The Dao Fruit of Stars, coveted by Heaven.

Passing through the "Silent Bone Corridor" felt like crossing an invisible boundary.

Behind him lay the Bone Burial Abyss's middle passage, a place of deathly silence, oppression, and covered in bones and marks of erosion.

Before him, however, was a completely different world.

This was a breathtakingly magnificent underground palace, its scale far exceeding any previous bone hall or vault.

The palace's walls, dome, and even the giant supporting pillars were not made of bones, but cast from a strange metal and jade mixed with dark silver, shimmering with the faint light of stars.

They were carved with magnificent murals of the sun, moon, stars, galactic vortices, and countless gods and demons at war, which, despite the passage of endless years, remained clear and distinct, radiating an ancient and majestic aura.

There was no light source within the palace, yet the entire space was enveloped in a soft and brilliant starlight.

This starlight originated from the deepest and highest point of the palace—an altar with nine tiers of stairs.

The altar itself seemed to be carved from a single, massive star core, crystal clear, with galaxies flowing slowly within it.

And at the top of the altar, suspended in the Void Realm, was an object.

It was a fist-sized fruit, irregular in shape.

Its overall appearance was a deep, dark silver that seemed to absorb all light, but its surface flowed with colorful starlight, occasionally turning into a pure, piercing silver-white.

Inside the fruit, it was not solid, but rather like a miniature Universe in the process of birth and annihilation, with countless galaxies cycling within it, emitting a vast, ancient, and pure star Origin fluctuation!

Just by glancing at it from afar, Nightmare felt the dao seed deep within his Divine Soul emit an unprecedented, almost boiling desire!

The blood in his entire body seemed to want to burn along with it!

The meteorite jade pendant hanging at his waist became scorching hot, automatically floating up and pointing at the fruit, trembling slightly as if worshipping its king.

star dao fruit! The core of the ancient Lord of the Stars's Legacy, the key to controlling the authority of the stars!

Nightmare took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to rush up immediately.

The Bone Spirit Guardian's dying warning still rang in his ears, and Lin Hao and his group were closing in.

Time was still his greatest enemy.

He did not hesitate at all, his figure turning into a stream of light, crossing the empty hall in a few flashes to arrive beneath the nine-tiered altar.

The closer he got, the more astonishing the pressure and attraction emitted by the star dao fruit became.

The Power of the Stars permeating the air was so dense it was almost liquid; every breath felt like inhaling a galaxy.

Nightmare could feel his own dao seed operating at an unprecedented speed, frantically absorbing the surrounding energy, and the Awakening degree of his star attribute was even slowly climbing on its own.

But he did not have time to slowly absorb the environmental energy.

He stepped onto the first tier of the altar.

Boom!

It was as if some Restriction had been triggered, and the countless ancient star runes inscribed on the altar lit up one by one, and a massive pressure of will descended—not hostility, but a form of scrutiny, a test.

This pressure acted directly upon his Divine Soul, questioning the qualification and determination of the intruder.

Nightmare paused slightly, the star mark on his forehead appearing on its own, radiating an equally ancient aura.

Within his dao seed, the shred of Origin that had fused with the star remnant's will also resonated.

The altar's pressure receded like a tide, as if acknowledging his identity.

Nightmare did not hesitate further, flashing his figure repeatedly, quickly ascending to the second tier, the third tier... until the ninth tier!

Standing at the Peak of the altar, he was within arm's reach of the star dao fruit.

The fruit floated silently less than three feet in front of him, the scene of the Universe's birth and death inside it clearer, and the Origin fluctuation it emitted made Nightmare, even as a newly promoted Soul Transformation cultivator, feel a sense of palpitations and insignificance.

But at the same time, the attraction stemming from the instinct of life and the path of the Dao was also extreme.

[Ding! Epic-level core Legacy item detected: star dao fruit!]

[Ultimate mission triggered: Devour the star dao fruit!]

[Mission content: Successfully absorb and fuse with the star dao fruit, and completely control part of the Lord of the Stars's authority and power.]

[Mission reward: Substantial increase in cultivation, dao seed completes ultimate Awakening (100% star attribute), unlock complete star Divine Ability, greatly strengthen 'Star Devouring Dao' ability, permanently plunder 50% of 'son of destiny' Lin Hao's Luck!]

[Failure penalty: dao seed backlash, cultivation drop, star mark collapse, loss of this core Opportunity.]

The System's notification tone was unprecedentedly serious; the mission rewards and penalties corresponded to unimaginable benefits and risks.

Plundering 50% of his Luck! This was a blow that would almost shake Lin Hao's Foundation!

Blood light and starlight flashed simultaneously in Nightmare's eyes, and he did not hesitate.

He extended his hand, palm up, slowly reaching toward the star dao fruit.

At the same time, he fully drove his dao seed and star mark, releasing his own purest star aura and Heaven-Defying will, attempting to establish a connection with the dao fruit and guide its energy.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the flowing radiance on the fruit's surface—

"Nightmare! Stop!!!"

A roar filled with shock, anger, jealousy, and the pressure of the Heavenly Dao resounded like thunder from the Nine Heavens, suddenly exploding in the empty Star Palace!

Rumble!

The two ten-zhang-high, heavy dark silver metal doors of the Star Palace were blasted open from the outside by a barbaric and overbearing force!

Amidst flying debris, several figures wrapped in blazing golden light and Qingyun Sword Qi rushed in like lightning!

The leader was none other than Lin Hao!

His eyes were splitting, staring fixedly at Nightmare at the Peak of the altar, who was about to touch the star dao fruit; he was almost spitting fire from his eyes.

Behind him, Elder Qingyun, Fairy Qing Xuan, and the supported Su Wan followed closely.

They had arrived after all! In the limited time bought by the Bone Spirit Guardian's life, they had broken through the final barrier!

"Thief! Devil Head! How dare you touch the ancient Righteous Path Legacy!"

Lin Hao was furious, especially seeing the aura fluctuation on Nightmare that clearly belonged to the Soul Transformation Stage, which made his heart shake violently; jealousy and a sense of crisis exploded simultaneously.

This Devil Head had actually broken through again! And he had touched the dao fruit before him!

Without any nonsense, Lin Hao directly roared at Elder Qingyun: "Elder, stop him! You must not let him succeed!"

Elder Qingyun was also shocked by Nightmare's cultivation and the majestic aura of the star dao fruit before him, but he reacted extremely quickly.

Seeing that Nightmare seemed to be at a critical moment of guiding the dao fruit and could not easily move or interrupt (otherwise he might suffer backlash), this was the perfect Opportunity to interrupt his Opportunity!

"Qingyun Heaven Locking Array! Trap!"

Elder Qingyun danced his hands rapidly, his sleeves billowing, and his Early Spirit Transformation Stage cultivation erupted without reservation!

Phantoms of Talisman, blue-white in color and containing the power of the Heavenly Dao's order, shot out from around him, instantly filling the space around the altar!

These Talisman phantoms linked together to form a huge, translucent blue-white light shield, like an inverted giant bowl, enclosing the entire nine-tiered altar along with Nightmare at the top!

On the light shield, countless dense chain patterns emerged, radiating a powerful force of imprisonment and suppression; not only did it seal the space, but it also began to suppress and isolate the flow of the Power of the Stars within the altar, intending to interfere with the energy connection between Nightmare and the dao fruit!

This was the Qingyun Sect's famous trap Formation, the "Qingyun Heaven Locking Array," which was terrifyingly powerful when cast by a Soul Transformation cultivator!

Meanwhile, Lin Hao also attacked fiercely! He knew that the Opportunity was fleeting and he had to interrupt Nightmare!

"Heavenly Dao is magnificent, Sacred Sword slays devils! Qingyang World-Breaking Slash!"

Lin Hao drove his newly stabilized Mid-stage Dao Replenishing cultivation to the extreme, his entire body's Heavenly Dao golden light burning like a flame, all of it poured into the qingyang sacred sword!

The sacred sword made an earth-shattering hum, the blade swelling to become a hundred-zhang-long golden giant sword phantom, carrying the terrifying momentum of tearing the sky and destroying all Law, slashing fiercely at the back of Nightmare inside the altar's light shield!

This sword strike was without reservation, his Peak strike born of anger and jealousy!

Fairy Qing Xuan also gritted her teeth and swung her sword, frost Sword Qi sweeping like a long river, assisting in attacking the light shield in an attempt to weaken its defense.

Facing this sudden, lethal siege, Nightmare, who was at the most critical moment of guiding the star dao fruit, fell into an unprecedented crisis!

He could not interrupt the energy connection with the dao fruit, or he would lose all previous progress and might even be backlashed by the dao fruit.

But if he faced the attacks of Lin Hao and the Qingyun Heaven Locking Array head-on, with his cultivation that had just broken through to the Early Spirit Transformation Stage, even with his dao seed and Starfall Demonic Flame, he was very likely to be seriously injured or even killed directly!

At this critical moment, a flash of crazy ruthlessness crossed Nightmare's eyes!

He maintained the energy guidance to the star dao fruit, while his other hand suddenly formed a seal, and he whispered:

"Star Devouring Dao!"

Hum—!

The dao seed in his Dantian spun frantically, and the swallowing power that had fused with the Law of Corrosion was completely activated!

An invisible, powerful suction erupted with him as the center, but this suction was not aimed at material objects, but acted directly upon... the energy condensed by the Qingyun Heaven Locking Array!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!

The Heavenly Dao order power and Qingyun Dao power flowing inside the blue-white light shield covering the altar were actually forcibly torn out like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, rushing toward Nightmare!

Although he could not absorb the entire array's energy instantly (which would take time and consume a huge amount of energy), this sudden swallowing caused the previously stable Qingyun Heaven Locking Array to experience a moment of disorder and dimming!

And it was this moment of disorder that gave Nightmare a chance to catch his breath!

He had no time to turn around, nor could he use high-power Divine Ability to counterattack.

He could only rely on his tough Physical Body and reflexes at the Soul Transformation Stage to instantly condense a mixed energy he had just forcibly swallowed from the Locking Array, along with some of his own Starfall Demonic Flame, onto his back!

"Star Demon Body Protection!"

A dark, deep flame shield, mixed with blue-white light, formed hastily behind him.

Boom—!!!

Lin Hao's full-force Qingyang World-Breaking Slash landed solidly on this hastily condensed shield!

An earth-shattering explosion occurred inside the altar's light shield!

The golden sword light and the dark shield consumed and annihilated each other frantically!

The terrifying shockwave oscillated back and forth inside the light shield, and even the nine-tiered star altar trembled slightly!

"Pfft—!"

Nightmare's body shook violently, his face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The shield formed hastily on his back was completely shattered, and the remaining Sword Qi slammed into his back, even with the buffer of his Soul Transformation Physical Body and Demonic Flame, it still caused internal injuries and his blood to churn.

The energy flow guiding the star dao fruit also fluctuated violently, nearly breaking.

But he had held on after all! He was not interrupted from connecting with the dao fruit, nor was he killed on the spot!

And Lin Hao's full-force sword strike was blocked, causing his aura to stagnate.

Elder Qingyun's expression changed even more; his Qingyun Heaven Locking Array was interfered with by Nightmare's strange swallowing skill, its power reduced by more than 30%, and he needed to divide his attention to stabilize it.

"How is this possible?!" Lin Hao was incredulous; his Peak sword strike at the Mid-stage Dao Replenishing level, blessed by the Heavenly Dao, was actually blocked by Nightmare in his haste?

Although the opponent vomited blood and was injured, it was clearly not a fundamental injury!

Nightmare wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and turned his head slowly, his cold gaze sweeping across Lin Hao, Elder Qingyun, and the others through the somewhat dim Qingyun Heaven Locking Array light shield.

Although his face was pale, his eyes were like eternal ice, and deeper within, a blazing flame was burning.

"Lin Hao..." Nightmare's voice was hoarse, but carried endless mockery and killing intent, "Is this all you've got? With just you lot, you want to stop my path?"

While speaking, he fully maintained the energy connection with the star dao fruit, while frantically operating his dao seed to accelerate the refining of the Locking Array energy he had just swallowed to repair his injuries.

The star dao fruit seemed to sense his crisis and determination, the energy flow it transmitted became even more majestic, and it began to actively move toward him!

"Devil Head, don't be rampant!" Elder Qingyun roared, urging the Locking Array more tightly, the light shield becoming solid again, the suppression power increasing, "You are already injured and trapped by the great array, you cannot escape! Hand over the Legacy obediently, or I might leave your corpse intact!"

Lin Hao also suppressed the shock in his heart, his eyes fierce: "Nightmare, today is your death day! This star dao fruit is destined to be mine! The Heavenly Dao does not allow a Heaven-Defying Devil Head like you to exist!"

He raised the qingyang sacred sword again and exchanged a glance with Elder Qingyun.

They saw that Nightmare was injured and restricted by the Formation, so they had to take advantage of his incomplete Fusion with the dao fruit to launch a continuous, fierce attack, not giving him any chance to catch his breath or complete the Fusion!

A new round of even more violent attacks was about to descend.

Nightmare was at the Peak of the altar, with the not-yet-fully-controlled star dao fruit in front, and strong enemies surrounding him and the great array trapping him; the situation was precarious.

However, a cold and crazy curve hooked at the corner of his mouth.

His gaze fell on the even more ancient and complex array patterns on the altar floor that had appeared faintly as the runes lit up.