89: The Three Women Shura Field, the Only 'Anchor'

Qingyun Sect, Forbidden Ground in the back mountain, secret chamber.

The air here was heavier than ten-thousand-year-old profound ice.

The moonstones embedded in the stone wall emitted a cool, clear light, but it could not illuminate the complex expressions of shock, ecstasy, and lingering fear on the faces of the Sect Head and several Grand Elders.

They were like a group of Mortals who had lived for hundreds of years, seeing a true miracle for the first time.

Their brains were still buzzing, unable to fully awaken from that unbelievable return.

Lin Gou sat opposite them.

His face still maintained a carefully calculated paleness.

His Qi also seemed somewhat unstable.

This perfectly fit the image of a 'survivor' who had just used a forbidden technique and exhausted everything.

“The Devil Head's weakness…”

Qingyun Sect Leader's voice was as dry as if it had been harshly abraded by sandpaper.

He stared intently at Lin Gou, trying to find even the slightest flaw on the face of this young man who had repeatedly created miracles.

Lin Gou coughed twice softly, his expression incredibly serious.

“Yes, a weakness.”

“My 'False Death Evasion Technique' is essentially a deception at the Divine Soul level.”

“At the moment of my 'death', my Divine Soul detached from my Physical Body, transforming into a wisp of residual thought that was almost nonexistent, and did not immediately dissipate.”

He slowly narrated the lie he had already woven, every word filled with impeccable logic.

“It is precisely because of this that I was able to glimpse, from a perspective it absolutely could not detect, the core of the massive Devilish Qi's operation within its demonic body.”

“It is not flawless.”

Lin Gou extended a finger and lightly tapped the stone table in front of him.

That tap seemed to land on everyone's heart.

“Its core of power has a 'node'.”

“That is an extremely small, almost negligible accumulation of energy.”

“Ordinarily, this node is incredibly stable, but when it fully activates its Demonic Technique, especially when performing a world-ending attack like 'True Spirit Annihilation', this node will have a momentary… vulnerability.”

He raised his head, his gaze intensely sweeping over the several Sect Big Bosss.

“That instant will be its demise!”

“As long as there is sufficiently powerful force, precisely striking that node at that instant, it can trigger a chain collapse of the Devilish Qi within its body!”

“It will be completely disintegrated from within!”

Inside the secret chamber, it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

The Sect Head and several Grand Elders' breathing became incredibly heavy.

They were all Golden Core Immortal Masters, with incredibly rich experience and insight.

Lin Gou's words sounded absurd, yet they secretly conformed to the great Dao principles!

No matter how powerful an existence, it must have its weak point!

And Lin Gou had exchanged his 'life' for this sole opportunity for the entire Sect!

“Good… good! Good!”

The Qingyun Sect Grand Elder, who had been sitting in the main seat in silence, suddenly slammed the stone table and rose abruptly!

His cloudy old eyes now burst forth with astonishing brilliance!

Guilt, admiration, and a hint of relief after surviving a catastrophe intertwined on his aged face.

He walked in front of Lin Gou, not looking down, but looking at him eye to eye.

This Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator, who had lived for hundreds of years, bowed deeply and lengthily to a Foundation Establishment Stage junior.

“Nephew Lin, it was this old man… it was us, who wronged you before!”

Lin Gou immediately stood up and turned to avoid the bow.

“Elder, you overstate. As a member of Qingyun, this is my duty.”

“No!”

The Grand Elder straightened up, his voice becoming unprecedentedly resonant, filled with undeniable authority.

He flipped his palm, and the supreme elder's decree, symbolizing the highest authority of the Sect, reappeared in his palm.

This time, he did not hesitate in the slightest.

He stepped forward and personally placed this heavy, ancient-looking token solemnly into Lin Gou's hand.

“This token, from this moment on, truly belongs to you.”

“This old man, today, in front of the Sect Head and all the Elders, establishes a Sect iron rule!”

His gaze swept over everyone present like lightning, his voice, amplified by spiritual power, made the entire secret chamber hum!

“From today onwards, Lin Gou's decree is as if I am personally present!”

“All members of Qingyun, whether Disciples or Elders, upon seeing this decree, must obey unconditionally!”

“Those who defy the decree will be dealt with as traitors to the Sect!”

Boom!

Lin Gou felt the token in his palm instantly become incredibly hot.

This was not just a token anymore.

This was immense power.

It was the highest command authority of the entire Qingyun Sect!

[Awesome. The additional value gained from this SS-Rank death is simply off the charts.]

Lin Gou was ecstatic internally, but his face still maintained humility and solemnity, as if he bore the weight of the entire world.

“Disciple… will not fail the Elder's trust!”

The stone door of the secret chamber slowly opened.

When Lin Gou walked out, he could clearly feel that the gazes of the several Sect Big Bosss behind him had completely changed.

It was a gaze of looking at an equal, or even a savior.

A slender figure immediately came forward to greet him.

Zhao Linger.

She had been waiting outside the door, not moving an inch.

Seeing Lin Gou emerge, her eyes, which had just regained a hint of color, instantly became clouded with a thick mist again.

She said nothing.

She just silently followed behind Lin Gou, her small hand instinctively, gently gripping a corner of his robe.

The grip was very light, as if it would loosen with a touch.

Yet, it conveyed a stubbornness and panic of not wanting to let go again.

She was like a frightened kitten that had just endured a storm.

Only by staying close to this lost-and-found owner could she find a trace of negligible security.

She needed constant reassurance.

To confirm that he was warm, real, and would not suddenly disappear again.

Lin Gou slowed his steps, letting her follow him.

From the Forbidden Ground in the back mountain to the Holy Son Peak, the journey was silent.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadows that fell upon the two, stretching out long shadows.

The atmosphere was tranquil and warm.

Until.

A cold figure, like ten-thousand-year-old ice, blocked their path.

Li Hanyue.

She stood in the center of the mountain path, her white clothes like snow, her long sword at her waist.

Her gaze was not on Zhao Linger, but like two sharp scalpels, it pierced directly into Lin Gou's eyes, seemingly wanting to dissect his Soul and see all the secrets within.

Zhao Linger instinctively shrank behind Lin Gou, her hand gripping his robe corner even tighter.

“'False Death Evasion Technique'?”

Li Hanyue spoke.

Her voice was devoid of any warmth, every word like ice chipped from a glacier.

“Do you think I'll believe that?”

Her intuition, her terrifyingly keen spiritual sense as a Sword Cultivator, were frantically warning her.

Things were definitely not that simple!

How could a forbidden technique capable of deceiving a pseudo-Nascent Soul Devil Head and Golden Core Immortal Masters be possessed by a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator?

A trace of imperceptible admiration flashed in Lin Gou's eyes.

This woman was indeed terrifyingly sharp.

He was about to use the excuse he had already prepared.

However, an even more discordant, fatally seductive voice lazily drifted from under the tree shadows nearby.

“Oh my, oh my.”

“One is a little lover who is heartbroken, and the other is an ice beauty chasing the truth.”

“Little man, your Luck with women really makes me, your big sister, jealous.”

A fiery red figure appeared like a ghost.

Su Meier stood with her arms crossed, leaning against an ancient pine tree, her peach blossom eyes, glistening with water, darting back and forth between Lin Gou and the other two women.

She walked with a cat-like grace to Lin Gou's front.

A captivating scent, a mixture of exotic flowers and a woman's natural fragrance, wafted towards him, making his heart flutter.

She leaned in slightly, her red lips almost touching Lin Gou's ear, her breath like orchids.

“Little man, your secrets seem to be growing more and more.”

“And I, your big sister, am becoming… more and more curious.”

Boom!

The air seemed to freeze at that instant.

An invisible, yet intensely fierce, battleground of emotions abruptly formed.

“Stay away from him!”

Zhao Linger didn't know where she found the courage.

She suddenly stepped out from behind Lin Gou, spreading her arms like a mother hen protecting her chick, shielding Lin Gou completely behind her.

Her clean, delicate face was full of vigilance and hostility, as she glared intently at the dangerous enchantress in front of her.

Li Hanyue said nothing.

But her beautiful brows were already tightly furrowed.

She looked at Su Meier's undisguised, blatant seductive actions, and a hint of undisguised disgust flashed in her eyes.

The Sword Intent around her body once again began to stir uncontrollably.

Three women.

Three completely different gazes.

One was the determination of desperate protection.

One was the cold scrutiny of questioning.

One was the enchanting probe that penetrated the bones.

Three gazes converged on Lin Gou, and invisible stances and auras fiercely collided and rubbed in the air, almost sparking tangible flames.

Lin Gou was at the center of the storm, yet remained calm.

He reached out and gently took Zhao Linger's cold little hand, placing it in his palm and gently squeezing it.

That warm touch instantly calmed Zhao Linger's violently beating heart somewhat.

“Don't be afraid.”

Lin Gou's voice carried a soothing power.

“I'm here.”

Then, he raised his head, meeting Li Hanyue's aggressive gaze, his expression composed.

“Believe it or not, I am here.”

“Our goal is to eliminate the Devil Head, isn't it?”

He didn't explain, but instead threw the question back, going straight to the core.

Li Hanyue's gaze faltered slightly.

Yes.

How he survived, was it really that important?

What was important was that he was alive.

And he brought the hope of victory.

Finally, Lin Gou's gaze fell on Su Meier's naturally charming face.

He suddenly smiled.

It was a mysterious, profound smile that even Su Meier couldn't quite decipher.

“Curiosity kills the cat.”

“But sometimes, it also brings… surprises.”

Su Meier's peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly.

This little man was becoming more and more interesting.

With a few words, he defused this invisible storm.

He sent away Li Hanyue and Su Meier, who still had eyes full of inquiry.

In front of the Immortal Cave on Holy Son Peak, only Lin Gou and Zhao Linger remained.

Zhao Linger lowered her head, still not letting go of his robe corner.

After the joy of finding him again, a deeper fear and lingering dread, like a tide, surged into her heart once more.

She was afraid.

Afraid that all of this was just a dream that was too beautiful.

And when the dream ended, everything would be gone.

Lin Gou looked at her slightly trembling shoulders, at her pale little face, and the softest part of his heart was gently touched.

He sighed.

Then, he did something that even he found a little surprising.

He stepped forward, opened his arms, and for the first time, actively embraced this girl who had always worried for him.

The girl's body stiffened abruptly.

Immediately, as if she had found the safest haven in the world, she instantly softened.

She buried her face deep in his chest, greedily breathing in his familiar scent.

Lin Gou could feel the girl in his arms trembling silently and violently.

He tightened his arms and, in her ear, promised softly with an incredibly solemn tone, as if making a Heavenly Dao vow.

“Ling'er.”

“I promise you.”

“This is the last time I will make you so afraid.”

“In the future, I will stand before you openly and honorably, and will never… 'disappear' again.”

This hug, this promise, like a warm torrent, instantly washed away all the unease and fear in Zhao Linger's heart.

She hugged him back tightly, using all her strength, as if wanting to melt herself into his body.

She didn't speak, but just nodded repeatedly and heavily.

Tears silently fell again, but they were no longer tears of sadness, but tears of overflowing peace and happiness.

Holding the soft body in his arms, feeling that unreserved trust and dependence.

A warmth he had never felt before also surged in Lin Gou's heart.

He suddenly realized.

The System's resurrection anchor point could ensure his Physical Body's immortality.

However, this girl in front of him, and Li Hanyue, and even Su Meier… these people who cared about him, who were sad or happy for him.

Their real and ardent emotions.

These were the 'human anchor points' that were more solid than any System anchor point, and made him feel more 'alive'.

With them, he was not just a tool constantly repeating death for rewards.

He was a truly living person.

Just at this tender moment.

Just as Lin Gou was about to say something more to comfort the girl in his arms.

Woo—!!!

A piercing, Soul-shattering alarm, without any warning, shot up from the core of the mountain-protecting formation!

The sound was filled with the despair of blood and fire!

It was Qingyun Sect's highest-Rank, the 'Crimson Alarm Bell' signifying the imminent destruction of the Sect!

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The alarm bell was rung to its extreme, its sound urgent like the death knell of the Grim Reaper, frantically pounding on everyone's Divine Soul!

Immediately after.

A bowl-thick, blood-red signal, as viscous as blood, like an enraged Blood Dragon, roared, tearing through the sky, rushing straight into the clouds!

The entire Qingyun Sect, at this instant, fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone looked up, horrified, at that crimson pillar of light.

The Devil Head… its main body!

It actually didn't wait for the Alliance to gather, didn't wait for Qingyun Sect to catch its breath!

Carrying boundless, monstrous demonic flames, it officially descended upon Qingyun Mountain's gate!