Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 1033 Vengeful Spirits Block the Way - Chaos Soul-Stabilizing Pearl

Zhang Yuan smiled bitterly: "I will always remember your life-saving grace. But how can I talk about currying favor? I only ask that I have a clear conscience."

"Hmph!" Chi Yang stopped talking, but his actions of clearing the way became even more swift.

Just then, the void ahead suddenly darkened.

It was not darkness that descended, but rather light that was distorted and swallowed up by an unseen force.

Countless tiny spatial cracks appeared out of nowhere, like a shattered mirror.

A violent suction force suddenly came!

"Be careful! It's a void turbulence tide!" Venerable Xingheng warned in a deep voice.

The turbulent currents were like knives, cutting through the protective divine light and emitting a piercing shriek.

The Crimson Sun Venerable snorted coldly, and the golden flames of his Burning Sun Armor surged, forcibly creating a stable area.

The chaotic star vortex within Zhang Yuan's body accelerated in response to stress, and a wisp of chaotic primordial energy overflowed, quietly smoothing out several small cracks around his body.

He took the opportunity to circulate the "Primordial Chaos Scripture" and refine the turbulent current that had invaded his body.

Despite its seemingly weak aura, the furnace within was operating with even greater depth.

From behind, Venerable Yunji said in a deep voice, "Commander Zhang, the spatial fluctuations ahead are abnormal, and there seem to be traces of a large-scale void storm. We need to be careful."

Before the words were finished, a patch of eerie green mist suddenly surged out from the void ahead, writhing and spreading like a living thing, emitting a nauseating stench of decay.

Countless twisted, translucent figures could be vaguely seen swimming in the mist, emitting mournful cries.

“Void vengeful spirits!” Venerable Xingheng frowned slightly. “These are the remnant souls of powerful beings who perished in the ancient war. They were corrupted by the turbid air of the void and transformed into vengeful spirits. With so many of them, it seems that this area was once a fierce battlefield.”

Golden flames blazed brightly in Venerable Crimson Sun's eyes: "A mere vengeful spirit dares to block my way? Heaven-Burning Flames!"

He formed hand seals, and his Burning Sun Armor erupted with ten thousand feet of golden flames, transforming into a huge golden fire ring that swept out in all directions from his center!

"boom--"

Wherever the golden flames passed, the eerie green mist evaporated and dissipated instantly, like snow meeting the blazing sun!

The void spirits let out even more shrill screams, turning into wisps of green smoke under the scorching golden flames!

However, the scorching energy of the blazing sun seemed to have disturbed something deeper within.

The fog churned even more violently, and a chilling pressure spread out!

"Roar--!"

A deep, ancient roar, like that of a colossal beast, resounded from the depths of the sea of ​​mist!

The sound waves carried a soul-stirring impact, penetrating straight into the sea of ​​consciousness!

Xingheng and Yunji's expressions changed slightly, and they immediately strengthened their protection.

Zhang Yuan grunted, and the cracks in his Myriad Beasts Divine Armor miraculously healed themselves, as the Chaos Furnace transformed the impact into nourishment.

A colossal, jet-black void beast burst forth from the mist!

It resembles a giant whale, but has countless tentacles-like fleshy whiskers, its body is shrouded in eerie green void energy, and its eyes flash with a mad red light!

Its size is hundreds of feet, and every time it moves, it causes violent tremors in the surrounding space!

“Void Soul-Devouring Whale!” Venerable Yunji’s expression changed slightly. “This beast feeds on void vengeful spirits and lost souls, and can corrupt the primordial spirit and corrode divine thoughts!”

"This beast almost disappeared after the ancient war, but I never expected to find one here!"

Golden flames flickered in Venerable Crimson Sun's eyes, showing no fear: "What do I care what kind of whale it is! I'll burn it all!"

Just as he was about to make a move, Venerable Xingheng raised his hand to stop him: "Senior Brother Chiyang, wait!"

"This beast is enormous. If it is forcibly burned to death, the turbid void energy accumulated within its body for tens of thousands of years will erupt instantly, polluting an area of ​​100,000 miles!"

"At that time, not only will we be implicated, but that spatial silver line will also be eroded by the turbid air, and the coordinates of Xuntian Continent will be lost once again!"

Chi Yang frowned deeply: "Then what do we do? Go around it?"

“There’s no way around it.” Venerable Yunji said in a deep voice, “The area occupied by this beast is precisely the path that the spatial silver line must pass through. It seems to have been attracted by the spatial fluctuations emitted by the silver line and has blocked this place.”

Looking at the Void Soul-Devouring Whale, Zhang Yuan suddenly spoke up: "Perhaps, I can give it a try."

The three venerable ones looked at him at the same time.

"You?" Venerable Chiyang's eyes were full of suspicion. "You're half-dead, what are you going to use to test this?"

Zhang Yuan did not argue, but instead took something out of his pocket.

It was a gray bead containing a chaotic vortex.

It was the "Chaos Soul-Stabilizing Pearl" that he had refined in his early years that could soothe a violent soul and suppress the turbid air in the void.

“The Void Soul-Devouring Whale is so ferocious because its mind has been corrupted by the turbid air of the void.” Zhang Yuan’s voice was hoarse but clear. “If I can use the Chaos Soul-Stabilizing Pearl to soothe its soul and dispel some of the turbid air, it may leave on its own.”

The starry river in Venerable Xingheng's eyes shifted slightly. After a moment of deduction, he nodded and said, "This method is feasible."

"The power of chaos encompasses all things and does indeed have the effect of calming the soul and harmonizing yin and yang. But you are seriously injured at the moment, how can you activate the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl?"

Zhang Yuan took a deep breath: "I only need your help, Venerable One."

Xingheng and Yunji exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.

Xingheng raised his hand, and a stream of pure stellar energy flowed into Zhang Yuan's body, helping him stabilize his injuries and regulate his meridians.

As this pure power entered his body, the chaotic furnace within Zhang Yuan's body trembled violently.

He secretly guided the process, refining the power of the stars together with the remaining energy of the star source crystal.

The rotation speed of the chaotic star vortex in his left eye quietly increased, while the Xuanhuang divine fire in his right eye also brightened a bit.

The apparent decline is merely a facade, a result of the chaotic furnace fully converging, digesting, and enhancing itself.

Yunji then separated a wisp of the earth's magnetic energy to form a protective shield around Zhang Yuan, preventing the turbid air of the void from eroding him.

Zhang Yuan held up the Chaos Soul-Stabilizing Pearl with both hands. The Chaos Star vortex in his left eye spun with difficulty, while the Xuanhuang Divine Fire in his right eye flickered uncertainly.

He poured the remaining chaotic power within his body into the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl bit by bit, and the pearl slowly lit up, its hazy light spreading out like ripples.

The light was silent, yet it carried a strange, reassuring aura.

As it passed through the void and touched the Void Soul-Devouring Whale, the beast's roar abruptly ceased.

A hint of confusion and struggle flashed in its crazed red eyes.

The light from the Chaos Soul-Stabilizing Pearl was like a gentle hand, softly caressing its soul that had been eroded by turbid energy.

The eerie green mist that had been swirling around it began to dissipate little by little.

The giant beast's size was shrinking, gradually decreasing from hundreds of feet to tens of feet.

Its tentacle-like tendrils no longer danced wildly, but instead slowly drooped down.

It looked at Zhang Yuan, the red light in its eyes fading, revealing an ancient, weathered, and grateful look.

Then, it turned around and slowly swam into the depths of the void, disappearing into the eerie green mist.

Seeing this, Venerable Chiyang's eyes flickered with golden flames, his face filled with astonishment. Venerable Xingheng smiled and nodded, while Venerable Yunji said in a deep voice, "Good."

Zhang Yuan retrieved the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, his face turning even paler, his body swaying precariously.

But the moment the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl was retrieved, a wisp of pure, purified void soul power was quietly absorbed by the Chaos Furnace.

The fine cracks on the Myriad Beasts Armor have healed once more, revealing its inner luster.

Venerable Xingheng quickly stabilized him with starlight. "Boy," Venerable Chiyang was silent for a moment before finally speaking, his voice no longer so violent, "you, you have some skill."

Zhang Yuan smiled weakly: "You flatter me, Your Excellency. How much further ahead is it?"

Venerable Xingheng looked at the silver spatial line, his gaze slightly narrowed: "It's almost there. It's just ahead."

After flying along the silver line for about an hour, a relatively stable floating land finally appeared in the chaotic void ahead.

This floating continent is not large, only a few dozen miles in circumference. It is like a piece of debris torn off the primordial mother body by a tremendous force, floating alone in the deathly darkness.

An aura of vicissitudes and decay, originating from the ancient wilderness, swept over me, as if the sorrow of endless years had been frozen in time.

The surface of the floating land is crisscrossed with ravines, filled with bottomless cracks and huge craters, as if it had been bombarded by countless meteorites, or as if it had been plowed by some terrifying force, silently telling the story of the fierce battles that had taken place here.

In the center of the floating land, a dilapidated tower stubbornly pierces the void.

It is made entirely of a strange silvery-white metal, even if the tower breaks in the middle.

The upper part is missing, and the remaining remains still emit a faint but tenacious light, like the last heartbeat of a dying beast.

"Star Torch!"

The starry river in Venerable Xingheng’s eyes swirled violently, and a rare surge of excitement emanated from him, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor.

"There's no mistake! This aura, this material, it's the core node of the ancient Celestial Teleportation Array, the Star Torch!"

Venerable Yunji was also moved, a deep shock appearing on his mountain-like, composed face.

"Legend has it that the Star Torch is forged from the essence of stars and can draw upon the power of the stars throughout the heavens, locate the void of all realms, and is the vital link connecting the continents of Xuntian and the primordial world!"

"Unexpectedly, after countless ages, we will still be able to see its remains with our own eyes,"

The Crimson Sun Venerable's brows suddenly furrowed, and his furnace-like gaze swept sharply across the edge of the floating continent.

"No! Xingheng, Yunji, look!"

He pointed to several huge explosion craters on the edge of the floating land.

"Those marks are so fresh! The rocks at the edge of the pit are still radiating heat, and there's residual demonic energy in the air!"

"Though it's faint, it can't fool me!"

Zhang Yuan's heart sank, and his chaotic perception extended out like the most sensitive tentacles.

Sure enough, in addition to the ancient and somber aura of the floating land itself, there were several different and chaotic remnants of energy intertwined together.

“Indeed, someone got there first!” he said in a low, serious voice. “And they left not long ago; the aftershocks of the battle haven’t completely subsided yet.”

The four figures concealed their presence and carefully landed on the edge of the floating land.

Beneath my feet was a cold, hard, strange metallic ground, riddled with cracks and potholes.

The air was so thin it was almost a vacuum, and the residual energy turbulence scraped against the skin, causing a stinging pain like being pricked with needles.

Zhang Yuan closed his eyes and focused his mind, ignoring the worsening of his injuries. He transformed the chaotic primordial energy into countless fine threads, carefully penetrating every inch of space and every crack around him, capturing the remaining "marks".

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes. The chaotic star vortex in his left eye spun faster, while the divine fire of Xuanhuang flashed in his right eye.

“Three main auras remain! One of them bears the 'cloud wing' mark unique to the Celestial Race, which is very clear and undoubtedly belongs to the Cloud Wing Clan!”

"The other two are cold, filthy, and filled with destructive intent; they are demons!"

"Moreover, one of the demonic energies is so pure and domineering that it is at least at the level of a Demon Lord!"

"The Celestial Race and the Demon Race are colluding?!" Golden flames suddenly surged in Venerable Crimson Sun's eyes, his violent rage almost burning the void. "The Cloud Wing Clan! They really are these traitors!"

"How dare you collude with that demon brat and covet the ancient artifact? You're courting death!"

The runes on the Burning Sun Armor lit up instantly, and scorching waves of energy surged forth.

“It’s not necessarily collusion.” Venerable Xingheng was relatively calm, his eyes filled with stars as he considered various possibilities. “It’s also possible that the Yunyi clan learned of the Star Torch’s clues and came here first to search for the Star Torch’s core, intending to revive it or gain benefits.”

"The demons somehow got wind of it and followed them. They encountered each other here, and a conflict broke out between the two sides."

"Judging from the remaining energy traces, both sides paid a price. It was not a one-sided battle, but rather a situation where both sides suffered heavy losses and then retreated."

Venerable Yunji stepped forward, his powerful magnetic energy sweeping across the ground as he probed for traps: "Fellow Daoist Xingheng's analysis is reasonable. But in any case, the Star Torch Core is the key to rebuilding the Teleportation Array!"

"If it were taken by the Yunyi Clan, it might just be privately owned; but if it fell into the hands of the Demon Clan, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

"We must enter the tower immediately to confirm whether the core is still intact!"

The four dared not delay and immediately rushed towards the ruined tower in the center.

The base of the tower is enormous, with jagged fractures that reveal its deep, dark interior structure.

The entrance to the tower has long since collapsed, with only a huge crack barely large enough for a person to pass through.

The edges of the crack bore traces of energy burning and violent destruction, clearly indicating that the first to arrive had also chosen to force their way in.

The moment you step inside the tower, the sense of space instantly distorts and amplifies.

The interior of the dilapidated tower, which appears to be only a few dozen feet wide from the outside, reveals a vast space far exceeding its external appearance. Layer upon layer of circular corridors spiral upwards, extending to the dark void above the broken section.

The corridor is lined with numerous stone chambers of varying sizes, most of which have broken doors, revealing equally dilapidated interiors.

The shattered jade platform, the dim runes, and the broken magic array nodes all tell of the past glory and the sudden destruction.

An invisible pressure permeated the space inside the tower, not just a simple oppressive force, but more like a heavy historical lament and a disorder of laws.

The air was thick and viscous, making even the flow of divine power feel sluggish, as if the entire ruined tower was resisting the entry of outsiders.

Zhang Yuan's gaze was drawn to a seemingly ordinary stone chamber on the lower level.

The stone chamber's entrance was relatively intact, and although the runes carved on the door had faded, they still faintly conveyed a sense of protection.

He gestured and went in first. The stone chamber was empty, except for a broken jade platform in the center.

The jade platform is made of warm, smooth material, but it is covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

On the stage, a tattered animal hide scroll, neither gold nor jade, made of a peculiar material, lay quietly, emanating a faint yet undeniable ancient Daoist aura.

He carefully enveloped his hands with chaotic primordial energy to avoid directly touching any possible restrictions, and gently picked up the scroll and unfurled it.

The text above was ancient and difficult to understand, but the chaotic furnace within him seemed to resonate with it, and he was able to barely decipher it.

"Venerable Xingheng, look at this!"

Zhang Yuan's voice trembled slightly.

Venerable Xingheng strode forward, his gaze falling on the ancient characters on the scroll that were shimmering with light. His expression changed drastically, and even the starry sky in his eyes seemed to freeze.

"This is the 'Mysterious Jade Tablet' used by the ancient Heavenly Palace! It contains imperial edicts from the Heavenly Palace?!" (End of Chapter)