You... You're Still Alive?!

After confirming that Bulbasaur's slumber meant recovery rather than deterioration, Lin Xia forced himself to circulate his nearly depleted Soul Power, slowly guiding Life Poison through his body to mend his most serious wounds.

He struggled to his feet and looked around, only then realizing that he was not in the Skyhorn Village he remembered, with its ancestral hall and low earthen houses.

Instead, he stood in a scorched forest in utter ruin. Trees had been violently shattered, the ground torn up and overturned, and the air was filled with the lingering scent of Toxic residue.

This must have been caused by the Illusion Demon Spider's struggle in its agony...

"Right, the village... What about the villagers?"

Lin Xia's heart tightened. Enduring the pain and weakness, he got his bearings and headed toward the Skyhorn Village from his memories.

The closer he drew to the village entrance, the more the nauseatingly sweet, fishy stench of Rotting Flesh Poison faded, replaced by a tense, murderous atmosphere and the sound of voices.

Rounding a collapsed fence, Lin Xia finally stepped into the village entrance.

The sight before him left him frozen.

The once-quiet village was now brightly lit. The small open space at the entrance was nearly filled with Soul Masters in uniform silver armor, moving in disciplined order.

The imposing emblem of Spirit Hall was engraved upon their armor. Some maintained order, using Soul Power barriers to seal off certain areas.

Others quietly questioned villagers whose faces still held traces of terror, though they seemed to have broken free of the control.

Several powerful Soul Masters were also carefully handling the millennium-old Skyhorn Snake corpse, severed into two halves, as well as... the spider silk left behind by the Illusion Demon Spider.

Clearly, Spirit Hall's elite enforcement squad had arrived!

Lin Xia's sudden appearance was like a boulder crashing into a placid lake.

A young enforcement officer holding a detection Soul Tool, apparently examining the surroundings, spotted him first. His eyes widened instantly. The Soul Tool in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter, yet he did not even notice. He merely pointed at Lin Xia with a trembling finger, his mouth opening and closing without producing a sound.

Then, more and more gazes converged upon him like searchlights.

The noisy voices abruptly fell silent. Even the air seemed to freeze.

The Spirit Hall enforcement officers, who had just moments ago looked focused or stern, all wore the same intense, incredulous shock!

They looked at him as if they had seen a dead man crawl out of his grave!

"How... how is this possible?"

"Is... is that him?! Lin Xia?!"

"Wasn't he swallowed by that thing..."

"My god! He's still alive?!"

Shocked, doubtful, and even tinged with an inexplicable reverence, their gazes swept over Lin Xia.

Lin Xia looked utterly miserable. His tattered steward's robe had nearly become strips of rags, stained with dark purple slime, dried black blood, and mud. The exposed skin of his body was covered in hideous scars and charred marks left behind by corrosive acid and forced healing.

He reeked of blood and lingering Toxic residue. Only his green-and-purple mismatched eyes remained bright, proving that he truly was still alive.

A four-ring Soul Ancestor who appeared to be the squad captain was the first to recover. He rushed forward in several strides, his expression grave and urgent as his eyes carefully inspected Lin Xia's condition.

"Lin Xia?! You're... Steward Lin Xia?! You... you're still alive?! This..."

He looked at Lin Xia's wretched state, then caught sight of the small green creature, clearly a soul beast, wrapped in his arms. His eyes were full of questions, and for a moment, he did not know where to begin.

Lin Xia took a deep breath, suppressing the agonizing pain in his body and the dryness in his throat. Facing the captain, as well as all the stunned gazes around him, he explained with difficulty but clarity.

"I was lucky... I escaped. After being swallowed... I found a way to survive inside... How long has it been outside?"

The captain drew a deep breath, struggling to calm the turmoil in his heart before answering swiftly.

"A full day and night! It was these villagers!"

He pointed toward several villagers nearby, who were being protected and comforted by enforcement officers. Their faces still carried lingering terror and fear.

"They suddenly woke up sometime around midnight yesterday and found themselves trapped in the village, unable to move. Later, the restriction over the village seemed to vanish, and they immediately risked sending someone over the mountains to the nearest Spirit Hall outpost to report it!"

"We received the highest-level alert about the Illusion Demon Spider, rapidly gathered enforcement squads from nearby, and rushed here without wasting a single moment!"

"Elder Salas specifically ordered us to attempt a rescue and extermination at any cost..."

His tone was filled with shock.

"We... we had thought... at most, we would come here to recover your... But you really..."

A full day and night... Lin Xia's heart trembled.

So he had struggled inside that hellish stomach sac for so long.

What warmed his heart even more was that these villagers, whom he had once regarded with caution, had thought first of reporting this extremely dangerous information to Spirit Hall and trying to save him after regaining their freedom!

A rush of warmth instantly drove away the chill of the night wind and the pain in his body.

He looked at the villagers with their complicated expressions, then at the battle-worn, fully armed enforcement officers before him. A warm current rose in his heart.

Spirit Hall's higher-ups might each have their own motives, but these people on the ground sincerely served the people...

How much like his previous life it was!

"Thank you..."

Lin Xia's voice was slightly hoarse, yet utterly sincere.

"Thank you all for coming to help!"

He solemnly bowed to the captain and to every enforcement officer around him who had heard.

"It's our duty!"

The captain returned the bow with a solemn expression, then spoke in an urgent, concerned tone.

"Steward Lin Xia, your injuries look extremely severe, and the energy within your body is in complete disorder. You must receive treatment immediately! Our accompanying healing Soul Master will examine you at once! Also, you need to tell me the details of what happened as soon as possible. That Illusion Demon Spider... where is it now?"

Lin Xia gave a bitter smile before answering directly.

"The Illusion Demon Spider is already dead."

The captain went completely blank. He stared at Lin Xia for a long while before finally forcing out a sentence.

"...Did you deal with it?"

"It's a long story..."

Lin Xia smiled bitterly. Looking at the still-sleeping Bulbasaur in his arms, he spoke with exhaustion but determination.

"I'll explain everything in detail. For now, we should deal with this place first. The villagers have been frightened, and the Illusion Demon Spider's silk and the Skyhorn Snake's corpse need to be handled properly as well, lest they cause further trouble."

Lin Xia did not immediately claim credit, but his sense of responsibility was already clear without words.

"Good!"

A trace of admiration flashed through the captain's eyes as he immediately gave orders.

"Quick! Have the healing Soul Master examine Steward Lin Xia first! You few, escort the steward to the temporary shelter that has been set up over there so he can rest!"

"Everyone else, follow the original plan. Thoroughly inspect the entire village and surrounding area to ensure there are no other threats! Record-keeping team, prepare to take Steward Lin Xia's statement!"

Lin Xia nodded slightly. Supported carefully by two enforcement officers, he held Bulbasaur and walked toward the brightly lit temporary shelter.

Though exhaustion and pain surged over him like a tide, he watched the familiar figures busily working around him, heard their concerned words, and felt the faint pulse of life in his arms.

And the villagers' occasional complicated gazes from afar, carrying the relief of surviving the disaster—though fear had yet to fade, there was also disbelief at witnessing a miracle and a trace of... relief?