99: Encountering the annihilation mist while patrolling the realms, gathering life force to break the anomaly, guarding the continuation of life in all realms.

Lin Chen and Clear Snow patrolled the Origin Realm. The Origin Platform glowed a faint gold, and the life-breathing grass around the platform grew vigorously, its leaf patterns trembling like living things.

Nian Xue rode on A Qing’s back, her small hand brushing the life-breathing grass ear: “A Qing, look, the grass seeds are glowing, like they’ve been sprinkled with gold dust!”

A Qing exhaled Dragon Breath, and the grass seeds were blown up, landing in the soil by the platform, instantly sprouting with a faint golden glow.

Upon reaching the western border of the Origin Realm, they suddenly heard the sound of vegetation withering. A grey-black mist appeared ahead, causing grass to wilt upon contact—it was Life-Extinguishing Mist.

“It’s mist formed by the thoughts of destruction! It devours Life-Breathing Qi. Quickly set up a Life-Breathing Formation!” Clear Snow deployed the Ice and Snow Dao Origin Formation to block the mist’s spread.

The “Combine” symbol on Lin Chen’s palm lit up, gathering Life-Breathing Qi: “Send word to the alliance, dispatch life-breathing cannon and life-breathing grass for support!”

Dao Source Clan warriors, who had remained behind, rushed over with their staffs, the tips glowing with life-breathing light: “We’re here to help! We’ve brought the Life-Breathing Formation!”

Everyone quickly set up the formation, with life-breathing grass laid out along its edges. The formation patterns glowed faintly gold, and the mist retreated upon encountering them, as if fearing the Life-Breathing Qi.

Life-Extinguishing Shadows shot out from the Life-Extinguishing Mist, shaped like withered vines, coiling around the life-breathing grass. The grass withered and turned grey-black upon contact with the shadows.

“Disperse the shadows! Don’t let them touch the grass!” Lin Chen clapped his palm onto a shadow, his palm enveloped in Life-Breathing Qi. The shadow turned to ash upon contact, scattering into the mist.

Nian Xue threw a light orb imbued with Life-Breathing Qi: “Bad shadows! Don’t bully the grass! I’ll smash you all!”

The light orb struck a shadow, which wobbled. Life-Breathing Qi circulated within the shadow, causing it to gradually fade. A Qing’s Dragon Breath swept over it, and the shadow turned to ash.

Clear Snow’s ice spear, imbued with Life-Breathing Qi, shot into the group of shadows in the mist. Where the spear passed, shadows turned to ash in swathes, and the mist retreated by half a li.

Half an hour later, alliance reinforcements arrived. The Metal Clan set up life-breathing cannon, their muzzles glowing faint gold, and shot beams of light into the mist.

The cannon light, imbued with Life-Breathing Qi, dispersed the mist upon contact. The withered grass in the dispersed areas even turned green again, as if awakened by the Life-Breathing Qi.

Stone Spirit Clan warriors deployed life-breathing shields. The shield patterns glowed, blocking any escaped shadows. Shadows turned to ash upon hitting the shields, and the shield patterns became clearer.

Spirit Plant Clan warriors scattered life-breathing grass seeds. The seeds grew instantly upon touching the soil, forming a grass wall that blocked the mist. When the mist touched the grass wall, its grey-black color gradually faded.

Lin Chen pressed his palm to the ground, injecting Life-Breathing Qi into the soil: “Life-Breathing · Awaken!” The ground glowed faintly gold, and withered grass revived in swathes.

Clear Snow deployed a formation imbued with Life-Breathing Qi, and ice spear shot towards the mist core. The mist core was in the center of the mist, emitting a deep grey, resembling a gathering point for shadows.

“Attack the mist core! Once the core shatters, the mist will disperse!” The Dao Source Clan Leader pointed his staff at the mist core, and the life-breathing light from its tip shot towards the core like an arrow.

Attacks from all clans converged on the core: cannon light, ice spear, Dragon Breath, and light orbs merged into a long column. The column, imbued with Life-Breathing Qi, slammed into the core.

The core cracked, the grey-black dispersed, and the mist transformed into Life-Breathing Qi that entered the ground. The withered grass completely revived, glowing faintly gold, appearing even more vibrant than before.

Nian Xue squatted down and touched the revived grass: “The grass is alive again! Life-Extinguishing Mist is really bad; we need to discover it earlier next time.”

A Qing used his tail to sweep the ash from the grass leaves: “I’ll come sniff often. Life-Extinguishing Mist has a strange smell; I’ll know it right away.”

The symbol on Lin Chen’s palm lit up. The origin core of the Origin Realm floated up from beneath the platform, glowing faintly gold, resonating with everyone’s symbols.

“The origin core has awakened. It will help us pre-warn about Life-Extinguishing Mist from now on. The cores of all realms will awaken,” Lin Chen said.

Clear Snow nodded: “The cores communicate with the symbols. If there’s an anomaly in one place, the symbols in all realms will light up, allowing for timely support.”

As everyone returned, the wind in the Origin Realm carried Life-Breathing Qi, feeling warm and pleasant on their faces. The flowers along the way glowed faintly gold, seemingly smiling.

Back at the Stronghold in the Hongmeng Realm, the alliance crystal glowed faintly gold. The patterns on the crystal flowed, seemingly recording the events of the Origin Realm.

The Star Spirit Clan Leader reported: “The cores of all realms have awakened. Just now, they all emitted faint light, seemingly responding to the origin core.”

Lin Chen walked towards the alliance crystal, pressing the symbol on his palm against the crystal: “From now on, the alliance will use this crystal as a signal. If the crystal glows, there’s an anomaly, and all clans must provide swift aid.”

In the following days, all clans strengthened their Life-Breathing Formations according to the alliance agreement: the Wood Spirit Clan planted shengxi vine along the formation, the vines entwining the formation to enhance Life-Breathing Qi;

The Sea Spirit Clan deployed life-breathing nets in the water regions. The nets glowed faintly gold, capable of purifying the Life-Extinguishing Qi in the water and protecting aquatic life;

The Void Clan created life-breathing Void shields. These shields could block Life-Extinguishing Shadows from spatial rifts, preventing them from entering the realms;

The Transcendence Clan practiced Shengxi Art. This art could transfer Life-Breathing Qi to injured beings, accelerating their recovery, faster than Medicinal Pill.

Nian Xue followed the Transcendence Clan to learn Shengxi Art. She placed her small hand on a withered flower, injecting Life-Breathing Qi, and the flower slowly bloomed.

“I’ve learned it! Now I can save flowers and plants!” Nian Xue jumped up happily, and A Qing was happy for her too, flapping his dragon wings.

A Qing practiced Life-Breathing Dragon Breath with the Dragon Clan. The Life-Breathing Qi carried by his Dragon Breath was purer, and when blown onto withered trees, the tree buds sprouted even faster.

Lin Chen and Clear Snow patrolled all realms. In each realm they visited, they helped the clans reinforce their Life-Breathing Formations, resonated with the realm’s core, and left their symbols.

In the Void Realm, they helped the Void Clan mend the life-breathing nets in the spatial rifts. The nets glowed faintly gold, and no more Life-Extinguishing Shadows leaked from the rifts;

In the Sea Spirit Realm, they helped the Sea Spirit Clan purify the deep-sea waters. The waters glowed faintly gold, and aquatic creatures gathered around, seemingly expressing gratitude.

On their return journey, Clear Snow looked at the life-breathing light in the sky: “Before, I thought exploring realms was the Grand Dao. Now, guarding the realms, I realize that flourishing life is the true Grand Dao.”

Lin Chen held her hand, their palm symbols touching and glowing faintly gold: “Yes, our path is to guard this myriad of life.”

Back at the Stronghold, Nian Xue ran over, holding a newly revived flower: “Daddy, look! This flower is called ‘life-breathing flower,’ I named it!”

A Qing also came closer, a small, golden Crystal Beast perched on his wing: “It came from the Yuan Chu Realm, drawn by the Life-Breathing Qi!”

Lin Chen smiled and stroked the little Crystal Beast’s head. The Crystal Beast rubbed against his hand, seemingly acknowledging him as its master.

Nian Xue jumped with joy: “I’ll name it Little Color! From now on, Little Color will guard Life-Breathing Qi with us and play with us!”

Under the setting sun, the life-breathing grass at the Stronghold glowed gold, and the alliance crystal stood in the center, shining like a small sun. Warriors from various clans practiced their arts beside the formation.

Nian Xue, A Qing, and Little Color chased each other among the grass, their laughter clear. The life-breathing grass swayed gently in the wind, as if dancing along.

Lin Chen and Clear Snow stood on the high platform, gazing at this warm scene. The symbols on their palms glowed, merging with the cores of all realms and the Life-Breathing Qi of heaven and earth.

The path of guarding all realms has no end, only an unending warmth of life. Everyone’s footsteps, accompanied by the wind of Life-Breathing Qi, continue forward, protecting these myriad households, these plants and creatures, and all “life” in this world.