Ever since Cao Longyan had awoken after the Holy Spirit Cult's siege, half a year had passed in the blink of an eye.
Over those six months, he had sat cross-legged countless times, meditating and circulating the Soul Suppressing Art, trying to gather even a trace of Soul Power or spiritual power.
The result, however, had been cruel beyond measure. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't gather the slightest ripple of Soul Power, and his spiritual power was nowhere to be found.
The Ten Halls of Yama Martial Soul he summoned was nothing more than a dull, ordinary staff, its dragon patterns completely faded. And as for Soul Rings? What Soul Rings? He didn't have any at all...
Once a peerless genius whose name had resounded throughout Shrek, hailed as the heir to the Sea God Pavilion Master and the future of Shrek, he had now become a cripple who couldn't gather Soul Power and whose Martial Soul was ruined.
He had tried. He really had tried...
But reality had played a cruel joke on him.
All his efforts had come to nothing...
The once confident and cheerful Cao Longyan had disappeared completely.
In his place was a taciturn young man.
Every day, he wandered aimlessly around Sea God Island, walking again and again through the places where Xu Chu, Dian Wei, and the others had once kept him company.
Each familiar scene reminded him over and over that those figures who had never left his side were gone from him forever.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had once told him of a way to gather Soul Power again, but it required him to travel alone to the Extreme North.
Cao Longyan knew Sky Dream Ice Silkworm wanted Ice Empress to become his Martial Soul, allowing him to regain his Soul Power and perhaps even restore the Ten Halls of Yama.
But in his current state, with all his Soul Power gone, going to the Extreme North alone would be no different from walking to his death.
Cao Longyan could only bury the thought deep in his heart and sink further into despair, day after day.
Even the path he had once been expected to excel on—as a Soul Engineer—had been cut off completely.
While Soul Engineer cultivation didn't demand much Soul Power, even making the lowest-ranked Soul Tool required a trace of Soul Power to activate it.
And he didn't even have the most basic Soul Power. He couldn't complete even a simple Soul Guidance Array.
Whenever they had time, Li Meng and the others would come to see Cao Longyan, hoping he could emerge from the shadows.
They weren't the sort to forget a debt of gratitude. They would never forget that Cao Longyan and his Guardian Spirits had saved their lives.
The elders of the Sea God Pavilion also came to visit Cao Longyan, especially Xuan Zi, Xian Lin'er, and Qian Duoduo. But what surprised Cao Longyan most was that Yan Shaozhe came to see him often, too.
They tried to distract Cao Longyan by getting him to barbecue for them.
But that only made things worse. Looking at the Hellfire he could no longer summon, Cao Longyan sank back into anguish.
For six months, Cao Longyan hadn't set foot beyond Sea God Island. He had shut himself away completely.
Fortunately, Rakshasa Street, which he had built from the ground up, had already gotten on track before his last departure.
He had also settled on development plans for the next few years with Tang Tian and Lan Bing. There was no need for him to worry about managing things.
Tang Tian and Lan Bing were simply puzzled. Cao Longyan used to come by for an inspection every week, so why hadn't he visited even once in the past six months?
Tang Ya had also noticed that Bei Bei had been acting strangely for nearly half a year. She realized that she herself hadn't seen Cao Longyan in quite some time.
So, after she pressed him for answers, Bei Bei told her everything about Cao Longyan.
When Tang Ya learned the truth, her eyes instantly reddened, worry and heartache welling up inside her.
The Holy Spirit Cult! She would fight them to the end one day!
But the street master...
She also knew her own strength was meager and she couldn't help Cao Longyan at all. All she could do was worry in silence, her heart burning with helplessness.
A few days later, Bei Bei found Cao Longyan sitting alone on the rocks by the sea.
Looking at the gaunt young man before him, his eyes dull and lifeless, Bei Bei saw none of his former spirit and confidence. Anger and pain twisted inside him.
Suppressing his emotions, Bei Bei deliberately put on an angry expression, stepped forward, and scolded him sharply.
"Cao Longyan, look at yourself! What kind of state are you in? You spend all day feeling sorry for yourself, wallowing in despair. How can you face your Guardian Spirits? Profound Ancestor? Sister Lexuan? Everyone who cares about you?"
Cao Longyan stared blankly at the sea, not a flicker of emotion on his face.
Bei Bei strode forward and grabbed Cao Longyan by the collar. Cao Longyan looked at him with drooping eyelids—or perhaps he wasn't looking at him at all.
The anger Bei Bei had been pretending to feel instantly turned into utter disappointment and bitterness toward Cao Longyan.
He drew back his fist and punched Cao Longyan squarely in the face.
Cao Longyan was sent flying. He lay motionless on the ground, his eyes closed, not even reaching up to touch his swollen, reddened left cheek.
The Cao Longyan Bei Bei knew had always been a peerless young prodigy who stood above all others, never bowing his head even when cornered.
But the person before him now was nothing but a coward, wallowing in self-pity and running from reality.
"I was wrong about you, Cao Longyan!"
Bei Bei gritted his teeth, his voice icy.
"From this day on, I have no brother like you. We're through!"
He thought those harsh words would stir Cao Longyan, but Cao Longyan remained unmoved, not even bothering to open his eyes.
Disappointment filled Bei Bei. He gave a heavy snort and could only leave in anger.
What Bei Bei didn't know was that his heartless scolding struck like a thunderclap, cracking the still waters of Cao Longyan's deadened heart.
He seemed numb, but inside, the words had already jolted him halfway awake. The pride buried deep in his heart began to stir.
Throughout those six months, Zhang Lexuan had never left his side, quietly watching over him.
Every day, she personally cooked a table full of nourishing, delicious dishes tailored to his tastes and brought them to his residence.
But Cao Longyan always ate very little. Often, he didn't touch the food at all, leaving it to grow cold.
Zhang Lexuan never complained. She simply cleared everything away and returned with a fresh meal at the same time the next day.
She often kept Cao Longyan company, sitting quietly beside him, speaking heart to heart and patiently trying to guide him out of his despair.
But she never revealed the feelings she had kept buried in her heart for him. Nor did she tell him that while Xu Chu, Dian Wei, and the other Guardian Spirits had still been alive, they had already regarded her as their future mistress and approved of her wholeheartedly.
Her gentle companionship was like a steady stream, gradually melting Cao Longyan's frozen heart.
At last, one late night, Cao Longyan came fully back to himself.
The numbness and despair fell away, and his eyes once more shone with his trademark stubbornness and resolve.
Looking at Zhang Lexuan, who was curled up beside him, a long-missed, gentle smile appeared on his face.
Thank you, Sister Lexuan...
He gently draped a blanket over Zhang Lexuan, then quietly left the room.
He looked at Bei Bei's door and bowed deeply.
Thank you, Brother Bei Bei... We're still good brothers...
He left the Sea God Pavilion and came to an open space beneath the Golden Ancient Tree, where he found Mu En waiting for him.
"Profound Ancestor..."
Cao Longyan's eyes widened and his mouth fell slightly open.
Mu En waved a hand.
"Longyan, have you made up your mind?"
"Mm."
"Good. Your Profound Ancestor supports you. Whatever you want to do, go ahead and do it."
"Thank you, Profound Ancestor!"
Mu En smiled at Cao Longyan, then returned to the Sea God Pavilion.
Cao Longyan lay on the ground, gazing at the stars, just as he had when Xu Chu and Dian Wei had kept him company as a child.
He raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist toward the sky.
I can do this!
In the Spiritual Sea of Consciousness, Electrolux smiled as he watched Cao Longyan.
"Longyan, I have a way to help you get to the Extreme North!"
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