On the Night of the New Moon, dark clouds covered the sky, leaving neither stars nor moonlight visible. Amid the desolate mountains at the border between the Datang Borderlands and the Jiangnan wilderness, only the wind wailed, adding to the bleak chill. An abandoned charity house stood alone in the shadow of a mountain hollow. Its broken signboard hung crookedly, the words "Charity House" barely visible beneath peeling paint, like an old man's falling teeth. Unlike an ordinary Mass Grave's eerie gloom, the air here was thick with a cloying, nauseatingly sweet stench, mixed with decay and a... scent like ashes left after incense had burned out.
Su Yan, Mo Hen, Bai Zhi, and their pet silently crept into the woods outside the charity house. Little Big Dipper seemed restless, its nostrils flaring constantly as the star-like markings on its shell flickered on their own, showing intense disgust and wariness toward the aura ahead.
"The yin energy is extremely heavy, but its core isn't made up of pure vengeful spirits... Some force is deliberately gathering and distorting this yin energy." Bai Zhi frowned slightly. A thread of pure spiritual power coiled around her fingertips as she sensed the energy field ahead. "Everyone must guard your minds carefully. There may be powerful mental interference inside."
Mo Hen said nothing. He simply took several palm-sized, spider-shaped Mechanical Beasts from his mechanism pouch and gently set them on the ground. Red light flashed in their eyes as they silently scattered, slipping into the grass, climbing treetops, and watching the charity house from different angles. He then took out a Compass-shaped artifact. Its needle spun wildly before trembling as it pointed toward the depths of the charity house.
"The Energy Source is beneath the main hall. There's a simple Illusion Array and Warning Barrier on the surface. My Peeker has already marked them." Mo Hen's voice was low and concise.
Su Yan nodded and unfolded his Compass. Silver light flowed across the Compass, now 50% repaired, and the Star Map it projected was clearer than before. It not only marked the array nodes Mo Hen had discovered, but also faintly outlined a twisted Energy Channel stretching downward underground. At its end lay a patch of terrifying darkness, within which thick Breath of the End churned.
"There's a large space underground. It's undoubtedly their lair. We'll follow the plan. Mo Hen handles the outer perimeter and disrupts the arrays. Bai Zhi provides support from the center and clears negative effects. Little Big Dipper and I will lead the attack." Su Yan quickly assigned their roles.
Mo Hen nodded. His hands danced like butterflies among flowers as invisible threads of spiritual power linked his Mechanical Beasts to several array flags he had placed beforehand. "The Illusion Array has been disrupted, and the Warning Barrier is temporarily blocked, but it can only last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Once intense fighting breaks out inside, the barrier will still fail."
"That's enough." Su Yan drew a deep breath. The faint glow of [Starlight Bodyguard] enveloped him, while Little Big Dipper lowered its body, ready to pounce. "Move!"
The three slipped like ghosts through the disrupted array zone and approached the charity house's main gate. The vermilion doors were long since mottled and rotting, yet they now seemed sealed by some invisible force. [Soul Chasing Talisman] gathered at Su Yan's fingertips as he prepared to force the door open, but Bai Zhi lightly pressed down his hand.
"There's a Curse of Grudges attached to the door. Forcing it open will trigger a counterattack and alert them." She took out a golden talisman paper that carried the scent of sandalwood and gently placed it in the center of the gate, murmuring an incantation. Golden light flashed from the paper, and the twisted black runes that appeared on the door rapidly faded as though they had met their nemesis. "It's clear."
When they pushed open the heavy doors, an even stronger wave of sweet, rotten stench rushed at them! The sight in the charity house courtyard was incredibly strange! There were no coffins or corpses as expected. Instead, the courtyard was packed with cocoon-like mounds made of pale soil. The surfaces of these "mud cocoons" were covered in black vein-like patterns that pulsed faintly, as though something was gestating inside. The whispers in the air became clearer, filled with pain, hatred, and... fanatical prayers!
"They're using living souls and the Earth Vein's yin energy to cultivate something!" Su Yan immediately understood, fury rising in his heart. This was clearly some vile creation ritual!
"Careful, those mud cocoons are alive!" Mo Hen's voice came through a Mechanical Beast. Almost as soon as he spoke, several nearby mud cocoons suddenly split open. Several twisted, half-physical, half-energy Vicious Cocoon Demons (Level 26), reeking of foul odor, crawled out and lunged at them with piercing shrieks!
"Star Fire!" Little Big Dipper charged forward first, spewing silver-white Iceflame. It was exceptionally effective against such filth, instantly setting one Cocoon Demon ablaze with a sizzling hiss.
Su Yan fired [Immobilization Talismans] in rapid succession, restricting the other Cocoon Demons' movements. [Armor Shattering Talismans] followed close behind, creating an opening for Little Big Dipper to attack. Bai Zhi waved her Willow Branch and scattered a clear radiance. The healing aura of [Universal Salvation] covered the team, while the sound waves of [Heart Calming Incantation] spread outward, effectively dispersing the invasive mental whispers and corrosive resentment.
The three were already showing remarkable coordination and quickly cleared the Cocoon Demons from the courtyard. But more mud cocoons were trembling, as if they could hatch at any moment.
"We can't get bogged down. Straight for the heart of it!" Su Yan took the lead and rushed toward the charity house's main hall. It was even darker inside, with only several swaying oil lamps burning green ghostfire to provide light. The floor at the center had been dug open, exposing a crude stone stairway leading underground. The thick Breath of the End was pouring out from within.
Just as they were about to enter the passage, another change struck!
The entire charity house shook violently, and all the unhatched mud cocoons burst at once! They did not hatch monsters. Instead, they turned into thick black smoke laden with powerful Mental Pollution, instantly filling the entire area! At the same time, countless phantom faces, twisted in agony, emerged from the surrounding walls and let out deafening wails!
[End Times Veil]: Greatly reduces visibility. Continuously suffers mental attacks and erosion of vitality and blood. Movement speed reduced.
"It's a trap! They knew we were coming!" Mo Hen's voice carried a trace of gravity. Several Mechanical Beasts under his control had lost contact in the black fog.
"Hold fast to your true heart!" Bai Zhi cried out. The light of [Heart Calming Incantation] flared brightly, like a candle in the wind, barely opening up a small patch of clarity around the team. But it was clearly not going to last long.
Within the black fog, several figures radiating powerful auras slowly emerged. At their head was the Sower projection Su Yan had encountered in the bamboo forest! Beside it stood two [End Times Priests] (Level 28) dressed in black robes and holding bone staffs, along with several [Enhanced Cocoon Demons] (Level 27) whose forms were more solid and whose eyes flickered with crimson Flame of the Soul.
"Heh heh heh... foolish insects, you actually walked into the trap!" The Sower projection let out a hoarse, monstrous laugh. "Perfect. Your souls, along with that mutated bug, will serve as extra offerings to the Lord of the End!"
Before its words faded, the two End Times Priests swung their bone staffs. Dark red arrays appeared on the ground, and streaks of light containing corrosive and weakening power shot toward Su Yan and the others! The Enhanced Cocoon Demons also pounced from the sides!
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse!
"Mo Hen, disrupt the priests' casting! Bai Zhi, hold the field! Little Big Dipper, come with me—we kill the priests first!" Su Yan remained calm in the crisis and made his decision instantly. He knew that in this environment, taking out the priests capable of inflicting negative effects and attacking from range was the key.
[Wood Escape]! Su Yan's body flashed, narrowly dodging the light arrows as he appeared behind one End Times Priest. [Soul Chasing Talisman] and [Star Radiance Evil-Breaking Fist] struck at the same time!
Black light flashed around the priest, and a bone shield appeared, blocking most of the damage. But Su Yan's attack still caused its spellcasting to falter.
At the same time, Mo Hen controlled the few remaining Mechanical Beasts and launched suicidal attacks at the other priest. Though they did not deal much damage, they successfully interrupted its chant. He himself kept throwing [Flashbangs] and [Smoke Bombs] to disrupt their vision while firing specially made anti-spell bolts at the array nodes.
Little Big Dipper became a purple whirlwind. Empowered by [Armor Shattering Talisman], it frantically attacked the priest Su Yan had targeted. [Star Fire] and sharp claws struck in tandem, leaving the priest in a miserable state.
Bai Zhi was under the greatest pressure. She had to continuously maintain the [Heart Calming Incantation] field against the End Times Veil's mental erosion, while constantly watching her teammates' health and using [Activate Blood and Generate Muscle] and [Push Qi Through Palace]. Her mana poured away like floodwaters through a broken dam.
The battle reached a stalemate. The Sower projection did not attack directly. Instead, it stood in the rear with a cold sneer, as though preparing something. Warning bells rang continuously in Su Yan's heart. He knew they had to end this quickly.
He abruptly poured a surge of pure Power of Stars into the Compass and shouted, "Star Track Deduction, where is the flaw?"
His Spiritual Power drained sharply, and several images flashed through his mind—the black talisman hanging at one priest's waist was the key connecting the veil; beneath the Sower projection's feet, the flow of energy in the ground showed an unnatural moment of stagnation...
"Attack the talisman on the left priest's waist! Mo Hen, fire a Shock Bolt at the ground three feet beneath the Sower!" Su Yan immediately relayed the order.
Without hesitation, Mo Hen fired a specially made crossbow bolt with lightning wrapped around its tip. It struck the ground beneath the Sower projection with perfect accuracy!
Boom! The ground trembled slightly, and the previously smooth transmission of Breath of the End seemed to break for an instant! The entire [End Times Veil] violently rippled!
Now! Su Yan and Little Big Dipper seized the chance and focused all their attacks on the priest to the left! Little Big Dipper spewed [Star Fire] at the black talisman on its waist, while Su Yan's [Soul Chasing Talisman] shot straight for its head!
"No!" the priest screamed in terror. The talisman at its waist turned to ash in the Star Fire, while the Soul Chasing Talisman severely wounded it and sent it collapsing to the ground.
With one Energy Node gone, the veil's power greatly weakened. Bai Zhi's pressure eased, and she immediately cast continuous healing over the team.
Yet the Sower projection laughed even more wildly. "Useless! The ritual has already begun. You... will all become part of the End!" It suddenly spread its arms, and its body swelled like an inflated balloon as thick Breath of the End surged crazily from the underground passage into it! Its level aura began skyrocketing, breaking directly through Level 30 from its previously unclear state! And it was still rising!
"It's forcibly absorbing the power accumulated by the Earth Vein ritual! We can't let it finish!" Su Yan's expression changed drastically.
"Interrupt it!" Mo Hen loaded another Shock Bolt.
Bai Zhi gathered her strongest purifying power as well, preparing to use [Willow Sweet Dew] in an attempt to disperse the energy around it.
But it seemed... they were already too late. The Sower projection's body had nearly transformed into a black hole made entirely of Dark Energy, radiating a desperate pull.
At that critical moment, Su Yan, who had been staring at the Sower projection, suddenly noticed something through the Compass-enhanced perception and a flash of insight from Star Track Deduction. Deep within that core of pure darkness was an extremely faint, struggling glimmer of spiritual light that was utterly incompatible with the surrounding Breath of the End!
Was that... the soul of a living being that had been forcibly devoured but not yet completely extinguished? Or... some "impurity" born from an imperfection in the ritual itself?
There was no time to think further! Inspiration struck Su Yan. He abandoned every offensive method and poured all his remaining Spiritual Power, mixed with his belief in "order" and "purification," as well as a trace of the concept of "transformation" he had understood from Purifying Star Dew, through the Compass. It became an utterly pure [Awakening Starlight], devoid of any intent to attack, and shot toward that faint glimmer!
This was not an attack, but... a call! A guiding hand!
The light sank into the Dark Core.
Time seemed to freeze once more.
The swelling darkness suddenly stalled, and the glimmer at its core flared brightly! Like a lighthouse lit in endless night! A shriek full of pain and liberation, not from the Sower, echoed from within the Dark Core!
"Ah—!!!"
Then the entire Dark Core twisted violently as though it had lost its balance, collapsing inward! The Sower projection roared in disbelief, "No! My power... this is impossible!"
BOOM!!!
A violent energy explosion spread outward from the Sower projection! The fierce shockwave flung Su Yan and the others away, hurling them heavily against the walls.
The black fog dispersed, and the veil vanished. In the center of the courtyard, only a charred crater remained, along with several wisps of rapidly dissipating Breath of the End. The severely wounded priest and the remaining Enhanced Cocoon Demons also turned to ash as the ritual core collapsed.
The battle ended in an unexpected way.
Su Yan coughed up blood and struggled to his feet, looking toward the charred ground. He knew he had gambled correctly. That glimmer might have been the last resistance of a powerful soul offered in sacrifice, or perhaps a flaw in the ritual itself. He had detonated it at precisely the right moment, causing the terrifying ritual to collapse from within.
Mo Hen and Bai Zhi helped each other to their feet as well. Their faces showed the relief of surviving disaster, along with shock at Su Yan's final, miraculous strike.
"Is... is it over?" Bai Zhi softly asked as she looked at the charity house, which had returned to silence but still retained its air of ruin and death.
"The ritual here is over, but..." Su Yan looked toward the passage underground, sensing the unsettling fluctuations that still lingered within. "Whatever is below is probably still there. And the enemy already knows we exist."
During this trip to the charity house, they had successfully destroyed an important End Times Cult ritual and foiled the enemy's scheme, but they had also completely exposed themselves to the enemy's sight. The road ahead would surely be even more perilous.
Yet after this battle, Su Yan, Mo Hen, and Bai Zhi had truly established the beginnings of trust and coordination. This newborn Star Fire had endured its first harsh trial. Not only had it not gone out, it burned all the more steadily.
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