Exploring Meteorite Valley and Starfall Resonance

After much deliberation, Su Yan decided to first set his sights on "Meteorite Valley," located outside the Great Tang. Compared to Aolai Country, which was far overseas and held unknown risks, Meteorite Valley was at least within a relatively familiar region. Furthermore, according to ancient texts and player forum information, while dangerous, it wasn't entirely inaccessible. More importantly, the Compass's strong reaction to Star Iron gave him considerable hope for a fruitful expedition in Meteorite Valley.

With thorough preparations, Su Yan, accompanied by Little Big Dipper, left Chang'an once again. He donned the Swiftwind Boots and Spirit Fox Fur, which enhanced speed and evasion, and packed his backpack with Advanced Wound Medicine, Calming Incense, and plenty of cinnabar and yellow paper for crafting talismans. Considering the possibility of extended wilderness activity, he also specifically purchased a batch of specially made Marching Pills from Floating Clouds, capable of slowly restoring stamina and mana.

Heading west, they passed through the still prosperous Great Tang territory, and the surrounding scenery gradually became desolate. When Su Yan finally reached the outskirts of Meteorite Valley, guided by the map and road signs, a desolate and oppressive aura washed over him.

The terrain here was vastly different from ordinary mountains. The earth was a scorched black, as if ravaged by fire. Vegetation was sparse, with only drought-resistant thorns and twisted, strange trees stubbornly growing. The air was filled with a faint scent of sulfur and a... rusty smell, similar to oxidized metal. Most striking were the numerous craters of varying sizes scattered across the ground, and some exposed, strangely lustrous ore with a dim metallic sheen. The sky also seemed veiled in a layer of gray dust, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate, casting the entire valley in a dim, somber light.

[System: You have entered the special area 'Meteorite Valley'.]

[Area Characteristics: 'Star Power Instability' (effects of skills partially reliant on Star Power may be unstable), 'Metal Affinity' (Metal-attribute spells/skills have a slight boost in effectiveness).]

[Monster Levels: 25-35. Primary types: Stone Golem, Stardust Worm, Mutated Scorpion Spirit, etc.]

Monsters starting at level 25! Su Yan's heart tightened, and he immediately became ten times more alert. His current level was 14. Even with all his skills, facing any of the valley's monsters head-on would be extremely dangerous.

He didn't venture deep rashly. Instead, he cautiously explored the vicinity of the valley entrance, using his Body Double Technique and the Compass's "Anomaly Marker" ability to avoid the wandering Stone Golems (Level 25, extremely high physical defense) and the swarming Stardust Worms (Level 26, considerable magic resistance, can spray paralyzing stardust).

His objective was clear—to find "Star Iron."

Following the Compass's faint guidance and the descriptions in ancient texts, Star Iron usually contained a trace of pure Star Power. Its appearance might resemble ordinary meteorite iron, but there would be subtle differences in its internal energy.

Su Yan attempted to circulate his Star Qi Drawing Art to its utmost, holding the Compass in his hand while carefully sensing the energy fluctuations of the surrounding ores. Little Big Dipper, mimicking him, twitched its nose slightly, the star patterns on its shell shimmering as it seemed to capture the thin Star Power in the air.

The process was tedious and slow. Most of the ores on the outskirts of Meteorite Valley were just ordinary meteorite iron or associated refined iron ore. While they were worth some money, they were useless to Su Yan. He was like a patient gold prospector, meticulously searching the scorched earth.

During this time, he encountered several dangerous situations. Once, while using his Body Double Technique to lure monsters, he accidentally startled two Stone Golems simultaneously. If he hadn't quickly used an Immobilization Talisman to control one, had Little Big Dipper distract the other, and used his speed advantage to create distance, he might have met his end there. Another time, he inadvertently stumbled into a Stardust Worm nest area. The swarms of stardust made both him and Little Big Dipper fall into a brief paralysis. Fortunately, the Body Doubles he had strategically placed earlier drew most of the enemy fire, allowing him to escape in a sorry state.

"No wonder there aren't many players here..." Su Yan wiped the cold sweat from his brow and downed a gulp of Advanced Wound Medicine. High risk often came with high rewards, but only if you survived to enjoy them.

His efforts were not in vain. After wandering near the valley entrance for two days, as Su Yan approached an inconspicuous pit, half-hidden by several large, scorched rocks, the Compass in his hand suddenly vibrated with a clear, joyful tremor! At the same time, Little Big Dipper let out an excited growl and pointed its claw towards the depths of the pit.

There was something!

Su Yan's heart leaped with joy, and he cautiously approached. The pit wasn't deep and contained scattered ores. One piece, about the size of a washbasin, with a surface covered in honeycomb-like holes and a dark gray, almost black color, was emitting Star Power fluctuations that were of the same origin as the previous "Star Iron" but much more concentrated!

He carefully dug out the ore. It was heavy in his hand, and within the surface holes, faint specks of silver light could be seen flickering.

"This is it!" Su Yan didn't hesitate and immediately activated his Star Power, channeling it into the ore.

Just like before, impurities on the ore's surface quickly peeled away under the surge of Star Power, revealing a deeper black interior and more numerous, brighter silver specks, as if a miniature starry sky had been sealed within!

The Compass glowed brightly, eagerly beginning to absorb the pure Star Power that emanated from the ore. The repair progress began to increase slowly but steadily: 27%... 28%...

After this washbasin-sized piece of Star Iron was completely absorbed, the Compass's repair progress settled at 29%!

[System: Discovered and absorbed high-quality material 'Star Iron', [Damaged Compass] repair progress increased by 3%.]

[System: [Damaged Compass] ability enhanced, 'Star Map' display clarity increased, new minor ability 'Star Power Resonance' added (can actively consume mental energy to trigger reactions from items containing Star Power within a small area).]

"Star Power Resonance!" Su Yan's eyes lit up. This new ability was incredibly practical! It meant his efficiency in finding Star Iron would greatly increase, and he wouldn't have to rely on luck and close-range sensing like before!

He immediately attempted to activate "Star Power Resonance." A stream of pure mental energy spread out through his connection with the Compass, forming an invisible force field about ten meters in diameter. Within this field, his perception of any item containing Star Power became extremely acute!

With this new ability, Su Yan's search speed in the outer areas of Meteorite Valley dramatically increased. He no longer needed to search inch by inch; he simply needed to keep moving and continuously activate "Star Power Resonance" to efficiently locate the Star Iron hidden among ordinary ores.

Over the next few days, Su Yan was like a tireless miner, patrolling the dangerous outskirts of Meteorite Valley. He skillfully utilized the terrain, his clones, and Little Big Dipper's distractions to avoid powerful monsters, focusing solely on gathering Star Iron. Piece after piece of Star Iron, varying in size, was discovered, purified, and absorbed by him.

The Compass's repair progress steadily increased: 30%... 32%... 35%...

When the repair progress surpassed 35%, the Compass changed again! The ancient runes on its surface became clearer and even began to flow slowly on their own. The "Star Map" projected into his mind expanded its range by double. It not only marked anomaly nodes but also began to faintly indicate veins of ore or spiritual plant locations containing special energies (including, but not limited to, Star Power)! Although still blurry, it undoubtedly pointed towards future resource gathering directions.

At the same time, Su Yan felt his connection with the Compass become even closer. He could even feel the "tremors" of the world's underlying rules and the discordant "noises" more clearly through the Compass.

His level also arduously increased to 15 through numerous perilous evasions and the occasional unavoidable combat. Little Big Dipper benefited greatly as well. It seemed to particularly enjoy the pure Star Power afterglow emitted during the purification of Star Iron. After each absorption, it appeared more energetic, leveling up to 14. Its star patterns became even more brilliant, and it would occasionally absorb free-floating Star Power from the air on its own.

One day, following a faint new light spot on the Compass's Star Map representing "Star Power Concentration," Su Yan arrived at a more dangerous area in the midsection of Meteorite Valley. Here, the terrain was rugged, the Star Power Instability effect in the air was stronger, and the wandering monsters had become Reinforced Stone Golems (Level 28 and above) and Steel Hedgehogs, which could fire sharp golden needles.

He cautiously activated "Star Power Resonance," searching carefully. Suddenly, the resonance field fed back an extremely strong Star Power fluctuation, far exceeding any previous reaction! The source came from a hidden crevice in the mountainside, obscured by vines, ahead!

Su Yan's heart filled with wild joy. Such a strong reaction meant there must be extremely high-quality Star Iron inside, perhaps even... Star Iron Mother?

He suppressed his excitement and observed his surroundings carefully. At the entrance to the crevice, two exceptionally large Reinforced Stone Golems were stationed, their levels reaching a formidable 30! Moreover, they seemed to be guarding something, not wandering around aimlessly like other monsters.

"This is a bit troublesome..." Su Yan frowned. Two level 30 elite monsters—with his current strength, he had no chance of defeating them head-on.

He tried using his Body Double Technique to lure them away, but the two Stone Golems merely stirred and didn't move too far from the crevice entrance, their vigilance extremely high.

"It seems I'll have to outsmart them," Su Yan's gaze swept over the surrounding environment, his mind racing. He noticed that above the crevice was a relatively loose rock face, while below was a steep slope...

A plan gradually formed in his mind.

First, he created some noise some distance away from the crevice to attract the attention of the two Stone Golems. The moment their gaze was diverted, he commanded Little Big Dipper to approach stealthily from the side and launch an Advanced Poison and a fierce barrage of bites at the joint connecting one of the Stone Golem's limbs!

Little Big Dipper's attack successfully drew aggro! The attacked Stone Golem roared and turned to chase Little Big Dipper.

Now!

Su Yan's main body burst from his hiding spot, his target not the other golem, but the rock face above the crevice! He fully activated his Soul Chasing Talisman, but the target wasn't a monster, but several large rocks on the cliff face that appeared to be loose!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Several purple lightning talismans accurately struck their targets! Rocks tumbled down, accompanied by rumbling sounds, crashing towards the Stone Golem left behind and the crevice entrance below!

The Stone Golem was stunned by the sudden rockfall. Although not significantly damaged, its movements were temporarily hindered.

This was the brief window Su Yan needed! He darted like a spirit fox through the gaps in the falling rocks, narrowly squeezing into the crevice!

The Stone Golem at the entrance roared in anger, attempting to pursue, but was blocked by the continuously falling rocks.

Su Yan, who had rushed into the crack, was stunned by the sight before him before he could even celebrate.

The space inside the crack wasn't large, but in the center, a massive ore the size of a millstone quietly floated. Its color was like the deep night sky, with what looked like a swirling galaxy flowing within. The Star Power it emitted was so dense and pure that Su Yan's internal Star Qi Drawing Art began to circulate faster on its own! The surrounding air was filled with specks of starlight dust!

[Star Iron Mother] (Rare Material/Legendary)

Description: The condensed essence of Star Iron, containing an extremely vast and pure source of Star Power. It is an excellent material for forging top-tier magical treasures and constructing advanced formations, greatly benefiting the cultivation of Star-attribute techniques.

As expected, it's a good thing!

Su Yan suppressed the urge to immediately rush forward and absorb it. He saw that coiled beneath the Star Iron Mother was a colossal python made entirely of dark gold metal, its eyes flickering with starlight flames—[Starfall Python] (Elite Boss, Level 35)!

This Starfall Python seemed to be in a semi-slumbering state, cultivating by absorbing the power emitted by the Star Iron Mother. Its aura was deep and dangerous.

Su Yan's heart sank. A level 35 elite boss! There was no way he could handle this right now! No wonder the two Stone Golems outside were just guards; this guy was the real guardian!

Trying to snatch it was absolutely impossible. But he was extremely unwilling to give up this massive Star Iron Mother.

He observed carefully and noticed that the Starfall Python seemed heavily reliant on the Star Iron Mother's energy. Most of its consciousness was immersed in absorbing Star Power, making its perception of the outside world not very sharp.

A daring thought emerged—could he... just steal a little?

He recalled the process of the Compass absorbing Star Iron. It didn't seem to require contact with the entire ore, only the guidance of the Star Power within. And his "Star Power Resonance" ability might allow for precise manipulation?

Su Yan held his breath, concealing his aura to the extreme. He slowly raised the Compass, aiming it at the massive Star Iron Mother. Simultaneously, he activated "Star Power Resonance" with all his might, but compressed the range to its absolute limit, covering only a small edge of the Star Iron Mother.

He carefully guided the Compass's power, like fishing with a fine thread, gently "hooking" a wisp of the purest Star Power naturally leaking from the Star Iron Mother!

Success! That wisp of silver origin power flowed towards the Compass like an attracted fish, silently.

The Compass immediately emitted an unprecedented dazzling silver light, and its repair progress began to jump at a visible rate! 36%... 38%... 40%...!

However, the moment the repair progress broke through 40%, an unexpected change occurred!

Perhaps the absorbed origin power had reached a certain critical point, and the Star Iron Mother trembled violently. The swirling galaxy within suddenly accelerated its rotation! The slumbering Starfall Python below seemed to sense something, its giant eyes, burning with starlight, snapped open. Its cold and furious gaze instantly locked onto Su Yan, who was hiding at the crack's entrance like a thief!

"Hiss—!!!"

The terrifying hiss shook the entire crack!

He'd been discovered!

Su Yan's scalp tingled. Without thinking, he turned and charged out of the crack! At the same time, he threw his last few [Immobilization Talismans] backward as if they were free, attempting to hinder the Starfall Python's pursuit.

As soon as he rushed out of the crack, he heard the deafening sound of rocks being easily shattered behind him, and the soul-chilling hiss rapidly approaching!

"Run!" Su Yan roared at Little Big Dipper, who had just escaped the Stone Golems and was about to come forward. He slapped a [Thousand Mile Teleportation Talisman] onto himself, transforming into a streak of light, and fled desperately towards the outside of Meteorite Valley!

Behind him was the enraged Starfall Python, crushing everything in its path, its terrifying figure in hot pursuit!

This time, he had truly stirred up a hornet's nest!