Chapter 656: Rebirth

The battle raged fiercely in front of an outpost. Lu Ye stumbled, instinctively swinging his blade. After every major battle, he would rest and consume spirit pills to replenish his spiritual energy. However, the depletion of his soul power was not so easily remedied, leaving his body in a state that was almost transparent.

A voice in his mind incessantly urged him to close his eyes and rest, but Lu Ye knew that in his current condition, closing his eyes would likely mean never waking up again. His powerful willpower sustained him. Even though he was like a flickering candle in the wind, he continued to shine his last rays of light in the desolate city. His insectoid squad, having endured constant battles, was now reduced to just three members. Like him, they were all heavily wounded.

It was truly the end of the road. Since he began cultivating, Lu Ye had faced numerous crises, many of which he could barely resolve on his own. However, he had never before been systematically pushed to such a desperate brink.

His mind flickered, and a connection suddenly severed. Drowsy, Lu Ye didn't immediately understand the feeling. It took him a moment to realize that another one of his three insectoids had fallen, leaving only two. He doubted even these two would survive the day. He squeezed out his last vestiges of strength, swinging the Panshan Blade and cutting down the surrounding insectoids one by one.

After the Butcher's squad was wiped out, Lu Ye's initial intention was merely to help them complete their mission. Yet, at this very moment, he couldn't quite pinpoint what belief continued to sustain him. Perhaps it was simply because the Immortal Yuan Guards had sacrificed their lives to protect him, trading their existence for his survival. For that reason alone, he couldn't allow their mission to fail.

However, human endurance eventually reaches its limit, and a sense of regret lingered. After this battle, he might not have the strength to fight anymore. He would likely have to hide in the outpost and undergo a long period of recovery, hoping his body would mend.

As the battle raged, Lu Ye failed to notice several figures standing silently on a rooftop only dozens of yards away, observing the scene. The deceased Butcher, Liu Datong, Yu Qing, and many other unnamed Immortal Yuan Guards were all present. The Butcher's squad had returned!

Under normal circumstances, Lu Ye would have undoubtedly noticed them, especially since they weren't attempting to conceal themselves. However, Lu Ye was on the verge of collapse, his vision blurred. He could barely make out objects a few yards away, let alone dozens.

"Why is he pushing himself so hard?" Yu Qing watched Lu Ye battling fiercely, a pang of discomfort in her heart.

"You guys took this too far!" Liu Datong sighed. "You should have told him the truth ages ago. He probably thinks we're all dead."

"The commander was the last to 'die'," Yu Qing retorted, turning to glare at the Butcher. "If he didn't tell him, it must have been deliberate."

The Butcher said calmly, "True character is revealed between life and death. If we had told him earlier, we wouldn't have witnessed this. This young man is truly remarkable!"

The Immortal Yuan Guards knew the Butcher had exceptionally high standards. For Lu Ye to earn such praise, his performance had clearly left a deep impression. "No wonder he was chosen!" the Butcher murmured to himself once more.

"What was that?" Yu Qing asked, looking at him quizzically.

"Nothing," the Butcher replied, shaking his head.

"Go save him!" Yu Qing exclaimed sharply. "We can't truly die, but if *he* dies, who knows what might happen!"

The Butcher glared back. "Watch your tone!" Despite his words, he vanished in a flash, streaking towards the battlefield, with the other Immortal Yuan Guards close behind.

On the battlefield, Lu Ye felt his strength completely drain away, leaving him with barely enough energy to swing the Panshan Blade. The fighting had ceased. Through his hazy vision, he saw no more insectoids. Not only had the attacking creatures been annihilated, but his own squad had also been completely wiped out.

It was over…

As this thought formed, Lu Ye's mind relaxed, his body swayed, and he toppled forward. He didn't hit the ground, though. At the crucial moment, a large hand grasped his shoulder, steadying his collapsing body. Lu Ye weakly lifted his head. The Butcher's reflection appeared in his blurred vision, and a rare look of approval graced the stout man's face.

Lu Ye was bewildered, unable to comprehend why he was seeing the deceased Butcher at such a moment. Was it an illusion brought on by extreme exhaustion? Behind the Butcher, he also saw other figures: Liu Datong, Yu Qing, and many other faces that weren't quite familiar...

Although he believed it was an illusion, a wave of guilt still washed over him. Lu Ye stammered, "Senior, the mission..." The mission had ultimately failed, and he could no longer hold on. If he succumbed to sleep now, he wasn't even sure if he would ever wake up.

"You did very well!" The Butcher patted his shoulder. "The mission is complete!" On their way there, they had already eradicated all insectoids within their assigned zone, leaving only the ones in Lu Ye's immediate battle area.

Despite sensing that the Butcher was merely trying to comfort him, Lu Ye managed a weak smile. "That's good..." A flicker of doubt crossed his mind—this illusion felt far too real. Before he could ponder it further, his head slumped, and he completely lost consciousness. His almost transparent body subtly warped in that instant.

"I'll take him to the City Lord's Mansion," the Butcher instructed. "You three split into teams and search the area for any stragglers."

"Understood," Liu Datong and the others replied. The Butcher scooped up Lu Ye, gave his orders, then ascended into the air, soaring towards the City Lord's Mansion about ten zhang above the ground, quickly disappearing from view.

In the murky depths of unconsciousness, a sliver of light suddenly appeared. It rapidly expanded, and with its growth, Lu Ye's dormant consciousness slowly began to revive. The immense mental fatigue had completely vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of comfort. A pervasive warmth surrounded him, as if he had returned to a mother's embrace.

He didn't know where he was. Though his consciousness was returning, he wasn't fully awake, lingering in a state between sleep and wakefulness. His memory was hazy; he vaguely recalled enduring many arduous battles, and a few faces flickered before his eyes. Without dwelling on it, his reawakening consciousness drifted back into slumber.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lu Ye awoke once more. This time, he was truly, fully awake. After a moment of disorientation, Lu Ye quickly recalled the events leading up to his unconsciousness: how, after the Butcher's squad was annihilated, he had led his own insectoid team to hunt the creatures throughout Immortal Yuan City, fulfilling their mission. But in the final moments, it seemed he had still fallen short...

A pang of regret struck him; ultimately, he hadn't been strong enough. Although his unique condition had temporarily granted him True Lake Realm strength, despite his actual Cloud River Fifth-Layer cultivation, a single person could achieve little against such overwhelming odds.

Also... where was this place? Lu Ye instinctively felt his surroundings were somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place them. A brief moment of perception sent a jolt through his mind. He realized his soul power had grown considerably stronger once more. Logically, his soul power already far exceeded that of other cultivators at his level, making further increases a significant challenge. Yet, after this period of unconsciousness, the growth in his soul power was unmistakably evident.

Had the prior battle, in which he had pushed himself to exhaustion, allowed him to break through his limits? It didn't seem quite like that...

It was only then that he noticed the unusual environment. Dense mist enveloped him, making it impossible to see even his hand in front of his face. This wasn't ordinary mist; being immersed in it brought an immense sense of mental comfort, making him wish he could remain there forever. A scene from Lu Ye's memory instantly aligned with his current surroundings.

"Soul Mist!" Lu Ye was astonished; the mist surrounding him was undeniably Soul Mist. He had encountered such an environment during his previous visit to Immortal Yuan City. On that occasion, he, Ju Jia, Amber, and Yiyi had all reaped significant benefits. Soul Mist only existed within the Soul Cleansing Pool. In other words, was he currently in the Soul Cleansing Pool?

But he had clearly collapsed outside an outpost in the city. How had he inexplicably ended up in the Soul Cleansing Pool? As confusion set in, the Butcher's face suddenly flashed in his mind, followed by the figures of Liu Datong and Yu Qing... In the moment before losing consciousness, he had seemingly seen these Immortal Yuan Guards, who should have been long dead. But it must have been an illusion; how could the deceased possibly return?

So, it must be that other Immortal Yuan Guards discovered him, brought him back to the City Lord's Mansion, and placed him in the Soul Cleansing Pool? Although the possibility was slim, it was the only logical explanation. He had previously learned from the Butcher that numerous Immortal Yuan Guards were active in Immortal Yuan City; they were merely one of many teams. Each Immortal Yuan Guard squad was responsible for clearing insectoids from a specific area. Perhaps another Immortal Yuan Guard squad, having completed their mission, discovered him during their sweep of the area.

Although he didn't know who had brought him there, it was undoubtedly a life-saving act, and Lu Ye silently acknowledged the immense favor. Not only had his depleted soul power been perfectly replenished, but it was now significantly stronger than before. In fact, Lu Ye was in the best condition he had ever been.

The old adage, "when one has enough to eat and wear, desires awaken," could certainly apply to Lu Ye in this situation. However, what occupied his thoughts at that moment wasn't base desires, but the dense Soul Mist surrounding him. The last time he had been here, he managed to collect several bottles of Soul Cleansing Water to take with him. Although he didn't know who had placed him in the Soul Cleansing Pool this time, such a rare opportunity couldn't be missed.

Thus, upon realizing his predicament, Lu Ye wasted no time. He immediately activated his power, spreading it outwards in all directions. Massive yin and yang energies interlocked and coalesced, and in the blink of an eye, a colossal spirit-gathering funnel materialized within the Soul Mist.