The Abyssal Skeleton Ancient Dragon muttered to himself, then suddenly remembered something. "No, this has nothing to do with how weak the restriction is. It's... the door bolt is still in place?"
He slowly turned his head toward the Origin Dragon Stone above the Altar, its glow now much dimmer.
"The Origin Dragon Stone is still here."
His voice sank, as though he were confirming it to himself. "That brat only drained part of its power. The Origin Dragon Stone itself is still on the Altar."
"The core of the restriction... is this stone?"
"If the core of the restriction is the Origin Dragon Stone..."
"Then as long as the Origin Dragon Stone stays here, this king can't leave?"
"But someone already took the brat away. Where am I supposed to find him?"
At that, the Abyssal Skeleton Ancient Dragon sank into contemplation again.
A long while passed.
He stared at the Origin Dragon Stone and sighed helplessly. "Forget it. This is fate."
"If fate won't let this king leave, then I'll stay."
The Abyssal Skeleton Ancient Dragon's voice grew softer and softer, until only a lingering echo remained in the great hall.
Yet just as he withdrew into the shadows...
A change he could not see swept across the entire Outer Perimeter of the Northern Frontier Ancient Battlefield.
After Lin Yi absorbed power from the Origin Dragon Stone, the restriction weakened not only within the great hall.
Within mere minutes, the Soul Power suppression and killing intent covering the entire Ancient Battlefield dropped by forty to fifty percent.
The Rogue Soul Masters deep in the withered woods were the first to notice something amiss.
"Old friend, do you feel that?" A burly, bushy-bearded man stopped and circulated his Soul Power, his face filled with bewilderment. "My Soul Power... doesn't