With starry eyes just opening, the road ahead is long.

Inside the Immortal Cave of the Desolate Star, time passed quietly.

Nightmare closed his eyes to adjust his breathing. The rule fragment hovered above his head, rotating slowly, absorbing and refining the last bit of the Shadow Emperor's Origin. Its light became increasingly restrained and profound, as if it contained the mysteries of an entire starry sky. His aura was as steady as a mountain; his Mid-stage Dao Integration Peak Realm had been thoroughly consolidated, and he was even launching subtle strikes against the barrier of the Late Stage.

The nirvana dao seed bobbed quietly within his Dantian. Every imperceptible throb caused the surrounding Void Realm to resonate with it, as strands of Nirvana spontaneously condensed and dissipated.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint, slightly dazed moan sounded.

Upon the jade couch, Su Wanqing's long eyelashes fluttered a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.

Those were an extremely beautiful pair of eyes, clear as autumn water, yet carrying a hint of haziness from just waking up. Deep within her eyes, a point of pure Nine Aperture Exquisite light quietly circulated.

Her gaze was initially empty and confused, as if she were still remembering what had happened. The last fragment of her memory was being ambushed by the Imperial Dynasty Secret Guards, followed by endless darkness and cold.

Soon, she felt warm and pure energy enveloping her body. Her Soul was more comfortable and condensed than ever before, even slightly stronger than before being sealed. The cold mark that had troubled her and drained her power had also vanished without a trace.

She subconsciously turned her eyes and saw the black-robed figure sitting cross-legged not far away.

The figure wasn't exceptionally burly, yet he gave off an immeasurable feeling like an abyss. A heart-palpitating coldness and deathly stillness emanated from him, but strangely, this power didn't make her feel afraid; instead, it gave her a singular sense of peace.

When her gaze fell upon that cold yet familiar profile, Su Wanqing's delicate body trembled slightly. Her beautiful eyes widened instantly, filled with an expression of disbelief.

“Ni... Nightmare... Senior Brother?”

Her voice carried the hoarseness of just waking up and a hint of uncertain trembling. The person before her still looked like the taciturn Senior Brother from her memory in the Sect who always looked after her in the shadows, but his temperament had undergone a world-shaking change! That majesty of looking down on the world and disregarding everything, along with his bottomless strength, made her almost not dare to recognize him.

Nightmare slowly opened his eyes. Within those deep eyes, scenes of the Universe's birth and destruction flashed and vanished, eventually turning into calm. He looked at the awakened Su Wanqing, the coldness in his eyes melting slightly.

“Wan Qing, you're awake.” His voice was calm but carried an inherent power that commanded trust. “How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?”

Hearing this familiar voice and confirming his identity, the tension in Su Wanqing's heart suddenly relaxed. Her nose felt sour, and her eyes turned slightly red. She struggled to sit up.

“I... I'm fine... I feel very good, it seems... I've even had a Breakthrough?” She sensed her own state; the barrier of the Early Spirit Transformation Stage had been broken through at some point, reaching Mid-stage Dao Replenishing, and her Foundation was incredibly solid. She looked at Nightmare, her eyes full of confusion and lingering fear, “Senior Brother, what exactly happened? I remember being caught by people from the Imperial Dynasty...”

“It's all in the past.” Nightmare interrupted her, explaining simply, “The Imperial Dynasty colluded with the Shadow Clan to commit misdeeds. They captured you to complete some evil ritual. I have rescued you now, and the Imperial Dynasty has paid the price.”

His words were nonchalant, but Su Wanqing could imagine the danger involved. What a colossus the Imperial Dynasty was! To save her, her Senior Brother had actually charged into the Imperial Dynasty alone and brought her out safely? What kind of terrifying strength did that require?

She looked at Nightmare, her beautiful eyes sparkling with various emotions: the relief of surviving a disaster, the shock at her Senior Brother's powerful strength, and a hint of indescribable, complex sentiment. She had never imagined that the Senior Brother who occasionally needed her protection back then had actually grown to such an extent.

“Thank you, Senior Brother, for saving my life...” Su Wanqing lowered her head and whispered her thanks, her voice slightly choked.

“Between us, there is no need for thanks.” Nightmare shook his head. With a slight movement of the rule fragment, he took out a set of pure Dharma Robes suitable for female cultivators that he had prepared long ago and handed them over. “First, adjust your breathing to stabilize your Realm and familiarize yourself with your new power. We are safe here.”

Su Wanqing took the dharma robes; they felt warm and cool to the touch, and the material was extraordinary, clearly not an ordinary item. She nodded and sat cross-legged as instructed, beginning her internal meditation.

Nightmare closed his eyes again, his consciousness sinking into the rule fragment within the System.

[System upgrade complete. Current Version: 1.1.]

[New Functions:]

[1. Void Beacon: Recorded coordinates: Dragon Burial Mountain Range, Black Obsidian City, Nine Nether Soul Devouring Prison, Imperial Capital, current Desolate Star. Precise ultra-long-distance teleportation possible (requires energy consumption).]

[2. Resource Scan: Based on rule fragment perception, scans for Heaven And Earth Treasures or energy fluctuations within a certain range that match settings.]

[3. Skill Deduction Library: Based on the Host's existing Cultivation Techniques, skills, and Law comprehension, it can deduce, optimize, or create new skills.]

[Energy Reserves: 78% (supplemented by absorbing Shadow Emperor and Dragon Soul Origin).]

Looking at the new functions after the System upgrade, Nightmare was quite satisfied. The Void Beacon greatly enhanced mobility; the Resource Scan could save a lot of time searching for Opportunities; the Skill Deduction Library would allow him to better utilize his own power.

With a thought, he activated the Resource Scan function, spreading it out into the surrounding Void Realm with the current star as the center.

[Scanning...]

[High energy reaction discovered: 70 million miles to the northeast, Void Floating Island, existence of 'Void Crystal' vein.]

[Special fluctuation discovered: 120 million miles to the south, abandoned ancient battlefield, residual 'rule fragment' (incomplete).]

[Life aura discovered: 9 million miles to the northwest, wandering Star Beast pack, leader is approximately at the Dao Integration Initial Stage...]

Information was fed back one by one. Although he hadn't found items like "star tear" yet, it proved the practicality of this function. This endless Void Realm indeed hid countless resources and opportunities.

At the same time, the rule fragment had also preliminarily organized the Law insights swallowed and absorbed previously. Especially the Laws of shadow, devouring, and void from the Shadow Emperor, as well as the strand of twisted Imperial Dragon Qi and evil will within the Dragon Soul, greatly enriched the rule fragment's database. It gave him a deeper understanding of various laws; although the core was still Nirvana, by understanding other things, his vision and methods had broadened significantly.

“Senior Brother.” Su Wanqing's voice sounded. She had preliminarily stabilized her Realm and changed into the new Dharma Robes, appearing even more elegant and refined, her Nine Aperture Exquisite Body glowing.

Nightmare looked at her: “How do you feel?”

“Better than ever.” Su Wanqing smiled, like ice and snow melting, bright and moving. “Senior Brother, where are we going next? Back to the Sect?”

Nightmare shook his head: “There's no need to return to the Sect for now. Although the Imperial Dynasty has temporarily bowed its head, the connections behind it are extensive. The Shadow Clan and their so-called ‘Lord’ will never let this go. We need stronger power.”

He paused and continued, “Moreover, the Laws of this world are incomplete, stopping at Mahayana at most. It is not a place to stay for long. We need to find a way to leave or an Opportunity to complete this world's Laws.”

Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Su Wanqing's beautiful eyes, but it quickly turned into determination: “Wan Qing understands. Wherever Senior Brother goes, I will follow.” Having experienced this disaster, she had already come to see Nightmare as her sole reliance and trusted person.

Nightmare nodded: “Good. Then we shall first go to a place to retrieve something.”

He communicated with the rule fragment in his mind, activating the “Void Beacon” function and locking onto the coordinates of the “Void Crystal” vein he had scanned earlier.

[Target locked: 70 million miles to the northeast, Void Floating Island. Starting to construct spatial passage, energy consumption: 3%.]

A stable silver-gray spatial gate slowly took shape within the cave, behind which were the bizarre and colorful void currents.

“Let's go.” Nightmare took the lead and stepped inside.

Su Wanqing followed closely without hesitation.

The two figures disappeared, and the spatial gate slowly closed.

The Desolate Star returned to tranquility once more, as if no one had ever been there.

Nightmare and Su Wanqing had already embarked on a new journey, heading toward the broader unknown Void Realm, to find power, seek the truth, and face even greater challenges.

The road ahead is long, and the sea of stars is boundless. But this time, he is no longer alone.