The smoke and stench of blood from the battle at the funeral house seemed to still linger beneath their noses, but that land tainted by the Breath of the End had, for the time being, returned to deathly silence. Su Yan, Mo Hen, and Bai Zhi quietly withdrew from that place of trouble, carrying injuries, exhaustion, and the complicated emotions of surviving a disaster, careful not to alert any possible watchers lurking in the aftermath.
By the time they returned to Chang'an, dawn had only just begun to break. The three did not immediately go their separate ways. Instead, they came to the small courtyard Su Yan rented. The gate was tightly shut, and a simple soundproofing formation was activated to block out the noise outside.
"This time... I have you both to thank." Su Yan spoke first. His voice still carried a trace of weakness, but his eyes were bright. He took out his best Golden Wound Medicine and Essence Restoration Pills and shared them with Mo Hen and Bai Zhi. Little Big Dipper lay nearby while Bai Zhi carefully treated the wounds on its body that had been corroded by the Breath of the End. The little fellow bared its teeth in pain but stubbornly kept from moving.
Mo Hen silently accepted the pills and swallowed them, then began inspecting and repairing the Mechanical Beasts damaged in battle. His movements were precise and swift. Yet whenever he occasionally looked at Su Yan, there was an extra trace of barely perceptible approval in his gaze. Bai Zhi smiled gently. As she treated Little Big Dipper's wounds, she said, "Brother Su, there is no need to be so polite. Since we travel together, we should naturally advance and retreat together. I simply did not expect the enemy to be so cunning and vicious as to set such a deadly trap."
"They knew we would go." Su Yan's tone was grave. "What that Sower projection said means our actions had long been anticipated by them. Though we destroyed their ritual this time, we have also completely exposed ourselves."
"Exposure was bound to happen sooner or later." Mo Hen did not look up, his voice calm. "From the moment you first cleared an Anomaly Node, you entered their sights. The key is whether we can withstand the retaliation that follows after being exposed, and... whether we can find their weakness faster."
He paused, then added, "The energy reaction deep within the underground passage beneath the funeral house has not completely disappeared. There may still be remnants there, or... it may be a route to another one of their strongholds. But in our current condition, we should not investigate further."
Su Yan nodded in agreement. "Our most urgent priority is to recover quickly and improve our strength. We also gained quite a bit from this battle." He was referring to several refined [End Times Priest Soul Fragments] and a [Ritual Core Fragment] found at the heart of the explosion, its surface glimmering with a dim, sinister sheen. These items contained pure End Times energy and were extremely dangerous, but if used properly, they might become the key to studying the enemy—or even countering their power.
"I need time to study these things." Su Yan looked at his two companions. "Also, our team coordination still needs work. Brother Mo Hen's mechanisms and intelligence, and Miss Bai Zhi's healing and exorcism, are all indispensable strengths. My suggestion is that we focus on rest and improvement for the near future, take on some moderately difficult missions that can train our cooperation, and at the same time closely monitor the movements of the End Times Cult."
"Agreed." Mo Hen was succinct.
"I have no objections." Bai Zhi nodded as well. "I also need to search for the Soul Purifying Flower. Perhaps I can inquire through the Star Pavilion or other channels."
After they had tentatively decided on their next course of action, Mo Hen and Bai Zhi left to rest and recover. Su Yan remained in the courtyard. He first circulated the Star Qi Drawing Art and Star Refining Body Art, repairing his internal injuries and restoring his overtaxed Spiritual Power. The resistance granted by the Guixu body tempering proved vital at this moment. The remnants of the Breath of the End that had invaded his body were swiftly dispersed and refined by the Power of Stars, instead making his spiritual energy slightly more condensed.
Once he had recovered somewhat, he took out the [Ritual Core Fragment]. It was icy cold to the touch. Within it, black quicksand seemed to slowly swirl, giving off an aura that was both alluring and destructive. He tried using the Compass to analyze it, but the silver star power and the fragment's dark energy eroded each other, and progress was slow.
"This thing... is of a very high rank. Direct analysis is too difficult." Su Yan pondered. He suddenly recalled Elder Xingyan's advice about "using its own power to counter itself," as well as his experience of using Purifying Star Dew to detonate the Guixu Shadow.
"Perhaps... I can try using it as a material?" A thought surfaced in his mind. He thought of his talismans, especially the [Soul Chasing Talisman]. If he could draw out a trace of the fragment's Breath of the End and merge it into a talisman, could he create one especially effective against members of the End Times Cult?
It was an extraordinarily bold and dangerous idea. The Breath of the End was incomparably tyrannical. A single mistake could not only ruin the talisman, but cause backlash against him.
But Su Yan decided to try. First, he carefully drew several standard [Soul Chasing Talismans] as a foundation. Then, with extreme caution, he used his Spiritual Power to guide the Compass and stripped a thread of Breath of the End from the [Ritual Core Fragment], a thread hundreds or even thousands of times finer than a hair. The process demanded complete concentration, like walking a tightrope at the edge of a cliff.
He tried to merge that faint yet pure dark energy into the rune structure of a [Soul Chasing Talisman]. The instant the dark energy touched the cinnabar runes, the talisman's previously stable spiritual glow suddenly began fluctuating violently. Violet lightning intertwined with black mist, producing a hissing sound as though it might collapse and explode at any moment!
Cold sweat seeped from Su Yan's forehead. He poured all his strength into circulating the Power of Stars to stabilize the talisman's structure, while drawing on his understanding of "order" in an attempt to forcibly meld these two utterly opposing powers together. This was not merely a test of technique, but a collision of will and conviction.
After an unknown amount of time, when Su Yan had nearly exhausted his mind and spirit, the strange phenomenon on the talisman finally began to subside. A talisman entirely different from before appeared before him—the paper had turned a dark violet, and the runes were no longer pure violet lightning. Instead, violet lightning wrapped around strands of black patterns that moved like living creatures, radiating a bizarre and dangerous aura.
[Soul Chasing Talisman · Erosion] (Special Talisman) Description: A Soul Chasing Talisman fused with a trace of pure Breath of the End. Deals additional damage to enemies possessing the "End Times" attribute and has a chance to inflict "Armor Break" or "Erosion." Use with caution. It is less effective against enemies without the End Times attribute, and its success rate when drawn is extremely low.
It worked! The process had been perilous, and the success rate was absurdly low, but it had undoubtedly opened a new door!
Su Yan looked at the unique talisman in his hand, his heart filled with accomplishment. This not only meant he had gained another effective means of dealing with the End Times Cult, but also that his understanding and application of power had reached a new level.
He put away the remaining materials, knowing that in his current state, with his present Spiritual Power, he could not draw a second one. He then turned to study the several [End Times Priest Soul Fragments]. These fragments contained portions of the priest's memories and energy imprints from before death. Through the Compass's [Source Tracing] and [Star Track Deduction] abilities, he might be able to uncover information about the End Times Cult's internal structure, the distribution of its strongholds, or other valuable intelligence.
Several days of rest and secluded cultivation passed in a rush. Su Yan's level stabilized at Level 24, and his cultivation of the Star Refining Body Art steadily improved. His physical strength and resistance to erosion both increased further. Little Big Dipper's wounds fully healed under Bai Zhi's attentive treatment, and it too reached Level 24. Perhaps because it had repeatedly fought against the Breath of the End, the purification properties within its [Star Fire] skill had become even more pronounced.
Mo Hen repaired and improved his Mechanical Beasts, increasing their resistance to energy contamination. Through his own channels, he also gathered scattered information about the End Times Cult's activities, which were mainly concentrated in areas with heavy yin energy or at Earth Vein nodes. Through Mount Putuo's connections, Bai Zhi learned that the Soul Purifying Flower might grow in "the most yin lands of the Northern Continent of Jizhou" or "the outskirts of the Netherworld," though the clues remained vague.
On this day, the three gathered in Su Yan's small courtyard once more to exchange intelligence.
"Based on the scattered information I collected, as well as the feedback from the funeral house incident, the End Times Cult's activities seem to have become more frequent recently, though their actions are also more concealed. They appear to be planning something bigger." Mo Hen spread out a simple map he had drawn himself and marked several suspicious locations on it.
"Northern Continent of Jizhou... lands of extreme yin..." Bai Zhi mused. "Perhaps we can take an investigation mission to the Northern Continent of Jizhou, complete the mission while also searching for clues about the Soul Purifying Flower."
Su Yan nodded. That was exactly what he had been thinking. Remaining on the defensive was not a solution. Taking the initiative, tempering the team through missions, and seeking out the enemy's weaknesses was the Right Path. He took out the Star Pavilion's mission dossier.
"Perfect. The Star Pavilion has issued a mission to 'investigate the abnormal cold in Ice Abyss Valley of the Northern Continent of Jizhou.' Ice Abyss Valley is one of the Northern Continent of Jizhou's most famous lands of extreme yin, which suits Miss Bai Zhi's needs. The mission is recommended for Levels 25 to 30. It will be challenging for us, but it is just right for building teamwork."
Ice Abyss Valley lay deep within the Northern Continent of Jizhou and was shrouded in extreme cold all year round. It was said that even souls could be frozen there, and ordinary cultivators did not dare venture deep inside. The recent abnormal cold seemed even more brutal than before and... more corrosive.
"I'll take this mission." Mo Hen was the first to state his position.
"I agree as well." A flicker of anticipation passed through Bai Zhi's eyes. The environment of Ice Abyss Valley might well be where the Soul Purifying Flower grew.
"Good. Then let us go and face the wind and snow of the Northern Continent of Jizhou once again!" Su Yan made the final decision.
However, just as they were discussing the details of their plan, the Compass in Su Yan's arms suddenly began to tremble. The vibration was exceedingly faint, yet it carried an intense warning. It was not pointing toward the Northern Continent of Jizhou, but toward... a direction within Chang'an that he knew very well!
It was... near the general store where he often bought materials?
What was going on? Within Chang'an, beneath the Son of Heaven's feet, could the End Times Cult have spies lurking as well? Or... had some other change occurred?
Su Yan's heart suddenly sank. It seemed the storm had not gone far away. It had merely changed its approach and was quietly closing in.
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