648: Lu Xueqi and Biyao (31)

"As expected..." Su Han's eyes darkened, but he wasn't surprised. He was mentally prepared; this trip was destined to be full of difficulties.

He scanned the perimeter of the palace, looking for a path to sneak in. Charging in blindly was the worst possible plan; he had to use his wits.

He recalled the information from the altar Legacy. Star Beast have an instinctive awe for pure, high-level Star Power. His new star seed was of extremely high quality; perhaps he could use this... With a thought, Su Han carefully controlled the star seed, emitting a strand of extremely pure Star Power fluctuation with an ancient aura, mimicking the pressure of a high-level Star Beast, or even something close to that of the Star Spirit Guards.

Sure enough, the low-level Star Beast roaming in the distance became restless the moment they felt this fluctuation. They growled and retreated, not daring to approach.

"It works!" Su Han was delighted. He immediately maintained this subtle pressure and, like a ghost, sneaked toward a relatively secluded side door of the palace.

Along the way, he avoided several waves of patrolling Star Beast. When he encountered those he couldn't avoid, he used the thunderous means of his newly practiced and greatly enhanced "Star Sword Qi" to kill them instantly, hiding the bodies properly without leaving a trace.

Half an hour later, he successfully sneaked into the interior of the palace.

The interior of the palace was vast and complex, with huge stone pillars supporting the dome, and the walls were covered with ancient star movement maps. The air was filled with dense Star Power and... a faint but familiar chill that made his heart tighten.

It was the aura left by the "Tianya Ice Extreme"!

Su Han's spirits rose. He immediately followed this chill and felt his way toward the depths of the palace, in the direction of the altar.

The closer he got to the altar, the stronger the chill became, and the higher the density of Star Beast. He could even vaguely feel the three heart-palpitatingly terrifying auras at the top of the altar—the Star Spirit Guards.

He didn't dare to be careless in the slightest, holding the tortoise shell in his hand, ready to activate it at any time.

Finally, he reached the base of the altar. The scene before him made his pupils shrink.

A huge pit, shocking cracks, and scorched marks all spoke of the terrifying power of that palm strike. The residual Star Power in the air was violent and chaotic, but that extreme ice-cold was like a brand, deeply imprinted in this place.

Su Han's heart sank. Under such an attack... could there really still be a chance of survival?

He suppressed the panic in his heart and concentrated all his spirit to sense. His new star seed's perception of Star Power was sharp to the extreme. He began to carefully distinguish every subtle Star Power fluctuation in the air, looking for any sign of abnormality.

Suddenly, his gaze froze, locking onto an inconspicuous crack at the edge of the deep pit.

There... was an extremely weak but exceptionally pure fluctuation of ice-cold Star Power! This fluctuation was out of place with the surrounding violent Star Power, and... it carried a faint sense of spirituality!

It's Senior Sister! It's the tianya sword!

Su Han's heart pounded wildly, almost jumping out of his chest! She was still alive! At least... something was still "alive"!

He suppressed the urge to rush over immediately and carefully observed his surroundings. The Star Spirit Guards at the top of the altar were like statues, but their pressure was always present. There were hundreds of Star Beast wandering around.

He couldn't force his way in. He had to find a way to distract the guards and the Star Beast.

A cold light flashed in Su Han's eyes as a plan came to mind. He quietly retreated to a relatively hidden corner and took out several items from his Storage Pouch—a few Spirit Stones of average quality and several Star Cores he had collected when killing Star Beast earlier.

He quickly set up a crude but small-scale Formation on the ground that contained the principles of Star Power operation he had recently realized. This Formation had only one purpose—to simulate a small-scale, violent Star Power explosion.

He wanted to create an "accident" to attract the attention of all the Star Beast, including the guards!

After finishing the setup, he took a deep breath and activated the tortoise shell, forming a pale silver light shield to protect his whole body. Then, he suddenly injected a burst of pure Star Power into the core of the Formation, while his body shot toward the crack like an arrow from a bow!

"Explode!"

Boom—!

A dull, huge sound rang out on the other side of the palace, accompanied by a strong Star Power shockwave! Su Han deliberately controlled the direction, making the noise of the explosion far from the altar, yet enough to attract attention.

"Roar—!"

Sure enough, the Star Spirit Guards at the top of the altar suddenly opened their eyes! The Giant Lion and the Black Tortoise also let out angry roars! Thousands of Star Beast in the palace were instantly agitated, all rushing toward the location of the explosion!

Now!

Su Han's speed exploded to the limit, turning into a streak of starlight as he instantly rushed to the crack! Without hesitation, he reached into the crack, his hand touching a bone-chilling cold!

An Ice Crystal the size of a walnut, crystal clear throughout, was grasped in his hand!

The moment the Ice Crystal entered his hand, a chill so familiar it was etched into his soul traveled through his arm into his heart. At the same time, the tianya sword's weak but tenacious spirituality produced an extremely subtle resonance with the tortoise shell in his hand!

"Senior Sister!"

Su Han roared in his heart, tightly clutching the Ice Crystal in his hand. The tortoise shell's light shone brightly, protecting both him and the Ice Crystal!

"Roar! Ant! You dare to return!"

The Humanoid Star Spirit's furious voice exploded like thunder! It instantly discovered Su Han and realized that the thing in his hand, which should have "died," still possessed spirituality! The fury of being deceived made it instantly lose its reason, and an even more terrifying giant starlight hand reached out to grab Su Han, blotting out the sky!

At the same time, the Giant Lion's sound wave and the Black Tortoise's Star Power flood also closed in from both sides!

A certain-death situation was playing out once again!

But this time, Su Han was prepared!

"tortoise shell! Defend!"

He injected all the Star Power in his body into the tortoise shell without reservation! The tortoise shell exploded with an unprecedented brilliant silver light, forming a thick light shield!

Rumble—!

The giant starlight hand slapped against the light shield, making a deafening sound! The light shield distorted violently, but surprisingly... it held!

Su Han was shaken by the massive force, his blood and Qi churning, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. But instead of retreating, he used the counter-force to charge toward the perimeter of the palace like a meteor!

"Stop him!"

The Humanoid Star Spirit roared and chased after him personally! With one step, it covered dozens of feet!

Su Han pushed his speed to the limit, tightly holding the Ice Crystal in his hand as if he were holding the whole world.

"Senior Sister, hold on tight! We're... going home!"

Ahead, countless Star Beast had already arrived upon hearing the news, blocking the way.

Pursuers behind, blockades ahead.

A flash of madness crossed Su Han's eyes. He pointed his fingers like a sword, and seven extremely condensed Star Sword Qi shot out!

"Seven Stars... Army Breaker!"

Wherever the Sword Qi passed, the Star Beast exploded one after another! He forcibly carved out a path of blood!

"Die!"

The Humanoid Star Spirit had already caught up behind him, its giant starlight hand reaching out again!

Su Han suddenly turned around, shielding the Ice Crystal in his arms and taking the blow with his back. At the same time, his other hand fiercely crushed the Concentric Jade Talisman in his robes!

"Elder Mu! Now!"

The perimeter of Falling Star Lake, the Coral Reef Cave. (End of Chapter)