95: Chapter 95 A Difficult Counterattack, Recovering from Weakness

Ye Chen pushed his "Phantom Step" to its limit, his figure flying across the ground.

He minimized friction with the rock walls, making no sound at all.

But his Divine Sense clearly sensed it.

The cold aura behind him followed like a maggot on a bone, clinging tightly to him as the distance slowly closed.

It was that Middle Stage Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm "Shadow Fiend" assassin!

He harbored a deep hatred for Ye Chen for taking the yinhun fruit and pursued him relentlessly.

The other two auras seemed to have gone after Leng Ningshuang.

The fissure twisted downward, branching into many paths.

Unable to discern the direction, Ye Chen could only flee toward where the terrain was lower and the soul-eroding yin wind was more concentrated, guided by instinct.

He felt that the further down he went, the stronger the aura of the source of the soul-eroding yin wind became.

Perhaps it could interfere with the opponent's tracking, but it also meant more danger.

The sound of breaking air behind him drew closer, carrying a bone-chilling killing intent.

"Kid, you can't escape! Hand over the yinhun fruit obediently, and I'll give you a quick death!"

The raspy voice echoed in the narrow passage, filled with mockery and cruelty.

Ye Chen turned a deaf ear, simply burying his head in a wild run.

The Hunyuan True Essence within his body circulated rapidly, repairing the slight tremors from previously taking the "Ghost Fiend Yin Thunder Talisman" head-on.

At the same time, he adjusted his state to its Peak.

He knew that blindly running was not a solution; he had to find a way to deal with this tail.

Otherwise, he would eventually be caught or fall into an even more dangerous situation.

Ahead, the passage suddenly widened, revealing a small natural cavern.

In the center of the cavern was a pool of water, its contents as black as ink.

It emitted a bone-chilling cold and dense Yin Qi—it was indeed a source of the soul-eroding yin wind!

Countless grayish-white stalactites hung from the cavern ceiling.

At the tips of some stalactites, black droplets with a foul-smelling aura condensed and dripped into the pool.

The sounds of "drip, drop" echoed.

They were exceptionally clear in the silent cavern.

Three sides of the cavern were rock walls; there was only the entrance he had come through.

And on the opposite side of the pool, another even narrower exit shrouded in heavy Yin Qi was faintly visible.

"A dead end?"

Ye Chen's heart sank. But at this moment, the pursuer had already reached the entrance.

"Heh heh, run, why aren't you running anymore?"

The "Shadow Fiend" assassin blocked the entrance, holding a pitch-black dagger.

The eyes beneath the mask flickered with the cruel light of a cat playing with a mouse.

"Hand over the yinhun fruit, and then tell me what Cultivation Technique you practice, why you can resist the yin wind, and how you can perform Divine Soul attacks? If you speak, perhaps I can let you suffer a bit less."

He was clearly very interested in Ye Chen's Hunyuan True Essence and "Soul-Shocking Spike."

Ye Chen stopped, turned to face the assassin, and slowly drew his ice scar sword.

Under the dim light of the cavern, the sword blade reflected an interwoven glow of ghostly blue and hazy gray.

He knew that things would not end peacefully today; there was only battle.

"Want to know? Go to Hell and ask."

Ye Chen's voice was calm, but a cold Battle Intent ignited in his eyes.

Middle Stage Third Level of the Wheel Sea Realm against Middle Stage Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm; there was a gap in cultivation.

But he had many trump cards, and even more, a slight advantage in this extreme environment.

Hunyuan True Essence did not fear the erosion of the yin wind and could even absorb its energy to replenish itself.

Whereas the opponent had to divide his attention to resist the yin wind.

"Arrogant! Since you seek death, I will fulfill your wish!"

Killing intent exploded in the assassin's eyes. No longer wasting words, his figure blurred into a shadow.

He instantly appeared on Ye Chen's left side, his dagger like a venomous snake, piercing straight for Ye Chen's temple!

His speed was even faster than before at the altar; he had clearly held back earlier.

Ye Chen was well-prepared, moving with "Phantom Step."

His figure drifted backward while the ice scar sword slashed upward, precisely parrying the dagger.

But the opponent's strength was immense, jarring his arm until it felt numb.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The two exchanged several Moves in an instant. Dagger and longsword collided in the darkness, sparking points of fire.

The assassin's Moves were ruthless and tricky, specializing in vital points.

Furthermore, a frigid Qi was constantly trying to invade Ye Chen's Meridians.

Ye Chen's swordsmanship was steady. As his Hunyuan True Essence circulated, it neutralized the invading cold force while he searched for a chance to counterattack.

The cavern was narrow, and with the pool and stalactites as obstacles, the movement of both sides was restricted.

However, Ye Chen's "Phantom Step" was more agile, allowing him to narrowly avoid several fatal attacks.

The assassin's cultivation advantage gradually manifested, and his offensive grew increasingly fierce.

He forced Ye Chen to retreat repeatedly, gradually nearing that black, frigid pool.

"Kid, is this all you've got? It seems your Cultivation Technique is nothing more than this!"

The assassin grinned maliciously, spotting a gap when Ye Chen paused to catch his breath.

The dagger suddenly accelerated, bringing forth streaks of afterimages that stabbed toward Ye Chen's vital points like a violent storm!

Simultaneously, he raised his left hand, and several poisoned black flying needles sealed off Ye Chen's retreat.

There was nowhere to retreat!

Behind him was the frigid pool water that could erode the Divine Soul!

In the moment of crisis, a fierce light flashed in Ye Chen's eyes.

He no longer held back. The Hunyuan True Essence within his body circulated frantically at an unprecedented speed, and the Ice Lotus Imprint shone brightly.

A Sword Intent of silence and return to the void rose from the depths of his Soul!

He stopped dodging and instead took a step forward, meeting the storm-like dagger shadows.

The hazy gray light on the ice scar sword suddenly withdrew, turning into a point of Chaos so deep it seemed capable of swallowing everything.

He thrust the sword right into the center of those countless dagger shadows!

"Hunyuan Return to Void!"

It was no longer the previous prototype, nor was it the "Destruction Pierce" that concentrated on a single point.

Instead, it was an initial perfection of an area-of-effect devouring sword, combining his insights from the "Hunyuan Wind Severing Slash" and a deeper understanding of the "Silence" Concept.

A preliminary version of his area-of-effect devouring sword!

At the tip of the sword, a miniature, slowly rotating Chaos vortex suddenly took shape.

Carrying a terrifying Concept of annihilating all things and returning them to nothingness, it collided violently with the sky full of dagger shadows!

"Buzz—!"

There was no earth-shattering roar. Those sharp dagger shadows...

...at the moment they touched the Chaos vortex, they were like snow meeting a scorching sun.

They silently melted, decomposed, and were sucked into the vortex!

Even the frigid True Essence and poison needles were devoured and dismantled along with them!

The malicious grin on the assassin's face instantly froze, his eyes filled with boundless horror.

He felt as if the attack he had launched was like a clay ox entering the sea.

His connection to it was forcibly severed and devoured!

"No—!"

He tried to pull back in terror, but it was too late.

After devouring his attack, the Chaos vortex suddenly expanded, enveloping his entire person!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

The protective True Essence on the assassin's body and the jade pendant that defended his Divine Soul...

...quickly dimmed and shattered under the erosion of the power of Hunyuan Return to Void.

He let out a shrill, miserable scream, feeling his True Essence, blood qi, and even his Divine Soul...

...being frantically devoured and dismantled by that terrifying vortex!

His body became shriveled and gray at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Explode!"

Ye Chen roared, pouring his last bit of strength along with a burst of extreme cold qi from the Ice Lotus Imprint...

...viciously into the Chaos vortex!

"Boom!"

The Chaos vortex exploded!

It did not explode outward; instead, it sharply contracted and annihilated inward!

The assassin didn't even manage to let out a final scream.

His entire body, under the annihilation of that power of return to the void, turned into countless gray-black points of light and completely dissipated into the air.

Not even a trace of residue was left behind.

Only the pair of daggers, a few broken Magical Artifacts, and a Storage Pouch fell to the ground with a clang.

Silence.

In the cavern, only the "drip, drop" of water falling into the pool remained, along with Ye Chen's heavy breathing that sounded like a bellows.

He leaned on his sword, kneeling on one knee, his face as pale as paper.

Blood seeped from his seven orifices, and a sharp pain of splitting Meridians came from within his body.

His Wheel Sea was dim, and his True Essence was almost exhausted.

His Divine Soul even throbbed with a tearing pain from forcibly activating "Hunyuan Return to Void."

The Ice Lotus Imprint had also dimmed considerably.

This sword strike was terrifyingly powerful, but the consumption was also too great to bear.

Had he not been in this place of dense Yin Qi, where Hunyuan True Essence could automatically absorb some Yin Qi to replenish itself...

...and had he not previously refined the crimson sun vermilion fruit to greatly improve his True Essence quality and Physical Body strength...

...he likely would have been drained dry and died from the backlash the moment he performed that sword strike.

"Cough, cough..."

Ye Chen coughed up several mouthfuls of stagnant blood mixed with bits of internal organs.

Enduring the dizziness and sharp pain, he struggled to Move to the items left behind by the assassin.

He collected the daggers, Storage Pouch, and other items.

Too rushed to check them, he immediately swallowed several Medicinal Pills for healing and True Essence recovery.

He also took out two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, holding them in his hands as he began to meditate with all his strength.

He knew he couldn't stay here long. The commotion just now and the fact that their companion hadn't returned for a long time...

...would likely draw the other two assassins, or even other members of "Shadow Fiend."

Moreover, the situation with Leng Ningshuang was unknown; he had to recover some mobility as quickly as possible and leave this place.

The pure spiritual power from the pills and Spirit Stones poured into his body, combined with the powerful recovery ability of the "Hunyuan One-Qi Art."

Along with the dense Yin Qi around him, his injuries and True Essence began to recover at a slow but steady pace.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Ye Chen had barely recovered ten percent of his True Essence and stabilized his injuries.

He didn't dare delay any further, struggling to his feet and casting a glance at that black, frigid pool.

He looked again at the exit across the pond shrouded in Yin Qi.

"Go this way."

He chose that exit.

Though the Yin Qi was heavier, it might allow him to escape the Shadow Fiend's search range faster.

Ye Chen forced a breath, performed his movement technique, and sped into the narrow exit passage.

Inside the passage, the Yin Qi had almost condensed into a physical form, freezing to the bone; his Divine Sense detection range was compressed to less than ten feet.

Ye Chen used all his remaining True Essence for body protection.

Simultaneously, he pushed the concentration method of the Soul-Shocking Spike to its limit to keep his mind clear.

To resist the Yin Qi's erosion of his Divine Soul.

The passage wound downward, seemingly leading deeper underground.

After walking for about half an hour, a faint light appeared ahead, and the sound of gurgling water could be heard.

Ye Chen's spirits lifted, and he quickened his pace.

Rushing out of the passage, the view suddenly opened up—it was actually a massive underground cavern!

Countless stalactites emitting soft white light hung from the ceiling, illuminating the cave like daylight.

In the center of the cave, a wide underground river flowed quietly; the water was clear and emitted a faint Spiritual Qi.

It was completely different from the previous cold and deathly silence.

Along the riverbank grew many exotic flowers and grasses, brimming with Spiritual Qi.

"What a wonderful underground paradise!"

Ye Chen was surprised.

He hadn't expected such a place, rich in Spiritual Qi and full of life, to be hidden deep within the source of the soul-eroding yin wind.

The Spiritual Qi here was pure and gentle, which would be of great benefit to his healing.

He scanned the surroundings warily; the cavern was empty.

Aside from the flow of water and the occasional sound of dripping, there was no other movement.

He didn't sense the presence of Shadow Fiend assassins or anyone else. He was safe for now.

He found a relatively dry, flat rock near the underground river and sat down cross-legged again.

He took out Medicinal Pills and Spirit Stones to focus on healing.

This time, he felt much more at ease; this place was abundant in Spiritual Qi and well-hidden, making it an excellent spot for recovery.

...

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

With the help of many Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, and the dense Spiritual Qi of this place...

Ye Chen's injuries were mostly healed, his Meridians were basically restored, his Wheel Sea became full again, and his True Essence had recovered to about seventy percent.

The trauma to his Divine Soul had also improved significantly under the nourishment of the jade booklet's clear glow and the pure Soul Power emitted by the yinhun fruit.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen took out a yinhun fruit; he didn't consume it but simply held it in his hand to absorb the dissipating Soul Power.

He felt much better. Although still somewhat weak, he now had the power to protect himself.

What surprised him most was that after successive life-and-death battles...

Especially the extreme depletion and comprehension from the final execution of Hunyuan Return to Void.

His cultivation had quietly made a Breakthrough to the Late Stage of the Third Level of the Wheel Sea Realm during his recovery!

And his Foundation was solid.

His Hunyuan True Essence became more condensed and pure, and his mastery over the Concepts of "Extinction" and "Return to Void" also progressed further.

"It seems that tempering oneself between life and death is indeed the fastest way to improve strength."

Ye Chen stood up and stretched his limbs, feeling better than ever before.

Though not yet back to his Peak, his combat strength was even greater than before.

He took out the Storage Pouch of that Shadow Fiend assassin and erased the Divine Sense imprint on it.

He poured out the contents.

There wasn't much, but it was all practical. Several hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones and dozens of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

A few bottles of cold-attribute Medicinal Pills and poisons. Several high-quality Yin-attribute Materials and Artifact Refining Materials.

Two Secret Manuals for Cultivation Techniques.

One was the movement technique for assassination and concealment, "Ghostly Shadow Step".

One was the "Mystic Yin Art" for cultivating cold Yin True Essence; both reached the Low Grade of the Profound Rank.

There were also some miscellaneous items and several Jade Slips recording information.

Ye Chen had little interest in "Ghostly Shadow Step" and "Mystic Yin Art," as they didn't align with his path.

He picked up those Jade Slips and immersed his Divine Sense into them.

The first one contained internal mission records and contact methods for the Shadow Fiend, though they were vague.

But it mentioned terms like "Hundred Herbs Secret Realm", "yinhun fruit", and "rendezvous".

It confirmed they were indeed here for the yinhun fruit and had a rendezvous point in the Secret Realm.

The second one was the personal cultivation notes and observations of this assassin.

It mentioned that this Shadow Fiend squad belonged to a superior codenamed "You Quan".

Their mission in the Secret Realm, besides obtaining yinhun fruits...

Seemed to include orders to find clues to an ancient "Netherworld Sect" ruin, which was said to be related to the source of the soul-eroding yin wind.

This happened to coincide with Leng Ningshuang's guess.

The third Jade Slip made Ye Chen's eyes narrow.

Inside was a simple map.

It marked several secret Shadow Fiend contact points in the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm and the location of a suspected entrance to the "Netherworld Sect" ruins.

The marker for the ruin entrance was located somewhere downstream of this underground river!

"Netherworld Sect ruins, the source of the soul-eroding yin wind... Is it that damaged altar? Or is there another entrance?"

Ye Chen pondered.

The Shadow Fiend's plans were not small; it was likely more than just a few yinhun fruits.

He put away the useful items, especially the Jade Slip with the map.

Perhaps he could go explore that so-called "ruin entrance."

Fortune favors the bold.

Furthermore, he was full of wariness and curiosity regarding the Shadow Fiend and that ancient Netherworld Sect.

However, the immediate priority was to reunite with Leng Ningshuang and ensure her safety.

Then head to the Ancient Teleportation Array ruins and wait for the Secret Realm to close.

The matter of the ruins would need careful consideration.

Ye Chen identified the direction and, following the guidance of the Jade Slip map, walked downstream along the underground river.

The river flowed gently, and the banks were wide, making walking effortless.

Along the way, he gathered several more decent Spiritual Plants.

After walking for about an hour, a faint roaring sound came from ahead, as if there were a waterfall.

Rounding a bend, he saw the underground river form a drop-off here, with the water cascading down.

It fell into a massive pool below, forming a spectacular underground waterfall.

On the rock wall beside the waterfall, an artificially carved entrance partially hidden by vines was faintly visible.

Above the entrance, two blurred ancient seal characters were carved—Netherworld.

"Is this the place?"

Ye Chen stopped and observed warily.

The entrance was deep and dark, emitting a Netherworld aura that was purer than at the altar, but also more sinister and terrifying.

Just standing near the entrance made one's Divine Soul tremble.

It was as if some ancient and evil existence were slumbering inside.

He did not enter rashly.

Although the ruins were tempting, the dangers were unknown, and the Shadow Fiend might also be targeting this place.

Ye Chen noted the location and was preparing to leave.

Suddenly, his Divine Sense caught extremely weak fluctuations of spiritual power and the smell of blood by the pool below the waterfall.

Someone?

Ye Chen's heart stirred, and he approached silently.

On the rocky shore by the pool, two corpses in black clothes were lying; judging by their attire, they were Shadow Fiend assassins!

One of them was one of the two assassins who had been chasing Leng Ningshuang earlier, while the other was unfamiliar.

Both had died miserable deaths; one's chest was pierced through by Sword Qi.

The other's neck was almost severed, and blood stained the rocks; they had clearly just died.

Did Leng Ningshuang kill them?

Ye Chen's heart tightened, and he quickly searched the surroundings thoroughly.

He didn't find Leng Ningshuang's body, but on the other side of the pool...

He found some traces of fighting and spots of blood extending toward the upstream direction of the waterfall.

Was Leng Ningshuang injured?

And it seemed she was being pursued.

Judging by the traces, there was more than one opponent.

Ye Chen's face darkened.

He immediately followed the blood and traces, chasing upstream.

Regardless, Leng Ningshuang had faced life and death with him and belonged to the same Tianyun Sword Sect; he could not just stand by and watch.

After chasing upstream along the underground river for several miles, intense sounds of fighting and a woman's muffled groan came from ahead.

Ye Chen sped up and rushed through a dense forest of underground fungi; the sight before him made his pupils contract.

On a relatively open riverbank ahead, Leng Ningshuang was in a fierce battle with three enemies!

Those three were not Shadow Fiend assassins, but Disciples wearing the Inner Sect attire of the Tianyun Sword Sect!

Ye Chen recognized two of them; they were Chen Ao from Golden Flame Peak...

And another Golden Flame Peak Disciple at the Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm.

The third person was the Core Disciple who had previously fought Bai Yu for the vermilion fruit, at the Middle Stage of the Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm.

Currently, he had a grim expression, holding a long sword as he faced off against Leng Ningshuang!

Leng Ningshuang was clearly seriously injured.

There was a sword wound deep enough to see the bone on her left shoulder, and blood soaked her purple dress.

Her face was pale, her breath was unstable, and her sword techniques had lost their usual agility.

Under the siege of the three, she was in a precarious situation, with blood constantly overflowing from the corners of her mouth.

Had it not been for her profound cultivation and superb sword techniques, she would likely have been defeated long ago.