Free Web NovelChapter 228: Chapter 228: Forced Link
Ning Xuan formed her spiritual power into a long blade and slashed at the great blue serpent in the waves. ROAR! The serpent hissed, its upper body rearing in defiance. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"Contractor, watch out!" Lin Mo’s shout rang out just as Ning Xuan felt a pang of pain strike her Spiritual Sea.
Almost simultaneously, Ning Xuan’s Divine Sense "saw" a vortex like an abyss tear open the surface of the sea. A blue serpent’s head burst from the water, the resulting splash solidifying into countless Ice Cones that shot toward her.
Lan Xin had lost his mind. His spirit body was in a frenzied state, left with only the instinct to attack.
"AH!" Chen Nan shrieked.
"What are you yelling about? It’s just a snake tail! Stop distracting the Master while she’s trying to save him," Qinghe roared, his temper flaring.
At that moment, Lan Xin’s legs had transformed into a blue serpent’s tail, thrashing wildly across the ground.
Ning Xuan wove her spiritual power into countless threads, casting them over the great serpent. The instant they touched its eyes—within those dark golden, slitted pupils, she saw countless fragments drifting: all of Lan Xin’s past memories.
The berserk serpent roared. A translucent chain materialized at its vital point. It was the genetic shackle from its bloodline, a reflection in the Spiritual Sea that controlled its Mutated Degree. Right now, it was cracking and shattering, piece by piece, across the serpent’s body.
The churning sea turned blood-red.
It stained the countless memory fragments red.
"Master, Lan Xin has broken through his genetic shackles! His Mutated Value is at its peak, and his Spiritual Power Level is skyrocketing! The only way to suppress and save him now is for you to forcibly establish a spiritual connection," Qinghe said anxiously.
"No. He’s delirious and his Spiritual Sea is in chaos. Forcing a connection is too dangerous for the Contractor," Yun Han objected, his tone unyielding.
"The Master’s Spiritual Power Level is already S-Class. She can forcibly connect with someone up to Level 2S. Lan Xin... he only just reached Level 2S, and he’s unstable. Forcing the connection now is still safe. If we wait, given his current rate of breakthrough, he’ll reach Level 3S before we know it. Then, we’ll all be in danger," Qinghe insisted.
"Absolutely not. We can’t let the Contractor try it if there’s even the slightest risk," Yun Han maintained.
"But if we do nothing, the Master will be in danger anyway."
"You know I’m right. This isn’t just fearmongering. Once someone breaks their genetic shackles, there’s no telling what could happen. What if—what if he reaches Level 3S and fully mutates? Our Combat Power is already suppressed by the rules of this plane. We’ll be no match for him," Qinghe told the others.
"Not fearmongering? Once the genetic shackles shatter, he’ll most likely die on the spot. He won’t last long even if he reaches Level 3S. We can protect the Master. I’ll just fly her into the sky and we can come back down once he’s completely dead." Di Youlin was equally against Qinghe’s idea.
"After all this time together, how can you be so heartless...?" Qinghe was at his breaking point.
"Everyone, step back." Ning Xuan released her Ghost-faced Red Vine, binding Lan Xin once more.
This time, Lan Xin’s struggles were much more powerful. Ning Xuan could clearly sense that his strength and physical fortitude had both grown.
"Contractor, don’t!" Yun Han stepped forward, reaching for Ning Xuan’s hand.
"Ning Xuan, don’t be rash," Di Youlin added, stepping forward to dissuade her.
"Stay by my side, you two. Yun Han, don’t worry, I’ll be fine. If things get dangerous, I’ll use the Spiritual Link Channel to enter your Spiritual Sea. Be ready to protect me," Ning Xuan said, her voice reassuring.
Ning Xuan had established a Spiritual Link Channel and completed a spiritual connection three times before. But in the past, whether with Chen Nan, Lin Mo, or Yun Han, they had all willingly opened their Spiritual Seas, allowing the connection to be formed with their full cooperation.
This time, Ning Xuan had to force his Spiritual Sea open—a far cry from the gentle, thread-like invasions of spiritual power she was used to.
Ning Xuan condensed her spiritual power into the shape of a knife. She entered through his Baihui Acupoint and, upon touching the pale-gold barrier surrounding Lan Xin’s Spiritual Sea, she hacked at it with all her might. The barrier trembled faintly, then a massive repulsive force—BANG!—flung her spiritual power back out.
The world instantly spun, and Ning Xuan’s vision blurred. She took a deep breath. This time, she condensed her spiritual power into the shape of a God-breaking Needle. After entering his Sea of Consciousness, she slowly pressed the needle against the pale-gold barrier. The moment its tip pierced the surface, she abruptly accelerated and changed its form. With a SHIING, a crack tore open, and Ning Xuan slipped through the opening.
ROAR! The giant serpent bellowed as black waves churned. Ning Xuan’s intruding spiritual power was a bolt of lightning, cleaving the dark surface of the sea in two.
In this sea of rage and agony, countless green motes of light rushed joyfully toward the thrashing serpent, seeping into its eyes. The pain that filled its blood-red, slitted pupils slowly faded, and the black, roiling waves began to calm.
The dark waters gradually shed their blackness, becoming a clear, crystalline blue. The giant blue serpent’s form slowly began to shrink.
The now-smaller serpent bobbed in the water. Ning Xuan’s spiritual power formed a chain, binding it tightly. The serpent showed no sign of resistance. On the contrary, it hugged the chain with its tail, curling into a crescent shape and rubbing against it with obvious enjoyment.
Outside, Lan Xin’s serpentine tail had transformed back into legs, and the scales that had erupted across his skin receded one by one.
Di Youlin and Yun Han rushed to Ning Xuan’s side, watching her with concern. Only when they saw Lan Xin’s legs return to normal, his Spiritual Sea settle, and Ning Xuan’s own vital signs stabilize did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Lan Xin’s Mutated Degree returned to normal, and his Spiritual Sea was calm. Ning Xuan prepared to withdraw, but found herself tightly ensnared by the blue serpent.
Yun Han noticed Lan Xin’s face was flushed red. Even bound by the vines, he was squirming restlessly—clearly, he was in a fever.
Di Youlin saw it too and kicked Lan Xin in frustration. He’d been trying to impress Ning Xuan for so long, but she had never agreed to connect with him. Yet here was Lan Xin, normally so meek and unassuming, and Ning Xuan had suddenly connected with *him*.
’What kind of damn luck is that?’ Di Youlin glanced around. ’Where’s that red fruit? I’m tempted to take a bite myself.’
It took a great deal of effort for Ning Xuan to subdue the blue serpent before she could withdraw back into her own body.
Upon her return, Ning Xuan immediately found a vial of fever suppression medicine and tossed it to Di Youlin, telling him to give it to Lan Xin.
’What kind of twisted fruit was that? It had nearly shattered Lan Xin’s genetic shackles and caused his spiritual power to jump two Levels in such a short time. It was just too strange.’
’The Mo Luo Fruit recorded in the Exotic Plant Atlas was only supposed to be hallucinogenic; it shouldn’t have an effect like this.’
