Proving Immortality Starting with Hextech Runes

This terrifying pressure originating from the enormous skeleton instantly locked onto the filthy blood energy that was rampaging wildly within Chen Xu's body.

At the wounds on Chen Xu's chest and ribs that were constantly eroding his flesh, dense black and red evil energy surged and boiled violently, then dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The deep, bone-chilling pain was rapidly reduced by this "cleansing" force, replaced by a burning, purifying pain.

Chen Xu suddenly arched his body and let out a roar that was suppressed to the extreme.

The pain did not come from the attack of the skeleton, but from the dramatic change caused by the forced removal of the stubborn bloodthirsty power deep within the body.

He clearly felt that the bloodthirsty power, which was like a malignant sore, was being suppressed by an overwhelming force.

It was forcibly stripped and crushed from his meridians, flesh, and even bone marrow, turning him into nothingness.

"Ugh..." Chen Xu gasped for breath, coughing up a mouthful of foul blood mixed with black and red fragments.

Each cough aggravated the wounds in his chest and abdomen, yet his consciousness was clearer than ever before.

He struggled to lift his head and looked once more at the mountain-like skeleton, his eyes filled with indescribable shock.

At that very moment, Chen Xu's cultivation technique, "Mysterious Water Dragon Awakening Technique," began to operate uncontrollably on its own.

In an instant, Chen Xu's perspective changed.

A magnificent epic painting seemed to unfold before his eyes.

The unimaginably vast coral forest, resembling a continuous mountain range, radiates a colorful glow.

Ancient sea beasts with strange shapes and enormous bodies swam leisurely, their aura far surpassing that of Nascent Soul cultivators, and even faintly touching upon a higher realm.

Moreover, the dark ruins were no longer rubble, but a magnificent and towering city.

The entire structure is made of a strange, jet-black material, upon which flows a deep blue light, forming natural defensive runes.

The city walls stretched endlessly, and the towering pagoda pierced through the water curtain, exuding a majestic aura that suppressed all directions.

At the very center of the field of vision was the creature with the enormous skeleton.

A creature resembling a fusion of an ancient whale and a deep-sea behemoth, its massive body almost obscuring the view.

It is engaged in a fierce battle with an abyss entity composed of twisted tentacles and countless tormented faces.

Suddenly, the ancient war illusion shattered.

A giant sea beast, like a whale, roared, shaking the deep sea. Runes of the dark city flowed like a galaxy, while every tentacle of the abyss stirred up viscous resentment.

This was not a gentle memory, but rather the lingering will of a dying behemoth, carrying the terrifying impact of countless years past, violently crashing into his fragile sea of ​​consciousness.

The excruciating pain caused Chen Xu to instantly curl up like a shrimp, with pale blue mist containing tiny ice crystals seeping from his seven orifices.

He gripped the cold, dark ground beneath him so tightly that he didn't even notice his nails cracking, his entire focus on resisting the impact that was powerful enough to crush the soul of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator.

Just as Chen Xu felt his consciousness was about to be completely shattered.

The faint circulation of the "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique" and the "Pure Origin Technique" within his body spontaneously captured a trace of "rhythm" that vaguely matched the origin of that giant beast amidst the complex and violent flow of information.

This faint resonance, like a sturdy thread, barely held his consciousness aloft as it was about to sink.

The core image of the illusion suddenly froze...

The behemoth burned its very essence, its massive body transforming into an icy blue spear of light that pierced the abyss, perishing together with the twisted abyssal being.

The moment the light spear shattered, a point of the purest and most condensed ice-blue core, carrying the behemoth's last unwilling will, slammed into the core area of ​​the dark city below.

hum...

The dark ground beneath Chen Xu suddenly lit up, and countless fine, dark blue patterns instantly appeared.

Chen Xu struggled to lift his head and look at the colossal beast skeleton that resembled a mountain.

At this moment, beneath the skull of the skeleton, in the spot where it was originally buried by the huge sternum.

The azure runes flowed like living things, silently sliding open to reveal a deep, narrow opening just wide enough for one person to pass through.

A dark, ethereal blue light, of the same origin as the ground, flowed along the edge of the cave entrance, as if issuing a silent summons.

"Where is the core inheritance...?" Chen Xu's heart trembled violently.

This was no coincidence. It was the remnant will of the behemoth combined with some mechanism of this dark city, at the moment when he was on the verge of death and the "Mysterious Water Dragon Awakening Technique" within his body resonated.

It opened a path to survival for him, or rather, a path to its final reward.

However, opportunities often come with risks.

"Gurgle... gurgle gurgle..."

A whisper filled with endless malice, like the simultaneous groans of countless drowning people in the deep sea, surged in from all directions without warning.

The sound directly affected his soul, causing Chen Xu's consciousness, which had just stabilized slightly, to violently tremble once again.

He turned his head in horror and saw that at the edge of this vast space, in those deep, dark corners, countless viscous black substances were slowly seeping out.

They exude an aura identical to that of the abyss in the illusion—cold, lifeless, and devouring all life.

Even more terrifying is that these black substances are not inanimate objects; they seem to be alive and begin to converge at an accelerated rate!

Even more terrifying is that these black substances are not inanimate objects; they seem to be alive and begin to converge at an accelerated rate!

Several thick tentacles made of viscous black liquid, each ending in a pained human face.

Like demonic claws reaching out from the depths of hell, carrying a nauseating, foul stench, they suddenly lunged at Chen Xu and the cave entrance from different directions.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xu's pupils contracted sharply, and he sprang up from the ground like an arrow, rushing towards the cave entrance beneath the skeleton!

The movement aggravated his wound, and blood gushed out again, but he couldn't care less.

puff!

A fast-moving tentacle grazed past his waist.

His sturdy water-repelling robe was instantly corroded, leaving a large hole, and his skin felt a burning pain and an icy chill.

He grunted, his speed increasing rather than decreasing, and he practically rolled into the cave entrance that emitted a ghostly blue light.

Just as his body disappeared into the cave entrance, several enormous black tentacles slammed heavily onto the dark ground outside the cave.

boom!!!

The intense light emanating from the dark black ground and the blue runes acted as a tangible barrier, forcefully blocking the fierce attacks of several terrifying tentacles.

The entire space seemed to come alive, emitting a deep hum, like the breath of a giant beast.

Chen Xu's vision blurred, and the excruciating pain in his chest and abdomen almost suffocated him.

He forced himself to lift his head and found himself in a narrow, dark passageway. The walls of the passageway were also covered with faint, eerie blue patterns that stretched into the unknown depths.

The crashing sounds coming from the cave entrance behind him, along with the chilling whispers of the abyss, served as a death knell, reminding him that lingering meant certain death.

"We have to get in!" Chen Xu crawled forward on all fours, leaving dark red trails of blood on the cold ground.

The passageway is not straight; it slopes downwards with a slight curve, as if leading to the heart of a giant beast's skeleton.

Just as he felt the light at the cave entrance being suppressed by the darkness again, and the viscous, malicious aura was about to surge into the passage, the space ahead suddenly opened up.

A much smaller, yet more exquisite, circular stone chamber appeared before us.

Something was suspended in the center of the stone chamber, instantly capturing Chen Xu's entire attention.

It was a fist-sized, ice-blue crystal.

It is slowly rotating with a mysterious rhythm.

The ice-blue crystal is completely transparent, yet its interior seems to contain the extreme cold of a frozen galaxy, or the slow flow of a deep, boundless ocean.

Ice Soul Core!

The name appeared directly in Chen Xu's mind like a brand.

This is the final condensation of the ancient behemoth's water-based fundamental laws, the core power it used to fight against the abyss and protect the giant city.

"The core of inheritance!" Chen Xu's eyes flashed with an astonishing light. He struggled and used his last bit of strength to rush towards the floating source core.

Sizzle!!

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the icy blue crystal, a loud tearing sound came from the tunnel behind him.

Several tentacles, their tips gleaming with a foul black light, broke through the last barrier of light at the cave entrance like venomous snakes, piercing straight for Chen Xu's back with a piercing shriek.

At this moment, Chen Xu's eyes were only on that Ice Soul Source Core.

"Open it!!!"

The Ice Soul Core suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant blue light.

A beam of icy blue light shot out instantly and entered Chen Xu's brow and sea of ​​consciousness.

Boom!!!

A colossal wave suddenly surged within the depths of Chen Xu's consciousness!

The primordial will and torrent of laws contained within the Ice Soul Core instantly overwhelmed Chen Xu's fragile mental defenses, completely engulfing him.

Chen Xu felt his consciousness floating in boundless cold and violent fragments of information.

He witnessed the behemoth's final struggle, and he felt the lament and resentment as the dark city crumbled.

They even touched the Ice Soul Core, which embodied the giant beast's lifelong understanding of the laws of water!

However, this power was too immense, far exceeding the limits that he, at the Core Formation stage, could withstand.

The meridians were as if they had been frozen by ancient ice for thousands of years and then instantly torn apart by a torrent.

His wounds froze instantly under the icy blue light, and the damage inside his body became even more severe.

The Ice Soul Core contains not only boundless energy, but also the ultimate understanding of the laws of water by an ancient behemoth, and the imprint of its will to burn its life against the abyss.

Chen Xu's body convulsed violently in the icy blue light, and his body surface was quickly covered with a thick layer of solid ice, freezing him into an ice sculpture.

Only the Ice Soul Core remained suspended in front of his frozen brow, slowly rotating.

They continuously and forcefully poured the power of origin and fragments of laws into this container that was on the verge of collapse.

……

Three months later, in Meteor City.

The atmosphere inside the city was oppressive and suffocating.

"The three-month period for the Blood Burning Demon has arrived! Today!" Panic spread like a plague through the streets and alleys.

The taverns and teahouses were no longer bustling with activity. The cultivators gathered together, exchanging the bits of news they had heard with solemn expressions, their voices hushed.

"Yesterday, another group of people secretly left in the night on flying shuttles... I heard that even the Thousand Sails Chamber of Commerce has moved its core industries to the Western Sea..."

"Can the inner city's defensive formation really hold out? Last time, it was only thanks to the Palace Master's bell ringing..."

"But after the bell rang, there was no further sound... Alas..."

The atmosphere in the Xuan Shui Palace within the inner city was even more somber.

Inside the council hall, Elder Ling Yu sat in the main seat, his face still somewhat pale, but his eyes were sharp as knives.

Su Qingxian sat upright to one side, with the Jiaowei Guqin lying across her lap. Her fingertips unconsciously caressed the strings, and an unyielding worry shrouded her brows.

Elder Gu, Lin Miaoyin, and several core deacons of the Xuan Shui Palace stood on either side, their faces all bearing a heavy expression.

"Of the seven Blood Fiend Crystal nodes, only five were successfully destroyed." Ling Yu's voice was low, tinged with weariness and a hint of resentment.

"Ruan Qin and Li Di escaped with serious injuries, bringing back news of unusual activity deep within the Burial Soul Vortex and what appears to be a secret base of the Blood Sea Cult."

"But young friend Xu... his whereabouts are still unknown."

Mentioning Chen Xu, Lin Miaoyin's eyes reddened slightly, and she bit her lower lip tightly.

Ruan Qin and Li Di were kept alive by the secret medicine of the Illusionary Sound Sect. The last scene they managed to bring out was Chen Xu leading away the terrifying Nascent Soul Demon Asura Owl and falling into the endless abyss.

"Regarding the matter of young friend Xu... After this calamity is over, the Xuan Shui Palace will definitely do its utmost to explore the Burial Soul Vortex again." Ling Yu said in a deep voice, both as a promise and to suppress the sense of powerlessness in his heart.

"The Blood Sea Cult is making a comeback this time, and its preparations will only be more thorough."

Su Qingxian's clear, cold voice echoed in the Xuan Shui Palace council hall, like a cold spring dripping onto an icy surface, striking the taut strings of everyone's hearts.

"The two undamaged nodes, along with the rudimentary Blood Fiend Spirit Trapping Array they laid out on the outskirts of the sea, are enough to double the consumption of the city's protective array."

"Blood Burner, Blood Sovereign, and Blood Dove—the three demons will surely arrive together, and there may even be other forces involved."

Three months have passed since that fierce battle to defend the city.

These ninety days were a respite for Meteor City, but also an ordeal.

Within the city, the surface order was barely maintained under the iron fist of the Xuan Shui Palace, but panic, like an undercurrent, was everywhere.

The streets were sparsely populated, and those who were walking hurriedly, their eyes scanning their surroundings and the sky warily.

Most shops were deserted, except for those selling talismans, pills, and escape supplies, where long, silent queues formed.

The inner city walls still stand tall, and the pale blue protective shield shines day and night.

However, upon closer inspection, the light from the shield was noticeably dimmer than before the battle, and its flow carried a subtle, almost imperceptible stagnation.

The spirit stone vault's reserves have been depleted by more than half, and the repair of the core array eye is progressing slowly. Every time the array is fully activated, Elder Ling Yu's brows furrow even more.

"There's still no news from the Palace Master." Elder Gu's voice was filled with undisguised exhaustion.

The bell tolling by the Palace Master of Liming, which had terrified the three demons, was like the last rays of the setting sun, after which there was no further sound.

This silence was more unsettling than any declaration, confirming outside speculation that the Palace Master was in a critical period of seclusion and unable to attend to other matters.

Elder Lingyu's fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest of the chair, each tap seeming to strike the hearts of everyone present.

"Without the Palace Master in charge, the city's protective formation is like a rootless duckweed." Ling Yu's voice broke the silence, carrying a cold decisiveness.

"Elder Gu, pass down the order: all the array core spirit stone reserves should be deployed at the highest wartime standard, regardless of losses! We must withstand the first wave of attack!"

"Yes!" Elder Gu stood up abruptly, clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, and his tired face was replaced by a fierce look.

He knew that this was to squeeze the last bit of potential from the great formation, buying time for a possible turning point or... a final act of mutual destruction.

"Lin Miaoyin." Ling Yu's gaze turned to the girl with slightly red eyes.

"You and the disciples of the Array Hall are responsible for monitoring the three core array hubs within the inner city. Immediately issue an alert for any abnormal fluctuations in spiritual energy, and stabilize the situation at all costs!"