228: Chapter 228 Bai Ling Researches Magic to Eliminate Cthulhu Influence

The morning light had just climbed onto the eaves of the Main Hall. Chen Wuwang was still standing at the edge of the high platform, wind pouring in from the mountain pass, whipping his silver-white hair ends with a snapping sound.

The Mechanical Prosthetic Eye in his left eye was still automatically scanning for residual spiritual energy in the air, a countdown silently ticking in the corner of his vision: [05:16:41].

The purple-black mist left behind by the battle last night had not yet fully dispersed, floating above the Medicinal Field like an invisible oil film.

Occasionally, a low-frequency hum would brush past his ears, like someone striking rusted iron plates in the distance, intermittent and unsettling to the mind.

He was about to turn back to the hall, but his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the west side of the medicinal garden—that "Pavilion of Nature" which remained closed year-round—emitting a faint azure light through the window cracks.

The door was unlocked.

He gave it a gentle push, and the wooden hinges let out a dry, creaking sound.

No one spoke inside the room, only the rustling sound of pages turning.

Bai Ling knelt before a stone platform, her hands spread out and pressed onto an ancient scroll glowing with a cyan luster; tiny beads of blood seeped from her fingertips, winding down along the edges of the parchment.

Green light coiled around the pages like vines, attempting to awaken the slumbering text.

She heard the movement but did not even raise her head: "Do not come in."

Her voice was very soft, but her tone was unquestionable.

Chen Wuwang stopped at the doorway and did not move forward. He knew that this "Fragmented Codex of Forest Whispers" was one of the oldest forbidden books of the Elf Race, recording purification magic that had long been lost.

Legend had it that only by using one's Bloodline as a catalyst could the Seal of knowledge within be activated.

Bai Ling bit another finger and smeared the blood onto the cracks in the book spine.

The entire book shook violently, revealing twisted star maps and spiral incantations, and the air was instantly filled with a cold, pine-wood scent.

"Their voices should not belong to this world," she said in a low voice, as if speaking to herself, or perhaps responding to some existence within the book, "I will return the pure land."

The moment her words fell, the purple-black mist drifting outside the window suddenly fluctuated violently, as if torn by an invisible hand, and then dissipated.

Chen Wuwang narrowed his eyes.

It was effective.

But he did not move, nor did he speak.

He knew better than to disturb her now—once an ancient text of this level backlashed, the consequence would be mental derangement at best, or burning the heart to death on the spot at worst.

Bai Ling began to attempt combining incantations.

The first time, she layered "Life Retrospection" with "Wind of the Pure Realm" and chanted a double-syllable incantation.

The magic array lit up, but the energy went out of control; flames soared into the air, burning half of her draft.

She quickly pinched a Seal to interrupt it, coughing up a mouthful of blood foam tinged with green light.

The second time, she added the astrological trajectory of "Stardust Sin-Cleansing" and used crystals to set up a triple-ring array.

Halfway through the casting, the water flow froze into ice and shattered with a roar, the shards of ice cutting her arm.

She gritted her teeth to hold on, wiped the blood with her sleeve, and continued to rewrite the order of the runes.

The third time, she introduced the concept of frequency resonance—this was something she had realized from Chen Family Technology.

She remembered that sword strike from Chen Xiaodao; it did not rely on strength, but rather on precisely locking onto the contamination waveband and severing it with a single cut.

"If it can be heard... it can be severed." She murmured this sentence repeatedly, a flash of enlightenment crossing her eyes.

She took out a piece of discarded armor fragment—the very type of metal shard dismantled from the corpse of a Sentry Bug, its surface faintly revealing eerie patterns; those were the traces of Cthulhu contamination.

She placed the fragment in the center of the magic array, formed Seals with her hands, and began to chant in the ancient language of the Elf Race.

The blue-green light rose slowly, coiling out like vines, penetrating layer by layer into the metal texture.

This time, there was no explosion, no backlash.

The light became denser and steadier, like spring rain soaking into parched land.

After a few breaths, the eerie patterns on the armor faded completely, and even the air became clear.

Success.

Bai Ling released her hands, her whole body collapsing backward as if drained of strength, sliding down to sit on the floor with her back against the wall.

She was panting, her face pale, and her forehead covered in cold sweat, but her eyes were startlingly bright.

Only then did Chen Wuwang walk in.

He crouched down, and his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye initiated scan mode, with data streams scrolling rapidly:

[Mental Contamination Residue: 0%]

[Energy Stability: A-Rank]

[Structural Integrity: Intact].

He stared at that piece of armor for three seconds, then looked up at her.

"Can you try again?"

Bai Ling nodded, her voice weak but firm: "As long as there are enough Materials, I can clean everything that has been contaminated."

"What about people?" he asked, "Can contaminated people be saved too?"

She was silent for a moment: "I haven't tried... but I believe it is possible. As long as the consciousness hasn't completely disintegrated, there is a chance to pull them back."

Chen Wuwang said nothing more, simply tucking the purified armor fragment into his sleeve.

He stood up and walked toward the door with steady steps.

Walking to the door, he stopped again.

"Did you do this alone?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you ask for help?"

"This kind of magic, outsiders cannot help with," she leaned against the wall and chuckled softly, "And... I didn't want to let others take this risk."

Chen Wuwang looked back at her.

That glance held no particular emotion, but Bai Ling suddenly felt a warmth in her chest, as if something important had been silently noted by someone.

He walked out.

Sunlight had already blanketed the courtyard; from the distant Artifact Refining Workshop came the sound of metal being struck, and in the mecha maintenance area, someone was shouting work chants. A new day was underway.

He stood on the high platform, looking into the distance.

The direction of the Array Hall was quiet, but he knew that next, it would be the old folks' turn to take action.

He held the purified armor fragment in his hand; the edges were smooth, with no abnormalities.

That was enough.

He said in a low voice: "Next, it is their turn."

The wind swept up a fallen leaf, brushing past the tips of his boots and flying into the depths of the medicinal garden.

The door of the Pavilion of Nature was still open, Bai Ling sitting inside with her eyes closed, her breathing gradually becoming steady.

She did not know what would happen tomorrow, nor did she know if this magic would backlash.

But she knew that tonight, she had guarded a corner of peace for this land.

Outside the window, the last wisp of purple-black mist was blown away by the morning breeze and vanished.