With the Defense Line of Order stabilized, the All Heavens and Myriad Realms ushered in a rare period of peace. Each world devoted itself to reconstruction, while the Alliance Council began preparations to explore the Sea of Deathly Silence. Xiao Yan did not rush to set off; he knew that the dangers of that forbidden land far exceeded his imagination, and he had to be fully prepared.
He spent three months refining the connection between the Seed of Creation and the Core of the All-Heavens, ensuring that the Defense Line of Order would function stably even after his departure. At the same time, based on clues from the Forbidden Archives, he joined forces with the Medicine God Valley and the Mechanical Clan to refine a batch of " Order Spirit Pill " and " Decay-Resistant Battle Armor " Power of Order in a decaying environment, in preparation for any eventuality.
On the eve of his departure, the Blazing Sun Realm Lord and A Yao came to see him off. A Yao stuffed a bulging cloth bag into Xiao Yan's hands, inside which were various healing herbs that she had personally cultivated, as well as a few bright red Heaven Burning Fruit.
" Brother Xiao Yan, these medicines can be used when you're injured, Heaven Burning Fruit can help you restore your fire power." A Yao looked up, her eyes full of worry. " The Sea of Deathly Silence sounds terrifying; you must be careful!"
Blazing Sun patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder, his tone solemn. "We will guard the heavens and wait for your return. If you encounter any trouble, send a message immediately. Even if we have to flatten the Sea of Deathly Silence, we will come to get you."
Xiao Yan felt a warmth in his heart and carefully put away the cloth bag. "Don't worry, I won't be reckless."
The following morning, Xiao Yan stepped alone into the spatial passage leading to the Sea of Deathly Silence. This passage was temporarily opened by the Alliance at great cost, based on records in Forbidden Archives. It could only lead to the edge of the Sea of Deathly Silence; beyond that lay a chaotic zone that even the laws of space could not penetrate.
As he passed through the passage, the sight before him made Xiao Yan gasp in shock.
There was no sky, no earth, only an endless, gray-black ocean. The seawater was not liquid, but formed from pure Power of Decay, exuding a suffocating aura of death. Countless remnants of stars floated on the surface, some still slowly disintegrating and becoming part of the Power of Decay. There was no sound in the air, not even the fluctuations of the laws were extremely weak, as if time itself had lost its meaning here.
"This is the Sea of Deathly Silence..." Xiao Yan activated the Power of Order to protect his entire body. The three seeds of Seed of Creation in the Heart of the Flame Realm were slightly heated, forming an invisible barrier that isolated him from the surrounding decaying aura. Even so, he could still feel a stinging pain on his skin, as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at him.
He summoned the Heaven Burning Sword, its flames imbued with the Power of Order, forming a small " Order Lamp " before him to illuminate the path ahead. Guided by the Forbidden Archives, he flew towards the depths of the Sea of Deathly Silence.
The deeper they went, the denser the Power of Decay became. More and more star debris appeared, some of which still showed faint traces of battle, clearly remnants of the War of Creation and Annihilation. Xiao Yan even found a broken spear on a huge piece of debris, with runes similar to those on the Compass of Order engraved on its body, but it had long been corroded by the Power of Decay and lost its luster.
"This is the Creator's weapon?" Xiao Yan picked up the spear fragments, his heart filled with emotion. What a price the Creator had paid to seal the Rotten Realm Spider here!
After flying for several days, an "island" appeared ahead, formed by countless fragments of stars. In the center of the island, a dilapidated altar was faintly visible, covered with runes of order, stubbornly emitting a faint light in this desolate place.
"There are signs of life!" Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat, and he accelerated towards the altar.
Upon landing on the island, he discovered that the altar was even larger than it appeared from afar. The altar was constructed of pure white jade, though most of the jade had now turned black, and the runes on it were incomplete. Even so, the remaining Power of Order was still operating spontaneously, forming an invisible barrier that kept the surrounding Power of Decay at bay.
At the center of the altar, a broken stone tablet lay silently. The tablet was covered with dense runes, which Xiao Yan carefully examined and discovered were actually a diary written in the language of the Creator.
"... In the 372nd year, we finally established an outpost on the edge of the Sea of Deathly Silence. The power of the 'Seed of Order' can temporarily suppress decay; perhaps this place can become a base for a counterattack..."
"... In the 518th year, the attacks of the Rotten Realm Spider became more and more frequent; they seemed to be able to sense the aura of the 'Seed of Order.' One by one, their companions fell, and the light of the jade altar grew weaker and weaker..."
"... In the 700th year, the outpost was on the verge of collapse. I hid a fragment of the 'Seed of Order' deep within the altar, hoping that someone would discover it in the future and complete our unfinished work..."
"... My last companion has fallen. I will use the last of my strength to bless the altar with the ' Concealment Rune,' perhaps enough to deceive the Rotten Realm Spider... If you see this entry, remember, the core of the Sea of Deathly Silence is the ' Annihilation Origin Core,' that is the true source of the Rotten Realm Spider's power..."
The diary ends abruptly here, the last few runes crooked and illegible, clearly indicating that the writer was exhausted and on his deathbed.
Xiao Yan stroked the cold stone tablet, a heavy feeling rising in his heart. These unknown pioneers had persevered for hundreds of years in such a desperate environment, just to leave behind a glimmer of hope.
Following the instructions in the diary, he searched carefully deep within the altar. Sure enough, beneath a loose piece of jade, he found a small groove, in which lay a silver fragment the size of a fingernail, emanating an aura of the same origin as the Seed of Order.
"It's a fragment of the 'Seed of Order'." Xiao Yan picked up the fragment, and as soon as he touched it, it transformed into a stream of light and merged into the 'Seed of Order' in his Heart of the Flame Realm. In an instant, countless pieces of information flooded into his mind—the exploration records of the pioneers in the Sea of Annihilation, which detailed the route to the Annihilation Origin Core and the dangers along the way.
"I see." A realization flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. The pioneers had already found the location of the Annihilation Origin Core, but ultimately failed.
He carefully put away the stone tablet, intending to take it back to the heavens so that future generations would remember the sacrifice of these pioneers. Then, following the recorded route, he continued flying towards the core of the Sea of Deathly Silence.
According to the information, not far ahead lies the " Decaying Realm Spider Nest," where countless slumbering Rotten Realm Spider reside, representing the first hurdle on the path to the Annihilation Origin Core.
Xiao Yan gripped the Heaven Burning Sword tightly, and the light of the Order Lamp shone even brighter. He could feel that the Seed of Creation in the Heart of the Flame Realm was resonating with the fragments of the Seed of Order, as if echoing the will of the pioneers.
"Leave your unfinished work to me."
He murmured something, and his figure transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the direction of the Decaying Realm Spider Nest. The wind in the Sea of Deathly Silence was still icy, but the conviction in his heart burned brighter than ever before.