35: Chapter 35 Bitter Battle Against the Soul General, Divine Power Exhausted

It was the sound of shadows tearing through the air, a roar of resentment condensed into reality, a monstrous hatred erupting after its guardian object was taken away. Lin Ye suddenly pulled on the reins, the wind-chasing colt reared up, letting out a terrified whinny.

He looked back.

In the direction of Burial Dragon Valley, a pitch-black pillar of smoke shot into the sky. Within the smoke, countless twisted human faces emerged, wailed, and dissipated. These were the Souls devoured by the Soul General, the lingering remnants of lives buried in the valley over the past fifty years. At the top of the pillar of smoke, a three-meter-tall shadowy outline was rapidly condensing—the tip of a long halberd formed first, then the torso, the limbs, and finally, those two pulsing blood-red flames.

The Yan State Guardian Soul General was in pursuit!

"How could it get free so quickly?!" Chen Hao's face turned pale. "Wasn't that Sun God Body team pinning it down?"

Lin Ye's expression was grave: "I'm afraid that team... is in grave danger."

He had guessed right. The moment the imperial seal was taken, the Soul General had fallen into complete madness. It no longer cared about damage to itself, and at the cost of burning the Origin of its Soul body, it forcibly pushed back the five-member Sun God Body team, even taking three heavy hits from the Sun God Sword just to rush out of the collapsed tomb and hunt down the person who took the Seal.

To the Soul General, the imperial seal was the entire meaning of its existence. If the imperial seal remained, it would guard it; if the imperial seal was lost, it would go mad.

"Scatter and run!" Lin Ye made an immediate decision. "Its target is me and the imperial seal. You all flee in different directions; save as many as you can!"

"No!" Su Qingyue was the first to object. "That's a Rank 35 boss; how can you alone..."

"I have Chaos Power, which has a certain restraining effect on it." Lin Ye interrupted her. "But if you stay here, you'll only be a burden. The Soul General has area-of-effect skills; the more people there are, the more room it has to perform."

He spoke very bluntly, but it was the truth. Facing an enemy of this level, a numerical advantage might actually become a disadvantage.

Zhang Meng gritted his teeth: "Brother Ye, I'll stay! I can take a beating!"

"Your shield won't withstand a single blow from it." Lin Ye shook his head. "Listen to me, this is an order!"

Everyone fell silent. They knew Lin Ye was right, but leaving their leader to flee alone violated every principle established since this team was formed.

Just then, the Soul General had completely condensed into shape. It hovered in mid-air, its shadow halberd pointing at Lin Ye, and its hollow voice resounded across the wilderness: "Ant... hand over the imperial seal... I will leave your corpse intact..."

Lin Ye did not hesitate any longer. He flipped off his horse and shoved the reins of the wind-chasing colt to Chen Hao: "Take everyone and go! Go to the capital and find Qin Ruoxue, tell her to contact the Yaoguang Holy Land—the Soul General leaving the Burial Dragon Valley range already exceeds the behavior of standard monsters; the Holy Land has an obligation to intervene!"

"Then you..."

"I have my own ways." Lin Ye turned around to face the Soul General, the myriad mother qi cauldron flying out from his wheel sea secret realm to hover in front of him. "Go!"

Chen Hao and the others looked at each other, finally gritted their teeth, and spurred their horses. The six of them split into three groups and galloped off in three different directions.

The Soul General didn't even glance at them. Its target was only Lin Ye, or rather, the imperial seal in Lin Ye's storage ring.

"A foolish choice." The Soul General descended slowly, its shadowy feet stepping on the ground. Wherever it passed, vegetation withered, and the soil turned charred black. "You think letting them escape will save their lives? Once I retrieve the imperial seal, I will find them one by one, extract their Souls and refine their spirits, and make them suffer for eternity."

"That's only if you get the imperial seal first." Lin Ye said calmly. Inside him, the Chaos Sea of Suffering began to churn, and the gray Chaos Power flowed along his Meridians, finally converging into his hands.

This was the strongest enemy he had faced since his Rebirth.

A Rank 35 boss, spirit form, immune to 99% of physical attacks, with extremely high resistance to Spells. Its only weaknesses were Sacred, Light, and Chaos attributes—but Lin Ye's Chaos Power was only at the Wheel Sea Realm level, while the Soul General's strength was at least equivalent to the third level of the Dao Palace Realm.

The level gap was too great.

"An ant shaking a tree." The Soul General moved.

It didn't use any fancy techniques; it was just the simplest straight thrust. The shadow halberd turned into a black line, instantly crossing a distance of thirty zhang to strike directly at Lin Ye's throat.

Fast! Too fast!

Lin Ye didn't even have time to dodge and could only instinctively urge the myriad mother qi cauldron to block in front of him.

"Clang—!!!"

A deafening loud noise. The small cauldron was struck by the halberd, the body of the cauldron vibrating violently. The Chaos patterns on its surface flashed frantically, barely dissipating most of the impact, but it was still knocked flying back and slammed heavily into Lin Ye's chest.

"Pfft!"

Lin Ye spat out a mouthful of blood, his whole body sent flying back, breaking two bowl-thick trees before barely stopping. He looked down at his chest—the myriad mother qi cauldron was imprinted on his chest armor, leaving a deep dent, and at least three of his ribs were broken.

[System Prompt: You have been hit by a normal attack from the Yan State Guardian Soul General!]

[Damage: 5888! (After being blocked by the myriad mother qi cauldron)]

[Status: Rib fracture (Movement speed -30%, continuously suffering from blood/qi loss, -150 per second)]

One blow, taking away nearly a third of his health, and it even came with a fracture effect!

And this was just a normal attack! If the Soul General used a skill...

Lin Ye didn't dare to think more, enduring the intense pain to stand up, his Chaos Domain instantly expanding. Gray mist spread out with him as the center, covering a radius of thirty meters. The moment the Soul General entered the Domain, its movements clearly slowed down by a fraction.

It worked!

"Domain?" The Soul General's blood-red flames flickered. "You can expand a Domain at the Wheel Sea Realm... no wonder you could sever the connection to the imperial seal. But, it's not enough!"

It swept its long halberd horizontally, and a crescent-shaped black blade of energy shot out. Wherever the energy blade passed, the ground was plowed into a deep trench, and the trees and rocks along the way shattered upon contact.

Lin Ye used Void Step, his figure flashing continuously, dodging the energy blade by a hair's breadth. But the gale brought up by the energy blade still made his cheeks ache, and his Protective Aura shattered like paper.

Cannot fight head-on, must use hit-and-run tactics!

Lin Ye quickly formulated a tactic in his mind. While moving at high speed around the Soul General, he continuously unleashed Chaos Power to probe. Gray energy beams shot towards the Soul General like raindrops; most were absorbed by its shadowy body, but occasionally a few pierced through the defense, leaving tiny holes on the Soul General's surface.

At the edges of those holes, Chaos Fire burned quietly, preventing the wounds from healing.

"Annoying insect." The Soul General was clearly enraged by this tactic. It no longer pursued a one-hit kill but launched a more ferocious offensive.

The long halberd turned into a sky full of black shadows, each strike bringing with it a shrill sound of tearing air. The black energy blades shrouded all of Lin Ye's dodging space like a net, forcing him to take them head-on.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—!"

Under Lin Ye's control, the myriad mother qi cauldron turned into a gray stream of light, continuously blocking the halberd's attacks. With every collision, the cauldron body would vibrate violently, and the Chaos patterns on its surface grew dimmer and dimmer. Lin Ye could feel the small cauldron's spirit wailing; the pressure it was bearing was nearing its limit.

Worse still, his Divine Power was being consumed frantically.

The Chaos Domain consumed 50 points of Divine Power per second, controlling the myriad mother qi cauldron consumed 30 points per second, using Void Step consumed 20 points each time, and Chaos Power attacks consumed anywhere from 10-50 points... And Lin Ye's current maximum Divine Power was only 18,000 points.

Less than three minutes into the battle, his Divine Power was already bottoming out.

"Can't go on like this..." Lin Ye gritted his teeth, took a bottle of [High Grade spirit recovery pill] from his storage ring, poured out three, and stuffed them into his mouth.

The Medicinal Pill melted upon entering his mouth, and pure medicinal power surged into his wheel sea, quickly transforming into Divine Power. Each High Grade spirit recovery pill could restore 2000 points of Divine Power, so three pills meant 6000 points, but the cooldown time was as long as five minutes, and taking them continuously would cause resistance, diminishing the effect.

With his Divine Power restored to around 10,000 points, Lin Ye breathed a slight sigh of relief. But he knew this was just drinking poison to quench thirst.

The Soul General clearly saw through his predicament.

"Medicinal Pills? Is it useful?" It let out a mocking laugh. "I want to see how many pills you can eat."

Before the words fell, the halberd in the Soul General's hand suddenly changed its attack method.

It no longer pursued power and speed, but instead began to... draw talismans.

The shadow halberd drew strange trajectories in the air. Those trajectories did not dissipate but condensed in mid-air, forming a huge black talisman. In the center of the talisman, an eye slowly opened—it was an eye made entirely of darkness, with countless struggling Souls reflected in its pupil.

[System Prompt: The Yan State Guardian Soul General is casting the skill 'Soul-Devouring Eye'!]

[Warning: This skill is a lock-on mental attack, cannot be dodged, cannot be blocked!]

[Effect: Directly extracts the target's Soul Origin, dealing massive true damage, and applies 'Soul Tear' status (all attributes continuously decrease)]

[Countdown: 5 seconds]

Lock-on! Cannot dodge!

Lin Ye's pupils shrank. He knew the moment of the decisive battle had arrived. Either interrupt the Soul General's casting within five seconds, or take this hit head-on—and in his current state, the result of taking it head-on would likely be an instant kill.

"Risk it!"

Lin Ye held nothing back. In his wheel sea secret realm, the Chaos Sea of Suffering boiled completely, and all his Chaos Power surged towards his hands. He no longer maintained the Domain, no longer controlled the small cauldron, and didn't even use Void Step, instead concentrating all his power into the next strike.

Proto-Chaos Heaven Opening, second form—[Chaos Law-Breaking]!

This was a technique he had only recently figured out, converting the destructive power of Chaos Heaven Opening into a disintegrating force aimed at energy structures. Against a spirit body like the Soul General, which was composed purely of energy and obsession, it should theoretically be even more effective.

But the cost was also greater. This blow would drain all his remaining Divine Power.

Gray light condensed in Lin Ye's palms, from faint to scorching, finally turning into a gray ball of light the size of a fist. Inside the ball of light, countless tiny runes swirled, shattered, and recombined, each change causing the surrounding space to tremble.

The Soul General clearly sensed the threat. It quickened the speed of drawing the talisman, and the outline of the Soul-Devouring Eye became clearer and clearer.

Four seconds.

Lin Ye began to charge up. The gray ball of light rotated slowly; each time it rotated, its volume shrank by a fraction, but the light became more solidified. The skin on his hands began to crack, and blood seeped out—this was a manifestation of his body being unable to withstand this level of energy concentration.

Three seconds.

The Soul General's talisman was more than halfway complete, and that dark eye was already 70% open. An invisible suction force emanated from the eye, and Lin Ye felt as if his Soul was about to be pulled out, his consciousness beginning to blur.

He bit his tongue, the intense pain refreshing his spirit.

Two seconds.

Lin Ye raised the gray ball of light above his head. The ball of light had shrunk to the size of a walnut, but the fluctuations it emitted caused the air within ten zhang to start distorting. The ground subsided silently, and vegetation turned into powder.

The Soul General's Soul-Devouring Eye opened completely. The pupil aimed at Lin Ye, and an invisible mental shock crossed space, directly blasting into his Sea of Consciousness!

"Now is the time!"

Lin Ye roared and threw the gray ball of light fiercely.

There was no sound, no explosion, not even a collision of light.

The moment the gray ball of light made contact with the Soul-Devouring Eye, it was like hot water poured onto snow. The dark eye began to dissolve, and those shadowy energies that made up the talisman rapidly collapsed, disintegrated, and turned into nothingness in the face of the power of Chaos Law-Breaking.

The Soul General let out a shrill shriek. The Soul-Devouring Eye was one of its strongest skills, and being forcibly interrupted caused the backlash to make its already illusory body fluctuate violently, and both blood-red flames dimmed by quite a bit.

But the cost to Lin Ye was even greater.

The moment the gray ball of light left his hand, his whole body felt as if all his strength had been drained; his legs went soft, and he knelt on one knee. In his wheel sea secret realm, the Chaos Sea of Suffering was dry and bottomed out; he couldn't even squeeze out a trace of Divine Power. Worse still, because of over-drafting, dense cracks appeared at the edge of the Sea of Suffering—this was a manifestation of damage to the Foundation of the Secret Realm.

[System Prompt: Your Divine Power value has reached zero!]

[Warning: wheel sea secret realm damaged, Foundation shaken!]

[ Status : Divine Power depleted (All skills unusable, all attributes reduced by 50%), Secret Realm cracks (Cultivation speed -80%, difficulty to break through Bottleneck +200%) ]

Divine Power value hit zero for the first time!

Lin Ye's vision went dark, his ears buzzed, and even breathing became difficult. He didn't even have the strength to stand up, let alone continue fighting.

The Soul General, though suffering from backlash, still retained at least 70% of its combat power.

"At your wit's end?" The Soul General floated closer, its shadow halberd reforming. "I admit, that strike was extraordinary; to think you could break the Soul-Devouring Eye. But now, what do you have left to fight me with?"

Lin Ye lifted his head with difficulty, watching the approaching Soul General.

Was he going to die?

After his Rebirth, was he going to die here?

He wasn't reconciled... There was still so much to do. The Heavenly Court had just begun, Su Qingyue and the others were waiting for him to return, and the secret of the imperial seal remained unsolved...

His hand trembled as he tried to take something from his storage ring, but his fingers wouldn't obey.

The Soul General arrived three zhang away. It raised its halberd, aiming at his head.

"It ends here, ant. I will take back the imperial seal."

The halberd thrust down.

Just at this critical moment, a beam of ice-blue light shot out from behind Lin Ye!

The light was fast as lightning, accurately striking the Soul General's chest. It caused no damage, but an extreme cold erupted, instantly freezing the Soul General's entire body!

No, not completely frozen. The Soul General's movements became extremely slow, the speed of its halberd's thrust dropping to one-hundredth of its original speed, like slow-motion playback. The blood-red flames in its eye sockets flickered wildly, trying to break free from the ice, but it couldn't do so in a short time.

Lin Ye turned his head with difficulty.

Thirty zhang away, Su Qingyue stood there, her staff raised high, the ice-blue gem at the top completely shattered. Her face was as pale as paper, and blood flowed continuously from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes were firm.

She hadn't left.

Or rather, she had left, and then came back.

"Three seconds..." Su Qingyue's voice was weak but clear. "Lin Ye... I can only freeze it for three seconds... Hurry... do something..."

Three seconds!

Lin Ye was shocked. He looked at Su Qingyue, seeing the resolute light in her eyes—that was the power gained from burning her life-bound cold energy, the most fundamental energy of the Vast Cold Spirit Body. After this strike, Su Qingyue's spirit body would be severely damaged, her cultivation might regress, and she might even sustain permanent Dao injuries.

But she used it anyway.

To buy him three seconds.

Lin Ye didn't know where the strength came from; he bit his tongue hard, injecting his blood mixed with his final will into the storage ring.

A dark red jade pendant flew out.

The dragon blood jade pendant!

Lin Ye grabbed the jade pendant and pressed it against his forehead without hesitation. He remembered the pendant's third effect: [Sealed] — This jade pendant seems to be sealed by some force; after breaking the Seal, hidden effects can be unlocked.

He didn't know how to break the Seal, nor what would happen afterward. But this was the only thing he could think of that might reverse the situation.

"With blood as the guide... with Soul as the sacrifice..." Lin Ye muttered the Spell that had seemingly come out of nowhere, a fragment of the broken information that rushed into his mind when he first obtained the pendant. "Dragon blood protects its master... Seal... Open!"

The skin on his forehead was burned by the jade pendant, making a "hissing" sound. Blood flowed along the patterns of the pendant, quickly staining it blood-red.

Then, the jade pendant shattered.

Not into pieces, but into countless blood-colored light particles that merged into Lin Ye's body. Those light particles entered his wheel sea, merged into the Chaos sea of suffering, and then... ignited something.

[System Prompt: dragon blood jade pendant Seal broken!]

[Unlocked hidden effect: Dragon Blood Boiling!]

[Effect: Burn all the dragon blood essence stored in the jade pendant, instantly restoring full status, all attributes increased by 100%, lasting for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, enter 'Dragon Blood Backlash' state (all attributes reduced by 80%, lasting for 24 hours)]

[Warning: This effect is one-time use; the jade pendant will be completely destroyed after use!]

Boom!

Within Lin Ye, it was as if a sleeping giant dragon had awakened. His dried-up wheel sea secret realm was instantly filled with violent energy. Those cracks healed rapidly under the nourishment of the dragon blood essence, becoming even stronger than before. His broken breastbone automatically reconnected, and flesh and blood regenerated. His depleted Divine Power surged wildly, breaking through the upper limit in the blink of an eye, reaching an unprecedented height.

He stood up.

Around him, light red blood mist swirled—an omen formed by the overflowing dragon blood essence. In the blood mist, dragon shadows faintly circled, emitting low dragon roars.

The Soul General's blood-red flames flickered violently; it felt a threat—a fatal threat!

"Dragon blood?! You actually have an item with dragon blood!" The Soul General's voice showed panic for the first time. "Impossible! The dragon blood stone in the Burial Dragon Valley had long been refined by me, how could you possibly..."

"What you refined was merely residue." Lin Ye spoke, his voice carrying the majesty of dragon blood. "The true dragon blood essence has always been waiting for the true master of destiny."

He raised his right hand. In his palm, the Chaos Fire ignited once again, but this time, the flames were mixed with blood, turning into an eerie gray-red color.

Chaos Fire + Dragon Blood Essence = ?

Lin Ye didn't know the answer, but he could feel that the power contained in this flame in his palm had already surpassed the sum of all his previous attacks.

The Soul General wanted to break free from the ice binding, but was Su Qingyue's life-bound cold energy so easily broken? Three seconds, only two seconds had passed.

The last second.

Lin Ye moved.

He didn't use any technique, just the simplest punch, smashing towards the Soul General's frozen chest.

With the punch, a dragon roar shook the heavens.

Gray-red flames wrapped around his fist, and wherever it passed, space distorted, leaving faint black trails—cracks caused by the high temperature burning space.

"No—!!!" The Soul General let out a desperate roar.

The fist hit the target.

No sound, no explosion.

The Soul General's shadow body, like ice and snow thrown into the scorching sun, began to rapidly melt, vaporize, and turn into nothingness from the point where the fist struck. The two blood-red flames flickered wildly, trying to escape, but were caught by the gray-red flames and swallowed in one gulp.

Three seconds were up.

The ice shattered, but the Soul General no longer existed. Only a faint wisp of black energy remained in place, trying to escape, but was grabbed by Lin Ye.

[System Prompt: You killed the Great Yan Guardian Soul General (Level 35 Boss)!]

[Obtained 150,000 EXP!]

[Your Rank has increased to Level 31!]

[Your Rank has increased to Level 32!]

[Your Rank has increased to Level 33!]

[Due to killing a higher-level enemy, bonus reward: Free Attribute Points x 15, Skill Points x 5]

[Obtained items: Shadow Crystal (Purple), soul general core (Special), Broken Battle Flag (Quest Item)]

Leveled up three times!

But Lin Ye couldn't bother checking his gains, because the effect of Dragon Blood Boiling only had five seconds left.

He rushed towards Su Qingyue.

Within five seconds, he reached Su Qingyue's side, seeing her lying limp on the ground, her breathing weak, and her spirit body Origin almost extinguished.

Four seconds, he picked up Su Qingyue and used Void Step—under the infusion of dragon blood, one step covered fifty zhang.

Three seconds, he rushed into a dense forest and found a hidden cave.

Two seconds, he gently laid Su Qingyue down and took out all his healing Medicinal Pills from his storage ring.

One second, he fed Su Qingyue the [Nine-Turn Soul Recovery Pill]—this was a life-saving Divine Pill that Qian Duoduo spent a large amount of money to acquire; there were only three in the entire Heavenly Court.

Zero seconds.

The Dragon Blood Boiling effect ended.

The backlash arrived as scheduled.

Lin Ye felt his body instantly emptied, all his strength leaving him, replaced by a bone-deep weakness. All attributes reduced by 80%, he couldn't even beat an ordinary person now. Even worse, the wounds from the Secret Realm cracks worsened under the backlash, the cracks at the edge of his wheel sea widened by double, hurting him so much he almost fainted.

But he held on, checking Su Qingyue's status.

The effect of the Nine-Turn Soul Recovery Pill was indeed powerful; Su Qingyue's breathing gradually stabilized, and a hint of color returned to her pale face. But her spirit body Origin... remained dim, like a candle in the wind, likely to be extinguished at any moment.

The damage to the Vast Cold Spirit Body's Origin could not be cured by ordinary Medicinal Pills. It required Heaven And Earth Treasure that were extremely Yin and cold, or... a special Cultivation Technique.

Lin Ye remembered the "Ice Heart Art". In that Cultivation Technique, there seemed to be a chapter called "Ice Heart Soul Nourishing Technique," specifically used to nourish damaged spirit body Origins. But Su Qingyue was unconscious and couldn't Cultivate at all.

"Must stabilize her injuries first..."

Lin Ye sat cross-legged, enduring the severe pain in his wheel sea, and mobilized the remaining Chaos Power. He held Su Qingyue's hand and slowly transferred the Chaos Power into her body.

Chaos Power was the Origin of all things, theoretically capable of nourishing everything. But Lin Ye's current state was too poor; the Chaos Power he output was as weak as a thread, only barely keeping Su Qingyue's life hanging by a thread.

Time passed minute by minute.

Outside the cave, the sky gradually darkened. Howls of wild beasts came from the dense forest, but no creature dared to approach this cave—the lingering pressure after the Soul General dissipated, and the aura of Dragon Blood Boiling, made this area a forbidden zone for low-level creatures.

I don't know how long it had been, Su Qingyue's eyelashes fluttered.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw Lin Ye's pale face and his slightly trembling hand holding hers.

"You... didn't leave?" Lin Ye's voice was hoarse.

"I left halfway... and came back." Su Qingyue smiled weakly. "I couldn't... leave you alone..."

"Fool." Lin Ye wanted to say more, but the weakness left him without even the strength to speak.

Su Qingyue looked at him, a complex look flashing in her eyes. She could feel that Lin Ye's condition was worse than hers—wheel sea cracks, Divine Power depletion, Dragon Blood backlash; any one of these would be enough to cripple a Cultivator, and he had all three.

But he was still transferring Chaos Power to her.

"Stop..." Su Qingyue wanted to pull her hand back, but Lin Ye held it very tightly.

"Don't move." Lin Ye shook his head. "Your spirit body Origin is damaged. If there is no external force to nourish it, you will have permanent Dao injuries. I can still hold on."

"But you..."

"I won't die." Lin Ye forced a grim smile. "The Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body doesn't die that easily."

He was telling the truth. One of the most powerful characteristics of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body was its terrifying recovery ability. As long as it wasn't an instant kill, even the heaviest injuries could slowly heal. It was just that the process would be very painful and required time.

Su Qingyue stopped struggling. She closed her eyes, feeling the trace of weak Chaos Power flowing in her body. Wherever it passed, her cold spirit body Origin seemed to be shone upon by the sun, feeling a hint of warmth.

The two of them remained silent like this.

Outside the cave, night had completely fallen. Starlight spilled in through the cave entrance, casting dappled light spots on the ground.

After a long time, Su Qingyue suddenly spoke: "Lin Ye."

"Hmm?"

"Why do you know so much?" Su Qingyue asked. "The secret path of the Ancient Tomb, the method to unlock the imperial seal, the way to use the dragon blood jade pendant... and, you seemed to know that the Soul General would chase after us. These are not things a player who just entered the game half a month ago should know."

Lin Ye was silent.

He knew this question would come sooner or later. As he showed more and more "prophetic" abilities, the people close to him would inevitably have doubts. He just didn't expect the first one to ask would be Su Qingyue.

"If I said I had a very long dream, and I experienced all this in the dream, would you believe me?" Lin Ye said.

Su Qingyue looked at him, her light blue eyes as clear as ice under the starlight: "I believe you."

Now it was Lin Ye's turn to be surprised: "You believe me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Su Qingyue said softly. "This world itself is very magical. A game with 99% realism, a time flow rate of 1:10, and so many incredible Cultivation Techniques and Physiques... In comparison, you having a prophetic dream seems quite normal."

She paused and added, "Besides, I trust you. You won't harm me, you won't harm Chen Hao and the others, and you won't harm the Heavenly Court. That's enough."

A warm current surged in Lin Ye's heart.

He did not expect Su Qingyue to accept his "abnormality" in this way. No prying, no suspicion, just simple trust.

"Thank you," he said.

"No need to thank me," Su Qingyue shook her head. "However, next time something this dangerous happens, don't shoulder it alone. We are teammates, companions. We should fight side-by-side, not let you play the hero alone."

Lin Ye gave a bitter smile. "This was an accident. I didn't expect the Soul general to break free from Burial Dragon Valley..."

"Then you must think of it next time," Su Qingyue said seriously. "You always plan everything out and take all the danger upon yourself. But Lin Ye, you are not a god. You will also get tired, get hurt, and... need help."

Lin Ye fell silent.

Indeed. Since his Rebirth, he had always acted as a "prophet," believing he could control everything. But today's battle had completely woken him up—even knowing the future, and even with the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, he could still fall into a desperate situation and still need the help of companions.

If not for Su Qingyue's three-second freeze, and if not for the dragon blood jade pendant, he would already be dead.

"I understand," Lin Ye nodded. "It won't happen again."

Only then did Su Qingyue reveal a satisfied expression. She closed her eyes again and began to circulate the basic recovery method of the Ice Heart Art, coordinating with Lin Ye's Chaos Power to slowly repair her damaged spirit body Origin.

Lin Ye also closed his eyes and looked inward at his wheel sea.

The situation was worse than he had anticipated. The Chaos bitter sea was almost dry, the seabed was covered in cracks, and a fissure at the very bottom almost pierced through the entire Secret Realm. This was a sign of damage to his Foundation; if not repaired in time, it would affect all future Breakthroughs in his Realm.

"I need a large amount of Heaven And Earth Treasure containing Origin power..." Lin Ye calculated in his heart. "Or... a higher-grade Cultivation Technique."

He thought of the Void Scripture. That golden-quality spatial Cultivation Technique—if he could Cultivate it to a certain level, he might be able to draw upon the power of the void to repair his Secret Realm. But the Void Scripture was only Incomplete Manual one, containing only the introductory chapter; that wasn't enough.

And there was the Scripture Pavilion of the Yaoguang Holy Land. If he could become an Inner Sect Disciple, or even a Core Disciple, he would have the chance to access higher-grade Cultivation Techniques.

But the prerequisite for all of this was to first regain his ability to move.

The dragon blood backlash would last for 24 hours, and less than a third had passed so far. During this time, he and Su Qingyue were essentially useless; any random beast could take their lives.

"I can only hope Chen Hao and the others bring people here quickly..."

As he was thinking this, footsteps came from outside the cave.

It wasn't a beast; it was a person.

Lin Ye became vigilant for a moment, but then immediately relaxed—he didn't even have the strength to stand up right now; what was the point of being vigilant?

The footsteps grew closer, finally stopping at the cave entrance.

A figure walked in.

By the starlight, Lin Ye saw the person's face clearly.

It was that woman in golden armor, the Sun God Body.

The armor on her body was damaged in many places, and her veil was gone, revealing an exquisite yet pale face. In her pale golden eyes, fatigue was hard to hide, but they remained as sharp as a sword. In her hand, the Sun God Sword was dim, and there was even a faint crack on the blade.

Clearly, she had also experienced a bitter battle.

The golden-armored woman saw the two people in the cave, paused for a moment, and then revealed a look of vigilance. But when her gaze fell upon Lin Ye and she felt the weak fluctuation of Chaos Power, her vigilance turned into surprise.

"It's you?" She recognized Lin Ye. "The one who snatched the imperial seal."

Lin Ye did not speak; he just watched her quietly.

The golden-armored woman did not attack immediately either. She walked to the depths of the cave, found a clean spot to sit, took out a Medicinal Pill from her storage equipment, swallowed it, and began to regulate her breath.

For a time, only the faint breathing of the three people remained in the cave.

A quarter of an hour later, the golden-armored woman finished regulating her breath. She opened her eyes and looked at Lin Ye. "Where is the Soul general?"

"Dead," Lin Ye said concisely.

The golden-armored woman's pupils shrank. "You killed it?"

"You could say that."

"Impossible." The golden-armored woman shook her head. "Although your Physique is special, you are only in the Wheel Sea Realm. How could you possibly kill a level 35 Soul general? My four guards, working together with the Sun God Fire, could only barely hold it back."

Lin Ye didn't want to explain too much. "Believe it or not, it's up to you."

The golden-armored woman stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed. "Interesting. Chaos Power... Are you a Chaos Body?"

Lin Ye was noncommittal.

"It seems I guessed right," the golden-armored woman said to herself. "Sun God Body, Moon God Body, Chaos Body—the three great Innate Dao Physiques. I didn't expect two of them to appear in this small Yan State at the same time. Fate is truly wondrous."

She paused and asked, "Where is the imperial seal?"

"It's with me," Lin Ye did not hide it. "Do you want it?"

"I did want it originally," the golden-armored woman said frankly. "But since the imperial seal has recognized you as its master, there is no point in me snatching it. Things like the imperial seal of the State, those with affinity will obtain it; forcing it will only lead to backlash."

She saw it very clearly. Since the imperial seal could be taken by Lin Ye, it meant it acknowledged him. Forcibly snatching it would only lead to being backlashed by the imperial seal, just like the Yan Martial King.

"Then what do you plan to do next?" Lin Ye asked.

"Return to the Yaoguang Holy Land," the golden-armored woman said. "This mission failed, but at least we've figured out the bottom line of Burial Dragon Valley, so I can still report back. As for you..."

She looked at Lin Ye, a trace of curiosity flashing in her pale golden eyes. "A Chaos Body, yet only in the Wheel Sea Realm, and you've suffered such heavy injuries. Do you want to come back to the Yaoguang Holy Land with me? With your Aptitude, becoming a Core Disciple is no problem. The Holy Land has enough resources to help you heal and Cultivate."

This was an invitation.

Lin Ye shook his head. "I have my own faction."

"The Heavenly Court?" The golden-armored woman had clearly heard of it. "What can a small guild give you? Cultivation Techniques? Resources? Protection? The Yaoguang Holy Land is one of the seven great Holy Lands of the Eastern Wasteland, with a ten-thousand-year Legacy and deep Foundations. It is not something a small guild can compare to."

"But the Heavenly Court is mine," Lin Ye said calmly. "No matter how good the Yaoguang Holy Land is, it belongs to someone else."

The golden-armored woman paused, then laughed. "Good ambition. Then I wish you good luck."

She stood up, preparing to leave. But when she walked to the cave entrance, she stopped again, turned back, and threw over a small jade bottle.

"Inside are three [Sun Golden Pills], refined with Sun God Fire and containing Pure Yang Qi. Your Chaos Power leans towards neutral, so you can take them. One pill can restore 30% of your injuries, but the three must be taken at least twelve hours apart, otherwise the Pure Yang Qi will be too overwhelming and will harm your body instead."

Lin Ye caught the jade bottle. "Why help me?"

"Just consider it... an investment," the golden-armored woman said. "A Chaos Body is worth my investment. Furthermore, you killing the Soul general can be considered indirectly saving my life—if you hadn't drawn the Soul general away, my four guards and I might not have been able to leave Burial Dragon Valley."

She paused and added, "By the way, my name is Ji Mingyue. We will meet again."

After saying this, she turned and left, disappearing into the night.

Lin Ye held the jade bottle, lost in thought.

Ji Mingyue... the surname Ji? The Yan State royal family is also surnamed Ji. What relationship does she have with the Yan State?

But now was not the time to delve into that. He opened the jade bottle and poured out one Sun Golden Pill. The golden pill was only the size of a soybean, entirely golden, emitting a warm halo and rich Pure Yang Qi.

[Sun Golden Pill (Epic)]

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Type: Medicinal Pill

Effect: After consumption, instantly restores 30% of maximum HP and Divine Power, and continues to restore over the next hour, with a total amount equivalent to 50% of maximum HP. Simultaneously clears all negative status effects (curses, poison, bleeding, etc.) and temporarily increases Fire-element resistance by +50%.

Restrictions: Best effect for Pure Yang Physique; other Physiques must be cautious. Maximum three pills per day, with an interval of at least twelve hours.

Description: A secret Medicinal Pill of the Yaoguang Holy Land, refined from ninety-nine types of Yang-attribute Spirit Medicine using Sun God Fire. Extremely precious. Cannot be obtained by non-Core Disciples.

Good stuff!

Lin Ye did not hesitate and swallowed one. The Medicinal Pill melted upon entering his mouth, turning into a warm current that surged into his limbs and bones. Wherever the Pure Yang Qi passed, his injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Although the cracks in his wheel sea secret realm were not completely repaired, at least they stopped expanding.

His HP and Divine Power were also recovering rapidly. Although he was still far from his peak state, at least he had regained the ability to move.

He looked at Su Qingyue. She was still regulating her breath, and her complexion had improved a lot, but the damage to her spirit body Origin could not be cured by one Sun Golden Pill.

Lin Ye put away the remaining two golden pills, then took out the items dropped by the Soul general from his storage ring.

Three items.

The first was a black crystal the size of a fist, with shadows flowing on its surface, and it seemed as if countless wailing Souls were sealed within.

[Shadow Crystal (Epic)]

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Type: Materials/Consumable

Effect:

1. Can be used as a core Material for crafting Dark-attribute equipment.

2. Can absorb the shadow energy within to increase the cultivation speed of Dark-attribute Cultivation Techniques (but carries the risk of being eroded by resentment).

3. Can be used to set up Shadow-type Formations.

Description: The core condensation of the Great Yan Guardian Soul general, containing the resentment and shadow Law fragments of all the Souls devoured over the past fifty years. Dangerous item, use with caution.

The second item was a gray bead the size of a walnut, with a smooth surface and mist slowly rotating inside.

[soul general core (Special)]

Type: Quest Item/Special Item

Effect: Unknown

Description: The most primal condensation of the Great Yan Guardian Soul general; it seems related to a certain hidden quest. It is recommended to go to the Yaoguang Holy Land Scripture Pavilion to query relevant information.

The third item was a broken black battle flag, with the flag face torn and only one-third remaining, embroidered with a blurred "Yan" character.

[Broken Battle Flag (Quest Item)]

Type: Quest Item

Effect: Submit to the Yan State royal family or the Yaoguang Holy Land to trigger follow-up quests.

Description: The battle flag held by the Great Yan Guardian Soul general during his lifetime, buried together with its master in Burial Dragon Valley. It has been eroded by Yin Sha for fifty years, but still retains a trace of faint national fortune aura.

These are all good things, but they can't be used right now.

Lin Ye put the three items away and then looked outside the cave.

The sky was already dawning, and sixteen hours remained of the dragon blood backlash. Su Qingyue would still need at least three days to recover basic mobility.

And this place was not safe.

Although the Soul general was dead, the Yin Sha aura of Burial Dragon Valley remained. Moreover, the people from the Northern Alliance, that unidentified team, and even the Yaoguang Holy Land might come looking for them.

They had to leave.

Lin Ye forced himself to stand up, walked to Su Qingyue's side, and gently picked her up.

Su Qingyue opened her eyes and asked weakly, "Are we leaving?"

"Yes, it's not safe here," Lin Ye said. "I have regained partial mobility and can take you to a more hidden place."

Su Qingyue nodded, closed her eyes again, and let Lin Ye carry her.

Lin Ye walked out of the cave, identified the direction, and walked in the opposite direction of the capital city.

He remembered that there was an abandoned Mountain God Temple nearby. Its location was hidden, and there was faint remaining incense Power Of Will, which could isolate their aura to a certain extent.

That was the safest hiding place he could think of right now.

As for Chen Hao and the others... he could only hope they returned to the capital city smoothly and brought people here as soon as possible.

In the morning light, Lin Ye carried Su Qingyue, walking step by step into the depths of the dense forest.

His steps were slow, but steady.

Behind him, the cave was gradually swallowed by the morning mist, as if no one had ever been there.