Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

107: Chapter 107: The Ancient Well Devours and the Star Key ResonateThump! Thump! Thump!

The ancient well’s tremors grew increasingly violent, as if some colossal entity were ramming against the massive stone blocking its depths. An ink-black miasma, thick as tar and exuding endless deathly stillness and resentment, surged out like a bursting dam through the fissures in the stone, rapidly spreading and filling the air.

”The Well Demon is eating people! Run!”

Whether it was the ferocious mountain bandits or the terrified villagers, all were now plunged into equal despair. Wherever the black miasma passed, plants and trees instantly withered, decayed, and turned to dust. A few bandits who were too slow to escape became entangled in the black mist. They let out blood-curdling screams, their flesh and vital essence seemingly drained in an instant. Within mere breaths, they transformed into desiccated corpses with ghostly green flames burning in their eye sockets, stiffly lunging towards the nearest living creatures!

This horrifying scene utterly shattered everyone’s mental defenses. Cries, screams, and desperate roars mingled together, transforming the entire Black Stone Village into a living Hell.

Even the great-axe-wielding bandit leader was scared out of his wits, his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. He could no longer care about Nangong Xuan. Shouting in terror, he turned and tried to flee towards the village outskirts. However, the black miasma spread with extreme speed, already blocking most escape routes.

Nangong Xuan was the first to face it head-on. A bone-chilling, Soul-freezing aura of deathly stillness assaulted him! His already fragile Meridians felt as if pierced by countless icy needles. The remnant Sword Intent within him instinctively activated to protect his body, forming a flickering, grayish-black barrier that struggled to resist the encroaching black miasma.

But he knew this was utterly futile. The nature of this black miasma was extremely profound; it was no ordinary evil. The ”deathly stillness” and ”resentment” it contained were even more ancient and pure than the Nirvana Sword Intent he had comprehended! In his current state, he could hold out for ten breaths at most!

The world key fragment in his embrace became scalding hot, buzzing and trembling. It emitted an anxious yet somehow restraining azure Starlight, seemingly desperate to suppress the black miasma, but appearing overwhelmed due to insufficient energy.

Just then—

Inside the house, the trembling of the ”iron lump” held tightly by Su Muxue reached its peak! It was no longer merely expressing desire; it was generating a powerful suction force specifically targeting that deathly black miasma!

It wasn’t absorbing energy, but rather... absorbing the foundational attributes of that ”deathly stillness,” ”resentment,” and ”finality”!

Like a traveler parched for ten thousand years encountering the purest water source!

Hum...!

An invisible vortex quietly formed with the iron lump at its center. The black miasma that had seeped into the courtyard, as if meeting its nemesis or iron filings encountering a magnet, was involuntarily pulled and drawn towards the iron lump. Strand by strand, wisp by wisp, it was drawn in and then... vanished without a trace!

The chaotic colors swirling on the surface of the iron lump accelerated, like a bottomless abyss greedily devouring this deathly aura from the ancient well. It still emitted no energy fluctuations itself, but that sense of ”returning to the void” within it seemed to be visibly becoming... more condensed, more profound!

Lin Mo’s nirvana star core could actually feed on this bizarre ”deathly black miasma”?!

Nangong Xuan’s pressure suddenly lessened. Watching the iron lump devour the black miasma like a whale drinking water, his heart was filled with unparalleled shock. The characteristics of the star Core after Nirvana completely exceeded his understanding!

However, the iron lump’s absorption range was limited, covering only most of the courtyard, unable to stop the disaster engulfing the entire village. Moreover, its devouring seemed to have enraged the entity within the well!

THUMP!!!!

An even more terrifying boom erupted from the bottom of the well, causing the entire ground to heave upwards momentarily! The massive stone sealing the well groaned under unbearable stress, its cracks suddenly widening!

More black miasma, almost solidified, erupted like a volcanic explosion! This miasma twisted and condensed in the air, actually forming countless indistinct, distorted faces of resentful spirits emitting silent wails, blanketing the sky as they charged towards the small courtyard where Nangong Xuan was! Their primary target was unmistakably that iron lump devouring the black miasma!

It was as if the entity within the well sensed a ”betrayal” or threat from its own kind!

Facing this torrent of resentful spirits, the iron lump’s absorption speed seemed to reach its limit, trembling faintly.

The crisis escalated once more!

Nangong Xuan’s eyes turned sharp. He knew he couldn’t wait any longer! He had to take the initiative!

He fiercely pulled out the scalding, trembling world key fragment from his embrace. Disregarding everything, he frantically channeled his own meager, almost exhausted Sword Intent, and even a trace of his vital Soul Origin into it!

”Since you can sense it, then show me the way!” he growled, blood once again trickling from the corner of his mouth due to the Soul Origin depletion.

Infused with his feeble Sword Intent and Soul Origin, the world key fragment suddenly erupted with a final burst of dazzling azure Starlight. Like a beacon, it broke free from his grasp and floated into the air!

It did not attack the resentful spirits. Instead, like a compass, it abruptly turned. Its Starlight condensed into a slender yet unwavering beam, shooting straight towards—the ancient well that was spewing black miasma madly! It aimed at an extremely inconspicuous, seemingly naturally formed indentation on the massive sealing stone!

The shape of that indentation... perfectly matched the world key fragment!

Simultaneously, the world key fragment conveyed an intense, overwhelming intent: Seal! Reinforce! Suppress!

Nangong Xuan instantly understood! This world key fragment was not just a key; it was also part of the sealing stone! It was a crucial component used by the Star Palace (or its predecessor) to suppress this well in the past!

”Er Niu! Help me!” Nangong Xuan shouted hoarsely towards the house. At the same time, mustering his last ounce of strength, he grabbed the wooden staff and charged with difficulty towards the ancient well. He had to return the world key fragment to its rightful place!

Although Er Niu’s legs were weak with fear, seeing Nangong Xuan’s resolute back and the Starlight guiding the way, he gritted his teeth, roared, ”Mother! Take care of things inside!” grabbed the wood-chopping knife from the corner, and charged out as well. He fiercely hacked away at a few low-level desiccated corpses lunging at them, clearing a path for Nangong Xuan.

Seeing this, the great-axe-wielding bandit leader was momentarily stunned, then a flash of desperate madness crossed his eyes. He realized Nangong Xuan seemed to have a way to deal with this evil thing. He bellowed, ”Damn it! If you don’t wanna die, follow me! Help that kid with the stick! Get to that well!”

The desire to survive overwhelmed everything. The remaining bandits and a few brave villagers also picked up weapons. Following the Starlight guided by the world key fragment, they desperately fought off the resentful spirits and desiccated corpses, launching a desperate charge towards the ancient well!

The scene became chaotic and brutal. People were constantly consumed by the black miasma, turning into desiccated corpses, or were pounced upon by resentful spirits and drained of their vital essence. But now, for the sake of survival, everyone’s eyes were bloodshot, fighting desperately forward.

Nangong Xuan led the charge. His wooden staff had long since broken. He could only rely on exquisite footwork and his remnant Sword Intent to dodge and parry, his body accumulating new wounds, blood dripping. Er Niu and the great-axe leader protected his left and right flanks, fighting desperately.

Finally, they reached the ancient well!

The closer they got, the more terrifying the aura of deathly stillness and resentment became, almost freezing one’s Soul to the point of shattering. The Starlight beam emitted by the world key fragment remained firmly fixed on that indentation, fiercely clashing with the black miasma surging from the well, emitting a sizzling, corrosive sound.

”Right there!” Nangong Xuan pointed at the indentation.

The great-axe leader roared, his muscles bulging, his Innate True Qi erupting. He forcefully plunged his great axe into the ground, temporarily pushing back the surrounding black miasma and resentful spirits. Er Niu and the others desperately held off the desiccated corpses lunging from all sides.

Nangong Xuan took a deep breath, mustering the last of his strength, and leaped up, grabbing for the floating world key fragment, pressing it fiercely towards the indentation!

Just as the world key fragment was about to touch the indentation—

A furious, inhuman roar of extreme rage erupted from the bottom of the well! A jet-black pillar of miasma, condensed to its limit, shot out of the well mouth like a venomous dragon emerging from its cave, charging straight at Nangong Xuan and the world key fragment! This force far surpassed anything before, filled with a destructive, violent rage!

If this hit, Nangong Xuan would be utterly annihilated!

The people below looked on in despair.

However, at this critical moment—

Inside the house, the iron lump that had devoured a massive amount of deathly black miasma seemed to have finally ”had its fill,” or perhaps was thoroughly enraged by this ultimate evil force!

It abruptly broke free from Su Muxue’s hand and floated into the air!

The chaotic colors on its surface swirled frantically, finally transforming into an unfathomably deep darkness of ”nothingness” that seemed capable of devouring all light!

Then, a ray of Nirvana, thin as a hair yet purer than all the surrounding darkness, shot out silently from the iron lump. Though launched later, it arrived first, striking the jet-black pillar charging at Nangong Xuan with perfect precision!

There was no explosion, no deafening roar.

The moment it was struck by the Nirvana Ray, the foundational composition of the terrifying jet-black pillar seemed to be directly ”negated” and ”erased.” Like ice and snow under sunlight, it silently... dissipated.

Complete and utter annihilation!

As if it had never existed!

Immediately after, the iron lump (Lin Mo’s star Core) transformed into a shadowy streak, instantly appearing before Nangong Xuan. Beating him to it, it *clicked* into place, actively embedding itself into the indentation on the ancient well!

A perfect fit!

HUM—!!!

An indescribable, vast, ancient, yet infinitely sorrowful and suppressive curtain of Starlight erupted instantaneously with the world key fragment (star Core) at its center. Like an inverted giant bowl, it completely enveloped and sealed the mouth of the ancient well!

The black miasma spewing from the well and the swirling resentful spirits were instantly cut off, as if their necks had been wrung! The terrifying tremors also abruptly ceased!

All the black miasma and resentful spirits permeating the village, now bereft of their source, let out a wave of silent, unwilling howls before slowly dissipating and disintegrating. The transformed desiccated corpses, like puppets with their strings cut, clattered to the ground in heaps, turning completely into dried bones.

A silence of having narrowly escaped disaster descended upon the night.

Everyone collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, looking at the ancient well now enveloped in the curtain of Starlight and returned to calm. Their faces were filled with disbelief and lingering fear.

Nangong Xuan fell from mid-air and was clumsily caught by Er Niu. Gazing at the ”iron lump” embedded in the well mouth, emitting a gentle yet firm Starlight, his heart was in turmoil.

Lin Mo... had saved him once again. And in this manner, had temporarily sealed this evil well.

But this was only temporary.

He could sense it—the power of the Starlight curtain was slowly waning. The terrifying entity within the well had not been destroyed; it had merely been forcibly suppressed again in its slumber. And Lin Mo’s star Core, seemingly due to this outburst and sealing, had once again fallen into a deep stillness, forming a delicate balance with the ancient well.

At that moment, the great-axe-wielding bandit leader struggled to his feet. He gave Nangong Xuan a complicated look, then glanced warily at the temporarily sealed well. Finally, he clasped his fists and said hoarsely, ”Thank you... for saving our lives! I, Hei Xiong, owe you a life! The mountains are high and the rivers long; we’ll meet again!”

With that, he lingered no longer. Calling to the remaining, terrified bandit Minions, he staggered away rapidly, disappearing into the dark mountain forest.

The villagers gradually gathered around, their eyes filled with gratitude and awe as they looked at Nangong Xuan.

Granny Zhang and Er Niu helped support Nangong Xuan back into the house. Su Muxue was still unconscious, but her complexion seemed to have gained a faint hint of color as the surrounding black miasma dissipated.

The night deepened. The village gradually returned to stillness, yet now carried a sense of relief from having survived a calamity.

Nangong Xuan sat by the bed, utterly exhausted and severely wounded. He looked out the window at the ancient well shrouded in Starlight, then at the unconscious Su Muxue and Lin Mo, who had temporarily become the Core of the Seal.

Where was the way out? How could he restore his cultivation? When would Su Muxue wake? What would become of Lin Mo? What secrets did this well hold? Where was the ”main star stele” that the world key fragment was guiding them towards?

One question after another swirled in his heart.

But at the very least, they had survived this night.

And hope, like the faint Starlight upon the ancient well, though dim, had not been extinguished.