Chapter 945: Li Taibai Is Finished

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Winds of KyushuWinds of Kyushu

It was only after the Haotian Alliance had retreated for the duration of an incense stick that the Divine Sea Realm reinforcements from the Ten-Thousand Devil Ridge finally arrived. It wasn't that they were slow; rather, the Haotian Alliance's assault was too swift this time, catching the Dark Moon Forest Pass completely off guard.

Lin Yue and Zhang Kun had initially believed that the pass's defenses could easily hold for half an hour. Unexpectedly, the Haotian Alliance caught them off guard by using Explosive Fire Spirit Stones and Annihilating Thunder Spears, which directly shattered the protective formation, leading to all subsequent events.

In this battle, the Haotian Alliance suffered significant casualties, as did the Ten-Thousand Devil Ridge, primarily due to Liu Yuemei, who killed many. An unhindered Divine Sea Realm cultivator was simply too terrifying.

The torrential rain poured down, enveloping the entire pass in an atmosphere of sorrow. The surviving soldiers began to clear the battlefield and tend to the wounded.

"Li Taibai is over here!" an exclamation rang out, followed by several figures who swept over from all directions. Seeing Lu Ye's grievous injuries, they were all secretly horrified.

"Quick, take him down and get him settled!"

Lu Ye, who was feigning unconsciousness, felt someone envelop his body with spiritual energy, quickly transferring him to a safe location. Around him, he heard only soft, suppressed groans and wails. This was clearly a place for injured cultivators, and a quiet scan revealed many medical cultivators rushing about, tending to the wounded.

Soon, someone approached him, and seeing his condition, couldn't help but gasp, "Such severe injuries..."

"Elder You, you might not know, but Fellow Daoist Taibai was targeted by a Divine Sea Realm cultivator. All these injuries were caused by Liu Yuemei. Please, Elder You, you must save him!" someone explained.

Lu Ye's slaying of Qin Shu the day before yesterday had greatly boosted the morale of the Dark Moon Forest Pass soldiers, making many aware of his immense potential. Naturally, many were eager to befriend him. Today, when Liu Yuemei charged into the Dark Moon Forest Pass, she directly targeted Lu Ye, which many witnessed. Therefore, they knew how Lu Ye had sustained these injuries.

"So he's the Li Taibai who's been making waves recently," Elder You said, clearly having heard the name Li Taibai in recent days. "Indeed, heroes emerge in youth. To survive an encounter with a Divine Sea Realm cultivator is truly remarkable. I will do my best."

"Thank you for your trouble, Elder You. I have military duties, so I will take my leave."

"Go."

A moment later, Lu Ye felt a gentle energy envelop him. It must have been Elder You employing his healing methods. Quietly sensing, he realized that although Elder You was a medical cultivator of considerable age and decent cultivation, he was only at the True Lake Ninth-Level Realm, not the Divine Sea Realm. Lu Ye immediately felt much more at ease.

His injuries were indeed extremely severe. While his soul was unharmed, the critical damage was to his physical body. Liu Yuemei's furious strike was meant to kill him with her palm. It was fortunate that his physique was strong and he was protected by the Crimson Dragon Battle Robe; otherwise, he would have been utterly pulverized by that single blow.

Even so, his physical condition was far from optimistic. If he hadn't feared exposing himself, Lu Ye would have long since fallen unconscious. He forcibly maintained his consciousness, fearing that if he lost it, his Thousand Faces Spirit Tattoo would fail, revealing his true identity. If the Ten-Thousand Devil Ridge cultivators saw Li Taibai turn into Lu Yiye, it would be utterly laughable.

Under Elder You's ministrations, Lu Ye felt the pain throughout his body diminish slightly. Time passed. Elder You was indeed doing his utmost to heal him, but Lu Ye's injuries were too severe. Even with his naturally strong physical foundation, a full recovery would not happen in just a day or two.

During this time, several people came to visit Lu Ye. However, what puzzled him was the absence of Tong Shiyao. This made him vaguely realize that in the previous battle, Tong Shiyao had either died or, like him, suffered severe injuries. Otherwise, given her previous attention to him, she wouldn't have failed to visit him. He didn't dwell on it too much. For cultivators on their arduous path, life and death were common occurrences.

Time continued to pass.

Then, at a certain moment, Lu Ye suddenly heard a familiar voice ask, "How is he?"

It was Lin Yue, who had come to check on his condition.

Elder You, who had been diligently caring for him, immediately replied, "His physical foundation is quite good. He has barely managed to keep his life. However..."

"However, what?"

"Logically speaking, given his physical foundation, he should have already woken up by now, but he remains unconscious. I suspect his soul was damaged, leading to this comatose state. After all, he narrowly escaped the grasp of a Divine Sea Realm cultivator, and it's highly probable that Liu Yuemei launched a spiritual sense attack against him at that time."

"Liu Yuemei did indeed use spiritual sense attack methods." Lin Yue nodded. Although she had been obstructed by a Divine Sea Realm cultivator from the Haotian Alliance that day, she had still paid some attention to Lu Ye's situation. How could she not have noticed such clear signs of Liu Yuemei initiating a spiritual sense attack?

"That confirms it. Liu Yuemei is at the Divine Sea Seventh-Level Realm. Let alone this young man, who is only at the True Lake Third-Level Realm; even an old man like myself, at the Ninth-Level, would likely have my soul shattered and never awaken if targeted by Liu Yuemei."

"Are you saying... he will remain in this coma indefinitely?"

"There's just that possibility. Even if he does wake up, the damage to his soul is irreparable. He would inevitably be muddled and confused, with sluggish behavior."

"Is there any way to treat him?" Lin Yue frowned.

Elder You shook his head. "I am powerless. Moreover, my Lady should know what kind of injury a damaged soul is. Apart from a few rare and precious treasures, such injuries are largely incurable."

Lin Yue remained silent for a moment, then sighed, "What a pity!" It was a pity to lose such an outstanding talent. She had initially believed him to be a rising star, convinced he could contend with Lu Yiye of the Haotian Alliance. She never expected him to suffer such a calamity, with his soul severely damaged. Not to mention the possibility of remaining in a coma forever, even if he did wake up, he would have no future to speak of. She had originally intended to recruit this Li Taibai into her sect for cultivation.

Elder You smiled faintly. "I am a medical cultivator from the Dark Moon Forest Pass. You were severely injured earlier, and I have been treating you these past days."

Lu Ye showed a look of realization. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly twisted in agony, as if enduring immense pain.

Seeing this, Elder You immediately said, "Young friend, calm yourself. Your soul is damaged, and you shouldn't overthink. You need to rest quietly." Indeed, just as he had speculated, even if Li Taibai managed to wake up by chance, his mind would be muddled. While there were no immediate signs of dementia, the after-effects of a damaged soul were clearly not easy to bear. But at least he had kept his life, which was a blessing amidst misfortune.

After a brief examination of Lu Ye, Elder You left.

A moment later, in Lin Yue's bedchamber, Elder You reported Lu Ye's current condition. Lin Yue sat by the bed, listening quietly. On the bed lay a person, none other than Tong Shiyao. Just as Lu Ye had suspected, Tong Shiyao was severely injured. However, her injuries were much lighter than Lu Ye's, and with treatment from the medical cultivators at Dark Moon Forest Pass, she was now out of danger. Her recovery was simply slower because her physical constitution was not as strong as Lu Ye's. Tong Shiyao was currently deep in slumber.

After Elder You finished speaking, Lin Yue asked, "In your opinion, Elder You, does Li Taibai still have a chance of advancing to the Divine Sea Realm?"

Elder You slowly shook his head. "Unless he encounters a serendipitous opportunity that specifically targets his condition, otherwise, let alone advancing to the Divine Sea Realm, even maintaining normal cultivation would be difficult in his current state." In the short time he had just spent speaking with Lu Ye, Lu Ye's headaches had flared up several times, each time appearing agonizing. In such a state, how could he possibly cultivate? And how difficult would it be to encounter such a perfectly targeted serendipitous opportunity? In other words, Li Taibai would likely remain at the True Lake Third-Level Realm for the rest of his life, unable to make any further progress. Moreover, he would undoubtedly suffer constant torment, a life worse than death.

"Does he know this himself?" Lin Yue asked again.

"I have already explained it clearly to him," Elder You replied.

"You may go," Lin Yue said, waving her hand wearily. She sighed inwardly, finding it troublesome and unsure how to handle Li Taibai. For an ordinary cultivator, she could easily arrange his placement, even keeping him at the Dark Moon Forest Pass without issue. However, Tong Shiyao clearly had a fondness for Li Taibai. Her niece still didn't know about Li Taibai's condition, and if she found out, there's no telling how heartbroken she would be. Zhang Kun's attitude also needed to be considered. In recent days, Zhang Kun had clearly blamed Li Taibai somewhat, believing that the Dark Moon Forest Pass's calamity was entirely due to Li Taibai slaying Qin Shu. He hadn't even opposed Tong Shiyao's feelings for him, but now, it seemed all previous plans were unnecessary.

Throughout the Kyushu Continent, from ancient times to the present, countless gifted prodigies had emerged, but those who failed to grow ultimately remained a flash in the pan. Taking herself as an example, many cultivators of her generation possessed greater talent than her, and she had once looked up to them. But what of them now? Those people had all turned to dust, while she, on the other hand, had a smooth cultivation journey, now possessing a Divine Sea Sixth-Level Realm cultivation and even ascending to the position of Minor Pass Master of the Dark Moon Forest Pass. Having witnessed such events many times, Lin Yue, though feeling a sense of pity, was not overly emotional.

Without giving any further instructions, Lin Yue soon departed.

Sensing Lin Yue's attitude, Elder You no longer treated Lu Ye's injuries with the same initial diligence. It wasn't that he was opportunistic, but rather, he felt that given Li Taibai's talent, encountering such a great misfortune meant he might be better off dead. At least then he could preserve his former glory; if anyone remembered him in the future, they would remember his battle where he bravely slew Qin Shu.

The devastation left by the great battle slowly began to subside.

Several days later, when Elder You once again came, as was his daily routine, to check on Lu Ye's injuries, he found that Lu Ye had woken up at some point and was currently sitting on the bed in a daze. He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "You're awake!"

Lu Ye showed no reaction. It was a while before he seemed to perceive Elder You's arrival.