued unabated, fiercely striking the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable projection!

"Ah!" The Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable projection let out a shrill scream, his figure instantly becoming illusory and transparent, almost collapsing!

He glared venomously at the Blood Axe remnant thought and Xiao Chen, roaring, "Xiao Clan remnants! This matter will never be over! The day my true body descends will be the day you all turn to ashes!"

Before his words finished, the projection completely disintegrated, and the two high-level Dou Zongs were also shattered into nothingness by the lingering axe energy!

One strike! Just one strike! The Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable projection, disintegrated!

The remnant figure of Blood Axe Xiao Chen also became much dimmer. He turned to look at the stunned Xiao Chen and the other three, his gaze finally resting on Xiao Chen, his eyes filled with complex emotions: relief, reminiscence, and endless entrustment.

"Child... the future of the Xiao Clan... rests on you... the Origin of this Meteorite Platform... can help you... initially refine... the inheritance within... the ancestral stone... Hurry... time is running out..."

The remnant thought's voice was intermittent, and his figure grew fainter and fainter, finally transforming into specks of golden light and re-entering the ancestral stone.

The ancestral stone's light converged, becoming simple and unadorned, but Xiao Chen could feel that something within it had been activated.

Inside the Meteorite Platform, there was a dead silence.

Zi Yan, Lin Xiuyai, and Han Yue looked at Xiao Chen, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

They finally understood what astonishing secrets and destiny Xiao Chen carried!

Xiao Chen tightly gripped the ancestral stone in his hand, his heart surging with emotions.

His ancestor's remnant thought had appeared, repelling a powerful enemy—this kindness was as vast as a mountain!

And the threat from the Soul Hall had now escalated to the Dou Zun level!

Jia Nan Academy was probably no longer safe.

He looked up at the stellar light sphere above the altar, his eyes becoming incredibly firm.

He had to improve his strength as quickly as possible! Refine the ancestral stone's inheritance and master stronger power!

"We continue cultivating! We must become stronger before the Soul Hall's next move!" Xiao Chen said in a deep voice.

The four suppressed the tumultuous waves in their hearts and sat down cross-legged again.

This time, Xiao Chen directly immersed his soul into the ancestral stone, beginning to access the deeper mysteries of the inheritance activated by his ancestor.

The startling change at the Meteorite Platform, like a clap of thunder, announced the official arrival of the storm.

Xiao Chen's journey was about to enter a completely new, more dangerous phase.