The terrifying beast was as large as a mountain, its entire body covered in dark blue scales, and its eyes were blood red. As soon as it appeared, its earth-shattering pressure swept across the battlefield!
Its target was not Xiao Han, whose aura was relatively weak, but Xue Tu, who had the strongest aura and posed the greatest threat to it, and the two black-robed protectors!
Its chaotic intelligence determined that these three uninvited guests had invaded its territory and disturbed its slumber!
"Oh no! It's that beast!"
The three Xue Tu's expressions changed drastically, and they were terrified.
They had previously sensed a powerful monster at the bottom of the lake, but they hadn't expected it to be so terrifying, let alone awaken at this critical juncture and attack them!
This ferocious beast's strength was approaching that of the Martial Venerable Realm, and even with the three of them working together, they dared not slacken their efforts in the slightest.
Forced to abandon their pursuit of Xiao Han, they each unleashed their strongest power to meet the terrifying, enraged beast head-on.
"Boom! Rumble!"
The battlefield instantly descended into chaos!
The monster's attacks were fierce, each strike possessing the power to shatter mountains and split the earth. The lake water was churned into the sky, boulders were turned to dust, and dust billowed everywhere.
The other Martial Artists brought by the Blood Fiend Hall suffered broken bones and severe injuries, either dead or seriously, in the aftermath of this high-level battle, and their formation collapsed instantly.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Xiao Han's mind raced as he forcefully suppressed his injuries, quietly channeling the power of his Eternal Night King Martial Soul.
He swayed and quietly disappeared into the shadows beside him.
At the same time, sensing the faint connection established between the [Void Marker] and the [Star Map Fragment], he decisively initiated a short-range spatial teleportation towards the dim starlight indicated by the fragment!
Buzz!
Ripples spread through the air as Xiao Han's figure vanished from the edge of the battlefield in an instant.
When he reappeared, he had arrived at the entrance of a hidden ancient cave, which was covered by countless boulders.
The entrance to the cave is narrow, allowing only one person to squeeze in sideways.
It was filled with the pure aura of stars and accompanied by faint spatial fluctuations, making it a truly secluded place.
Behind them, the roars of the demonic beasts and the furious shouts of Xue Tu and the others could be heard from afar, but they had already faded considerably.
Xiao Han didn't have time to think it through or check his surroundings before quickly slipping into the cave.
He used all his remaining strength to move several huge rocks and hastily sealed the cave entrance, trying to cut off any breath.
After doing all that, he felt all his strength drain away and collapsed onto the cold ground, panting heavily.
A wave of exhaustion washed over him, but the thought of surviving the ordeal brought him some peace of mind.
He caught his breath and looked into the depths of the cave.
The cave seemed extremely deep, dark and winding, its destination unknown.
As soon as he entered the cave, the "Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal" on his left ankle, which had been restless, strangely began to subside.
The chilling and evil aura had also subsided considerably, clearly suppressed by some unseen force.
Xiao Han's heart stirred slightly. Could this place be the true opportunity pointed to by the [Star Map Fragment]?
The scene inside the cave was unexpected; it wasn't a narrow passageway, but rather a bright and spacious natural cavern.
The cave walls are inlaid with countless fist-sized strange crystals, which emit a soft and pure star-blue halo, making the cave appear fantastical.
The air was filled with incredibly pure stellar energy. Taking a breath of it instantly refreshed me and relieved much of the fatigue from days of travel.
What delighted him even more was that the restless "Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal" on his left ankle strangely calmed down upon arriving at this place.
The star rune seal he had previously barely managed to set up using the [Taiyin Demon-Suppressing Stone], his own blood essence, and the power of the World Tree Heart Fragment has now become visibly more stable under the nourishment of the rich star energy, and the starlight flowing on it has become more solid.
That cold and evil aura was suppressed so tightly here that it was almost non-existent, clearly due to some kind of restraint.
"Phew... I can finally catch my breath."
Xiao Han let out a long breath, and the heavy weight that had been hanging over his heart was finally lifted.
The stellar energy here could naturally counteract the demonic finger curse mark; it was truly an unexpected delight.
He composed himself and began to carefully examine the cave.
There are no branching paths deep inside the cave; only in the central area is there a small pool about three zhang in diameter.
The pool had long since dried up, its walls and bottom covered with fine cracks, while the bottom was clearly engraved with countless intricate and mysterious ancient array patterns.
The lines of the array pattern are simple and smooth, revealing the passage of time.
Some of the patterns bore a striking resemblance to the star patterns on the [Star Map Fragment] in his mind's eye.
As Xiao Han was intently examining the array patterns at the bottom of the pool, a long-absent system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Special check-in location detected: Ancient Star Cultivation Pool (now dilapidated). Check in?]
"Check-in!"
Xiao Han did not hesitate for a moment.
[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host, you have received the following rewards: 3 drops of Star Origin Liquid (diluted version), 1 fragment of Star Body-Tempering Technique.]
[Star Origin Liquid (Diluted Version): A mysterious liquid from the core of a star, diluted billions of times so that your small body can barely absorb it. It cleanses the marrow and bones, heals injuries, prolongs life, and strengthens the body. As for the effects... you'll understand once you use it. Don't expect too much, after all, it's a diluted version.]
[Star Body-Tempering Technique (Fragment): An ancient body tempering method unearthed from some obscure corner. It is incomplete, and cultivation carries risks at your own risk. It is said that upon mastery, the physical body can withstand a starstorm... Of course, this is just hearsay. Host, take it easy and don't ruin yourself.]
Xiao Han's lips twitched slightly; this system was still as "thoughtful" and sarcastic as ever.
However, what surged in his heart at this moment was an uncontrollable ecstasy.
This [Star Origin Liquid] is a godsend!
His injuries are quite severe, and he urgently needs medical treatment.
As for the [Star Body-Tempering Technique], that was an unexpected bonus!
If this can enhance control over the power of the stars, not only will our strength increase significantly, but we might also be able to further suppress that damned demonic finger curse!
Without further delay, he immediately took out a drop of [Star Origin Liquid].
The source liquid was no bigger than a thumb, its entire body a deep star-blue color, emanating a refreshing energy fluctuation.
He swallowed it, and the primordial liquid melted instantly in his mouth. A gentle yet vast stellar energy surged into his limbs and bones in an instant.
Xiao Han immediately sat cross-legged and began to circulate the "Creation-Heaven-Penetrating Art" to guide this torrent of energy.
The internal and external wounds sustained in the previous fierce battle with Xue Tu and others are being repaired at an astonishing speed under the cleansing effect of this pure energy.
The severed meridians were reconnected, the damaged organs were revitalized, and even the depleted qi and blood were greatly replenished.
An hour later, Xiao Han opened his eyes, looking radiant.
His injuries have healed by about 70-80%.
To his even greater surprise, his physical strength had significantly improved under the tempering of the Star Origin Liquid.
The bottleneck in his cultivation at the early stage of the Eighth Level of the Martial Master Realm has quietly loosened, and he has taken a small step forward, not far from the middle stage.
"My darling!"
Xiao Han sincerely praised it, and was even more excited about the remaining two drops of [Star Origin Liquid].