Survival in a Desperate Situation

Lin Ye sat cross-legged in the center of the altar, the Star-Shattering Sword laid across his knees. He was bathed in blood, his bones visible beneath the tatters of his robes. The meridians within his body were snapped inch by inch, the True Qi seed in his dantian had ceased its rotation, and his life force was on the verge of extinction.

Ahead, a school of Star Soul Fish approached in formation, each one several zhang long, radiating a terrifying aura no weaker than the mid-stage of the True Qi Realm. Behind him, the whirlpool at the center of the lake turned slowly, an indomitable will locking onto him firmly.

Lin Ye slowly closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into the deepest part of his body. He stopped suppressing his injuries and instead withdrew his remaining life force entirely.

"Roar—"

The lead Star Soul Fish let out a roar, the sound waves causing the lake water to explode. Its body whipped violently, transforming into a streak of light that lunged straight for Lin Ye's head, intent on swallowing him whole.

The entire school of Star Soul Fish rioted at once, hundreds of streaks of light blotting out the sky, crushing down with an aura that threatened to destroy everything.

At almost the same moment, something pitch-black like a tentacle reached out from the depths of the whirlpool; wherever it passed, space collapsed and rifts in the void tore open.

Caught between the front and back, there was no way forward or retreat!

Just as death was about to descend—

Lin Ye snapped his eyes open!

There was not a shred of human emotion in his gaze, only the resolute intent to sacrifice himself and destroy everything!

"Burn my body, sacrifice my soul—"

"With my blood, summon the collapse of the stars!"

"With my bones, call forth the inverted heavenly river!"

"With my soul, open the gates of hell!"

On the altar, ancient array patterns that had been silent for ten thousand years suddenly flared to life, starlight shooting into the sky and weaving into a vast star map in the void!

The Star-Shattering Sword vibrated violently, the blade erupting with blinding golden light. The sword spirit burned its final essence, transforming into a golden heavenly river that poured downward, merging with the star map on the altar.

"Hum—"

The entire Lake Heart Island shook violently as the star ley lines beneath the island were thoroughly awakened! Star power, violent to the extreme, erupted from the depths of the ley lines, transforming into a chaotic pillar of light over a hundred zhang wide that connected heaven and earth with Lin Ye at its center!

Within the pillar of light, stars flickered and died, the heavenly river flowed in reverse, space shattered, and time fell into chaos! This was the Meteor World-Extinguishing Array laid down by Daoist Xinghe during his lifetime.

"Rumble—!!!"

The pillar of light collided head-on with the torrent of death formed by the school of Star Soul Fish! Wherever the pillar passed, the Star Soul Fish were instantly vaporized, annihilated completely before they could even let out a wail!

At the same time, that pitch-black Hua Yuan Realm tentacle slammed fiercely against the pillar of light!

"Boom—!!!"

The massive sound shook the secret realm, the sound waves turning into a physical shockwave that swept in all directions! The lake water below was forced down into a giant crater a thousand zhang deep, and the surrounding void shattered completely, revealing a pitch-black expanse of nothingness.

Lin Ye was at the very center of the collision.

"Pfft—"

Countless bloody holes exploded across his body, every wound deep enough to reveal bone. His skeleton fractured, and his internal organs disintegrated. Agonizing pain surged like a tide, nearly drowning his consciousness entirely.

The star power contained within the chaotic pillar of light poured madly into his broken body.

The True Qi seed within his body, which had been on the verge of extinguishing, was forced into a desperate situation at this moment—

It began to rotate in reverse, transforming into a miniature black hole that frantically devoured the destructive energy pouring into his body!

"Crack, crack—"

The surface of the True Qi seed was covered in fissures, its light flickering unsteadily.

Lin Ye's consciousness was already blurred, supported only by a single obsession.

He was not resigned.

Having lived a mediocre life in his past, he had finally caught a glimpse of the light of the martial path in this life; how could he be willing to fall here?

He had not yet seen enough of this world.

"Break... for me—"

His final will condensed into an invisible heart-sword, which he slashed decisively toward that reverse-rotating, crumbling seed!

"Boom—!!!"

The True Qi seed exploded completely from its core!

But the soul-shattering destruction he had expected did not come.

The moment the seed shattered, a strange chaos was born at the very center of the destruction.

The star power pouring into his body, his remaining flesh and blood essence, the sword intent burned by the Star-Shattering Sword, the Dao of Daoist Xinghe, and the chaotic law fragments of the secret realm—all these conflicting and opposing forces were forcibly blended and reorganized within this chaos!

A brand-new, chaotic energy was born within the chaos.

This energy surged along his damaged meridians; wherever it passed, the severed meridians were violently cleared and reshaped, becoming several times wider and tougher than before.

His shattered flesh and bones were forcibly bonded and repaired, the new tissue shimmering with a faint starlight and possessing a cold, metallic texture.

Deep within his dantian, that patch of chaos rotated slowly. At its center, a brand-new True Qi seed slowly condensed—dark gold in color, with starlight flowing across its surface, the faint roar of wind and thunder echoing within, and wrapped in a deathly sword intent.

True Qi Realm, Third Layer—

BREAK!!!

"BOOM--"

Outside, the pillar of chaotic light and the Hua Yuan Realm tentacles clashed to their limit, simultaneously shattering and dissipating.

A heaven-shaking roar erupted from the vortex at the center of the lake, the will behind it filled with intense resentment: "Ant... thief of the Dao... I have marked your aura... The day I break free, I will devour your soul!"

The vortex slowly calmed, but the entire expanse of water turned as black as ink, radiating an ominous aura that made one's heart tremble.

The surviving Star Soul Fish were terrified by the lingering shockwaves, fleeing in panic and daring not to approach the altar by even half a step.

The altar collapsed completely, its runes erased, and the crystal skeleton turned into crystalline dust that drifted away into the sky.

Lin Ye sat cross-legged in the center of the ruins, head bowed and eyes closed, his body covered in hideous cracks, his aura so weak it was nearly non-existent.

"Cough..."

He struggled to cough up a mouthful of black blood and slowly raised his head.

His face was dense with cracks, his eyes hollow.

He looked toward the school of fish in the distance that were still eyeing him covetously, and toward that pitch-black, ominous stretch of water.

He—had survived.

In a desperate situation that should have meant certain death, he had used his own body as bait, triggering the collapse of the stars to consume the power of destruction, forcibly condensing a brand-new seed of power that belonged solely to him from the ashes.

Pale gold text slowly emerged in his mind:

[Points: 1]

Lin Ye slowly closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into his body, beginning to sense and adapt to that which was born from destruction, filled with the unknown and the dangerous—