52: Proton (End)

The news of Chi Yun's promotion to the Heavenly Spirit Realm spread among the Imperial Dynasties.

Naturally, it also reached the long-decayed Diyuan Dynasty.

Half a month later, several Imperial Envoys from the Diyuan Dynasty, covered in dust from their journey, appeared outside the gates of the Qianshan Sect.

Lin Xuan personally received them, but after hearing their intentions, he did not make any decisions on his own, instead guiding them to Yun Peak.

Inside the reception hall of Yun Peak, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Leading the group was an Elder in the Heavenly Spirit Realm. He looked at the former hostage, who had once been abandoned by the Imperial Family.

Now, this person was a Heavenly Spirit Realm Expert on equal footing with him, filling his heart with mixed emotions.

"Your Highness Chi Yun." The Elder stood up and bowed deeply to Chi Yun. "The Imperial Dynasty... needs you."

His voice was dry as he recounted the current predicament of the Diyuan Dynasty.

The Three Yuan Realm Old Ancestor guarding the Imperial Family was nearing the end of his Lifespan, internal factions fought ceaselessly, and powerful external enemies surrounded them. The entire Imperial Dynasty was precarious, constantly in danger of collapse.

The Imperial Family's meaning was simple: they wanted to invite Chi Yun back to succeed the position of Crown Prince.

Named succession, it was truly a plea for aid.

They hoped to use Chi Yun and the prestige of the Qianshan Sect behind him to deter the restless enemies.

Chi Yun held his teacup, his expression completely undisturbed.

He held no affection for this Imperial Dynasty that had once treated him as a discarded pawn.

"I am no longer an Imperial Prince. As a hostage, I already paid everything for the Imperial Dynasty. This Karma has been settled."

His voice was soft, yet brooked no argument.

"Your Highness..." The Elder tried to persuade him further.

"See them out." Chi Yun interrupted him directly.

The few Imperial Envoys from the Diyuan Dynasty ultimately left the Qianshan Sect, their hearts filled with disappointment and bitterness.

Chi Yun refused to take on such a mess.

He only wanted to Cultivate peacefully.

However, Cultivation in the Heavenly Spirit Realm was far more difficult than he had imagined.

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.

In these ten years, Chi Yun's cultivation barely advanced an inch, remaining stuck in the Heavenly Spirit Realm Early Stage.

The Cultivation Realms of the Heavenly Spirit Realm are divided into Early Stage, Middle Stage, Late Stage, and Perfection.

Each step required massive resources and a long period of time to accumulate.

The current Qianshan Sect could barely protect itself, and the help it could offer him was negligible.

In reality, looking across all Imperial Dynasties, the vast majority of Heavenly Spirit Realm Experts remained stuck in the Early Stage for their entire lives, unable to advance.

In stark contrast to Chi Yun's stagnation was the Sect Master, Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan had successfully achieved a Breakthrough to the Heavenly Spirit Realm Middle Stage not long ago.

Furthermore, at a Grand Gathering, he followed closely behind a Prodigy from a "Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land," gaining some fame and currently enjoying great prestige.

Chi Yun knew that relying solely on arduous Cultivation would likely yield no progress for hundreds of years.

He had to seek out other Opportunities.

On this day, Chi Yun finished his arduous Cultivation and received a joint invitation from several Heavenly Spirit Realm Experts.

They had discovered a Secret Realm left behind by a Three Yuan Realm Expert and hoped to invite Chi Yun to explore it with them.

Chi Yun did not hesitate much before agreeing.

After bidding farewell to Yun Xi, he set off for the agreed location.

The entrance to the Secret Realm was hidden within a spatial rift, making it extremely concealed.

Upon entering the Secret Realm, everyone was immediately shocked by the sight before them.

This was a perfectly preserved Small World, rich in Spiritual Qi, containing many Spiritual Plants and Treasure Medicines that were long extinct in the outside world.

Everyone gained a lot, their faces beaming with joy.

Just as they delved into the core of the Secret Realm, preparing to activate the true Legacy of the Three Yuan Realm Expert, an unexpected change occurred.

"Jie jie jie... How many years has it been? I can finally smell the scent of fresh flesh and blood again."

A sinister and eerie voice sounded in everyone's hearts without warning.

Immediately after, a terrifying aura, far surpassing the Heavenly Spirit Realm and even the Three Origins Realm, erupted fiercely from beneath the Legacy Stone Platform.

"Not good! Retreat quickly!" The face of an Elder in the Heavenly Spirit Realm Late Stage changed drastically. He roared and turned to flee.

But it was already too late.

A giant hand condensed from black mist stretched out from the ground, instantly seizing the Elder.

"Ah!"

Amidst the mournful screams, the Elder's Physical Body shriveled at a visible speed, turning into a dried corpse within a few breaths, his pure Spiritual Power completely devoured.

"It's the Remnant Soul of a Guiyi Realm Expert!"

Everyone's scalps went numb, scared out of their wits.

This was not a Legacy Secret Realm at all; it was a trap.

The black mist surged, and a blurry figure slowly condensed on the stone platform, its greedy gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Run!"

Someone yelled, and the remaining Heavenly Spirit Realm Experts immediately scattered like frightened birds, desperately fleeing in different directions.

Chi Yun also began retreating immediately, but the Remnant Soul instantly locked onto him.

An irresistible suction force enveloped him.

Chi Yun roared, fully unleashing the power of his Dao Body and his Heavenly Spirit Realm cultivation, resisting with all his might.

"Oh? It's actually the Pure Yuan Dao Body..."

The Remnant Soul let out a surprised sound, followed by even more excited maniacal laughter.

"Good! Good! Good! Swallowing your Pure Yuan Dao Body will speed up this Seat's recovery several times over!"

The black mist instantly submerged Chi Yun completely.

In the final moment before being devoured, Chi Yun did not hesitate, directly detonating several life-saving Magic Treasures he had prepared for years, and even burned his Divine Soul regardless of the cost.

Boom!

The fierce explosion tore open a spatial rift.

Using his last shred of consciousness, Chi Yun rushed into the chaotic spatial turbulence.

After an unknown period, he woke up in an unfamiliar mountain forest.

He had survived.

But the cost was heavy.

His head of black hair was now gray and white, and fine wrinkles had appeared on his face.

That momentary life-or-death struggle had more than halved his originally long Lifespan.

He could feel that, at most, he had less than fifty years remaining.

Returning to the Qianshan Sect, Chi Yun immediately announced he was entering Breakthrough or Die Seclusion.

Thirty years flashed by.

On this day, above Yun Peak, inside Chi Yun's Immortal Cave, an extremely unstable aura erupted with a roar.

His Lifespan had only a few years left.

He had no choice but to forcibly attempt a Breakthrough to the Heavenly Spirit Realm Middle Stage.

However, his Foundation was unstable, and the consequence of the forced Breakthrough was encountering a terrifying backlash of Spiritual Qi.

Violent Spiritual Qi rampaged through his body; his Physical Body cracked inch by inch, and his Dao Body was on the verge of collapse.

"Husband!"

Yun Xi, who had been guarding outside, rushed in. Seeing Chi Yun's condition, she did not hesitate at all.

"With my cultivation and Spiritual Body, I sacrifice myself to you!"

A look of resolute yet tragic beauty was on her face as her entire being transformed into a brilliant Spiritual Light, rushing toward Chi Yun.

Her Spiritual Body began to burn, turning into the purest Origin energy, frantically surging into Chi Yun's body, attempting to help him stabilize the Spiritual Qi that was about to run wild.

Chi Yun's eyes were tearing, but he was powerless to stop her.

However, everything was too late.

The flood of Spiritual Qi backlash had already overwhelmed everything.

Finally, the auras of both figures slowly dissipated in the center of that violent energy.

Both perished.