65: Core module activation key, chaotic resonance arises

After walking down the spiral staircase below the bridge for about half an incense stick's time, a heavy cabin door etched with star patterns appeared before them. The door was made of dark gold metal, more robust than the starship's outer cabin doors. The star patterns on its surface glowed faintly golden, perfectly matching the patterns on the Core Cabin key in Lin Yang's hand. This was the entrance to the starship's Core Cabin, and the location of the chaos inheritance.

"This is it! The Core Cabin door requires both the key and Chaos True Essence to activate." Lin Yang inserted the Core Cabin key into the central keyhole of the door. As soon as the key was in, the star patterns on the door lit up, extending along the key to Lin Yang's wrist, as if sensing his Chaos True Essence. "Wanqing, Senior Sister Qingyue, please protect me. I cannot be disturbed during the activation process."

Su Qingyue and Bai Wanqing immediately stood on either side of Lin Yang. Su Qingyue's ice silk unfolded, weaving an impenetrable protective net around them. Bai Wanqing's ice soul pearl glowed blue, her Soul Power perception covering the entire corridor, wary of any potential sneak attacks. Lin Yang took a deep breath and infused Chaos True Essence into the key. A faint golden Qi flowed along the key into the cabin door, resonating with the star patterns.

"Buzz—" The cabin door vibrated violently, and all the star patterns on its surface lit up, forming a circular star array. As the star array rotated, the cabin door slowly opened. A vast Chaos Qi surged out from within, carrying pure Origin energy, causing Lin Yang's chaos star core to spin wildly in his Dantian, almost wanting to fly out of his body on its own!

The interior of the Core Cabin was grander than imagined. In the center stood a crystal pillar, about a zhang thick. The crystal pillar was transparent, with gray-gold Chaos Qi flowing within it. Countless star maps revolved around the crystal pillar, which was the starship's power core—the Chaos Crystal Pillar! Scattered around the crystal pillar were several skeletons of ancient Cultivators, holding broken weapons in their hands, clearly the crew members who had guarded the Core Cabin until their last breath, fighting to the very end.

"This is the core of the starship! The Chaos Qi contained within the Chaos Crystal Pillar is even purer than the energy of the Five Elements Spirit Pool!" Lin Yang exclaimed excitedly. Just as he was about to approach the crystal pillar, a sharp shout suddenly came from the Core Cabin entrance: "Audacious brat, how dare you trespass into the Immortal Palace's most treasured land! Leave behind the star map fragment and the Core Cabin key!"

Lin Yang turned to see a Cultivator in a white robe standing at the entrance. Cloud pattern totems of the Immortal Palace were embroidered on the corners of his robe, and in his hand, he held a golden token. It was none other than Elder Yun Song of the Immortal Palace! Behind him followed two Immortal Palace Disciples, each holding a long sword, with faint golden Soul Locking Sword Qi entwined around the blades, clearly prepared to forcibly seize the items.

"Elder Yun Song? I didn't expect the Immortal Palace to catch up so quickly." Lin Yang sneered, shielding Bai Wanqing behind him. "The starship is an ancient relic, not the private property of the Immortal Palace. By what right do you claim it as the Immortal Palace's most treasured possession?"

A ruthless glint flashed in Elder Yun Song's eyes: "The chaos star core and the starship are both Origin objects of the Universe. Only the Immortal Palace is qualified to control them! If you know what's good for you, hand over the items obediently, or don't blame this old man for being impolite!" Before he finished speaking, dozens of faint golden Soul Locking Sword Qi shot out from the token in his hand. The Sword Qi carried an effect that sealed True Essence, striking directly at Lin Yang and the two women.

"Be careful! This Sword Qi can lock True Essence!" Lin Yang pushed Bai Wanqing to his rear-side, while he himself circulated Chaos True Essence, condensing it into a shield in front of him. "Clang, clang, clang!" The Sword Qi struck the shield, sending sparks flying everywhere. The faint golden soul-locking power spread along the protective shield, attempting to penetrate Lin Yang's Meridians and seal his True Essence circulation.

Lin Yang felt a sharp pain in his Dantian, and the circulation speed of his Chaos True Essence visibly slowed. In this critical moment, he suddenly remembered that when he broke through to the Eighth Layer of Innate Realm, his True Essence had already liquefied, so he tried to circulate the liquid True Essence. The faint golden liquid True Essence flowed through his body, its density three times that of solid True Essence, actually firmly blocking the soul-locking power outside his body, preventing it from seeping in even an inch!

"Liquid True Essence? You can actually liquefy your True Essence at the Eighth Layer of Innate Realm?" Elder Yun Song's face changed drastically, clearly not expecting Lin Yang's growth speed to be so fast. "Even if your True Essence is liquefied, you are no match for this old man in the Gang Qi Realm! Immortal Palace Secret Technique—Flowing Cloud Soul Lock Slash!" He chanted an incantation, and the token shot out an even thicker Soul Locking Sword Qi, with a sharp whistling sound, directly piercing towards Lin Yang's Dantian.

Seeing this, Bai Wanqing immediately activated her ice soul pearl. The blue light transformed into an ice thorn, precisely shooting towards the weak point of the Soul Locking Sword Qi: "Lin Yang, the core of the Sword Qi is in the middle! Attacking there can break the soul-locking power!" The blue light of the ice soul pearl resonated with Lin Yang's Chaos True Essence, allowing him to clearly "see" the circulation path of the soul-locking power within the Sword Qi. That faint golden light in the middle was precisely the core of the Sword Qi.

Su Qingyue also seized the opportunity to unfurl her ice silk, wrapping it around Elder Yun Song's wrist. Ice True Essence flowed along the ice silk, freezing his True Essence circulation: "Lin Yang, now's your chance! Don't give him an opportunity to activate other secret techniques!" The toughness of the ice silk, bolstered by the liquid True Essence, became incredibly strong, and Elder Yun Song was temporarily unable to break free.

Lin Yang didn't hesitate. Liquid True Essence condensed into a fist, imbued with devouring power, and smashed fiercely towards the core of the Soul Locking Sword Qi. "Bang!" The fist energy collided with the Sword Qi, sending faint golden light scattering. The Soul Locking Sword Qi instantly shattered, and the Reflection force caused Elder Yun Song to spit out a mouthful of blood, his wrist cracked by the constriction of the ice silk.

"Impossible! How could a Cultivator at the Eighth Layer of Innate Realm break my Soul Lock Slash?" Elder Yun Song's eyes were filled with disbelief. He hadn't expected Lin Yang to not only have liquefied True Essence but also to accurately find the Sword Qi's weak point, coupled with the tacit cooperation of Su Qingyue and Bai Wanqing, leaving him no chance to retaliate.

Lin Yang seized the opportunity to close in, his liquid True Essence wrapped in devouring power, and he slammed a palm onto Elder Yun Song's chest. "Pfft!" Elder Yun Song spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward to crash against the star patterns of the Core Cabin door. The star patterns lit up with a faint golden beam, bouncing him away. He struggled to get up from the ground, looking at Lin Yang and the two women, his eyes filled with unwillingness: "You all just wait! The Immortal Palace won't let you off!" With that, he transformed into a golden streak of light and fled towards the outside of the starship, with the two Immortal Palace Disciples following closely behind.

Su Qingyue wanted to chase, but Lin Yang stopped her: "Don't chase, he wants to lure us out of the Core Cabin. There might be an ambush outside. Let's first obtain the chaos inheritance, then make plans." He looked at Bai Wanqing, seeing her pale face, and quickly walked over. "How are you? Were you affected by the Sword Qi just now?"

Bai Wanqing shook her head, leaning against Lin Yang, her voice weak: "I'm fine, I'm just a bit exhausted from over-exerting the ice soul pearl. The Chaos Qi in the Core Cabin is very pure; quickly absorb it to increase your strength. Senior Sister Qingyue and I will protect you." Her shoulder was still bleeding, yet she still prioritized Lin Yang's growth, warming his heart.

Su Qingyue also nodded: "Wanqing is right. Elder Yun Song will definitely return, and he'll bring more people. You must increase your strength as quickly as possible to deal with the upcoming crisis. I will guard the Core Cabin door and not let anyone in."

Lin Yang no longer hesitated, walking to the Chaos Crystal Pillar and reaching out to touch it. The Chaos Qi within the crystal pillar surged into his body through his palm. The chaos star core in his Dantian spun wildly, and the concentration of his liquid True Essence grew higher and higher, even beginning to take on a gray-gold chaotic color—this was a sign of approaching the Gang Qi Realm! He could clearly feel that the Five Elements dantian core within him was fusing with the Chaos True Essence, and his strength was increasing at a visible rate.

Bai Wanqing leaned against the crystal pillar, a faint smile on her lips as she watched Lin Yang absorb the Chaos Qi. Su Qingyue, meanwhile, guarded the Core Cabin door, her ice silk taut, vigilant for any movement outside. The Chaos Qi inside the Core Cabin slowly circulated, and a faint golden light enveloped the three of them, bringing both the hope of increased strength and foretelling a greater storm to come—the Immortal Palace and other forces would never give up, and they had to be fully prepared before the storm arrived.