Option A: Single-handedly save the lord! Immediately teleport to the Starfire Altar to rescue the Starfire. Successfully protecting or seizing a portion of the flame will grant a high probability of obtaining [Star Origin Fire Seed) ] and a large amount of Heaven-Piercing Tower contribution points. Risk: Extremely high, almost certain death!
[Option B: Form alliances! Unite with the survivors present to first set up defensive formations, weakening some of the Void Polluter' power, and then enter at a later opportunity. Risk: Medium, but may miss the best opportunity to obtain the [Star Origin Fire Seed) ], and the Starfire may be completely extinguished.]
The system notification was cold and direct. Xiao Han's gaze swept over the words "Star Origin Fire Seed) " in option A, and his heart stirred slightly. His [Star Body-Tempering Technique] needed high-level stellar energy to advance, and the perfection of [Star-Magic Battle Body] was also inseparable from this primordial substance. Moreover, he still had some goodwill towards the Qin Family because of Su Linglong.
"I choose A." Xiao Han said without the slightest hesitation.
"Brother... please reconsider!" the Martial Artist recognized Qin Yueyao said urgently, "That's an elite monster at the Martial Emperor Realm Late-Stage Peak, and we don't have enough manpower..."
Xiao Han glanced at him calmly. "You can choose to stay, or find another way. But if the Starfire is extinguished, no one here will survive."
His words made some of those who were already considering retreating even more hesitant. Several hot-blooded young Martial Artists, inspired by Xiao Han's decisiveness and the powerful strength he had previously displayed, shouted, "Brother Xiao is right! What's the point of coming to the Heaven-Piercing Tower if you're afraid of death! I'll go with you!"
"Count me in! We can't ignore Miss Qin Family!"
However, many more chose to remain silent, their fear barely concealed. An elite-level void creature at the Martial Emperor Realm Late-Stage Peak was simply an existence they could not contend with.
Xiao Han said no more, nodded to the few Martial Artists who were willing to follow him, and took the lead in stepping towards the teleportation array that shimmered with light and exuded an ominous aura.
The moment he stepped into the teleportation channel, a violent surge of void energy rushed towards him like countless sharp blades. Xiao Han grunted, pushing his [Star-Magic Battle Body] to its limit, the power of stars and demonic energy intertwined, barely managing to protect his body. He unleashed his spatial perception at full power, attempting to stabilize the channel.
Even so, among the Martial Artists following him, two with slightly weaker cultivation levels let out a scream and were swallowed up by a suddenly appearing spatial rift, disappearing without a trace, their fate unknown.
The remaining three followers were pale-faced and followed closely behind Xiao Han, not daring to be careless in the slightest.
With a flash of light, Xiao Han and the others finally broke out of the raging teleportation tunnel and landed on the huge, ravaged altar.
The scene before my eyes was shocking.
At the heart of the altar, a Starfire should have blazed as brightly as the sun was now dim and on the verge of extinction, with only a fist-sized flame flickering in the thick black mist, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.
Covered in blood, Qin Yueyao held a longsword with dim starlight. She and the three remaining members of the Qin Family formed a small battle formation back to back, struggling to hold off a terrifying creature that was ten feet tall and shaped like a twisted behemoth.
The creature was entirely black, covered in grotesque bone spurs and writhing tumors, its countless fine compound eyes gleaming with a cruel, bloodthirsty light. The oppressive aura emanating from it was as imposing as a mountain or a prison, causing even Xiao Han to feel a chill run down his spine. This was the Void Polluter!
"Heh heh... a few more suicidal insects have come..." The Void Polluter emitted a teeth-grinding grinding sound as it spewed out streams of pure black demonic flames. Wherever the demonic flames passed, the star power on the altar was rapidly corrupted and transformed into filthy and evil energy.
Several Star Puppets that were originally guarding the altar now had bloodshot eyes and were shrouded in black energy, clearly corrupted by demonic influence. They were frantically attacking Qin Yueyao and the others. Each of these corrupted puppets possessed the strength of Martial Emperor Realm Initial Stage!
"You're courting death!" Xiao Han roared, and before the Void Polluter could react, his figure had already vanished from the spot.
The next moment, the prototypes of [Eternal Night Domain] and [Chaos Domain] overlapped and were released, and the two colors of light, one dark and one blue, instantly enveloped half of the altar, temporarily isolating it from the suffocating demonic aura.
"Thousand Lotus-Shadow Illusions!"
The Azure Green Lotus Sword Song was suddenly activated, and countless azure lotus shadows appeared out of thin air. Each lotus flower transformed into a sharp sword aura, precisely piercing the energy core of those demon-infected puppets.
"Annihilation Divine Fist: Starburst!"
Almost simultaneously, Xiao Han's fist, imbued with the destructive power of intertwined stars and demonic energy, crashed down like a meteor.
"Bang bang!"
With several loud bangs, the fearless demon-infected puppets were instantly shattered by the combined attack of the Lotus Shadow Sword Qi and the Destruction Fist Force, turning into countless stardust and black mist, relieving Qin Yueyao and the others from their immediate crisis.
"Thank you!" Qin Yueyao gasped for breath, her beautiful face stained with blood and exhaustion, but a glimmer of hope rekindled in her eyes.
"Watch out!" Xiao Han warned, his figure already rushing towards the Void Polluter.
[Star-Magic Battle Body] was activated at full power, with star patterns and demonic patterns reflecting each other on his body, and an incomparably domineering aura soared into the sky.
"Corruption Shockwave!"
The Void Polluter's head, covered in compound eyes, suddenly turned towards Xiao Han, and a thick black beam of light, containing the ultimate power of corruption, shot out with a roar!
Xiao Han neither dodged nor evaded, but clenched his right fist and met the attack head-on!
"Boom!"
The instant the energies collided, Xiao Han felt a strange force seep into his body through his fist. Strangely, this corrupting force caused his demonic energy to tremble slightly, as if it had received a boost. But at the same time, the stellar energy that constituted the [Star-Magic Battle Body] was severely suppressed, its circulation instantly becoming sluggish, and the battle body's power was weakened by nearly 20%!
"Hehehe... Foolish ants, you cannot stop my lord's descent!" The Void Polluter let out a hoarse and triumphant laugh. "When the Starfire is completely transformed into Void Demon Flame, this first level of the Heaven-Piercing Tower, and indeed the entire world, will become my lord's glorious pasture!"
"Xiao Han! The recess on that stone platform in the center of the altar is where the 'Star Core Ancient Key' is placed!" Qin Yueyao's urgent voice rang out. While fending off the aftershocks of the Void Polluter's tentacles, she pointed to a stone platform in the center of the altar, heavily guarded by dense black mist. "That's the key to controlling the Starfire. Perhaps it can trigger the Starfire to purify itself and dispel the demonic corruption!"
Xiao Han scanned the area with his [Void-Piercing Divine Eyes] and indeed found that the stone platform was the hub of the entire altar's energy flow, and also the place most heavily guarded by the Void Polluters.
Just as Xiao Han was preparing to launch a strong attack on the stone platform, a sudden change occurred!
A Martial Artist who had followed him into the altar, who had previously been silent and unremarkable, suddenly had an extremely intense and eerie black light flash in his eyes. He silently slid to a spot not far behind Xiao Han, and his long sword was quietly drawn, the tip of which was condensed with a cold black light. He then stabbed towards Xiao Han's vital point in the back like lightning!