Chang'an, Star Observation Platform.
The night air was cool as water, the moon hidden while stars filled the sky. The massive white marble Star Observation Platform stood quietly beneath the night curtain. The ancient Star Map engraved upon it seemed to echo the true stars in the pristine heavens, flowing with a tranquil, mysterious aura. Midnight was approaching, the time when Star Power between heaven and earth was at its most active.
Su Yan stood at the center of the Star Observation Platform, dressed in neat combat attire. His aura was more condensed and profound than before. Little Big Dipper lay quietly at his feet, the star markings on its shell autonomously absorbing the scattered starlight, making it seem especially deep and enigmatic. He took out the neither-metal-nor-jade [Star Pavilion Token], drew a deep breath, and slowly poured the spiritual power within him—now bearing a trace of stellar properties—into it.
The intricate star patterns on the token lit up one by one, radiating soft, pure silver light. When the final pattern was illuminated, the token flew from his hand and hovered before Su Yan, projecting a hazy gateway formed from starlight. Light and shadow swirled within the doorway, concealing the scene beyond. Only pure, dense Power of Stars rushed toward him.
Without hesitation, Su Yan took Little Big Dipper and stepped through the portal.
After a brief sensation of weightlessness and spatial displacement, the sight before him suddenly opened up.
He seemed to be standing beneath an endless starry sky. Beneath his feet lay smooth black ground like a mirror, reflecting the stars, while slowly rotating nebulae and brilliant rivers of stars surrounded him. Pavilions, towers, Crystal Domes, and even floating islands of all shapes and sizes were scattered across this strange expanse of stars, linked by rainbow bridges or star rails. The air was filled with pure Star Astral Energy, and every breath refreshed his spirit.
So this was the Star Pavilion? It was actually an independent minor paradise constructed from the Power of Stars!
[System: You have discovered the hidden area 'Star Pavilion'.]
Su Yan's arrival did not draw much attention. A few figures were scattered across the central plaza, most of them possessing extraordinary auras and bearing, to varying degrees, stellar marks or magical artifacts. Some sat alone absorbing Star Power, some conversed quietly in groups of two or three, and others hurried between different buildings.
Su Yan steadied himself and first walked toward a massive Starlight Screen at the edge of the plaza, where information constantly refreshed. It listed all sorts of purchase requests, sales, party recruitment notices, and intelligence exchanges, most related to stellar materials, Cultivation Methods, astrological deductions, and the like.
"Buying Star Iron long-term. Large quantities preferred. Starfall Steel or spirit stones accepted in exchange."
"Seeking ten Starlight Grass. Payment negotiable."
"Recruiting teammates to explore the depths of Starfall Land. Level 35+ required, proficient in stellar spells or possessing a stellar-type summoned beast..."
"Selling the Beginner Star Power Gathering Formation blueprint. Exchange limited to Pavilion Contribution Points."
The sheer variety of information opened Su Yan's eyes. He noticed that besides the commonly used Dream Coins and spirit stones, there was another form of currency called "Pavilion Contribution Points," which seemingly could only be obtained by completing tasks issued by the Star Pavilion or donating specific items.
The main purpose of his visit was to find more [Star Iron] to repair the Compass. At the same time, he wanted to see whether he could find a way to improve Little Big Dipper's strength.
After making a round of the plaza and asking at several stalls, Su Yan discovered that intact [Star Iron] truly was scarce and expensive, and most pieces were quite small. Though he had some savings, relying on purchases to quickly repair the Compass was clearly unrealistic.
Looks like I'll have to find it myself, or... take on some tasks that reward Star Iron. Su Yan turned his gaze toward an ancient-looking building on one side of the plaza, with a plaque above its entrance reading "Star Constellation Hall." That was where the Star Pavilion issued and accepted tasks.
Upon entering the Star Constellation Hall, he found that its interior was far more spacious than it appeared from outside. A massive Starlight Wall displayed countless tasks, arranged from low to high according to difficulty and reward.
Su Yan examined them carefully:
[Collect Stardust Powder] (Difficulty: Low): Collect 100 portions of Stardust Powder dropped by Stardust Worms. Reward: Dream Coins, a small amount of Pavilion Contribution Points.
[Clear the Starlight Forest Anomaly] (Difficulty: Medium): A small-scale Star Power Instability has appeared in Starlight Forest. Investigate and resolve its source. Reward: Pavilion Contribution Points, random stellar materials.
[Escort the Star Rail Caravan] (Difficulty: High): Escort a caravan to the AOLAI Country Star Rail Station through dangerous territory. Reward: a large amount of Pavilion Contribution Points, one selectable piece of stellar equipment.
[Investigate the Guixu Rift] (Difficulty: Extremely High): An abnormal spatial rift suspected of connecting to "Guixu" has appeared in the far north of Northern Continent of Jizhou. Investigate its stability and effects. Warning: Extremely dangerous. Teams at the Golden Core Stage or above are recommended. Reward: Unknown, depending on the investigation results.
"Guixu Rift?" Su Yan's gaze lingered briefly on this highest-difficulty task. Guixu was said to be the place where all things ended, and it seemed connected to the "Breath of the End" mentioned by Patriarch Bodhi. But he knew his own limits. This task was far beyond what he could touch right now.
In the end, he accepted the [Clear the Starlight Forest Anomaly] task. Its difficulty was moderate, and its reward included random stellar materials, making it perfect for him.
Following the task guidance, Su Yan used a teleportation array within the Star Pavilion to arrive directly at Starlight Forest. This was an area at the edge of the Star Pavilion's paradise, lush with trees whose branches and leaves naturally gave off faint starlight. It should have been a peaceful place. Yet at this moment, an unnatural dark-red mist shrouded the forest overhead. Star Power had become restless and unstable, while the Starlight Deer and Star Whisper Flower Demons within the woods appeared agitated and irritable.
Su Yan unfolded the Compass. Its repair progress, now at 40%, immediately pointed precisely toward the center of the forest. He cautiously ventured deeper with Little Big Dipper and soon discovered an Earth Vein node continuously seeping dark-red energy filled with chaos and corrosion, contaminating the surrounding Star Power.
"This aura again... It's somewhat different from the 'Breath of the End,' but it's just as unpleasant." Su Yan frowned. He tried attacking the node with a [Soul Chasing Talisman], but the effect was mediocre.
"Little Big Dipper, use Star Fire!"
Upon receiving the command, Little Big Dipper opened its mouth and sprayed silver-white Iceflame. Star Fire remained effective against the dark-red energy, but the purification speed was noticeably slower than when dealing with the "Seed of the End."
"Looks like this anomaly has a different nature." Su Yan assisted with his attacks while observing. He discovered that this dark-red energy leaned more toward "chaos" and "frenzy" rather than pure "ending."
Just as more than half the node's energy had been purified, a sudden change occurred! The ground shook violently, and a monster condensed from dark-red energy burst from the node. It resembled a giant wolf, yet possessed three scarlet eyes—[Star Nightmare Beast] (Elite, Level 25)!
"Roar!" The Star Nightmare Beast let out a mind-disturbing howl and lunged at Little Big Dipper.
"Perfect!" Rather than being alarmed, Su Yan was delighted. "I can use you to test my new skill!"
Spiritual light flashed at his fingertips, and an earth-yellow talisman struck first, hitting the Star Nightmare Beast—[Armor Shattering Talisman]!
The energy armor covering the Star Nightmare Beast's body immediately dimmed, and its physical defense dropped sharply!
"Little Big Dipper, Combo Attack!"
Little Big Dipper let out a long cry, its body shooting forward like lightning. Its fangs, carrying [Advanced Poison], viciously bit into the Star Nightmare Beast's weakened hind leg, followed immediately by a swift claw strike! -188! -201! Two impressive damage numbers floated up, while the [Life Steal] effect instantly restored all the health Little Big Dipper had lost earlier!
The Star Nightmare Beast howled in pain and turned to bite back, but Su Yan's [Immobilization Talisman] landed at just the right moment, stiffening its movements. Little Big Dipper seized the opportunity to unleash another round of attacks.
With the weakening effect of the [Armor Shattering Talisman], Little Big Dipper's physical damage potential was perfectly brought out, making the battle extremely efficient. Before long, the level 25 elite monster was defeated through the seamless cooperation of man and beast, turning into pure experience and several fragments of [Chaos Star Core].
With the Star Nightmare Beast's death, the anomalous node finally settled completely.
[System: Completed the 'Clear the Starlight Forest Anomaly' task! Obtained 50 Pavilion Contribution Points, Random Stellar Material Chest x1.]
Su Yan opened the material chest. With a flash of light, a fist-sized piece of good-quality [Star Iron] and some [Starlight Sand] appeared in his hand.
"Not bad. At least this wasn't a wasted trip." Su Yan contentedly put away the Star Iron. The Compass gave a cheerful tremor, and its repair progress rose by 1%, reaching 41%.
After returning to the Star Pavilion to turn in the task, Su Yan used the 50 Contribution Points he had just earned to exchange for a copy of Introduction to Star Beast Cultivation at the Star Pavilion's Library Pavilion. The book recorded insights and methods for nurturing and strengthening stellar-type summoned beasts through the Power of Stars, including how to use certain materials to unleash the offensive potential of physical-type star beasts.
"Grind Starlight Sand together with 'Sharp Gold Stone' into powder, mix it with Dawn Star Dew, then apply it to a star beast's claws and fangs. This can slightly increase its physical penetration and attack power..." Su Yan read carefully. "Sharp Gold Stone... It seems to be produced in mines Outside Great Tang."
He memorized the method, intending to try it in the future.
Afterward, Su Yan wandered around the Star Pavilion for a while longer. He saw many peculiar stellar items and heard some scattered news. Some people discussed how the cold air in Northern Continent of Jizhou had recently seemed to carry abnormal corrosive properties, and that teams there had suffered heavy losses. Others quietly mentioned that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion had recently issued an urgent, highly rewarding task to find fragments of the "Star Fixing Disc"...
Su Yan silently committed all this information to memory.
By the time he left the Star Pavilion, it was just before dawn. Su Yan stood atop the Star Observation Platform, gazing at the pale light rising in the east, and a clear plan had already formed in his mind.
First, he would use the Star Pavilion's tasks and resources to steadily raise the Compass's repair progress and his own level. At the same time, he would follow the methods in Introduction to Star Beast Cultivation to strengthen Little Big Dipper. Then he would head Outside Great Tang to obtain "Sharp Gold Stone" and investigate whether there were also anomalous Resurrection nodes there.
He felt that he was gradually prying open the hard shell covering the truth. The appearance of the Star Pavilion had given him a broader platform and more resources, but it also meant he was about to come into contact with secrets and dangers on a higher level.
The road ahead was long, but starlight would guide the way.
Before you continue