Chapter 1187 - 541: What the Hell Is This Thing? (Part 2)

"Trying to turn the tables?" Xu Ran sneered coldly, chaotic energy swirling in his eyes, "In my world, you can only submit!"

"Gui Xu, devour!"

Xu Ran’s will transformed into the icy-cold Cosmic Laws. The gray Power of Ruins, like a giant net covering the sky, firmly enveloped the fierce will of the Immortal Fire.

It wasn’t trying to extinguish the Fire, but rather to grind away its edges, erasing its imprint of the old era, allowing it to perfectly merge with the Pioneer, and the laws of Gui Xu!

This was a clash of wills, a collision and blend between the pioneering path of the new era and the bygone Path of Guardian.

The hull of the Pioneer, under the tugging and refining of these two forces, was constantly breaking apart and reassembling.

Each time it shattered, a large amount of impurities would be expelled, turning into cosmic dust.

With every reassembly, the material of the hull would become sturdier, more divine. The originally gray metal began to emit a faint dark golden glow, and the Gui Xu runes engraved by Xu Ran himself started to intertwine and merge with a more ancient and domineering celestial script, forming a new, unprecedented Daoist pattern!

Cang Shi, Zhen Shan, and others watched from afar, their hearts racing, astonished.

In their eyes, the Pioneer seemed to transform into a divine iron being forged in the furnace of heaven and earth by a heavenly craftsman. Every "break" startled them, but every "reassembly," the aura emitted by the Pioneer would become stronger.

This spectacle lasted for three days and nights.

Three days later, all anomalies calmed down.

A brand new ark silently floated in the ruins of the celestial court.

Its size had expanded more than threefold, resembling a divine gold continent floating in the sea of stars. The whole body presented a deep dark golden color, brimming with the texture of metal and an eternal immortal aura. The lines of the hull were smooth and domineering, a fusion of power and beauty.

Most strikingly, at the bow of the ark, there was now a huge golden totem resembling an eye. At the core of that totem was a slowly burning flame.

It was no longer violent, but gentle and restrained, yet emitted an eternal guarding will, making one feel a sense of peace at its sight.

"Congratulations host, ’Pioneer’ successfully elevated to ’God-seat level ark’!"

"Acquired passive ability: Fire Guardian (can automatically generate a divine protective barrier, resisting law erosion and Divine Soul attacks)."

"Acquired active ability: Breakthrough Leap (can consume Fire Source for short-distance jumps ignoring space barriers or for ultra-long-distance Star Domain transfers)."

"’Pioneer’ mission: Explore the seventh outpost, completion raised to 50%."

"Reward: Strengthening the source of Gui Xu world, Daoist Monarch insight +10."

Xu Ran slowly stood up, feeling blood connected to the ark beneath his feet, his heart filled with grand ambition.

This was the vessel for his conquest of the sea of stars!

"Our lord’s divine might!"

Zhen Shan and others flew onto the ship, touched the dark golden deck, feeling the terrifying power contained within, all incredibly excited. This ship itself was an unparalleled war weapon!

"The matter here is finished, our target is the next spot." Xu Ran’s gaze swept towards the depths of the ruins.

However, just as he was about to issue orders to proceed to the next relic, the newly promoted Pioneer, the Fire totem at its bow, suddenly trembled lightly.

A faint, almost imperceptible thought was transmitted to Xu Ran’s heart through Fire’s connection.

It wasn’t language, but a kind of guidance, a resonance.

Fire was guiding him to a place.

"Hm?" Xu Ran raised an eyebrow, following that guidance with his eyes.

In his Gui Xu eyes, he saw in the depths of the ruins a region wrapped by endless space turbulence, there seemed to hide something, echoing with Fire.

"Change target." Xu Ran made a decisive decision, "Cang Shi, take the helm. Coordinates, I’ll guide. Full speed ahead!"

"Understood!"

Cang Shi’s spirit was stirred, he immediately arrived at the newly revamped bridge. He pressed his hand on the control panel, feeling an immense power surge through his arm, as if he could control the entire starry sky.

Boom!

The engine of the God-seat level ark was ignited for the first time. No intense roar, just a deep melodious Dao sound. The ark’s rear spewed not ordinary flame but a chaos light mixed with golden red and gray, gently pushing the whole ark, turning it into a stream of light that silently sliced through the deathly silent cosmos.

Speed, more than ten times faster than before!

Moreover, in the areas it passed, the law turbulence and slaughter aura that could tear apart king-level experts, upon nearing the ship within a hundred-yard range, were automatically blocked and dissolved by a faint golden light curtain.

This was the power of "Fire Guardian"!

The crowd saw this and their confidence soared. With this divine vessel, where couldn’t they go in this wasteland?

Under Xu Ran’s guidance, the Pioneer twisted and turned, avoiding extremely dangerous forbidden lands and collapsed space black holes. These places, even if Divine Monarchs entered, they might perish.

About half a day later, the ark’s speed slowed down.

In front, a very peculiar sight emerged.

It was a "blank" region.

Surrounded by shattered continents, broken Divine Soldiers, collapsed palaces, yet the void spanning a million miles was clean, with nothing there.

No, it’s not empty.

Rather, all matter here was conceptually "erased" by an invisible force!

At the center of this blank area, a solitary hall hovered.

That hall, forged entirely from an unknown black divine jade, had an ancient style, without any ornate carvings, yet emitted an aura suppressing the ages, storing the way.

On the plaque of the hall, three grand characters were engraved in flying style—

Dao Zang Hall!

"It’s the celestial court’s library!" Cang Shi exclaimed in shock.

Any faction’s library is its most core territory, documenting all its Cultivation Techniques, Divine Techniques, secrets, and history!

The celestial court’s Dao Zang Hall, what unimaginable value might be contained within? Beyond comprehension!

Everyone’s breathing grew rapid.

Yet, Xu Ran’s expression was more serious than ever before.

He could feel that the source of Fire’s guidance lay within that Dao Zang Hall. Yet, simultaneously, he sensed a terrifying fear-inducing presence from inside that hall...

It was a complete contrast to the celestial court’s iron-blooded grandeur.

That was a cold, deathly silence, full of malice and decay. As if something occupied the nest, taking this place as its lair.

"Something’s wrong." Xu Ran said in a deep voice, "Maximize Fire Guardian. Zhen Shan, Hundred King-level, arrange Reincarnation Battle Array, ready for battle anytime."

As his voice fell, a new change arose!

Buzz buzz buzz—

The surface of that black Dao Zang Hall suddenly revealed countless dense, rust-colored spots. These dots, seemingly alive, rapidly spread and diffused, within a moment covering the entire hall.

Then, the tightly closed door of the Dao Zang Hall slowly, silently opened ajar.

An indescribable, corruption-laden "tide" surged out from that crack!

It wasn’t genuine water flow but a "flood" composed of billions of minuscule, metallic dust-like bizarre entities!

Each of these metallic dust particles was like a micro-mechanical insect, colliding and combining, emitting a tooth-aching friction sound, where they passed, even the void became "rusted," leaving dark red trails.

"What on earth is this?!" a king-level expert exclaimed in horror.

He had never seen such bizarre life forms, lacking Divine Souls, devoid of life aura, only pure instincts wanting to assimilate, corrode, transform everything into part of themselves!

"Rusted tide..." In Xu Ran’s mind, an incomplete piece of information from the bronze fragment he once saw surfaced.