Chapter 1724: Pillar of Light

Han Li’s eyes flickered as he gazed at the green chair atop the high platform, his expression turning grave.

“Could it be that I must truly step into the star map and sit on that chair? If so, the outcome is uncertain—it could be a blessing or a curse.” A trace of hesitation flickered between his brows.

This place had been hidden with such secrecy; whatever lay concealed here was undoubtedly extraordinary. And if even immortals had deemed it worthy of such protection, how could he bear to leave without uncovering its secrets?

Yet, the terrifying illusion he had experienced within the star map earlier made him deeply wary of manipulating the golden avatar to sit on the chair at its center.

“Enough. Risk and opportunity have always coexisted. Generally, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. The golden avatar has already been refined successfully—at worst, I can let the second Nascent Soul take some risks. But if I miss this chance, I’ll never encounter such a true immortal’s legacy again in the Spirit Realm.”

After a long deliberation, the corner of Han Li’s mouth twitched, and a resolute expression finally settled on his face. Though he was usually exceedingly cautious, the temptation of an immortal’s treasure was simply too great to resist.

Almost simultaneously, the golden avatar’s pitch-black eyes shimmered with an eerie light, and it strode decisively toward the chair.

A moment later, the towering golden figure paused before the emerald-green chair. Its gaze flickered as if assessing the disproportionate size of the chair relative to its own body—it would be difficult to sit in it as it was.

Immediately, the avatar formed a hand seal, and golden light shimmered across its body as it rapidly shrank to a height of about ten feet. Then, with a swift motion, it seated itself on the chair, instinctively resting its hands on the armrests before beginning to chant once more.

This time, as the incantation echoed, changes immediately manifested around the avatar.

The chair beneath it flickered with green light, and silver runes emerged from its surface, swirling around the golden figure in a dazzling display.

As the chanting grew louder, specks of five-colored spiritual light materialized in the air above the platform, growing denser by the moment, like countless radiant snowflakes drifting through the void—a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

Han Li’s heart tightened as he stared unblinkingly at the spectacle unfolding on the platform.

Almost as soon as the five-colored lights appeared, the massive star map on the platform suddenly erupted with gold, silver, and white radiance.

The sun, moon, and stars within the glow flickered before shattering into fragments of tri-colored spiritual light. The luminous mist churned, and in an instant, it formed a miraculous formation composed of silver runes, golden script, and an unfamiliar white script—engulfing the entire platform.

The nine silver-armored puppets and the golden avatar on the chair were positioned precisely at the formation’s key nodes, forming an arcane and profound connection with one another.

Han Li’s eyes flashed with astonishment, but he took no action.

The second Nascent Soul’s incantation had reached its final verses.

The puppets’ eyes gleamed with azure light as they finally stirred. Each puppet took a single step—some forward, some backward—shifting half a pace from their original positions.

This seemingly minor adjustment triggered another wave of restrictive energy, resonating with the formation and altering the scene within.

The five-colored lights suspended in the void trembled before pouring into the formation like a torrential downpour.

At the same time, the puppets gripped their silver halberds tightly, and golden flames erupted from their bodies. The contrast of golden fire against silver armor made them appear as celestial warriors—majestic and awe-inspiring.

But these puppets were no mere decorations. As the golden flames surged, overwhelming spiritual pressure erupted from them, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to churn violently. A golden hurricane howled into existence, sweeping across the platform.

Han Li, standing over thirty zhang away, was merely grazed by the edge of the storm, yet his expression twisted in shock as if struck by an immense force. Golden light flared around him, and he was flung backward like a bolt from a crossbow.

In an instant, he reappeared over twenty zhang away, staggering several times before barely steadying himself.

The spiritual pressure emitted by these puppets was terrifyingly powerful—even his body, which surpassed that of ordinary Saint-stage cultivators, couldn’t withstand it for more than a moment.

Shock and alarm surged through Han Li, but he had no time to dwell on it. He immediately looked back toward the platform.

The nine golden-armored warriors, their bodies wreathed in golden flames, trembled as their silver halberds pointed skyward. From each, a golden beam shot into the golden vortex above, vanishing in a flash.

A deep, thunderous rumble echoed from the vortex as the light within churned violently, gradually forming a massive whirlpool.

With a sharp *whoosh*, the tri-colored formation shimmered, and a colossal rune—matching the formation’s size—emerged before shooting upward into the vortex.

Moments later, the rune vanished into the golden maelstrom. The golden radiance convulsed, and a deafening thunderclap split the air as a profound spatial ripple emanated from the vortex.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The golden beams from the halberds thickened to the size of bowls, and the formation beneath them blazed with light, solidifying into a tangible tri-colored barrier that encased the entire platform.

Within the barrier, countless gold and silver runes surged forth, accompanied by faint Buddhist chants, all converging toward the golden avatar on the chair.

The formation had been pushed to its limit—its hum now as deafening as thunder!

At the same time, Han Li’s main body suddenly felt the surroundings darken. When he focused his gaze, his heart nearly stopped—he found himself once again within the vast starry expanse he had seen before.

This time, however, he seemed to be observing everything from a bizarre, elevated perspective, with massive white stars floating beside him.

The golden avatar, the chair, the tri-colored formation, the armored warriors, and the golden vortex—all were now suspended within the starry void.

Without hesitation, Han Li flicked his sleeve, releasing a tiny flying sword. It circled once before transforming into a streak of azure light, flashing coldly through the void.

Where the azure light passed, several stars were sliced apart—only to reform moments later in a flash of white light.

Han Li’s brow twitched, but inwardly, he relaxed slightly.

This starry realm wasn’t entirely an illusion—this time, his mind remained lucid, and he hadn’t lost himself as before.

But before this thought could fully settle, the spatial fluctuations from the golden vortex intensified tenfold.

The ripples took on a tangible form, spreading outward in visible waves that distorted the void wherever they passed. The entire starry expanse seemed to invert, as though heaven and earth had been overturned.

Then—

A deafening roar, as if the heavens themselves were being torn asunder, erupted as a colossal pillar of milky-white light burst from the vortex, striking the formation on the platform and enveloping the golden avatar.

Within the pillar, the faint sounds of wind and thunder mingled with densely packed five-colored runes. Even from dozens of zhang away, Han Li could sense the purity of the spiritual energy within—yet upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just spiritual energy. There was something else, a boundless aura reminiscent of the stars themselves.

The second Nascent Soul, seated on the chair, had no time to react before the pillar struck. Instantly, the space around the golden avatar constricted, and an irresistible force pressed down upon it, immobilizing even the avatar’s fingers.

The pure spiritual energy and five-colored runes surged into the avatar like a tidal wave, impossible to resist.

From afar, Han Li’s main body paled at the sight.

At such close proximity, the second Nascent Soul and the main Nascent Soul remained intimately connected. Every sensation the golden avatar experienced was mirrored in Han Li’s own consciousness.

Under the relentless infusion of energy and runes, the second Nascent Soul’s Profound Yin Demonic Qi—previously at the peak of mid-Nascent Soul stage—instantly broke through to the late stage, as though the bottleneck had never existed.

But it didn’t stop there. The second Nascent Soul’s cultivation continued to skyrocket under the pillar’s miraculous power, forcibly reaching the peak of late Nascent Soul stage before encountering the barrier to Deity Transformation.

Faced with what should have been an insurmountable hurdle—one that Han Li himself had only overcome after exhaustive preparation—the second Nascent Soul merely felt the milky-white pillar tremble slightly. The Buddhist chants within grew louder, and just like that, it crossed the threshold effortlessly, entering the early Deity Transformation stage.

And its cultivation was still rising…

All of this had taken place in less than ten breaths.

Han Li’s mind reeled with disbelief at the information relayed by the second Nascent Soul.

But what shocked him even more was what he witnessed next.

The three-headed, six-armed golden avatar began to dissolve within the milky-white pillar, melting into thousands of drops of crimson-gold liquid that hovered eerily within the light.

The second Nascent Soul, wreathed in black mist, was now fully exposed.

Before Han Li could process whether this development was good or bad, some of the five-colored runes shrank to the size of rice grains before pouring into the golden droplets, vanishing within them.

The droplets seemed to undergo a mysterious purification, washed over and over by an unseen force.

Suddenly—

Both Han Li’s main body and the second Nascent Soul let out a soul-rending scream. The second Nascent Soul convulsed violently, its black mist churning uncontrollably, while the main body plummeted from the sky in a flash of golden light.