At the same time, the Eternal Night Void Emperor Martial Soul Demon General Soul Fragment was not to be outdone. Its core suddenly erupted with the profound meaning of [Shadow Devour], transforming into a dark vortex. It began to actively tear and devour the soul fragments of the demon general's divided soul that had invaded Xiao Han's sea of consciousness. Although it could not completely resist, it greatly reduced the impact on Xiao Han's soul origin!
With the powerful assistance of two great Martial Souls, Xiao Han's pressure lessened slightly. He focused all his attention on the [Chaos Nether Lotus] in his dantian. After absorbing a large amount of pure Starfire essence and mixed void demonic energy, clear and profound star and flame patterns began to gradually emerge on the petals of the [Chaos Nether Lotus], as if containing the ultimate truth of the universe's birth and death. At the center of the lotus platform, a glimmer of light quietly condensed, eventually transforming into a tiny "Chaos Starflame Seed" prototype, about the size of a fingernail, with a chaotic color throughout, yet simultaneously shimmering with starlight and demonic flames!
Once the nascent "Chaos Starflame Seed" condensed, the various energies within Xiao Han's body, which had been raging and nearly bursting him apart, miraculously began to be actively absorbed and transformed, ultimately achieving a mysterious balance, as if finding an outlet! Xiao Han felt a jolt throughout his body, an unprecedented sense of comfort spreading through his limbs and bones. His aura, far from declining due to his severe injuries, instead surged, breaking through the barrier of the mid-stage of the Eighth Level of the Martial Master Realm in one fell swoop, reaching the late stage of the Eighth Level of the Martial Master Realm with unstoppable momentum! At the same time, the [Star-Magic Battle Body] on his body also underwent a transformation, with the star patterns and demonic patterns becoming more condensed and profound. His control over the power of stars and demonic energy reached a new level, perfectly harmonious and effortless!
"Ha!" Xiao Han suddenly opened his eyes. In his left eye was the dazzling starlight of billions of stars revolving; in his right eye was a deep, dark, all-consuming demonic flame! Two completely different yet perfectly blended gazes, captivating the soul! He slowly raised his right hand, his fingers forming a sword, and gently pointed at the Void Polluter that was rushing towards him again. A "Chaos Starflame" woven from starlight and demonic flame shot out like an arrow, seemingly slender, yet containing terrifying power capable of piercing through everything. It struck the Void Polluter's constantly pulsating "Pollution Source Core" with perfect precision!
"Woo--Awooo--!" The Void Polluter let out a mournful and unwilling howl. The moment its "Pollution Source Core" came into contact with the "Chaos Starflame", it melted away as quickly as ice and snow under the scorching sun. Its huge and twisted body also collapsed inch by inch, turning into the most primitive void energy and dissipating into the air.
With the complete annihilation of the Void Polluter, the Star Core Ancient Key, due to the severe damage to the Demon General Soul Fragment within it, dimmed rapidly, almost turning into a mere ordinary stone. A will filled with resentment and unwillingness struggled to emerge from it. "Ant... you cannot take away... what belongs to the Void... the Monarch... is watching... the end of the Heaven-Piercing Tower... is not far off..." Before the words were finished, the Star Core Ancient Key fell completely silent, never to be heard again. Almost simultaneously, Xiao Han clearly felt a cold and vast will from a higher level of the Heaven-Piercing Tower, like an invisible giant eye, sweeping over the ravaged altar. That gaze was filled with scrutiny and undisguised, chilling killing intent!
"Phew..." Xiao Han let out a long breath, finally managing to temporarily resolve the crisis. He stepped forward and collected Qin Yueyao's scattered storage ring and broken jade pendant, his heart filled with mixed emotions. This resolute woman ultimately sacrificed herself to protect others.
However, before he could even catch his breath, the entire Starfire Altar, and even the first level of the Heaven-Piercing Tower beneath his feet, began to shake violently! Above, the starlight dimmed, and a terrifyingly dark spatial rift was forcibly torn open by an unparalleled force! A gigantic claw covered in fine black dragon scales and burning with ghostly flames slowly emerged from it! This single claw exuded a terrifying pressure that was enough to suffocate even Martial Emperor Realm expert, and Xiao Han felt his very soul tremble wildly under this pressure!
As if in response to the final call of the Demon General Soul Fragment, or as if a direct intervention from a higher will, an existence far more terrifying and powerful than the Void Polluter and the Demon General Soul Fragment descended!
The enormous claw, covered in Netherworld Dragon scales and carrying unparalleled demonic power capable of crushing stars, crashed down! The Starfire Altar, fragile as paper before this force, instantly collapsed and disintegrated. Xiao Han pushed his [Star-Magic Battle Body] to its limit, star patterns and demonic runes intertwining and flashing, attempting to withstand this world-destroying blow. However, an irresistible force surged forth; he felt his bones groan, as if they would shatter inch by inch in the next instant. The nascent [Chaos Starflame Seed] within his dantian trembled violently, emanating an unprecedented, deadly sense of crisis; the shadow of death had completely enveloped him.
Behind the crack, a pair of cold and merciless ghostly eyes indifferently watched everything. A terrifying "Emperor Lord- level" will, far surpassing that of Martial Emperor and even exceeding that of an ordinary Martial Grandmaster, swept in like an invisible tide, fiercely impacting Xiao Han's sea of consciousness, attempting to crush his soul and will directly into dust.
"Ugh!" Starlight and demonic flames flashed simultaneously in Xiao Han's eyes, and the [Soul Origin Treasure Jade] in the center of his sea of consciousness emitted a dazzling light, swaying violently like a candle in the wind, struggling to resist the crushing force of the Emperor Lord's will. His soul felt as if it were being torn apart, and he was in unbearable pain.
[Warning! An apocalyptic crisis detected! The host is under attack from an "Emperor Lord- level" being far beyond their current rank! The probability of survival is approaching zero!]
[Activate the unique dying choice: Soulmate Sacrifice!]
[Option: Immediately sacrifice the damaged "Star Core Ancient Key" and 30% of your own "Star Demon Origin" power to attempt to trigger the extremely weak resonance of the same dark attribute between the "Star Core Ancient Key" and the "Nether Dragon Claw," creating a one in ten thousand moment of chaos. There is an extremely low probability (0.001%) of triggering an unknown variable, giving the host a sliver of hope. If this fails, the host will be completely Obliteration with no chance of survival!]
The system alarm sounded urgent and shrill, carrying an unprecedented sense of despair.
"I'll take the gamble!" Xiao Han's eyes were bloodshot. In this life-or-death situation, he didn't hesitate for a moment. He suddenly grabbed the dim [Star Core Ancient Key] from his storage ring, let out a deafening roar, and used all his strength to slam it hard against the sky-covering Netherworld Dragon Claw!
At the same time, the [Star-Magic Battle Body] within his body reversed wildly, and the power of stars and the power of demons collided fiercely in an unprecedented way, forcibly forcing out three-tenths of its original essence, which transformed into a torrent of energy mixed with starlight and demonic energy, and poured it all into the [Star Core Ancient Key]!