Buried Soldier Battle and the First Cry of the Star Core

Yun Ji's words, laced with blood, struck everyone's hearts like thunder. The joy of finally gaining a Heroic Spirit's recognition was instantly replaced by a chilling sense of urgency. "Valley of Buried Soldiers" – the name alone suggested it was no place of peace, and worse, ancient wills slumbered there, being exploited by the End Times Cult to construct an "Anchor Point"!

"Go!" Su Yan didn't hesitate for a moment, giving the decisive order. With his recently boosted strength and the Mount War God Ally Token in hand, his spirit was at its peak. How could he stand by and watch the enemy complete their scheme?

The four wasted no time, following the general direction Yun Ji had forcefully deduced, and hurried deeper into Mount War God, towards an area where even Heroic Spirit phantoms grew sparse and dim. The closer they got to the Valley of Buried Soldiers, the more bizarre the environment became. The malevolent energy in the air was no longer just fierce battle intent; it was mixed with a corrosive, rust-like decay and a deathly stillness that signaled the end of all things. The ground underfoot shifted from dark red to an ominous purplish-black. Broken divine weapons and sharp tools were scattered everywhere, stuck in the ground. These weapons had long lost their spiritual energy, yet their surfaces were covered in a sticky, black substance that seemed to writhe and move as if alive.

"Be careful, this black substance is highly corrosive. Don't touch it directly," Bai Zhi warned. The willow branch in her hand emitted a stronger purifying radiance, dispelling the wisps of black energy that tried to approach. Little Big Dipper appeared restless, letting out threatening growls at the black weapons. The star spots on its shell lit up on their own, forming a faint barrier, clearly showing its extreme aversion to this aura.

Finally, a massive "wall" formed from countless twisted and intertwined fragments of enormous weapons blocked their path. In the center of the wall was an irregular opening, like the gaping maw of a monstrous beast. The End Times aura, so dense it couldn't be dispersed, and the surging, vengeful death intent poured out from within. This was the entrance to the Valley of Buried Soldiers!

Before they could even enter, the Compass vibrated violently as never before, its silver light flashing wildly. The Star Map, pointing towards the depths of the rift, displayed a massive, pulsating dark red mark, like a heart, almost leaping off the surface of the compass. It was entwined with dense black threads, an intimidating sight.

"This is it," Su Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in his heart. "The concentration of End Times aura inside is far higher than ever before. Everyone, be extremely careful. Fellow Daoist Yun Ji, how are you feeling?"

Yun Ji took a pill, and her pale complexion eased slightly, but her eyes remained grave. "I'm fine, I can still fight. The Heavenly Mystery within the valley is chaotic, which will greatly interfere with my deductions. I won't be able to predict things as accurately as before. Everyone will have to rely on yourselves more."

"Understood," Mo Hen nodded, his hands each gripping several specially made [Demon Breaking Mechanical Thunder] and [Flashbang] devices. "I'll send in a Scout Bee first."

However, the Scout Bee had barely flown a few meters into the rift when it hit an invisible wall. It was instantly corroded by the dense black energy and vanished into a wisp of smoke.

"The entrance has an extremely strong energy field and corrosion barrier," Mo Hen said, his brow furrowed.

"Let me try," Su Yan stepped forward, channeling the Power of Stars into the Compass. The compass, now at 56% repair, shone with a brilliant silver light. A condensed Order Beam shot out and struck the energy field at the entrance.

"Sizzle—" Like cold water hitting hot oil, the Order Beam and the End Times energy field clashed fiercely, emitting a piercing sound. The invisible barrier fluctuated violently, and the area illuminated by the beam visibly thinned.

"It's effective! But my power isn't enough to break through completely!" Su Yan felt his mental energy rapidly depleting.

"Together!" Bai Zhi immediately infused pure Buddhist Spiritual Power into Su Yan. Mo Hen also channeled his True Qi, and even Little Big Dipper came closer, transferring a surge of fiery Battle Intent Star Energy. Yun Ji, standing to the side, used Heavenly Mystery Secret Method to stabilize the energy transfer and prevent backlash.

With the combined strength of the four, the Compass beam suddenly doubled in thickness!

"Crack!"

A sound like shattering glass rang out as the energy field at the entrance was forcibly torn open, creating a gap just large enough for one person to pass through!

"Quick, in!" Su Yan roared. The four and their pet didn't hesitate, instantly charging into the gap!

The moment they entered the Valley of Buried Soldiers, an indescribable oppressive feeling washed over them! The light within the valley was extremely dim, the sky seemingly covered by a curtain stained with foul blood. Looking around, they saw an endless graveyard of weapons! Swords, spears, sabers, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks... the remains of countless divine weapons and sharp tools were piled high, stretching to the horizon. But now, these once solemn remains were covered and connected by a viscous black substance, forming the veins of some colossal, evil living organism.

And in the very center of the valley, a towering, monstrous altar constructed entirely from twisted weapons and black matter stood majestically, reaching a hundred feet high! At the top of the altar, a pulsating, dark red tumor over ten meters in diameter was clearly visible. Countless black energy tendrils extended from the tumor, plunging into the weapon graveyard below, drawing out the deathly stillness, vengeful souls, and End Times power like a heart! This was the forming "Anchor Point"!

Around the altar, a large number of monsters, completely corrupted by the End Times aura, roamed – [Buried Soldier Golem] (Level 42, extremely high physical defense), [Vengeful Soul] (Level 41, powerful magic attacks, with mental corruption), [End Times Priest] (Level 43, Elite, constantly channeling energy to reinforce the altar). Their numbers far exceeded any previous stronghold!

"We must clear these guards first before we can approach the altar!" Mo Hen quickly assessed the situation.

"I'll draw their fire. You find an opportunity to deal damage!" Su Yan didn't hesitate. [Starlight Bodyguard] (icy blue version) was activated to its limit, and he simultaneously cast the newly learned [Origin Return Incantation], bringing his status to full. Holding the Compass, an enhanced version of [Star Track Deduction] enveloped the entire area. Although it couldn't predict every detail as accurately as Yun Ji, it was enough for him to grasp the monsters' general attack patterns and aggro ranges.

He charged towards a group of Buried Soldier Golems, alternating between [Lightning Talisman] and [Soul Chasing Talisman (Corrosion)], unleashing astonishing damage and instantly drawing a large amount of aggro. Little Big Dipper followed closely, activating [Battle Intent Burn] to its fullest, transforming into a destructive purple whirlwind that specifically tore into the golems weakened by Su Yan's [Armor Shattering Talisman]. Starfire flickered on its claws and fangs, dealing significant damage to the End Times creations.

Mo Hen moved like an assassin in the dark night, weaving through the broken weapons. His mechanical devices no longer focused on killing but on interrupting the End Times Priests' channeling spells and using various control mechanisms to restrict the movement of the Vengeful Souls. Bai Zhi was under immense pressure, needing to care for Su Yan and Little Big Dipper, who were taking the brunt of the assault, as well as Mo Hen, who was harassing from the flanks. The [Heart Calming Incantation] was almost continuous. The [Universal Salvation] aura stubbornly held open a patch of purity in the filthy environment, her mana pouring out like a breached dam.

Although Yun Ji couldn't predict precisely, she stood in a relatively safe position, constantly forming hand seals. Beams of clear light shot out, sometimes reinforcing Bai Zhi's shields, sometimes weakening the End Times concentration in a certain area, and sometimes using Heavenly Mystery Secret Method to disrupt the Priests' spell structures. Her presence greatly enhanced the team's sustain and margin for error.

The battle was extremely fierce. The monsters in the Valley of Buried Soldiers were not only high-level but also incredibly fearless. Under the influence of the End Times Altar, their strength seemed inexhaustible. Su Yan found himself in peril multiple times. [Shrink Ground into Inches] was used to its limit, and the cooldown for [Origin Return Incantation] felt eternally too long. Little Big Dipper was also heavily wounded, but [Battle Intent Burn] and [Life Drain] made it fight harder, its roars deafening.

Just as the battle reached a stalemate, and everyone's mana and stamina were rapidly depleting, the [Mount War God Ally Token] in Su Yan's embrace suddenly grew warm!

"In the name of Mount War God, Heroic Spirits, aid me!" Su Yan had an epiphany and raised the token high!

Hum—

The token erupted with dazzling golden light, and four solid Heroic Spirit phantoms appeared out of thin air – the same four types of Heroic Spirits they had defeated during their trial! Although their time was limited, the addition of these Level 40 Elite Heroic Spirits instantly turned the tide of the battle! The Berserker Heroic Spirit roared and charged into the enemy ranks, its great axe sweeping across. The Assassin Heroic Spirit moved like a phantom, specifically targeting and eliminating Priests. The Priest Heroic Spirit's healing aura complemented Bai Zhi's magic. The Strategist Heroic Spirit's formations continuously disrupted the convergence of End Times energy.

The pressure greatly reduced! Su Yan's team was invigorated and seized the opportunity to launch a fierce assault!

"Now! Attack the base of the altar, sever its connection with the weapon graveyard!" Yun Ji seized the moment, pointing at the thickest black energy tendrils at the altar's base.

Su Yan, Little Big Dipper, and the Heroic Spirit phantoms concentrated all their firepower on those tendrils! Lightning, starfire, talismans, axe shadows, dagger gleams... various lights intertwined and exploded!

"Boom boom boom!"

Amidst continuous explosions, several main energy tendrils were forcibly severed! The entire Valley of Buried Soldiers shook violently. The dark red tumor atop the altar let out a sharp, piercing shriek, its pulsation suddenly accelerating as if utterly enraged!

"Foolish ants! How dare you desecrate the sacred ritual!" A voice filled with malice and madness echoed from the top of the altar. Accompanying the voice, a figure shrouded in dense black mist, wielding a twisted bone staff, slowly rose – it was the "Sower" projection they had encountered at the Mourning House! But his aura now was far more powerful than before, reaching the level of a Level 45 Leader. Clearly, such an important "Anchor Point" was not being overseen by an ordinary projection!

"It's finally showing itself!" Su Yan's eyes were cold, showing no fear. He could feel the Compass frantically absorbing the End Times origin essence that had dispersed due to the severed tendrils, its repair progress surging towards 57% at an unprecedented rate! The runes on the compass body grew brighter, and in his mind, the edges of the Star Map began to reveal some never-before-seen, more ancient and mysterious constellation phantoms...

The true decisive battle was about to begin. And Su Yan's Compass seemed on the verge of unveiling a new veil.