44: A powerful aura pressed down, chains bound the chaos.

As the pale golden Protective Aura Sword pierced the air, a heat wave wrapped in Gold Element sharpness plowed a scorched, shallow groove into the bluestone slab. Lin Yang's pupils contracted sharply. The chaos star core frantically circulated within his Dantian, and the gray-gold True Essence instantly condensed into a thick shield—this was a defensive Move he had derived by imitating Chu He's Thick Earth Shield. But the moment it collided with the Protective Aura Sword, a sharp 'crack' exploded up his arm.

The True Essence shield instantly cracked into a spiderweb, like silk fabric cut by red-hot scissors. Lin Yang felt an irresistible force surge from his palm into his Meridians. His vital energy and blood churned like boiling water, and a sweet taste rose in his throat. He was forced back five steps, his ankles scraping two deep grooves into the bluestone. The residual Protective Aura energy left at the bottom of the grooves was still sizzling and scorching the rubble.

"A Xiantian Realm Cultivator is just a Xiantian Realm Cultivator. No matter how flashy your True Essence is, it can't block the edge of Protective Aura." Zhao Kun sneered, lightly shaking his wrist. The Protective Aura Sword suddenly split into three, flying in a 'pin' formation toward Lin Yang's chest, left shoulder, and right leg. "I once used this Move, 'Splitting Gold Armor Break,' to pierce a Thick Earth Shield from an Innate Fifth-Layer Cultivator. How many Moves do you think you can last?"

Lin Yang gritted his teeth, the chaos star core analyzing the Protective Aura's trajectory at full speed—the three swords appeared to strike simultaneously, but the one aimed at his right leg was the true killing Move, while the one at his chest was merely a feint. He sharply twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding the Protective Aura Sword aimed at his right leg, but the residual force of the feint still grazed his left shoulder. His Dark-colored Tight-fitting Suit instantly scorched, leaving a hole, and a piercing pain radiated from his flesh. Blood streamed down his shoulder armor, dripping onto the ground where the Protective Aura instantly baked it into black ash.

"You're quick to dodge, but it's useless." A hint of malice flashed in Zhao Kun's eyes. He suddenly clasped his hands behind his back, and a dark golden chain wrapped around his fingertips silently slid out—the chain was about half a foot long, its links engraved with intricate Runes, gleaming coldly in the sunlight. It was the "spirit sealing chain" that Shen Li had previously warned Lin Yang about! "Did you think I only rely on Protective Aura to defeat you? This spirit sealing chain is specially made by the Misty Immortal Palace to specifically seal a Cultivator's True Essence. Today, I'll let you taste what it's like to have your Spiritual Root sealed and become a cripple!"

Lin Yang's heart tightened, and the chaos star core instantly issued a sharp warning. He recalled Shen Li whispering, "Zhao Kun brought the spirit sealing chain; it can seal True Essence," when she deliberately bumped into Zhou Kai by the Arena last night. He hadn't thought much of it then, but now, seeing the Runes on the chain subtly echo the Misty Immortal Palace Cloud Pattern on Zhao Qian's Waist Token, it was clear they belonged to the same power.

"Swoosh!"

The spirit sealing chain suddenly shot out from Zhao Kun's fingertips. The moment the links unfolded, it rapidly grew to three feet long, wrapping around Lin Yang's wrist with a tearing sound. Zhao Kun had calculated precisely that Lin Yang, having just dodged the Protective Aura Sword, was between old and new strength and wouldn't have time to evade. Lin Yang hurriedly gathered his Chaos True Essence at his wrist, but as soon as the spirit sealing chain touched the True Essence, the Runes on the links lit up red. A strange power drilled through the True Essence toward his Dantian, and the rotation of the chaos star core instantly slowed down by half a beat!

"This chain can suppress the star core!" Lin Yang's expression changed drastically. He violently shook his wrist, trying to break free, but the spirit sealing chain clung tightly to his forearm as if alive. The red glow of the Runes intensified, and the Chaos True Essence within him began to stagnate. Even his previous ability to easily devour energy weakened slightly.

"Hahaha! Do you know fear now?" Seeing this, Zhao Kun laughed even more arrogantly. The pale golden Protective Aura around him suddenly surged, rushing toward Lin Yang like a tide—this was the Area-of-effect Skill of the Burning Gold Art, the "Burning Gold Protective Aura Wave," capable of wrapping and crushing everything within a five-meter radius. Now that Lin Yang was entangled by the spirit sealing chain and his True Essence was hindered, he was a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. "Kneel down and beg for mercy now, and I might spare one of your arms. Otherwise, once the Protective Aura crushes your Meridians, you'll be completely crippled!"

The moment the Protective Aura Wave surged, Lin Yang felt the air around him grow heavy. Countless tiny threads of Protective Aura pricked his skin like needles, and even breathing caused a burning pain. His forearm, wrapped by the spirit sealing chain, felt waves of numbness. The Chaos True Essence clashed within his body, but each time it was repelled by the Runes on the chain. His Meridians were vibrating with dull pain, and even the Fire Element True Essence he had previously absorbed from Zhao Qian began to stir restlessly.

On the High Platform, Su Qingyue's fingertips had already condensed Ice True Essence, her knuckles white from the exertion. She looked at Lin Yang's forearm bound by the spirit sealing chain, then glanced at the Misty Immortal Palace Cloud Pattern Waist Token on Zhao Kun's belt. Fury burned in her heart—an Inner Sect Disciple using a spirit sealing chain specially made by the Immortal Palace against an Outer Sect Disciple? This wasn't a competition; it was deliberate murder! Just as she was about to stand, Bai Wanqing pressed down on her hand and transmitted her voice: "Wait a moment. Although the spirit sealing chain can seal True Essence, it cannot seal the Origin power of the chaos star core. Lin Yang has not reached a desperate situation yet."

Below the platform, Liu Qingluan clutched Liu Hongluan's hand, her knuckles white. "Sis, Big Brother's True Essence is being suppressed by that chain... what do we do?" Liu Hongluan didn't speak, just stared intently at the Arena, her eyes red-rimmed. Her fingertips quietly gathered a faint Wood Element True Essence—she knew she couldn't help, but she still wanted to try, even if she could only block a trace of Protective Aura for her brother.

Inside Lin Yang's Dantian, though the chaos star core was suppressed by the spirit sealing chain, it had not stopped rotating. He could clearly perceive that while the Runes on the spirit sealing chain could seal True Essence, they were insufficient against the fundamental power of "devouring"—the Primal Gang Qi of the Black Wind Stockade Chief, which he had previously absorbed, was now gently pulsating against the star core, as if responding to something. Furthermore, although Zhao Kun's Protective Aura was strong, because the spirit sealing chain diverted some of his True Essence, the trace of Misty Immortal Palace Aura, which was incompatible with the Burning Gold Art, became even more noticeably sluggish when it circulated to his left shoulder.

"I can't just passively take this beating anymore!"

Lin Yang suddenly looked up. He stopped deliberately defending against the Protective Aura Wave and instead actively guided the unbound Chaos True Essence toward the spirit sealing chain. The moment the gray-gold True Essence collided with the chain, the scorching power of the Runes felt like burning charcoal in his Meridians. Yet, the chaos star core transmitted a pleasant pulsation—although the power of the spirit sealing chain's Runes was unique, it was still a form of energy, and the star core was actually able to slowly dismantle and refine it!

"What? You dare to devour the spirit sealing chain's power?!" Zhao Kun's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected the spirit sealing chain, which could even trap a Gang Qi Realm Cultivator, to fail against a Xiantian Realm Cultivator like Lin Yang. "You're courting death!"

Zhao Kun rushed toward Lin Yang, condensing an even stronger Protective Aura in his palm, aiming to strike Lin Yang's Dantian—he intended to destroy the star core before Lin Yang could finish refining the spirit sealing chain! The Protective Aura Palm carried a world-destroying Aura. As it struck toward Lin Yang's Dantian, the air was compressed, emitting a dull 'buzzing' sound. The Disciples surrounding the Arena couldn't help but close their eyes, unable to watch Lin Yang suffer such a heavy blow.

Lin Yang had just refined a trace of the spirit sealing chain's Rune power, and his Dantian was still suppressed by the chain, leaving him no time to dodge. He could only concentrate all his Chaos True Essence in his Dantian, forming a True Essence shield as thin as a cicada's wing, while simultaneously pushing the analysis power of the chaos star core to its maximum—he had to find the flaw in Zhao Kun's Move, or he would truly fall here today.