Chapter 2057: Injury

Even though He Lingchuan was clearly not at the level of an immortal, three Beijia immortals, two divine descents, and the former National Preceptor Qingyang still failed to kill him. Even with Xutuo's assistance, He Lingchuan once again left a deep impression.

He pondered for a moment before saying, "Actually, you had a bit of luck breaking the siege this time. Just now, Qingyang tried to self-destruct but failed, and her expression showed surprise. Moreover, inside the Wood King Cauldron, you could have been killed when Pan Qing tried to detonate his primal spirit."

"Pan Qing?" Xutuo and He Lingchuan both paused, remembering the battle inside the cauldron.

Indeed, Pan Qing, severely wounded and unable to resist, had his head severed by He Lingchuan, dying a truly resentful death.

Yet, even after being struck down, his primal spirit emerged, raging furiously and impotently at He Lingchuan.

Everyone had assumed at the time that Pan Qing's fury stemmed from disbelief at dying by He Lingchuan's hand. But after Liu Qingdao's remark, He Lingchuan mused, "Brother Liu, are you saying Pan Qing also tried to detonate his primal spirit then, but failed?"

"With the Wood King Cauldron sealed, an immortal's self-detonation would be even more powerful," Liu Qingdao said, stroking his beard. "Of course, it's just a guess. After all, his Beijia companions were still inside the cauldron; perhaps he didn't want to kill his own people."

He Lingchuan made a mental note. "Elder Liu's observation is extremely valuable," he stated. "If two powerful individuals attempted to self-destruct and both failed... this warrants further investigation and confirmation later."

One failed self-detonation might be a mistake, but if two attempts failed, it strongly suggests that something has subtly changed.

After the Battle of Inverted Sea, some of the world's natural laws quietly shifted. While some changes were easily detected, others remained deeply hidden and rarely triggered. Given how few immortals exist, how many would ever be pushed to the point of self-detonation?

If the laws had indeed changed without Qingyang or Pan Qing's knowledge, it would be entirely plausible.

After all, Liu Qingdao and Xutuo hadn't known either.

However, if immortals can no longer detonate their primal spirits, or if such detonations are significantly weaker, it would profoundly alter future combat strategies.

At Inverted Sea, the self-detonation of primal spirits by Illusion Sect immortals had caused immense trouble for the Sky Demons.

As He Lingchuan retraced his steps, he met up with the Dragon God Army, who were on their way to reinforce him.

His generals were overjoyed to see him return unharmed.

Dawn broke before they even reached the camp.

He Lingchuan returned to his quarters, dismissed his attendants, and securely closed the doors and windows, leaving only Lingguang inside.

Once He Lingchuan removed his Sounding Dragon Battle Armor, Lingguang's eyes widened in alarm. It quickly jumped over, exclaiming, "You're seriously injured!"

He Lingchuan's clothes appeared to have been soaked in blood and then partially dried, now clinging tightly to his skin. Tearing them off forcefully would likely tear his flesh as well.

As an experienced military medic, Lingguang knew exactly how to handle such a situation. It retrieved a large gourd from its medicine box, shook it, and the sound of liquid sloshing could be heard. "This might sting a bit," it warned.

With that, it poured the transparent liquid from the gourd onto He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan shivered from the pain, as several sizzling sounds filled the air. The dried blood on his wounds melted, turning back into liquid and flowing away, no longer adhering to his clothes.

Lingguang quickly helped him strip off his clothes, then gasped sharply.

"What kind of weapon injured you? Was it Granny Zhu's net?"

He Lingchuan's body was covered in numerous tiny wounds, appearing as if left by fine threads, and indeed, at first glance, they resembled the red marks caused by a Burrow Spider Queen's web. However, he also had one or two perfectly clean, half-finger-deep gashes on his chest, abdomen, and outer thighs.

Lingguang had initially thought the wounds were from blades or spears, but a closer look proved otherwise.

"Divine art," He Lingchuan murmured.

The formidable Nine Nether Emperor, so majestic in public, revealed profound exhaustion after removing his armor, his face ashen. "The effect was probably to tear a person limb from limb," he said. "That divine art was originally like a bone-eating maggot, constantly trying to burrow into my bones, but it was eventually dispersed and expelled by my primal energy."

The wondrous capabilities of primal energy were truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators. The fact that it could now resist even divine arts made He Lingchuan even more optimistic about the future.

"As soon as the battle ended, I swallowed the Spider Queen's blood pearl."

Mother Zhu had given him several blood pearls, which could either transform into elite spider demons or rapidly heal wounds. In the past, direct consumption would quickly mend his injuries but leave him severely weakened afterward. Now, however, with his own strength increasing and the diverse nature of his injuries, the pearls' healing efficacy had somewhat decreased, but their side effects had also become negligible.

They proved incredibly effective for emergency hemostasis.

Had he been struck by the legendary technique of dismemberment by chariots? Lingguang quickly began tending to his wounds. "You directly endured a divine art?"

"I was hit by the backlash," He Lingchuan groaned, the medicine stinging intensely. "Fortunately, I have primal energy and the Sounding Dragon Battle Armor, otherwise I would have been shattered into pieces on the spot."

Divine art truly lived up to its name; it had pierced through two layers of protection—no, three, including his personal protective aura—and still managed to injure him so severely.

"Two of your sternum bones and ribs are broken, and your spleen and liver are damaged!" Lingguang exclaimed, shaking its head. "The tendons in your legs were nearly severed, nearly! And your internal abdominal organs too!"

"What about them?" He Lingchuan asked, feeling a dull ache in his stomach after Lingguang's report. "I've felt unwell, but my internal vision can't detect anything."

"Oh, nothing to worry about," Lingguang replied dismissively.

He Lingchuan picked up a handful of dates Lingguang had washed earlier, which were lying on the table, and swallowed them whole.

"You need to rest for several more days," Lingguang said worriedly. "These aren't just superficial wounds."

"Where would I find the time?" He Lingchuan replied, closing his eyes and wincing at the bittersweet sensation of the needle and thread passing through his flesh. "We're attacking Yaoguo the day after tomorrow."

"Then you shouldn't go to battle!" Lingguang retorted angrily.

He Lingchuan simply chuckled.

Once his wounds were dressed, he patted Lingguang's head and went to open the doors and windows himself.

The sun was rising.

He instinctively tried to stretch towards the rising sun, but as soon as he raised his hand, he couldn't help but wince.

It truly ached!

Nevertheless, the obstacles between him and Yaoguo, between him and Baitan, and between him and victory had now been completely cleared!

The final phase of the Dragon God War, which had been prepared for nearly four months, could finally commence.

***

North of Fallen Phoenix Pool.

The dense forest battlefield where the Nine Nether Emperor and Qingyang fought lay in charred ruins, covered in scorched earth and debris.

Luo Xie arranged for Qingyang's remains to be buried beside Fallen Phoenix Pool.

Just moments earlier, the Nine Nether Emperor had personally inscribed a square stele for her, bearing several large characters:

"National Preceptor Without Equal."

Luo Xie then traced these characters in red, making them strikingly conspicuous.

After He Lingchuan and his companions departed, the Black Armored Army remained to clear the site and manage the aftermath.

Luo Xie and his men specifically inspected the spot where Qingyang had ascended, which was the massive tree fork.

They were only halfway through their inspection when a subordinate suddenly exclaimed, "Boss, the tree bark has turned white!"

Others quickly added, "Here too."

"Mine as well," another reported, "the entire section has turned a dead gray, and if you touch it, it just..."