The life-or-death battle at Falling Star Lake and the dangers of Guixu tempering had been a thorough baptism, making Su Yan's demeanor increasingly composed and his gaze sharper. His steadily rising strength brought greater confidence, but Elder Xingyan's warnings about the End Times Cult and Earth Vein contamination weighed on his heart like a massive boulder.
After returning to Chang'an to rest for several days, Su Yan once again sank his consciousness into the Compass, whose repair progress had reached 50%. On the Star Map, beyond the flickering Anomaly Nodes and resource points, he focused on the regions where he had previously discovered Resurrection Nodes, as well as the hidden Earth Vein abnormality deep within the Black Wind Mountain mine.
"Better to guide than block; better to transform than destroy..." Patriarch Bodhi's teachings echoed in his ears. Passively clearing the "seeded" nodes would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. He had to find a way to curb their Resurrection—or even... take the initiative and destroy the End Times Cult's arrangements within the Earth Veins.
He set his next target in the southern region Outside Great Tang, bordering the Flowing Sands River, where he had once discovered a Resurrection Node. This time, he would not merely clear the node. He would also use the Compass's new abilities and his own insights to delve into the Earth Veins and investigate the source.
During his preparations, Su Yan went to the Star Pavilion again and exchanged his accumulated contribution points for an [Intermediate Earth-Evasion Talisman] and a copy of Basic Earth Vein Guidance Technique. The former would allow him to safely enter the shallow Earth Veins for a short time, while the latter provided basic methods for guiding and soothing Earth Vein energy. Though not profound, it was perfectly suited to his current needs.
Once everything was ready, Su Yan set out again with Little Big Dipper. After a succession of fierce battles and the indirect benefits of Star Dew Body Tempering, Little Big Dipper's aura had become even more ferocious. The faint golden sharpness around its claws and fangs also seemed more solid than before.
Upon returning to the forest near a tributary of the Flowing Sands River, he found that the previously cleared node had indeed begun giving off faint abnormal fluctuations again, like stubborn moss. Su Yan did not immediately purify it. Instead, he carefully sensed it with the Compass while circulating the Basic Earth Vein Guidance Technique, sending a thread of gentle spiritual power underground.
His perception extended along the flow of Earth Vein energy. Everything was normal at first, but when he focused below the Resurrection Node, a familiar resistance silently appeared, carrying the stench of decay and finality. This resistance did not come from the node itself, but from a deeper Earth Vein network. Like the tangled roots of a malignant tumor, it continuously delivered Filthy Energy, nourishing the "weeds" on the surface.
"Just as I thought..." A cold light flashed through Su Yan's eyes. He tried using the Basic Earth Vein Guidance Technique to guide and cut off the supply of Filthy Energy from the depths, but achieved very little. Those "roots" were incredibly tough and tightly fused with the Earth Veins. With his current cultivation and mastery of the technique, he could not shake them.
"If I can't guide it away, then... I'll sever it by force!" A thought arose. He thought of Little Big Dipper's [Star Fire], which contained the power of order and purification, as well as his own body and spiritual power, whose resistance to corrosive forces had greatly increased after being tempered by the Aura of Guixu.
A bold plan took shape in his mind.
First, he set up a simple isolation formation around the Resurrection Node to prevent excessive disturbance during the purification from attracting unnecessary trouble. Then he took out the [Intermediate Earth-Evasion Talisman] and activated it with spiritual power!
A flash of yellow light appeared, and Su Yan's body instantly sank underground. The spiritual barrier created by the Earth-Evasion Talisman wrapped around him, blocking the pressure of the soil and allowing him to move freely through the shallow underground. Before him lay a dim world of dirt, stone, and crisscrossing streams of Earth Vein energy.
Following the Compass's guidance, he "swam" toward the source of the deep Filthy Energy. The deeper he went, the denser the suffocating Breath of the End became. It even began eroding the talisman's protective barrier. Su Yan immediately circulated the Star Refining Body Art, causing a faint glow to appear across his body and ward off the corrosive force.
After advancing roughly several dozen meters, the sight before him made him suck in a cold breath.
A branch of the Earth Veins that should have been pure and gentle was now wrapped and penetrated by countless fine energy threads resembling black blood vessels. The originally pale-golden Earth Vein energy had become murky and mixed. It was these "black blood vessels" that continuously delivered contamination to the surface!
At the source of those "black blood vessels" was a dark, pulsating tumor about the size of a millstone, formed from pure Breath of the End. It clung tightly to the Earth Vein's main trunk like a parasitic heart! [Earth Vein Erosion Core] (Special Elite, Level 30)!
The aura emitted by this core was even denser and more evil than the Sower projection he had encountered in the bamboo forest!
"Found you!" A fierce light flashed in Su Yan's eyes. This thing was continuously contaminating the Earth Veins and spawning the surface nodes!
Without hesitation, he immediately rose back to the surface.
"Little Big Dipper, get ready to work! This time, we're digging out its roots!" Su Yan briefly explained the situation underground. Upon hearing this, battle intent immediately ignited in Little Big Dipper's eyes. It gave a low growl and scraped at the ground with its claws, as if it could no longer wait.
The plan was simple and brutal. Su Yan would use the Earth-Evasion Talisman again to enter the ground and attack the [Earth Vein Erosion Core] directly! Meanwhile, Little Big Dipper would guard the surface node. Once Su Yan launched his attack underground, the core would certainly react violently. It might spawn powerful guards or directly trigger a mutation in the surface node. Little Big Dipper needed to withstand the pressure, hold the position, and be ready to support him at any moment.
This was an extremely risky move! Fighting within the Earth Veins involved far too many unpredictable variables. If the Earth-Evasion Talisman failed or was destroyed, Su Yan would be plunged into an exceedingly dangerous situation.
But Su Yan had no other choice. If he allowed the core to remain, the future consequences would be endless.
After adjusting his condition, he pushed [Starlight Bodyguard] to its limit, entered the ground again, and quietly approached the pulsating dark tumor.
When he was still about ten meters from the core, he stopped. This distance was close enough to attack while still leaving him some room to react.
He took a deep breath. Starlight condensed at his fingertips, but he was not drawing a talisman. Instead, he drove the Star Qi Drawing Art and the Star Refining Body Art to their limits, mixing them with his intense will for order and purification before throwing a full-force punch—[Star Radiance Evil-Breaking Fist]!
This was an application he had comprehended after the battle at Falling Star Lake, one suited to his own characteristics rather than the crude version recorded in the skill panel. It highly compressed the Power of Stars into his fist, delivering both physical and energy-based impact at a single point!
A condensed silver fist-light, like a meteor piercing the darkness, smashed viciously into the [Earth Vein Erosion Core]!
"Boom!!!"
A muffled, drumlike roar echoed through the underground! The core convulsed violently and swelled, while the dark energy on its surface churned like boiling water! A berserk mental shock filled with pain, destruction, and dense Breath of the End surged toward Su Yan like a tsunami!
At the same time, aboveground, the Resurrection Node suddenly erupted with black energy that shot into the sky. The ground split open, and several [Earth Vein Golems] (Level 28, Elite), formed from pure Breath of the End, soil, and stone, crawled out. Roaring, they charged toward Little Big Dipper, who stood guard nearby!
Underground, Su Yan bore the core's fiercest counterattack head-on. The mental shock darkened his vision and filled his ears with ringing. The barrier of Starlight Bodyguard rippled violently, as though it could shatter at any moment! The dense Breath of the End clung to his protective spiritual light like a parasite burrowing into bone, madly corroding it.
"Hold it down!" Su Yan roared. The resistance granted by Guixu tempering played a crucial role at this moment! His meridians and flesh seemed to possess an invisible barrier of their own, greatly weakening the corrosive force! Enduring the stabbing pain in his soul, he threw another punch! [Star Radiance Evil-Breaking Fist]!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Like a tireless pile driver, he blasted streak after streak of silver fist-light into the core. The dark energy on its surface kept collapsing, only to draw more power from the Earth Veins to replenish itself. Its pulsations grew faster and more unstable!
On the surface, Little Big Dipper was locked in a bitter battle. The three [Earth Vein Golems] possessed extremely high defense, devastating attacks, and a certain resistance to spells. Little Big Dipper pushed its speed to the limit, exploiting the weaknesses created by [Armor Shattering Talismans]—Su Yan had prepared several in advance. It darted around constantly, attacking with [Star Fire] breaths, [Advanced Poison] bites, and [Life Steal] to sustain itself, firmly pinning them down and preventing them from interfering with the battle underground. The aftershocks of battle snapped the surrounding trees and cracked the ground.
This was a race against time! Would Su Yan destroy the underground core first, would Little Big Dipper be overwhelmed by the Earth Vein Golems first, or would Su Yan exhaust himself under the core's backlash first?
Su Yan could feel the power of the Earth-Evasion Talisman draining rapidly. Its barrier had already begun flickering. Gritting his teeth, he poured every remaining bit of mana into his fists, even drawing upon a trace of the Compass's origin star power!
"Final strike! Star trajectory... guide me!"
A sudden insight struck him. He activated the Compass's ability again, not to deduce anything, but to use the star trajectory to lock onto the core's weakest point—the point most crucial to its connection with the Earth Veins!
His fist shot out! Starlight blazed brilliantly, as though it drew along a miniature galaxy, striking that "point" with perfect precision!
"Crack—!!!"
A crisp sound like shattering glass rang out. The pulsating dark tumor suddenly stiffened. Countless spiderweb-like cracks spread across its surface before it finally exploded! Pure Breath of the End erupted wildly, but without the core's restraint, it was quickly washed away and diluted by the flowing Earth Vein energy.
The [Earth Vein Golems] on the surface seemed to lose their power source. Their movements instantly froze before they crumbled into ordinary chunks of dirt and stone.
The battle was over!
Almost at the instant the core exploded, the Earth-Evasion Talisman's energy was exhausted as well, spitting Su Yan back onto the surface. He collapsed onto the ground, pale-faced and drenched in sweat, with both his mana and Spiritual Power depleted. Little Big Dipper lay exhausted nearby, its tongue hanging out and its body covered in wounds, but its eyes held the weary satisfaction of victory.
[System: Successfully destroyed the 'Earth Vein Erosion Core'! Obtained a large amount of experience!] [System: Congratulations, you have reached Level 23!] [System: Your summoned beast, 'Little Big Dipper,' has reached Level 23!] [System: Your understanding of the 'Breath of the End' has deepened, and your perception of Earth Vein energy has increased.] [System: Successfully cleared the source of Earth Vein contamination. The Anomaly Nodes in this region will no longer naturally resurrect.]
No longer naturally resurrect! Seeing that final system notification, Su Yan let out a long breath. It had been worth it!
Although the process had been dangerous and had nearly exhausted all his trump cards, the results were remarkable. Not only had he leveled up, but more importantly, he had confirmed the possibility of actively delving into the Earth Veins and clearing the source of contamination! This gave him a viable approach for fighting the End Times Cult in the future.
He rested for a long time before recovering a little strength. He briefly cleaned up the battlefield and obtained several pieces of [Concentrated Breath of the End Crystal] along with some Earth Vein essence materials.
On the way back to Chang'an, Su Yan's feelings were complicated. On one hand, he was exhilarated by this success. On the other, he knew all too well that destroying one core might be nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to the End Times Cult's vast arrangements. The abnormality beneath the Black Wind Mountain mine, as well as the potentially deeper contamination in other regions, still hung over him like the Sword of Damocles.
"I have to become stronger faster, repair the Compass, make allies, and accumulate resources..." Su Yan clenched his fists. He thought of the Star Pavilion, the Wind and Snow Pavilion, and even the mysterious Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. Individual strength was ultimately limited. Perhaps it was time to consciously build his own network of connections and information channels.
A single spark could set the plains ablaze. The flame kindled by his transmigration and the Compass was burning stubbornly in the wind, trying to illuminate more corners of the darkness.
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