Root Tracing and the Starry Path Ahead

The thrill of the ambush in the bamboo forest and the shadowy figure's malicious glance sent a chill down Su Yan's spine, lingering even after he returned to Chang'an. His rented courtyard no longer felt safe; the air seemed to carry the constant gaze of those dead eyes.

Without delay, he began studying the [Polluted Jianmu Root (Damaged)]. The root was cold to the touch, its surface covered in twisted black veins. Even damaged, it exuded a nauseating aura of decay and the End. Little Big Dipper showed extreme aversion to it, lying far away, even losing interest in its favorite [Roasted Wolf Meat].

Su Yan attempted to channel the spiritual energy of the Star Qi Drawing Art towards it. The moment his energy approached, it was rapidly corroded and dissolved by the dense "Breath of the End," like clear water dropped into strong acid. He then tried to analyze it using the Compass's "Star Resonance" function. Silver starlight fiercely clashed with the black aura, emitting faint "sizzling" sounds, but it couldn't penetrate its core. He could only barely suppress its activity and slow down the energy loss.

"This thing... is of a high order," Su Yan frowned. With his current abilities, completely analyzing this root and uncovering the origin of the "Sower" was nearly impossible. Forcing it could even lead to a backlash from its malevolent energy.

He thought of Patriarch Bodhi. His master was knowledgeable and his cultivation unfathomable; perhaps he could recognize this item, or even know its secrets.

Without further ado, Su Yan carefully sealed the root in a jade box reinforced with Star Talismans and immediately set off back to Mount Fangcun.

Lingtai Mount Fangcun, Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. It was still as ethereal and detached as ever. But when Su Yan presented the jade box to Patriarch Bodhi, his master's usually placid face showed a rare expression of deep solemnity.

He didn't open the jade box immediately. Instead, his fingertip glowed with clear light, and he added several more profound sealing runes to the box's surface before slowly opening a small gap.

Just the aura leaking from that sliver of an opening dimmed the cave's light and caused the temperature to plummet. Little Big Dipper's fur stood on end, and it let out a low, threatening growl.

Patriarch Bodhi's gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over the black root. After a long silence, he slowly closed the jade box and sealed it heavily.

"A root of Jianmu... defiled to this extent..." The master's voice carried a rare hint of sorrow and killing intent. "As expected, it's their doing."

"Their doing?" Su Yan's heart tightened, and he quickly pressed, "Master, what exactly is this 'Sower'? And what is its connection to the 'Calamity of the Era' and the 'Breath of the End'?"

Patriarch Bodhi looked at Su Yan, his eyes profound. "The shadow you saw was not a complete being, but more like a 'puppet' or a 'projection'. Its true form must be a member of the 'End Times Cult' hidden in the depths of the underworld, attached to that 'Rule Tumor'."

"End Times Cult?"

"A group of madmen obsessed with the end and worshipping the void," the master's tone was icy. "They firmly believe all things will eventually return to nothingness and consider it the 'Great Dao,' actively pushing for the world's collapse. This polluted Jianmu root is just one of their tools used to defile leylines and sow the 'Seed of the End.' Jianmu, originally a divine artifact connecting heaven and earth, filled with infinite life, has been twisted and corrupted by them, becoming a breeding ground for death and silence."

Su Yan gasped. Actively pushing for the world's collapse? How insane!

"Why would they do this? What benefits do they gain?"

"I don't know. Perhaps to gain power from the collapse, perhaps to welcome a so-called 'Lord of the End,' or perhaps... simply due to their twisted nature." Patriarch Bodhi shook his head. "This cult acts mysteriously. Their members are few but powerful, and their use of the 'Breath of the End' far surpasses that of ordinary demons. Your ability to disrupt one of their 'seeders' and repel one of their projections this time is already a stroke of luck. If you encounter them again in the future, be extremely cautious. Their true forms are far beyond what you can contend with now."

Su Yan nodded with a heavy heart. The enemy's power and madness exceeded his expectations.

"Master, what should we do now? Can we only watch as they continue to 'sow' and erode the world?"

"Naturally not." Patriarch Bodhi's gaze fell upon the Compass in Su Yan's hand. "Your 'karma' is one of the variables. Repairing this Compass and clearing the anomalies is the way to resist. Furthermore, heaven and earth possess their own means of self-preservation. The Heavenly Court, the Underworld, the great immortal sects, and even reclusive powers like the 'Heavenly Secrets Pavilion' have all noticed and are acting in secret. However, with the pervasive calamity energy and chaotic heavenly secrets, coupled with many constraints, they cannot act with full force."

He paused and continued, "Remember this: blocking is not as good as guiding, and destroying is not as good as transforming. Although these 'Seeds of the End' are calamities, the 'Breath of the End' they contain is also a part of the laws that constitute heaven and earth – extreme and pure. If you can find a way to use their power to counteract themselves, or absorb and transform them with the help of certain rare items containing the essence of 'creation' and 'order,' you might forge a different path."

"Use their power to counteract themselves? Transform and absorb?" Su Yan mused, his gaze falling on Little Big Dipper, who was licking its paws. The little fellow's "Starfire" could purify anomalies, which seemed to align with this principle.

"Your current strength is still insufficient. You should focus on solidifying your foundation and improving your cultivation," Patriarch Bodhi admonished earnestly. "While the Compass's guidance is important, do not be too hasty. Level, cultivation techniques, skills, magical treasures, and spirit pets are all indispensable. Only when you have successfully established your Foundation will you be qualified to delve into deeper whirlpools."

"Disciple understands," Su Yan replied respectfully. He knew his master's words were golden advice. The sense of powerlessness he felt facing the "Sower's" projection this time made him keenly aware of the importance of level and absolute strength. Relying solely on clever tricks and special abilities would only get him so far.

"Take this with you," Patriarch Bodhi flicked his sleeve, and a token, neither gold nor jade, engraved with complex star patterns, landed in Su Yan's hand. "This is the Star Pavilion Token. The Star Pavilion is a secret place for exchange, frequented by many who cultivate the Way of the Stars or are fated individuals, including many knowledgeable individuals. You can use this token to go there, perhaps to exchange for needed resources or gather useful information. Its entrance is located beneath the Observatory in Chang'an City. Activate this token with Star Power on the night when stellar energy is at its peak."

[Star Pavilion Token] (Special Item)

Description: A token leading to the secret force, the "Star Pavilion." Within the Star Pavilion, one can trade Star-related materials, gather intelligence, and exchange for special cultivation techniques, etc.

Su Yan was overjoyed. This was a godsend! He had been worrying about how to acquire Star Iron and related resources faster to improve the Compass and his own strength.

"Thank you, Master!"

With Patriarch Bodhi's guidance and the newly acquired token, Su Yan left Mount Fangcun. This time, his goal was clear: increase his level, solidify his foundation, and utilize the power of the Star Pavilion to accelerate the Compass's repair and resource accumulation.

He didn't use the token immediately, choosing instead to return to Chang'an. The Observatory required a night of peak stellar energy, and he had more important matters at hand – reaching level 20 and completing Foundation Establishment.

Within the system of Fantasy Westward Journey, level 20 was a significant threshold, marking a Player's official departure from the novice stage. They could learn more sect skills, equip higher-level weapons and armor, and experience a qualitative leap in strength.

Su Yan checked his experience bar; he was over halfway to level 15. He planned his route, deciding to head to the southern part of the Great Tang territory, where the monster levels ranged from 18-25. It offered a challenge without being as dangerous as the Northern Continent of Jizhou or Meteorite Valley. Moreover, the Compass indicated several anomaly nodes needing clearing there, which he could handle along the way.

He replenished his supplies and specifically bought some [Monster Jerky] for Little Big Dipper, which could slightly boost physical attack power. Then, with the spirited little fellow, he embarked on the path of leveling up once more.

The southern part of the Great Tang territory featured winding official roads and rolling hills. The monsters here were mainly [Skeleton Monsters], [Ram-headed Monsters], and [Fox Spirits], with levels suitable for Su Yan's current stage.

The combat mode remained Su Yan controlling and Little Big Dipper as the main attacker. After reaching level 15, Little Big Dipper's physical attacks became more ferocious, its [Advanced Poison] was significantly effective, and its [Life Drain] provided better sustain. The new skill [Starfire] served as a means to deal with specific enemies or finish them off. Su Yan's talismans also became more proficient, his [Body Double Technique] was used masterfully, and his [Soul Chasing Talisman] was incredibly powerful.

He no longer solely avoided battles but actively sought out suitable monster groups, utilizing terrain and tactics for efficient grinding. His experience points steadily increased.

Several days later, on a slope covered in thorns, Su Yan finally saw the white light of leveling up!

[System: Congratulations on reaching level 20!]

[System: Blood Essence +100, Magic +80, gained 10 Potential Points!]

[System: Congratulations on completing Foundation Establishment, officially embarking on the path of cultivation!]

[System: New sect skill learning permissions unlocked!]

[System: Equipment level restriction unlocked (can equip up to level 40 equipment)!]

A surge of power coursed through his limbs. Su Yan could clearly feel the improvement in his life essence; his meridians were wider and tougher, and his total spiritual energy and recovery rate had greatly increased! He unhesitatingly allocated the 10 Potential Points in a 4 Strength, 3 Agility, 3 Constitution distribution, further enhancing his output, speed, and survivability.

He immediately opened the sect skill list, revealing several new high-level skills he could learn:

[Heavenly Dipper Qi]: Passive skill, increases own spiritual energy cap and spell damage.

[Wood Escape]: Active skill, instantly moves to a designated location (requires line of sight or a marked point), consuming a large amount of mana.

[Armor Shattering Talisman]: Active skill, reduces a single target's physical defense.

Su Yan unhesitatingly learned all three skills! [Heavenly Dipper Qi] directly boosted his base spell damage, [Wood Escape] was an extremely powerful life-saving and mobility skill, and [Armor Shattering Talisman] would greatly enhance Little Big Dipper's physical output efficiency!

His strength had soared!

His emotions surged, and he couldn't help but let out a long roar, startling the birds in the distant woods. Little Big Dipper also sensed its master's joy, running around him happily, its star patterns shimmering.

Foundation Establishment complete, it was time to visit the Star Pavilion. Su Yan looked up at the night sky. Tonight, the moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the stellar energy was brilliant.