Time seemed to stretch, every breath feeling like a blade scraping across the Divine Soul.
Chu Yang’s fingertips were wreathed in Chaos Qi Flow, probing with absolute precision into the depths of Yu Yin’s Sea of Consciousness. There, a dark red bloodline mark, clinging like a persistent ulcer, was tightly entangled with her Soul Origin, constantly emitting faint fluctuating signals characteristic of the Spirit Transformation Stage!
Forcibly stripping it away, even a slight mistake could damage the foundation of Yu Yin’s Divine Soul, or even directly detonate the mark, causing irreversible harm!
But at this moment, there was no turning back!
"System, assist in locking onto the mark's core node!"
【Node locked! Stripping commencing! Warning, this process is irreversible, Host must concentrate! 】
Chu Yang held his breath, focusing his mind. His Soul Power transformed into billions of Chaos threads, finer than strands of hair, acting like the most dexterous hands, avoiding the fragile soul meridians and wrapping around the core node of that dark red mark!
"Strip!"
He commanded inwardly, and the Chaos threads suddenly tightened and cut!
"Buzz—!"
The dark red mark trembled violently, unleashing a powerful resistance. A cold Divine Sense belonging to the Spirit Transformation Stage surged back as a Backlash, attempting to assault Chu Yang’s Divine Soul!
"Hmph! A remnant will without a master dares to be presumptuous!" Chu Yang’s eyes turned cold. The Chaos Heaven Opening Art circulated, and his Soul Power flared like a blazing sun, instantly crushing that wisp of cold Divine Sense! Simultaneously, the Chaos threads yanked hard!
"Tear!"
A sound like tearing silk echoed in Yu Yin’s Sea of Consciousness. That dark red mark was forcibly peeled away from her Soul Origin! The moment the mark left the body, it transformed into a mass of violent dark red energy, attempting self-detonation!
Chu Yang was prepared. Chaos Spiritual Power formed a cage, instantly enveloping and compressing it, ultimately annihilating it into nothingness!
The entire process, though seemingly complex, occurred in the blink of an eye!
【Stripping successful! Interference active, remaining time: fifteen breaths! 】
Fine sweat beaded on Chu Yang’s forehead, and his face was slightly pale. Forcibly stripping a Spirit Transformation Stage mark consumed a significant amount of his Soul Power. But he couldn't afford to recuperate; his gaze, sharp as a hawk’s, fixed on the sky in the southeast direction of the valley!
Fifteen breaths! At most fifteen breaths, and even if interfered with, the enemy could lock onto this area based on the general location where the last signal vanished!
He glanced at the nine Great Emperor Realm Cultivation Level Exchange Cards remaining in his hand （ five for recruiting Qing Xue and five for Yu Yin, unused previously ）. They were originally intended as Sect foundations, reserved for bestowing upon outstanding disciples or exchanging for other resources in the future. But now, with danger imminent, one had to be used!
Having an existence at the Great Emperor Realm stationed here was enough to handle the current crisis and greatly deter those spying from the shadows!
"System, use one Great Emperor Realm Cultivation Level Exchange Card. Target... exchange for a Protector Elder loyal to the Reincarnation Sect, possessing independent consciousness! Gender: Female!" Chu Yang made a swift decision. A female Elder would be more convenient for guiding Qing Xue and Yu Yin later on.
【Command confirmed! Using Great Emperor Realm Cultivation Level Exchange Card ×1! Generating Protector Elder... 】
【Generation successful! 】
【Name: Leng Wei 】
【Identity: Reincarnation Sect Protector Elder 】
【Cultivation Level: Great Emperor Realm Early Stage 】
【Cultivation Method: Ice Emperor Annihilation Canon 】
【Loyalty: 100% （ Absolutely loyal to the Host and the Reincarnation Sect ） 】
【Personality: Cold exterior, warm interior, decisive in combat, proficient in Array Dao and ice-element Divine Abilities. 】
As the System prompt sounded, the space before Chu Yang warped, and a tall, graceful figure slowly coalesced into form.
She appeared to be a woman in her late twenties, clad in a flowing immortal dress interwoven with moon-white and ice-blue hues. Her figure was tall, and her aura was as cold as a winter plum blossom atop a snowy peak. Her features were exquisitely beautiful, yet like an Ice Sculpture, devoid of any worldly touch. Within her Phoenix Eyes, as they opened and closed, seemed to flow the chill capable of freezing the myriad worlds. A faint yet terrifying pressure emanated from her; though deliberately restrained, it seemed to solidify the surrounding air slightly—the natural manifestation of the Domain Power possessed only by Great Emperor Realm experts!
As soon as she appeared, she bowed slightly to Chu Yang, her voice clear and carrying a natural coolness: "Leng Wei greets the Sect Master."
Her voice was not loud, yet it seemed to contain some rule of the Great Dao, causing the temperature of the entire valley to drop slightly. Qing Xue, who was battling ice illusions within the Trial Illusion Array, shivered abruptly, sensing a chill far surpassing that of the array. And Yu Yin, who had just finished the stripping process and was stabilizing her Divine Soul, was startled awake by this sudden Vastness of aura, looking over with confusion mixed with reverence.
Chu Yang looked at the imposing and peerlessly beautiful Elder Leng Wei before him, feeling reassured. Great Emperor Realm! In this world, they were terrifying existences standing at the apex of the pyramid! With her guarding the place, the immediate crisis could be resolved, and the Sect's safety would have a preliminary guarantee!
"Elder Leng Wei need not be so formal." Chu Yang raised his hand to steady her, quickly explaining the situation: "A powerful enemy is tracking us and will arrive momentarily. Their strength is at least Spirit Transformation Stage, possibly higher. I command Elder to conceal your aura and temporarily guard the Sect Grand Array. If the incoming party proves hostile, kill them without hesitation!"
A cold light flashed in Leng Wei's Phoenix Eyes, and without the slightest hesitation, she replied: "I obey the Sect Master's command!"
She lightly raised her jade hand and made a few seemingly casual gestures toward the void. Instantly, the entire Chaos Concealment Array retracted its light, its operation becoming smoother and more natural. That invisible barrier seemed to merge completely with the surrounding heaven and earth, its concealment effect enhanced by more than several times! Her own Great Emperor Realm aura also vanished without a trace, as if absorbed into the Void Space; unless seen with the naked eye, her presence was almost undetectable.
This was the understanding and control over Formation Arrays possessed by a Great Emperor Realm expert!
The moment Leng Wei completed the array enhancement—
Boom!
A powerful Divine Sense, carrying a chilling, decaying aura, swept over the mountain range like a violent Storm, precisely enveloping this area! As the Divine Sense scanned, the rocks and vegetation seemed eroded, losing their Vitality!
Peak Spirit Transformation Stage! And its aura was bizarre, certainly not benevolent!
That Divine Sense repeatedly scanned and impacted the periphery of the Reincarnation Sect valley, carrying a hint of confusion and greed. It clearly sensed that the last known location of the Tracking Mark was nearby, but it could not penetrate the Chaos Concealment Array strengthened by Leng Wei, forced to rage uselessly around the perimeter like a headless fly.
"You hiding coward! Get out here for this Lord!" A hoarse voice, like grinding metal and imbued with the pressure of the Spirit Transformation Stage, echoed above the mountain range, shaking the peaks.
However, the valley remained silent, as if truly empty.
The hidden presence was clearly unwilling to give up. The Divine Sense condensed, transforming into an invisible sharp cone, stabbing fiercely at the weakest point of the array barrier （ in his perception ）!
If it had been the previous array, it might have been shaken!
But now, the invisible cone struck the barrier only to disappear like a stone sinking into the sea, failing to cause even a ripple! Instead, a deeper, colder Rebound force silently surged back along the Divine Sense!
"Huh?!"
A muffled groan came from a hidden spot in the mountain range, the hoarse voice laced with shock and anger: "How is this possible?! A mere Concealment Array can injure my Divine Sense?!"
He clearly hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary mountain range to hide such a profound Array! The person who set up the array was certainly no ordinary individual!
Inside the valley, Chu Yang’s eyes were cold. Leng Wei remained expressionless, as if the subtle array countermeasure just executed was merely a casual act.
"Sect Master, the intruder is at Peak Spirit Transformation Stage, their Cultivation Method is strange, carrying Deathly Silence Qi, suspected to be an Evil Cultivator. Their Divine Sense has been marked by me. Shall I track their main body and eliminate them completely?" Leng Wei transmitted her voice, her tone flat but containing immense confidence. Great Emperor versus Spirit Transformation Stage was a complete crush!
Chu Yang pondered briefly, then shook his head: "Not necessary for now. Repel them is enough; no need to alert the snake. I want to see what kind of monsters and demons are hiding behind this!"
He felt that this tracker might not be affiliated with the Void Refining Stage entity that previously spied on the Sect. Why would a discarded daughter of the Lin Family's mark attract such a bizarre Peak Spirit Transformation Stage Evil Cultivator? There was likely deeper water beneath this surface.
"Yes." Leng Wei accepted the order and said no more.
The Spirit Transformation Evil Cultivator outside attempted to assault the array a few more times, all in vain, and suffered considerable damage to his Divine Sense. He clearly realized that a master was guarding this place, someone he absolutely could not afford to provoke. Finally, filled with deep unwillingness and malice, his Divine Sense receded like a tide and vanished without a trace.
The crisis was temporarily averted.
Inside the valley, Chu Yang watched Yu Yin, whose aura had stabilized, looking at Leng Wei with a mixture of awe and fear alongside Qing Xue. His thoughts raced.
The Great Emperor Elder had appeared; the Sect now possessed initial high-end combat power. However, the potential enemies seemed more numerous and complex than anticipated.
The Lin Family... Evil Cultivators... and that mysterious Void Refining Stage spy...
This Qingyang City was becoming increasingly interesting.
And Leng Wei's arrival undoubtedly added a crucial piece capable of deciding the entire game onto this chessboard!
（Chapter Fourteen End）