Starfall Quenching Blade and Approaching Undercurrent

The smoke and blood from the battle at the ancestral hall seemed to still linger in their nostrils, but the land, tainted by the Breath of the End, had ultimately returned to a deathly silence for the time being. Su Yan, Mo Hen, and Bai Zhi, carrying their injuries, exhaustion, and the complex emotions of survival, quietly retreated from that place of trouble, not alerting any potential onlookers.

By the time they returned to Chang'an, dawn was breaking. The three tacitly agreed not to part ways immediately and instead went to the small courtyard Su Yan had rented. The courtyard gate was shut tight, and a simple soundproofing formation was activated, isolating them from the outside clamor.

"This time... thanks to all of you," Su Yan spoke first, his voice still a little weak, but his eyes were bright. He took out the best wound medicine and Yuan Replenishing Pills and distributed them to Mo Hen and Bai Zhi. Little Big Dipper also lay nearby, with Bai Zhi carefully tending to its wounds, which had been corroded by the Breath of the End. The little fellow gritted its teeth in pain but endured without thrashing.

Mo Hen silently accepted the pills and took them before beginning to meticulously inspect and repair his damaged mechanical beasts from the battle. His movements were precise and swift, and only occasionally when he looked up at Su Yan did a hint of imperceptible approval appear in his gaze. Bai Zhi smiled gently, continuing to heal Little Big Dipper while saying, "Brother Su, there's no need for politeness. Since we traveled together, we should naturally face things together. I just didn't expect the enemy to be so cunning and ruthless, setting such a deadly trap."

"They knew we would go," Su Yan said gravely. "The words of that Sower projection indicate that our actions were already within their expectations. Although we disrupted their ritual this time, we have also been completely exposed."

"Exposure was bound to happen sooner or later," Mo Hen replied without looking up, his voice calm. "From the moment you first cleaned up an abnormal node, you entered their sight. The key is, after being exposed, can we withstand the ensuing retaliation, and... can we find their weakness faster?"

He paused and added, "The depths of the underground passage at the ancestral hall still have residual energy reactions. There might be remnants there, or... it could be a path to another of their strongholds. But in our current state, it's not advisable to explore further."

Su Yan nodded in agreement. "The priority now is to recover and improve our strength as quickly as possible. We also gained quite a bit from this battle." He was referring to the few wisps of refined [End Times Priest Soul Fragment] and a piece of [Ritual Core Fragment] he found at the center of the explosion, which shimmered with a dark luster. These items contained pure End Times energy, extremely dangerous, but if used properly, they might become keys to researching the enemy and even counteracting their power.

"I need time to study these things," Su Yan looked at his two companions. "Additionally, our team's coordination still needs to be honed. Brother Mo Hen's mechanics and intelligence, and Miss Bai Zhi's healing and exorcism, are all indispensable strengths for us. I suggest that in the near future, we focus on rest and improvement, take on missions of moderate difficulty that can train our coordination, and at the same time, closely monitor the movements of the 'End Times Cult'."

"Agreed," Mo Hen said concisely.

"I have no objections," Bai Zhi also nodded. "I also need to find 'Purifying Soul Flower', perhaps I can gather information through Star Pavilion or other channels."

With the initial plan set, Mo Hen and Bai Zhi departed to rest. Su Yan remained in the courtyard, first circulating the Star Qi Drawing Art and Star Refining Body Art to mend the hidden injuries and depleted mental energy within him. The resistance gained from Guixu tempering played a significant role at this moment; the residual Breath of the End that had infiltrated his body was quickly dispersed and refined by his Star Power, making his spiritual energy even more condensed.

Once his condition slightly recovered, he took out the [Ritual Core Fragment]. The fragment felt icy cold to the touch, and within it, dark sand seemed to be slowly rotating, emitting an aura that was both seductive and destructive. He tried to analyze it with his Compass, but the silver Star Power and the dark energy within the fragment clashed, making progress slow.

"This thing... is of a high order. Direct analysis is too difficult," Su Yan mused. He suddenly recalled Elder Xingyan's advice about "using its power to counteract itself" and his own experience of using Purifying Star Dew to detonate a Guixu Shadow.

"Perhaps... I can try using it as 'material'?" a thought emerged. He thought of his talismans, especially the [Soul Chasing Talisman]. If he could draw a trace of the End Times energy from the fragment and integrate it into the talisman, could he create talismans with special effects against members of the End Times Cult?

This was an extremely bold and dangerous idea. The Breath of the End was incredibly potent; with the slightest carelessness, not only would the talisman crafting fail, but he could also suffer a backlash.

But Su Yan decided to try. He first meticulously drew several standard [Soul Chasing Talismans] as a base. Then, with extreme caution, he used his mental power to guide the Compass, peeling off a wisp of End Times energy from the [Ritual Core Fragment] that was hundreds of times thinner than a strand of hair. This process required complete concentration, like walking a tightrope over a cliff.

He attempted to integrate this faint yet pure dark energy into the rune structure of a [Soul Chasing Talisman]. The moment the dark energy touched the cinnabar runes, the originally stable spiritual light of the talisman fluctuated violently. Purple lightning and black mist intertwined, emitting crackling sounds, as if it might collapse and explode at any moment!

Cold sweat beaded on Su Yan's forehead as he fully exerted his Star Power to stabilize the talisman's structure, simultaneously invoking his understanding of "order" to forcibly "blend" these two diametrically opposed forces together. This was not just a test of skill, but a collision of will and belief.

After an unknown amount of time, just as Su Yan was almost drained, the anomaly on the talisman finally subsided. A talisman, completely different from the previous ones, appeared before him—the paper was a dark purple, and its runes were no longer pure purple lightning, but transformed into purple lightning encircling wisps of black patterns that moved like living things, emitting a strange and dangerous aura.

[Soul Chasing Talisman (Corrosion)] (Special Talisman)

Description: A Soul Chasing Talisman infused with a wisp of pure End Times energy. It deals additional damage to enemies containing the "End Times" attribute and has a chance to inflict "Armor Break" or "Corrosion" effects. Use with caution; its effect is weakened against non-End Times attribute enemies, and the success rate of crafting is extremely low.

It succeeded! Although the process was perilous and the success rate was outrageously low, it had undoubtedly opened a new door!

Su Yan looked at the unique talisman in his hand, filled with a sense of accomplishment. This not only meant he had another effective means of dealing with the End Times Cult but also represented a new step forward in his understanding and application of power.

He put away the remaining materials, knowing that with his current state and mental energy, he couldn't craft a second one. He then began to study the wisps of [End Times Priest Soul Fragment]. These fragments contained partial memory shards and energy imprints from the priest's life. Through the Compass's [Trace Source] and [Star Track Deduction] abilities, he might be able to uncover some information about the End Times Cult's internal structure, stronghold distribution, or other valuable intelligence.

Several days of rest and secluded cultivation passed quickly. Su Yan's level stabilized at 24, and his practice of the Star Refining Body Art was also progressing well, further enhancing his physical strength and resistance to corrosion. Little Big Dipper's injuries healed under Bai Zhi's meticulous treatment, and its level also rose to 24. It seemed that after repeatedly confronting the Breath of the End, the purifying characteristic contained within its [Starfire] skill had become more pronounced.

Mo Hen repaired and improved his mechanical beasts, increasing their resistance to energy pollution. Through his own channels, he also gathered some scattered information about the End Times Cult's recent activities, mainly concentrated in areas with heavy Yin energy or geomantic nodes. Bai Zhi, through her connections at Mount Putuo, learned that the "Purifying Soul Flower" might grow in the "Extreme Yin Land of the Northern Continent of Jizhou" or the "outskirts of the Netherworld," but the clues remained vague.

On this day, the three gathered again at Su Yan's small courtyard to exchange information.

"Based on the scattered information I've collected and the feedback from the ancestral hall incident, the 'End Times Cult' seems to be more active recently, but their actions are also more covert. They appear to be planning something bigger," Mo Hen spread out a simple map he had drawn himself, marking several suspicious locations.

"Northern Continent of Jizhou... Extreme Yin Land..." Bai Zhi mused. "Perhaps we could take on an investigation mission to the Northern Continent of Jizhou. We can complete the mission while searching for clues about the Purifying Soul Flower."

Su Yan nodded; this was exactly what he had in mind. Passively defending was not a solution. Taking the initiative, honing the team through missions, and searching for the enemy's weaknesses was the right path. He took out the mission scrolls from Star Pavilion.

"Coincidentally, Star Pavilion has posted a mission to 'Investigate the abnormal cold air in Ice Abyss Valley, Northern Continent of Jizhou.' Ice Abyss Valley is one of the famous Extreme Yin Lands in the Northern Continent of Jizhou, fitting Miss Bai Zhi's requirements. The recommended mission level is 25-30, which will be a certain challenge for us, but it's perfect for honing our team coordination."

Ice Abyss Valley, located deep within the Northern Continent of Jizhou, is perpetually shrouded in extreme cold, said to be capable of freezing even souls, making ordinary cultivators unwilling to venture deep. The recent abnormal cold air seemed more severe and... corrosive than usual.

"I'll take this mission," Mo Hen was the first to declare.

"I agree too," Bai Zhi's eyes flashed with anticipation. The environment of Ice Abyss Valley might be where the Purifying Soul Flower grows.

"Good, then we'll go face the wind and snow of the Northern Continent of Jizhou again!" Su Yan decisively made the decision.

However, just as they were discussing the specific action plan, the Compass in Su Yan's embrace suddenly emitted an extremely faint but strongly warning vibration without any prior indication! It wasn't pointing towards the Northern Continent of Jizhou, but towards... within Chang'an City, in a direction he was very familiar with!

Was it... near the general store where he often bought materials?

What was going on? Within Chang'an City, under the Emperor's nose, were there also spies from the End Times Cult lurking? Or... had some other unforeseen event occurred?

Su Yan's heart sank abruptly. It seemed the storm had not passed; it had merely changed its form and was quietly approaching.