Free Web NovelChapter 129: Chapter 129: The Blue Guide Lantern
The settlement of Thousand Lantern River unfolded beneath pale dawn light.
The river behind them faded slowly, but the small blue lantern remained in Qin Yuheng’s hand. Its flame did not burn hot. It gave off a quiet, steady light that made the mind feel anchored.
The Tower panel appeared.
[Floor 22: Thousand Lantern River]
[Main Mission: Escort the lantern boat across the river before dawn — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Protect at least 5 river travelers — Completed.]
[River Travelers Protected: 7 / 7]
[Sub-Mission: Identify 3 false lanterns — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Prevent memory loss from exceeding 30% — Completed.]
[Final Team Memory Loss: 13%]
[Sub-Mission: Avoid capsizing the boat — Completed.]
[Hidden Objective: Discover and follow true guide lantern — Completed.]
[Floor Boss: Thousand Lantern River Keeper defeated.]
[Calculating final evaluation...]
The result came without surprise but with satisfaction.
[Final Evaluation: SSS]
Qin Mo leaned against the ferry rail, even though the ferry was already dissolving.
"I survived another transportation floor."
Qin Lian looked at the blue lantern.
"It stayed."
Qin Yuchen nodded. "Special reward."
The rewards appeared.
[SSS Evaluation Rewards]
EXP +9,200
Tower Coins x130,000
S Grade Thousand Lantern River Chest x1
S Grade Blue Guide Lantern x1
S Grade Memory Anchor Water x1
A Grade River Keeper Core x1
A Grade False Lantern Wick x3
A Grade Soul River Pearl x1
Special Mark: True Lantern Follower
Additional perfect traveler reward:
[All Travelers Protected]
SS Grade Lantern Boat Protection Charm x1
SS Grade Drowned Memory Cleansing Crystal x1
Qin Yuheng looked at the Blue Guide Lantern.
It was already S grade before evolution.
Useful.
Perhaps extremely useful.
The return light carried them back to the academy.
Yu Qingmei listened to the report quietly, especially the part about the silent girl and the true guide lantern.
"Some Tower remnants are keys," she said. "You treated her as a person rather than a clue. That may be why the lantern stayed."
Qin Yuheng did not answer immediately.
Then he said, "She felt real."
Yu Qingmei nodded.
"That is often enough."
At the Qin Estate, the Blue Guide Lantern drew Mu Qinglan’s attention immediately.
She held her hand near the flame but did not touch it.
"This lantern guides through memory fog."
Qin Yuheng nodded. "It resisted false lanterns."
Qin Zhengyuan looked at it thoughtfully.
"It may help during treatments if Blood Sun residue causes memory distortion."
Qin Wanshan agreed, but cautioned against using it too soon.
Qin Yuheng evolved the S Grade Thousand Lantern River Chest first.
[S Grade Thousand Lantern River Chest]
↓
[SSS Grade Ancient Soul River Lantern Chest]
Opening it produced:
[SSS Grade Ancient Soul River Guide Lantern x1]
[SS Grade Skill Book: Soul Lantern Thunder Step x1]
[SS Grade Memory River Protection Seal x1]
[S Grade True Guide Wick x1]
[S Grade Spirit Ferry Token x1]
Then he inspected the original Blue Guide Lantern.
[S Grade Blue Guide Lantern]
[Effect: Guides through memory fog, weakens false path lures, stabilizes travelers, resists soul-river confusion.]
[Eligible for Primordial Origin Evolution.]
He enhanced it.
[S Grade Blue Guide Lantern]
↓
[SSS Grade True Soul Guiding Lantern]
[Effect: Strongly resists false path lures, memory fog, soul river confusion, dream-route misdirection, and guide impostors. Can mark a safe direction through certain illusion, river, fog, and soul-path environments.]
This became another core defensive treasure.
Qin Mo stared at the growing list of soul, memory, dream, voice, reflection, and contract protections.
"Our estate is becoming allergic to deception."
Qin Wanshan smiled.
"Good."
The Memory Anchor Water was enhanced in quantity.
[S Grade Memory Anchor Water x1]
↓
[S Grade Memory Anchor Water x50]
These could be used by family members and Silent Heaven elites before entering dream, illusion, or soul floors.
The Drowned Memory Cleansing Crystal was placed near the True Self Soul Anchor Crystal, strengthening the family’s ability to cleanse false memories and lingering dream residue.
The Spirit Ferry Token was sealed away. It could possibly grant special access in future river-type or soul-transition floors.
Qin Yuheng kept the True Soul Guiding Lantern personally, though it could be lent to family during treatment.
That night, Qin Zhengyuan used diluted Memory Anchor Water under Mu Qinglan’s supervision.
It did not heal his wound directly.
But it helped him remember dreams without pain.
For years, Blood Sun Corrosion had given him nightmares that vanished upon waking, leaving only fear and exhaustion. That night, he woke and remembered the dream clearly: a battlefield, a red sun, and a broken seal.
For the first time, they gained a clue from his nightmare.
He described it to Qin Wanshan.
"Crimson altar. Nine chains. A spear broken through the center. Someone wearing a sun mask said the Qin seal was not destroyed, only sleeping."
Qin Wanshan’s expression became grave.
Mu Qinglan’s eyes turned silver-cold.
Qin Yuheng listened carefully.
The phrase mattered.
The Qin seal was not destroyed, only sleeping.
Blood Sun Hall was not only interested in Qin blood.
They wanted something connected to an ancient Qin seal.
Qin Zhengyuan looked at Qin Yuheng.
"This is why I warned you not to chase only healing. Healing reveals memory. Memory reveals enemies. Enemies reveal deeper traps."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"I understand."
Qin Wanshan placed a hand on the table.
"From now on, every recovered dream, seal reaction, and Blood Sun clue will be recorded separately. We do not act on one memory."
Gu Tianhe agreed.
"Patterns first. Revenge later."
Qin Yuheng stored the phrase in his mind.
The Tower was giving him tools not only to grow stronger, but to uncover buried truth.
But truth, like power, had timing.
The next floor file arrived two days later.
[Floor 23: Red Thorn Labyrinth]
Type:
Maze / plant monsters / blood-draining vines / path memory.
Warning: freёweɓnovel.com
The labyrinth changes when blood is spilled.
Qin Mo read it and groaned.
"A maze that reacts to blood. Wonderful. The plants have opinions."
Qin Yuheng looked at the warning.
After a river of memories came a labyrinth of blood.
He had a feeling Blood Sun Hall would pay close attention to this floor.
