430: Chapter 430 The Young General

Yaoguang's face grew paler and paler. That Soul fluctuation was right ahead, growing stronger and clearer. She gripped Chu Lan's arm tightly; every step was difficult, but she did not stop.

"It is right in the center of the altar." Yaoguang's voice was very soft, yet it made everyone tense up.

The altar was in the deepest part of the ruins. Unlike the surrounding dilapidation, the altar itself was relatively well-preserved—a three-tiered stone platform, each tier about half a person high, with the stone surface covered in dense Talisman inscriptions. In the center of the altar sat a phantom, cross-legged.

It was the figure of a young man. He wore armor, a silver helmet, and a long sword hung at his waist. The armor was engraved with the tiger patterns standard to the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although the phantom was blurry, one could still discern the heroism of yesteryear. His face was resolute, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes; even as just a phantom, one could feel the majesty of someone long-tempered on the battlefield. But there was no light in his eyes, only deep, unfathomable grief and indignation.

His phantom was much more solid than the shadows encountered before. Those low-level shadows were like scattered puffs of smoke, while his figure's outline was clearly visible; one could even see every pattern on his armor. Golden light faintly flowed around his body—a phenomenon condensed from obsession too deep and resentment too heavy.

The seven people stopped at the edge of the altar. Tianxin's hand had already reached into her sleeve, her fingertips gripping two purification talismans. The leaves of Chu Lan's Void Sensing Grass curled up completely, almost shrinking into a ball. Lin Yue's Rock Demon Phantom stood before the group, arms crossed, enveloping the seven in a yellowish-brown light barrier.

The phantom sensed the presence of living beings.

He suddenly raised his head, and a flash of red light flickered in those hollow eyes. It was not confusion, not doubt, but bone-deep killing intent. His posture shifted from sitting cross-legged to standing upright, moving so fast it was almost impossible to track. His right hand pressed against the hilt of his sword, his left hand gripped the air, and the golden light around his body flared up suddenly.

"Watch out!" Lin Yue's defense Formation was pushed to the limit, and the Rock Demon Phantom's arms thickened by another layer.

As the phantom waved his hand, dozens of golden arrows condensed in front of him, their tips pointing directly at the group of seven. Those arrows were much more solid than the attacks of ordinary shadows; each one looked like a real arrow, and one could even see fine patterns on the shafts.

"Fire!"

The arrows poured down like a rainstorm.

Lin Yue's defense Formation bore the brunt of it. Those golden arrows were not deflected; instead, like the low-level shadows that had seeped through the gaps of the Formation before, they directly penetrated the yellowish-brown light barrier. But this time, the penetration was faster and more powerful. Several arrows pierced straight through the barrier, heading straight for Lin Yue's chest.

The Rock Demon Phantom's arms blocked in front of Lin Yue, and the arrows shot into the phantom's arms, blasting open bowl-sized craters. Lin Yue groaned, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, but he did not retreat. His hands formed Seals even faster, and Formation patterns stacked onto the light barrier, layer by layer, in an attempt to block the arrows.

"I cannot hold it!" Lin Yue gritted his teeth.

Gao Feng did not wait. He stepped out, blocking in front of all his teammates, his Star Battle Body operating at full power. Purple starlight condensed into a layer of armor on his body, and he threw out his fists alternately, shattering the golden arrows aimed at his teammates one by one. The arrows collided with his fists, exploding into golden light flowers, vibrating his arms until they went numb, but he did not take a single step back.

A few arrows grazed his shoulders and ribs, leaving shallow bloodstains. Yaoguang's healing power surged immediately, sealing the wounds with green light.

Luo Li's zither music sounded at this moment.

She did not use "Armor-Breaking Melody," nor did she use "Star Battle Song," but instead played "Requiem" again. The moment the first note fell, those golden arrows, which were shooting crazily, suddenly stalled. The phantom's movements also paused, and the red light in his eyes flickered, as if touched by something.

Luo Li did not stop. Her fingers plucked the strings rapidly, the melody becoming faster and denser. Every note of "Requiem" was like a hand, gently stroking the mass of obsession within the phantom.

The onslaught of golden arrows stopped.

The phantom stood in place, the red light in his eyes flickering on and off. His expression shifted from anger to confusion, then to bewilderment, as if he were struggling to recall something but could not quite remember.

Tianxin seized this opportunity, took a step forward, and shouted loudly: "General! What unfinished wish do you still have?"

The phantom shuddered violently.

He slowly turned his head to look at Tianxin. There was no killing intent in those hollow eyes, only endless sorrow. He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and dry, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat, every word carrying the pain accumulated over a thousand years.

"I... General Zhao Wuji, Protector of the North of the Great Zhou Dynasty... framed by treacherous officials, the foolish ruler had no Dao... my whole family was loyal, yet died with grievances..."

His voice grew louder and more agitated.

"I am not reconciled! I want revenge! I will kill my way back to the imperial court and kill those treacherous officials! I want to let that foolish ruler see that my Zhao family did not betray the country!"

The golden light around the phantom flared violently, and the ruins around the altar began to tremble. Scattered rubble floated up from the ground, spinning and colliding in mid-air. In this moment, General Zhao Wuji's phantom became nearly corporeal; the tiger patterns on his armor were clearly visible, and the character "Zhao" engraved on the scabbard of the sword at his waist was striking.

Chu Lan was pressed so hard by that Aura that she could barely stand; Lin Yue gritted his teeth, maintaining the defense Formation; Tianxin's hand gripped the Talisman tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force. Yaoguang's face was deathly pale; that resentment was too heavy, so heavy that her spiritual sense was under immense strain.

Gao Feng did not retreat. He walked forward, facing that overwhelming resentment, the starlight of his Star Battle Body flickering under the impact of the resentment, but he did not stop. He walked to the front of General Zhao Wuji's phantom, just a few feet away, and looked up at this phantom of a general who was a head taller than him.

"General, those who killed you have long since turned to dust. The Great Zhou Dynasty has been gone for a thousand years; those treacherous officials and that foolish ruler are already piles of bones." Gao Feng's voice was not loud, but every word was like an iron hammer striking an anvil. "But your homeland still remains, and the frontier you once guarded still exists. If you are willing to help us, we can take you back to the Human Realm and let you see for yourself what your homeland looks like today."

General Zhao Wuji's phantom froze suddenly. The red light in his eyes flickered violently; the resentment was struggling, resisting. But Gao Feng's words were like a key, opening a door that had been sealed for a thousand years.

He was silent for a long time.

The rubble around the altar fell back to the ground, and the dust settled slowly. The golden arrows had long since dissipated, and those low-level shadows had retreated at some point, leaving only the seven people and the phantom in the center of the altar that was gradually calming down.

General Zhao Wuji slowly knelt down.

His armor made a silent collision in the Void Realm, and his long sword dragged on the ground, leaving a faint golden trail. He lowered his head, his voice hoarse: "If I can fulfill this wish, I... General Zhao Wuji am willing to dissipate."

Tianxin took a Soul-fixing Talisman from her sleeve and walked forward. She placed the Talisman on General Zhao Wuji's phantom's forehead. The Talisman patterns lit up, and a golden halo enveloped his phantom. His figure stabilized under the effect of the Soul-fixing Talisman, no longer flickering as it had before.

"We can use the Soul-fixing Talisman and a Soul Box to temporarily contain his remnant Soul." Tianxin looked at Gao Feng and explained, "The Soul Box is a Talisman artifact I specially made, specifically for containing remnant Souls, so it will not let him dissipate on the return journey. Although it is not as stable as some legendary treasures, it is enough to support him for a while."

She took a palm-sized wooden box from her sleeve; the box was covered in dense Talisman patterns. Opening the lid, there was a void inside. Tianxin guided General Zhao Wuji's phantom into the Soul Box with the Soul-fixing Talisman, closed the lid, and the Talisman patterns lit up, sealing the box tightly.

Silence returned to the altar.

Chu Lan let out a long breath: "Finally... it is quiet." Lin Yue slumped down, leaning against a half-broken stone pillar; the Rock Demon Phantom had already been retracted. His face was still a bit pale, but his injuries were not serious. Yaoguang withdrew her healing power into her palm and walked over to Lin Yue to check his injuries. Luo Li hugged her flowing sound zither back into her arms, her fingers gently rubbing her sore joints. Su Ning closed her eyes and sensed for a while, confirming there were no other threats around, before opening her eyes. Tianxin put the Soul Box into her sleeve and walked to the edge of the altar, crouching down to study those Talisman inscriptions.

Gao Feng stood where he was, his gaze landing on the Soul Box in Tianxin's sleeve. General Zhao Wuji's remnant Soul was very calm under the dual Seal of the Soul-fixing Talisman and the Soul Box; there was no struggling, no leakage of resentment.

Su Ning walked to Gao Feng's side: "I have some impression of the Great Zhou Dynasty that General mentioned. The Scripture Pavilion has a book called 'Records of the Territories of the Nine Provinces Through the Ages,' which mentions the Great Zhou. It should be in the eastern part of the current Cultivation World, not too far from the Wuxiang Sect."

"We will check when we get back." Gao Feng withdrew his gaze. "Let us get him settled first."

The seven people searched around the altar again, confirming there was no other useful information or resources, before leaving the giant rock. Su Ning recalibrated the position of the Space Anchor Bead and led the group to swim toward the direction they had come from. Chu Lan walked at the end of the team, looking back from time to time at the giant rock ruins that were getting further and further away.

The grey-white mist gradually swallowed its outline.

That silver-white spatial passage opened quietly in the Void Realm, like a door home. Su Ning was the first to step in, followed by Luo Li, Tianxin, Chu Lan, and Yaoguang. Gao Feng and Lin Yue walked at the back; Lin Yue's Rock Demon Phantom had already been retracted, his complexion had recovered somewhat, but his steps were still a bit unsteady.

"Next time there is an arrow rain, I will take it." Lin Yue's voice was not loud, but very serious.

Gao Feng did not reply, but patted his shoulder. The two of them stepped into the passage one after the other, and the silver-white light swallowed their figures.

The sunlight of the Human Realm was dazzling. In the valley of the Meteor War God Realm, the lights of the Spirit Plant Garden were still on, and the silver light of the Time Holy Vine was particularly eye-catching in the twilight. Su Ning was the last to walk out of the passage, her hands forming Seals to slowly close the entrance of the passage.

Chu Lan squatted by the Spirit Plant Garden, breathing heavily, inhaling the air filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Lin Yue leaned against the stone wall of the Immortal Cave, closing his eyes to rest. Yaoguang squatted beside him and fed him another rejuvenation pill.