A demonic aura, purer, more violent, and more evil than the one emanating from the giant's skeletal remains and remnant soul!
This terrifying demonic energy erupted like a volcanic eruption, shooting skyward from the spring!
The pitch-black demonic energy instantly filled the entire cave.
Interspersed among them were heart-stopping roars, and from the bottomless spring, it seemed that some terrifying creature was about to break free!
"Not good!"
Xiao Han's expression changed drastically.
A strong sense of crisis instantly overwhelmed me.
Beneath this Demon Spring, an even more terrifying being is sealed!
The giant skeleton from before was probably just the first line of defense in this seal!
He dared not linger for even a moment.
They didn't even bother to investigate what kind of ferocious creature lurked deep within the Demon Spring.
Immediately determine the direction based on the latest guidance after the [Star Map Fragment] has been completed.
His figure transformed into a streak of lightning, frantically rushing towards the location of the "Ancient Star Gate".
"Roar--!"
Behind him, that terrifying, evil aura clung to him like a leech, relentlessly locking onto him.
They were in hot pursuit, moving at an astonishing speed!
What made Xiao Han's scalp tingle even more was that at the very moment the Demon Spring erupted completely.
The "Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal" on his left ankle, which had just been temporarily suppressed by the Star Iron Mother, also trembled violently!
A cold, evil thought, filled with excitement and longing, emanated clearly from the depths of the curse seal.
That thought resonated with the malevolent creature about to break free from the bottom of the spring in some extremely evil way!
Xiao Han even felt that his left foot was almost out of control at that moment.
We must change direction and rush towards that spring churning with endless demonic energy!
It is haunted by cursed seals from within, and pursued by ferocious creatures from without.
Xiao Han has once again found himself in an unprecedented predicament!
Xiao Han fled for his life.
The terrifying aura erupting from the Demon Spring behind him clung to him like a leech, relentlessly locking onto him.
What terrified him even more was that the "Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal" on his left ankle was now resonating wildly with that evil aura.
Waves of needle-like pain assaulted his consciousness.
A strange gravitational force tried to forcibly reverse his direction, throwing him towards the spring churning with endless demonic energy!
"Damn it, when it rains, it pours!"
Xiao Han gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.
His spiritual energy was nearly exhausted, and his speed gradually slowed down.
[Ding! God-Level Choice System activated!]
[Option 1: A high-stakes gamble at the Star Gate!]
[The host can forcibly activate the "Heaven-Piercing Ancient Token" to activate the "Ancient Star Gate" marked on a nearby Star Map Fragment, initiating an extremely unstable spatial teleportation.]
[The teleportation point is unknown, and the outcome is uncertain, but there is a 90% chance of instantly escaping the pursuit.]
[Rewards: [Star Trail Dissection Talisman (One-Time Use)], [One Drop of Boundary-Breaking Essence Blood]]
[Option 2: Bloodbath Against the Shadow Demon!]
[The host may choose to confront a portion of the Demon Spring's power head-on, attempting to suppress the cursed seal and hone their skills in a life-or-death battle.]
[Reward: [Soul-Burning Secret Technique (Fragment)], [Slightly Increased Magic Resistance]
"Fight to hell! I'm practically dead!"
Without hesitation, Xiao Han roared inwardly, "Choose one! The Star Gate Gamble!"
He bit his tongue hard, and the sharp pain jolted him awake.
The remaining star power and the last wisp of life essence from the Chaos Green Lotus within his dantian surged wildly into the "Heaven-Piercing Ancient Token" in his palm like a flood bursting its banks!
The two characters "Tongtian" on the ancient edict suddenly lit up with dazzling starlight.
It echoes the coordinates of the "Ancient Star Gate" that newly appeared on the Star Map Fragment in his sea of consciousness.
"Open it for me!"
Xiao Han roared and slammed the Heaven-Piercing Ancient Token Decree into the void ahead!
"Buzz--!"
Where the ancient decree pointed, space itself distorted violently, like the surface of a lake tossed with giant rocks.
A vortex, cracked and shimmering with dim starlight, slowly took shape.
That was the "Ancient Star Gate"!
However, at the very moment the stargate opened...
The terrifying Demon Spring will behind them sensed something and let out a deafening roar!
A jet-black demonic thought, condensed to its extreme, pierced through the void like a sharp arrow and crashed into the still unstable teleportation channel!
"Snap!"
The spatial passage trembled violently and was on the verge of collapse.
"Trying to stop me? Dream on!"
With his last breath, Xiao Han plunged headfirst into the crumbling star gate.
The raging spatial turbulence instantly engulfed him. Even though the power of the Star Gate had worn away most of the pursuing demonic thought, a wisp of extremely refined demonic energy still pierced his heart the moment he was swept into darkness, falling with him into the unknown. In the dizzying moment, his internal organs were displaced, and his bones felt like they were about to fall apart.
After an unknown amount of time being jostled, an irresistible force suddenly threw him out, slamming him hard onto the hard, cold ground with a loud thud, making him see stars.
"Cough... cough cough..." He choked, large mouthfuls of blood and froth mixed with dark red bits of flesh gushing from his throat, blurring his vision.
With great effort, I opened my eyes to a dark red sky filled with grotesque, twisted vortexes of energy, churning silently. Beneath me lay a cold, metallic touch, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of burning metal and rust, each breath stinging my lungs. As my vision cleared slightly, I saw that I was surrounded by an endless plain of ruins, with massive, rusty wreckage of war machines, broken cannons, and shattered armor piled haphazardly together.
Strangely, as the chaotic energy washed over his body, the "Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal" on his left ankle unexpectedly quieted down a bit, and the excruciating pain also lessened somewhat.
He was just about to catch his breath when his back suddenly tightened. The demonic energy that had been embedded in his body began to wreak havoc, coldly devouring his flesh and meridians, causing him to groan in pain.
Struggling to sit up, even moving a finger felt incredibly difficult.
"Swish!"
A series of footsteps, hurried yet faint, came from behind the wreckage not far away.
Seven or eight figures nimbly flipped over a pile of twisted steel bars and surrounded him in the blink of an eye.
The newcomers were all dressed in rags, covered in grime, and carried a motley collection of weapons, most of which appeared to be haphazardly modified from parts salvaged from the wreckage of machinery. But the wildness and menacing aura emanating from them, along with their wary movements, were undeniable.
The woman at the head of the group was tall and slender, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Her bronze skin was covered with fine scars, and a hideous scar ran diagonally from her left temple to her chin, giving her a fierce and ruthless air. She held an energy battle blade in her hand, with arcs of dark blue electricity crackling around it. Her aura Middle Stage of the Martial Emperor Realm pressed down on Xiao Han without any attempt to conceal it.
The woman slightly raised her sword, pointing it at him, her voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping against stone. "Boy, where did you come from?"
She paused, then the tip of the blade moved even closer.
"Want to die?"
Despite the churning pain within his body and the chilling sensation in his back, Xiao Han slowly raised his hands, his voice dry and broken. "Everyone... I... I... I accidentally... I accidentally ended up here, it wasn't... it wasn't intentional."