A Brief Rest on the Return and Whispers of Shadow

Leaving the eerie, resentment-filled territory of Lanruo Temple felt like breathing fresh air. Although the surroundings were still bleak with late autumn, the bone-chilling cold and the constant phantom cries of the damned had finally receded, allowing everyone to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The continuous high-intensity combat and mental strain had left even Su Yan, whose cultivation had advanced, feeling genuinely exhausted. Star Vortex, while still vigilantly guarding his side, had also slowed the rhythm of its tail's high-speed rotation. It occasionally nuzzled Su Yan's hand with its head, emitting soft, dependent purrs, clearly needing rest as well.

"Let's find a safe place nearby to rest," Mo Hen suggested. He was inspecting his Mechanical Beasts, which had suffered considerable damage in the tower, his face etched with distress. "My old companions need major repairs, and our supplies are running low. We need to resupply."

This proposal was met with unanimous agreement. While improving their strength was important, balance was key to long-term success. According to the map, about a hundred miles from Lanruo Temple, there was a cultivator gathering place built around a small spiritual vein, named "Flowing Cloud Gathering." Although it wasn't as bustling as the major cities outside Great Tang, it possessed the basic functions for resupply, repairs, and information exchange, perfectly suiting their current state.

The group no longer hurried their journey, slowing their pace. They meditated and recovered while heading towards Flowing Cloud Gathering. Along the way, they occasionally encountered ordinary monsters around level 30. Su Yan and Mo Hen didn't need to act; a single [Starlight Breath] or a swift pounce from Star Vortex could easily dispatch them. This served as good practice for Star Vortex to familiarize itself with its increased strength after evolving, while also providing the group with some scattered experience and materials.

"Tsk tsk, Brother Su, I truly envy you now," Mo Hen said, watching Star Vortex effortlessly turn a [Tusker Wild Boar] into white light. He couldn't help but exclaim again, "Having such a loyal companion with limitless potential is worth a set of top-tier mechanisms. It seems I need to find a way to get a summon egg or capture a baby beast to raise."

Su Yan smiled, patting Star Vortex's cool, hard carapace, his heart filled with relief. From its initial weak Sea Hairy Caterpillar form to the majestic Star Vortex Guard it was now, this feeling of growing together was indeed incomparable to external forces. "When the opportunity arises, it will come. Brother Mo Hen, you are skilled in intricate mechanisms. If you can find a suitable spirit-mechanical or elemental summon, it might complement you even better."

Bai Zhi also said softly, "Buddhist teachings also speak of guardian heavenly dragons and golden-winged birds, but such sacred beasts are hard to find through fate." She looked at Star Vortex with a gentle smile, "Star Vortex is so full of spirit now, and Brother Su shares a deep connection with it. This is truly a rare blessing."

Even the usually aloof Yun Ji nodded slightly in agreement: "Star Vortex Guard, its bloodline is extraordinary. Its evolutionary path might be related to the rules of the stars. Its future is promising."

Seemingly understanding the praise, Star Vortex lifted its head and let out a slightly proud low growl. The vortex on its tail involuntarily spun a few times faster, leaving faint silver trails in the air.

Chatting and laughing, the outline of Flowing Cloud Gathering came into view. It was a small town built on a gentle valley slope, with continuous grey-blue tiled roofs, surrounded by a simple wooden fence. A faint fluctuation of a protective formation could be sensed. Cultivators guarded the town entrance, and after verifying Su Yan and the others' identity jade tokens (player identification credentials granted by the system), they were allowed to enter.

The streets within the town were not wide but quite clean. Shops lined both sides, including "Hundred Herbs Pavilion" selling elixirs and talismans, "Gold Stone Workshop" for crafting and repairing weapons, and "Curio House" for purchasing various materials. There was even a small "Immortal Guest Inn" offering simple rest and cooking facilities. While not comparable to the bustling Chang'an city, it had its own lively atmosphere, with many players and NPC cultivators in various sect uniforms, ranging from level 20 to 35, moving about.

The long-lost sense of human activity made Su Yan and the others feel a sense of familiarity. They first went to "Gold Stone Workshop," where Mo Hen left his Mechanical Beasts and damaged mechanical items for repair, paying a hefty sum that made him wince. Su Yan also had his battle-worn equipment repaired and maintained.

Next, they visited "Hundred Herbs Pavilion." Bai Zhi replenished a large supply of Spirit Recovery Pills, Wound Healing Powder, and Clarity Powder to remove negative status effects. Su Yan also bought some high-grade pet food suitable for Star Vortex and a few pieces of good-quality [Moonlight Stone]. This item contained gentle moonlight energy, beneficial to star-attributed summoned beasts. Star Vortex showed great interest in the Moonlight Stone, happily crunching on it in its mouth.

Finally, they booked two superior rooms at the "Immortal Guest Inn" and settled in for the time being. Su Yan and Mo Hen shared one room, while Bai Zhi and Yun Ji shared the other. Finally able to lie on soft, clean beds and completely relax, Su Yan felt as if his bones had turned to jelly.

He didn't fall asleep immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the bed, sinking his consciousness into his body to carefully experience the changes brought about by reaching level 32. The Star Power vortex in his dantian was more solidified, and as it spun, it independently absorbed the meager Star Power in the air. Although slow, it was continuous. The circulation routes for the Star Qi Drawing Art and Star Refining Body Art seemed to have widened slightly, allowing for smoother spiritual energy flow. In terms of mental power, after the battle with the Ghost General and frequent use of the Compass, it had become more resilient.

He attempted to run the Star Contemplation Method. The starry sky illusion in his mind became clearer, and he could even faintly sense extremely weak responses from certain specific stars in the distant cosmos. He knew this was a sign of increased affinity with the stars.

Afterward, Su Yan focused his attention on the Compass in his embrace. With its repair progress reaching 60%, the silver body of the Compass felt warmer and smoother, and the crack on the central pointer seemed to have healed infinitesimally. With a thought, he attempted to activate the newly unlocked [Energy Trace] function.

As mental power was injected, the Compass emitted a faint silver light, and extremely complex, fine energy patterns appeared on its surface, interwoven like star orbits. He recalled the various energies he had encountered before: the corrupting power of the End Times Cult, the Battle Intent from Mount War God, the Yin Sha resentment from Lanruo Temple... The patterns on the Compass shifted subtly, as if building a database of energy characteristics.

"It really works!" Su Yan rejoiced inwardly. With this function, it would be much easier to track the End Times Cult's movements or identify unknown energy attributes in the future.

Next, he looked at the Star Map in his mind. The gray area representing the Lanruo Temple region had faded significantly, and the phantom image of the "Seal" at the ancient pagoda's location had completely disappeared, meaning the hidden danger there was largely resolved. The [Netherworld Beacon] indicating the direction of the Netherworld entrance still flickered, and the black skull mark left by the Sower beside it remained like a persistent parasite, not disappearing due to the Compass's repair, merely suppressed by the silver light.

"The mark of the Well of Guixu..." Su Yan frowned slightly. This had always been a major concern. He tried to use the Compass's [Energy Trace] function to analyze the mark, but the feedback was a chaotic void of death and silence, filled with the meaning of destruction and finality. Its level was extremely high, far beyond what he could currently comprehend.

"It seems that the journey to the Netherworld will not only involve facing the End Times Cult and local ghosts but also guarding against the influence that the 'Well of Guixu' might exert through this mark," Su Yan felt the pressure on his shoulders increase.

Just then, he felt a slight stir in his heart and took out the three [Netherworld Guiding Incense] sticks gifted by Monk Hui Ming. The incense sticks were slender, dark, almost black, and cold to the touch, emitting an indescribable cool fragrance that seemed to draw the soul. According to Hui Ming, they needed to be lit "by the water where yin and yang meet, and resentment runs deep" to potentially attract the "Ferryman."

"River of Forgetfulness... Ferryman..." Su Yan mused. This was undoubtedly a relatively "legitimate" way to enter the Netherworld, but the risks were equally unknown. What would be the "fare" demanded by the Ferryman? And the "River of Forgetfulness" itself, according to myths and legends, was an extremely perilous river.

He carefully put away the guiding incense sticks and then took out the [Tattered Military Token] that had dropped from the Ghost General. The token felt heavy in his hand, its edges damaged. The front was engraved with a blurred character "Xiao," while the back depicted a fragmented image of a battlefield with beacon fires. He injected spiritual energy again, and the blurred map appeared, pointing to a place called "Blood Barrier."

"The edge of the ancient battlefield... unstable space..." Su Yan recalled Hui Ming's description. This was clearly another high-level area, possibly related to an important side quest or hidden storyline, but definitely not a place he could go to now.

Pushing these distracting thoughts aside for the moment, Su Yan began to plan his next course of action. His level had increased to 32, he was familiar with his new skills, Star Vortex had completed its evolution, and the Compass's functions had been enhanced. His basic objectives had been achieved. The core of the next step was to prepare for entering the Netherworld.

Should he immediately find a suitable location to use the guiding incense and try to contact the Ferryman? Or should he first use the Compass's [Energy Trace] function to continue sweeping through some of the End Times Cult's strongholds in the human world, further enhance his strength, and gather more intelligence about the Netherworld?

As he weighed the pros and cons, outside the inn window, in the night sky above Flowing Cloud Gathering, a faint, almost imperceptible streak of black light, like a meteor traveling in reverse, silently streaked across the sky, its direction seemingly towards Lanruo Temple.

Su Yan did not notice this anomaly. But deep within his sea of consciousness, the black skull mark, suppressed by the Compass's silver light, twitched imperceptibly, chillingly.

As the night deepened, Flowing Cloud Gathering gradually quieted down. However, beneath the calm surface, the undercurrents seemed to never stop surging.