In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

There was no sound, no explosion.

The gigantic black hand that had filled Su Han and Lu Xueqi with despair, along with the immense "annihilation power" gathered within it, vanished silently the instant the pale blue light touched it, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser. It wasn't scattered, nor purified, but rather as if it had been "annihilated" by that ray of light, completely returning to its most primordial, most void state, merging into the pale blue light, or rather, merging into the illusory image of the annihilation source of the light.

"Ah—!" The black-robed giant let out a shrill scream, its solid figure instantly becoming much dimmer and more transparent, its aura plummeting. Its scarlet eyes were filled with endless fear and resentment as it stared intently at the tortoise shell in Biyao's hand, then glanced at the ready-to-fight Su Han, Lu Xueqi, and Elder Mu, as well as the blurry yet terrifyingly illusory figure of Guixu.

"I will remember your favor today! When my true form descends, I will ensure that your souls are annihilated and you are forever imprisoned at the bottom of the Ruins!"

After uttering a harsh threat, the black-robed giant that the shadowy figure had transformed into dared not linger for a moment. It suddenly exploded, transforming back into a sky full of black mist. However, this black mist no longer attacked, but instead retreated like a tide towards the entrance of the main hall and towards the void outside the tower. Its speed was more than ten times faster than when it came. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace, along with the cold and evil sensation outside the tower, which quickly moved away and vanished.

The terrifying pressure that had enveloped Zhenyue Pagoda suddenly vanished.

Inside the main hall, only the flickering light of the restrictive barrier remained, the slowly calming energy turbulence, and the gradually receding, finally transforming back into an ancient tortoise shell, lying quietly in Biyao's hand, along with the illusory image of the Void Returning to Nothingness. However, the light on the tortoise shell had completely dimmed, and the patterns had returned to calm, as if the astonishing scene from just moments before had never occurred.

The moment the phantom of Guixu appeared and the giant black hand was "annihilated," Biyao fainted completely due to exhaustion of her mind and the violent backlash from the tortoise shell. However, she still tightly gripped the tortoise shell that had saved her and everyone else.

Su Han, struggling to support his weakened body, staggered to the bedside to check on Bi Yao. He found that she had only fainted from exhaustion and was not in immediate danger, but her breathing was even weaker and the light of the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl between her brows had dimmed slightly. Clearly, the recent events had taken a heavy toll on her.

Lu Xueqi sheathed her sword and stood there, her face pale. She used the sword to support herself on the ground to barely keep her balance. The series of bursts of energy and mental tension she had just experienced had taken a heavy toll on her.

Elder Mu let out a long sigh, slumped to the ground, his old face full of exhaustion and lingering fear. Looking at the tortoise shell in Biyao's hand, his eyes were filled with shock and contemplation.

The Zhenyue Pagoda slowly stopped trembling, and the light from the runes inside gradually subsided. The void outside the pagoda returned to silence, as if the terrifying attack had never happened.

But the mess inside the hall, the lingering faint smell of the sea and decay in the air, and the heavy breathing of the four survivors all indicated just how dangerous the brief but intense battle had been.

"What exactly is that thing? What does it mean by 'Return to the Void,' 'Power of Annihilation,' and 'Fragment of the Key to the Void'?" Su Han held Bi Yao's icy hand, looked at Elder Mu, and asked in a hoarse voice.

Elder Mu remained silent for a long time, then slowly shook his head, his aged eyes filled with solemnity and worry.

"Even I do not know the details. But judging from its words and the power it wields, this creature is definitely not a being of this world. The power it uses is filled with the meaning of ending, death, and nothingness, and it is of the same origin but different in nature from the 'Return to Nothingness' projection manifested by the tortoise shell, making it extremely evil. It covets the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, and even more so, it covets this tortoise shell... This matter probably involves ancient secrets and great dangers that we cannot imagine."

He looked at the unconscious Biyao, then at Su Han and Lu Xueqi.

"It's not suitable to stay here for long."

"Although the dark figure was startled away by the tortoise shell, it was clear that it would not give up."

"It claims that it did not come in its true form, but if it did come in its true form... the consequences would be unimaginable."

"We must take Biyao away immediately and find a safer place."

"We must also try to find out the truth about this tortoise shell and 'the Ruins of Return'."

"Perhaps, this is the key to solving Biyao's problems and dealing with the threat of that shadowy figure."

Su Han and Lu Xueqi nodded emphatically.

Having just experienced a life-or-death battle, they have a clearer understanding of how terrifying and unpredictable the enemy is.

The road ahead remains shrouded in mist and fraught with danger.

But no matter what, they have to keep going.

For Biyao's sake, and also to uncover the shocking secret hidden behind it all.

Su Han gently pried open Bi Yao's tightly clenched fingers.

He carefully picked up the tortoise shell, which had once again become simple and unadorned, yet now appeared incredibly mysterious.

I could feel the faint warmth and indescribable ancient atmosphere that remained within it.

He carefully tucked it into his bosom and kept it close to his body.

He looked up and met Lu Xueqi's gaze.

Both of them had a firm resolve in their eyes.

"Elder Mu, what should we do next?"

Su Han asked in a deep voice.

Elder Mu struggled to his feet.

He walked to the window and looked out at the deep night. "The restrictions on Zhenyue Pagoda have been severely damaged."

"Although the evil creature has retreated, this place is no longer safe."

"We have to move quickly."

"Go to a more secluded and safer place."

"At the very least, we need to buy some time for Biyao to calm down and for us to recover some of our strength."

Lu Xueqi frowned slightly.

"We are unfamiliar with this place on the coast of the East China Sea."

Where is it safe?

"That evil creature possesses strange and unpredictable powers. It can track and follow clues, and ordinary hiding places probably cannot hide from it."

Elder Mu turned around, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Perhaps... there is a place."

"That place is extremely secluded and far away from here, with a completely different atmosphere."

"More importantly, there are remnants of ancient protective power there, which may be able to interfere with the senses of that evil creature."

Su Han immediately pressed for details.

"where?"

Elder Mu slowly uttered three words.

"Falling Star Lake".

Su Han and Lu Xueqi exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

They had never heard of this place.

Elder Mu explained.

"That is a legendary secret realm deep in the East China Sea."

"It is said that in ancient times, a star fell here and turned into a lake."

“A strange power shrouds the lake, capable of disrupting celestial secrets and preventing investigation.”

"More importantly, it was once a sacred site for the ancient aquatic tribes, and it retains an ancient protective barrier."

"Although it has been a long time and the power of the barrier is only a fraction of what it used to be, it may still serve to conceal it to some extent."

"Most importantly, it's so remote that very few people know about it."

Su Han pondered for a moment.

"It sounds like an option."

"But how do we get there?"

“Biyao’s current condition is probably not good enough to withstand a long journey, especially crossing the sea.”

Elder Mu walked to one side of the main hall.

He felt around for a brick on the wall and gently pressed it down.

A slight mechanical sound rang out.

A hidden door slowly opened in the wall.

Behind the hidden door was a narrow staircase leading downwards, its destination unknown. (End of Chapter)