169: Chapter 169 Mental Rampage

The moment the rift closed, the entire secret realm seemed to finally break free from a long, suffocating hold.

The black mist in the sky receded in layers, and the remaining fragments of tentacles turned into ash, vanishing completely with a gust of wind.

Those Mimics that had been lurking all around, ready to pounce at any moment, saw their auras rapidly dissipate as the main body of the Evil Shadow retreated.

The cold, viscous pressure that had been weighing on everyone's hearts, making it nearly impossible to breathe, finally began to fade.

Lin Mo still stood high in the sky.

His Dragonborn Form had not yet fully faded; faint dragon scale patterns still lingered on his neck, arms, and back, and his golden-red vertical pupils had not yet completely returned to normal.

However, his entire aura was now completely different from before.

It wasn't just a simple surge of power, but rather as if he had just undergone a tempering that transcended both Spirit and bloodline, as if he had been completely washed anew.

His chest was still faintly burning.

That Azure Dragon Mark had not gone completely silent; instead, like a spark sunk into the deep sea, it burned quietly in the deepest recesses.

"Lin Mo!"

Below, Ji Wuchen was the first to react. His figure flashed as he rushed toward him.

Gu Yunting, Lu Chenzhou, and Ye Huangyi also looked up almost simultaneously, their gazes landing on him, filled with undisguised shock.

Everything that had just happened was simply too shocking for them.

First, Cao Shen had been beheaded.

Then, the Shadow of a Thousand Eyes and a Thousand Tentacles had forcibly invaded.

Everyone had witnessed with their own eyes how Lin Mo had been pressed to the brink of losing consciousness by that Spirit contamination.

But just when everyone thought he wouldn't hold on, the Azure Dragon phantom had suddenly awakened within his Spirit world, and in a posture akin to a nemesis settling a score, had forcibly suppressed that Evil Shadow back into the abyss.

That scene was too stunning.

So stunning that even now, everyone had yet to fully collect their thoughts.

"What... what did he see just now?" Lu Chenzhou muttered softly.

Gu Yunting did not answer; he only gripped his sword, his gaze locked tightly onto Lin Mo, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

If previously, his feelings toward Lin Mo were mostly recognition and wariness.

Then now, only a near-instinctive awe remained.

Daoist Master Yun Yao was the first to rush toward Shen Yi, stabilizing her gradually calming aura while looking up at Lin Mo, her eyes also filled with astonishment.

"The Azure Dragon Mark..." she whispered, "That is not a normal bloodline resonance; it is a true suppression of will."

Lei Wanjun stood by the ruins and exhaled a long breath.

He was covered in injuries, his robes were tattered, and there were scorched marks on his chest from lightning burns, yet he laughed out loud at this moment.

"This kid, he gets more outrageous every single time."

"With that scene just now, I really thought he was going to be swallowed whole."

Shen Guhong sheathed his sword, his gaze still resting on the figure in the high sky. His expression was as calm as ever, yet it held a hint of deep contemplation.

He saw more clearly than the others.

Lin Mo hadn't just simply withstood the Evil Shadow.

Instead, in that instant, by utilizing the suppression of the Azure Dragon's will, he had completed an extremely rare Spirit tempering.

If it had been anyone else, even if they had survived by luck, they would likely have suffered irreversible damage to their consciousness.

But Lin Mo seemed to have forcibly torn a fragment of origin from the Evil Shadow in that desperate situation, turning it into his own nourishment instead.

At this moment, Lin Mo indeed felt this change.

He landed slowly, his footsteps slightly unsteady.

Deep in his mind, those Spirit fragments purified by the Azure Dragon were still slowly settling, like layers of fine sand spreading across the bottom of his sea of consciousness.

There was some fragmented information among them that he could not yet fully digest.

But one thing was clear.

His Spirit perception had become sharper.

His anticipation of danger, his sensing of energy, and his capture of the enemy's next moves were all significantly clearer than before.

On the other side, Shen Yi also slowly steadied herself with the help of the others.

Her face was pale, and her breath was still somewhat weak, but the out-of-control Mimic origin within her had been suppressed to its lowest point after the Azure Dragon's suppression and the sealing formation's reflux.

She looked up at Lin Mo, her lips moving, but in the end, she only whispered:

"...Thank you."

Lin Mo glanced at her and shook his head slightly.

"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me; wait until you can stand steadily first."

Shen Yi was stunned, and then, surprisingly, she revealed a rare, faint smile.

The smile was very faint, yet it softened her originally pale face a little.

Daoist Master Yun Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief and raised her hand to put away the last few residual formations.

She looked at the sky that was slowly recovering, her expression complex.

"This time, if not for Lin Mo... we would likely all have perished here."

Upon hearing this, Lei Wanjun laughed out loud, but it aggravated his injuries, making him wince in pain.

"Alright, alright, stop praising him; keep praising him and this kid's tail will stick up to the sky."

Ji Wuchen held his long spear, leaning against a broken wall, his gaze never leaving Lin Mo.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said:

"He is no longer the Lin Mo we knew at the beginning."

Lin Mo stood in place and looked up at the sky, which had completely returned to normal.

The wind blew through the ruins, bringing a hint of chill.

He slowly withdrew his gaze and said softly:

"Let's go back first."

Everyone nodded upon hearing this.

...

When they returned to the edge of the secret realm, the sky had completely recovered.

The remaining black mist was gradually dispersed by the formations, and the suffocating, cold smell in the air had finally faded.

But no one truly relaxed.

Because in this battle, too many people had died, and the injuries were too severe.

The ground was covered in shattered Bone Platforms, broken weapons, traces scorched by lightning fire, and bloodstains that hadn't had time to be cleaned up.

The survivors sat in the ruins in twos and threes, their expressions weary, the silence bordering on suffocating.

Daoist Master Yun Yao stopped in front of a relatively intact formation platform, her fingertips brushing over the damaged formation patterns, her gaze somewhat complex.

"The pollution at the core of the secret realm has been suppressed, but this place cannot be opened again for a short time."

She paused, looked up at Lin Mo, her tone much more solemn than usual.

"You have performed a great service this time."

Lin Mo stood to the side, having just shed his Dragonborn Form, his face still somewhat pale.

He nodded slightly upon hearing this, without much emotional fluctuation.

Lei Wanjun sat down against a stone wall nearby, his chest wrapped in makeshift bandages, and grinned.

"This kid didn't just perform a service; he saved all our lives. He is our savior now!"

Ji Wuchen glanced at him upon hearing this and said indifferently:

"If you still have the energy to run your mouth, it means you aren't hurt badly enough."

Lei Wanjun rolled his eyes.

"What do you know? This is called relaxing after surviving a disaster."

Gu Yunting sat on the other side, sheathing his broken long sword, and also exhaled softly upon hearing this.

"Being able to survive is already the best outcome."

Lu Chenzhou simply lay down on the ground, looking at the sky, and sighed longly:

"I reckon I'll have nightmares for half a month after going back this time."

Ye Huangyi didn't speak; she just lowered her head to tidy up the residual Spirit fire talismans in her sleeves, her eyes still somewhat dazed.

She knew better than anyone how terrifying the pressure was when the Evil Shadow retreated at the end.

If not for the sudden awakening of the Azure Dragon phantom, and if not for Lin Mo forcibly holding on for that last breath, none of them would likely have walked out of here today.

Meanwhile, Shen Yi was sitting not far away.

Her complexion was still very pale, but compared to the state of potential collapse from before, she had stabilized much more.

Daoist Master Yun Yao had personally suppressed the residual Mimic origin within her and used a consciousness-sealing formation to temporarily stabilize her sea of consciousness.

She lowered her eyes slightly, as if adjusting her breathing.

After a long while, she finally looked up at Lin Mo.

Her gaze was very quiet, and also very complex.

Lin Mo noticed her gaze and walked over.

"Are you okay?"

Shen Yi nodded, then shook her head.

"I won't die for now."

She paused, as if wanting to say something, and finally spoke:

"Just now... if it weren't for you, I would have been dragged in."

Lin Mo looked at her, his tone calm.

"Aren't we partners? It was only right for me to act."

Shen Yi pursed her lips and whispered:

"Thank you..."

"What... what exactly happened in your sea of consciousness just now?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the few people nearby who were still resting shifted slightly.

Clearly, Shen Yi was not the only one who wanted to know.

The appearance of the Azure Dragon phantom was simply too shocking.

That was not some ordinary cultivation technique phenomenon, nor was it a brief bloodline resonance, but a true "awakening of an ancient will."

Lin Mo swept his gaze over everyone and finally said indifferently:

"An old acquaintance."

Everyone was stunned.

An old acquaintance?

Who could have thought that an existence capable of pressing the Shadow of a Thousand Eyes and a Thousand Tentacles to the brink of collapse was merely an "old acquaintance" in Lin Mo's words?

But Lin Mo did not continue to explain.

Some things could not be explained in too much detail for the time being.

Especially the origin of the Azure Dragon Mark, and the connection between it and the Shadow of a Thousand Eyes and a Thousand Tentacles that was akin to a mortal enmity.

Once these things were spoken of, the implications would only be greater.

Daoist Master Yun Yao clearly understood this, so she did not press the matter, only giving Lin Mo a deep look.

"After this, the changes in your body will likely need a thorough examination."

Lin Mo nodded.

"I know."

He looked down at his palm; the Azure Dragon Mark had faded into the depths of his bloodline, leaving only a trace of warmth that was almost imperceptible.

Yet he could still feel that the Spirit fragments in his sea of consciousness had not completely dissipated.

They sank into the deepest depths, like sparks that hadn't been fully extinguished.

In the short term, there might not be any further problems.

But in the long run, this was definitely not something to be taken lightly.

At this moment, Shen Guhong walked over slowly.

He stood before Lin Mo, his gaze calm, his voice as low as ever.

"I am not good at saying these pleasantries."

"But after today, if anyone dares to question you again, I will draw my sword first."

These words were spoken softly, yet they carried immense weight.

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Thank you."

Shen Guhong did not say anything more and turned to leave.

But the few people around had clearly heard it, and their expressions had changed somewhat.

Gu Yunting looked at Lin Mo, then at Shen Guhong's retreating figure, and finally shook his head with a smile.

"It seems that after this, many people will have to re-evaluate you."

Lin Mo did not respond, only looking up into the distance.

The daylight fell, and the ruins gradually quieted down.

The gate of the secret realm slammed shut behind them, like a giant coffin being forcefully sealed, locking the black mist, the rift, and the nightmare that had nearly swallowed everyone into another world.

The sky over Lingwu City was gray and white.

There was no sunlight, and the clouds hung very low, as if snow might fall at any moment.

But the moment Lin Mo was the first to step out of the secret realm entrance, the tens of thousands of Awakeners, city guards, and representatives of various factions who had rushed from surrounding cities waiting in the city all fell silent in the same instant.

The Spirit pressure on Lin Mo that had not yet been fully restrained washed over the entire long street silently, like an invisible tide.

It was not released intentionally.

It was the lingering aftermath of a person who had just completed a Spirit transformation and could not yet perfectly control their own claws and fangs.

But even so, everyone held their breath at that moment.

Someone instinctively took half a step back.

That kind of oppression did not come from the crushing of spiritual power, but a deeper, instinctive fear, as if being looked down upon from above by some ancient fierce beast.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe stood at the very front of the crowd, wearing a dark green cloak, his face cold and stern.

The moment his gaze met Lin Mo's, his pupils still contracted sharply.

It was not like looking at a junior.

It was like looking at a fierce god that had not yet fully awakened.

"Lin Mo."

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe spoke first, his voice steady, with no discernible emotional fluctuation.

"Inside... is it over?"

Lin Mo stopped walking.

Behind him, Shen Guhong, Ji Wuchen, Daoist Master Yun Yao, Lei Wanjun, Gu Yunting, and others walked out of the secret realm entrance one after another.

Everyone's face was terrifyingly pale, their robes were full of the traces of battle, and some even had the lingering remnants of black mist that hadn't completely dissipated on their bodies.

But they were all alive.

Lin Mo glanced at Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe and then nodded.

"Yeah, it's over."

As these words fell, the entire long street was silent for several breaths.

"Where is Cao Shen? Where is Cao Shen?"

Someone asked loudly.

Lin Mo did not answer.

It was Shen Guhong who spoke.

His voice was hoarse, like a sword that had been soaked in blood and then wiped dry: "Cao Shen attempted to sacrifice everyone in the secret realm and has been beheaded by Lin Mo."

One stone stirred up a thousand waves.

The entire long street instantly erupted into an uproar.

Lin Mo stepped forward, and the crowd was pushed aside as if by an invisible hand, automatically clearing a path for him.

"Wait."

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe suddenly spoke up.

Lin Mo stopped and turned his head.

"The matter of Cao Shen is of great importance, and the War God Temple..."

"Let's talk about it tomorrow; everyone is tired today!"

Lin Mo interrupted him.

His tone was flat, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

Shen Guhong and the others followed behind him, and not a single one stopped to explain anything to Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe.

It was not out of arrogance.

It was because they were truly too tired.

Everyone's Spirit and physical stamina had been overdrawn to the limit; the only thought at this moment was to find a place to sit down, think of nothing, and do nothing.

But Lin Mo wasn't actually tired; it was because after leaving the secret realm and the suppression of his cultivation being lifted, he discovered that his Spirit power had a tendency to go on a rampage!

He had to find a place to regulate his breathing as soon as possible and find a way to suppress his Spirit power, which had surged to over 800 points.