The Rule Tumor's uncontrolled eruption was like throwing a ladle of ice water into a boiling vat of oil, instantly turning the originally orderly—evil—ritual site upside down. Chaotic Energy Turbulence tore through space, indiscriminately attacking everything within its range. Nether Hall Master Ying Hai bore the brunt of it. The energy connection between him and the Rule Tumor was forcibly ripped apart by the violent impact. With a muffled groan, the shadows rolling around him visibly dimmed and grew more disordered, while his aura plummeted significantly.
Although Su Yan and the others were also blown away by the shockwave, each injured and bedraggled, compared to the direct backlash suffered by Ying Hai, they had gained a precious moment to catch their breath—and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
"An opening!" Su Yan endured the agonizing pain as if his organs had been displaced, his gaze fixed firmly on the violently pulsing Rule Tumor, whose surface energy churned like boiling water. Destroy it? If such a massive core of twisted energy were forcibly detonated, the destructive power released would be enough to erase the entire basin—and perhaps an even larger stretch of the Netherworld—from the level of its very rules! That was absolutely not the solution.
The Compass trembled violently against his chest, its silver light scorching hot. It was not merely because its restoration had increased; it also conveyed a faint yet incomparably clear wail from deep within the Rule Tumor... along with a weak desire for release! It was the remaining will of Netherworld Emperor You Huan, corrupted and imprisoned for countless years!
"Purify it... We have to purify it!" An incomparably clear thought exploded in Su Yan's mind. "Only by soothing and purifying the Emperor's corrupted will, guiding his remaining origin of order away from this twisted Rule Tumor, can we resolve this at its root!"
It was an extremely dangerous plan—one that could even be called pure fantasy. With his mere Level 32 cultivation, he wanted to purify a monstrosity formed from the twisted will of an ancient Emperor and the core laws of the Netherworld? It was like trying to stop a chariot with a mantis's arms!
But he had no choice! Nor did he have time to hesitate!
"Buy me some time!" Su Yan roared hoarsely, his eyes resolute. "I'm going to try to purify it!"
There were no unnecessary questions, no moment of hesitation. The trust forged through life and death revealed itself completely at this moment.
"Leave it to us!" Mo Hen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a fierce glint flashing through his eyes. He threw out every remaining mechanism tool he had, including half-finished and experimental ones. [Chain Explosion Mechanism], [Extreme Cold Frost Domain Generator], [Unstable Energy Disruptor]... Multicolored spiritual light mixed with violent explosions and Energy Turbulence, forming a brief yet utterly chaotic barrier before him. It temporarily blocked the Nether Hall Master, who had just steadied himself from the backlash and was trying to charge over.
"Amitabha!" Bai Zhi sat cross-legged, planted the Willow Branch before her, and pressed her palms together, her expression more solemn and dignified than ever. She abandoned all defense and healing, concentrating every bit of her Buddhist cultivation into a single point as she recited the most ancient and magnificent Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Original Vow Sutra! Vast, gentle Buddhist light no longer spread outward. Instead, it precisely enveloped Su Yan like an inverted golden bell, creating a relatively stable "pure land" that isolated the interference of the external chaotic energy as much as possible while providing faint but constant spiritual protection and purification support.
Yun Ji's face was pale, and the blood spilling from her lips stained the front of her clothes red. Enduring the tearing pain in her soul caused by forcibly calculating and setting up the formation, her fingers danced like butterflies among flowers as she rapidly traced through the air using her own Essence Blood mixed with Netherworld yin energy. Runes woven from clear radiance and ghostly light appeared out of thin air, swiftly linking into a complicated and profound temporary formation—the [Minor Heaven and Earth Yuan Stabilizing Array]! The power of the formation forcibly stabilized the space around Su Yan, which was on the verge of collapse, creating a "fulcrum" from which he could safely guide his power!
Star Vortex stood guard before Su Yan. Though covered in wounds, it still let out an unyielding roar. The star vortex at its tail spun faster than ever, gathering its final strength as it stared fixedly at Ying Hai, who was frantically attacking the barrier while temporarily held back by Mo Hen's mechanisms, ready to use its body to block any attack that broke through the line of defense.
With the precious space and support his companions had bought at the cost of their lives, Su Yan no longer held anything back. He closed his eyes and sank all his focus into his dantian, connecting with the vast and mysterious Power of Stars. The Star Qi Drawing Art operated at its limit, even surpassing the burden he could currently withstand, and wisps of starlight escaped from every pore of his body. At the same time, he tightly gripped the Compass, whose restoration had reached 65% and which resonated intensely with the Rule Tumor. Through the Compass's amplification and guidance, he carefully poured the gathered, purest Origin Power of Stars into an incomparably condensed silver pillar of light, precisely firing it at the core area where the Rule Tumor was most chaotic and Netherworld Emperor You Huan's remaining will fluctuated most violently!
"With the stars as my guide, and order as my proof... may you rest in peace, Senior!"
The instant Su Yan's consciousness entered the Rule Tumor's core alongside the Power of Stars, he seemed to pierce through countless distorted Turbulence of Rules and overwhelming resentful filth, arriving in a space of consciousness filled with endless pain and darkness.
There, he "saw" a vague figure pierced through by countless black chains, its body horribly ruined, yet still retaining a final trace of clarity and dignity—it was the remaining will of Netherworld Emperor You Huan!
"...Future... generation..." A fragmented thought filled with exhaustion and pain, yet carrying a trace of relief and comfort, entered Su Yan's consciousness.
"Senior..." Su Yan replied with his thoughts, conveying his determination and the aura of order from the Compass.
"...End Times... corruption... my... sin... purify... me... release..." The Emperor's thoughts were like a candle flame in the wind, yet they expressed his desire with incomparable clarity. He was not asking Su Yan to save his will, which had long since been completely corrupted. He was asking Su Yan to help him completely escape this eternal torment, to let him Return to Silence together with this twisted Rule Tumor, and use the last remnants of his uncorrupted origin to nourish the world he had "corrupted"!
There was no further exchange. A pure, ancient power carrying the most fundamental aura of life and death in the Netherworld—the final remaining, pure Netherworld origin of Netherworld Emperor You Huan—followed the Star Light Pillar guided by Su Yan and willingly, resolutely flowed back into the Compass!
[System: [Damaged Compass] has absorbed the gift of pure origin from the ancient Netherworld ruler (Netherworld Emperor You Huan). Restoration has increased significantly! Current restoration: 75%!] [System: The Compass has permanently gained the trait 'Netherworld Affinity'! In the Netherworld environment, spiritual power consumption is reduced by 15%, comprehension of Netherworld-attribute skills/laws is enhanced, and the natural hostility of Netherworld creatures is reduced.] [System: Successfully purified the core will of the 'Core of the Fallen God' (Rule Tumor)!]
The Compass erupted with unprecedentedly brilliant silver light! The cracks across its body visibly healed by more than half, while the needle at its center seemed to have been reforged, flashing with lively, mysterious starlight and ghostly radiance. An even more majestic and purer power of stellar order, mixed with the newly acquired trait of Netherworld Affinity, burst forth with Su Yan and the Compass at its center!
The silver radiance was no longer merely light. It transformed into a flowing river of stars, washing over the massive Rule Tumor like heavenly waters cleansing the world! Wherever it passed, twisted lines of rules were smoothed and straightened. Thick Filthy Energy melted away like snow, while countless imprisoned and suffering soul phantoms revealed peaceful expressions before dissolving into specks of fluorescence.
Having lost the support of its core will and been purified by this Power of Stars containing the origin of order and the Emperor's final wish, the massive Rule Tumor began to collapse and dissipate rapidly like a mountain stripped of its foundation! There was no explosion. Instead, like snow melting under the spring sun, it returned to its most fundamental Netherworld Breath, nourishing this land it had twisted for countless years.
"No—!!!" Nether Hall Master Ying Hai let out a despairing, frenzied roar. He could clearly feel the source of his power rapidly vanishing and his connection to the End Times land weakening! The purification of the Rule Tumor meant that his greatest support and achievement in the Netherworld had completely turned to nothing!
He frantically assaulted the mechanism barrier Mo Hen had set up, his shadow greatsword swinging wildly. But without the Rule Tumor's empowerment, his strength had fallen from that of a Level 42 regional boss back to that of a Level 40 boss. He was still powerful, but no longer invincible!
"Now! Finish him!" Su Yan dropped to one knee in weakness from overexerting his strength, but his gaze remained sharp as he pointed at the crazed Ying Hai.
No words were needed. The others, who had long been holding back their fury, immediately launched their final counterattack!
Mo Hen controlled the remaining Shadow Scout to harass him relentlessly. Bai Zhi's Buddhist light pierced Ying Hai's shadow-made body like sharp swords, while Yun Ji repeatedly froze his movements with [Mystic Yin Soul Suppressing Talisman]. The main force, however, was still Star Vortex and Su Yan!
Star Vortex let out a long howl, gathering its final fighting spirit and strength. [Star Vortex Sky Rend Strike] became a silver line that tore through the dim yellow sky, crashing viciously into Ying Hai! Su Yan forced up a breath of spiritual power and used the greatly restored Compass as support. A [Soul Chasing Talisman: Erosion] containing stellar order and a faint trace of Netherworld power struck first, precisely hitting the Energy Core exposed after the Rule Tumor's disappearance!
Under the combined assault of the group, the Nether Hall Master Ying Hai, who had lost his source of power and fallen into chaos, finally let out an unwilling wail. His shadow-made body collapsed and scattered completely like a sand sculpture blown apart by the wind, leaving behind only a tattered imperial robe and the shadow greatsword, now devoid of luster, falling from the air.
With Ying Hai's death and the Rule Tumor's complete purification, the enormous skeletal altar at the center of the basin also seemed to lose all of its energy. It collapsed with a thunderous crash and turned to dust. Even the oppressive dim yellow of the sky seemed to fade somewhat. Though it still bore the tone of the Netherworld, the suffocating filth and twisted sensation that had permeated every corner had vanished.
The battle was over.
The four people and one pet nearly collapsed to the ground at the same time, without even the strength to move a finger. Only their violently heaving chests proved that they were still alive. They were utterly exhausted, yet their hearts were filled with indescribable excitement and relief.
They had done it. They had purified the Rule Tumor, defeated the Nether Hall Master, and destroyed the End Times Cult's greatest anchor in the Netherworld, one it had maintained for many years!
Su Yan looked at the Compass in his hand, its restoration now at 75%, flowing with warm silver light and deep ghostly radiance, and felt countless emotions welling within him. This time, it had not merely been repaired—it had undergone an essential transformation.
However, when his gaze fell upon the needle at the center of the Compass, pointing toward the Well of Guixu, his brow furrowed slightly. The needle seemed... more solid than before. The mark representing the Well of Guixu also appeared clearer, and it even seemed to convey an extremely faint yet bone-chilling... pull?
It was as though, across endless space and time, the indifferent eyes belonging to the "Well of Guixu" had, for the first time, truly and clearly fixed upon him—the "ant" who had repeatedly ruined its plans.
At the same time, from the distant horizon beyond the basin came the faint sound of orderly, solemn footsteps, accompanied by the ringing of Lingdang that represented order and law, drawing closer from afar. The unrest in the Netherworld had subsided, and it seemed to have finally drawn the attention of this realm's true rulers—the official forces of the underworld.
New challenges and opportunities seemed to have quietly opened their curtain alongside the destruction of the old enemy.
Before you continue