Chapter 186: A Rare Peace
Finally, I decided to give it a try.
I was extremely cautious, treating it as if it were the most explosive chemical. I first used the cloud and thunder patterns to stabilize my mental strength, and then carefully tested it, only absorbing the relatively pure "illusory essence".
The process was slow and agonizing, like dancing on the edge of a knife. With each ray of energy absorbed, the perception of illusory authority grew clearer, but Gali's whispers also grew slightly stronger. They were born from the same source, difficult to separate.
Ultimately, I absorbed less than a tenth of the remaining energy before I had to stop. My strength had recovered considerably, and my understanding of the illusion had deepened. However, this, in turn, intensified my entanglement with Gali's power. Blessings often come with misfortunes.
As for those fragments of memory that belonged to An Xiaowei, I had no idea what to do and could only try to use lenses to see if I could temporarily seal them.
But it's of no use.
At this moment, I suddenly remembered that Lin Hanning had given me a box that could hold the "illusion crystal".
I'm going to call it the "stasis box" for now.
At present, my grasp of illusory authority has further deepened, and I have enough ability to contain the "illusion crystal". Is it possible to use the stasis box to contain An Xiaowei's memory fragments?
It sounds a bit far-fetched, but it is possible.
Never mind, let’s try it first.
I took out the stasis box and casually threw the "illusion crystal" into the mirror space.
Then, he carefully guided the stripped-off memory fragments belonging to An Xiaowei into the box and sealed it.
Now wasn't the time to investigate; a single mistake could lead to her obsession backfiring. Perhaps in the future, these fragments could provide valuable information about the Secret Garden Society, the Old Gods, and her other plans.
After feeling that my condition was slightly more stable and I could at least perform mirror jumps, I immediately took Xiaobai back to the "Rose Salon" of the Secret Garden Club.
Appearing in the magnificent Star Sea Hall again, Guide 07 quickly found me.
"Ms. Ji Ling, welcome back. Ms. Lin Hanning is waiting for you." Its electronic sound remained steady.
In Lin Hanning's room overlooking the starry sea, she looked at my still pale face and the energy fluctuations that I couldn't completely conceal, and smiled knowingly: "It seems that the trip to Binhai Town has both rewards and risks. Have you completed the data collection?"
I nodded, threw the stasis box to her, and then packaged and transmitted the environmental data recorded in my mind about the "Mirror of the Heart" in Hanwan, the frequency of abnormal fluctuations, and finally the energy composition of An Xiaowei's ritual field at the observatory.
Lin Hanning didn't open the stasis box. He just took a look at the data I transmitted and said, "It's about the same as I expected."
Then, she narrowed her eyes with a hint of joy and said to me, "You're truly a formidable researcher... This data is extremely valuable, especially the structure of the possession ritual. It will be very helpful in helping us understand the methods of the Old Gods and their followers."
Lin Hanning fulfilled his promise without hesitation. Soon, a staff member brought a reagent emitting a soft white light.
"This is the 'Stigmata' purification reagent, one of the Association's latest research achievements," Lin Hanning introduced. "It can effectively neutralize most known types of evil god contamination, especially residual marks and whisper interference on the spiritual level. It should be helpful for your current condition. Just inject it directly into the vein."
I took the reagent and didn't use it immediately. Instead, I looked at her and said, "Is there any additional price?" The Secret Garden Society never does charity.
"The data you brought back has already been partially paid for." Lin Hanning smiled slightly and continued, "You are already one of us. Besides, the reagents can only neutralize the contamination for you. If you want to completely eliminate the contamination, you still have to rely on your own mental strength."
At this point, she jokingly said to me, "Or I can purify it for you directly, and then you can give me an extra reward?"
"No." I raised my eyebrows slightly to reject her proposal, then took the reagent back to the temporary lounge provided by the Secret Garden Association.
The injection process is not painful and is no different from a normal injection.
But the effect was obvious, like a clear spring, slowly sorting out my chaotic mental power. Under the influence of this power, those stubborn whispers and pollution marks belonging to Gali slowly melted and weakened like snow in the sun.
Then I activated my mental power, constantly washing away the remaining pollution and assimilating the power bit by bit.
I sat there until midnight. When I opened my eyes again, I felt a rare sense of peace in my heart.
Although Gali's residual pollution has not been completely purified, with the suppression of inhibitors, these pollutions will not cause any negative effects on me in the short term. I just need to speed up the time to remove the pollution and refine the power.
The salon will last for a week. After thinking for a while, I decided to stay here for the whole week. The salon venue of the Secret Garden Society is safer, and I can continue to remove the remaining pollution of the Gali power without interference. During this period, I can also learn more about the Secret Garden Society.
After making up my mind, I threw myself into the soft goose down bed and fell into a deep sleep.
…
Seven days flew by, and the Secret Garden Club's salon felt like a holiday resort. No one had the melancholy of a post-apocalyptic future. They only held a meeting on the second day of the salon, sharing their intelligence and data and entrusting each other with tasks. The rest of the time, most people were busy with their own affairs or enjoying the rare peace and quiet.
On the last day, the remaining pollution in the body had been almost removed. After all, Gali was an old god, and I was always fighting against the pollution from Gali. Now with the technical support provided by the Secret Garden, removing the pollution was not a difficult task.
During this period, I occasionally felt the faith of the new members. It seemed that the Black Dragon Gang was doing quite well, which at least proved that they were safe for the time being.
The salon is over, and it’s about time for me to go back to the Black Dragon Gang.
…
As soon as I stepped out of the mirror and returned to the vicinity of the base, I keenly noticed the changes.
The sense of panic in the air faded a lot, replaced by a strange atmosphere with a faint expectation and a certain sense of collective identity.
The defensive fortifications outside the stronghold seemed to have been reinforced and expanded. The patrol members' eyes were still alert, but less numb, more sharp and with an indescribable confidence.
Suppressing the doubts in my heart, I stepped into the gate of the stronghold.
But when I walked into the gate of the stronghold, even greater changes came into view.
In the center of the stronghold, in the open space originally used for gatherings, stood a rough yet quite charming gray-white stone statue.
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