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

178: Chapter 178: The Secrets of the Star Core and a Glimmer of Hope AheadDeep within a hidden valley, inside a naturally formed grotto, Nangong Xuan set up several layers of Sword Intent Restrictions to isolate their presence from the outside world before finally feeling a slight sense of relief. He carefully settled the still-weak Su Muxue onto a dry stone surface.

Having experienced a soul-stirring moment in the sword grudge domain, although they had successfully escaped, both had consumed a significant amount of energy. Su Muxue’s injuries were compounded by the shock, leaving her Divine Soul unstable. Nangong Xuan, on the other hand, had forcibly pushed his Nirvana Sword Intent to simulate the Domain’s frequency and then pushed his escape techniques to the limit, resulting in a massive depletion of his Sword Essence and mental energy.

He immediately sat cross-legged, pressing one hand against Su Muxue’s back. Pure and peaceful Nirvana Sword Essence, mixed with a trace of the ancient vitality from the Sword Nurturing Pool, slowly flowed into her again, helping her stabilize her turbulent Sea of Consciousness and calming the injuries that had flared up once more due to the impact of the terrifying external will.

With his other hand, he held the silent chaos star core in mid-air. At this moment, the humming on the star Core’s surface had completely stopped, and the speck of chaotic light had dimmed to the extreme, like a candle flickering in the wind. It seemed to have even lost the ability to autonomously absorb the weak surrounding energy. Clearly, the successive outbursts—especially that strange fluctuation at the end that interfered with the sword grudge domain’s lock-on—had taken a massive toll on its Origin.

Nangong Xuan’s gaze was solemn as he tried to probe a strand of extremely gentle Sword Essence into the interior of the star Core.

This time, his Divine Thought no longer sensed a boundless chaotic nebula, but a nearly depleted ”starry sky.” The energy was sparse, and the glimmer at the Core had become extremely faint, pulsing slowly as if it might go out at any moment. Lin Mo’s consciousness was as silent as a deep pool, with almost no fluctuations detectable.

Heartache and guilt instantly gripped Nangong Xuan’s heart. This child had paid far too high a price to protect them.

He did not dare to be careless, cautiously controlling that strand of Sword Essence like he was nurturing a precious treasure, slowly approaching that Core glimmer in an attempt to inject a bit of strength into it.

However, as soon as his Nirvana Sword Essence touched the glimmer, it was pushed away by a soft yet firm force. The glimmer seemed to instinctively reject any direct replenishment of energy with external attributes; it only accepted the most original, attribute-less nourishment, or the chaotic energy it converted itself.

Nangong Xuan’s heart sank. In that case, it would be difficult for him to forcibly help Lin Mo recover.

Just as he was at his wits’ end, Su Muxue, who was regulating her breathing beside him, slowly opened her eyes and said softly, ”Brother Xuan, let me try.”

She reached out a pale hand and gently covered the star Core. The strand of Taiyin Star Power within her body, which had been nourished by chaotic energy and acquired a very weak chaotic characteristic, acted like a mother’s gentlest hand as it slowly probed into the star Core.

This time, the Core glimmer did not resist.

Like a weary infant sensing its mother’s presence, it trembled slightly, transmitting an extremely weak emotional fluctuation of dependence and relief. It began to slowly and greedily absorb that gentle power of the same Origin.

Although the speed of absorption was agonizingly slow, the nearly depleted scene inside the star Core finally showed a tiny bit of improvement. The pulsing of the Core glimmer also seemed to become a fraction stronger.

Seeing this, Nangong Xuan felt slightly more at ease, yet a deeper sense of emotion welled up within him. A mother and child’s hearts were linked; this kind of original connection was something he ultimately could not replace.

”Moer... will be fine,” Su Muxue said softly, both to comfort Nangong Xuan and herself. She continuously outputted that tiny but same-Origin power; her face grew even paler from the depletion, but her gaze was incredibly firm.

While Su Muxue was stabilizing the star Core’s state, Nangong Xuan calmed his mind and began to recall and organize the perilous experience from just moments ago.

The terror of the sword grudge domain and the horror of the ancient will deep within it still left him with lingering fears. If not for the star Core’s strange interference fluctuation at the final moment, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

”The power within that Domain, though filled with deathly resentment, has a Core that is an extreme ’Sword’s Lament’,” Nangong Xuan thought reflectively. ”Its formation was definitely not natural. It seems more like... the unwilling wills of countless powerful Sword Cultivators after their fall, mixed with a certain Evil Qi unique to this place, having mutated and settled over eternal ages.”

He thought of the Heavenly Sword Sect ruins on the other side of the Deep Abyss, as well as the fragment of the ”dao cutting sword.”

”Could it be... that the sword grudge domain is related to the destruction of the ancient Heavenly Sword Sect? Were those resentments formed by the Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples who died in battle back then?” This speculation made his heart heavy. If it were true, just how terrifying were the enemies the Heavenly Sword Sect faced back then? And how many secrets were buried in this Ji Sword Abyss?

At the same time, he gained a new understanding of the star Core’s abilities. Not only could it devour and convert energy, but it could even release fluctuations that interfered with or even ”disintegrated” certain Law lock-ons! This kind of ability was simply unheard of—strange and powerful!

”Moer, just what is the Origin of this star Core you brought...” Nangong Xuan stared at the star Core, which was slowly regaining its luster under his mother’s nourishment, and the doubts in his heart grew larger. The ancient runes that had appeared for a fleeting moment and the strange fluctuations that disintegrated the lock-on all pointed to an extremely extraordinary root.

Time flowed slowly amidst the silent healing and contemplation.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Muxue withdrew her hand. Sweat had appeared on her forehead, and her aura had weakened a bit, but there was a hint of relief in her eyes: ”He’s temporarily stabilized. Moer’s consciousness is no longer weakening further, but to recover, he will likely need a very, very long period of quiet rest.”

Nangong Xuan took her hand and channeled gentle Sword Essence into her to help her recover: ”It’s been hard on you. As long as he’s stable, there is hope.”

He looked at the darkening sky outside the grotto and said thoughtfully, ”Mu Xue, with your injuries and Moer’s condition, it’s not suitable to act rashly again. We need to find an absolutely safe place for you both to thoroughly rest and recover.”

Hearing this, a flash of worry appeared in Su Muxue’s eyes: ”But, Brother Xuan, the star key... and the shadow hunter imprint on you...”

”The star key must be found, and the imprint must be removed, but the prerequisite is that you two must be safe and sound,” Nangong Xuan’s tone was firm and beyond question. ”Sharpening the axe doesn’t delay the woodcutting. This place is already far from Remnant Sword Gorge, and the existence of that sword grudge domain might actually form a natural barrier to block most pursuers. Perhaps we can look for a more hidden location right around here.”

He paused and continued his analysis: ”Furthermore, after absorbing the power of the Sword Nurturing Pool, my ability to suppress the shadow hunter imprint has greatly increased; there should be no major issues in the short term. The top priority is for you two to recover. Once your injuries are healed and Moer’s situation is stable, we will plan our next steps. Perhaps... by then, we will have more understanding of the star Core and it can become an even greater help.”

Su Muxue looked at Nangong Xuan’s firm gaze and knew he was putting her and the child’s safety first. A warm current flowed through her heart, and she no longer insisted, nodding gently: ”Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Just as the two decided to take a temporary break and look for a hidden Immortal Cave, Nangong Xuan’s heart suddenly stirred, and he took out the ”phantom star key” that had been silent all this time.

Just now, when he made the decision to prioritize his wife and child, this star key seemed to tremble extremely slightly, transmitting a nearly imperceptible, strange sense of warmth.

Puzzled, he sank his Divine Thought into it.

This time, the response from within the star key was no longer just a vague directional guide. Within that originally blurry perception, next to the light spots representing Su Muxue and Lin Mo, another extremely faint, almost undetectable tiny light spot seemed to vaguely emerge.

This newly appeared light spot did not point toward the direction of other star keys, but instead vaguely pointed... deeper into the valley where they were?

Moreover, the fluctuation transmitted by this light spot was not of the Sharp Metal, Living Being, or Phantom attributes of any known star key, but rather a kind of... indescribable sense of ”emptiness” and ”silence” that seemed to encompass everything and annihilate everything.

This feeling actually had a subtle... resonance with his own Nirvana Sword Intent, as well as the Core deathly silence of the sword grudge domain from earlier.

Nangong Xuan abruptly looked up, his sharp gaze scanning the deep parts of the valley.

Could it be... that a fourth star key exists nearby? Or rather, something related to a star key?

And the attribute of this star key is actually... ’Nirvana’?