Back at the epicenter, the Silent Gale Hunters' Captain, Feng Yao, the woman in storm-grey robes, received the whisper from her plump deputy. 

"Captain," the deputy murmured, her voice low and steady, audible only to the woman. As per your orders, everyone within the fifteen-mile radius has been successfully evacuated."

Fang Yao gave the slightest, almost imperceptible nod, her winter-sky eyes still locked on her "big brother Lin." 

The stage her brother had so cruelly set was now, at least, cleared of innocent civilians, reducing the potential collateral damage to human lives.

With that confirmation, a new layer of resolve seemed to settle over the Captain. 

The faint sorrow in her eyes was now overlaid with a steely determination.

The cult leader, Feng Lin, still reveling in the power surge from the corrupted knife, seemed oblivious to the quiet exchange or the massive rescue operation that had just unfolded. 

His focus was entirely on his sister, his body visibly thrumming with the dark energy coursing through him, the blood veins on his arm and chest pulsing with a brighter, more malevolent crimson. 

He was a caricature of power, bloated and unstable, while she was the picture of focused, contained strength.

The three Ferals, still poised to attack, twitched impatiently, their glowing red eyes darting between the Silent Gale Hunters and the unholy figure of their master, awaiting the final command to unleash their fury. 

The standoff stretched for another taut second, the ruined street a silent arena for the impending clash.

That was the last scene Su Mu saw, as Feng Yao, standing resolute against the monstrously transformed Feng Lin, before the doors of the armored transport slid shut, cocooning her and Xu'er in its relative quiet. 

The vehicle moved smoothly, quickly pulling away from the center of destruction, joining a convoy of other emergency transports.

However, even at such a distance, as they were ferried towards the larger medical camp, they could still feel the violent fluctuations of the battle. 

The ground, or rather the small floating island of the entire Emberlight District, trembled now and then with deep, resonating shockwaves. 

It was like miniature earthquakes happening intermittently, each one a testament to the ferocious power being unleashed whenever Feng Lin and Feng Yao clashed. 

The air itself seemed to hum with strong spiritual power fluctuations. 

As B-rank awakeners, the power they contained in their bodies was not small, and their conflict was undoubtedly reshaping the very landscape of that ruined street.

Inside the transport, Xu Er was uncharacteristically quiet, her usual playful smirk replaced by a grim line. 

She stared out of the reinforced viewport, not speaking much. 

Su Mu, despite her own swirling emotions like fear, awe, and a strange sense of detachment from the sheer scale of it all, turned her focus back onto her attribute panel.

[Source Power: 2.03%]

She had been able to collect two full points of Source Power from the maelstrom of emotions and spiritual energy. 

The second point had clicked over just as the transport was pulling away, fueled by the lingering terror and the initial shockwaves of the B-rank fight. 

Her attribute bar was still slowly collecting energy…

However, the efficiency was now much slower than it had been during the height of the cultists' ritual or the immediate aftermath of the lightning strike. 

The raw, concentrated despair had dissipated or been moved beyond her immediate siphoning range. 

But thanks to the medical facilities they were heading towards, which were gathering all the injured and emotionally distressed in one place.

The efficiency was still noticeably better than her usual, almost negligible, passive absorption level when just walking through a calm street. 

The air in the transport was thick with the scent of antiseptic and the faint, metallic tang of Xu'er's drying blood from the scrape on her arm.

The armored transport rumbled on for several more minutes, navigating through streets that were gradually becoming less chaotic, though the tension in the air remained thick. 

Eventually, it slowed and then stopped before a much larger, more established-looking compound. 

This was the main forward medical camp that Su Mu and Xu'er had been told about. 

It sprawled across a reclaimed park area, a city of white and grey medical tents and semi-permanent structures, all filled with activity and the distinct glow of spiritual power of Awakeners being used for healing. 

Floodlights cast a stark, efficient illumination over the scene, battling the encroaching twilight.

The doors hissed open, and medics, their faces weary but professional, helped them out. 

The atmosphere here was different from the pop-up camp. 

It was more organized, more extensive, but the sheer number of injured being brought in on stretchers was. 

The hushed, anxious whispers of those waiting for news and the constant, low thrum of powerful healing arrays created an undercurrent of urgency. 

The distant tremors from Feng Yao and Feng Lin's battle still occasionally rippled through the ground, a somber reminder that the crisis wasn't over.

"This way, please," a new medic, an older woman with kind eyes, directed them towards a processing tent. "We need to get your details and do a full assessment."

As they were led through the bustling camp, Su Mu's gaze swept over the scenes of doctors helping patients, their hands glowing with healing light. 

Nurses rushed by with supplies. 

The air smelled strongly of antiseptics, blood, and the unique, slightly metallic scent of expended spiritual power. 

Her Empathic Siphon continued to draw in ambient emotional energy, the pain of the injured, the exhaustion and stress of the medical staff, the fear of families, but it was a diffused, widespread energy.

[Source Power: 2.15%]

'Two points,' Su Mu thought, satisfaction mixed with a touch of guilt at how it was obtained, passing through her. 

'It's not much, but it's a start. And now I know how it works, how I work.' She glanced down at her own hands, the delicate, capable hands of Su Mu, and a sense of quiet determination solidified within her. 

This power, this "Golden Finger," was her secret, her advantage in this new, dangerous world. 

She needed to understand it, master it, and use it wisely. 

The recent horror had been a brutal lesson in the dangers of Blue Star, but it had also been the catalyst for her true awakening.

Xu'er, beside her, was silent. 

The earlier bravado and teasing were gone, replaced by a quiet concern as she looked around at the injured. 

Her own scraped arm had been bandaged neatly by the medics in the transport, but the vibrant energy she usually exuded felt dampened.

"Quite the date I planned, huh, Missy?" Xu'er finally said, her voice a low murmur as they waited in a short queue for assessment. 

She managed a wry, tired smile. "Never a dull moment."

Su Mu nodded, offering a small smile in return. 

"Not what I expected for my first date." She paused, then added softly, "Are you really okay, Xu Er? That was… a lot."

Xu'er's gaze softened. "I'll be fine. Seen worse, believe it or not."

"Just... makes you angry, you know? Seeing scum like that hurt innocent people." She shook her head, her dark hair brushing her shoulders. 

"But what about you? You looked like you were about to jump in there yourself a couple of times."

Su Mu felt a flush creep up her neck. 

"I… I don't know. It was just… horrible to watch." She didn't mention her rapidly filling Source Power bar or the strange, new insights that had flooded her mind. 

That was a secret she wasn't ready to share with anyone.

Before Xu'er could reply, it was their turn. 

They were efficiently processed, their minor injuries re-checked and documented. 

Xu'er, despite her earlier reassurances, was instructed to rest her arm and given a mild pain reliever. 

Su Mu was given a clean bill of health, aside from the bruising on her shoulder. 

The medics, though busy, were thorough and surprisingly gentle.

As they were directed to a quieter waiting area, away from the immediate trauma bays, the reality of the situation began to truly sink in. 

The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness and the lingering images of the day's horror.