Staggering, the hero returns to ruins

Attempting to move his body felt like carrying a mountain.

Every muscle and every bone groaned under the unbearable burden; the nascent chaos qi flow in his Meridians was as thin as a gossamer thread, barely able to maintain the most basic functions of life.

Although mostly repaired, it remained fragile and could not support any form of spellcasting or large-scale projection of Divine Sense.

Right now, he was barely stronger than a Mortal plagued by long-term illness.

Nightmare calmly accepted his current weakness.

He took a deep breath, enduring the pervasive stinging pain throughout his body, and invoked the faint Chaos Seed.

He guided wisps of chaos qi flow to his legs, then, using all his strength and supporting his broken body with his arms, he crawled up from the ground, bit by bit, with extreme difficulty.

The simple action of standing straight made his vision go black, cold sweat instantly soaked his tattered clothes, and his breathing became as heavy as an old, broken bellows.

He glanced at the spherical Seal barely maintained in the center, his expression shifting slightly, and retrieved the two formation base nodes that had become like ordinary stones, their light completely retracted due to exhaustion of power.

This was the testament of his connection to this place, and something that might be useful in the future.

Then, he locked onto the increasingly clear aura of Medicine Old Man outside the Forbidden Ground, which was filled with excitement and worry, and began to take steps.

Every step was as heavy as a thousand jun.

The rubble under his feet seemed to have become an insurmountable obstacle.

He walked very slowly and steadily, like an infant who had just learned to walk, yet carried a calmness and firmness born from experiencing life and death and seeing through illusions.

Passing through the chaotic dome space, he stepped into the passageway still filled with thin mist.

Along the way, the traces left by the battle, the scorched earth, and the broken corpses silently told the brutality of the earth-shattering battle that had taken place not long ago.

He did not stop, guiding his direction, and moved step by step toward the exit.

Outside the Forbidden Ground, Medicine Old Man felt the warmth of the fragment in his bosom growing stronger and trembled with excitement; he stared fixedly at the mist-rolling entrance, his cloudy old eyes filled with anticipation.

Finally, under everyone's gaze, a figure stumbled out of the mist, step by step.

He was ragged, covered in dried blood and dust, his face pale as paper, and his aura so weak that it was almost imperceptible, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

But he walked out just like that, his spine straight, his eyes as deep as an ancient well; despite his weakness, he possessed an indescribable majesty and bearing, as if he were not walking through a ruin, but toward his own throne.

It is Nightmare! He is still alive!

"Mr. Ye!" Medicine Old Man was the first to react, tears streaming down his face, and he stumbled forward, wanting to support him but afraid of shattering this seemingly fragile existence.

The old village chief, Stone Tiger, and all the villagers gathered there were stunned for a moment, then erupted into earth-shattering cheers!

Many people were so excited that they knelt on the ground, bowing in the direction of Nightmare, as if welcoming a triumphant deity!

They didn't know exactly what had happened deep in the Forbidden Ground, but they knew it was this Mr. Ye who had stepped forward at the village's most critical moment and ventured alone into the Forbidden Ground!

Now that he could come out alive, no matter the outcome, it was already a miracle!

Moreover, the subsiding of the Forbidden Ground's anomalies made them vaguely feel that the crisis might have been resolved!

"Mr. Ye! Are... are you alright?" Stone Tiger rushed up, looking at Nightmare's miserable appearance; the rugged man's voice was choked with emotion, wanting to reach out but not daring to.

"It's nothing... just exhaustion." Nightmare stopped, his voice hoarse and low, yet carrying a power that comforted people's hearts.

His gaze swept over the excited crowd and finally landed on Medicine Old Man and the old village chief. "The Seal... has been temporarily stabilized."

These simple words caused Medicine Old Man and the old village chief to tremble violently, their eyes erupting with indescribable ecstasy and awe!

They knew best what it meant for the Seal to be stabilized!

It meant that the mission Shiquan Village had guarded for generations could continue, and that this sweeping catastrophe had been forcibly shouldered by this young man before them with his own strength!

"Great kindness, Sir! All of Shiquan Village will never forget it!" The old village chief pushed away those supporting him, trembling as he prepared to pay his respects.

Nightmare moved slightly, and a gentle but irresistible force held him up.

"Village Chief, there is no need for this; it was merely a mutual exchange of needs."

He spoke calmly, but everyone understood that what Nightmare called "needs" was insignificant compared to the survival of Shiquan Village.

"Quick! Quickly help Sir back to rest!" Medicine Old Man reacted, hurriedly calling Stone Tiger and a few attentive women to carefully support Nightmare, as if holding a fragile treasure, and they walked toward the village step by step.

The villagers spontaneously cleared a path, all watching that weak yet incomparably tall figure walk slowly past with the most reverent and grateful gazes.

The news of Nightmare's return spread like a spring breeze throughout Shiquan Village, bringing the joy of surviving a disaster and infinite hope for the future.

As for Nightmare, after returning to that familiar stone house and lying on the bed that Medicine Old Man had remade, he once again fell into a deep sleep.

This time, it was no longer a near-death coma, but an instinctive need for his body to undergo deep repair under the guidance of the Chaos Seed.

Medicine Old Man personally guarded the door, allowing no one to disturb him. He knew this young gentleman needed time.

Shiquan Village also welcomed a new beginning with the return of this hero.

The villagers were even more motivated to repair their homes, and the enthusiasm of the young people to Cultivate the ancestral Body Refining techniques reached an unprecedented high.

Nightmare's existence was like a lighthouse, illuminating the path forward for this small village struggling to survive in the Land of Absolute Spirit.

However, Nightmare also understood deep down that the Seal was only temporarily stabilized, the Eshi Yue Organization might have been heavily damaged but not necessarily completely destroyed, and the secrets of the Land of Absolute Spirit had only just revealed the tip of the iceberg.

His path was still very long.

The growth of the Chaos Seed would require countless resources and trials.

Shiquan Village might be the first stronghold where he truly began his journey in this strange world.