Chapter 157: Chapter 156: Star Abyss Ritual?
Ian sat cross-legged in the center of the Array and took out the *Starry Sky Festival* Scroll.
He had acquired this Meditation Method a long time ago but had never found the time to switch.
Switching Meditation Methods required a stable Magic Power environment. Otherwise, it would be extremely risky.
He composed himself and slowly probed the scroll with his Spiritual Power.
BOOM!
A torrent of knowledge, more immense than he had anticipated, flooded his mind. Three-dimensional models of countless star trajectories, Rune structures, and Energy Circuits were seared into his consciousness.
[Advanced Meditation Method detected. Merge?]
"Yes."
The panel’s Light Curtain flickered faintly.
[Starry Sky Festival (Level 1): Mastery (1158/3200)]
Looking at the Skill Level on the panel, he noticed the "Star Moon Resonance" special effect was gone, but its effects hadn’t disappeared.
’Just as I thought. It inherited everything.’
He felt a sense of relief. This meant his previous Limit-Breaking efforts had not been in vain.
Without hesitation, he consumed a vial of Concentration Potion.
The Potion dissolved, and a cooling sensation instantly suffused his mind.
Ian closed his eyes and began to practice the Starry Sky Festival.
The first step: Visualization of the Star Map.
Within his Sea of Spirit, the original phantom image of the star and moon began to slowly rotate. The light from the eighty-one Will Runes gradually transformed.
The cold moonlight and sparse starlight gradually morphed into a vaster, denser array of stars.
It was like stepping out of a small courtyard and into the endless night sky.
HUMMM...
The boundaries of his Sea of Spirit began to faintly expand.
Ian could clearly feel the Star Moon Resonance effect strengthening. His connection to the external Star Force grew clearer and more stable.
Just then, deep within his Sea of Spirit, the long-dormant Abyssal Soul Contract mark suddenly trembled.
It was as if it had been awakened by a fluctuation from the depths of the starry sky.
Immediately after, a faint but exceptionally clear connection spread out from the Soul Contract.
It seemed to want to Link with some incomparably lofty existence.
[Link?]
A line of text suddenly appeared on the panel.
Ian was startled. He was about to interrupt his Meditation, but he paused when he saw the words.
’It should be fine... I have a Fire Wall, after all.’
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he weighed his options.
"Link."
From within the Abyssal Soul Contract, an invisible thread seemed to emerge, piercing the barrier of his Sea of Spirit and plunging deep into the Void.
Ian’s heart tightened.
Before he could react, a flow of energy came from the other end of the "thread"—cold, viscous, and carrying countless mad whispers!
It wasn’t Magic Power, but a more fundamental Spiritual Origin.
It was like the purest form of Spiritual Power, yet it had been infused with countless chaotic thoughts, screaming desires, and distorted information about Rules.
[High-dimensional Energy impact detected... Energy Source: Abyssal Will (trace infiltration)...
Contamination Intensity: Level Two... Purifying...]
The panel’s Light Curtain lit up instantly.
A silver vortex materialized in the center of his Sea of Spirit.
The influx of Abyssal Spiritual Energy plunged headfirst into the vortex.
Mad roars, distorted images, malicious temptations...
All the impurities, like ice and snow cast into a Furnace, were instantly vaporized and stripped away.
All that remained was a wisp of pale silver, pure Energy, as docile as water.
And... a small, fragmented yet clear piece of information about a Rule.
[Abyssal Rule Fragment: Demon’s Language (Incomplete)]
[Description: A temporary connection established through resonance of Spiritual Power frequencies. It allows for the one-way reception of projected Spiritual Energy and is commonly used for abyssal rituals, Will Erosion, and Power infusion.]
[Note: Link strength is directly proportional to frequency stability and is affected by the anchoring strength of the Rule Marks of both parties.]
The purified Energy automatically merged with his Sea of Spirit.
Ian could clearly feel his total Spiritual Power increase by a tiny fraction.
It wasn’t much.
Perhaps only equivalent to the gains of half an hour of normal Meditation.
But...
This was a freebie!
Moreover, the information about the Demon’s Language sparked an idea in his mind.
’Star Moon Resonance... the Rule-based Link of the Abyssal Soul Contract... the panel’s Purification...’
He suddenly understood something.
As a High Tier Meditation Method, the Starry Sky Festival involved the Visualization of the Star Rule.
Its essence was Order, vastness, and stability—a Cosmic Law.
The Abyssal Soul Contract, on the other hand, was a fundamental contractual Rule of the Abyss, representing Chaos, Erosion, and parasitism...
The two should have been as incompatible as fire and water.
But the existence of the panel, like an absolute Fire Wall, had forcefully filtered the "pollution" from the Abyss and turned it into "nourishment."
’In other words...’
Ian opened his eyes, a silver light swirling within them.
’So every time I practice the Starry Sky Festival and resonate with Star Force, the Abyssal Soul Contract is passively activated, "stealing" a wisp of Spiritual Energy from the Abyss?’
’Then the panel purifies it, and I absorb it?’
’This isn’t Cultivation; this is fleecing.’
’And I’m fleecing the Abyssal Will itself!’
He suppressed his excitement, closed his eyes again, and entered a state of Meditation.
Just as he’d thought...
Half an hour later, as his practice of the Starry Sky Festival entered a stable phase, the Soul Contract mark deep within his Sea of Spirit once again grew faintly hot.
Another wisp of contaminated Energy was drawn over.
The panel purified it, the pure Energy was absorbed, and his Sea of Spirit expanded by another fraction.
Although the amount was small each time, the process was continuous, stable, and came at virtually no cost.
Ian exited his Meditation and looked at the panel.
[Starry Sky Festival (Partial): Limit-Broken Once (1168/3200)]
In one hour, his Skill Level had increased by 10 points.
About three of those points were from the Abyssal Energy gained through the two Purifications.
’Does this mean my future Meditation efficiency will be permanently boosted by about forty percent?’
He let out a breath, calming the tremor in his heart.
It wasn’t just a matter of accelerated Cultivation; it also fed back a wisp of pure Spiritual Power to him for free.
Moreover, every time the panel performed a Purification, it would strip out "information fragments" about the Abyssal Rules.
Accumulated over the long term, his understanding of the Abyss would reach a terrifying level.
That was the true treasure.
’Still, I can’t rely entirely on this.’
Cultivation as a Level One Wizard was extremely slow, and his aptitude wasn’t very good to begin with.
After advancing to Level One Wizard, his Middle Level aptitude offered almost no help.
This was why the major Wizard Organizations held those with high-grade aptitude, and especially special-grade aptitude, in such high regard.
With an aptitude like his, it would have been incredibly difficult to advance to Level One Wizard in the first place, unless he encountered some heaven-sent opportunity.
Ian calmed himself. The amount of Abyssal Energy was still too small; it could only serve as a "supplement."
The real "main course" was still conventional Cultivation, and...
He looked at the Concentration Potion entry on the panel.
[Concentration Potion: Mastery (789/1600)]
He was only 811 points away from Limit-Breaking.
Once it was Limit-Broken, its effects would likely reach Tier One. Combined with the Starry Sky Festival, his Cultivation speed would experience a true leap.
’Starting tomorrow, I’ll grind the Concentration Potion with everything I’ve got.’
’And the Furnace Body Tempering Skill...’
Ian took the *Crimson Secret Scripture: Furnace Chapter* out of his Dimension Ring.
He’d never had much time to practice this Body Refining Secret Skill, which he had seized from Barton.
Now that he was back in the safety of the High Tower, it was time to begin.
He opened the book, his gaze falling on the first passage:
"Use blood as the furnace and essence as the fuel. Ignite the fire of life and temper an Indestructible Body..."
