641: Lu Xueqi and Biyao (24)

"The tianya sword can suppress Sword Qi, and I have cultivated the Ice Heart Art, which can lock down my aura."

"One more person means one more layer of support."

Su Han looked at her.

Seeing the unchangeable determination in her eyes,

he knew persuasion was futile.

Elder Mu sighed.

"Since that is the case, this old man will also..."

"Elder!"

Su Han interrupted him.

"This place needs someone to provide support, to control the star-guiding pearl, which might be able to summon Star Power at a critical moment to disrupt the beast horde and buy us a sliver of survival."

"Your role outside is much greater."

Elder Mu looked at the determined gazes of the two young people.

Knowing this was the optimal choice,

he nodded heavily.

"Good!"

"I will remain here, using the star-guiding pearl as the base to set up the 'Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Guiding Formation'."

"It can slightly conceal your auras and create chaos when necessary."

"But setting up this Formation takes time, and it cannot be moved."

"Once you ascend the Altar, or if a fierce battle breaks out..."

"I will activate the Formation. Whether it succeeds or fails, you must retreat within the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn!"

"Otherwise, when the Star Power tide erupts, even the Formation cannot last!"

The agreement was settled.

There was no more hesitation.

Su Han and Lu Xueqi exchanged a glance.

Nodding to each other.

They adjusted their states to the best possible condition.

Su Han urged the effect of his starlight gauze robe to its absolute limit.

He held the star fixing token in his left hand.

His right hand lightly rested on the sword hilt.

Lu Xueqi sheathed her tianya sword.

Her surrounding aura retracted,

like ten thousand years of ice,

not leaking even a bit.

"Go!"

The figures of the two flashed out of the light gate simultaneously.

They did not charge directly toward the Star Receiving Stele at the edge of the plaza.

Instead, they moved along the shadows surrounding the palace cluster,

using the broken architecture for concealment,

silently circling around.

Although there were many Star Beasts,

most were in a semi-dormant state of inhaling and exhaling.

Only a few were slowly prowling.

The two pushed their movement techniques to the extreme,

like two faint, almost imperceptible wisps of smoke,

weaving through the majestic palace colonnades and the ruins of collapsed side halls.

Occasionally, a Star Beast would approach.

The pair would immediately freeze,

merging with the shadows.

Relying on Su Han's Star Power assimilation and Lu Xueqi's Ice Heart Art,

they narrowly avoided detection.

Their heartbeats were like booming drums,

in this space so silent only the humming of flowing Star Power could be heard,

they sounded exceptionally clear.

But the gazes of the two remained calm,

focused solely on their task.

Not long after,

the Star Receiving Stele was right before their eyes.

It was an ancient stone stele, five zhang high.

The body of the stele was pure white,

upon which complex and profound star charts were engraved.

Many lines still retained faint glimmers of flowing Star Power.

Beneath the stele's base,

the faint silver marking—the starting point of the starlight gauze robe—

was clearly visible.

The two held their breath,

gently landing behind the stone stele.

Ahead,

was the open plaza.

Hundreds of Star Beasts,

were scattered throughout.

The nearest one, a Star Wolf,

was less than ten zhang away from them,

crouching low,

inhaling and exhaling points of starlight.

Further in the distance,

beneath the Altar,

the three powerful guards,

still maintained their original postures.

The Humanoid Star Spirit had its back to them,

facing the Altar,

like a sculpture unchanged since antiquity.

Su Han took a deep breath,

and looked at Lu Xueqi.

Lu Xueqi nodded slightly.

The next moment,

the two stepped out,

onto the silver marking.

Buzz—!

The instant their feet landed,

the silver marking flickered faintly,

and an extremely thin, almost imperceptible silver light film,

spread up from beneath their feet,

gently enveloping the pair.

The light film possessed no sense of power,

but it acted like a natural camouflage.

Walking upon it,

footsteps, aura, and even the outline of their figures,

seemed to merge with this ancient pathway,

becoming 'natural' there.

This was the Path of Ritual,

the route 'recognized' by the rules of this place.

The two felt slightly reassured,

and began walking along the straight silver marking,

toward the Altar.

Their pace was neither fast nor slow,

maintaining a steady and solemn stride,

like ancient priests ascending the Altar.

One step, two steps, three steps...

They moved deeper and deeper into the plaza,

passing between the Star Beasts.

At the closest point,

they brushed past a sleeping Star Tiger,

less than three feet away.

They could clearly see the flickering starlight spots on its body,

and feel the pure Star Power it exhaled with its breath.

Su Han's entire body tensed,

his star seed almost stopped circulating,

reducing all life fluctuations to the minimum.

Lu Xueqi's eyelids drooped,

her Ice Heart Art circulating to its extreme,

her heart like an ice abyss,

not stirring the slightest ripple.

The Star Tiger's ears seemed to twitch,

but it did not open its eyes.

The two walked past slowly.

Cold sweat,

had already soaked Su Han's inner garment.

They continued forward.

The pathway was long,

as if it would never end.

The surrounding Star Beasts grew more numerous,

with varied forms,

and differing levels of aura strength.

But without exception,

they regarded the two stepping onto the starlight gauze robe path,

as if they saw nothing,

as if they were two wisps of clear wind,

two drops of starlight,

that naturally belonged there.

However,

just as they had walked past more than half the plaza,

and were less than a hundred zhang from the Altar steps,

a sudden change occurred!

Upon the Altar,

the slowly rotating sphere of star source light,

suddenly flared brightly!

A fluctuation several times stronger than before,

erupted and spread out!

Like a massive stone tossed into a calm lake!

Buzz—!!!!

On the plaza,

all the sleeping Star Beasts,

opened their eyes simultaneously!

Countless starlit eyes,

suddenly lit up!

Tens of thousands of gazes,

some frantic, some ferocious, some ice-cold,

instantly swept across the entire area!

The figures of Su Han and Lu Xueqi,

were exposed under the myriad of gazes!

"This is bad!"

Su Han's heart shook violently.

The active period of the Star Power tide,

had started early!

No.

Perhaps it was the penetration of these two 'foreign objects'

that stimulated the star source!

Triggering some kind of warning mechanism!

Roar—!!!!

The Star Tiger closest to them,

was the first to let out a roar!

It was no longer a silent hiss,

but a genuine, sky-shaking roar of fury!

It stood up,

its massive body,

and starlit, glittering eyes,

locked tightly onto the two figures on the pathway,

filled with the rage of being disturbed!

Immediately following,

like a chain reaction,

the entire plaza,

erupted!

Countless Star Beasts rose,

turning their heads,

to look at these two ants who dared to trespass into the Holy Land!

Starlight like a sea, Killing Intent like a tide!

"Charge!"

Su Han held onto no more illusions.

He roared,

unleashing his movement technique to its fullest,

transforming into a silver streak of light,

following the starlight gauze robe path,

charging straight toward the Altar!

Lu Xueqi started almost at the same time as him.

The tianya sword slashed out with a clang!

Ice-blue Sword Qi coiled around her body,

her speed not slowing in the slightest!

Since concealment was broken,

all that remained was speed!

To rush onto the Altar before the Star Beasts could surround them!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Beast roars shook the heavens!

The nearest few Star Beasts,

had already pounced!

Their sharp claws tore through the air,

leaving behind brilliant trails of Star Power!

"Get lost!"

Su Han shouted fiercely.

His left hand, the star fixing token, shone brightly!

An invisible stabilizing force field expanded,

causing the attacking Star Beasts to slow down slightly.

His right hand formed a sword with two fingers,

"Big Dipper Sword Seal!"

Seven cold stars burst from his fingertips,

instantly enlarging,

transforming into seven sharp Sword Gangs,

arrayed in the Big Dipper Formation,

fiercely blasting into the three Star Beasts head-on!

Puff! Puff! Puff!

The Sword Gang contained Su Han's painstakingly cultivated Star Power and True Qi,

unparalleled in sharpness,

instantly tearing through the Star Beasts' starlight defenses,

blasting them backward.

Their starlight scattered,

but they were not killed,

instead, they became even more enraged! (End of Chapter)