Lin Wudao and the silver-haired woman raced along on their flying swords, fierce winds howling past their ears. The black mist in the direction of Immortal Burial Valley churned like boiling ink. Faint strains of immortal music seemed to drift through it, mingled with shrill, mournful wails. The silver-haired woman tightened her grip on her gilded whip. At the edge of the black mist, wisps of white frost actually formed over the Immortal Qi at its tip.
"Three fallen True Immortals are buried in this valley. Their remnant souls and Law Treasures intertwine to form a formation. One careless move could consign us to eternal damnation." The silver-haired woman turned toward Lin Wudao, a trace of solemnity flashing through her eyes. "My name is Su Yao, successor to the Jade Void Palace's Star Phenomena Pavilion. The formation diagram fragment may be connected to the 'Tianxuan Star Coffin' within the valley."
Before she had finished speaking, a streak of azure light suddenly shot out of the black mist, cleaving through the air like a sharp sword. Lin Wudao swung the Chaos Sword. Lightning collided with the azure light, unleashing an ear-piercing metallic screech. As the azure light dispersed, a skeleton dressed in azure robes appeared, ghostly green flames flickering in its eye sockets and half a broken immortal sword clutched in its hand.
"It's a tomb-guarding Yin soldier!" Su Yao lashed out with her gilded whip, winding its tip around the skeleton's neck. Lin Wudao seized the opening and closed in, driving the Chaos Sword straight at the point between its brows. Yet the instant the blade touched the skeleton, a bone-piercing chill traveled along the sword, and frost covered his arm in an instant.
"Careful! This Yin soldier has been cursed by immortal power. Ordinary attacks won't work!" Su Yao turned her wrist, and the Immortal Qi on her whip transformed into flames that scorched the skeleton all over. Lin Wudao circulated the Mystic Heaven Creation Instruction, blending the power of thunder and fire on his sword before slashing again. "Thunder and Fire Immortal Refining!" Purple lightning wrapped in crimson flames cleaved down. The skeleton let out a defiant howl, then turned to drifting ash and dispersed.
The two continued deeper, and the terrain within the valley grew increasingly treacherous. Enormous stone steles stood in dense ranks. The immortal script inscribed on them had long since weathered, yet still radiated oppressive might. The black jade fragment against Lin Wudao's chest suddenly grew hot, and patterns resembling those on the steles surfaced on it. A system notification sounded: "Resonance fluctuations from the Star Spirit-Guiding Formation detected. The Tianxuan Star Coffin is located at the convergence of celestial configurations within the valley."
Just then, the ground suddenly shook violently, and an enormous bronze coffin burst out of the earth. Star patterns covered its surface, and wisps of starlight spilled through the gap beneath its lid. It was none other than the legendary Tianxuan Star Coffin. Su Yao was just about to approach when the coffin exploded with a thunderous crash. Countless streams of starlight shot skyward, coalescing into an enormous phantom in the air.
Dressed in white immortal robes and holding a star disc, the phantom looked down upon them. "Who dares disturb my secluded cultivation?" Its voice was low, yet it shook Lin Wudao's Qi and Blood into turmoil. Su Yao immediately bowed. "This junior is Su Yao. I have come on my master's orders to seek a fragment of the Star Spirit-Guiding Formation diagram. Senior, please..."
"The Jade Void Palace?" The phantom snorted coldly. "The Jade Void Palace helped seal us away back then, and now you wish to seize the formation diagram?" Before it had finished speaking, the star disc rotated, and countless streams of starlight transformed into sharp blades that shot toward the two. Lin Wudao swung his sword to block them, and the starlight blades left deep gouges in the Chaos Sword; Su Yao whirled her whip, weaving a golden shield of light.
During the fierce battle, Lin Wudao noticed that whenever the phantom swung its star disc, the star patterns around the coffin lit up. A thought stirred in his mind, and he channeled spiritual power into the black jade fragment. Its light resonated with the patterns on the star coffin, forming a pillar of light that shot straight at the phantom. The phantom howled in pain, and cracks appeared in the star disc in its hand. "Why do you have the ancient clan's sacred relic?!"
Seizing the opportunity, Su Yao lashed out with her whip and bound the phantom's wrist, while Lin Wudao leaped into the air. The Chaos Sword gathered the power of thunder and fire, and he brought it down upon the star disc. Boom! The star disc exploded, and the phantom dispersed. A jade tablet covered in stars slowly rose from the top of the Tianxuan Star Coffin-it was the second fragment of the Star Spirit-Guiding Formation diagram.
Yet before the two could catch their breath, sinister laughter sounded in the distance. Youmingzi emerged from the black mist with a group of black-robed cultivators. The Lightning-Devouring Demon Wolf crystal in his hand flickered with an eerie light, resonating with the jade tablet. "Lin Wudao, hand over the fragment," Youmingzi said with a sinister laugh. "The extraterritorial heavenly demons of the Demon-Sealing Abyss have already pinned down the Jade Void Palace. Even if you sprouted wings today, you wouldn't escape!"
Lin Wudao tightened his grip on the jade tablet, the power of thunder and fire circulating around him. "If you want it, come and take it!" The Chaos Sword rang out with a clear, resounding cry. Su Yao also took her stance, her gilded whip sweeping up a skyful of golden light. A brutal battle was poised to erupt at a touch. Meanwhile, in the direction of the Jade Void Palace, the light of the Nine Heavens Exquisite Pagoda was dimming, and the roars of the extraterritorial heavenly demons drew ever closer. The fate of the entire cultivation world hung upon this confrontation...