Within the mountain hollow, the Breath of the End coiled around the ancient altar like thick black liquid. The several [Corrupted Battle Soul Elites] were enormous, their bodies surging with intertwined dark red and jet-black energy. Flames of violence and chaos danced in their hollow eye sockets, and their auras were far fiercer than any monsters they had encountered before. Their presence not only defiled this sacred ground that retained the will of the God of War, but also acted like a beacon, constantly allowing the Power of the End to seep into the Earth Veins of Mount War God.
"Three Level 38 elites, arranged in a triangular formation around the altar. Their energies are linked. We need to break them simultaneously or reduce their numbers quickly. Otherwise, they'll reinforce each other and grow stronger as the battle drags on." Mo Hen swiftly analyzed the enemy situation through his Scout Bees, speaking quickly but clearly. "The altar itself has a weak barrier. A direct assault may trigger a backlash."
Yun Ji stood quietly to one side, her gaze behind the mist sweeping over the battlefield. Her cool voice rang out. "The stone tablet's will has not been extinguished. It is resisting the corruption. Attacking the Corrupted Battle Souls will temporarily weaken the barrier as their Power of the End leaks away. Fellow Cultivator Su, your purification power is the key."
Su Yan understood at once. "I'll focus on one of them, with Little Big Dipper supporting me. We'll kill it as quickly as possible! Brother Mo Hen, disrupt the other two and delay their coordination! Miss Bai Zhi, keep us steady! Fellow Cultivator Yun Ji, please guide our timing!"
"Understood." Mo Hen had already clasped several specially made [Shocking Mechanism Thunder Bombs] in his hands. Bai Zhi planted [Spirit Soothing Incense] into the ground, fully expanding the aura of her Heart Calming Incantation as vibrant green light brimming with life coiled around the Willow Branch in her hand.
"The one on the left has the weakest connection to the stone tablet. In three breaths, its energy circulation will stall for an instant. That will be our opening." Yun Ji's voice was as precise as a ticking pendulum.
"Attack!"
The instant Yun Ji finished speaking, Su Yan moved! [Wood Escape] made him appear like a ghost behind the left Battle Soul Elite. The prepared [Soul Chasing Talisman: Corrosion] shot forth in a streak of purple lightning and black patterns, striking its Energy Core with perfect accuracy!
"Roar!" The Battle Soul Elite let out a pained howl as black mist churned violently around it. Little Big Dipper, which had long been poised to strike, crashed into it like a purple meteor. Its strengthened claws carried the force to tear apart everything as they viciously raked across the wound created by [Soul Chasing Talisman: Corrosion]! -988! -1102! Astonishing damage numbers floated up!
At the same time, Mo Hen's mechanism bombs exploded precisely beneath the feet of the other two Battle Soul Elites. Though the intense shockwaves did not inflict much damage, they successfully interrupted the energy those two had been trying to gather, leaving them briefly stiffened. The radiance of Bai Zhi's [Universal Salvation] descended, stabilizing the slightly fluctuating vitality of Su Yan and Little Big Dipper after their burst of power.
The Battle Soul Elite under concentrated attack retaliated madly, sweeping its dark red halberd with power capable of tearing souls apart. Yet at Yun Ji's warning of "Half a step left," Su Yan narrowly evaded it. The icy blue glow of [Starlight Bodyguard] canceled out most of the scattered impact. Little Big Dipper was even fiercer. It neither dodged nor retreated, taking an Energy Impact head-on and forcibly enduring it through [Life Steal] and its formidable defense. Its claws and fangs descended in a wild storm!
"Now! Its connection between the core and the altar has broken!" Yun Ji called out again.
Su Yan was struck by inspiration. Abandoning the use of another talisman, he gathered all the Power of Stars in his body, along with the trace of Ice Devouring Origin he had just absorbed and refined, onto his fist. He let out a low shout. "Star Radiance Evil-Breaking Fist: Ice Devouring!"
A fist aura entwined with icy blue starlight and strands of black mist drilled ruthlessly into the exposed weak point of the Battle Soul Elite's core after its connection was severed!
"Crack—boom!"
As though ice were shattering, the Battle Soul Elite's enormous body suddenly stiffened. Countless icy blue cracks then burst forth from within, spreading outward before it finally exploded with a thunderous bang! Pure [Essence of Battle Intent], mixed with even denser [Tainted Battle Soul Fragments], scattered in every direction!
With the death of that elite, the black aura surrounding the altar visibly thinned. The weak barrier also began to ripple.
"Nicely done!" Mo Hen shouted in praise, his hands never stopping as he threw out more mechanisms to firmly entangle the other two enraged elites. Bai Zhi's healing spells arrived like timely rain, quickly restoring the health Little Big Dipper had lost while taking that attack head-on.
The remaining battle was still difficult, but without the mutual reinforcement of their triangular formation, the two Battle Soul Elites posed far less of a threat. Under Yun Ji's precise predictions and commands, Su Yan and Little Big Dipper repeated the same strategy, concentrating their firepower and destroying them one at a time! When the final elite turned to ash beneath [Star Fire] and claws, the entire mountain hollow fell silent.
The black aura over the altar seemed to have lost its source and began to slowly disperse. The shattered stone tablet trembled faintly, and a weak yet unyielding golden glow seeped through the cracks on its surface.
"Purify it, Fellow Cultivator Su," Yun Ji reminded him.
Su Yan stepped forward and pressed his palm against the stone tablet. He circulated the Star Qi Drawing Art, slowly channeling pure Power of Stars, mixed with the orderly aura emitted by the Compass, into the tablet. Little Big Dipper also came closer and breathed a gentle stream of [Star Fire] onto it. The silver-white flames resembled world-cleansing fire, burning away the lingering filth.
As the Breath of the End was driven away, the golden light on the stone tablet grew brighter and brighter. At last, a vague yet towering phantom of the God of War flashed above the tablet. A vast will, desolate and ancient yet filled with unyielding battle intent, swept across the entire mountain hollow like a tidal wave!
Bzz—
Su Yan, Mo Hen, Bai Zhi, and even Little Big Dipper felt as if their souls had been cleansed. The exhaustion from the earlier battle vanished completely. Their Spiritual Power became more condensed, and their control over their own strength seemed to have risen to a new level.
[System: Successfully purified the ancient God of War altar and received 'The God of War's Faint Blessing'! All attributes permanently +5, resistance to mental negative states increased by 10%, and experience gain efficiency increased by 10% (lasts 72 hours).] [System: Your summoned beast 'Little Big Dipper' has received the Will Baptism of the God of War's will. Its potential has been awakened, and it has comprehended the new skill 'Battle Intent Burn' (Passive: As battle time increases, gradually raises its physical attack power and attack speed).] [System: [Damaged Compass] has absorbed a large amount of pure battle intent and remnants of the End. Repair progress has increased to 55%!]
The generous rewards delighted everyone. The +5 to all attributes was an enormous boost, while the increase in experience gain efficiency came at exactly the right time. And the passive [Battle Intent Burn] that Little Big Dipper had comprehended brought a qualitative leap to the sustained combat ability of their physical damage core!
"We shouldn't stay here long. The commotion just now may draw more enemies," Mo Hen said as he vigilantly observed their surroundings.
Everyone quickly cleaned up the battlefield, gathering quite a bit of Essence of Battle Intent and other materials before swiftly leaving the mountain hollow.
Over the following days, the four-person team became even more active in the Outer Reaches of Mount War God. With the blessing of "The God of War's Faint Blessing," their monster-clearing efficiency greatly increased and their experience bars soared. Su Yan soon broke through Level 29 and advanced toward the major threshold of Level 30. Empowered by [Battle Intent Burn], Little Big Dipper became braver the longer it fought. By the later stages of battle, its attacks came like a violent tempest, its purple form darting between the rocks and leaving streak after streak of afterimages.
During that time, they discovered and purified two more minor End corruption sites, and the Compass's repair progress steadily rose to 56%. Su Yan's use of the Power of Stars became increasingly proficient. He even began trying to apply [Star Track Deduction] to combat prediction. Though he was far from as precise as Yun Ji, it still greatly improved his grasp of battle rhythm.
One day, the four found a relatively safe stone cave to rest. Su Yan sat cross-legged, preparing to break through the Level 30 bottleneck. Level 30 was a minor dividing line on the path of cultivation. It signified truly leaving the novice stage behind, bringing a qualitative transformation to one's spiritual power and allowing one to learn more powerful sect skills.
He swallowed the last few pieces of [Star Marrow]. Vast energy dissolved within his body and crashed against the barriers of his meridians. The Star Qi Drawing Art and Star Refining Body Art operated at full force simultaneously. The spiritual power vortex in his dantian spun madly, compressing and purifying itself without pause. In his mind, the starry sky outlined by the Star Contemplation Method became ever clearer. His Spiritual Power focused to its limit, guiding the torrent of energy.
After an unknown amount of time, it felt as though some barrier had shattered. A faint rumble sounded from within Su Yan's body! The spiritual power vortex in his dantian suddenly contracted, then violently expanded. Though it had become smaller, the spiritual power within it was now more condensed and pure, carrying a faint starlight sheen! It was as though all the meridians in his body had widened by a full circle. Spiritual power circulated faster, and its total amount nearly doubled!
[System: Congratulations! You have reached Level 30!] [System: Your spiritual power has undergone a qualitative transformation. Maximum spiritual power increased by 50%, spiritual power recovery speed increased by 30%, and all spell effects increased by 10%.] [System: New sect skill learning permissions unlocked!] [System: Achievement 'A First Glimpse of the Path' completed. You have received the title 'Rookie Cultivator' (all attributes +3).]
He had finally reached Level 30! Su Yan opened his eyes, and Flow of Stars seemed to turn within them. His aura was steadier than before by far more than a single degree! He immediately examined the newly unlocked Mount Fangcun skills:
[Lightning Talisman]: Summon a bolt of lightning to attack a single enemy, inflicting massive spell damage and having a chance to paralyze the target. A powerful single-target burst skill of Mount Fangcun.
[Origin Return Incantation]: Consume a large amount of mana to instantly restore a certain percentage of one's vitality. A crucial survival and sustain skill.
[Shrink Ground into Inches]: An advanced Evasion Technique that instantly moves the user a greater distance, or allows consecutive short-range flashes within a brief period. An extraordinary skill for survival and pursuit.
Without hesitation, Su Yan learned all three skills! His combat power soared once again!
Filled with excitement, he could not help rising to his feet and calling to the others guarding outside the cave, "I did it!"
Mo Hen and Bai Zhi both smiled, sincerely happy for him. Yun Ji also gave a slight nod. "At thirty, one stands firm; the Dao foundation has begun to take shape. Congratulations, Fellow Cultivator Su."
However, just as Su Yan broke through and everyone rejoiced, Yun Ji's expression suddenly changed slightly. She raised her head toward the depths of Mount War God, and a trace of gravity flashed through the eyes behind her mist.
"What is it?" Su Yan noticed her abnormal reaction.
Yun Ji performed a calculation with her fingers, her brows drawing together. "The heavenly secrets are disturbed... A powerful energy has been stirred in the depths. It seems... connected to our purification of the altar, as well as Fellow Cultivator Su's breakthrough. Something... has been awakened, or... drawn here."
Her words made the atmosphere that had only just relaxed tense once more.
Where there was fortune, disaster lurked. The increase in strength seemed to have drawn deeper attention as well.
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