96: Chapter 96 Leveraging the Chaos, Snatching Chestnuts from the Fire

"Everyone, focus mainly on defense and evasion. Try to restrain your Aura as much as possible and divert the attacks toward Master Chihuang and the people of the Yinkui Sect!" Lin Ye sent a voice transmission quickly. At the same time, his figure moved like a fish, weaving through the gaps between the icy breaths, ghost shadows, and flames. From time to time, he used subtle force to deflect ice shards or ghost energy that were heading toward their side but posed little threat, redirecting them toward the direction of Master Chihuang.

Chu Yun and the others understood and followed suit. Su Waner even retracted the light of the "soul-calming ancient lamp," protecting only their small area to reduce their "presence."

Sure enough, the main fury of the three Black Ice Horned Pythons was quickly drawn to Master Chihuang and the black-robed elder of the Yinkui Sect. Master Chihuang's Great Sun Golden Flame was already conspicuous in this extremely cold environment, and to the ice-element Yao Beasts, it was even more blinding and provocative. The black-robed elder's "ten thousand ghost banner" was filled with eerie ghost energy; although it was similar to the Death Qi of the ice cave, it was filthier and more violent, which also annoyed the horned pythons.

"Roar—!!"

One horned python violently whipped its giant tail, carrying the force of ten thousand jun and a bone-chilling cold current, and slammed it toward Master Chihuang, who was channeling a giant flame palm! Another opened its mouth and spat out a more condensed ice-blue beam of light, shooting toward the black-robed elder who was shaking the "ten thousand ghost banner"! The third one sprayed a large area of ice mist toward the other Cultivators of Golden Flame Valley and the Yinkui Sect.

"Damn it! This beast!" Master Chihuang was both shocked and angry. He had to divert his attention to deal with the horned python's violent attack. The giant flame palm clashed head-on with the giant tail of the ice python, erupting into a sky full of ice and fire. He let out a muffled groan, retreated several steps, and his expression became even uglier. The black-robed elder was also forced to dodge repeatedly by the ice-blue beam, and large swathes of the ghost shadows from the "ten thousand ghost banner" were frozen and shattered by the cold air.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Golden Flame Valley and the Yinkui Sect fared even worse. Under the ice mist of the horned python and the aftermath of the attacks from the other two, two more were instantly frozen into ice sculptures and shattered on the ground, while the rest were in a wretched state.

Lin Ye and the other four felt their pressure greatly reduced. They seized the opportunity to retreat behind a relatively safe ice pillar at the edge of the hall, took medicinal pills to regulate their breathing, and watched coldly from the sidelines.

"Little thief Lin Han! You are despicable!" Master Chihuang was so angry he spat blood. How could he not see Lin Ye's plan? But he was currently tightly entangled by the horned python and could not break free.

"Old dog Chihuang, this is called wisdom." Lin Ye responded with a cold sneer, while keeping a close eye on the battle.

Although the three Black Ice Horned Pythons were powerful, they were ultimately just Yao Beasts, and their attack methods were relatively simple. Master Chihuang and the black-robed elder were, after all, in the Late Stage of the Golden Core, experienced and shrewd, and they had sect Disciples assisting them (though casualties were heavy). After the initial disarray, they gradually stabilized their footing and began to counterattack.

Master Chihuang no longer released flames over a large area; instead, he condensed the Great Sun Golden Flame into several flame chains, wrapping them around the horned python in an attempt to restrict its movements. The black-robed elder controlled the "ten thousand ghost banner," splitting it into countless tiny ghost shadows that specifically attacked the horned python's vulnerable parts like its eyes and nostrils to harass it.

Both sides were locked in a stalemate, but it was clear that Master Chihuang's side was struggling more because they had to deal with three horned pythons simultaneously, and the environment was unfavorable. However, the horned pythons were not unscathed; burn marks and traces of ghost energy erosion began to appear on their bodies.

"If this continues, the horned pythons might be exhausted to death, but Master Chihuang and the others will also suffer heavy losses. By then, it will be a showdown between us and the survivors of Master Chihuang's group..." Chu Yun said in a low voice.

"No, the horned pythons aren't that simple." Lin Ye's gaze was sharp. He noticed that the black ice ground around the lotus platform was constantly channeling faint ice-blue energy into the three horned pythons, repairing their injuries and replenishing their consumption. This ice cave seemed to be their "home field," where they could be continuously replenished!

Sure enough, after fighting fiercely for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Master Chihuang and the black-robed elder already showed signs of fatigue, and two more sect Disciples had died. Meanwhile, although the three horned pythons were covered in wounds, their Aura showed no signs of weakening; on the contrary, they became even more violent because of their injuries.

"We can't go on like this! Fellow Daoist Youming, use that move! Let's join forces to kill this most violent one first!" A ruthless look flashed in Master Chihuang's eyes as he sent a voice transmission to the black-robed elder.

The black-robed elder (Youming) nodded. The two suddenly broke away from the battle circle simultaneously and lunged toward the more severely injured horned python on the far right! Master Chihuang fully channeled the Great Sun Golden Flame, transforming it into a giant flame spear, thrusting directly at the horned python's vital spot! The elder Youming shook the "ten thousand ghost banner," and a giant phantom of a ghost king, condensed as if real and emitting fluctuations of Nascent Soul Aura, flew out of the banner, opening its ghostly claws to strike at the horned python's head!

They were concentrating their power to cripple one first!

That horned python also sensed the fatal threat, letting out a terrified hiss, twisting its body desperately, and spraying an ice shield to block.

However, seeing this, the other two horned pythons did not immediately rescue their companion; instead, they attacked the remaining Golden Flame Valley and Yinkui Sect Cultivators even more frantically, forcing them to be unable to support Master Chihuang and the other.

Opportunity! A brilliant light flashed in Lin Ye's eyes!

Just at the moment when Master Chihuang's flame spear and elder Youming's ghost king phantom were about to hit that horned python! Lin Ye moved!

He used the "yan jun token" to channel the power he had already prepared—a mixture of the Great Sun Golden Flame, "Lingyun Sword Intent," and a trace of Death Qi from the "command token of ten thousand ghosts"—into a tiny Sword Qi that was condensed to the extreme, incredibly fast, yet silent, with silver-black patterns within the red-gold. It arrived later but struck first, not attacking the horned python, but rather—shooting toward the "intersection point" of Master Chihuang and elder Youming's attacks!

That was an extremely subtle position, the "critical point" where the two attacking forces were about to merge and produce maximum destructive power!

"Explode!" Lin Ye whispered in his heart.

Pfft—! The tiny Sword Qi exploded at the critical point! The Great Sun Golden Flame and the Death Qi of the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" contained within it were inherently conflicting in attributes. Now that they were deliberately detonated, coupled with the disturbance of the "Lingyun Sword Intent," it instantly destroyed the subtle balance and combined power of Master Chihuang and Youming's attacks!

Boom!!! The flame spear and the ghost king phantom did not merge perfectly; instead, they produced a violent energy conflict and backlash, exploding prematurely a few feet in front of the horned python! The terrifying energy storm sent both Master Chihuang and elder Youming flying backward while spitting blood. The horned python that should have been hit was also flipped over by the aftermath of the explosion, suffering not-insignificant injuries, but it was not fatally wounded.

"Ah—! Little thief, how dare you!!" Master Chihuang steadied his figure, his hair disheveled, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth. The look he directed at Lin Ye was filled with crazy malice. Elder Youming's face was also deathly pale; clearly, the backlash was not light.

Their ultimate killing blow had actually been destroyed by Lin Ye in such a clever and insidious way! Moreover, due to the backlash, both of them had suffered significant internal injuries.

"Just returning the favor." Lin Ye sneered, his figure already retreated behind the ice pillar. This move of his not only saved the horned python's life (temporarily) but also severely wounded Master Chihuang and Youming, completely infuriating them, but it also drew some of their attention back to himself from the horned python.

Sure enough, Master Chihuang and elder Youming exchanged a glance, and both saw the killing intent in the other's eyes. They knew that if they didn't get rid of this troublemaker Lin Ye first, let alone snatching the treasure today, they would probably find it difficult to even retreat unscathed.

"Kill Lin Han first!" The two shouted simultaneously, and actually temporarily gave up their fierce attack on the horned python, turning to pounce toward the ice pillar where Lin Ye and the other four were hiding! The remaining few Golden Core and Foundation Establishment Cultivators also gritted their teeth and followed.

The three horned pythons were stunned for a moment, but then they were further enraged by the action of Master Chihuang and the others shifting their target (thinking they were being slighted), and they roared as they chased after them.

The scene immediately became even more chaotic!

Lin Ye and the other four were once again exposed to attacks, and they were facing the pincer attack of Master Chihuang and Youming—two injured but crazy Late Stage Golden Core Cultivators—as well as several Golden Core and Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the three enraged horned pythons!

"Retreat! Retreat toward the stone gate!" Lin Ye made a prompt decision and led everyone in a rapid retreat toward the back of the ice cave hall, in the direction of the ancient stone gate sealed by ice.

The space there was relatively narrow, which might restrict the huge size of the horned pythons, and they could also rely on the stone gate for some defense.

However, just as they retreated near the stone gate, the attacks from Master Chihuang and the others had already arrived!

"Ice wall!" Lin Ye waved his hand, using "Mystic Jade Body" and ice-element spiritual power to instantly condense several thick ice walls in front of him, while Chu Yun, Su Waner, and the others also used their own methods to defend.

Boom, boom, boom! The ice walls shattered one after another, and everyone was shaken, their blood and qi churning, but they finally blocked the first wave of attacks.

The three horned pythons also caught up, their huge bodies squeezing in front of the relatively narrow stone gate, fighting in a chaotic battle with Master Chihuang and the others, which instead temporarily "protected" Lin Ye and the other four in the corner between the stone gate and the ice wall, while they endured most of the attacks.

But this was only temporary; once the horned pythons were killed or repelled, they would be like turtles in a jar.

"We must open the stone gate!" Lin Ye looked at the stone gate behind him, which was sealed by thick ice and carved with ancient runes.

He could feel fluctuations related to "Reincarnation" emanating from the stone gate. Perhaps behind it lay the passage to the location of the "reincarnation seal," or it could be a dead end. But at this moment, there was no other choice!

"Senior Sister Su, use the 'spirit-nourishing bead' and the Ancient Lamp to try and sense the Divine Soul Seal on the stone gate! Senior Brother Chu, Gui Li, Ye Xiao, protect me and buy me some time!" Lin Ye gave quick orders while pressing his hand onto the ice layer of the stone gate. He slowly injected his spiritual power, Divine Sense, and the Aura of the "yan jun token" and "command token of ten thousand ghosts," attempting to communicate with and break the Seal.

Su Waner immediately complied, and a cyan-white light enveloped the stone gate. The three of them, Chu Yun and the others, fought desperately to fend off the attacks that leaked through from time to time.

The ice layer on the stone gate was extremely hard and ancient, and the runes on it were even more profound and unfathomable. Lin Ye's spiritual power and Divine Sense were like clay oxen entering the sea. But he could feel that under the radiance of the "spirit-nourishing bead" and the "soul-calming ancient lamp," the ice layer on the stone gate seemed to soften slightly, and some runes began to glow faintly.

"It's working! Continue!" Lin Ye's spirits lifted, and he increased his output.

Outside, Master Chihuang and the Nether Elder also discovered Lin Ye's intention.

"He wants to open the stone gate! Stop him!" Master Chihuang shouted sharply. Ignoring the attacks of the Black Ice Horned Python, he slashed with a blade of flame energy, splitting through the ice mist and striking towards Lin Ye, who was in the process of breaking the Seal on the stone gate!

"Your opponent is me!" Chu Yun roared, activating the red dragon sword. He slashed with all his might, clashing against the flame blade energy. He was shaken, vomiting blood and retreating, but he successfully blocked the attack.

The Nether Elder controlled the phantom of the Ghost King, reaching out to grab Su Waner. Gui Li and Ye Xiao joined forces, using cunning movement techniques and lethal attacks to barely keep him at bay.

The scene was extremely chaotic and tragic. Chu Yun and the other two were all injured. Su Waner's face was pale, and maintaining the Ancient Lamp and the "spirit-nourishing bead" was extremely strenuous. Lin Ye also felt his spiritual power depleting rapidly, and his Divine Soul was exhausted.

Under the power of the "spirit-nourishing bead" and the two tokens, the ice layer on the stone gate was melting at an extremely slow speed, and the light from those runes was becoming brighter and brighter.

"Faster! A little faster!" Lin Ye felt anxious in his heart.

Just at this moment, a sudden change occurred!

Perhaps stimulated by the light of the stone gate's runes and the fluctuations of the "spirit-nourishing bead," the "soul-stabilizing bead" floating on the lotus pedestal suddenly began to tremble on its own, erupting with an even more brilliant ice-blue radiance! A strange fluctuation, pure, vast, and seemingly capable of immobilizing Divine Souls and stabilizing space-time, boomed and spread outwards!

As this fluctuation swept past, everyone in the chaotic battle felt their Divine Souls clear, and even the berserk Black Ice Horned Python paused slightly in its movements.

And even more shocking was that, following the strange movement of the "soul-stabilizing bead," the several key runes on the ancient stone gate that Lin Ye had injected with his spiritual power suddenly shone brightly, connecting with each other to form a strange pattern!

Immediately after, the thick ice layer on the stone gate emitted a "crackle, crackle" sound, and was quickly covered in cracks!

Hum—! An even more ancient, desolate dark Aura, seemingly capable of devouring all light and heat, seeped out from the cracks in the stone gate!

At the same time, a grand, cold, and indifferent voice, seemingly from ages past, rang out in everyone's minds: "The Gate of Reincarnation opens by Destiny. Those who hold the 'Key' may enter; all others... shall be erased."

As the voice fell, the ice layer on the stone gate exploded with a boom, turning into ice crystals filling the sky! It revealed what was behind it—a slowly rotating, bottomless, dark vortex gate that seemed to connect to the endless Void Realm!

The gate had opened! However, the word "erased" sent a chill through everyone's hearts.

Those who hold the 'Key'? Does it refer to people who hold these "Keys" like the "yan jun token," the "command token of ten thousand ghosts," and the "spirit-nourishing bead"? Then what about the others...

Before everyone could react, dozens of pitch-black, lightning-fast chains shot out from the dark vortex gate! These chains seemed to ignore spatial distance, instantly piercing through the bodies of the three Black Ice Horned Pythons, Master Chihuang, the Nether Elder, and all the surviving Cultivators under their command!

"No—!!" Master Chihuang let out a desperate roar, struggling with all his might, but it was useless. The chains seemed capable of devouring all power. Their spiritual power, blood essence, and Divine Soul were being rapidly extracted. Their bodies withered and aged at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually turning into dust. Even their Nascent Souls and Golden Cores could not escape!

Including the three powerful Black Ice Horned Pythons, they also rapidly disintegrated under the entanglement of the chains, turning into pure, cold Death Qi that was devoured by the vortex gate.

In just a few breaths of time, except for the five people including Lin Ye who were enveloped by the cyan-white light of the "spirit-nourishing bead," all the "non-key holders" in the field were completely erased, leaving no bones behind!

Silence. A deathly silence. Only the slowly rotating dark vortex gate, emanating a heart-palpitating devouring Aura, and the "soul-stabilizing bead" floating on the lotus pedestal with its light gradually receding, remained.

The five of them, including Lin Ye, looked at this terrifying scene before them, all breaking into a cold sweat and feeling lingering fear. If they hadn't been holding the "spirit-nourishing bead" and other items, they would likely have turned into dust by now. This "Gate of Reincarnation" was actually so overbearing and terrifying!

"Those who hold the 'Key' may enter... It seems we must go in." Lin Ye took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and looked at the dark vortex, then looked at the "soul-stabilizing bead" on the lotus pedestal. Should they take the "soul-stabilizing bead" first, or enter the "Gate of Reincarnation" immediately?

The "soul-stabilizing bead" was close at hand, and the earlier strange movement showed it was related to the stone gate. But the situation behind the vortex gate was unknown, and the warning of "erasure" was still ringing in his ears.

"Acting Sect Master, look!" Su Waner suddenly pointed below the lotus pedestal. They saw that the lotus pedestal, under the radiance of the "soul-stabilizing bead" and the earlier tremors, was actually slowly rotating, facing the direction of the dark vortex gate. Moreover, the lotus pedestal itself seemed to be starting to emit a faint dark fluctuation of the same origin as the "Gate of Reincarnation." Could it be... that this lotus pedestal and the "soul-stabilizing bead" were themselves part of the "Key," or perhaps a "guide" after entering the "Gate of Reincarnation"?

Thoughts raced through Lin Ye's mind. He hesitated no longer, his figure flashed, and he arrived before the lotus pedestal, reaching out to grab the ice-blue "soul-stabilizing bead."

The bead felt cool to the touch, and a pure power of Divine Soul stabilization surged into his body, lifting his spirits and reducing his fatigue from the past few days by more than half. Even more wonderfully, when he obtained the "soul-stabilizing bead," the "yan jun token," "command token of ten thousand ghosts," "spirit-nourishing bead," and "inheritance star mirror" in his possession all resonated weakly at the same time, as if the connection between them had become tighter.

"Let's go! Enter the gate!" Lin Ye put away the "soul-stabilizing bead" (carefully placing it into a special jade box) and shouted to Chu Yun and the others. The five of them no longer hesitated and leapt into the slowly rotating, bottomless dark vortex gate.

The world spun, and space-time was in chaos. It was as if they had traversed endless darkness and nothingness, experiencing a long fall (or ascent?).

When Lin Ye regained consciousness and his feet touched solid ground, he found himself in a strange space that could not be described in words.

There was no up, down, left, or right here, no light or dark colors, only an endless, slowly flowing "river" that seemed to be composed of countless memories, emotions, and fragments of Karma. In the river, some blurry images and sounds appeared from time to time, some familiar, some strange, as if coming from the past, yet also seemingly indicating the future.

In the direction of the "source" of the "river," one could faintly see an ancient, illusory, and majestic palace formed entirely by the Laws of "Karma" and "Reincarnation." The palace gate was tightly shut, and on the gate, three twisted runes, seemingly containing endless profundity, were faintly visible. Although Lin Ye did not recognize them, the information from the "inheritance star mirror" allowed him to instantly understand their meaning: Reincarnation Hall!

Was this the place where the "reincarnation seal" was located?!

However, before Lin Ye could carefully examine this strange "Reincarnation Space," an indescribable, terrifying pressure, seemingly capable of crushing all Souls, descended with a boom from the direction of the "Reincarnation Hall"!

At the same time, a voice, even grander, colder, and more indifferent than before, as if it were the Heavenly Dao itself, resounded throughout the entire space: "Restricted area of Reincarnation. Those who trespass... are sentenced to Reincarnation, to sink forever!"