91: Chapter 91 Three Days

Sunday, 8:00 PM, Secret Base.

Chen Zhen sat cross-legged in the center of the Eight-Talisman Chain Array, with three simplified Celestial Star Arrays pasted on the walls and six pots of spiritual plants surrounding him.

The purified star core fragment lay before him, emitting a pure, dark blue light.

Three days.

Changbai Mountain, the source.

He needed to become stronger within these three days.

He activated [Star Core: Second Layer], and the spinning speed of the spiritual pearl in his Dantian instantly soared.

Stellar Energy surged like a tidal wave into his Meridians, causing every micro-vessel to heat up slightly.

He took the stack of blank Talisman paper out of his Storage Space and began to draw Talismans.

They were not ordinary Talismans, but the complete version of the Celestial Star Array—three hundred and sixty points.

He couldn't draw them before because his spiritual power wasn't enough.

Now that he had fused two fragments, his spiritual power limit was 300, so he could give it a try.

He prepared the Talisman ink, infused it with Stellar Energy, and lifted his brush.

The first point, tip touched the paper.

A speck of starlight lit up on the Talisman paper.

The second point, tip touched the paper.

A line formed between the two points.

The third point, the fourth point, the fifth point...

An hour passed, and all three hundred and sixty points were drawn.

When the final stroke fell, the entire Talisman paper erupted in a blinding golden light, illuminating the entire Secret Base as if it were broad daylight.

The light lasted for ten seconds before slowly fading away.

[Celestial Star Array: Complete Version (360 points)]

[Effect: Draws upon the power of the celestial stars, Cultivation efficiency +500%, duration 3 hours]

[Side Effect: Spiritual power consumption +300%, meridian pressure +500%]

[Quality: Top Grade]

Chen Zhen looked at this Talisman, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward.

500% efficiency, three hours.

It was equivalent to fifteen hours of normal Cultivation.

He picked up the Talisman and stuck it on the north wall.

Instantly, the concentration of Spiritual Qi in the entire base began to soar.

300%, 400%, 500%—

Thirty seconds later, it stabilized at 520%.

[Celestial Star Array: Complete Version activated]

[Effect: Spiritual Qi concentration +520%, spiritual power circulation speed +400%]

[Duration: 3 hours]

[Meridian pressure: +500%]

Chen Zhen took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged.

The spiritual pearl in his Dantian began to spin crazily, and Stellar Energy flooded into his body like a tsunami.

Every meridian was heating up, and every micro-vessel was expanding.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the tearing pain.

Three hours.

Hold on.

At 1:00 AM, Chen Zhen opened his eyes.

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Level 4, 788/1800]

It increased by 150 points in three hours.

His Meridians were swollen painfully, but still within a tolerable range.

He stood up and stretched his body.

Two more days.

He walked to the workbench and took out the stack of blank Talisman paper.

Keep drawing.

Two more 360-point arrays.

At 6:00 AM on Monday, Chen Zhen opened his eyes right on time.

He hadn't slept all night, but he felt refreshed.

There were three more Celestial Star Arrays on the wall, making a total of four.

He activated [Fragment Perception].

Sixteen points of light.

The middle-aged man at Qi Refining Level 7 in the northeast was still in the same place.

The old man due north was still in seclusion.

Yun Xi was in the southeast, motionless.

The green dot at Changbai Mountain was also in the same place.

The green dot at Wuyi Mountain hadn't moved either.

There were also five red dots scattered across various locations.

And that black source—it was still at Kunlun Mountain.

He withdrew his perception and stood up.

It was Monday, and he had class.

But he didn't intend to go.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Old Zhao: "I need to take three days off, something came up at home."

Three seconds later, Old Zhao replied: "Reason?"

Chen Zhen replied: "Personal matter."

Old Zhao was silent for a few seconds, then replied with one word: "Fine."

He put away his phone and walked over to the pots of spiritual plants.

The six pots of spiritual plants were growing amazingly well under the support of the Celestial Star Arrays.

The four soul-calming grass plants had bloomed six more flowers, the Mint leaves were dense, and that wild soul-calming grass had even started to seed.

He picked the six flowers, ground them into powder, and obtained another fifteen grams of anshen flower powder.

Then he took out the purified fragment and began to study it.

Using [Internal Vision], the internal structure of this fragment was the same as the previous one, but it had something extra.

Tiny golden patterns spread across the entire fragment like blood vessels.

He tried injecting a trace of spiritual power.

The fragment lit up instantly, the light condensing into a point of light that hovered above his palm.

Inside the point of light, an image appeared.

A snow-capped mountain.

On the summit stood a person in black.

He was facing away from the scene, his face unclear, but he radiated a dense black aura.

It was exactly the same as the red light that erupted from The Out-of-Controls before death.

The image lasted for three seconds before dissipating.

[Fragment Memory activated]

[Location: Changbai Mountain]

[Target: The source]

Chen Zhen stared at his palm for a long time.

This fragment had seen the source.

And it had left this information for him.

He put away the fragment and stood up.

The source was at Changbai Mountain.

Not Kunlun Mountain?

He reactivated [Fragment Perception] and stared at the black point of light.

Kunlun Mountain.

But the fragment memory showed the source was at Changbai Mountain.

Which one was real?

He didn't know.

But he knew that once he went there, he would find out.

On Monday at noon, there was a knock on the door of the Secret Base.

Chen Zhen opened the door, and Zhou Rui was standing outside.

"Master, you didn't go to school today."

Chen Zhen stepped aside to let him in.

Zhou Rui walked into the base, his gaze sweeping over the Talismans covering the walls, the four Celestial Star Arrays, and the six pots of spiritual plants, finally landing on the purified fragment.

"This is..."

"A star core fragment," Chen Zhen said.

Zhou Rui stared at the fragment for a long time.

"Can I... touch it?"

Chen Zhen nodded.

Zhou Rui reached out and gently touched the surface of the fragment.

The fragment lit up slightly, then dimmed again.

Zhou Rui withdrew his hand, his expression somewhat complex.

"It... seems to know me."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"Know you?"

Zhou Rui nodded.

"Just a moment ago, an image flashed through my mind. An old man, wearing old clothes, standing in the snow. He looked back at me and smiled."

Grandpa Shen Mo.

Chen Zhen was silent for a few seconds.

"Your grandfather, has he been to Changbai Mountain?"

Zhou Rui was taken aback.

"I don't know. He never said."

Chen Zhen looked at the fragment.

Grandpa Shen Mo had been to Changbai Mountain.

And he had seen the source.

"After you go back, try again," Chen Zhen said. "If you see any more images, write them down."

Zhou Rui nodded.

He turned to leave, then suddenly stopped.

"Master, are you going on a long trip?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"Why do you ask?"

Zhou Rui pointed at the four Celestial Star Arrays.

"Usually you only paste three. Today you pasted four, and the Spiritual Qi is much denser than before. You are preparing to leave."

Chen Zhen was silent for two seconds.

"The day after tomorrow, I'm going to Changbai Mountain."

Zhou Rui was taken aback.

"Changbai Mountain? What for?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer.

Zhou Rui waited for two seconds; seeing that he wouldn't speak, he didn't ask again.

"Master, take care."

He pushed the door open and left.

Chen Zhen watched the door close, then turned and walked back to the center of the array.

The day after tomorrow.

Changbai Mountain.

The source.

He sat cross-legged and continued Cultivating.

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Level 4, 823/1800]

Tuesday, 10:00 PM.

Chen Zhen stood in the center of the base, checking his equipment one last time.

Talismans: 500 (200 Attack Talismans, 150 Defense Talismans, 100 Protective Talismans, 50 Invisibility Talismans).

Spiritual plants: 50 grams of anshen flower powder, 100 Mint leaves.

Fragments: Two fused, one purified but not fused.

Medicinal Pill: None (cannot refine).

Weapons: None (Talismans are weapons).

Is it enough?

He didn't know.

But this was all he could muster for now.

He activated [Fragment Perception].

Sixteen points of light.

Yun Xi was at the foot of Changbai Mountain, motionless.

The green dot at Changbai Mountain was also there.

The green dot at Wuyi Mountain had also started to move, heading north.

There were five red dots, two had moved, three were still.

The black source—

He stared at that point of light.

It was still at Kunlun Mountain.

But the fragment memory showed the source was at Changbai Mountain.

Which one was real?

He withdrew his perception and took a deep breath.

Regardless of which one was real, he would know once he went there.

He walked out of the base and looked up at the night sky.

The Big Dipper hung in the zenith, starlight cascading down, echoing the Stellar Energy in his Dantian.

Tomorrow, departure.