Free Web NovelChapter 150: Chapter 150: Star Library Settlement
The settlement screen appeared as the team rose through the surface archive exit.
The Sunken Star Library sank beneath them, its shelves folding into starlight. Books closed. Star locks dimmed. The dark water became clear for a moment, revealing a vast archive far larger than anything they had explored.
Then the panel appeared.
[Floor 29: Sunken Star Library]
[Main Mission: Retrieve one valid star record and reach surface archive exit — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Avoid forbidden record backlash — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Defeat 10 Star Ink Guardians — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Preserve team memory clarity — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Discover one hidden archive chamber — Completed.]
[Hidden Record Retrieved:
Seal Wounds Caused by Eclipse-Type Rituals]
[Forbidden Archive Warden defeated.]
[Forbidden title exposure contained.]
[Calculating final evaluation...]
The result appeared.
[Final Evaluation: SSS]
Rewards followed.
[SSS Evaluation Rewards]
EXP +15,000
Tower Coins x200,000
S Grade Sunken Star Library Chest x1
S Grade Star Record Crystal x1
S Grade Knowledge Backlash Shield x1
A Grade Star Ink Essence Bundle x1
A Grade Archive Memory Pearl x1
Special Mark: Hidden Archive Reader
Additional hidden reward:
[Forbidden Backlash Avoided]
SS Grade Forbidden Title Sealing Bookmark x1
SS Grade Star-Water Thought Cleansing Crystal x1
Qin Yuheng accepted the rewards silently.
The real reward was the record.
When they returned to the academy, Yu Qingmei immediately noticed his expression.
"You found something."
"Yes."
"Blood Sun?"
"Crimson Eclipse."
Her face became grave.
He gave her a limited version of the record. Not everything connected to Qin Zhengyuan. But enough to confirm that Crimson Eclipse involved dormant ritual anchors and vessel preparation.
Yu Qingmei read it twice.
"This is above ordinary academy investigation."
"I know."
"I will send this through secure channels, but carefully. If the wrong people see it, Blood Sun may learn what you know."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
At the Qin Estate, the full record was shown only to the core family.
Qin Zhengyuan read it calmly.
Too calmly.
Mu Qinglan’s hand tightened around the edge of the table.
Qin Wanshan’s expression became ancient and cold.
Gu Tianhe’s aura almost leaked.
The key line remained:
Removing surface corruption without understanding the anchor may awaken the ritual prematurely.
Qin Yuheng felt a chill.
Every healing step they had taken had been careful. But now they understood why caution mattered even more.
Qin Zhengyuan placed the crystal down.
"So I am an anchor."
Mu Qinglan said sharply, "You are not a thing."
He looked at her and smiled faintly.
"No. But the wound treats me like one."
Qin Yuheng’s voice was low.
"We will remove it."
Qin Zhengyuan looked at him.
"Carefully."
"Yes."
Qin Wanshan spoke after a long silence.
"From now on, no major treatment without anchor analysis."
Qin Mo, who had been allowed into the meeting because of formation expertise, nodded quickly.
"We need a ritual map. Blood, seal, bone, spirit, maybe moon and command components. If we remove one side too much, imbalance may awaken the anchor."
Mu Qinglan looked at him with approval.
Qin Mo seemed startled by that and sat straighter.
Qin Yuheng evolved the Sunken Star Library Chest later.
[S Grade Sunken Star Library Chest]
↓
[SSS Grade Ancient Star Archive Sovereign Chest]
Contents:
[SSS Grade Star Archive Heart Crystal x1]
[SS Grade Skill Book: Star Thought Thunder Step x1]
[SS Grade Forbidden Knowledge Shield Seal x1]
[S Grade Living Record Quill x1]
[S Grade Archive Guardian Page x3]
The Forbidden Knowledge Shield Seal was placed with the family’s soul-defense treasures.
The Living Record Quill became invaluable. It could record complex ritual structures without absorbing corruption, as long as supplied with purified ink.
Qin Mo nearly cried. freewebnσvel.cøm
"This is perfect for mapping the anchor."
The Forbidden Title Sealing Bookmark was enhanced into an SSS Grade Forbidden Concept Sealing Bookmark, able to seal dangerous record titles or knowledge fragments temporarily.
This mattered because merely reading certain titles could trigger backlash.
The Star Record Crystal was copied into secure memory layers.
That night, Qin Yuheng stood outside his father’s treatment chamber.
The Moonlit Gentle Soul Lamp glowed softly inside.
Qin Zhengyuan slept calmly, but now Qin Yuheng knew that beneath that calm was a dormant ritual anchor placed by enemies who had planned far deeper than simple injury.
Floor 30 was next.
Third Gate threshold.
A gate trial after such knowledge would not be ordinary.
The file arrived at dawn.
[Floor 30: Third Gate — Path and Burden Trial]
Type:
Gate threshold / class development / authority test / personal path pressure.
Warning:
Previous unresolved burdens may manifest.
Qin Mo read the warning and closed his eyes.
"Unresolved burdens. We have many."
Qin Yuheng looked toward his father’s chamber.
"Yes."
The Third Gate was waiting.
And it already knew what weighed on him.
