Chapter 124 Ancient Ruins and Star Remains, Void Giants

The dizziness from the teleportation quickly faded. Nightmare stabilized his posture, and a cold, deathly silent aura rushed toward him.

He was suspended in a vast Void Realm that was impossible to describe.

What lay before him was not an ordinary starry sky, but a world that was shattered, chaotic, and filled with scenes of destruction. Massive star remnants floated like mountains. Some still retained the curvature of a planet, while others were completely broken into irregular celestial fragments, their surfaces covered in impact craters and tear marks. Cold star dust permeated the area, forming patches of hazy mist. Further away, twisted spatial fissures, like black scars, covered the entire field of vision.

There was no sound here, no vitality, only eternal deathly silence and a chilling sense of desolation. Dense Power of the Stars was everywhere, yet it was impure and mixed with various violent energy currents and dangerous radiation.

This was the Fallen Star Ancient Ruins—the place where ancient stars had fallen.

Nightmare’s Divine Sense instantly spread out. His powerful perception at the Mid-stage Dao Replenishing Realm carefully scanned the surroundings. The System light screen also rapidly refreshed the data before his eyes:

[Successfully arrived at the designated coordinate area. Confirmed entry into the outer perimeter of the “Fallen Star Ancient Ruins.”]

[Warning: Environment is extremely dangerous! Detecting high concentrations of chaotic star energy, spatial fissures, energy storms, unknown radiation...]

[Suggestion: Immediately establish protection, evade energy currents, and find a relatively stable area to land.]

With a thought, Nightmare automatically activated the Myriad Poison True Demonic Body. Dark gold patterns appeared on his skin, and the Star Protection characteristic was triggered, forming an invisible barrier that isolated the harmful radiation and energy currents. The power of the rule fragment slightly circulated, helping him stabilize the surrounding space and prevent him from being sucked into suddenly appearing spatial fissures.

He scanned the area and chose a massive, relatively stable star remnant. His figure flashed, and he landed upon it.

Under his feet was cold, hard star rock. When his Divine Sense delved deep, he could feel a certain star essence contained within that had been dormant for countless millennia, but it was also mixed with a large amount of violent Evil Qi, making it difficult to directly absorb and utilize.

“System, scan this area, draw a detailed map, and mark energy sources, dangerous zones, and possible fluctuations from existing ruins or Treasures.”

[Instruction received... Initiating large-scale scan... Affected by chaotic energy interference, scan range reduced to a thousand miles radius... Scanning in progress...]

While waiting for the System’s feedback, Nightmare personally sensed the Ancient Ruins. The desolate deathly silence permeating the air, along with the vast yet chaotic Star Laws, were both immense dangers and rare Opportunities for him. Cultivating the Myriad Poison Demonic Scripture and comprehending the star source core here would likely yield results far superior to the outside world.

Soon, a preliminary scan map appeared on the System light screen. Most areas were still obscured by mist, but several energy anomaly points and high-risk zones were marked.

[Seven hundred and twenty miles northeast, a high-intensity, stable star energy reaction is detected, suspected to be a rare star mineral vein or an unscattered star core.]

[Four hundred miles due west, a faint Formation fluctuation is detected. The style is ancient and has a 7% similarity to Star Palace Formations. It may be the entrance to a ruin or a remnant Formation.]

[Warning! One thousand miles directly ahead, there is a massive spatial vortex with extremely strong suction. Advise immediate evasion.]

[Warning! A faint life reaction detected inside the star remnant beneath your feet?... Signal is extremely unstable, cannot confirm...]

“Star mineral vein? Ruin fluctuation?” Nightmare’s eyes slightly brightened. Sure enough, risk and Opportunity coexist; he had already made discoveries right after arriving. As for the so-called life reaction, he didn’t pay it much mind. In these Ancient Ruins, which had been silent for countless years, it might just be some sort of energy phantom or a special Evil Spirit.

After a brief contemplation, he decided to first check the location with the Formation fluctuation. Compared to a mineral vein, a ruin might contain higher value and information.

His figure transformed into a faint stream of light, cautiously traversing the massive star remnants, avoiding the visible spatial fissures and energy current zones. His speed was not fast, and he remained vigilant at all times.

Crisis lurked everywhere within the Ancient Ruins. Sometimes, seemingly calm star dust mist would suddenly erupt into a terrifying star storm; sometimes, a seemingly solid star skeleton might have its interior hollowed out by energy and collapse at a touch. There were even a few times when Nightmare sensed an extremely subtle, yet heart-stopping, terrifying aura hidden deep within certain massive remnants, as if some kind of ancient behemoth was slumbering there, prompting him to detour without hesitation.

Finally, he approached the location marked by the System.

It was a triangular area formed by the collision of three massive star remnants. In the center floated a severely damaged palace ruin. The style of the palace was similar to what he had seen in the Starfall Secret Realm, but it was much older and more thoroughly destroyed, leaving only broken pillars and collapsed walls covered by thick star dust.

The faint Formation fluctuation was emanating from the deepest part of the ruins.

Nightmare descended and waved his hand to brush away the star dust, revealing complex Formation patterns inscribed on the fractured foundation below. Most of the patterns had failed, and only a small core section was still being maintained by a sliver of weak energy from deep within the earth veins, emitting an extremely faint spatial fluctuation.

“Is this a small teleportation Formation, or a receiving point for a larger one?” Nightmare carefully observed the patterns and compared them with the Star Palace Formations in the System database.

[Formation damage level 97%, energy nearing depletion, unable to activate. Attempting to reverse-analyze the connection coordinates... Analysis difficulty is extremely high... Requires time...]

Just as Nightmare was focused on researching the remnant Formation, an anomaly suddenly occurred!

Rumble—!

The entire Ancient Ruins Void Realm violently shook without warning! As if some colossal creature was awakening!

In the distance, the floating star remnants began to uncontrollably collide and shatter! Even more violent energy currents were spontaneously generated, sweeping across the area like a tsunami!

[Warning! Detecting an incalculably massive energy source rapidly approaching! Energy level surpasses Peak Spirit Transformation! Danger! Extreme danger! Advise immediate evasion!] The System issued a piercing alarm.

Nightmare’s expression drastically changed, and he abruptly looked up!

He saw the endless star dust mist in the depths of the distant Void Realm being forcibly pushed aside by an indescribably terrifying force! A giant, unimaginably large hand was slowly reaching into this area!

The hand was not made of flesh and blood, but a mixture of countless star remnants, cold metal, and solidified energy. It was incredibly rough, yet it emitted a terrifying pressure capable of crushing everything! Its size even exceeded many small star remnants! Wherever the hand passed, space crumbled inch by inch, forming a massive black trajectory!

The target of this giant hand seemed to be something deeper within the Ancient Ruins, but the aftershocks caused by its movement were already having a devastating impact on the area where Nightmare was located!

“What... is that thing?!” Even with Nightmare’s resolute will, seeing this giant hand, which resembled a creation deity, caused massive waves of shock in his heart! The energy level emitted by this giant hand far surpassed Soul Transformation; he couldn't even accurately judge its Realm!

He absolutely could not fight it! He couldn't even be hit by it!

Nightmare immediately abandoned researching the remnant Formation. The power of the rule fragment erupted fully, activating the Nether Spring Escape Technique. His figure transformed into an extreme black shadow, fleeing frantically in a direction perpendicular to the giant hand's trajectory!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Behind him, the spatial compression force and energy storm caused by the giant hand's slow movement chased after him like a destructive tide! Several massive star skeletons blocking its path were easily crushed into their most primitive particles, like sandcastles!

Nightmare pushed his speed to the limit, even consuming his vital Origin Qi, narrowly avoiding the massive fissures that erupted due to spatial compression and the sweeping energy frenzy!

The terrifying pressure compressed his Divine Soul as if it were solid. If not for the protection of the rule fragment, his mind would have already collapsed!

Finally, after fleeing an unknown distance, the world-shattering oppressive feeling gradually weakened.

Nightmare abruptly stopped behind a relatively secluded star skeleton, completely concealing his aura, and looked with lingering fear toward the direction where the giant hand had disappeared, his expression extremely grave.

This Fallen Star Ancient Ruins was far more dangerous and bizarre than he had imagined!

What kind of existence was that giant hand? Was it a terrifying creature born from the Ancient Ruins itself? Or a remnant limb of some ancient giant that perished here? Or... something else?

Its appearance disrupted Nightmare’s original plans and filled him with deeper apprehension and... curiosity about these Ancient Ruins.

He took a deep breath of the cold star dust, and his gaze sharpened once more.

Danger also means Opportunity. The movement of an existence of that level might stir up the Ancient Ruins, causing some deeply buried Treasures to be revealed.

He adjusted his direction and cautiously snuck toward the other energy reaction point marked by the System—the suspected star mineral vein.

This trip to the Ancient Ruins was destined to be turbulent.