267: Star Core Purification, Starfield Rebirth

The pale gold Origin spiritual light inside the star core grew increasingly intense, interweaving with the seven-colored power of emotion surrounding The seven people. The warm radiance enveloped every inch of space, and the remaining deathly mist melted like snow in the spiritual light, gradually dissipating without a trace. The Seven of Lu Chen stood side by side beneath the Origin core, their hands tightly clasped. The power of their emotional bond flowed between them like a surging torrent, perfectly merging with the aura of the star core soul, exuding an unstoppable and firm strength. Having been tempered by the trials within the core, their emotions had broken through their limits, and their bond had grown deeper. Now was the perfect time to completely purify the star core and strip away the withered matter.

Lu Chen raised his hand and took out the "Star Core Restoration Art." As soon as the small booklet was unfolded, it burst forth with a soft spiritual light that resonated with the aura of the star core's Origin. The purification methods recorded within clearly surfaced in the minds of The seven people. "The Star Core Restoration Art requires the power of the seven emotions as a guide, the Eternal Love Seal as the core, and the star Origin as the carrier. It strips away the withered matter layer by layer, then uses the power of emotion to completely purify it, transforming it into vital nutrients for the star core," he interpreted softly, his gaze sweeping over The six women beside him, his eyes full of certainty. "Yu Lan will use the power of deduction to control the rhythm of purification, precisely avoiding the vital points of the Origin. Qing Han will draw the Origin spiritual water to gently envelop the withered matter, preventing damage to the star core during stripping. Ning Shuang will use the power of freezing to fix the withered matter in place, preventing it from escaping. Wan Ning will inject the Vitality of vegetation to nourish the star core's Origin, making up for the energy loss during purification. Yan Yao will use pure flames to incinerate the stripped withered debris. Ling Xi will use a Formation to stabilize the purification energy, forming a closed loop to ensure the power does not dissipate. I will use the Eternal Love Seal to draw all the powers together and lead the purification core."

The six women nodded one after another, their eyes filled with unspoken understanding. Having fought side by side countless times, they could already precisely grasp each other's intentions. Without needing many words, they could each perform their duties in perfect coordination. Ling Xi took a deep breath, and the pale purple spiritual light of Formation runes suddenly bloomed from her fingertips, slowly spreading along the meridians of the star core's Origin. It gradually outlined a massive Purification Formation. The Formation runes and the threads of emotional bonds between The seven people intertwined, firmly locking the power required for purification within the core area. Lin Yulan held her bamboo slips, the Spiritual Qi at her fingertips flowing rapidly as her power of deduction erupted to its limit. She firmly locked onto the hidden locations of the withered matter deep within the star core, precisely marking the sequence and path for stripping to avoid even the slightest damage to the star core's Origin during the purification process.

"Preparation complete, begin purification!" Lu Chen shouted the command. The Eternal Love Seal at his brow suddenly erupted with a brilliant, crystalline white spiritual light. A thick pillar of light shot out from the seal, precisely penetrating the star core's Origin and pointing directly at the core of the withered matter deep within. Simultaneously, The six women channeled the purest emotional power within their bodies. Following the Purification Formation set up by Ling Xi, their powers merged with Lu Chen's pillar of light from the seal. The seven powers intertwined into an even more majestic seven-colored spiritual light, which, like a sharp blade, slowly pierced into the depths of the star core's Origin.

The moment the seven-colored spiritual light touched the withered matter, the star core shuddered violently. The black withered matter, like a startled beast, surged frantically, emitting a dense power of death. It collided and tore against the seven-colored emotional power. Piercing sizzling sounds echoed from inside the star core as a storm of intertwined black and white energy swept through once more. "Hold steady! Do not interrupt the power output!" Lin Yulan reminded loudly. Her power of deduction at her fingertips rapidly adjusted, guiding everyone to change the intensity and direction of their power output in real-time to avoid the powerful counterattack of the withered matter. Ling Xi immediately tightened the Purification Formation, firmly restraining the energy storm within the core area to prevent it from spreading and damaging the star core's Origin. Hai Qinghan's surrounding water-attribute Spiritual Qi flowed gently, invoking the spiritual water within the star core's Origin to slowly envelop the withered matter. It formed a gentle water membrane, like a sturdy cage, trapping it firmly. Bing Ningshuang followed closely behind, the crystalline white cold Qi around her body surging. In an instant, she froze both the water membrane and the withered matter together, causing the restless withered matter to become completely still, unable to struggle any further.

"Now is the time! Strip the withered matter!" A look of resolve flashed in Lu Chen's eyes as he suddenly increased the power output of the Eternal Love Seal. The crystalline white spiritual light, like a surging giant wave, slammed into the frozen withered matter. The seven-colored emotional power seeped in along the light, stripping the connection between the withered matter and the star core's Origin bit by bit. Under the erosion of the emotional power, cracks gradually appeared on the surface of the black withered matter. The originally dense power of death constantly dissipated, only to be firmly trapped by Ling Xi's Formation, unable to escape. Seeing this, Luo Wanning immediately injected the Vitality of vegetation. The pale green spiritual light spread along the star core's Origin, nourishing the Origin meridians that had been eroded by the withered matter, making the star core's Vitality increasingly vigorous and offsetting the energy loss during the purification process. Zhu Yanyao fully channeled pure flames, the fiery red spiritual light flowing in through the Formation to incinerate the stripped withered debris. The black debris sizzled in the flames, gradually turning into wisps of faint smoke that merged into the star core's Origin, being transformed into faint vital nutrients.

The purification process was exceptionally difficult. The withered matter was like maggots on a bone, deeply bound to the star core's Origin. Every inch stripped required a massive expenditure of emotion and spiritual power from The seven people. Lu Chen could clearly perceive that the power of death contained within the withered matter was extremely stubborn. Even when frozen and incinerated by flames, it still resisted tenaciously, attempting to re-invade the star core's Origin. But he had no thought of retreat in his heart. His palm tightly held the hands of The six women, feeling the emotional power they continuously transmitted. The conviction in his heart grew even firmer—he would not only purify the star core but also protect the people by his side and the living beings of this Star Domain, letting warmth once again cover this desolate land.

Although Ling Xi's body had not yet fully recovered, she was now fully channeling the Formation. Her face gradually turned pale, and her aura became somewhat disordered, yet she gritted her teeth and persisted throughout, the spiritual light of the Formation runes at her fingertips never ceasing. Lu Chen noticed her discomfort and quietly separated a wisp of emotional power, injecting it into her body through their joined hands, gently nourishing her mind and spiritual power. Ling Xi felt Lu Chen's care and looked up to give him a gentle smile, her eyes full of determination. Even though she was exhausted, she still refused to drag the group down.

After an unknown amount of time, as the last wisp of withered matter was stripped and incinerated, the star core suddenly erupted with a dazzling pale gold light. The light broke through the star core's shell and shot straight into the clouds, illuminating the entire sky of the Desolate Spirit Domain. The tremors inside the star core gradually subsided, and the Origin spiritual light became increasingly dense and pure. Warm Vitality and emotional power surged out from the star core like a tide, spreading along the Dark Abyss to every corner of the Spirit Domain. The Seven of Lu Chen slowly withdrew their power and collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The emotional power around them gradually receded, yet it still resonated with the aura of the star core's Origin, exuding a deep sense of bonding.

The figure of the star core soul slowly emerged. At this moment, it was much more solid than before, surrounded by dense warmth and Vitality. Its eyes were full of gratitude and relief: "Thank you, Guardians! The withered matter has been completely purified, the star core has returned to purity, and the Vitality and emotions of the Spirit Domain are finally about to recover!"

As the words fell, The seven people felt the star core beneath their feet vibrate slowly. Then, they were lifted by a gentle force and slowly sent out from the interior of the star core, returning to the edge of the Dark Abyss. As soon as they landed, they were shocked by the scene before them—the originally gray sky had now gradually become clear, and pale golden sunlight filtered through the clouds, warmly enveloping the land. On the cracked earth, tender green Vitality gradually appeared, and small Spiritual Plants broke through the crevices, growing slowly toward the sunlight. The power of death in the air had completely vanished, replaced by dense Vitality and pure emotional power. A single breath made one feel refreshed and their mind at ease.

In the distance, the Cultivators of the Star Clan hurried toward the Dark Abyss. Their faces no longer held the numbness and fatigue of the past, replaced instead by vivid smiles and tears of excitement. Elder Xingxuan walked forward quickly and bowed deeply to The Seven of Lu Chen, his voice choking with emotion: "Thank you, seven Guardians! The Spirit Domain is finally saved! Our Star Clan will never forget this kindness!" The surrounding Star Clan Cultivators also knelt and bowed, their eyes full of gratitude and awe. Cheers and thanks echoed one after another, resounding throughout the Spirit Domain.

A group of Star Clan children dressed in plain clothes, holding hand-woven garlands, ran skipping to the side of The six women. They looked up with innocent little faces, their eyes full of admiration: "Big sisters, these are the garlands we wove. They're for you! Thank you for making the Spirit Domain beautiful again!" The children gently placed the brightly colored garlands on the heads of The six women. A faint scent of Spiritual Plants and pure innocent emotion lingered on the garlands, bringing gentle smiles to the faces of The six women.

Lu Chen looked at The six women with smiles like flowers beside him, and at the Spirit Domain that had regained its Vitality and the ecstatic living beings. His heart was filled with warmth and relief. He raised his hand to gently stroke the garland on Ling Xi's head, then looked at the smiles in the eyes of Lin Yulan, Hai Qinghan, and the others. He spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet firm, reaching every corner of the Spirit Domain: "From now on, no matter where we are, no matter how many hardships and obstacles we encounter, I will accompany you all to protect every piece of heaven and earth, to protect each other, and let warmth continue forever."

Hearing this, The six women turned to look at Lu Chen, their eyes full of deep affection and emotion. They nodded gently. Without needing words, their feelings had already been transmitted through their bond, deeply etched into the depths of their Souls. Ling Xi leaned against Lu Chen's side, a shy and happy smile on her face. Her fingertips gently brushed over the Spiritual Plants on the garland, and her heart was full of peace—with him and her sisters there, no matter what lay ahead, it would be the picture of happiness.

Seeing this, Elder Xingxuan's eyes were full of relief. He raised his hand and took out a crystal that was crystalline white throughout and contained dense star emotional power. He slowly handed it to Lu Chen, saying respectfully: "This is our clan's supreme treasure, the 'heart of the stars.' It can communicate with the emotional power of all stars in the Universe, perceive the joys and sorrows of star beings, and use the power of the stars to strengthen one's own emotional bonds. Today, I specially gift it to the seven Guardians. May it help you overcome all obstacles and have a smooth journey on your future path of protection."

Lu Chen raised his hand to take the heart of the stars. A warm touch came from his fingertips, and he could clearly perceive the majestic star emotional power contained within the crystal, which resonated with the Eternal Love Seal at his brow, faintly exuding a common Origin. The moment the heart of the stars fell into his hand, an ancient spiritual light slowly emerged from the crystal, condensing into a yellowed small booklet that fell into Lu Chen's hand. On the cover were carved four ancient characters: "Star Emotion Art." The booklet recorded in detail the methods of using the heart of the stars to communicate with star emotions, gather star power, and strengthen one's own bonds. It could perceive the emotional crises of star beings in the Universe and use star power to purify negative energy, making it an important aid in protecting the emotions of the myriad realms.

Lu Chen properly stowed away the "Star Emotion Art" and gripped the heart of the stars in his hand, his eyes full of gratitude: "Thank you, Elder Xingxuan. We accept this gift. In the future, if the Spirit Domain faces another crisis, we will certainly come to help immediately." Elder Xingxuan hurriedly waved his hand, his eyes full of gratitude: "It is we who should say thank you. It is you who gave the Spirit Domain a new life. The Star Clan will forever be grateful for this kindness."

The seven people stayed in the Spirit Domain for several days, watching the Vitality of the Spirit Domain recover bit by bit. The emotions of the living beings became more vivid; children chased and played among the Spiritual Plants, and Cultivators exchanged their insights on Cultivation. A warm and joyful atmosphere gradually filled every corner of the Spirit Domain, and their hearts were full of relief. However, just as they were preparing to leave the Spirit Domain and head to the next place of emotional crisis, the heart of the stars in Lu Chen's hand suddenly grew intensely hot. The crystalline white spiritual light surged, resonating with the Eternal Love Seal at his brow. A blurred image appeared within the spiritual light—the image showed a familiar yet strange world where ten thousand races coexisted and Vitality was abundant. It was the world where Lu Chen was originally born, the Origin Universe. In the image, a towering giant tree was faintly visible, its trunk covered in withered black spots. Its Vitality was rapidly draining, exuding a dense aura of crisis.

Lu Chen's expression froze, his heart full of doubt and worry: "The Origin Universe... why would there be a crisis there?" Lin Yulan held her bamboo slips and rapidly deduced the situation of the Origin Universe. After a moment, she said with a grave expression: "The deduction shows that the crisis in the Origin Universe is related to an emotional imbalance, and the core of the crisis seems to be closely linked to that giant tree."

Seeing this, Elder Xingxuan said softly: "The heart of the stars can perceive emotional disturbances among the stars of the Universe. Its reaction now indicates that the emotional crisis in the Origin Universe is already very severe. Perhaps... it is even more troublesome than the crisis in the Desolate Spirit Domain."

Lu Chen gripped the heart of the stars and looked at The six women beside him, his eyes full of determination: "The Origin Universe is my original home; it holds the marks of my past. Now that it faces a crisis, we must go to investigate, resolve the crisis, and protect the living beings and emotions there."

The six women nodded one after another, their eyes full of understanding and resolve. No matter where the crisis was, no matter how dangerous the path ahead, as long as the seven of them were of one mind and their bond remained unbroken, they would fear no challenge. The Rebirth of the Spirit Domain had been achieved, and a new mission of protection had begun. The Seven of Lu Chen bid farewell to the living beings of the Star Clan and, carrying the heart of the stars and new techniques, set off toward the Origin Universe. A new journey concerning the survival of the Origin Universe was about to begin.