Baptism of Starlight and Chang'an's Hidden Game

The [Thousand Mile Teleportation Talisman] flashed wildly beneath Su Yan's feet, sending his speed soaring to its limit. Howling wind filled his ears, along with the terrifying shrieks of the Starfall Python behind him and the thunderous crash of rocks being crushed. Little Big Dipper became a streak of purple shadow, sticking close at his side without falling behind in the slightest.

He fled for his life! Su Yan did not dare look back, pouring every last ounce of strength into running as he deliberately chose narrow, rugged paths unsuitable for a giant python. He flung [Immobilization Talismans] behind him as if they were free. Though they had barely any effect on a Level 35 elite boss and could only delay it for an instant, those fleeting moments repeatedly allowed Su Yan to narrowly evade sweeps and bites that would have crushed him into pulp.

The mana within him was draining at an unprecedented rate. He swallowed high-grade Calming Incense pills one after another, and a faint swelling pain spread through his meridians. But he did not dare stop, nor could he stop!

Finally, just as the [Thousand Mile Teleportation Talisman]'s effect was about to end and he was nearly out of strength, the distinctive charred boundary of Meteorite Valley appeared ahead!

"Get out!" Su Yan roared. With the last of his strength, he leaped forward and staggered out of Meteorite Valley with Little Big Dipper.

The instant he stepped out of the valley entrance, the terrifying pressure behind him abruptly eased. He spun around and saw the enormous Starfall Python coiling and hissing furiously at the valley's edge. Its burning starry eyes were fixed on him, yet it seemed blocked by an invisible boundary and could not cross it.

"There... there's an area restriction?" Su Yan collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Cold sweat had soaked his entire body, and his heart pounded as if it were about to burst from his chest. Little Big Dipper lay beside him as well, tongue hanging out, still visibly shaken.

Only after confirming that the Starfall Python truly could not leave did Su Yan finally relax. The weakness of surviving a disaster swept through his body. He checked his condition. His mana was nearly depleted, and less than half his health remained. He was in a miserable state.

But when he sank his consciousness into his body and sensed that the Compass's restoration had reached a full 40%, all his exhaustion and lingering fear transformed into overwhelming joy and accomplishment!

40%! This was a qualitative leap!

The Compass looked more ancient and profound than before. On its silver surface, the flowing runes seemed to have come alive, combining and evolving on their own as they gave off an even more mysterious aura. The range of the Star Map in his mind had expanded once again, now nearly covering every intermediate and lower-level region he knew of. Its markings of energy sources had become clearer as well, and he could even vaguely distinguish the directions of Spirit Veins with different attributes!

More importantly, he could feel that a deeper connection had formed between himself and the Compass. It was no longer merely a tool; it was more like an "organ" that coexisted with him and continued to grow. He could even vaguely sense that some new ability was being nurtured within the Compass, though it was still just one final step short of emerging.

"It was risky, but it was worth it!" Su Yan lovingly rubbed the warm Compass. This trip to Meteorite Valley had yielded far more than he had expected.

He did not leave immediately. Instead, he found a relatively safe and concealed mountain hollow outside Meteorite Valley, set up several simple warning talismans, and began to Meditate and Regulate Breath to recover. Little Big Dipper lay nearby as well, absorbing the thin Star Power in the air. The star spots on its body slowly flickered as it digested the gains from this expedition.

Several hours later, Su Yan had recovered more than half his strength. He was about to rise and return to Chang'an when he suddenly felt something and sank his consciousness into the Compass again.

After reaching 40% restoration, the Compass's perception of "anomalies" seemed to have undergone a subtle change. He focused his senses on the Star Map, not to search for new nodes, but to trace back to the locations of the small anomalous nodes he had previously cleared.

A strange scene unfolded before his "eyes." At most of the nodes he had cleared, only faint anomalous remnants remained, slowly dissipating like extinguished ashes. Yet at a few of them, incredibly faint and even more concealed anomalous fluctuations had appeared again—of the same source as before! Like weeds that had been cut down, new and harder-to-notice shoots were sprouting from their roots!

"Regrowth? Or... is something continuously contaminating these 'nodes'?" Su Yan's heart tightened. This meant his previous cleanup might have only treated the symptoms, not the root cause! A deeper and more concealed force was constantly "planting seeds"!

This discovery weighed down the mood he had only just relaxed from. The world's "disease" was more stubborn than he had imagined.

He firmly memorized the locations of those regrown nodes and decided to investigate them again when he had the chance.

With mixed emotions, Su Yan returned to Chang'an. Rather than going directly back to the small courtyard he rented, he first visited the Wind and Snow Pavilion's headquarters. Using his guest elder token, he met Snowfall Without Trace, who was handling affairs.

"Brother Su? You're back? From your aura... it seems you've improved again?" Snowfall Without Trace sensed the Star Power around Su Yan that had yet to completely settle, along with the sharpness born of surviving life and death. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

"I gained a little." Su Yan did not elaborate on the dangers of Meteorite Valley and instead went straight to his discovery. "Brother Snowfall, I've been traveling outside recently and found that some 'anomalous' areas that had previously been cleared seem to be showing signs of recurrence. And their source may run deeper than we imagined."

Snowfall Without Trace's expression turned grave as well. "We've noticed that too. The Pavilion has received more similar investigation missions lately, and they've all been growing more difficult. It seems... something is accelerating its activities in the shadows." He pondered for a moment before lowering his voice. "Brother Su, have you heard of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion?"

"Heavenly Secrets Pavilion?" Su Yan shook his head. He had never heard of this faction.

"It is an extremely mysterious organization. It has few members, but they are said to be masters at perceiving heavenly secrets and divining the future. They rarely intervene directly in worldly conflicts, but recently, they seem to have been secretly investigating these 'anomalous' incidents as well. They have even sent veiled warnings to several major factions, including our Wind and Snow Pavilion." Snowfall Without Trace spoke solemnly. "If even they take this so seriously, then these times truly will not remain peaceful."

Heavenly Secrets Pavilion? Su Yan committed the name to memory. This might be an important clue.

"Thank you for telling me, Brother Snowfall." Su Yan cupped his hands. "I plan to stay in Chang'an for a while longer to stabilize my cultivation and continue investigating this matter. If I find anything, I'll let you know."

"Good! If you need anything, Brother Su, just say the word," Snowfall Without Trace said readily.

After leaving the Wind and Snow Pavilion, Su Yan went to the market and purchased a batch of supplies, particularly low-grade inner cores of various attributes and monster Essence Blood. He intended to try using the [Heart of the Ice Flame Shard] with those materials to see whether he could further increase Little Big Dipper's strength or refine some special talismans for himself.

After returning to his rented courtyard, Su Yan began a brief period of secluded cultivation.

He first turned his attention to the Compass. After its restoration reached 40%, he found using Star Power Resonance through it much more effortless. He could even use the Compass to purify and compress, to a certain extent, the Star Power absorbed through the Star Qi Drawing Art. The efficiency was not high, but over time, it would undoubtedly greatly benefit his cultivation.

He also tried guiding the tiny thread of pure Star Power he had "stolen" from the Star Iron Mother. This strand of Star Power was of exceptionally high quality. He carefully merged it into his own spiritual power, and his meridians immediately felt refreshed. The Star Qi Drawing Art circulated more smoothly, while his spiritual power gained a faint stellar quality and became more condensed.

"It seems the Power of Stars is immensely beneficial to my own cultivation as well." Su Yan came to this realization.

Next, he took out the precious [Heart of the Ice Flame Shard]. The shard still emitted intertwined ice-blue and silver-white light, gentle yet powerful. He tried bringing it close to Little Big Dipper.

Little Big Dipper immediately grew excited, circling the shard restlessly. Its eyes were filled with desire, but also a trace of instinctive reverence, and it did not dare touch it lightly.

After thinking it over, Su Yan did not let Little Big Dipper absorb the shard directly. Its energy level was too high, and he feared Little Big Dipper would not be able to withstand it. Instead, he tried guiding the Compass to extract an extremely faint thread of energy containing both the power of ice flame and the power of orderly purification, then slowly transferred it into Little Big Dipper's body.

Little Big Dipper's body trembled slightly. The star spots on its shell suddenly lit up as it greedily absorbed the energy. Its aura began rising at a visible rate, and faint cold air and weak silver light even began to spread from its body.

The process lasted an entire hour. When Su Yan stopped the transfer, Little Big Dipper had astonishingly reached Level 15! Its body seemed to have grown another size larger, its shell had become deeper in color, and the number of star spots had increased. Moreover, when it opened its mouth and spat, it could actually release a small wisp of silver Star Fire carrying a chilly aura!

[System: Your summoned beast, 'Little Big Dipper,' has successfully absorbed special energy. Level increased to 15, aptitude slightly improved, and new skill 'Star Fire' comprehended. (Breathes flames containing the Power of Stars, dealing magic damage to the target and having a chance to inflict the 'Burn' or 'Freeze' effect.)]

"Star Fire?" Su Yan looked at Little Big Dipper's new ability in delight. This was clearly a mutated skill brought about by the [Heart of the Ice Flame Shard]. It possessed both ice and fire attributes. While its power might not be great yet, its potential was enormous!

"Well done!" Su Yan rubbed Little Big Dipper's head. The little fellow proudly raised its head and tried breathing a mouthful of Star Fire at a wooden post in the courtyard. The surface of the post was immediately covered in a thin layer of ice, yet faint sparks flickered beneath it. The effect was quite miraculous.

After dealing with Little Big Dipper's improvement, Su Yan began drawing talismans. He tried mixing the purified Power of Stars into cinnabar to draw [Soul Chasing Talismans]. Sure enough, the newly drawn talismans contained specks of starlight amid their violet lightning, and their power had increased by nearly ten percent! Their activation speed was faster, and they consumed less spiritual power as well.

"The Power of Stars truly has endless uses." Su Yan looked at the starlit talismans in his hand and nodded in satisfaction.

After several days of secluded cultivation, Su Yan's strength had been comprehensively stabilized and improved. The Compass had been restored to 40%, his connection with Little Big Dipper had grown closer, his spiritual power had gained stellar characteristics, his talisman arts had become stronger, and Little Big Dipper had leveled up and comprehended a new skill.

It was time to set out once more. He took out the Compass and looked at the several regrown anomalous node markers on the Star Map. His gaze eventually settled on one located in the wilderness of Jiangnan, near a river.

"Let's go take a look there. Let's see how these 'weeds' managed to grow back."

He had a premonition that if he followed these regrown nodes, he might be able to grasp the tail of that venomous snake that had been "planting seeds" in the shadows all along.