20: Clouds and mist surge, the source shatters and the soul is taken away

“Whoosh—!”

A azure streak of light cut through the night sky of the Tagor Desert, moving at extreme speed, leaving the golden sand waves below far behind. Inside the narrow space of the Flowing Cloud Shuttle, the atmosphere was as heavy as solidified lead.

Lin Chen slumped on the cold metal floor, as if his spine had been removed. Although the wound on his left shoulder, which had been pierced through, was temporarily sealed by Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, stopping the bleeding, the bone-chilling cold and Soul-tearing pain remained undiminished. Even more critically, his Dantian was completely empty!

The originally slowly rotating, pitch-black Qi vortex that once held thirty drops of liquid Dou Qi was now just a blurry, dim phantom, like a flickering candle in the wind, so faint it was almost imperceptible! At the center of the Qi vortex, the integrated dark shadow source core fragment… had vanished!

It had been forcefully stripped from his body by Protector Wu’s terrifying Soul ghost claw!

The source core fragment being taken not only removed most of his power Foundation, but also took away the pure Shadow energy and the core Annihilation Intent! Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, having lost its source of power and the support of its Intent, was like rootless duckweed, instantly collapsing by more than half. His Realm directly plummeted from a One-star Dou Master back to a Nine-star Battle Practitioner! Moreover, his aura was unstable, and his Foundation was severely damaged!

“Ugh…” Lin Chen let out a suppressed groan of pain from his throat, attempting to Cultivate Shadow Erosion Dou Qi to heal his injuries and stabilize his Realm. But without the core support of the source core fragment, the newly generated Dou Qi was extremely weak, like a tiny stream struggling to flow on a dry, cracked riverbed. Each cycle brought a tearing pain in his Meridians and a strong sense of emptiness. On his wrist, the dark red chain brand, having lost the suppression of the source core fragment and powerful Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, became unusually active. The cold stinging sensation was like countless poisonous needles, continuously piercing deep into his Soul, even faintly emitting a weak, marked fluctuation!

Power! The power he relied on to survive, the power he desperately fought for! It was just forcefully taken away like that! As if his heart had been gouged out! Bone-deep hatred and icy despair intertwined, almost drowning him. Protector Wu’s cold, greedy eyes, Yue Mei’s stunned, angry face, and… Xiao Yan’s face, illuminated by the azure light of the Flowing Cloud Shuttle, bearing a complex, scrutinizing gaze.

“You…” Xiao Yan’s voice broke the silence, carrying a hint of imperceptible hoarseness and deep doubt. He controlled the Flowing Cloud Shuttle, but his gaze was fixed on Lin Chen, especially his empty, unstable Dantian and the Hall of Souls brand flickering on his wrist. “What was that fragment? The ‘source core fragment’ Protector Wu mentioned? And your Dou Qi… why can it devour the power of the Hall of Souls?”

Old Yao’s Soul phantom also quietly appeared beside Xiao Yan. His aged face was filled with solemnity, his gaze like a torch, as if he wanted to see through Lin Chen from inside out. “Little fellow, you have more secrets than this old man imagined. That fragment contains pure and domineering Shadow energy, carrying the Intent to annihilate all things, far from comparable to the Yin Soul Power of the Hall of Souls! The Cultivation Technique you Cultivate is an unheard-of, evil and domineering one! Protector Wu personally took action to snatch it… that fragment is probably involved in something huge!”

Lin Chen raised his head. His hood had long been shattered in the previous battle, revealing his young, blood-stained, and ashen face. The dark red and dark purple light in his eyes had dimmed considerably, but still carried an icy tenacity and… madness. He met Xiao Yan and Old Yao’s scrutinizing gaze, his voice hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing: “That was… the Origin of my power… it was stolen.” He did not directly answer the question about the Cultivation Technique, merely stating a cold fact, his tone filled with bone-deep hatred. “Protector Wu… Hall of Souls… this grudge… must be avenged!”

“Origin of power?” Xiao Yan frowned deeply, “Why is the Hall of Souls chasing you? What’s with that brand? What is your relationship with the Hall of Souls?” Protector Wu’s appearance, especially his terrifying strength and the information revealed in his words, raised Xiao Yan’s vigilance towards Lin Chen to an unprecedented level. This person was too strange, possessing a treasure coveted even by a Hall of Souls Elder Zun, Cultivating an unheard-of evil Cultivation Technique, yet being chased by the Hall of Souls… Was he an enemy or a friend? A pawn or a hunter?

“I am not a person of the Hall of Souls!” Lin Chen suddenly looked up, his eyes bursting with strong resistance and hatred. The brand on his left wrist seemed to sense his emotions, flickering more intensely, bringing a sharp Soul stinging pain that made his body tremble slightly. “This brand… was left by Yingu Old Man before his death… The Hall of Souls… slaughtered my Family… destroyed my home… we are irreconcilable!” He roared, half-truthfully, attributing some of Yingu Old Man’s experiences to himself, the hatred and pain in his voice incredibly real. At this moment, he had to use Xiao Yan’s deep hatred for the Hall of Souls to gain trust!

A glint flashed in Old Yao’s eyes, and he said in a deep voice, “That Yingu Old Man? Is it the one whose Soul fire you devoured in the poisonous miasma of the Magical Beast Mountain Range?” He keenly grasped the key point, “Protector Wu said you devoured part of his Soul fire Origin… Could it be that your strange Cultivation Technique can actually devour and refine others’ Soul Origin for your own use?!” This conjecture sent a chill down Old Yao’s spine.

Xiao Yan’s face turned even uglier upon hearing this. Devouring Soul Origin? What kind of evil and malicious Cultivation Technique was this! This was almost identical to some of the Hall of Souls’s methods! His gaze towards Lin Chen was filled with apprehension and repulsion.

“It’s devouring energy! Not Soul!” Lin Chen gritted his teeth and retorted, forcefully defending himself, “Shadow Erosion Dou Qi… only devours energy Origin… and annihilates Impurities! That Soul fire contained pure Soul energy… naturally it can be refined!” He could not admit to devouring Souls, as that would completely solidify his reputation as an evil demon.

“Hmph, glib-tongued!” Old Yao snorted, clearly not entirely convinced. But he also saw that Lin Chen’s current state was extremely poor. After the source core fragment was taken, his aura was unstable, his Realm had fallen, and the Hall of Souls brand had lost its suppression, like a flickering candle in the wind. He pondered for a moment, then transmitted a message to Xiao Yan: “This child has many suspicious points, and his Cultivation Technique is even more unfathomable. But Protector Wu personally took action to snatch that fragment, indicating that the fragment is extremely important to the Hall of Souls. His strength has greatly diminished now, and he is locked by the Hall of Souls brand, so he can’t cause much trouble for the time being. The trace of residual Snake-person blood essence aura in his body… is related to Medusa. The Cloud Mist Sect appointment is imminent, so it’s not advisable to create new problems. Take him back to the Imperial Capital, keep him under strict surveillance, and perhaps we can dig out more information about the Hall of Souls and that fragment from him.”

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the doubts and killing intent in his heart. Old Yao’s analysis was reasonable. The Three-Year Agreement was fast approaching, and Yun Shan, that old dog, put immense pressure on him. It was indeed not advisable to create another powerful enemy at this moment (although Lin Chen was not a powerful enemy now). Moreover, the information about the Hall of Souls and that mysterious fragment that Lin Chen possessed might be useful for his future confrontation with the Hall of Souls.

“Alright, I’ll trust you for now.” Xiao Yan’s voice was cold, “But remember, if I find even the slightest hint of you colluding with the Hall of Souls, or doing anything harmful, I will personally take your life! Now, stay put and stabilize your tattered Realm! When we reach the Imperial Capital, we’ll settle all accounts!”

Lin Chen lowered his eyelids, no longer speaking. He silently endured the emptiness, severe pain in his body, and the stinging pain of the Soul brand, painstakingly condensing the remaining Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, like a stingy miser, little by little repairing his damaged Meridians and stabilizing his precarious Nine-star Battle Practitioner Realm. Each cycle of Dou Qi was accompanied by tearing pain and bone-deep hatred for the stolen source core fragment.

Power… I need power! Stronger power! Hall of Souls… Protector Wu… If this grudge is not avenged, I swear I am not human!

The Flowing Cloud Shuttle drew an azure trajectory across the night sky, heading straight for Gamma Holy City. Outside the city, Yunlan Mountain stood majestically under the moonlight, with clouds and mist swirling around its peak, like a dormant giant beast. A chilling premonition of an impending storm already quietly permeated the sky above the Imperial Capital.

…

Several days later, in Gamma Holy City, deep within the Mittel Family, a heavily guarded forbidden room.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged, his face still pale, but his aura was much more stable than it had been on the Flowing Cloud Shuttle. It took him several days to barely stabilize his fallen Realm at Nine-star Battle Practitioner. The phantom of the Qi vortex in his Dantian had solidified a bit, but it was still far from re-condensing liquid Dou Qi and breaking through to Dou Master. Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, having lost its source core, was like losing its Soul; its power was greatly reduced, and its devouring and annihilating characteristics also became extremely weak. Only the dark red chain brand on his left wrist, like a persistent curse, continuously emitted cold stinging pain and tracking fluctuations.

The door was pushed open, and Xiao Yan walked in, his face stern, carrying a sharp Sword Intent that had not yet dissipated and a faint smell of blood. Clearly, he had just been in a battle.

“Have people from the Cloud Mist Sect been here?” Lin Chen opened his eyes, his voice calm and even. Although he was under house arrest, his powerful Soul perception could still detect some movements from the outside world.

“Just a few annoying flies.” Xiao Yan snorted coldly, walked in front of Lin Chen, his gaze as sharp as a knife, “Nalan Yanran came with a Cloud Mist Sect Elder, and I sent them away. The Three-Year Agreement is tomorrow!”

His tone carried determination and strong confidence. After the journey through the desert, especially after witnessing Protector Wu’s terror, the pressure in his heart had instead transformed into stronger motivation. The mystery of whether Medusa Queen successfully evolved was temporarily put aside; right now, there was only the battle with the Cloud Mist Sect!

“After tomorrow, no matter the outcome, we will settle our accounts.” Xiao Yan stared at Lin Chen, “Now, tell me, what exactly is that ‘source core fragment’? Why does Protector Wu value it so much? And the Origin of your ‘Shadow Erosion Dou Qi’! Don’t try to fool me again!”

Lin Chen was silent for a moment, then met Xiao Yan’s scrutinizing gaze and slowly spoke, his voice low and hoarse: “The source core fragment… comes from a broken plane called the ‘Shadow Realm’… it contains the purest Shadow Origin and Annihilation Law… it is the core of Shadow Erosion Dou Qi’s power and the source of its Intent.” He revealed part of the truth, vaguely describing the black stone’s Origin as a broken plane.

“As for Shadow Erosion Dou Qi…” A flicker of complexity appeared in his eyes, “It was something I accidentally obtained in an ancient ruin… The Cultivation Technique is domineering, requiring the devouring of all energy… including Soul Power… but it is definitely not the Dao of an evil demon, only for survival, only for revenge!” He once again emphasized his stance.

“Shadow Realm? Annihilation Law?” Xiao Yan and Old Yao (via Soul transmission) were simultaneously shocked. The concept of planes far exceeded their current understanding! The Annihilation Law was even one of the supreme Laws of legend! If Lin Chen’s words were true, the value of that source core fragment was simply immeasurable! No wonder Protector Wu personally took action!

“Protector Wu taking the fragment must have a great purpose.” Old Yao’s voice carried deep worry, “That villain’s strength is terrifying. If he completely refines the fragment… the consequences would be unimaginable!”

Xiao Yan’s face was solemn, and his gaze towards Lin Chen became even more complex. The secrets and Karma this person carried far exceeded his imagination.

“After tomorrow’s battle, I will find a way to help you suppress that Hall of Souls brand.” Xiao Yan finally said in a deep voice, “But the premise is that you behave yourself. If I find you making any unusual moves…” The rest of the words were left unsaid.

Lin Chen nodded silently. At this moment, he was the fish on the chopping block, with no other choice. Having lost the source core fragment, he needed time, resources, and even more… a relatively safe environment to recover his strength and find a new source of power. Xiao Yan, for now, was his only “shelter.”

He closed his eyes, no longer speaking. His mind sank into his body, painstakingly guiding the weak Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, as if rebuilding his home in ruins. In his mind, however, he repeatedly replayed Protector Wu’s cold gaze when he took the fragment, and… the storm that was about to arrive on the peak of Yunlan Mountain.

Tomorrow, on Cloud Mist Sect, a fierce Dragon-Tiger battle.

And he, Lin Chen, could only be a bystander who had lost his claws, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity for revenge and rise. The brand on his wrist, like cold mockery, constantly reminded him of his weakness and humiliation.

The desire to become stronger had never been so fervent.