Silent Restrictions, Ghost Mushrooms in Hand

Lin Chen's gaze sharpened slightly. This was more troublesome than he had expected. This layer of energy restriction was seamlessly integrated with the surrounding environment. Forcing it open would very likely trigger a violent upheaval of Yin Wind energy throughout the entire cave, perhaps even directly destroying the fragile Purple Cloud Mushrooms within. And although that energy serpent shadow did not look particularly strong, it seemed to share the same origin as the restriction and the Purple Cloud Mushrooms. Mishandling it could likewise lead to failure.

He stood where he was, looking up at the crevice without acting immediately.

The Myriad Dao Furnace accelerated within his body. This time, it was no longer merely absorbing and imitating—it began rapidly analyzing. The strand of energy extending from his fingertip lightly touched that invisible energy membrane, sensing the vibrational frequency and structure of every energy node upon it.

The Furnace's power was like an enormous invisible millstone, beginning to dissolve those energy nodes in an exceedingly slow yet precise manner. It was not destruction, but "dissolution"—stripping away and absorbing the pure, frigid Yin energy that formed the nodes bit by bit, causing them to lose their original stable structure.

The entire process was utterly silent. Even the energy fluctuations were faint to the extreme, completely concealed beneath the howling Yin winds within the cave.

At the same time, Lin Chen split off an even finer, more condensed thread of spiritual intent. Ignoring the obstruction of the energy membrane, he directly locked onto the energy core of the blurry serpent shadow deep within the crevice. He did not attack. Instead, he slowly imposed upon it the innate suppressive force that the Myriad Dao Furnace possessed toward pure energy lifeforms.

It was a higher-level pressure, like the natural intimidation of a superior toward an inferior.

Deep within the crevice, the energy serpent shadow seemed to sense that irresistible suppression. Its blurry body trembled slightly, its condensed ghostly-glowing "eyes" flickering erratically. Even its coiled posture became somewhat unstable, yet it did not collapse, continuing to stubbornly guard the dark violet radiance behind it.

Time passed drop by drop.

Only the wind continued to howl through the cave.

Behind him, Su Lie and the others barely dared to breathe. All they could see was Lin Chen standing motionless, head raised and hand outstretched, as though carrying out some silent ritual. They had no idea what was happening, only that the atmosphere was growing increasingly oppressive.

Finally, as Lin Chen silently dissolved the last crucial energy node, the energy membrane covering the entrance to the crevice quietly collapsed like melting ice and snow. It transformed into the purest Yin Wind energy and was completely absorbed through Lin Chen's fingertips.

Almost at the exact moment the restriction vanished, the energy serpent shadow deep in the crevice lost the restriction's support and source of energy. Under Lin Chen's unceasing spiritual suppression, it let out an almost inaudible mournful cry. Its entire body suddenly crumbled, turning into a wisp of incomparably pure frigid Yin-origin energy, which Lin Chen likewise drew over from a distance and absorbed into his fingertips, where it vanished without a trace.

The obstacle had been completely removed.

Lin Chen did not hesitate any longer.

He lightly tapped the rubble-strewn ground with the tip of his foot. His body rose soundlessly like a weightless feather, and in an instant, he arrived before the crevice.

A rich medicinal fragrance mixed with bone-piercing cold rushed toward him.

His arm reached steadily into the crevice, avoiding the sharp edges of the surrounding rocks.

His fingertips touched an icy-cold mushroom cap that possessed a strange, resilient texture.

Carefully avoiding the delicate roots connecting it to the rock, he wrapped his fingers in true qi and, with an exceptionally gentle application of force, completely peeled the target away from the stone wall.

Then came the second stalk, and the third.

When he drifted lightly back to the ground, three perfectly formed spirit mushrooms were already resting quietly in his palm.

The three spirit mushrooms varied in size. The largest was about the size of an infant's fist, while the smallest was no bigger than a thumb. Their bodies were a deep, captivating dark violet, as though carved from the finest purple jade. Around the edges of their caps seemed to linger a faint layer of ever-flowing, cloud-like white chill mist, giving off a strange fragrance that was refreshing to the soul yet piercingly cold. Simply holding them in his palm, he could feel the vast and pure frigid Yin energy contained within, along with that faint yet tenacious spark of life.

The Purple Cloud Mushrooms were in hand.

As he looked at the items in his palm, an imperceptible hint of satisfaction flashed through Lin Chen's eyes. The quality of these three Purple Cloud Mushrooms was considerably better than he had expected. The largest one in particular was brimming with Medicinal Power; it should be enough to treat Su Ling'er.

Only then did Su Lie and the others, who had been holding their breath in concentration, finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. Though they did not know what those purple mushrooms were, seeing Lin Chen retrieve them unharmed—and seeming quite satisfied—their suspended hearts finally settled. The way they looked at Lin Chen now held not only the awe from before, but also a deep conviction. This lord was not merely powerful; his methods were simply unfathomable as gods and ghosts.

Lin Chen paid no attention to their gazes. He swiftly took out a jade box he had prepared beforehand, carefully placed the three Purple Cloud Mushrooms inside, then attached several talismans that isolated Aura and energy before properly putting it away.

The main objective of this trip had been achieved.

"Go."

Still just that single, concise word.

Lin Chen turned around without another glance at the now-empty crevice and took the lead toward the passage they had come through. This was not a place to linger. Leaving Yin Wind Ravine as quickly as possible was the proper course of action.

With the jade box in hand and his objective achieved, Lin Chen had no intention of lingering.

He turned with crisp decisiveness, his ink-black robe swaying slightly in the lingering Yin winds of the cave as he took the lead toward the narrow passage from which they had come. His back still appeared somewhat solitary and cold, yet it gave the people behind him an indescribable sense of reassurance.

Su Lie hurriedly shouted in a low voice, "Keep up!" He waved for the guards to stay alert, quickly tighten their formation, and follow close behind Lin Chen. Naturally, the carriage could not be brought into a place like this, but no one spared a thought for that empty carriage now. Leaving alive was what mattered most.

The journey back seemed even longer and more oppressive than the way in.

Though there was no longer the uncertainty of searching for their target or the anxiety of possibly encountering a powerful enemy, the exhaustion of their bodies and the continual depletion of their true qi were all too real. The omnipresent frigid Yin force within Yin Wind Ravine clung to the guards like maggots on bone, constantly eroding their protective true qi. Their light barriers flickered on and off, every face carrying an unhealthy pallor, their lips tinged faintly purple.

The guard who had previously been scratched by a Yin Wind Wolf had received only simple treatment, and his injury was clearly recovering slowly in this environment. The black frost around his wound had not fully faded, while threads of frigid Yin energy constantly tried to bore into his Meridians. He could only grit his teeth and circulate more true qi to resist it. Fine beads of cold sweat covered his forehead, and his steps had become unsteady, forcing the companions beside him to support him from time to time.

Su Lie walked near the front of the formation, his gaze constantly sweeping over its members, especially the injured guard. His brows were tightly furrowed. He was anxious, yet powerless. In this godforsaken place, keeping the team intact was already exceedingly difficult. He knew they could not delay any longer—they had to leave as soon as possible.

He raised his head and looked toward Lin Chen at the very front.