Chapter 41: Severing the Red Thread

The phantom in the sky filled Chen Lin with dread, fearing that some unforeseen catastrophe might occur.

However, when he looked at Yu Yuehai, he found the man's expression remained normal, as if he had long anticipated this.

Only then did Chen Lin's heart settle.

It seemed that the decision to act tonight had also been carefully calculated in advance.

Yu Yuehai continued to gaze quietly at the sky without any reaction.

Ye Jingyun was the same.

The Xia sisters showed signs of tension, and Zhao Zhengyuan, in particular, looked as if he were seeing such a scene for the first time, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

Since Yu Yuehai remained motionless, they naturally could do nothing. Chen Lin continued to focus his gaze on the shadow in the sky.

In this short interval, the shadow seemed to have become a bit clearer; its shape could already be vaguely discerned, appearing to be a massive insect.

"The strange shape is not fixed; what the eye sees is not necessarily the truth. Get ready, it is about to begin!"

Yu Yuehai's voice rang out, prompting everyone to withdraw their gazes.

Just then, Chen Lin felt the ground beneath his feet suddenly shudder, nearly knocking him over, and cracks even appeared in the several houses within the courtyard.

Before he could observe what was happening, five beams of light shot into the sky from different directions!

These five beams were thick and massive, each a different color, matching the five spirit stones on the formation plate before them perfectly.

However, the formation plate in front of them had not yet been activated; clearly, this was not Yu Yuehai's doing.

These beams carried terrifying energy fluctuations, intertwining in the sky to form an exaggerated, colossal sword!

As the giant sword formed, the hazy shadow in the sky actually began to wriggle.

As it writhed, the sky full of fine red lines suddenly brightened, turning the entire heavens a blood-red hue!

Chen Lin instantly felt some substance within his body rapidly draining away, and the skin on his body withered at a rate visible to the naked eye. In an instant, he felt as though he had aged several years.

It wasn't just him; the others were the same. Even Yu Yuehai was not spared, though his condition was slightly less severe.

Meanwhile, that strange phantom grew increasingly solid.

This change gave Chen Lin quite a fright.

He feared that before they could even begin to sever the red lines and escape, they would be sucked dry into mummies.

At the same time, he understood that those companions who had supposedly died of "evil possession" must have died because they had stepped out of the range of this anomaly's control and were consumed more rapidly.

"Do not panic, you won't die!"

Noticing the group's panic, Yu Yuehai immediately gave a low shout.

Simultaneously, the giant sword in the sky let out a roar and slashed toward the strange giant shadow!

"Prepare!"

With a sharp command from Yu Yuehai, a black sphere the size of a fist appeared in his hand out of nowhere. His entire being became infused with overwhelming blood qi, and his eyes turned crimson.

He slammed the black sphere forcefully into a hole at the center of the formation plate. The patterns on the plate instantly emitted a dazzling light, and the five large spirit stones lit up in unison.

Hearing Yu Yuehai's instructions, Chen Lin and the others quickly pressed their hands onto the grooves, ready to channel their mana at any moment.

In the sky.

The giant sword struck the massive shadow, creating ripples of energy.

However, the giant shadow seemed unharmed; instead, the red lines filling the sky grew even brighter.

Chen Lin did not know how the others felt, but he felt the energy within his body being sucked away like a floodgate opening. He felt so weak he was swaying, and his skin became as cracked as a wasteland after years of drought.

At this rate, he estimated he would be turned into a dried husk in just a dozen breaths.

Chen Lin looked at Yu Yuehai in a panic; after all the meticulous planning, it would be too ridiculous to die like this.

A look of solemnity finally appeared on Yu Yuehai's face, but he continued to stare fixedly at the sky without making any other move.

Seeing this, Chen Lin could only grit his teeth and force himself to endure.

What the red lines were draining was not mana; pills like Qi-Replenishing Pills would have little effect.

Furthermore, Zhao Zhengyuan and the Xia sisters were not doing any better; they were all extremely nervous, clearly sensing the approach of death.

Just as they were in a state of panic, the earth shook again, even more violently than before.

The rooms in the courtyard collapsed with a roar, and surrounding buildings fell one after another, accompanied by the rising cries of countless cultivators.

These cultivators could not see the red lines in the sky, but they could see the five massive beams of light and the resulting giant sword, mistakenly believing they were witnessing a battle between powerful cultivators.

With the earthquake, the five beams of light simultaneously expanded, forming an exaggeratedly massive light sword that slashed mercilessly at the strange phantom once again!

"Rise!"

At the same time, the veins on Yu Yuehai's face bulged as he let out a loud shout. A large mouthful of essence blood transformed into a blood arrow and sprayed onto the sphere in the center of the formation plate.

The sphere flashed violently, the formation plate emitted a humming sound, and the five large spirit stones surrounding it all shattered with a bang.

"Quick, channel your mana!"

Yu Yuehai's voice urged through clenched teeth.

Without needing his prompt, the others understood what was happening when they saw the spirit stones shatter, and they began to pour out their mana as if their lives depended on it.

However, Yu Yuehai did not replace the spirit stones; instead, he spat out another mouthful of essence blood.

This essence blood was sprayed entirely onto the formation plate. The light on the plate had become almost tangible, and then, under the shocked gazes of Chen Lin and the others, the runes on the plate actually broke free from the plate's constraints, hovering in mid-air and forming a sword of light!

This light sword was identical to the one in the sky, only countless times smaller, but the fluctuations it emitted were still terrifying, far more powerful than the energy radiating from Yu Yuehai himself.

"Slash!"

Yu Yuehai roared. The light sword surged in size, rotated once above their heads, and then collapsed into nothingness.

Chen Lin, who had already reached the brink of exhaustion, watched with his own eyes as the crimson red lines above his head were silently severed. It felt as though a thousand-pound weight had been lifted, and his body felt light again.

Except for Yu Yuehai and Ye Jingyun, the other four collapsed to the ground, but they all showed the joy of having survived a catastrophe.

With the red lines severed, they had escaped the anomaly's control and could leave this place.

"Immediately swallow pills to recover your bodies!"

Yu Yuehai himself was in a wretched state, but as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had not completely collapsed. He patted his storage bag, pulled out a pill bottle, opened the lid, and flicked a pill to each of the four people.

The pills were made of unknown ingredients, but once swallowed, they provided moisture and restored a significant amount of vitality.

By now, Yu Yuehai had shrunk and put away the formation plate. Seeing this, he gave a command: "Go!"

The group hurriedly followed.

"The anomaly has not been eliminated, nor was it even injured. Do not use flying spells to avoid exposing ourselves and becoming targets, and do not fight with anyone!"

Ye Jingyun, walking at the rear, gave these instructions.

Chen Lin and the others nodded repeatedly in haste.

The group of six, led by Yu Yuehai, sprinted toward the outskirts of the city.

At this moment, the city was in total chaos due to the earthquake and the appearance of the light sword; almost everyone in the city had run out to observe the situation.

As Chen Lin looked at these people, his expression turned to one of shock and horror.

He saw that whether they were standing by the roadside or floating at low altitudes, regardless of age or gender, every single person had become haggard, their skin covered in wrinkles.

Some of those with lower cultivation or older ages were watching helplessly as they were sucked dry into human husks.

Yet, these people themselves seemed completely unaware, even wearing expressions of confusion before they died.

(End of Chapter)