Lin Wudao's temples throbbed. The mysterious scene in his sea of consciousness kept flickering, and the memories lingering in the immortal corpse from High Antiquity surged over him like a tide. Enduring the excruciating pain, he warily scanned the crowd surrounding him and Su Yao so tightly that not even water could pass through. Tianxuzi's gaze was sinister, and the Xuantian Mirror blazed in his hand, as though he were ready to unleash a fatal strike at any moment; the mysterious cultivators spoke in low voices, greed and killing intent flashing in their eyes.
"Brat, hand over the immortal corpse's memories, and I'll spare your life!" Tianxuzi's voice was as cold as frost, carrying an unquestionable oppressive might.
Su Yao tightened her grip on her gilt whip and stepped in front of Lin Wudao, shouting, "Tianxuzi, don't go too far! The Jade Void Palace isn't so easily bullied!"
Lin Wudao reached out to stop Su Yao and said slowly, "Grand Elder, I know what you want. But danger lurks on every side in the Demon-Sealing Abyss right now. We should put the bigger picture first." As he spoke, he secretly circulated the Mystic Heaven Creation Instruction, trying to sort through the chaotic memory fragments.
Just as the tension reached the point of drawn swords and bent bows, Lin Wudao suddenly felt a stab of agony in his mind, and more scenes flooded out beyond his control. He saw a brutal battlefield from High Antiquity, where countless immortals fell and corpses littered the land; he saw a mysterious palace shrouded in powerful restrictions, emanating a presence that made his heart tremble; he also saw a blurred figure murmuring before the palace, seemingly guarding some earth-shaking secret.
"This is..." Lin Wudao murmured, a flicker of shock crossing his eyes. He realized that these memory fragments concerned not only the Star Palace's secrets, but might even involve the origins of the Demon-Sealing Abyss.
Noticing the change in Lin Wudao's expression, Tianxuzi's thoughts stirred, and he sneered. "It seems you've already gained quite a few benefits. If you know what's good for you, hand them over obediently. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?" A cool, clear voice suddenly rang out. Everyone turned to see a woman in white approaching atop auspicious clouds of seven colors, a powerful presence emanating from her entire body. She held a jade flute, her gaze calm and profound, as though she could see through everything.
"It's the Jade Void Palace's Holy Maiden!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
Lin Wudao felt relief. The arrival of the Jade Void Palace's Holy Maiden had undoubtedly put out the fire at his brows. The Holy Maiden glanced at him and nodded slightly before turning her gaze to Tianxuzi. "Elder Tianxuzi, the Demon Qi in the Demon-Sealing Abyss is running rampant. The entire cultivation world hangs on the brink of disaster. Fighting among ourselves now is hardly wise."
Tianxuzi's expression darkened. After a moment's hesitation, he finally snorted coldly. "I'll let you off for now. But our Heavenly Mysteries Sect will never let the matter of the Star Palace's secrets rest!" With that, he turned and left with his disciples. Seeing this, the mysterious cultivators also dispersed reluctantly.
Though the immediate crisis had passed, Lin Wudao did not relax in the slightest. He knew this was merely the calm before the storm. The Holy Maiden walked over to him and said softly, "Junior Brother Wudao, your discovery is very important. We must send word back to the Jade Void Palace as soon as possible and discuss how to respond."
Lin Wudao nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly felt a violent tremor in his sea of consciousness. His expression changed drastically, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, his body swaying on the verge of collapse. Su Yao and the Holy Maiden hurriedly caught him.
"Wudao! What's wrong?" Su Yao asked anxiously.
Struggling to hold on, Lin Wudao said, "The memory fragments... are too powerful... I can barely control them anymore..." His consciousness gradually blurred, and he sank once more into that abyss of memory.
Within the memories, he saw an ancient people who commanded mysterious powers and had built the Star Palace. This palace was not merely a place for storing treasures; it also sealed an evil power capable of destroying heaven and earth. The Demon-Sealing Abyss was precisely this power's weak point. As time passed, the seal gradually loosened, allowing Demon Qi to leak out and bringing about the present crisis.
So that's how it is... Lin Wudao murmured deep within his consciousness. The secret of the Star Palace is the key to unraveling the seal on the Demon-Sealing Abyss.
When he awoke again, he discovered that he had already returned to the Jade Void Palace. Grand Elder True Person Baixuan, the Holy Maiden, and Su Yao were all keeping watch beside him. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw him wake.
"How do you feel?" True Person Baixuan asked with concern.
Lin Wudao sat up and said, "I've gained a general understanding of the Star Palace's secrets. The crisis in the Demon-Sealing Abyss is far more serious than we imagined." He recounted the memories he had seen in detail.
After listening, everyone's expressions grew grave. The Holy Maiden frowned. "In that case, we must find the Star Palace and reinforce the seal as soon as possible, or the consequences will be unthinkable."
True Person Baixuan nodded. "That's right. But the Star Palace is hidden among the stars. Finding it is easier said than done. Wudao, did you discover the palace's exact location in those memories?"
Lin Wudao shook his head. "The memory fragments were too scattered. I only saw what the palace looked like, not its exact location. However, I feel that the rune between the immortal corpse's brows and the Star Spirit-Guiding Formation Diagram should be the keys to finding it."
"Then we'll begin with those two avenues." True Person Baixuan rose to his feet. "Holy Maiden, lead the disciples in studying the Star Spirit-Guiding Formation Diagram. Wudao, continue sorting through the memory fragments and see whether you can find more clues. Su Yao, you'll be responsible for keeping Wudao safe."
Everyone accepted their orders and left. Lin Wudao knew that a greater crisis was approaching, and he had no other choice now. He could only press bravely forward, unravel the Star Palace's secrets, and save the entire cultivation world.
In the days that followed, Lin Wudao shut himself in a secluded chamber and devoted himself wholeheartedly to sorting through the memory fragments. Su Yao guarded the door day and night against anything unexpected. Within the Jade Void Palace, the other disciples were also working urgently to study the Star Spirit-Guiding Formation Diagram, and a tense, oppressive atmosphere pervaded the entire sect.
Yet they did not know that, in the shadows, pairs of eyes were fixed intently upon them. The Heavenly Mysteries Sect, the Yellow Springs Demon Sect, and those mysterious factions were all waiting for an opportunity, preparing to seize the Star Palace's secrets. An even greater storm was quietly brewing...