94: Chapter 94 Resentment Corrodes the Spirit, Dragon Thunder Forms a Barrier

The Gray-Robed Person's laughter seemed to still linger on the Star Gazing Platform. Although the black Qi seeping from the Realm Gate's crack was blocked by the barrier, it clung tightly to the barrier's surface like maggots on a bone, making a faint corroding sound.

Lin Yue stared at the wriggling black Qi, the dragon thunder sword at his fingertips trembling slightly.

He could feel that this Resentful Qi was trying to follow the spiritual rhythm of the star orbit to infiltrate the southern territory spiritual pivot.

"The barrier must be reinforced," Lin Yue said in a deep voice, plunging the dragon thunder sword into the center of the star chart. Cyan-purple thunder light spread along the runes, wrapping another layer of a thunder pattern light shield outside the barrier.

Lin Yan also held the star-embracing sword horizontally in front of him. Five Elements spiritual rhythm flowed like a river, intertwining with the thunder pattern light shield into a net. Those places originally corroded by the black Qi actually began to glow with golden light, forcing the black Qi back half an inch.

"This Resentful Qi... seems to have intelligence." Mo Yao watched as the black Qi avoided the brightest golden light and instead attacked the weak points of the light shield, her expression becoming increasingly solemn. "It's testing our defense."

The Thunder Spirit landed beside the light shield, its cyan-purple feathers constantly dripping thunder light. Each drop was like a miniature thunder pearl, exploding into small sparks of light upon hitting the black Qi. However, there was too much black Qi, and the gaps opened by the explosions were quickly filled by new Resentful Qi.

Lin Shi rushed over, holding a pile of spirit crystals in his hands: "Clan Chief, I've brought everything from the storehouse that can perform Spirit Gathering!"

As soon as the spirit crystals approached the light shield, all their spiritual light was instantly sucked away, turning them into powder. But the light shield also brightened because of this, temporarily repelling the black Qi's offensive.

"Not enough." Lin Yue shook his head, looking toward the heaven-reaching tree. "We must borrow the tree spirit's power."

He flew to the top of the heaven-reaching tree and stabbed the dragon thunder sword into the trunk. In an instant, the dragon pattern on the tree and the sword patterns lit up simultaneously. Countless emerald spiritual threads surged along the star orbit toward the Sun Star Platform, like numerous spiritual snakes wrapping around the barrier of the light shield.

The moment the spiritual threads touched the light shield, cyan flowers actually bloomed. As the petals fell, the black Qi retreated as if meeting a raging fire, letting out a piercing hiss.

"It's the purification power of the heaven-reaching tree!" Mo Chen said in surprise. "This tree spirit can restrain Resentful Qi!"

But the good times didn't last. As the black Qi continued to gather, the purification speed of the cyan petals gradually slowed down, and some petals even withered as soon as they touched the black Qi.

Lin Yue could feel that the heaven-reaching tree's spiritual rhythm was being consumed by the Resentful Qi, and a faint gray decay was appearing in the emerald green of the leaves.

"This can't go on." He pulled out the dragon thunder sword, and the dragon pattern on the tree trunk immediately dimmed. "We must find the source of the Resentful Qi."

The animal skin scroll of the Dragon Thunder True Scripture unfolded again. runes flowed across the star chart, finally stopping at the location of the Wangchuan Forest, where there was a blurry mark, like an altar buried deep underground.

"The Resentful Qi is spreading from the altar." Lin Yue pointed at the mark. "The Gray-Robed Person said he is a Gravekeeper, so that altar is likely his Foundation."

Lin Yan stared at the mark and suddenly said, "I know how to weaken it." He pointed to the Five Elements patterns on the star-embracing sword. "The Five Elements generate and overcome each other. Earth can overcome resentment, and Metal can suppress evil. If we lead the earth spirit of the earth veins and the star core gold spirit into the barrier, and then burn it with thunder fire..."

"Feasible!" Lin Yue immediately understood his meaning. "Lin Shi, take people to the thunder pattern crystal ore vein to fetch the star core gold spirit; Mo Yao, lead the earth spirit of the earth veins from the Cloud Pattern Ore Vein over here; Lin Yan, you harmonize the two with the Five Elements spiritual rhythm; I will lead the thunder fire!"

With the order given, everyone acted immediately.

Lin Shi led the Elite Soldiers into the Mineral Vein and soon returned holding a fist-sized star core crystal. The metal spirit flowing within the crystal was like liquid starlight, humming as it approached the light shield.

The earth spirit of the earth veins led by Mo Yao was like a brown tide, slowly surging along the star orbit. Wherever it passed, the grass and leaves on the ground burst with vibrant life.

Lin Yan stood before the light shield, first pressing the star core gold spirit onto the barrier. The metal spirit immediately turned into a golden film, tightly locking down the spread of the black Qi;

Then he led the earth spirit of the earth veins to cover it. The brown earth spirit fused with the golden film, actually growing a hard outer shell similar to rock.

"Clan Chief, it's done!"

Lin Yue moved upon hearing the call. The thunder patterns on the dragon thunder sword surged, and cyan-purple thunder fire climbed along the light shield, landing on the metal-earth outer shell.

In an instant, the fire touched the metal spirit and earth spirit, creating a strange reaction—

Golden flames wrapped around brown rock debris, burning into a circular wall of fire on the barrier's surface. When the black Qi hit the wall of fire, it instantly dissipated into green smoke, unable to get even an inch closer.

The Gray-Robed Person's voice came again, with obvious anger: "Clever... but how long can you hold out?"

"At least long enough to block a thing like you that hides its head and shows its tail," Lin Yue responded coldly, his fingertips moving quickly across the star chart. The dragon thunder sword's thunder light and the heaven-reaching tree's spiritual threads intertwined again, adding a layer of emerald enchantment outside the wall of fire.

This time, the black Qi was completely blocked, only able to roll fruitlessly outside the enchantment.

Everyone on the Star Gazing Platform finally breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground. Lin Yan looked at his fingertips, which were reddened by the fire, and suddenly discovered that within the Five Elements patterns of the star-embracing sword, there were additional golden-brown lines—traces left by the metal spirit and earth spirit.

"This enchantment... how long can it last?" Mo Chen asked.

"At most seven days," Lin Yue said, his eyes still fixed on the crack in the Realm Gate. "After seven days, we must either find a way to completely destroy the altar, or... we'll have to close the Realm Gate."

Closing the Realm Gate meant that the broad path of Dao that the southern territory had just seen would be blocked once again. No one was willing to accept this result.

Lin Yan suddenly remembered something and pulled a purple-black leaf from his robe—he had accidentally brushed against it when rushing out of the Wangchuan Forest earlier, and it was still stained with a bit of black Qi.

"Clan Chief, look at this." He handed the leaf over. "The Resentful Qi in this leaf seems to be restrained by the star core gold spirit."

Lin Yue took the leaf and lightly scorched it with the thunder light of the dragon thunder sword. The leaf indeed emitted black smoke and soon turned to ash, leaving only a bit of golden powder—the spiritual rhythm remaining after being purified by the metal spirit.

"I have it." A sharp light flashed in Lin Yue's eyes. "The plants in the Wangchuan Forest grow on Resentful Qi, and the star core gold spirit can restrain Resentful Qi, so we..."

He leaned close to Mo Chen and Lin Shi and whispered his plan. As the two listened, excited expressions gradually appeared on their faces.

The Thunder Spirit tilted its head, seemingly understanding, and rubbed its beak against Lin Yue's arm as if asking if it should help.

"You certainly have to help." Lin Yue stroked its feathers. "For this mission, it has to be you."

For the next three days, the Cultivators of the southern territory were all busy.

Lin Shi led people to mine a large amount of star core crystals, while Mo Yao prepared cloud pattern pouches that could carry the metal spirit. Lin Yan was responsible for fusing the metal spirit and thunder fire in specific proportions to create small "evil-breaking thunder pearls."

Lin Yue was studying the Dragon Thunder True Scripture, trying to find the altar's weakness from the runes. He discovered that although the altar's runes and the dragon thunder sword's sword patterns did not share the same source, they had similar energy operation patterns, as if they came from the same ancient system.

On the morning of the fourth day, everything was ready.

Lin Yue held the dragon thunder sword, Lin Yan carried a pack filled with evil-breaking thunder pearls, and the Thunder Spirit spread its wings, standing once again before the crack in the Realm Gate.

This time, there was no hesitation from their first exploration in their eyes, only the determination of burning their bridges.

"Remember, our target is the altar; we must act quickly." Lin Yue gave his final instructions.

Lin Yan nodded and gripped the star-embracing sword at his waist: "Don't worry, Clan Chief, I will protect the thunder pearls."

The Thunder Spirit let out a clear cry and, carrying the two, passed through that fragile film of light once more, rushing into the gray mist behind the Realm Gate.

The strange fragrance of the Wangchuan Forest was still cloyingly sweet, and the purple-black trees swayed in the wind as if welcoming their arrival.

But this time, in Lin Yue and Lin Yan's eyes, there was only the altar hidden deep within the gray mist ahead.

They knew that this battle concerned not only the survival of the Realm Gate but also the future path of Dao for the southern territory.

The dragon thunder sword's thunder light cleared the way ahead, the star-embracing sword's Five Elements spiritual rhythm provided protection from behind, and the Thunder Spirit's wings kicked up a wild wind, blowing away the gray mist blocking the path.

A surprise attack targeting the source of the Resentful Qi thus began.