Cao Longyan Regains His Spirit

Half a year had passed since Cao Longyan awoke from the encirclement of the Holy Spirit Cult.

During these six months, he had sat cross-legged in meditation countless times, ceaselessly circulating the Soul Suppressing Art in a desperate attempt to condense even a sliver of soul power or spiritual energy.

The results, however, were cruel; no matter how hard he tried, not a single ripple of soul power could be gathered, and spiritual energy was nowhere to be found.

The Ten Halls of Yama martial soul he summoned was nothing more than a dull, ordinary staff with its dragon carvings long faded. As for soul rings—there were none to speak of.

Once a peerless genius who had shaken Shrek to its core, viewed as the successor to the next Sea God Pavilion Master and the very future of Shrek, he had now become a cripple who could neither condense soul power nor wield his broken martial soul.

He had tried; he had truly tried.

Yet, reality played a cruel joke on him.

All his efforts had gone to waste.

The confident, cheerful Cao Longyan of the past had vanished completely.

In his place was a silent, withdrawn youth.

Every day, he wandered aimlessly across Sea God Island, retracing the paths where Xu Chu and Dian Wei had once accompanied him.

Every familiar scene served as a reminder that those inseparable figures had long since departed from his side.

The Sky Dream Ice Worm had once told him of a method to re-condense his soul power, but it required him to travel alone to the Extreme North.

Cao Longyan knew the Sky Dream Ice Worm wanted the Ice Empress to become his martial soul, thereby restoring his soul power and potentially even mending the Ten Halls of Yama.

But in his current state, stripped of all soul power, going to the Extreme North alone was no different from seeking death.

Cao Longyan could only bury this thought deep within his heart, sinking further into despair day after day.

Even his path as a soul engineer, once a source of great expectation, had been completely severed.

While soul engineering did not strictly require high levels of soul power, even the creation of the most basic soul tool required a sliver of power to activate.

He, however, lacked even the most fundamental soul power; he could not complete even the simplest soul guidance array.

Li Meng and the others visited Cao Longyan whenever they had time, hoping to help him emerge from the shadows.

They were not ungrateful people; they would never forget the debt of life they owed to Cao Longyan and his guardian spirits.

The elders of the Sea God Pavilion also came to check on him, especially Xuan Zi, Xian Lin'er, and Qian Duoduo, though the most surprising visitor was Yan Shaozhe, who also came to see him frequently.

They tried to distract him by having him prepare barbecue for them.

Yet, it backfired; looking at the Hellfire he could no longer manifest in his hands, Cao Longyan would only sink back into agony.

For these six months, Cao Longyan had not stepped a single foot off Sea God Island, sealing himself off entirely.

Fortunately, the Rakshasa Street he had built with his own hands was already on the right track before his last departure.

He had already finalized the development plans for the coming years with Tang Tian and Lan Bing, so there was no need for him to worry.

However, Tang Tian and Lan Bing felt a sense of unease; Cao Longyan used to come for inspections every week, so why had he not appeared once in half a year?

Tang Ya also noticed Bei Bei's strange behavior over the last six months, and it occurred to her that she hadn't seen Cao Longyan in a long time.

Under her persistent questioning, Bei Bei told her everything about Cao Longyan's situation.

Upon learning the truth, Tang Ya's eyes turned red, and her heart was flooded with worry and heartache.

The Holy Spirit Cult! She would fight them to the end!

But, the Street Master...

She knew her own strength was meager and that she could not help Cao Longyan in any way; she could only fret in secret and worry in silence.

A few days later, Bei Bei found Cao Longyan sitting alone on the coastal reefs.

Looking at the gaunt, hollow-eyed youth before him—a shadow of the spirited person he once was—Bei Bei felt a mix of anger and pain.

Suppressing his emotions, Bei Bei feigned a face of fury and stepped forward to lash out.

"Cao Longyan, look at yourself! What has become of you? Wallowing in self-pity and decadence all day—do you think this is worthy of your guardian spirits? Is it worthy of the Profound Ancestor, of Sister Lexuan, or of everyone who cares about you?"

Cao Longyan stared blankly at the sea, his face devoid of any ripple.

Bei Bei stepped forward and grabbed Cao Longyan by the collar. Cao Longyan looked at him with drooping eyelids, as if he weren't really seeing him at all.

The anger Bei Bei had been feigning instantly turned into utter disappointment and coldness.

He threw a full-force punch directly into Cao Longyan's face.

Cao Longyan flew backward and lay motionless on the ground, simply closing his eyes without even reaching up to touch his swollen, reddened cheek.

The Cao Longyan he knew had always been a proud youth who stood above all, a genius who would never bow his head even in the face of death.

But now, the person before him was nothing more than a coward who had given up on himself and was fleeing from reality.

"I truly misjudged you, Cao Longyan!"

Bei Bei gritted his teeth, his voice icy.

"From today on, I have no brother like you. We are finished!"

He had hoped such harsh words would provoke Cao Longyan, but Cao Longyan remained indifferent, not even bothering to open his eyes.

Bei Bei was filled with disappointment. With a heavy, cold snort, he had no choice but to leave in a fit of anger.

Yet, Bei Bei did not know that his heartless rebuke had struck like a thunderclap, shattering the dead silence in Cao Longyan's heart and leaving a crack behind.

Though he appeared numb, his inner self had been half-awakened by the scolding, and the pride buried deep within his soul began to tremble.

Throughout these past six months, Zhang Lexuan had never abandoned him, silently guarding his side.

Every day, she would cook a nutritious and delicious meal tailored to his tastes and deliver it to his quarters.

However, Cao Longyan would always eat very little, often leaving the food untouched until it went cold.

Zhang Lexuan never complained; she would simply clean up in silence and return punctually the next day.

She often sat quietly with Cao Longyan, opening her heart to him and offering patient guidance, trying to pull him out of his downward spiral.

Yet, she never revealed the deep feelings she harbored for him, nor did she mention that when the guardian spirits Xu Chu and Dian Wei were still in this world, they had already regarded her as their destined mistress and fully approved of her.

Her gentle companionship, like a trickling stream, slowly melted the ice surrounding Cao Longyan's heart.

Finally, in the dead of night, Cao Longyan fully regained his senses.

As the numbness and decadence faded, the stubbornness and determination that belonged to him reappeared in his eyes.

Looking at Zhang Lexuan, who was curled up asleep beside him, a long-lost, gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you, Sister Lexuan..."

He gently covered Zhang Lexuan with a blanket and quietly stepped out of the room.

He gazed at Bei Bei's door and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Brother Bei Bei... We are still good brothers..."

He walked out of the Sea God Pavilion and arrived at an open space beneath the Golden Ancient Tree, only to find that Mu En had been waiting for a long time.

"Profound Ancestor..."

Cao Longyan's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape.

Mu En waved his hand.

"Little Yan, have you made up your mind?"

"Yes."

"That is good. Profound Ancestor supports you; go and do whatever you wish to do."

"Thank you, Profound Ancestor!"

Mu En smiled at Cao Longyan before returning to the Sea God Pavilion.

Cao Longyan lay on the ground, gazing at the starry sky, just as he had when Xu Chu and Dian Wei used to keep him company as a child.

He reached out his right hand and clenched it into a fist toward the sky.

He could definitely do it!

Within his spiritual sea, Electrolux watched Cao Longyan's display and smiled.

"Longyan, I have a way to help you reach the Extreme North!"