"Clang--!"
The clang of metal against metal was so powerful it pierced the clouds and shattered rocks, causing a constant buzzing in Xiao Han's ears!
His right hand, shrouded in dense black energy, was now gripping the tip of the Star Dragon Spear! The unparalleled power of the stars and the equally domineering power of the demons clashed and dissolved wildly in his palm, the exploding light so dazzling that it temporarily blinded people, and the destructive shockwaves crushed all the remaining starlight illusions around him into dust!
"Snap!"
His tiger's mouth split open with a snap, and the white finger bone splintered out from the flesh, splattering black and red blood droplets everywhere. The excruciating pain swept through his mind like a raging tide. However, Xiao Han, whose mind was partially corrupted by demonic thoughts, had only pure bloodlust and rage deep in his eyes. His five fingers were tightly bound like shackles cast into his body, and no matter how the Star Dragon Spear trembled and wailed, it did not budge!
The stalemate lasted only a moment. Suddenly, the [Heaven-Piercing Ancient Token] that he was pressing down with his other hand burst out with an unprecedentedly strong light! "Buzz--" A distant and strange tremor resounded throughout the altar. The starlight vortex formed by the ancient decree suddenly accelerated. The Star-Core Formation Spirit that was struggling violently let out a desperate wail. Its light dimmed rapidly and it was finally completely swallowed up!
In an instant, a torrent of information, carrying the vast Star Origin and the profound mysteries of endless formations, surged into Xiao Han's spiritual platform like the Milky Way pouring down from the heavens!
"Boom!"
The Starlight Maze-Locking Formation, having lost its core array spirit, groaned under the strain. The entire space shook violently, and jagged cracks spread across the void. Starlight fell like shattered glass rain, and the array was on the verge of collapse!
At the same time, Xiao Han's body was instantly turned upside down! The newly surging star core energy, along with the original Primordial Demon Fiend Power, Star Power, Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal on his ankle, and the dual Martial Soul power of Chaos Green Lotus and Eternal Night Void Emperor, were like several out-of-control primordial beasts, frantically crashing and tearing at his limbs and bones, trying to rip him to pieces!
"Ugh--!"
Xiao Han looked up and let out a suppressed, agonizing roar. On the surface of his body, brilliant star patterns and strange demonic patterns flashed wildly, sometimes bright and sometimes dim. His skin cracked inch by inch, blood mist gushed out from his pores, his whole body swelled and twisted, and his bones groaned under the unbearable pressure, as if they would explode completely at any moment.
Within his sea of consciousness, the cruel will of the Primordial Demon Finger was frantically intertwined with his own soul. His soul felt as if it were being pulled in different directions by countless hands, and the tearing sensation made his vision go black in waves, bringing him to the brink of unconsciousness.
Just as his consciousness was about to be completely overwhelmed by demonic thoughts and his physical body was about to be burst apart by violent energy, a sudden change occurred!
The [Heaven-Piercing Ancient Token] on his chest, which had devoured the Star-Core Formation Spirit, trembled again, and an extremely condensed starlight shot out, directly piercing into his ancestral aperture between his eyebrows, resonating with the [Soul Origin Treasure Jade]! At the same time, the temporary seal forged by the Star Iron Mother at his left ankle actually formed a profound resonance with the surging Primordial Demon Fiend Power deep within his heart and the newly generated, vast Star Core energy within his body!
It was as if a pair of invisible giant hands were forcibly straightening the chaos within him, sorting out the turbulent power within him that was capable of destroying the world!
"Ding!" The system notification sound, like a clear echo in an empty valley, resounded distinctly in Xiao Han's chaotic mind.
[Detected that the host has successfully guided the initial fusion of the Primordial Demon Fiend Power, the Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal, and the Star Origin. The [Beginner Demon Fiend Battle Body] is beginning its transformation into the [Star-Magic Battle Body] (Pseudo-Incomplete)!]
[Upon successful transformation, the host's control over negative energy will be slightly enhanced, and the host will gain the trait: Star-Magic Conversion (which can convert a small amount of stellar power into demonic power, or a small amount of demonic power into stellar power; the conversion efficiency depends on the integrity of the battle body and the host's control, and has a cooldown period and the risk of backlash).]
The process of transformation was beyond description; even scraping the bone and removing the marrow was insufficient to describe it! Every inch of flesh, every meridian, and every bone was repeatedly crushed, kneaded, and reshaped by three completely different forces! Xiao Han sometimes felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave that had stood for ten thousand years, and at other times as if he had been placed in a furnace of purgatory. The suffering was so intense that it made life worse than death.
His will, nourished by the coolness emanating from the [Soul Origin Treasure Jade] and the vast vitality surging from the depths of the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul, endured the excruciating pain, like a reef in a raging storm, which, despite countless blows, never collapsed.
Strangely, on the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul, the blurry World Tree phantom, as the Starlight Maze-Locking Formation collapsed and the ancient heroic spirits resisting demons on the murals turned into dust, moved without wind. Countless azure roots quietly emerged, absorbing the lingering remnants of heroic spirits, brimming with indomitable fighting spirit, that were about to dissipate. The World Tree phantom solidified, its dragon and phoenix patterns lifelike, and its abundant life energy and purifying divine light permeated the air. Its suppression of the demonic energy within Xiao Han's body seemed to have reached an even more subtle level.
Amidst this surge of energy and the shattering of space, the Eternal Night Void Emperor Martial Soul gained a deeper understanding of the laws of the void, especially in its application of the origin of shadow, which silently produced a subtle and indescribable harmony.
"Boom--Crack!"
With a final, earth-shattering explosion, the entire Starlight Maze-Locking Formation collapsed, turning into countless stardust fragments, like a grand yet tragic fireworks display, slowly vanishing into nothingness. The ancient Starry Sky Ancient Road, once filled with deadly intent, returned to its original state, but the surrounding star murals had now lost all their luster and spirituality.
Xiao Han was covered in blood, his clothes tattered beyond recognition, as if he had just crawled out of a battlefield of carnage. However, the aura emanating from him did not weaken in the slightest; on the contrary, it surged like an angry dragon emerging from the abyss, directly approaching the barrier of the mid-stage of the Eighth Level of the Martial Master Realm!
The initial formation of the [Star-Magic Battle Body] (pseudo-incomplete) has brought his physical strength, explosive power, and even recovery ability to a new level! At this moment, the hideous wounds on his body are healing at an astonishing speed under the vitality of the Chaos Green Lotus and the self-healing of the newly formed [Star-Magic Battle Body].
Not far away, the heavily wounded Starpath Guard Squad, the pair of ghostly blue soul flames beneath his helmet flickering violently, reflected Xiao Han's both holy and sinister demeanor. A sense of dread and bewilderment from the depths of its soul made it question the definition of "star" for the first time. It couldn't understand why a blasphemer, clearly deeply corrupted by demonic energy, hadn't completely succumbed to demonic possession after devouring the Star-Core Formation Spirit, but instead experienced a surge in aura, becoming so bizarre and unpredictable!
"The stars... cannot be... defiled!" The guard captain roared hoarsely, his mangled body bursting forth with its last flames, condensing into a starlight spear that was several times dimmer than before, yet still carried the resolute determination of mutual destruction. With his last bit of strength, he shot through the air toward Xiao Han!