59: The fragments are put back in place, and the Ruins of Return begin to appear.

The dark red energy aftermath still raged within the cave, stirring up gusts of cold wind. Lin Xuan endured the tremors in his internal organs and the soreness in his arms, his gaze like a torch, fixed on the faint and blurry phantom of the fragment at the center of the evil array.

Opportunities are fleeting!

He no longer paid attention to the three Skeleton Guards charging from behind, nor did he care about the two remaining spirit flags with dim light. All his intent and all his power converged on this one impact. The pale golden Qi and blood erupted again without regard for consumption; though not as blazing and dazzling as before, it carried an added sense of desperate resolve!

"Whoosh!"

His figure was like lightning, tearing through the residual energyTurbulence. Lin Xuan's palm was covered in a layer of condensed golden light, reaching directly for the core fragment suspended above the altar!

Just as his fingertip was about to touch the cold entity—

"Buzz—!"

The immortal abode pivot token, which had been violently vibrating, suddenly burst forth with unprecedented clear radiance! A pure, vast, and purifying light, carrying a sense of suppression, surged from the token. It arrived later but acted first, like a soft cocoon, instantly enveloping the dark red fragment phantom along with its true form!

"Chichichi—!"

The clear light clashed fiercely with the dark red defiled energy remaining on the fragment's surface, making a sound like cold water dripping into hot oil. The defiled energy, in the face of the pure immortal palace Origin power, melted away like ice and snow, rapidly receding and evaporating!

The fragment's true form finally revealed itself completely—it was a palm-sized, irregularly shaped crystal. Its material was neither gold nor jade, and within it, star rivers seemed to flow, though at this moment, its light was extremely faint, and some stubborn black Qi, difficult to completely dispel for a time, was intertwined within it.

There was no violent rejection as imagined. Under the guidance and protection of the cardinal edict's clear light, Lin Xuan's palm smoothly grasped the cold core fragment!

The moment the fragment entered his hand, a torrent of information, far vaster and more obscure than the previous fragment, mixed with countless shattered images and sorrowful wills, violently rushed into Lin Xuan's Sea of Consciousness!

It was a clearer scene of the immortal palace's collapse, the starry sky stained with blood, palaces crumbling; images of countless Cultivators struggling, degenerating, and perishing in a viscous, dark "pollution" that seemed to devour everything; the despair of a grand surveillance network spanning all heavens extinguishing one by one under the erosion of "pollution"; and finally, a terrifying will piercing through the star sea, cold, chaotic, filled with hatred for all orderly existence... Simultaneously, a pure energy, tinged with a cold lingering resonance, surged up his arm into Lin Xuan's body, forcibly fusing with his own Qi and blood and spiritual power! This energy was of an extremely high level, far exceeding his current cultivation, instantly swelling his Meridians, which were damaged from resisting the impact, causing intense pain. Yet, in an overbearing manner, it also accelerated the recovery of his injuries and even pushed his cultivation towards the barrier of the False Core Middle Stage!

"Ugh—!"

Lin Xuan couldn't help but let out a low roar. Golden light and a trace of lingering dark red evil light flickered alternately in his eyes, his body trembling slightly as he fully digested the sudden influx of information and energy.

Behind him, the bone blades of the three Skeleton Guards were already upon him!

"Don't even think about hurting him!"

A clear, cold shout rang out! Moonlight, like a silken ribbon, arrived later but acted first. Su Wanqing's figure had, at some unknown point, broken through the corridor's obstruction and appeared at the cave entrance. Her face was somewhat pale, and a trace of blood still hung at the corner of her mouth, clearly having paid a price to provide support quickly. At this moment, she formed a hand Seal, and her ice sword transformed into a gigantic moon wheel, carrying an extreme cold power that could crush everything, spinning as it slashed towards the three Skeleton Guards!

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

In front of the moon wheel, which contained the power of the Grand Yin Origin, the three guards were easily cut down and frozen like rotten wood, then shattered into a pile of ice shards!

Immediately after, Qu Feiyan and Gongsun Yu also followed. Qu Feiyan's red dress was somewhat torn, and her hair was slightly disheveled, but the Evil Qi in her charming eyes was even stronger. She waved her hands, and countless pink petals, like a storm of sharp blades, completely shredded the remaining bones attempting to re-coalesce and the two spirit flags! Gongsun Yu, surrounded by lightning, vigilantly guarded Lin Xuan's side, acting as his Protector.

As the core fragment was retrieved and the evil array completely destroyed, the cold and sinister force field within the cave began to rapidly recede. In the direction of the corridor, the massive Skeleton Demon Statue, as if having lost its power source, had the soul fires in its eyes instantly extinguish, and its enormous body crashed down, turning into a pile of true withered bones and scrap metal.

The brief crisis seemed to be averted.

However, Lin Xuan still had his eyes tightly closed, his body trembling slightly, clearly still contending with the impact brought by the fragment. Su Wanqing and the Three women surrounded him, not daring to disturb him, only able to maintain full vigilance, their hearts tense.

A moment later, Lin Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, golden light bursting forth, the trace of dark red Evil Qi from before completely suppressed. Although his aura was somewhat chaotic, it was deeper and more profound than before, subtly touching the threshold of the False Core Middle Stage.

He let out a long breath of turbid Qi, then opened his palm, looking at the core fragment lying quietly in his palm, temporarily Sealed by the cardinal edict's clear light, his gaze complex.

"Big Brother Lin, are you alright?" Gongsun Yu asked anxiously.

Lin Xuan shook his head, his voice deep, "I'm fine, I just received some... fragmented memories about the immortal palace's destruction." His gaze swept over the Three women, finally landing on the completely collapsed altar, his tone grave, "And, I've confirmed our enemy."

He paused, then slowly uttered three words, carrying bone-chilling coldness:

"Guixu Cult."

According to the residual information in the fragment, this evil array that plundered remnant souls and polluted fragments was the Guixu Cult's usual method. This cult worshipped the "Great Enemy from Beyond the Heavens" that brought destruction and pollution, viewing it as a deity, and was dedicated to returning all the myriad realms to "annihilation" and "nothingness." They were the immortal palace's sworn enemies, and now a huge malignant tumor lurking in the Desolate Sea, and even the broader world!

"We must leave this place as soon as possible." Lin Xuan carefully placed the second core fragment into the internal space of the immortal abode pivot token, arranging it alongside the first fragment. "With the evil array broken, the Guixu Cult might have sensed it. This place has become a hotbed of trouble."

Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing and the Three women all looked solemn. Guixu Cult, a name they had heard from the Sky-Patrolling Mirror Spirit, now became even more real and dangerous.

The four dared not delay further and quickly exited the cave along their original path, passing through the ruined beast bone corridor and returning to the relatively open ruined area.

However, just as they stepped out of the corridor and were once again exposed beneath the gray mist, the immortal abode pivot token in Lin Xuan's palm, and the two core fragments he had just put into it, simultaneously sent out an extremely subtle, yet strongly warning palpitation!

He suddenly looked up, gazing into the depths of the mist-shrouded ruins, his eyes seemingly trying to penetrate the endless haziness.

There, he felt a trace of... prying intent, originating from the same source as the evil array just now, yet more concealed and profound.

It was as if a pair of invisible eyes, from the depths of distant darkness, had quietly opened, noticing these few "unexpected" intruders who had disrupted their plans.

The Guixu Cult's reach extended further than they had imagined.

The true danger, perhaps, had only just begun.