Light of Return, Calamity of the Silent Shadow
The Star Key "Enlightenment" merged into the jade pendant, transforming into the core of the Ice Star Fire River cycle. The warm and pure star power washed over Yun Zhiyu's meridians like ripples of water, temporarily suppressing the desolate chill in his left arm, and the gray area visibly shrank. A long-lost feeling of power returned to him, sweeping away the fatigue of the past few days.
Within the jade pendant, the fluctuations of the two remnant souls became increasingly clear and stable, and one could even vaguely sense a transmission of something akin to "emotion"—a tranquility and faint joy after enduring hardships and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
"Chief, your injuries..." Yun Feng was overjoyed to see Yun Zhiyu's significantly improved complexion and the much-reduced signs of illness.
"I'm safe for now." Yun Zhiyu clenched his fist, feeling the abundant demonic power within him and the star power that seemed to emanate from his own arm. "The power of the Star Key is indeed wondrous. This place is not safe to stay any longer, we..."
Before he could finish speaking—
Rumble!!!
The entire ruins of Flowing Sand City—no, the entire underground of the Profound Desert—began to shake and tremble violently! The crystals simulating stars on the dome of the observatory shone brightly, projecting countless clear beams of light that intertwined in the center of the hall to form a vast, illusory star map! Within the star map, the point representing "Enlightenment" radiated an unprecedentedly brilliant light, while in the distant north, the dark rift representing "Starfall Scar" briefly became clearly visible on the star map, its edges even showing a barely perceptible contraction, as if scorched by the light!
The return of the Star Key triggered the remnants of the Star Spirit race's laws, which had been dormant for countless millennia! The power of the stars in the world resonated, and though weak, it truly began to impact and purify the shadow of "silence" that shrouded the world!
"The star trails... are returning to their original positions?" Yun Zhiyu stared at the star map in awe, an indescribable excitement welling up inside him. Hope truly existed!
However, this extraordinary phenomenon, like a beacon lit in the dead of night, instantly attracted the attention of all those who were watching!
Almost at the same time that the phenomenon occurred—
"Sizzle!"
The space at the entrance to the inner hall was forcibly torn apart like a rag by a savage and evil force! Several figures shrouded in black cloaks, exuding a dense demonic aura and a nauseating "void" aura, stepped out from it!
The leader, with a pair of emotionless, lifeless, gray eyes visible beneath his hood, held a twisted, shadow-like short staff in his hand. His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping.
"The Star Key... the radiance of return... is indeed here! Hand over the Star Key, and I grant you... eternal silence!"
It was the demonic force that Xuan Chengzi colluded with—the "Silent Shadow Sect"!
They had been lurking in the shadows all along, waiting for the moment when the Star Key would appear!
"Form ranks! Protect the leader!" Yun Feng reacted quickly, and the surviving warriors immediately surrounded Yun Zhiyu in the center, unleashing their demonic power to create a stark contrast with the deathly demonic energy emanating from the Silent Shadow Cult.
"You cowardly rats who hide your heads and tails dare to covet the Star Spirit artifact?" Yun Zhiyu's eyes were cold. He made a fist with his right hand, and an ice crystal longsword instantly condensed. On the blade, a trace of the pure starlight of the "Enlightenment" Star Key faintly flowed, causing the surrounding demonic energy to retreat.
"Heh heh... The Protoss have long since turned to dust! Only 'Silence' remains as their final resting place!" The leader of the Silent Shadow Cult let out a piercing laugh, waving his shadowy staff. "For the Lord's coming... offer your souls and blood to awaken the ancient servants of this land!"
Behind him, several Shadow Cultists simultaneously slit their wrists, dripping black blood, thick with resentment, onto the ground as they chanted blasphemous and fanatical incantations. Their blood, as if alive, rapidly seeped into the rock beneath their feet, spreading backwards along the ancient celestial runes!
The entire ruins of the Flowing Sand City trembled even more violently! It wasn't the resonance of the stars returning to their positions, but rather a restlessness caused by some terrifying entity being forcibly awakened from the depths of the earth!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sound, like the heartbeat of a giant beast, came from underground, growing louder and closer!
"Crack... Boom!"
Suddenly, a huge hole exploded in the ground to the side of the observatory! An unimaginably large pincer, made of countless pale animal bones and dark rocks, shot out and casually swung, smashing several warriors who couldn't dodge in time, along with the stone pillar they were standing on, into dust!
Immediately afterwards, a terrifying head as big as a small mountain rose from the hole—it was a sand scorpion head magnified countless times, with a ghostly purple soul fire burning in its eye sockets, and its body was permeated with a deathly aura that was the same as that of the Silent Shadow Cult, but even more ancient and violent!
This is the remains of the Ancient Scorpion of the Desert, forcibly awakened by the Shadowless Cult through evil sacrifice! The pressure it exudes far surpasses that of the Scorpion King encountered in the Shattered Star Canyon!
“Shh…” Yun Zhiyu stared at the enormous remains of the ancient scorpion, the image of the taciturn young guide who ultimately sacrificed himself to protect the star map flashing through his mind. A surge of anger rose within him. “You… deserve to die!”
"For the tribe! For the sand!" Yunfeng roared, his eyes bloodshot, and charged towards the Shadow Cultists, trying to interrupt their ritual.
However, the ancient scorpion's remains merely swung its massive stinger, unleashing a condensed, eerie purple beam of deathly light that contained a terrifying power capable of corroding the soul and annihilating matter!
Yun Feng tried his best to block, but his demonic energy shield vanished the moment it came into contact with the death ray. He was struck hard, coughed up blood, and flew backward, crashing heavily into the wall. His fate was unknown.
An absolute power disparity!
The leader of the Silent Shadow Cult let out a triumphant laugh: "See that? This is the consequence of resisting the will of 'Silence'! Hand over the Star Key!"
The ancient scorpion's remains moved with heavy steps, closing in on Yun Zhiyu step by step, its enormous shadow enveloping him, and the aura of death emanating from it.
Yun Zhiyu gripped her sword tightly, then glanced at the shimmering jade pendant in her bosom. She couldn't fight head-on! She had to send Xingyue, the young master, and Miss Mo's remnant souls away!
Just as he was preparing to break through at all costs, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side. It was "Rock," the guide who had been seriously injured and on the verge of death and had been placed in a corner after being simply bandaged! He had woken up at some point and was tightly holding the bone spear with part of the star map engraved on it, which Sha had left behind before his death!
"Outsider! Take hope...go!" Yan roared resolutely, using his last strength to hurl the bone spear into the eye socket of the ancient scorpion's remains, which was burning with the flames of its soul! At the same time, he charged toward the leader of the Silent Shadow Cult like a cannonball, his remaining life force and demonic power bursting into flames, transforming into a blazing streak of light!
"For the Ze tribe! For... the future of Xuanmo!"
Boom!!!
The massive energy shock from the self-destruction temporarily halted the progress of the ancient scorpion remains and disrupted the ritual of the Shadow Cultists.
Amidst the billowing smoke, Yun Zhiyu saw Yan's resolute gaze at the end and heard his vow-like shout.
There's no time for sadness!
"Go!" Yun Zhiyu grabbed the unconscious Yun Feng from the ground and roared at the few remaining warriors. At the same time, he fully activated the star power he had just obtained, transforming into a stream of light and rushing towards the unsealed exit on the other side of the ruins!
"Chase them! We can't let them take the Star Key!" the leader of the Silent Shadow Cult roared in exasperation, urging the ancient scorpion remains to crash through the energy turbulence created by the rock explosion and give chase.
Outside the city of Liusha, yellow sand filled the sky.
Yun Zhiyu carried Yun Feng on his back and fled for their lives with the four surviving warriors, with the relentless pursuit of the Shadow Cultists and the ancient scorpion remains that crushed them like mountains behind them.
In a violent tremor, the sword that originally belonged to Yun Zhixue, which Yun Zhiyu wore at his waist, was knocked off. He subconsciously turned around and saw that on the scabbard of the sword, under the combined effect of the star power of Liusha City and the energy of the rock's self-destruction, some more complex and clear star patterns that had never appeared before had emerged—these were the complete star map about the locations of the other star keys, carved by Sha with his life!
He didn't have time to pick it up, so he could only memorize the shape of the star map.
"Split up! Meet up at Chenxing Valley!" Yun Zhiyu made a quick decision, handing Yun Feng over to a warrior while choosing a direction and unleashing his full speed to try and draw away the main pursuers.
Starlight shone around him, the power of annihilation stirred in his left arm, and the jade pendant in his arms emitted a firm wave of support.
Hope has been ignited, but the road to light is destined to be paved with the bones of the fallen.
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