Star Journey: Destiny Returns

After the trials of Windsong Valley, Yunxuan and Yaoyue's hearts grew stronger, as if their souls, swept by the wind, had gained unprecedented freedom. With the keen perception and unfettered will granted by the Wind Soul Wings, they continued to follow the star map's guidance, heading towards the next stage of their journey.

This time, the light of the star map led them into a desolate ruin. The ground was covered with broken stone slabs and shattered buildings. All around was silence, only the occasional wind blowing, stirring up fine sand. This desolate ruin was once a prosperous ancient city, destroyed by a mysterious disaster hundreds of years ago. Now, only shattered walls and an unsettling silence remained.

Yao Yue looked around, a hint of uneasiness on her face: "The atmosphere here seems to be filled with gloomy power, as if hiding some invisible crisis."

Yun Xuan nodded, his eyes solemn. "The star map has led us here, which means that there must be a supreme power here. But we must also be extremely careful. Perhaps the destruction of this ancient city is related to that power."

The two men cautiously made their way through the ruins, observing every blade of grass and tree around them. Though the ruins of this ancient city had long been abandoned, each wreckage still hinted at its former splendor, as if telling of its former glory. However, within these ruins, a faint ominous shadow loomed, a chilling aura that seemed to monitor their every move.

Suddenly, Yaoyue paused. She stared at a collapsed temple in front of her and whispered, "Yunxuan, this temple seems to be the core of this ancient city. Perhaps the clue to the ultimate taste is hidden inside."

Yunxuan nodded, and together they approached the temple's entrance. The temple's outer walls were dilapidated, the mottled stone carvings covered in the marks of time. As they entered, they encountered a dimly lit hall, the floor thick with dust. The surrounding stone walls were etched with vague reliefs, as if depicting a mysterious ritual.

They carefully examined the relief patterns. Yao Yue's eyes fell on one of the patterns and she said in surprise, "These reliefs seem to describe an ancient sacrificial ritual, perhaps for some kind of ultimate taste."

Yunxuan observed the pattern carefully and nodded, "The ancient city once had an extremely prosperous sacrificial culture, and the objects of their sacrifice were most likely some kind of spiritual creatures with mysterious powers." He continued to observe along the pattern and found that at the end of the pattern was a tall stone statue, with a glowing stone cup in its hands.

Yao Yue also noticed the stone statue and whispered, "Perhaps that stone cup is the core of their sacrifice, and what is contained within it is the ultimate delicacy we are looking for."

The two continued to approach the statue. Just as they were about to examine the stone cup, the air within the temple suddenly chilled. A chilling aura slowly gathered from the surroundings, as if some dormant power had been quietly awakened by their arrival. Yunxuan and Yaoyue immediately became alert, observing their surroundings with vigilance, their spiritual energy rapidly coursing through their bodies, ready to respond to any emergency.

Suddenly, a black shadow emerged from a dark corner. The shadow floated in the air and gradually condensed into a hazy figure. The figure carried an extremely strong resentment, as if the entire temple had fallen into a deeper gloom because of its appearance.

Yao Yue frowned and whispered, "It seems that the destruction of this ancient city is related to this vengeful spirit. Its resentment is so deep, perhaps it is the result of the resentment generated by the failed sacrifice."

The shadow let out a deep roar that seemed to penetrate the defenses of people's hearts, making them feel uneasy. Yun Xuan's heart trembled, and he gathered his spiritual power, swinging his sword directly at the shadow. "No matter who you are, you can't stop us!"

The shadow was enraged, its resentment growing thicker, and an invisible pressure seemed to fill the air. It suddenly lunged at them, and Yao Yue reacted quickly, swinging her silver blade with a flash of cold light, piercing the shadow. The shadow let out a shrill roar the instant it was struck, but quickly condensed in the air again.

Seeing this scene, Yun Xuan whispered, "This vengeful spirit doesn't seem to be afraid of external forces. Only by finding the source of its resentment can we truly destroy it!"

Yaoyue nodded, turned her eyes, and noticed a stone tablet on the other side of the temple with some unclear words engraved on it. She immediately walked forward and carefully examined the words.

"This stone tablet mentions that this temple once enshrined a supreme delicacy, 'Moonlight Nectar,' which could purify the soul and prevent it from falling into resentment." Yao Yue's expression was a touch shocked. "It seems that this vengeful spirit appeared because it failed to be purified by the nectar, and was therefore devoured by the powerful spiritual power of the sacrifice, transforming into a vengeful spirit."

Yun Xuan's eyes glared, and he whispered, "That is, this vengeful spirit needs nectar to appease its grievances. We must find the Moonlight Nectar, otherwise it will linger here forever."

However, finding the nectar in this abandoned temple was no easy task. The two exchanged glances and quickly split up to search for any possible hiding places. As they explored the temple, the shadow's resentment grew stronger, as if sensing their plans to destroy it, and the vengeful spirit attacked them furiously.

Beneath a ruined wall, Yunxuan discovered a hidden stone box. The lid of the box was engraved with a crescent moon, emitting a faint glow. He gently lifted the lid and found a small bottle of crystal-clear liquid lying quietly inside, emitting a faint fragrance. It was the legendary moonlit nectar.

Yunxuan quickly took out the nectar and signaled Yaoyue to prepare for action. The two stood before the vengeful spirit. Yunxuan held up the nectar and said firmly, "If the resentment in your heart is caused by the nectar, then let it dissolve here today and restore your soul to purity."

Before he finished speaking, Yunxuan slowly sprinkled the nectar towards the vengeful spirit. As the nectar dripped, the vengeful spirit let out a shrill roar, as if the resentment in its heart had been alleviated. The black shadow gradually became thinner under the purification of the nectar, and finally turned into a wisp of light smoke and dissipated into the air.

The chill within the temple gradually dissipated, and the air became fresh and warm, as if this ancient relic had finally found true peace. Yunxuan and Yaoyue quietly watched the dissipating vengeful spirits, their hearts filled with respect for these departed souls.

Yao Yue sighed, "Every delicious dish seems to be more than just food; it carries the deepest desires and obsessions of the human heart. The moonlit nectar not only grants us the power of purification, but also allows us to see the longings and unwillingness of these lives."

Yun Xuan nodded and said solemnly, "The ultimate taste is more than just satisfying the appetite; it is also a carrier of the mysterious power of heaven and earth, embodying the will of all living things. Every time we gain power, we understand more clearly that only by truly understanding the essence of these powers can we be worthy of their existence."

They put away the lingering fragrance of the nectar and silently left this ancient city filled with regrets, continuing on their journey with awe. As they walked, the star map flickered again, and new guidance appeared before their eyes. The journey ahead was still unknown, but it was filled with endless power and expectation.