196: Two hearts break free of restraint, whispering under the moon.

The atmosphere in the Main Hall was so heavy it felt like water might drip from it. The Guixu Cult's insane plan to reverse the stars and sacrifice all living beings hung over everyone's hearts like a thick, dark cloud. The slowly operating evil Formation and the cold truth recorded on the Giant Stele all indicated that a catastrophe capable of sweeping across the entire East Region was brewing.

"We must destroy this Formation." Su Wanqing's voice broke the silence, carrying an undeniable resolve. Her gaze swept over the positions in the Formation's inner ring that represented the Origins of different special Physiques, and the chill in her icy eyes intensified.

"Rushing in won't work." Lin Xuan analyzed calmly, pointing at the corpses of the Guixu Cult Cultivators on the Formation's periphery. "Even their own people couldn't approach the core. This Formation has powerful innate defensive and Backlash Mechanisms. Moreover, it is connected to the star nether core and the residual energy of the entire Ancient Palace. Acting rashly might trigger a chain collapse."

His gaze fell upon the complex patterns connecting the Giant Stele and the Formation: "The key might be cutting off the energy connection between the Formation and the star nether core, or perhaps... starting with the Giant Stele itself. It seems to be the Control Center and information carrier for the entire ritual."

Yun Shang stepped forward, carefully sensing the residual Star Dao Rhyme on the Giant Stele. Combining this with the Legacy knowledge in her mind, she pointed to an inconspicuous recess on the back of the Giant Stele moments later: "Senior Brother Lin, Senior Sister Su, that spot... seems to be a hidden structure that requires a special mark or resonance to open. Its energy flow is connected to the core Formation, but it is relatively independent. Perhaps... it was a safeguard or an Emergency Braking Device left behind by the Star Palace Guardians back then?"

Lin Xuan and Su Wanqing exchanged glances, instantly understanding each other's meaning. This was an opportunity, but it also came with unknown risks.

"Wanqing and I will attempt to open that structure." Lin Xuan decided. "Feiyan, Xiao Yu, Yun Shang, you three stand guard here and be ready to provide support. If there is any unexpected movement, prioritizing your own safety is key; immediately retreat to the Central Main Hall passageway entrance!"

Although Qu Feiyan was slightly unwilling for Lin Xuan and Su Wanqing to act alone, she knew this was not the time to be willful, and she nodded: "Be careful."

Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang also solemnly agreed.

Lin Xuan and Su Wanqing wasted no time. Their figures moved like two wisps of smoke, bypassing the dangerous Formation patterns on the ground and silently arriving at the back of the Giant Stele.

The recess was about the size of a palm and irregularly shaped. Its interior was carved with microscopic runes as dense as stars, faintly emitting the aura of a Restriction that could only be activated by a specific frequency of spiritual power and mental fluctuation.

"System, analyze the Restriction structure and solution."

[Analyzing... The target is the 'Concentric Star Pattern Lock'. It requires two people's spiritual power to be synchronized in frequency, their Divine Senses to achieve Fusion, and the simulation of the bond fluctuation between the Ancient Star Palace's 'Star Patrol Envoy' and their 'Star Protector' to open. Forcible cracking will trigger the Stele Self-Destruct Procedure.]

Concentric? Divine Sense Fusion?

Lin Xuan was slightly taken aback and looked at Su Wanqing beside him. Su Wanqing had clearly also sensed the Restriction's characteristics through her Divine Sense. A faint blush flashed across her cold countenance, but her eyes remained firm.

"Wanqing..." Lin Xuan began, his voice carrying a hint of inquiry.

"It's fine." Su Wanqing interrupted him, actively extending her pale jade hand, palm upward. Pure Taiyin Spiritual Power coiled around her fingertips. "Let's begin."

No unnecessary words were exchanged; trust and tacit understanding were already ingrained in their bones. Lin Xuan took a deep breath, reached out his hand, and pressed his palm against hers. In an instant, two vastly different yet equally pure and vast streams of spiritual power—Taichu and Taiyin—flowed through their touching palms and merged without obstruction!

More importantly, their Divine Senses also cautiously extended along this bridge of spiritual power, like two gentle strands of silk, probing, approaching, and finally slowly intertwining and achieving Fusion.

This was not the Spiritual-Flesh Fusion of Dual Cultivation, but a deeper level of unreserved trust and Soul-level closeness. Lin Xuan could feel the resilience, guardianship, and a trace of imperceptible tenderness hidden beneath the ice in Su Wanqing's Divine Sense; Su Wanqing felt as if she were placed within a Chaos Nebula that gave birth to all things, sensing Lin Xuan's tolerance, steadfastness, and the immense power originating from the depths of his Soul.

Guided by their Divine Senses, the frequency of their spiritual power rapidly adjusted, converging into one, jointly simulating an ancient and profound bond fluctuation, which slowly injected into the recessed "Concentric Star Pattern Lock."

Buzz... The microscopic runes on the Star Pattern Lock lit up one by one, like a star-studded sky being illuminated! A mysterious resonance generated within the Giant Stele.

However, just as the lock was about to fully open, a sudden change occurred!

As if triggering some Deep-Level Defensive Mechanism, the Giant Stele shook violently. A cold, dead, and utterly repulsive Residual Will (suspected to be a remnant of the Nether Ruins power that invaded back then) surged backward along their Divine Sense connection, striking them!

This impact was not physical force, but was directed straight at the Divine Soul, carrying the intent of erosion and Chaos!

Su Wanqing groaned, her face instantly paling. Although her Taiyin Divine Sense was strong, it leaned more towards purity and guardianship, making it slightly weaker against this kind of foul Will Impact.

"Wanqing!" Lin Xuan's heart tightened. Without hesitation, he protected her Divine Sense even more tightly within his own Sea of Consciousness, which contained the Taichu Derivation Intent! The Taichu Power circulated, forcibly decomposing and neutralizing the invading dead Will!

Pfft—

A trace of fresh blood spilled from Lin Xuan's lips. Forcibly protecting Su Wanqing and using the Primal Origin to directly clash with the Residual Will caused his already not fully recovered Nascent Soul to suffer another slight tremor.

But it was precisely this self-sacrificing protection and the seamless Divine Soul Fusion between the two of them that allowed the "Concentric Star Pattern Lock"'s resonance to reach a perfect peak!

Click!

A crisp sound of machinery rang out. The runes in the recess stabilized completely, forming a small Light Gate.

The impact dissipated, and their Divine Souls separated.

Su Wanqing looked at the bloodstain on Lin Xuan's lip. An indescribable heartache and fluctuation flashed in her icy eyes. She reached out her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, and gently wiped away the crimson mark. The movement was tender, completely different from her usual cold demeanor.

"I'm fine." Lin Xuan held her hand, smiling at her to show he was unharmed.

Su Wanqing did not pull her hand back, allowing him to hold it, feeling the warmth emanating from his palm. After a moment of silence, she whispered, "Next time... you don't have to do that."

Lin Xuan looked at the unconcealed concern in her eyes, a warm current flowing through his heart. He chuckled softly: "Protecting you is my pleasure."

This simple exchange was more profound than any vows of eternal love. After this shared resistance and guardianship on the Divine Soul level, the deep affection that had long been planted between them seemed to have undergone a tempering, becoming even more serene and solid.

They said nothing more, tacitly turning their attention to the opened Light Gate. Behind the gate was not a Treasure Trove, but a floating Jade Slip radiating soft starlight, and a small pile of Star Crystal Stones that had long lost their spiritual light, seemingly meant for emergency Formation repair.

Lin Xuan reached out and took the Jade Slip, sinking his Divine Sense into it.

What the Jade Slip recorded was not a Cultivation Technique, but instructions left by the Star Patrol Envoy Chen Yuan on how to use the residual power of the Ancient Palace's "Lesser Stellar Array" to temporarily strengthen the Seal, or... as a last resort, how to guide the star nether core's energy to overload, performing a limited-range self-destruction to perish together with the invaders! Furthermore, it detailed several key Energy Nodes connecting the Formation and the star nether core!

"Found it!" A sharp light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. "With this, we might not need to fight head-on to destroy the Guixu Cult's plan!"

He quickly shared the contents of the Jade Slip with the Three women.

Hope was pulled back from the brink of despair once again. And the affection between Lin Xuan and Su Wanqing, like Whispers Under the Moon, quietly settled in this crisis-ridden Ancient Palace, transforming into a deeper bond and strength in each other's hearts.