39: Xuanhuang Dao Seed, Twelve Hours

Cold, hard, intense earthy smell mixed with blood filled his nostrils.

Chen Feng felt like a stubborn rock abandoned in the wilderness, his consciousness drifting in boundless agony and depletion. Every weak breath triggered shattering pain throughout his body, his lungs and viscera feeling scraped by coarse gravel. In his Dantian, the Star Returning Ruins Dao Foundation, which resembled a dark red lava star, was deathly silent and cold, covered in savage cracks. The Ruin's Abyss Singularity Imprint at its core had dimmed until it was only a barely perceptible gray speck, like the last spark of a dying candle. Furthermore, a cold, tenacious golden energy (Immortal Curse), carrying the implication of ordered shackles, clung like maggots to the depths of the cracks, continuously emitting an aura of disintegration and contamination.

However, above this ruin of cold silence and intense pain, an extremely faint “Anomaly” with a completely different aura was stubbornly pulsating, like a seed quietly sprouting in the darkness!

Buzz... Buzz... The pulsation did not originate from the Star Returning Ruins Dao Foundation, but from a minuscule, rice-grain-sized, earthy yellow light spot located beside it! The light spot was vaguely formed, as if it had just condensed, and its surface flowed with an extremely faint yet incomparably pure Great Earth's Origin Aura, carrying a vigorous vitality that nurtures all things and embodies profound virtue. This aura was completely incompatible with the surrounding desolate dao foundation, yet under the faint resonance of the fate disk nirvana mark, it formed a strange symbiotic balance.

Profound Yellow Dao Seed!

That wisp of pure Profound Yellow Mother Qi, which Zhang Shouzhuo forcibly stripped from the turbulent and polluted Mother Qi torrent using his life as a guide and his protective will as a bridge, and which was injected into the core of the life plate imprint, had miraculously condensed into this Origin Seed at the edge of his depletion after being assimilated by the life plate imprint! [Profound Yellow Dao Seed (Nascent): Origin is pure... Energy is weak... Status: Incubating... Symbiotic with the fate disk nirvana mark...]

[fate disk nirvana mark: Energy depleted (maintained by core Dao Seed)... Assimilation efficiency zero... Status: Silent symbiosis...]

This wisp of vitality, like a tiny spring dug out in an endless desert, though weak, genuinely maintained Chen Feng's last lifeline, and even... produced an extremely faint “neutralizing” and repulsive effect on the entrenched Immortal Curse! [Immortal Curse Erosion: Repelled/Neutralized by the Profound Yellow Dao Seed's faint vitality... Erosion speed reduced (0.8% → 0.5%)... Stalemate strengthened...]

The price was heavy.

Chen Feng struggled to open his heavy eyelids; his vision was blurred and doubled. Murky, earthy yellow daylight streamed in through the tiny window, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. He found himself still lying on Old Man Shi's cold Dirt Kang. Not far away, on another kang, Su Wanzhao's aura was as faint as silk floss; the Star Vortex imprint on her brow had almost completely vanished, and her Life Fire flickered deep within her depleted Origin, seemingly ready to go out at any moment. Her condition was even more perilous than before! [Su Wanzhao Status: Deep Coma! Chaos Star Vortex Dao Body severely damaged and dormant... Origin depleted (97%)! Life Fire about to extinguish! Immortal Curse Erosion (Faint stalemate)...]

The Ancestral Hall! Zhang Shouzhuo!

The fragments of last night's heart-stopping, life-or-death memory instantly flooded his mind! The turbulent, polluted Mother Qi torrent... the decisive protective will on the Old Village Chief's withered face... that wisp of pure vitality that was stripped and injected... the earthy yellow light bursting from the cracked Ancestral Hall wall... and... the thin, withered figure that fell heavily to the ground, its Life Fire completely extinguished... Chen Feng abruptly turned his head!

At the threshold of the Adobe House, Old Man Shi was walking in, his back hunched, carefully holding a bowl of steaming “earth root soup” that exuded a strong, earthy, bitter smell. His dark, rough face was currently filled with an overwhelming sadness, fear, and an unbelievable confusion. When he saw Chen Feng open his eyes, his steps abruptly stopped, the hand holding the medicine bowl trembled violently, and turbid tears instantly welled up, mixing with the dust on his face and rolling down.

“Honorable... Honorable Immortal Master! You... you're awake!” Old Man Shi's voice was tearful, filled with lingering fear and deep sorrow. “The Old... the Old Village Chief... he...”

He choked up, unable to continue, and simply pointed a trembling finger toward the Ancestral Hall outside the door, tears splashing heavily onto the cold floor.

Everything was self-evident.

Chen Feng's heart sank sharply, as if plunging into an ice cave. Zhang Shouzhuo... was dead. In order to secure a sliver of life for him, and to introduce that wisp of pure Mother Qi into his broken body, he had exhausted his very last shred of Life Origin.

Guilt? Gratitude? Something heavy, named “Responsibility,” mixed with cold killing intent (toward the Immortal Curse, toward that Gold-Robed Immortal Envoy), fiercely gripped Chen Feng's heart.

“The medicine...” Chen Feng's voice was hoarse like a broken gong, and he painfully spat out a single word, his gaze fixed intently on the medicine bowl in Old Man Shi's hand. It wasn't for himself, but for Su Wanzhao! That bowl of “earth root soup,” containing the primal vitality of the great earth, was her only Straw for Survival right now!

Old Man Shi snapped out of his daze, hastily wiped his tears, and stumbled to Su Wanzhao's kang side. Clumsily but carefully, he used a Wooden Spoon to pry open her bloodless lips and poured the bitter medicinal liquid in bit by bit. Su Wanzhao, in her deep sleep, seemed instinctively to resist the hard-to-swallow liquid, her brows slightly furrowed, letting out an extremely faint moan.

Watching the bitter medicinal liquid struggle to slide down Su Wanzhao's throat, and sensing the extremely faint Life Fire within her body, which was barely sustained by this primal vitality and Turbid Sinister Energy, a fierce light flashed in Chen Feng's chaotic eyes!

Not enough! Far from enough! The “earth root soup” could only delay death, not reverse the depletion! Her Origin depletion had reached 97%! Like lamp oil about to run out, she could be extinguished at any moment! And the nascent Profound Yellow Dao Seed within his Dantian, while bringing a sliver of life, was incredibly weak and barely self-sustaining, let alone capable of sharing with others!

Time! He needed time for the Profound Yellow Dao Seed to grow stronger! He needed power to dispel the Immortal Curse! And even more, he needed... the true, uncontaminated pure Origin located within the sealed Core Node of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi beneath the Ancestral Hall! That was the only thing that could save Su Wanzhao!

But the shocking change at the Ancestral Hall last night, the strange phenomenon of the cracked wall, and Zhang Shouzhuo's death... all of this might fool the ignorant villagers and the startled Old Man Shi, but... it might not fool the “Eyes” that could exist in the ethereal realm! Zhang Shouzhuo's dying warning echoed in his mind like an alarm bell!

“How... is... the village?” Chen Feng asked hoarsely, suppressing the sharp pain in his throat, his gaze fixed on Old Man Shi like a hawk.

After feeding the medicine, Old Man Shi carefully laid Su Wanzhao down before turning around, his face still pale with shock: “It's... chaos! Since early morning, the Ancestral Hall has been surrounded by people! That... that Black Stone Wall has a huge crack in it! And... and it's emitting strange light! The Old Village Chief... he's lying in the backyard... his body is completely... cold...” His voice trembled, laced with tears. “The villagers are all terrified! They say... they say the Ancestors in the Ancestral Hall got angry! They sent down a Divine Punishment... and... took the Old Village Chief away! And some people... some people are secretly saying it's... it's the two of you...”

He glanced at Chen Feng fearfully, not daring to say the rest, but the meaning was obvious. The “Omen of Disaster” who fell from the sky, the strange changes at the Ancestral Hall, and the Old Village Chief's sudden death... linking these three was enough to spark the most terrifying associations in a closed-off, ignorant mountain village.

“Now... now several Clan Elders in the village are arguing fiercely in the Ancestral Hall... Some say they want to... invite an ‘Immortal Master’ from outside to take a look... Some say they want to... want to...” Old Man Shi's gaze fearfully swept over Chen Feng and Su Wanzhao again, the implication obvious—some wanted to drive this pair of “Disaster Stars” out, or even... worse!

Chen Feng's heart sank to the bottom. The worst-case scenario had occurred! Panic, suspicion, and the potential “invitation of an Immortal Master”... any of these meant exposure! It meant the danger of the Gold-Robed Immortal Envoy tracing them here!

He had to act immediately! Before the chaos escalated! Before the “Immortal Master” arrived! Before Su Wanzhao's Life Fire was completely extinguished!

He struggled, using all his strength, trying to sit up from the Dirt Kang. However, his depleted dao foundation and severely injured Physical Body were like heavy shackles; just raising his arm made his vision blacken, cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes, and wisps of turbid blood seeped from the dark red crystal cracks.

“Honorable Immortal Master! Don't... don't move! Your injuries are too severe!” Old Man Shi rushed forward in fright, wanting to help him up, but dared not touch him.

“Help... me... to... the Ancestral Hall!” Chen Feng squeezed the command through gritted teeth, every word carrying an undeniable resolve and cold killing intent. He needed to get close to the Mother Qi core! He needed the guidance of the Profound Yellow Dao Seed! And even more, he needed... to figure out what Zhang Shouzhuo meant by “Bearing the Karma of My Clan” and “Using Life as a Guide” in his dying moments! That was his only chance to obtain pure Mother Qi and save Su Wanzhao!

“Go... go to the Ancestral Hall?!” Old Man Shi's face went white with fear, and he waved his hands repeatedly. “No way, Honorable Immortal Master! The Ancestral Hall area is... is very sinister right now! The Clan Elders are all there, and that cracked wall... The Old Village Chief... if you go, they... they will...”

“Lead the way!” Chen Feng's voice suddenly rose, carrying a trace of faint deterrence forcibly condensed from the life plate imprint! Although his power was depleted, the ferocity and madness ingrained in his bones still made Old Man Shi shiver, as if being targeted by a beast.

“I... I...” Old Man Shi's face was deathly pale. He looked at Chen Feng's cold, frantic eyes, then at the dying Su Wanzhao on the kang. Finally, a simple reverence for “Immortals and Demons,” coupled with a vague sense of responsibility for the Old Village Chief's dying request, overcame his fear of clan rules and unknown danger. He gritted his teeth fiercely, the flesh on his face trembling: “Fine! I... I'll take you! At worst... at worst, I, Shi Dazhuang, will risk my life too!”

He stepped forward and carefully supported Chen Feng's withered and heavy body with his rough, strong arms. Chen Feng's entire weight was practically resting on him; every movement was accompanied by the groaning of his overburdened bones and tearing agony.

Pushing open the creaking Wooden Door, the murky, earthy yellow daylight and the biting Mountain Wind rushed in. The atmosphere on the village dirt road was oppressive and tense. Faint, noisy arguments could be heard in the direction of the Ancestral Hall; the air was thick with panic and unease. Some villagers who saw Old Man Shi supporting Chen Feng acted as if they had seen a ghost, keeping their distance and pointing, their eyes filled with fear and rejection.

Chen Feng ignored those gazes, sinking all his remaining mental energy into the nascent Profound Yellow Dao Seed in his Dantian. As they neared the Ancestral Hall, the rice-grain-sized earthy yellow light spot pulsed more clearly and powerfully! It acted like a lighthouse in the darkness, clearly pointing toward the depths of the cracked Black Stone Wall in the Ancestral Hall's backyard! Pointing toward the sealed Mother Qi core! Simultaneously, a strong desire and calling, stemming from the Dao Seed's instinct, mixed with the residual sorrowful cry of Zhang Shouzhuo's Bloodline Protective Will, surged through Chen Feng's consciousness like a tide!

Closer! Even closer!

The Ancestral Hall's backyard was a mess. The massive cracked Black Stone Wall was shocking to behold; earthy yellow faint light still lingered in the fissures, emitting unsettling energy fluctuations. Several fallen rubble pieces were scattered on the cold ground. And in the shadow of the courtyard wall corner, a withered, cold body lay quietly, covered by a worn Straw Mat—it was Zhang Shouzhuo.

Several elders (Clan Elders) dressed relatively decently, with white hair and beards, were gathered around the corpse, arguing about something with solemn and fearful expressions. When they saw Old Man Shi supporting Chen Feng appear, the argument immediately stopped! All eyes instantly focused on Chen Feng, filled with suspicion, fear, and... a trace of undisguised hostility!

“Shi Dazhuang! How dare you!” a tall, thin old man with a sallow complexion, leaning on a cane (Zhang Clan Head?), shouted sternly. “Who told you to bring this... this Disaster Star here?! The Old Village Chief suffered the Ancestors' Divine Punishment because of them! Haven't you caused enough deaths yet?!”

“Clan Head! No! The Old Village Chief, he...” Old Man Shi was sweating profusely, trying to explain.

“Get lost!” Another short, stout Clan Elder, whose face was covered in fat, stepped forward directly, pointing at Chen Feng's nose and spitting saliva: “It's this damned Fiend! He fell from the sky and smashed the Mountain God's Earth Qi! He provoked the Ancestors' wrath in the Ancestral Hall! He killed Brother Shouzhuo! I say we should tie him and the Demoness he brought with him up! Use their blood to sacrifice to the Ancestors! Appease the Heavenly Wrath!”

“Right! Tie them up!”

“Burn them! Avenge the Old Village Chief!”

“Don't let them harm the village anymore!”

Fear and ignorance rapidly fermented and ignited among the crowd! Several young, strong villagers, incited by the Clan Elders, also showed fierce looks in their eyes, picking up Wooden Sticks and Stones from the ground and slowly surrounding them!

Old Man Shi was terrified, his face drained of color. He supported Chen Feng and retreated repeatedly, but they were forced into a corner with nowhere left to go!

Killing intent bred in the panic and ignorance! Cold Stones and sticks glinted menacingly under the murky daylight!

Chen Feng was half-supported by Old Man Shi, his withered body trembling slightly, the dark red crystal cracks faintly visible beneath his coarse cloth clothes. He kept his head lowered, seemingly powerless to resist due to his severe injuries and the crowd's coercion. However, no one could see that beneath his lowered eyelids, in the depths of his chaotic pupils, an earthy yellow glow was pulsating at an unprecedented frequency! Stimulated by the dense residual Mother Qi and the crisis in the Ancestral Hall backyard, the Profound Yellow Dao Seed was frantically absorbing the extremely thin, free-floating Great Earth Essence Qi in the air!

Inside the Dantian, the rice-grain-sized Dao Seed light spot was slowly and steadily growing stronger at a visible rate! A wisp of weak yet pure Profound Yellow Power, like a newborn root, was laboriously penetrating the Immortal Curse's golden shackles, attempting to spread...