168: assimilation

On the other side, Li Xiangyun and his group did not go far.

Instead, after leaving the ruins, they arrived at an open area and stopped.

At this moment, hearing the roars from the darkness, Li Xiangyun breathed a sigh of relief, yet it was also within his expectations.

After all, since Lin Ye dared to stay behind alone, he must have had something to rely on.

He just hadn't expected the battle to be so one-sided and end so quickly.

This added a touch of pressure to his heart, making him even less confident about seizing the Netherworld Darkfire.

After all, this was a Nascent Soul Pinnacle Stage nether beast, not some random cat or dog.

Li Xiangyun knew that even if he gave his all, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat the Soul-Devouring Spider Mother.

And this was the chasm created by the Realm.

If his current Realm was Early Stage Nascent Soul, relying on his Yin-Yang Life-Death Sword Intent, he was confident he had a seventy percent chance of seizing the Netherworld Darkfire, if not a hundred percent.

Unfortunately, he was currently at the Late-stage Golden Core, and even with the System, he couldn't cross this chasm.

After all, for a Cultivator to Breakthrough from Golden Core to Nascent Soul, he not only needed to comprehend a Domain, but also had to undergo a Heavenly Tribulation, transforming his Golden Core into a Nascent Soul, thereby achieving an all-round improvement in his essence, Qi, and spirit, and even a Breakthrough in his life level.

This was not something that could be achieved by Medicinal Pills alone, let alone the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao involved.

"It's a pity the System doesn't have something like a Nascent Soul Cultivation experience card," Li Xiangyun thought with some regret.

But in an instant, he felt relieved.

After all, the System being able to exchange for various Materials, Medicinal Pills, and cultivation arts was already good enough.

Many people, for instance, would search for decades for a suitable Material.

But he only needed to exchange for it in the System.

Including the Azure Lotus Pill from before; this was a fourth-grade Medicinal Pill. If the Li family had to collect the Materials, it would probably take decades, or even a hundred years.

But with the help of the System, it only took a mere dozen days. If it weren't for insufficient prosperity points, he could have started refining it on the spot.

Besides this, including his Nine Nether Sword Art, Other Shore Forbidden Technique, and so on, which one wasn't exchanged through the System?

If he had to search for them, he probably wouldn't even know where to look.

Therefore, compared to others, he was already lucky enough.

What's more, his Cultivation speed was already fast enough.

It had only been about a month since he broke through from Mid-stage Golden Core to Late-stage Golden Core, and the accumulation of spiritual Qi in his body was almost complete, only needing an opportunity to Breakthrough.

It was just a pity that even if he broke through to Golden Core Peak, it would still not be of much significance to the current situation.

Just as Li Xiangyun was lost in thought, shocked by Lin Ye's combat power, an anomaly was quietly occurring among the crowd...

"Qinghai, are you alright?"

"You've seemed a bit off since earlier."

Among the crowd, Zhang Chao said nonchalantly, putting his arm around Chen Qinghai's shoulder.

Chen Qinghai seemed to be startled by Zhang Chao's sudden movement, taking a full three or four seconds to react.

Upon reacting, Chen Qinghai showed an unusually brilliant smile and said, "I'm fine, just a little scared, after all, so many people died."

Zhang Chao didn't feel anything was amiss; instead, he patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'll protect you!"

"Really?" Chen Qinghai asked softly, his meaning unclear.

Zhang Chao didn't understand him and continued to blabber, "Of course it's true. Before we set off, I promised your sister."

He didn't know that Chen Qinghai's hand had, at some point, silently rested on his shoulder.

"In that case, thank you, Big Brother Zhang!" Chen Qinghai said with a smile, his smile gentle, yet eerily so.

At the same time, a wisp of extremely faint black Qi slowly seeped from between the fingers of Chen Qinghai's hand, which was hanging by his side. Like a lurking snake, it silently entered Zhang Chao's body.

At first, Zhang Chao only felt a chill, thinking it was the coldness in the darkness seeping through his clothes. He subconsciously tried to turn away, but found his body seemed to be nailed in place.

The coolness spread rapidly along the skin of his arm, carrying a sticky, seemingly sentient texture, and drilled into his pores.

He abruptly turned his head, meeting Chen Qinghai's gaze directly.

The other party had a smile on his lips, the familiar, comforting kind, as if saying, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

But in his eyes, the edges of his pupils were being eroded by a thick, unyielding black mist, and his originally gentle gaze became hollow and eerie.

At this moment, Zhang Chao felt as if he was bound by invisible chains, unable to move even his fingertips.

"Chen..." Zhang Chao tried to ask, but his throat felt as if an invisible hand was choking it, only able to emit a faint gasp.

He felt the coldness flowing through his blood vessels to all his limbs and bones. Wherever it passed, his muscles began to stiffen, and even rotating his eyeballs became extremely difficult.

He saw the veins on his arms turning black and bulging, like twisted earthworms, crawling along his skin towards his heart.

"Don't..." Zhang Chao screamed frantically in his heart, this was the only thing he could do now.

But even so, "Chen Qinghai" seemed to have no intention of letting him go.

He felt his consciousness rapidly dissipating, as if he was falling into the boundless darkness.

This made Zhang Chao look at Chen Qinghai in horror and helplessness, hoping to awaken his conscience.

"Don't be afraid... it'll be over soon..." Chen Qinghai's lips still held a smile, his voice gently comforting, yet it made Zhang Chao despair.

The Life Qi in his eyes began to dissipate, and he completely gave up resisting.

Perhaps at this moment, Zhang Chao had already realized that Chen Qinghai was no longer his original self.

And it was precisely because of this that he completely despaired.

He... ultimately failed her trust... Just then, a voice came from the front, "Zhang Chao, why did you suddenly stop talking and become so quiet?"

Hearing this, "Zhang Chao" smiled and looked up, saying, "It's nothing, I just remembered some things."

"Mm." The person didn't feel anything was amiss, merely giving a light response.

A moment later, light appeared from behind; Lin Ye had returned.

Seeing this, Li Xiangyun quickly stopped supplying spiritual Qi to the nether soul guiding lamp, and the originally dark blue flame reverted to a sickly green.

Then, he raised an eyebrow at Lin Ye with a smile, "Resolved."

"Resolved." Lin Ye came to the front of the team and replied with a slight hint of pride.

Li Xiangyun watched this scene, then teased, "Brother Lin truly hides his strength well!"

"Haha~" Lin Ye laughed and replied, "Can't compare to Brother Li."

Afterward, the two exchanged a few more compliments, then led the team to continue their journey.

As for how Lin Ye dealt with the Soul-Devouring Spider Mother, Li Xiangyun didn't ask, believing the other party wouldn't say either.

However, although the Soul-Devouring Demon Spider hurdle was passed, five people were lost.

At this stage, including the three of them, nineteen people remained. They just didn't know what other dangers lay ahead...