Star Martial Era: From Mortal to Emperor

Chapter 128 Altar Standoff: Years of Grudges

"Lin Chen, your power is exhausted!" Qin Hao grew increasingly smug, his lips curling upwards to reveal his blackened gums. "My Blood Sacrifice Power is a fusion of the resentment of the Qin family ancestors and the power of the evil race, specifically designed to counter your Starry Sky Technique! How much do you think your meager Star Power can purify? Once the Star Marrow Liquid is completely corrupted, what will you use to fight me? You're doomed!"

Before the words were finished, hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the altar.

It wasn't just one person, it was many. Footsteps were hurried and chaotic, thumping loudly on the stone steps. Su Muyue was the first to rush in, the array flags fluttering in her hands, the runes on them dancing wildly under the stimulation of the evil energy. Leng Feng followed closely behind, his battle blade held horizontally in front of him, the amplification runes on the blade glowing with a dark red light. Chu Fan was covered in sweat, his glasses askew on his face, clutching an array plate in his hand. Su Ling'er's medicine box dangled at her waist, the clasp open; she didn't have time to fasten it, one hand covering the lid, the other clutching a handful of pills.

Behind him followed several strong human newcomers. Zhao Tiejun carried the heavily bladed sword at the front, his face pale and his steps unsteady, but his back was straight.

After clearing out the remaining enemies on the perimeter, they saw the malevolent aura rising from the direction of the altar. Without discussion or hesitation, everyone ran in that direction. No one knew what they could do by running there; they just felt they had to come.

"Mu Yue! Don't come any closer!" Lin Chen shouted a warning, his voice hoarse, as if his throat had been rubbed with sandpaper. "The evil energy here is rampant; you could easily be affected!"

Su Muyue did not stop.

With a wave of her hand, all twelve array flags flew out, landing precisely along the four stone pillars of the altar. The moment the flags unfurled, golden array patterns spread outwards from the base of the flagpoles, resonating with the ancient inscriptions on the pillars—not suppression, but borrowing their power. She was using her array to communicate with, activate, and guide the altar's own defensive forces.

The four-layered evil-resistant array instantly took shape, with golden light barriers converging from the four sides of the altar towards the center, firmly sealing the leaking evil power within the altar platform. The black and red blood energy collided with the golden light, bouncing back as if hitting a wall, emitting a hissing, corrosive sound.

She looked up at Qin Hao on the stage. Her face was pale from continuously activating the array, and her forehead was covered in sweat, but her eyes were calm and her voice was clear.

"Qin Hao, turn back before it's too late. Your family's mistakes of a thousand years should not be allowed to continue by you."

Qin Hao's face was distorted beyond recognition. His eye sockets were black, his lips were purple, and his skin was deathly pale, like a talking corpse. Dark red blood seeped from every pore of his body, and his clothes were soaked with blood and sweat, clinging to his body and outlining the outline of his skin and bones.

"Turn back? From the moment I took action against Lin Chen, there was no going back!"

He slapped his chest suddenly.

This wasn't just for show; it was a real performance. With a single strike, a gash opened in his chest, and the blood didn't just flow out, it gushed out. A mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth, not red, but a dark, blackish-red, thick like ink, completely merging into the blood-sacrificing jade pendant atop his head. The pendant blazed with a brilliant black light, like a black sun exploding.

All the evil power lurking beneath the earth—all the evil power accumulated by the Qin family over a thousand years, passed down through generations, and hidden beneath the altar—was mobilized at this moment, converging into a blurry black shadow at the center of the altar. The shadow was tall, about two people high, with broad shoulders and a bulky physique, resembling a product of countless twisted human figures stacked together. Its aura was cold and heavy, not the simple chill of evil races, but a complex aura mixed with resentment, hatred, and obsession—the illusory evil spirit born from the fusion of the remnant souls of traitors from generations of the Qin family and evil power.

The shadowy figure's cultivation level was approaching the peak of the Transformation Realm.

"The remnant soul of our ancestors has appeared in this world!"

The dark shadow roared to the sky. The sound didn't come from its throat, but from every part of its body simultaneously, like hundreds or thousands of people screaming at the same moment. A terrifying pressure enveloped the entire area, and all the new students present felt as if their bodies were filled with lead, their true energy was difficult to circulate, and even breathing became difficult.

Leng Feng stood protectively in front of the group, his sword drawn. He had a wound on his shoulder, the bandages soaked with blood, but he stood firm. The tip of his sword rested on the ground, the amplification runes on the blade glowing, their dark red light flickering as if breathing.

"It's an evil spirit born from the resentment of generations of traitors in the Qin family, combined with evil power." His voice was deep but steady. "Its combat power is extremely strong. Lin Chen, you should recuperate first. Leave this to us!"

Chu Fan quickly adjusted the array patterns, his fingers moving rapidly through the air, spiritual energy threads weaving into intricate designs. He guided the altar's own righteous energy—the power of the ancient inscriptions on the four stone pillars—while simultaneously activating the trapping and killing array he had set up. The two forces overlapped, and golden and white light intertwined to form a massive net.

"This evil spirit survives by relying on resentment and evil power; the righteous energy of the stars at the Martial Emperor's Altar is its nemesis!" He spoke quickly, but every word was clear. "We guide the righteous energy of the altar, coordinating with the formation to suppress it!"

Su Ling'er scattered an entire bottle of high-grade Purifying Pills. A dozen snow-white pills exploded in the air, their pure Yang flames blazing and transforming into a sea of ​​fire that swept towards the evil spirit. The pill fire, pure Yang power, resonated with the golden light of the altar and Chu Fan's array patterns; the three forces twisted into one, pressing down on the evil spirit's shadow, causing it to twist and shrink continuously.

Lin Chen leaned against the stone pillar.

He didn't sit down, but leaned back against the cold stone. A faint warmth emanated from the ancient inscriptions on the stone pillar, flowing down his spine and into his body, merging with the remaining stellar energy in his dantian. Not much, but enough. He closed his eyes, not to rest, but to squeeze out all the unnecessary power.

Leng Feng met the giant hand of the evil spirit head-on. The moment the shadow struck, he gripped his sword with both hands, raised it above his head, and forcefully withstood the blow. The blade was bent into a bow shape, he gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and the stone steps beneath his feet cracked under his weight.

The righteous energy from the altar, guided by Chu Fan, transformed into a beam of white light, striking the evil spirit from the side. The evil spirit let out a shriek, and a part of its body melted away in the white light, like snow being doused with boiling water.

Su Ling'er's alchemical fire ignited the evil spirit's robes—or rather, it ignited the black mist formed from its resentment. The alchemical fire spread through the mist like wildfire.

Su Muyue pulled out the largest flag from the array, holding it in her hand; the runes on its surface shone brightly. She was guiding the array's power throughout the altar, providing support for everyone.

Lin Chen opened his eyes.

There was still a trace of star power in his dantian. Not much, but enough. Enough for one attack. Enough for one sword strike. His gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield, through the surging evil mist, through the obstruction of that huge black shadow, and landed on the star marrow liquid at the very center of the altar.

The pale white light struggled within the dark red blood energy, flickering like a star about to be extinguished.

Lin Chen gripped his sword, pushed aside the stone pillar, and stood up straight.