Stars eclipse and block the way, leaving not a single piece of armor.

After leaving the Turbulence Gorge, Nightmare pushed his speed to the limit.

According to the information in the Jade Slip and the vague sensing of the star dao fruit, the "Heavenly Derivation Ancient Road" that Lin Hao took was more stable, while the path he chose himself was more dangerous and more direct.

To get ahead, he could not afford the slightest delay.

The scenery around him began to change.

The chaotic turbulence gradually decreased, replaced by strange rocks that were dark in color and covered in honeycomb-like holes on their surfaces.

These rocks varied in size and floated in the Void Realm, faintly emitting a fluctuation that adsorbed and devoured the loose Power of the Stars in the surroundings.

The air was permeated with a dry, cold, and lonely aura, as if it could even absorb energy.

"Star-Eroding Rocks..."

Nightmare slowed down, his gaze sweeping across this vast, dark rocky area.

According to the Jade Slip, this was the activity range of the Star-Eroding Clan, and also the place where Lin Hao had left a "support point".

A cold arc hung at the corner of his mouth.

Support? I'm afraid it's actually an interception.

Without hesitation, he continued forward.

However, the Star Demon Flame around his body restrained itself slightly, becoming more internalized, like charcoal burning silently in the dark.

What must come cannot be avoided.

Just after he had penetrated about a hundred miles into the Star-Eroding Rock area, ten figures emerged simultaneously from behind several huge Star-Eroding Rocks in front.

They were similar in form to humans, but generally taller, with skin that presented a rock-like grayish-white color, marked with dim patterns resembling starlight spots.

Their eye sockets were deeply sunken, and their pupils were an eerie silver-gray, as if they were two shrunken stars.

Most peculiarly, with every breath they took, their chests would rise and fall slightly, and the thin Power of the Stars in the surrounding air would be pulled into their bodies.

The Star-Eroding Clan. A strange race that fed on star energy.

Ten Star-Eroding Clan warriors spread out in a fan shape, blocking the path ahead.

The leader was exceptionally tall, with a vertical silver crystal mark on his forehead, and his aura had surprisingly reached the Early Spirit Transformation Stage.

The other nine were all between the Late Nascent Soul Stage and the Peak.

They held crude weapons polished from Star-Eroding Rocks, either spears or heavy hammers, their surfaces also shimmering with the faint light of absorbed Power of the Stars.

The Star-Eroding Clan leader, with silver-gray pupils, locked onto Nightmare, his voice dull like grinding rocks:

"This place, no passage."

He was actually speaking the common language of the continent, and although it was a bit stiff, the meaning was clear.

Nightmare stopped, his gaze sweeping over them indifferently: "Lin Hao's dog?"

The rock-like muscles on the leader's face seemed to twitch, but he did not get angry, only repeating: "By the order of Lord Lin Hao, the son of destiny, this area is sealed. Demonic cultivator, retreat, or, die."

The nine warriors behind him stepped forward simultaneously, pointing their weapons at Nightmare, their auras connecting into one, carrying a heavy sense of oppression, as if they were ten moving, small star remnants.

Nightmare suddenly smiled. The smile was very faint, yet it made the Star-Eroding Clan warriors who saw it inexplicably feel a chill.

"Feeding on stars?" Nightmare whispered to himself, as if confirming something, "What a coincidence."

He stopped talking nonsense, not even making any obvious opening stance. He just moved his mind.

"Whoosh—!"

The originally restrained Star Demon Flame, like a long-suppressed volcano, erupted instantly!

This time, the Demonic Flame was deeper in color, purple to the point of being nearly black, and at the core of the flames, specks of light that were as brilliant as real stars, yet carried an aura of destruction, flowed.

The expressions of the Star-Eroding Clan warriors (if those grayish-white faces could be called expressions) changed for the first time.

It was not terror, but a violent fluctuation originating from instinct, mixed with greed and shock!

They clearly felt what kind of pure and magnificent Power of the Stars was contained in the flames burning on the person before them! It was simply the top-grade food they dreamed of!

But at the same time, the domineering will of destruction, erosion, and demonization contained in the flames made their Souls tremble! That was not just food, but a dangerous thing that could burn their Origin to ashes!

"Stars... supreme power... but... it has been polluted..." The leader's silver-gray pupils contracted violently, his voice trembling with disbelief, "Seize it! Presenting it to Lord Lin Hao will be a great merit!"

Greed ultimately overcame the slight instinctual fear. In the simple cognition of the Star-Eroding Clan, the Power of the Stars was the foundation of their evolution; such pure power must not be let go!

"Roar!"

The ten Star-Eroding Clan warriors simultaneously let out inhuman low roars, the star patterns under their grayish-white skin lighting up, frantically absorbing the already thin Power of the Stars from the surrounding Void Realm, wielding their weapons and rushing towards Nightmare to kill!

Their movements were swift and their power heavy, and their combined momentum stirred up a turbulence of gravitational pull from the stars, attempting to bind Nightmare's movements.

Nightmare stood in place, not moving at all. He just watched them rush over, as if watching a group of moths throwing themselves into a flame.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and gently clenched his fist towards the rushing Star-Eroding Clan warriors.

"Starfire, Incinerate."

As his voice fell, the surging dark purple Demonic Flame around his body suddenly divided, turning into countless fist-sized, dark purple sparks that seemed to have a life of their own, like a blizzard whipped up by a violent wind, densely covering the ten Star-Eroding Clan warriors!

The speed was not fast, even a bit drifting.

But the Star-Eroding Clan warriors' expressions changed wildly! They wanted to dodge, but found that those sparks seemed to have locked onto the star Origin within their bodies, pulling their movements.

They wanted to block, but the moment their Star-Eroding Rock weapons touched the sparks—

"Sss—!!!"

It was like a red-hot branding iron pressed onto an ice cube!

The hard Star-Eroding Rock weapons softened and melted at a speed visible to the naked eye! The dark purple sparks ignited upon contact, instantly spreading along the weapons to the arms holding them!

"Ah—!!!"

A scream so shrill it didn't sound human instantly resounded through this silent rocky area!

The dark purple flames spread and burned crazily on their grayish-white skin. These flames not only burned their bodies but, like the greediest parasites, frantically extracted and devoured the star Origin they had accumulated through hard cultivation! The power they relied on for survival and strength now became fuel for the Demonic Flame, in turn pushing them faster toward destruction!

Their grayish-white bodies quickly became charred, cracked, and melted in the Demonic Flame. They desperately urged their innate abilities, wanting to absorb the Power of the Stars in the flames to resist, but it was like pouring water into a frying pan, only triggering more violent explosions and burning!

"No! This power... it's eating us!!!"

"Leader! Save..."

The screams rose and fell, rapidly weakening.

The Star-Eroding Clan leader, who was at the Early Spirit Transformation Stage, had the strongest strength. He let out a wild roar, and the silver crystal mark on his forehead erupted with blinding light, forming a thick silver light shield, temporarily resisting the intrusion of a few sparks.

He saw his subordinates quickly turn to ashes in the Demonic Flame, and his eyes were finally occupied by boundless fear.

This was not a battle at all, but a one-sided devouring and slaughter! The opponent's flames were a natural counter to their Star-Eroding Clan!

Escape! Must escape! Tell Lord Lin Hao that this person cannot be opposed!

He turned abruptly, turning into a silver-gray stream of light, not hesitating to burn his Origin, and fled frantically towards the depths of the rocky area!

"Want to leave?"

Nightmare's cold voice sounded as if it were right next to his ear.

The next moment, a giant dark purple fist, formed entirely of Star Demon Flame condensed to the extreme, seemed to cross space, arriving first despite starting later, and slammed solidly onto his back!

"Pfft—!"

The silver light shield shattered like paper. The Star-Eroding Clan leader spat out a large mouthful of silver-gray blood, the blood mixed with specks of starlight.

He felt that the star Origin he had cultivated for thousands of years was almost scattered by this punch, he didn't know how many bones were broken, and his whole body was smashed forward like a meteorite, heavily embedded into a huge Star-Eroding Rock, cracking the rock wall.

He struggled to crawl out of the rock wall, his eyes full of terror and despair.

Nightmare's figure, like a ghost, appeared in the Void Realm in front of him, looking down at him from above.

"Spare... spare my life..." the Star-Eroding Clan leader said with difficulty, his silver-gray pupils full of pleading, "I... I am willing to submit... serve you as master... take you to the Star Core Palace... I know a shortcut..."

He was completely afraid. Whatever Lin Hao's orders were, whatever the son of destiny was, in front of this god of slaughter who was like a demon god, they were not even one ten-thousandth as important as his own life.

Nightmare looked at him, his eyes without the slightest fluctuation, only a indifferent coldness.

"Lin Hao's dog," Nightmare said slowly, his voice not loud, but every word was like an ice pick piercing into the other's Soul, "Are you worthy of blocking my way?"

Before his voice fell, the dark purple Demonic Flame giant fist condensed again in front of him, more solid than before, more violent, and even a twisted star phantom appeared on the surface of the fist.

The last light in the Star-Eroding Clan leader's eyes dimmed completely, leaving only boundless despair and regret.

"No—!!!"

The Demonic Flame giant fist fell with a roar.

Not smashing, but crushing.

"Boom—!!!"

The entire huge Star-Eroding Rock, along with the Star-Eroding Clan leader embedded within it, was completely turned into powder under that destructive fist! Not even a trace of residue was left, only a huge deep pit with a fist print, its edges still burning with specks of dark purple sparks.

Nightmare withdrew his fist, and the Demonic Flame around his body slowly calmed down.

He glanced at the battlefield. The other nine Star-Eroding Clan warriors had long since turned into ashes under the burning of the Starfire, with only a few scattered charred, incompletely burned remains, still wrapped in the heart-palpitating aura of the Star Demon Flame.

Nightmare's gaze moved slightly, not completely clearing away these remnants.

He deliberately left behind a few of the most obvious charred marks and remains, letting that domineering and evil aura of the Star Demon Flame linger in this Star-Eroding Rock area for a long time.

This was his warning.

A warning for all the Star-Eroding Clan who might still obey Lin Hao's orders, or who coveted his power.

—Those who cross this line, body and Soul will be destroyed.

After doing all this, Nightmare did not stay any longer, his figure turned into a stream of light, continuing to speed towards the direction of the Star Core Palace, and soon disappeared into the depths of the Star-Eroding Rock area.

Only the lingering aura of the Demonic Flame, which seemed capable of burning even rocks to ashes, spread silently, making all the Star-Eroding Clan creatures nearby who had noticed the movement here and were peeking in secret feel a trembling and fear deep in their Souls.

In the dead silence, only the starfire occasionally crackled.