31: Chapter 31 Frozen Evil Soul, Talisman Cracks and Sword Approaches

The dark green specks of light were like maggots clinging to bones, resentful and cold, biting directly into his wrist!

Abandon the Talisman and flee? That was the safest choice, but it also meant giving up this final piece of loot, and it might cause the dark light (remnant Soul of a skeleton or evil object of Evil Qi) to turn and attack other parts of his body, or even contaminate the complete gui water escape talisman.

It must be dealt with on the spot!

Lin Ye's eyes narrowed. He gripped the damaged Talisman contaminated with dark light tightly in his right hand. Instead of letting go, he unleashed the extremely pure, ice-cold spiritual energy he had just refined from the mystic yin crystal within his body without reservation!

"Seal!"

He gave a low shout, and icy blue spiritual energy surged from his right palm like a tidal wave, instantly enveloping the entire Talisman, the dark green specks of light on it, and his own wrist!

Extreme cold permeated the air, and fine ice crystals condensed in the atmosphere.

Under the shroud of the ice-cold spiritual energy, the erosion speed of those dark green specks of light slowed down abruptly. Like frozen insects, their light dimmed, but their cold, resentful nature continued to struggle, attempting to pierce through the ice layer.

At the same time, Lin Ye raised his left hand. The ancient ring yuan sha flashed with light, and a gentle yet pure, already refined Evil Qi (originating from the demon abyss sword, but already purified and converted by the ancient ring) flowed like a trickling stream into the ice seal on his right hand.

This Evil Qi was of the same Origin as the dark green specks of light (both coming from the demon abyss sword or influenced by it), but it was much more "tame."

Ice sealing combined with guidance from the same-Origin Evil Qi!

Inside the ice layer, the dark green specks of light seemed to have encountered "kin," or perhaps they were suppressed by a more Advanced power. Their struggle weakened, and they began to slowly follow the guidance of the ancient ring's Evil Qi, detaching from the surface of the Talisman and moving toward an "exit" that Lin Ye had intentionally left at the outer edge of the ice layer.

This process required intense concentration and could not cause too much commotion.

Lin Ye remained in a half-squatting position, his whole body tense like an ice sculpture, with only his eyes fixed firmly on his right hand.

One breath, two breaths...

The dark green specks of light finally detached completely from the Talisman and were guided to the edge of the ice layer.

Now!

The ancient ring yuan sha on Lin Ye's left index finger flashed violently, and a suction force emerged, drawing all those ice-sealed, guided dark green specks of light into the ring!

The cloud patterns on the surface of the ancient ring flowed rapidly. A trace of dark green flashed within the dark silver light, immediately to be suppressed and refined by a deeper silver-white and pale gold.

Done! The hidden danger was removed!

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief, dispersed the ice seal on his right hand, and looked at the damaged Talisman. The cracks on the Talisman remained, and its spiritual light was weak, but it was finally clean. He quickly tucked it into his robe (placing it separately from the complete gui water escape talisman).

However—

Just at the moment when his mind relaxed slightly because the crisis was resolved!

In the center of the hall, the demon abyss sword, which had been "calmly" rotating, suddenly, without warning, aligned its blade toward the direction where Lin Ye was!

A terrifying intent, cold, violent, and filled with the desire for destruction, was like an invisible giant hand, instantly enveloping and locking onto Lin Ye!

It was not Sword Qi, but a pure "gaze" and "hostility" from a higher-level existence!

The demon abyss sword had finally noticed this little bug that had been "hopping around" under its nose time and again and had even stolen its "food" (the dark green specks of light were essentially things infected by its Evil Qi)!

Escape! Must escape immediately!

The hairs on Lin Ye's body stood on end; the shadow of death had never been so clear!

Without hesitation, he plunged his left hand into his robe, intending to grab the complete gui water escape talisman and activate it!

But the demon abyss sword was faster!

It didn't even swing out any Sword Qi; the blade simply vibrated slightly!

Hum—!

An invisible "Domain" containing terrifying Evil Qi and Sword Intent suddenly expanded, centered on the demon abyss sword! It was like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring up monstrous waves!

Wherever this "Domain" passed, the air solidified, and space itself seemed to distort!

Lin Ye felt as if he had fallen into the thickest swamp, or as if a ten-thousand-foot ice mountain was pressing down on him. His movements became incredibly sluggish in an instant! Even the simple act of drawing out the Talisman became exceptionally difficult and slow!

And the tip of the demon abyss sword had already slowly lifted, aiming at him.

The next strike would surely be thunderous and devastating, with no chance of survival!

A desperate situation!

A completely desperate situation!

At Qi Refining Stage 4, he was like an ant looking up at a Dragon before a demonic sword suspected to be at least at the Golden Core (or even higher) level.

His spiritual energy was suppressed, his body was shackled, and even his thoughts seemed about to be frozen by that terrifying Sword Intent.

Was he going to die...

No!

Lin Ye let out a roar of unwillingness in his heart!

He still had the two rings! He still had the power of the mystic yin crystal he had just refined! And... that tiny bit of resistance and understanding of Evil Qi!

The ancient ring yuan sha on his left hand seemed to sense its master's desperate situation and the terrifying Evil Qi from the demon abyss sword that was of the same Origin but a higher grade. It vibrated wildly and erupted with unprecedented light! It was no longer satisfied with absorbing and converting; instead, like a provoked young beast, it emitted a weak yet indomitable "roar" (mental impact) toward that terrifying source of Evil Qi!

The bone ring "bone ring" on his right hand also shone brightly, fully invoking its final connection with the Inner Chamber's Restriction and the mystic yin true water veins, attempting to construct a thin, icy blue layer of protection around Lin Ye to resist that invisible "Domain" of Evil Qi and Sword Intent.

The two rings worked in tandem, their lights intertwining, and actually managed to prop up a tiny, extremely unstable Domain less than three feet in diameter around Lin Ye's body!

Inside this Domain were the silver-white Evil Qi of the ancient ring and the icy blue cold light of the bone ring, while the outside was being crazily squeezed and eroded by the terrifying dark red "Domain" of the demon abyss sword, emitting tooth-aching "hissing" sounds, ready to shatter at any moment.

But it was this fleeting opportunity!

Lin Ye felt the shackles on his body loosen slightly!

He used all his strength and finally grabbed the complete gui water escape talisman in his hand!

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately poured all the remaining ice-cold spiritual energy of the Ice Soul Sword Art within his body into the escape Talisman!

The escape Talisman erupted with dazzling pale blue light! An incomparably strong spatial fluctuation instantly permeated the area, resonating with the omnipresent mystic yin true water vein aura!

"Gui Water Connects to the Nether, Instantaneous Thousand Miles! Escape!" Lin Ye roared in his heart.

The pale blue light enveloped him completely, the surrounding scenery began to distort and blur, and the spatial tunnel was about to open!

However—

The demon abyss sword seemed to be completely enraged!

This ant had not only stolen its "food" but dared to use a spatial escape technique to flee right before its eyes?!

"Roar!!!"

A terrifying sword howl, as if coming from the nine-nether purgatory and directly tearing the Soul, resounded throughout the entire Inner Chamber!

The demon abyss sword moved!

It was no longer a casual vibration or mental suppression, but a true, terrifying strike containing a portion of its Origin power!

A dark red sword light, only as thick as a finger but condensed to the extreme, with countless demonic shadows seemingly wailing and struggling inside, tore through space, ignored the fragile Domain of the two rings, and stabbed directly toward Lin Ye, who was about to be engulfed by the light of the escape technique!

This strike was faster than thought, faster than the transmission of spatial fluctuations!

Cannot dodge! Cannot block!

In Lin Ye's pupils, that ray of deadly sword light was reflected, growing larger and larger...

Just at the final moment when the sword light was about to touch his brow!

Something in his robe—the remnants of the Jade Slip that he had obtained from Master Xuanyuan's ice cave and which had turned to ash after recording the [Xuanyuan Legacy Teachings], along with the mystic yin crystal powder in his robe (having already absorbed all energy), and the damaged escape Talisman that had been stained with his blood and ice-cold spiritual energy—seemed to have produced some kind of extremely mysterious and incomprehensible resonance due to the intense spatial fluctuations, the demonic sword's Evil Qi, and the stimulation of his own will to survive!

Hum!

A layer of extremely faint, milky-white glimmer, carrying the lingering aura of Master Xuanyuan, suddenly lit up from his chest!

This layer of glimmer seemed to have a final connection with the entire Immortal Cave, with the mystic yin true water veins, and even with the Inner Chamber's Restriction that was about to collapse completely.

It failed to block that terrifying dark red sword light.

But... it slightly deflected the trajectory of the sword light!

Ssh—!

The sword light grazed past Lin Ye's left shoulder!

It did not hit him directly, but the dissipated, extremely condensed Sword Intent and Evil Qi still felt like a red-hot branding iron, fiercely "searing" across his left shoulder, leaving a terrifying wound that was deep enough to see bone, with charred flesh, and dark red Evil Qi constantly trying to burrow into his bones!

The excruciating pain made Lin Ye almost faint!

But the light of the escape Talisman also reached its peak at this moment!

Swish—!

His figure, along with the pale blue escape light enveloping him and that final layer of milky-white glimmer, disappeared from the spot together.

In the Inner Chamber, only the angry and unwilling sword hum of the demon abyss sword echoed, and on the ground, a pool of blood belonging to Lin Ye, mixed with ice crystals and dark red Evil Qi.

Spatial travel, bizarre and kaleidoscopic.

Lin Ye, amidst intense pain and the sensation of being torn by space, completely lost consciousness.

Don't know how long had passed.

Thump!

He fell heavily onto a patch of cold, damp soil.

The pungent smell of rotten grass and wood, mixed with a faint scent of blood, rushed into his nostrils.

By his ears came the sound of drizzling rain, and... in the distance, the faint low roars of Yao Beasts and the shouting and fighting sounds of Cultivators?

Lin Ye opened his eyes with difficulty, his vision blurred.

The sky was grey and dim, and it was drizzling.

He found himself lying in the mud by a mountain stream, surrounded by dense and unfamiliar mountain forests.

A piercing, numbing pain came from his left shoulder; the dark red Evil Qi was like a living creature, wriggling at the wound, eroding flesh and bone, and even spreading toward his heart pulse. Even with the ancient ring yuan sha absorbing it automatically, the speed was far from keeping up with the erosion.

He barely propped up his body and looked around.

Where... is this?

Where did the gui water escape talisman teleport him to? It seemed to still be within the range of the Qingyun Sect's back mountain, but it was definitely not an area he was familiar with.

What was worse was that the complete "gui water escape talisman" in his robe had turned into fly ash after completing the teleportation and dissipated without a trace.

And although that damaged escape Talisman was still there, its spiritual light had almost completely extinguished, its cracks had widened, and he didn't know if it could still be used.

He was now seriously injured and on the verge of death, in a strange and dangerous place, carrying heavy treasures (the two rings, Medicinal Pill, damaged Talisman), yet he had no power to protect himself.

In the curtain of rain, the fighting sounds and Yao Beast roars in the distance seemed to be approaching this way...