115: Chapter 115 Everyone Holds Firm, Ye Chen Makes His Move

At the same time, the light from the seven-colored flower at the top surged again, seemingly preparing to launch an even more violent attack.

"Not good! It's going to charge over!" Shi Yue's expression changed.

"Increase the Formation's output! Don't let it get close!" Mo Ling gritted her teeth, ignoring the consumption, and poured more Hunyuan True Essence into the Formation eye.

Ye Chen also stood up, the ice scar sword in hand, his Hunyuan True Essence circulating, preparing to meet the impact.

Bai Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead, fanning himself rapidly, unsure if it was from nervousness or excitement.

Zhao Feng, Han Li, and Su Yuwei also gripped their weapons, waiting in full battle readiness.

The three from Murong Bai's group finally retreated back into the Formation's range, all of them breathing unsteadily and bearing wounds.

Especially Lei Zhen, who had a wound on his shoulder pierced by a root, with black blood flowing from it; he had clearly been poisoned.

"Junior Sister Mo Ling, how long can the Formation hold?" Murong Bai asked quickly.

"Thirty breaths at most! This demon flower's energy field is too strong, and it is actively striking the Formation's nodes!" Mo Ling replied quickly, her face pale.

Thirty breaths! Everyone's hearts sank.

At this critical moment, Ye Chen's gaze fell once again upon the "Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid," which was flickering with light and flailing its roots under the interference of the Formation.

Under the augmentation of the Great Sun Visualization Method, his Divine Sense pierced through the chaotic magnetic field and the demon flower's own energy interference, vaguely capturing a tiny, dark red speck of light deep within the pistil at the center of the seven-colored flower, pulsing like a heart.

That speck of light emitted a spiritual Origin fluctuation that was incomparably pure, yet filled with chaotic desires.

Was it its core? Or... the place where its Divine Soul resided?

A thought flashed through Ye Chen's mind like lightning.

The most terrifying aspect of this demon flower lay in its intangible, undefendable mental attacks and its ability to incite emotions.

If he could use his strongest Divine Soul attack to strike its core directly...

He recalled the strongest Divine Soul attack he currently possessed—"Soul-Shocking Spike."

But a normal "Soul-Shocking Spike" would likely struggle to pierce through the demon flower's powerful mental field and energy defenses to strike that tiny core.

Unless... Ye Chen recalled one of the three sword techniques he had obtained from Bai Chen, which he had only just begun to master and had never used in actual combat—"Return to Void Pull."

This technique was not a direct attack, but rather used Sword Intent to draw upon a trace of the "Return to Void" Dao charm to disturb, delay, and weaken the opponent's Dao and laws.

If he could use the "Return to Void Pull" Sword Intent to temporarily disrupt the demon flower's mental field and energy defenses, and then use the "Soul-Shocking Spike" to strike its core directly... perhaps, there would be a glimmer of hope!

The risk was immense.

The "Soul-Shocking Spike" already placed a significant burden on his own Divine Soul; unleashing it while the opponent's mental field was so powerful could lead to an even more severe backlash.

His mastery of "Return to Void Pull" was still shallow, and it needed to be executed at extremely close range to be effective.

But at the moment, there seemed to be no better choice.

The Formation could only hold for thirty breaths. Once the Formation was broken, facing the enraged demon flower and its terrifying mental attacks, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He would gamble! A flash of determination crossed Ye Chen's eyes.

"Senior Brother Murong, Senior Sister Mo Ling, I need your cooperation!" He suddenly spoke, his voice calm.

"I have a secret technique that might be able to damage its Foundation, but I need to get close to it, and I need the Formation to fully disrupt its mental field to create a split-second opportunity for me!"

Upon hearing this, Murong Bai looked sharply at Ye Chen, his eyes flashing with intensity. He understood Ye Chen's intention instantly.

"How much certainty do you have?" "Thirty percent." Ye Chen replied truthfully.

Murong Bai stared at Ye Chen for a moment, then looked at the demon flower roots frantically attacking the Formation outside and the increasingly unstable seven-colored halo.

"How long do you need?" "Ten breaths." "Good!" Murong Bai did not hesitate.

"Junior Sister Mo Ling, Senior Brother Shi Yue, shrink the Formation's range, concentrate your power, and disrupt the demon flower's main body mental field for ten breaths!"

"Senior Brother Lei Zhen, Senior Brother Jing, Bai Yu, Zhao Feng, Han Li, and Su Yuwei, use all your strength to block the roots and vines and create an opportunity for Junior Brother Ye to get close! Within ten breaths, you must ensure Junior Brother Ye is not disturbed!"

"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison. Although they did not know exactly what Ye Chen intended to do, they had no other choice at this moment but to trust him.

Mo Ling immediately changed her hand seals, and the previously expanded Magneto-Magnetic field rapidly retracted, condensing into a distorted, visible black and white ripple. Like a cowl, it slammed down onto the main flower of the "Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid!"

Shi Yue roared lowly, slamming his palms into the ground, and a thick earthen wall rose, temporarily blocking some of the roots.

Lei Zhen, Jing Wuming, Bai Yu, and the others also used their various methods to hold back the frantically surging roots and vines.

Ye Chen took a deep breath, adjusting his state to its peak. The Ice Lotus Imprint glowed inwardly, the Great Sun Visualization Method operated, the phantom of the scorching sun hung high in his Sea of Consciousness, and his Divine Soul condensed like steel. Hunyuan True Essence surged and flowed, gathering at the ice scar sword in his right hand.

He activated his "Phantom Step" under his feet, his figure becoming like a ghost as he rushed straight out through the narrow path that everyone had risked their lives to open, heading straight into the chaotic Magneto-Magnetic field and the mental fluctuations emitted by the demon flower! His target was none other than the flickering, violently struggling—Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid!

The "Phantom Step" was pushed to its limit by Ye Chen. He seemed to have transformed into a bodiless gray mist, weaving, flickering, and refracting through the gaps between the roots and vines of the demon flower that were dancing wildly across the sky.

The distorted force field formed by the "Bipolar Magneto-Magnetic Formation" that Mo Ling was controlling with all her might acted like an invisible cage, tightly suppressing and interfering with the main flower of the "Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid."

The seven-colored halo, which had originally flowed ceaselessly and was filled with charm and danger, became flickering and fluctuated violently under the interference of the Magneto-Magnetic field, like a candle in the wind. The mental screeching and the cloying, sweet fragrance emitted by the demon flower also became intermittent, their power greatly reduced.

However, those roots and vines that were frantically surging from underground and from all directions remained just as ferocious.

Lei Zhen's lightning light, Jing Wuming's deathly Sword Intent, Bai Yu's eerie wind blades, Zhao Feng and Han Li's arrows and sword light, and Su Yuwei's ice walls and water curtains constructed fragile lines of defense, desperately holding these roots and vines outside the path of Ye Chen's charge.

But there were simply too many roots, too dense, and exceptionally tough, carrying potent poison and corrosive power, constantly breaking through, regenerating, and entangling. No matter how fast Ye Chen's movement technique was, he could not avoid being affected.

"Sshh!" A dark green vine, as thick as a bucket and covered in barbs, whipped fiercely toward Ye Chen's back like a poisonous Dragon's tail.

Ye Chen didn't even look back, slashing out with his sword in a backhand motion, and a gray, hazy Hunyuan Sword Qi swept across. The vine snapped at the sound, and the severed end instantly withered and annihilated.

However, a few drops of the dark green venom splashed from the vine landed on his protective True Essence, making a "hissing" corrosive sound.

He groaned, his Hunyuan True Essence circulating rapidly to neutralize the intruding poison, but his speed slowed slightly as a result.

At that very instant, several hair-thin, nearly transparent roots silently pierced through the ground from the side, lightning-fast, and coiled toward his feet!

"Get lost!" With a roar, Shi Yue's figure appeared to Ye Chen's side, his rock-like giant fist slamming down fiercely. He smashed those transparent roots and the ground they were attached to into pieces, clearing the way for Ye Chen.

"Junior Brother Ye, hurry!" Shi Yue shouted, while he himself was entangled by even more roots, roaring as he fought them.

Ye Chen had no time to thank him, accelerating his figure again. He was less than ten zhang away from the "Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid," which was struggling violently and flashing with chaotic light!

The closer he got, the stronger the interference from the Magneto-Magnetic field seemed to be. But the mental fluctuations and chaotic energy field emitted by the demon flower itself were like a tangible quagmire, frantically squeezing and eroding Ye Chen's Divine Soul and protective True Essence.

The cloying, sweet fragrance almost turned into liquid, trying to drill into every pore. Countless distorted illusions, filled with desire, fear, and madness, grew, roared, and whispered before his eyes, in his ears, and deep within his heart.

"Where are your parents? Can you still find them?"

"Ye Lingtian and Lin Suxin... they are long dead! You are an unwanted bastard!"

"Kill them! Kill the 'Shadow Fiend'! Kill everyone who stands in your way!"

"Power! Give me power! I want to become the Supreme! To dominate everything!"

"The secrets on your body, the Ice Lotus Imprint... the Hunyuan One-Qi Art. If the Sect finds out... you will be sliced up and studied!"

Distracting thoughts came one after another, assaulting his spiritual platform.

If not for Ye Chen's early preparations—the Ice Lotus Imprint shining brightly with chaotic pure radiance to guard his spiritual platform, the phantom of the scorching sun condensed by the Great Sun Visualization Method hanging high in his Sea of Consciousness to emit pure Yang righteous energy and dispel evil, and the balanced, upright aura of his Hunyuan True Essence circulating through his body to neutralize foreign forces—he would likely have already lost his mental defenses and fallen into madness.

Even so, he felt as if his Divine Soul were being pierced by countless needles, the pain unbearable. The scene before his eyes was sometimes clear, sometimes distorted, and his temples throbbed violently.

"Five zhang!"

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Ye Chen counted silently in his heart, staring fixedly at the seven-colored demon flower that was swaying wildly within the Meta-Magnetic Field, its dark red core faintly visible deep within the flower's center.

Now!

A sharp light exploded in Ye Chen's eyes as he forcibly suppressed the severe pain in his Divine Soul and his stray thoughts.

The Hunyuan True Essence within his body circulated at an unprecedented speed, all of it pouring into the ice scar sword in his hand.

The light on the sword's blade was no longer a hazy gray; instead, it suddenly became deep and restrained, as if it could swallow all light.

A terrifying Dao Rhyme of silence, termination, and the return of all things to the void rose from his right arm as he gripped the sword, merging into his Sword Intent.

“Return to Void—Lead!”

He roared low in his heart, pointing the ice scar sword toward the core of the chaotic and distorted mental and energy field ahead.

He gave a phantom pull toward the main body of that demon flower!

There was no dazzling sword light, nor any world-shaking momentum.

There was only an invisible and intangible, yet seemingly capable of leading all things toward their end and annihilation, strange 'intent' following the guidance of Ye Chen's Sword Intent.

Like an ice pick thrown into a boiling vat of oil, it ruthlessly pierced into the violent and chaotic energy and mental field surrounding the demon flower!

“Buzz—!”

Time seemed to be stretched and distorted at this moment.

The originally violently fluctuating seven-colored halo, the moment it was touched by this 'Return to Void' Dao Rhyme...

...actually experienced a momentary, eerie stagnation!

It was like a high-speed, precision instrument where a tiny grain of sand had suddenly jammed the most critical gear.

Though it was only for an instant, for Ye Chen, it was enough!

“Soul-Shocking Spike!”

Between his brows, the Ice Lotus Imprint shone with an unprecedented brilliance.

An invisible Spirit Stab, condensed to the extreme and seemingly capable of piercing the Divine Soul—formed from pure Divine Sense and the Pure Yang Will tempered by the Great Sun Visualization Method—was unleashed.

Like an arrow from a drawn bow, having gathered strength for a long time, it shot out the moment the 'Return to Void Lead' disrupted the opponent's field!

The target was aimed directly at the center of the seven-colored demon flower, that dark red core that throbbed like a heart!

Silent, soundless, shadowless, and formless.

This was a pure confrontation on the level of the Divine Soul, fraught with extreme danger.

The Soul-Shocking Spike was like a bolt of Pure Yang lightning cutting through the darkness.

It penetrated the chaotic field that had been temporarily disrupted and stagnated by the 'Return to Void Lead,' and with incomparable precision, it struck the dark red core!

“Hiss—!!!”

A shrill, sharp, and terrifying screech that transcended hearing and rang directly in the depths of everyone's Souls exploded violently!

The seven-colored flower at the top of the Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid seemed to have all its color and vitality drained away in an instant.

It suddenly dimmed, withered, and shriveled!

The circulating seven-colored halo collapsed with a bang.

The cloyingly sweet fragrance instantly became decayed and foul.

The countless wildly dancing roots and vines suddenly stiffened, as if their central nervous system had been severed.

Then they limply drooped, withered, and turned into flying ash.

The madness-inducing mental illusions and impacts shrouding the surroundings also receded like a tide.

Between heaven and earth, everything seemed to become clear in an instant.

Only the remains of the demon flower, already withered, shrunken, and turned a deathly gray, remained.

It still stood in place, but the dark red core at its top had completely dimmed and shattered.

Ye Chen maintained his sword-striking posture, standing three feet away from the remains of the demon flower, motionless.

His face was as pale as paper, and dark red blood slowly seeped from his seven orifices, especially his ears and nostrils, which bled incessantly.

His body swayed slightly, as if he might collapse at any moment.

That strike just now seemed simple, but in reality, it had exhausted all his mental energy, True Essence, and especially his Divine Soul power.

Forcibly performing the unrefined 'Return to Void Lead' was already a massive burden on his Divine Soul.

And the Soul-Shocking Spike, striking the core while facing the risk of a powerful mental field backlash on the opponent's home turf...

...had caused him to suffer a severe Divine Soul backlash.

If not for the solid Foundation of the Ice Lotus Imprint and the Great Sun Visualization Method, his Divine Soul would likely have been heavily damaged or even collapsed by now.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Behind him, Lei Zhen, Jing Wuming, and the others, who were desperately resisting the roots and vines...

...were also stunned when they saw the terrifying roots that had been flailing across the sky suddenly go limp and wither.

Then, expressions of unbelievable wild joy appeared on their faces.

“Suc... succeeded?”

Zhao Feng murmured, almost unable to believe his eyes.

Su Yuwei covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

Han Li's hand holding the bow trembled slightly.

Bai Yu stopped waving his fan and looked at Ye Chen's swaying back, a look of gravity and a hint of inquiry appearing in his eyes for the first time.

Shi Yue crushed the last few twitching vines with a punch, panting heavily, his gaze toward Ye Chen filled with horror.

Mo Ling also stopped her control of the Two-Pole Primordial Magnetic Array, and the Formation's light slowly faded.

She looked at the withered demon flower and then at Ye Chen, her cold face full of complexity.

Murong Bai was the first to react.

His figure flickered, and he appeared beside Ye Chen, catching his swaying body.

At the same time, he injected a stream of pure and gentle True Essence into Ye Chen's body to help stabilize his injuries and calm his churning blood and Divine Soul.

“Junior Brother Ye, how do you feel?”

Murong Bai's voice carried concern, as well as a hint of shock that was hard to hide.

He hadn't expected that Ye Chen would actually do it.

With a cultivation at the Middle Stage of the Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm.

He had head-on defeated a mature Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid that even several of them at the Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm found troublesome!

Although it was a collective effort that created the conditions...

...that final decisive strike that hit the Divine Soul core was completed by Ye Chen alone.

This grasp of timing and the application of his own power...

...especially that eerily powerful Divine Soul attack method, far exceeded his expectations.

“I'm... not dead yet.”

Ye Chen spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse and dry; every word he spoke tugged at his agonizing Divine Soul.

He forced himself to take a Soul-Condensing Pill bestowed by Elder Li, specifically for nourishing the Divine Soul.

He also took several Medicinal Pills to recover True Essence and, with Murong Bai's support, slowly sat down to begin regulating his breathing.

As the pills entered his stomach, they turned into a cool and gentle medicinal power, nourishing his damaged Divine Soul and Meridians, and the sharp pain eased slightly.

“This place is dangerous and not suitable for a long stay. Although the demon flower is gone, its residual aura and the commotion just now might attract other things. Junior Sister Mo Ling, check the remains of the demon flower for anything of value and take it quickly.”

“Senior Brother Shi Yue, Senior Brother Lei Zhen, tend to your wounds and guard the perimeter. Everyone else, meditate on the spot; we must leave in fifteen minutes.”

Murong Bai quickly issued orders, regaining his composure.

Everyone acted accordingly.

Mo Ling carefully walked to the withered remains of the demon flower and put on a pair of specially made gloves.

Using a jade knife and a jade shovel, she carefully extracted from the remains...

...the dark red core fragments that had shattered but still emitted faint mental fluctuations.

She also took a few relatively intact petals whose colors had not completely faded and placed them into a specially made jade box, sealing it tight.

The core and petals of the Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid, though bizarre, were also precious Materials for refining certain special Medicinal Pills and practicing unorthodox mental secret arts, making them quite valuable.

Shi Yue and Lei Zhen each tended to their wounds; Lei Zhen had been poisoned quite severely.

Fortunately, Su Yuwei was skilled in water-attribute healing and had detoxification pills ready, so the poison was quickly suppressed.

Jing Wuming silently wiped his broadsword; he had several wounds on his body from the roots, but he seemed unable to feel the pain.

Bai Yu resumed waving his fan, but his gaze would occasionally drift toward Ye Chen, who was meditating with his eyes closed.

Zhao Feng, Han Li, and Su Yuwei gathered together, talking in low voices, their gazes toward Ye Chen filled with admiration and lingering fear.

Fifteen minutes passed quickly.

With the help of the pills and the Hunyuan One-Qi Art, Ye Chen temporarily suppressed the backlash on his Divine Soul.

He stabilized his injuries; although he was still weak, he was already able to move.

He opened his eyes, which still carried fatigue, but his spirit had regained its focus.

“We can go now.”

He stood up and spoke to Murong Bai.

Murong Bai nodded and looked over everyone.

Although they had gone through this fierce battle and everyone was injured and exhausted...

...at least no one had fallen, and they had eliminated the massive threat of the Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid.

“Let's go, leave this place, and find a safer spot to recuperate.”

The team set off again, quickly leaving the area permeated with the decaying residual scent of the demon flower.

Following another branch of the Dark Current Stream, they walked upstream for about an hour.

They only stopped when they found a small valley backed by a rock wall, with a relatively open view in front and no obvious sources of poison nearby.

The mist here was slightly thinner, and the miasma was also much sparser.

Mo Ling set up a new miasma-dispelling and early-warning Formation.

The group could finally relax their tense nerves slightly and conduct more thorough healing and recovery.