Meteorite Platform, passage opened

Meteorite Platform.

The name sounded mysterious, but it was essentially an ancient ruin located in the deepest part of the Starfall Wasteland, constructed from countless grey-white, giant, chaotic piles of rock. No one knew what material these stones were made of; after enduring countless years of wind and sun, their surfaces were pitted and uneven, yet they remained incredibly hard, faintly retaining a trace of an extremely faint, cold fluctuation that seemed to come from beyond the heavens.

In the center of the ruins stood a semi-collapsed, circular high platform built from the same stone. The platform was about a dozen zhang in diameter, its surface carved with strange, long-blurred patterns that looked like star trajectories or some sort of ancient sacrificial runes. In the center of the platform stood a crooked, dark silver stele about the height of a person. A corner of the stele's top was missing, and it was similarly covered in weathered marks. Only at a specific angle could one see an imperceptible starlight occasionally flash within it.

This place was so desolate that even the wind couldn't be bothered to blow; there was only eternal silence and a sense of bleakness forgotten by time.

Nightmare's figure appeared at the edge of the high platform like a ghost. He had arrived a full day earlier than Lin Hao and his group of invalids.

He first circled the entire Meteorite Platform ruins, his Divine Sense acting like the most precise broom, probing every inch of land and every stone clearly. After confirming there were no other ambushes or anomalies, he turned his gaze toward the high platform in the center and the stele.

"The guiding Power of the Stars... the residual fluctuations are indeed the strongest here." Nightmare sensed the faint resonance coming from the star dao fruit in his palm and confirmed the location.

But he was in no rush to study how to open the channel. There was still time; Lin Hao and his group would likely stumble over here by tomorrow at the latest. He had to prepare a "welcome gift" for them first.

He flew into mid-air, overlooking the entire terrain of the ruins, calculating rapidly in his mind. A moment later, he landed back on the ground and began to form seals with his hands.

"Power of the Stars, heed my command... Illusions born from the heart, phenomena arise with thought—Star Illusion Array, rise!"

Following his low chanting, the Origin Demonic Star dao seed rotated slightly, and strands of pure Star Demon Flame, mixed with his powerful Divine Soul energy, were precisely injected into several specific rock pile nodes on the periphery of the ruins. These rock piles already retained a weak Aura of stars, and now, stimulated by his power, they immediately produced a strange resonance.

Hum...

A layer of extremely faint, almost imperceptible distorted light film rippled out like water waves, silently enveloping the entire core area of the Meteorite Platform ruins. This light film had no offensive capabilities and would not block physical entities from entering, but it would silently affect the Divine Sense and senses of anyone who stepped inside.

Nightmare also traced his fingers through the air along several key entry paths. The Star Demon Flame condensed into strange dark golden runes, which silently submerged into the ground. After touching the ground, these runes disappeared, leaving behind only tiny, extremely hard-to-detect traces of energy—this was a simplified version of the "Erosion Dao Trap." Although its power was far less than those in the Bone Burial Abyss, its advantage lay in its concealment. Once triggered, it could instantly erode and disrupt a Cultivator's Spiritual Power circulation and Protective Aura, having a miraculous effect especially against targets carrying the power of the Heavenly Dao.

After setting these up, Nightmare's figure flickered and he hid behind a huge shadow stone near the high platform. His Aura was completely concealed, as if he had merged with the surrounding stones, and he waited quietly.

The next afternoon.

At the edge of the wasteland, several slightly staggering escape lights finally appeared and descended toward the Meteorite Platform. It was Lin Hao, Fairy Qing Xuan, Su Wan, and those four or five Golden Core guards.

Lin Hao's face was even paler than it had been in Black Stone Town. The journey across the wasteland, with its thin and violent Spiritual Qi, placed a significant burden on his "new body," which had not yet fully recovered from his serious injuries. He held a pale golden jade pendant shard covered in cracks; it was currently emitting a faint heat pointing toward the center of the Meteorite Platform.

"This is it! The entrance fluctuation that Revered Master sensed is right in the center of these ruins!" Lin Hao's eyes flashed with joy, and he said, forcing himself to stay alert.

Fairy Qing Xuan supported him, looking around vigilantly: "Senior Brother Lin, this place looks like it has been abandoned for a long time, but I always feel that something... is not right." Her cultivation was higher, and her perception was sharper; she vaguely felt that the light around them seemed somewhat distorted.

Su Wan clutched Fairy Qing Xuan's sleeve tightly, her small face pale, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at those hideous piles of chaotic rocks.

"Just be careful. Guards, lead the way." Lin Hao didn't care, urging them on. His mind was entirely focused on finding the entrance, obtaining the secret treasure, restoring his power, and taking revenge.

The four Golden Core guards responded and cautiously spread out, advancing slowly in a fan shape toward the high platform in the center of the ruins. They had only taken a few steps into the core area of the ruins—

Hum!

The scene before the guard walking in the front suddenly changed! The desolate rock piles were gone, replaced by an endless, cracked, dim sky! The Laws of the Heavenly Dao turned into golden chains that shattered inch by inch, countless phantom images of gods and demons fell while wailing, the earth sank, and all things returned to nothingness... And his own figure was among them, instantly swallowed by a black Demonic Flame that tore through the firmament, turning into fly ash!

"Ah—!!" The guard clutched his head violently, letting out a shrill scream. Blood seeped from his seven orifices, his internal Spiritual Power instantly became chaotic, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, twitching wildly.

"What's happening?!" The other guards were shocked.

However, before they could react, similar illusions erupted in their minds one after another! Some saw their Sect destroyed, their teachers dying tragically; others saw their dao foundation shattered, their cultivation lost completely; still others simply saw Nightmare's cold face infinitely magnified before their eyes, striking out with a palm...

"Ah!" "No—!" "Devil Head!!"

Screams rang out one after another. These few Golden Core guards instantly fell into Chaos; some struck out wildly at their surroundings, some collapsed to the ground, losing control of their bowels, and some even began to self-harm! The Star Illusion Array acted directly on their Divine Soul, digging up and magnifying the deepest fears in their hearts. With their Golden Core Stage Divine Sense cultivation, they had no power to resist at all!

Lin Hao, Fairy Qing Xuan, and Su Wan were slightly less affected because they were standing at the back, but their faces instantly turned pale! Although they did not see such concrete illusions as the guards, they also saw the terrifying scene of the Heavenly Dao's radiance dimming, their own Luck dissipating, and even Nightmare's cold laughter vaguely echoing in their ears! Their Dao Heart was shaken violently!

"It's an illusion array! Steady your minds!" Fairy Qing Xuan, who had the highest cultivation, was the first to react. She shouted sharply, forcing herself to operate the Ice Heart Technique to resist the intrusion of the illusions, while simultaneously waving her sword to set up a frost barrier around them.

Lin Hao also woke up, both shocked and angry. The dim Heavenly Dao Sacred Seal between his brows forcibly lit up with a thin layer of golden light, dispelling some of the illusion interference, but his face grew paler, clearly having expended much energy.

Su Wan simply groaned and slumped into Fairy Qing Xuan's arms, her eyes unfocused as she fell into a semi-conscious state again; her old wounds had been triggered.

Just as their minds were damaged and their formation was in Chaos—

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Beneath the ground, several dark golden Erosion Dao runes suddenly lit up, turning into several insidious threads of energy that coiled like poisonous snakes toward the ankles of Lin Hao and Fairy Qing Xuan!

"Careful!" Fairy Qing Xuan swung her sword to cut off the threads attacking her, but the Erosion Dao power that exploded when the threads broke still caused her Spiritual Power to stagnate.

Lin Hao's reaction was a fraction of a second slower, and he was entangled by a thread. He immediately felt a needle-like stinging pain in his ankle, and a cold, filthy energy—specifically designed to erode dao foundation and the power of the Heavenly Dao—instantly surged up along his Meridians! He was shocked and furious, forcing the golden light of the Sacred Seal to barely force it out, but his leg was already blackened, and his movements were affected.

"Nightmare! It's you! You sneak-attacking Devil Head! Get out here!" Lin Hao was shocked and afraid, roaring wildly at his surroundings, though his voice sounded somewhat blustery due to his injuries and fear. This insidious trap, this familiar Erosion Dao power—who else could it be but Nightmare?!

"Heh, it seems that even after the Heavenly Dao retrieved your life, it didn't fix your brain."

The cold voice came from the shadows of the high platform.

The next moment, a figure burning with profound star flames appeared behind a Golden Core guard who was clutching his head and screaming, as if teleporting. The guard had no idea.

Nightmare didn't even bother to look at him, waving his hand casually. A condensed Star Demon Flame swept past like a sickle.

Slish!

The guard's scream stopped abruptly, his head flying high into the air, and his headless corpse slumped to the ground, instantly scorched into charcoal by the Demonic Flame.

Nightmare did not stop, his figure flashing again to appear beside another guard who was wildly waving his Magic Treasure. He joined his fingers like a sword, Star Demon Flame flickering at his fingertips, easily piercing through the guard's protective Spiritual Qi and tapping his brow.

Pfft! Another guard's eyes instantly dimmed, his Divine Soul extinguished, and he fell to the ground dead.

Clean, efficient, like harvesting weeds. Two Golden Core Cultivators, without even a chance to resist, had already perished.

The remaining two guards saw their companions die instantly and were scared to the point of Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. The influence of the illusion was overwhelmed by fear, and they scrambled backward in a panic.

"Trash!" Lin Hao watched with eyes bursting with rage; these were the only usable men he had left!

He forced his Spiritual Qi up, activating the dim Heavenly Dao Sacred Seal, and slashed out a Sword Qi tinged with pale golden light, aiming at Nightmare in an attempt to block him.

Fairy Qing Xuan also gritted her teeth and swung a frost Sword Qi to provide support from the side.

Nightmare did not even look at their attacks, the Star Demon Flame around his body swelling slightly.

Boom!

Lin Hao's Sword Qi collided with the Demonic Flame, dissolving rapidly like ice meeting boiling oil, without even a spark splashing up. Fairy Qing Xuan's frost Sword Qi was directly evaporated into water vapor.

Meanwhile, Nightmare, like a ghost, had already caught up to the third fleeing guard, his palm pressing directly onto the top of the guard's head.

Crack! The sound of the skull shattering was clearly audible. As the Demonic Flame surged in, the guard instantly turned into a fireball, his scream short and shrill.

The last guard, seeing there was no escape, turned around in despair. He sacrificed a shield Magic Treasure and roared as he charged at Nightmare, attempting to self-detonate his Golden Core.

Nightmare's gaze was cold as he flicked his finger.

A point of Star Demon Flame, condensed to the extreme, struck first despite being launched later, accurately shooting into the guard's slightly open mouth and sinking into his Dantian.

The guard's body stiffened violently, his expanding Aura leaking away like a punctured balloon. His eyes bulged, a muffled sound came from his Dantian, and his whole body collapsed as if his bones had been sucked out. Black smoke spilled from his mouth and nose; he was already dead.

Self-detonation? Under such absolute strength and precise control, even self-detonation was a luxury.

In just a few breaths, the four Golden Core guards were completely wiped out!

Nightmare then slowly turned around, the Star Demon Flame burning quietly around him, casting his face in half-light and half-shadow.

He looked at Lin Hao, whose face was as pale as paper and who was trembling all over, and at Fairy Qing Xuan, who was barely supporting Su Wan while standing with her sword in front of Lin Hao, though her eyes already held a look of despair.

"It is your turn." Nightmare's voice was flat and waveless, as if he had just casually swatted a few flies.

"Devil Head! I will fight you to the death!" Stimulated by this naked contempt and the fear of death, Lin Hao went completely insane. He recklessly burned his remaining Origin essence blood, and the Heavenly Dao Sacred Seal on his brow, covered in cracks, erupted with a final, blinding golden light, like a flash of brilliance before death!

His Aura was forcibly raised by a level. The qingyang sacred sword in his hand (a replica, also damaged) emitted a trembling sound like a mournful cry, turning into a resolute golden rainbow. Man and sword became one, charging at Nightmare in a desperate sacrifice! This was his final, all-or-nothing, life-risking strike!

Fairy Qing Xuan also let out a clear shout, gently placing the unconscious Su Wan on the ground. She then transformed into an ice rainbow, her sword light condensed like a single line, coordinating with Lin Hao to stab at Nightmare from the flank, also in a desperate state!

Faced with their combined attack, which was almost a suicide mission, there was finally a slight ripple in Nightmare's eyes—not gravity, but a hint of impatience.

"Deathbed struggle."

He held nothing back, and his vast Peak Spirit Transformation Aura erupted! The surrounding air seemed to solidify, and the scattered stones trembled slightly!

He held his hands in a phantom embrace before his chest, the Star Demon Flame gathering crazily. Instantly, a jet-black energy ball the size of a human head condensed in his palms, with countless stars rapidly collapsing and annihilating inside—it was the "Demon Star Annihilation," even more powerful than before!

He was just about to push it forward, to turn these two and their laughable struggle into nothingness—

At this critical moment!

Lin Hao's desperate sword strike, under extreme fear and madness, seemed to have missed its mark by a hair!

Or perhaps it was the Aura Nightmare erupted that interfered with space? That golden sword rainbow, burning with Lin Hao's final essence blood and the power of the Sacred Seal, did not strike at Nightmare, but instead... grazed the corner of Nightmare's clothes, missing by a hair's breadth, and slammed fiercely not far behind Nightmare—onto the dark silver stele in the center of the half-collapsed platform!

Clang——!!!!!!!

A deafening, indescribably loud metallic clang, seemingly from the ancient starry sky, suddenly exploded!

The seemingly dilapidated stele, the moment it was struck by the sword rainbow containing a trace of Heavenly Dao Sacred power (however weak), had its weathered stone skin peel off with a roar! It revealed a crystal-clear silver stele body, as if forged from the core of a star! The originally blurred patterns on the stele instantly lit up with blindingly brilliant starlight!

Rumble rumble——!!!

The entire Meteorite Platform ruins, no, the entire Starfall Wasteland, began to shake violently! Centered on the silver stele, thick pillars of light, composed entirely of pure Power of the Stars, shot into the sky, piercing the nine heavens! High above, the wind and clouds rolled backward, and space distorted and folded violently like ripples in water!

A massive spatial vortex channel, with rolling chaos qi flow inside and faintly visible fragments of broken stars floating, slowly formed and stabilized in the high sky, guarded by countless pillars of starlight!

The passage to the Chaotic Star Sea... had actually been accidentally triggered by this blind, life-risking strike from Lin Hao that contained Heavenly Dao Sacred power!

Nightmare, who was preparing to unleash his ultimate move, stopped abruptly and suddenly looked up at the huge spatial vortex, the Star Demon Flame in his eyes jumping violently.

Lin Hao, who had exhausted his last strength and collapsed on the ground, unable to even hold his sword, and Fairy Qing Xuan, who had been shaken by the terrifying momentum of the passage's opening and was stumbling backward, were all stunned, staring blankly at the incredible sight in the sky.

The ancient, vast, and chaotic Aura emanating from the passage perfectly matched the "Secret Treasure" or "Legacy" location they had each sensed!

Nightmare slowly withdrew his hand, the "Demon Star Annihilation" in his palm quietly dissipating. He looked at the passage in the sky, then at the dying Lin Hao and the shaken Fairy Qing Xuan on the ground, a flicker of calculation crossing his eyes.

Killing them would be easy. But the passage had already opened, and the Chaotic Star Sea was right before him. The Opportunity inside was of the utmost importance. Continuing to delay here would be counterproductive if the passage were to change or if other existences attracted by the phenomenon were to interfere.

In his current crippled state, Lin Hao would be dead if he entered the Chaotic Star Sea. Fairy Qing Xuan was not a concern. Su Wan was even more of a burden.

With his mind made up, Nightmare did not hesitate any longer.

He couldn't even be bothered to look at the people on the ground again. His figure turned into a sharp black star flame, like an arrow off a bow, and he shot first toward the huge spatial vortex channel in the high sky! He plunged into it instantly and disappeared.

"The passage... opened..." Lin Hao struggled to lift his head, watching Nightmare's disappearing back, then looking at the passage, a final trace of greed and madness erupting in his eyes. "The Secret Treasure... is mine! Qing Xuan! Take Wan'er! Let's go in quickly! We cannot let that Devil Head get there first!"

Fairy Qing Xuan looked at the dying Lin Hao and the unconscious Su Wan, then at the terrifying passage. A struggle flashed across her face, but in the end, she gritted her teeth. She lifted Lin Hao with one hand and carried Su Wan with the other, forced her Spiritual Qi up, transformed into a dim ice rainbow, and rushed into the spatial vortex close behind.

As they entered, the huge spatial vortex maintained for a few more breaths, then slowly shrank, faded, and finally disappeared completely in the sky.

The Meteorite Platform returned to deathly silence, with only the charred corpses on the ground and the chaotic energy remaining in the air telling of the brief but intense conflict that had just occurred.

And before the entrance to the Chaotic Star Sea closed, no one noticed that when Nightmare entered, a tiny wisp of star flame he had casually flicked off had silently attached itself to the inner hem of Fairy Qing Xuan's moon-white dress.