Lin Wudao and Su Yao turned into streaks of light and sped toward Immortal Burial Valley. The closer they drew to their destination, the denser the Devil Qi in the air became. The flowers and grass on the ground had long since withered, replaced by patches of black moss that gave off an eerie glow. In the distance, a dark-gold pillar of light shot into the clouds. The space around it twisted and warped, and ancient, mysterious chanting drifted faintly from within.
"This presence... is several times stronger than it was on the ancient battlefield." Su Yao tightened her grip on her gilded whip and scanned their surroundings warily. Under the corrosion of the Devil Qi, the lingering cracks in her whip actually began to seep wisps of black mist.
Lin Wudao's expression was grave. He could feel the Jade Slip fragment in his hand growing hot, resonating intensely with the distant pillar of light. Within his sea of consciousness, the phantom image of the Star Palace appeared beyond his control. The runes on its great doors flickered incessantly, as though urging him to quicken his pace. "Be careful. This is the Ancient Witch Clan's Ten Thousand Souls Heaven-Locking Formation. Every bit farther we advance will trigger stronger restrictions," Lin Wudao warned. At the same time, he circulated the Power of the Falling Star, forming a shield of starlight around himself.
Barely had he finished speaking when fissures suddenly split the ground. Countless deathly pale arms reached out of the cracks and seized their ankles. The skin on these arms was shriveled, their nails black as ink, and foul-smelling slime dripped from their fingertips. Su Yao's eyes were sharp and her hands swift. She lashed out with her gilded whip, and golden flames instantly burned the arms to ash. Yet more arms kept surging out, seemingly without end.
Lin Wudao circulated the Chaos Heaven-Devouring Instruction, opened his mouth, and inhaled. The arms actually turned into wisps of black Qi and were swallowed into his belly. Yet the instant he absorbed this Devil Qi, the Devil Master's remnant soul in his sea of consciousness shook violently, and a powerful backlash surged through his entire body. "Pfft!" Lin Wudao spat out a mouthful of blood, and cracks appeared in his falling star shield.
"Wudao!" Su Yao cried out. With a coil of her whip, she pulled Lin Wudao to her side. She took a jade talisman from inside her robes, its surface engraved with the Jade Void Palace's devil-suppressing runes. The talisman blazed with light, dispersing the surrounding arms, and the two seized the chance to charge forward.
At last, they reached the foot of the pillar of light. An enormous altar towered before them, covered in densely packed Witch Clan runes. Twelve black stone pillars stood around it, ghostly blue flames burning at their tops. At the center of the altar, nine great shamans of the Ancient Witch Clan, dressed in blood-colored robes, held both hands high as they performed some evil ritual. Within the formation beneath their feet lay the sect-guarding treasures of the Heavenly Mysteries Sect, Incense Valley, and other sects. The formation was steadily corroding these treasures, which gave off an eerie light.
"So they really are here!" A cold glint flashed through Lin Wudao's eyes. "They want to use the nine great sect-guarding treasures as offerings to force open the Star Palace's second level!"
Just then, the great shamans of the Ancient Witch Clan atop the altar turned their heads in unison, bloodthirsty red light flashing in their eyes. The leading shaman sneered. "Perfect timing. All we lack to complete the ritual is the Essence Blood of you two!" He swept both hands outward, and the black stone pillars around the altar suddenly shot out black chains. Countless vengeful spirits wound around the chains as they flew toward Lin Wudao and Su Yao.
Lin Wudao tossed out the Jade Slip fragment. It hovered in midair and erupted with dazzling light. Wherever the light passed, the black chains snapped apart. Seizing the opening, he unleashed Falling Star Annihilation. An enormous falling star Sword-Ray condensed along the Chaos Sword and slashed toward the altar. Yet the instant the Sword-Ray touched the altar, an invisible barrier actually reflected it back.
"It's useless!" the leading shaman laughed wildly. "This altar is connected to the source of Devil Qi deep within the earth veins. Even if an immortal corpse came in person, it couldn't break through!" Before he finished speaking, the formation on the altar blazed with light. The nine great sect-guarding treasures began to fuse, forming an enormous blood-colored sphere. Within it, the outline of the Star Palace's second level was faintly visible.
Watching this, Su Yao turned pale. "If they succeed, the consequences will be unthinkable!"
Lin Wudao drew a deep breath. He knew he could no longer hold back his strength. He circulated the Mystic Heaven Creation Instruction while simultaneously mobilizing all the Power of the Falling Star within him and the power of the Chaos Heaven-Devouring Instruction. In his sea of consciousness, the phantom image of the Star Palace became completely solid and resonated with the Jade Slip fragment. System, activate Falling Star Resonance! Lin Wudao roared inwardly.
The system notification sounded: "Ding! Activating Falling Star Resonance. Connecting to the Star Palace's source power..."
The starlight around Lin Wudao surged. He turned into a streak of light and charged toward the altar. The instant he drew near, the Chaos Sword in his hand fused with the Jade Slip fragment, forming a Sword of the Falling Star that radiated brilliant light. The Sword of the Falling Star slashed down, finally breaking through the altar's barrier, and thrust toward the blood-colored sphere formed from the nine great sect-guarding treasures...