Chapter 135 After the Star Gate, the Secret of the Rules

The Ice Marrow Spider Emperor’s eight eyes glowed dark blue, locking onto Nightmare. From its mouth, several even more condensed and almost invisible ice-blue silk threads shot out again, enveloping Nightmare like a net, freezing even space in their wake!

At the same time, its ice-crystal body suddenly expanded, emitting a terrifying suction force, intending to swallow the surrounding dense extreme cold Evil Qi along with Nightmare’s Primordial Spirit!

Nightmare’s gaze sharpened, and he no longer held back.

The Power of rule fragments condensed in his palm, not for direct attack, but to instantly analyze the weakest point in the energy structure of the ice-blue silk threads! Simultaneously, the power of the star source core erupted, drawing upon the ubiquitous Nirvana Star Evil around them!

He simply pointed with one finger, a star-like gleam appearing at his fingertip. Striking later but arriving first, he precisely touched the most crucial and fragile node where several silk threads intertwined!

Clink!

Another crisp sound rang out!

But this time, the effect was completely different!

The several extremely tough silk threads, imbued with strange coldness, instantly lost all their spiritual essence the moment their node was struck, becoming stiff and fragile, then breaking inch by inch and turning into dust, as if a venomous snake had been struck at its vital point!

The Ice Marrow Spider Emperor let out a sharp, painful shriek. Clearly, the destruction of its innate spider silk, which was connected to its Divine Sense, caused it severe injury!

Meanwhile, Nightmare’s other hand had already formed a blade with his fingers. Nirvana Star Evil condensed into a greyish-white blade light as thin as a cicada's wing, silently slashing down towards the expanding body of the Spider Emperor!

Pfft!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only an extreme annihilation.

The Ice Marrow Spider Emperor’s ice-crystal shell, which was tougher than refined gold, was like nothing before the Nirvana Star Evil, easily cut through! The terrifying Power of Annihilation instantly surged into its body, frantically eroding all its vitality!

The Ice Marrow Spider Emperor’s body suddenly stiffened, its eight dark blue eyes instantly dimmed, and its expanding body rapidly shrank as if deflating. Finally, with a “kacha” sound, it completely shattered, turning into a puddle of lifeless ice crystal powder, which was swallowed by the cold pond.

An ancient exotic insect, comparable to a Peak Early Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator and occupying a geographical advantage here, thus perished!

The entire process was as fast as lightning!

Behind them, the heavily injured Blood Butcher and Old Man Gui Zhen watched, their livers and guts splitting, completely extinguishing any thought of luck. They struggled, trying to flee outwards.

Nightmare did not even glance at them, merely flicking his sleeve.

Two Finger Wind containing Nirvana Star Evil, striking later but arriving first, precisely entered the backs of their hearts.

The two men’s movements instantly froze, their faces filled with endless fear and despair. Immediately, their bodies disintegrated silently like weathered rocks, turning into flying ash, their Divine Souls completely annihilated.

Thus, all intruders were executed.

Silence returned to the cave, with only the gurgling of the cold pond and the alluring fragrance emanating from the seven-colored ice soul lotus.

Nightmare raised his hand, and the ice soul lotus, along with a small pool of extreme cold spiritual liquid beneath it, was carefully placed into a specially made jade box and sealed. This item was of great benefit to him for refining Nirvana Star Evil and improving his cultivation, but it was not the time to consume it now.

His gaze once again fell upon the stone door covered with star runes.

Due to his previous activation, the ice on the surface of the stone door had completely melted, revealing its full appearance. The stone door was heavy and ancient, made of an unknown material, cold to the touch, and the star runes carved on it were incredibly complex, forming a powerful guardian Restriction.

Although this Restriction had endured endless years and the environment here was harsh, it still retained considerable power, far exceeding the barrier of the remnant Formation outside.

Nightmare did not forcibly break the door, but instead placed his palm on the stone door again, his Divine Sense slowly infiltrating, aided by the power of the rule fragments for analysis.

[Detecting high-grade Star Guardian Restriction... Energy level: Late-Stage Transformation Spirit... Analyzing structure... Discovering core energy nodes... 65% similarity to Star Palace basic Formation... Reversing deduction of activation method...]

With previous experience in deciphering the Star Palace Formation and the Heaven-Defying assistance of the rule fragments, although the analysis process was complex, it was not unsolvable.

Approximately an incense stick later, a sharp glint flashed in Nightmare’s eyes. His hands quickly formed ancient and profound Seals, striking them towards different parts of the stone door.

Buzz... Buzz... Buzz... As the Seals merged, the star runes on the stone door lit up sequentially. Finally, all the light converged at the center of the stone door, forming a rotating star vortex.

Click... A heavy, ancient sound of a mechanism echoed.

The heavy stone door slowly opened a crack inwards.

A more desolate, ancient, and pure Power of the Stars, mixed with a long-sealed dust scent, wafted from the crack.

Nightmare did not hesitate at all. His figure flashed, and he stepped beyond the stone door.

Beyond the door was not a palace or room as imagined, but a downward-sloping passage entirely cast from Star Divine Gold! The four walls of the passage were smooth as mirrors, inscribed with even more complex and profound star charts, emitting a soft and eternal light that illuminated the passage brightly.

The Power of the Stars here was pure and gentle, forming a stark contrast to the violent extreme cold Evil Qi outside the door, as if they were two different worlds.

Nightmare slowly walked down the passage. The passage was extremely long, leading downwards, seemingly towards the depths of the earth's core.

The deeper he went, the stronger the sensation from his rule fragments and star source core became.

Finally, at the end of the passage, a more magnificent, open starlight gate appeared.

Inside the gate was an incredibly vast starry sky!

It was not an illusion, but a genuine independent space opened up by a great Divine Ability! The space was not large, only about a thousand feet in circumference, but its ceiling and surrounding walls were a brilliant and boundless starry sky. Stars revolved, and silver rivers flowed, as if a real starry sky had been cut out and sealed here!

Beneath the starry sky was a circular altar carved from an entire star core. The altar was empty, with only a faint, almost extinguished seven-colored starlight suspended in its center!

And the source that caused the rule fragments to react so strongly was precisely that seven-colored starlight!

Nightmare stepped into this starry sky Small World, immediately feeling refreshed, as if a fish had returned to water, and a strong resonance with the star energy of this place was produced.

He slowly walked towards the altar, his gaze fixed on that seven-colored starlight.

As he got closer, he saw more clearly. That point of starlight was not a physical object, but an extremely complex Law imprint, condensed from pure star Law and some higher-level power!

The aura of this imprint was of the same Origin as the rule fragments in his Sea of Consciousness, but it was more focused on the evolution of star Law, as if it were a part of it!

Just as Nightmare stepped onto the altar and reached out to touch the Law imprint!

Another abnormality occurred!

The originally faint seven-colored starlight suddenly burst forth with dazzling brilliance! All the stars in the entire starry sky Small World also brightened accordingly!

A phantom-like, blurry figure, yet imbued with supreme majesty and a desolate aura, slowly emerged from the Law imprint.

The figure’s face was unclear, only a pair of deep eyes, as if containing the creation and destruction of the Universe, gazed at Nightmare.

An ancient, weary, yet still undeniably majestic voice, directly resonated deep within Nightmare’s Divine Soul:

“Latercomer... you finally... arrived...”

“I am the Star Palace’s... Seventh Star Envoy... here... guarding the ‘Star Law Imprint’... awaiting... the Inheritor...”

Nightmare’s mind trembled violently! Star Palace Star Envoy? Law Imprint? Legacy?

The phantom figure continued to speak slowly, its voice intermittent, as if it could dissipate at any moment:

“The Star Palace... suffered calamity... powerful enemies came from... beyond the heavens... not of this realm’s power... the Palace Lord fell... the stars perished... I too was severely injured... only a remnant thought remains... attached to the imprint here...”

“This imprint... is the core of the Star Palace Legacy... containing the Origin of Star Law... obtain it... and you can wield the authority of the stars... but you must also bear... the Karma of the Star Palace... the pursuit of the great enemy from beyond the heavens...”

“Latercomer... if you are willing to accept the Karma... then with your Dao... awaken the imprint... if not... then retreat... this place will be... permanently sealed...”

After speaking, the phantom figure became even blurrier, as if its last strength had been exhausted, but those deep eyes still gazed at Nightmare, awaiting his choice.

Countless thoughts flashed through Nightmare’s mind instantly.

The Star Law Imprint! Without a doubt, this was a supreme treasure, even more precious than the star source core, directly pointing to the Origin of Law! If he could fuse with it, his control over Star Law would reach an unprecedented height, and his strength would surely skyrocket!

But it also contained immense risks! The Karma of the Star Palace’s destruction! And the so-called “great enemy from beyond the heavens”! Even the powerful Star Palace was destroyed because of it; their strength was unimaginable!

This was a choice with both opportunities and risks.

However, Nightmare only pondered for a few breaths, then a look of determination flashed in his eyes.

The path of cultivation itself is Heaven-Defying, contending with heaven for life! How could one shrink back due to fear of risk? Moreover, he carried rule fragments, inherently having countless connections to this so-called “beyond the heavens,” so evasion was meaningless.

Only by mastering stronger power could he deal with future crises!

“Your Karma, your enemies, This Sovereign... accepts them!”

Nightmare spoke loudly, without the slightest hesitation, and suddenly stretched out his finger, pointing towards the seven-colored Law imprint! At the same time, the rule fragments in his Sea of Consciousness and the power of the star source core erupted without reservation, injecting into it!

He wanted to thoroughly activate and fuse this Star Law Imprint with his own Dao!

The moment his power was injected, the seven-colored imprint suddenly burst forth with dazzling light that illuminated the entire starry sky world!

Boom!

Endless Star Law information, like a vast torrent, instantly surged into Nightmare’s Sea of Consciousness!