C27: Poisoned Shadow

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The new wound on Lin Xiao’s back refused to heal cleanly. The shadow blade laws from Lord Mo Tian had merged with the lingering soul poison from Fairy Luo Qing’s betrayal, creating a dangerous hybrid affliction. The Shadow Soul Corrosion spread slowly through his meridians, devouring divine energy at night and flaring up during cultivation. It caused sharp, phantom pains that felt like blades twisting inside his soul core. The System could only suppress it partially — full purification required rare divine materials or time Lin Xiao didn’t want to waste.

He pushed through regardless.

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Three days after the frontier battle, another coalition strike hit the eastern border. This time the enemy was smarter. A hidden elite squad led by Shadow Sovereign Kuang, a late Divine Ascension expert who specialized in advanced shadow blade laws, infiltrated the territory under cover of night.

Lin Xiao led the response personally despite his worsening condition. The battle erupted in a dense divine forest under moonlight.

Shadow Sovereign Kuang was a ghost on the battlefield. His blades emerged from darkness itself, each strike carrying refined shadow laws that could bypass normal defenses and directly corrode the soul. The moment Lin Xiao engaged the main force, Kuang struck from the shadows behind him.

A black blade sliced across Lin Xiao’s already injured back, deepening the gash and injecting fresh shadow poison. Pain exploded through his body. The new cut burned like ice and fire combined, accelerating the soul corrosion.

Lin Xiao roared and spun, Divine Chaos Lightning flaring wildly. He traded blows with Kuang in a deadly dance of light and shadow. Kuang’s movements were unpredictable, blades appearing from any direction. One strike grazed Lin Xiao’s thigh, another pierced his left arm. Blood flowed freely. His reactions were slowed by the accumulating injuries and the soul poison’s debilitating effects.

The fight dragged on brutally. Lin Xiao took multiple deep cuts. Each one fed the shadow laws deeper into his system, making his divine energy erratic. He countered with raw power and comprehension, landing heavy chaos lightning strikes that chipped away at Kuang’s defenses, but every successful hit cost him more blood and stamina.

His women fought fiercely around him. Murong Xue took a shadow blade meant for his neck, sustaining a serious wound to her shoulder. Princess Yan Zi burned blood essence to create a phoenix barrier. The others coordinated to limit Kuang’s escape routes.

After over three hundred excruciating moves, Lin Xiao found a narrow opening. Ignoring the searing pain in his soul, he sacrificed more blood essence and unleashed a desperate Chaos Emperor Dragon Strike enhanced with stolen sunfire. The attack finally broke through Kuang’s shadow veil.

He grabbed the Shadow Sovereign and forced a partial Divine Plunder, absorbing advanced shadow blade laws. Kuang died screaming as his own power was turned against him.

The battle ended in victory, but Lin Xiao collapsed immediately afterward. The combined soul poison and new shadow wounds left him barely conscious, blood pooling beneath him. His women carried him back to the palace in grim silence.

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In the recovery chamber, the harem’s tension exploded once more as they desperately treated his injuries.

Su Mei pressed glowing healing pills into the deep gash on his back, tears streaming down her face. “This has gone too far! Look at him — the soul poison is spreading again because of these shadow laws. We need to retreat to a secluded divine mountain and let him recover properly. Continuing like this will kill him!”

Murong Xue, wrapping the new wounds with trembling hands, countered sharply. “Retreating now invites every remaining power to attack. He has never run before. We must stand with him and believe he will overcome this.”

Princess Yan Zi paced near the bed, fists clenched. “He is stronger than any of us. But… Su Mei is right that pushing further risks permanent damage. The soul corrosion is eating him from inside. I fear for his life.”

Xuan Yue added quietly, her voice heavy with worry, “The System he relies on is still unstable. He hides the pain, but we all see it. If another strong enemy comes while he is this weakened…”

Bing Yue and Mei Ling sided with caution, their concern for Lin Xiao clear in every glance and touch. The room filled with raised voices and conflicting emotions. All of them hovered around him, their love and fear intertwined. The betrayal by Luo Qing had planted deep seeds of doubt — they were united in caring for him, but divided on how best to protect the man who had conquered so much.

Lin Xiao lay on the bed, pale and breathing raggedly, listening to their argument through the haze of pain. The soul poison flared again, sending fresh waves of agony through his core. He finally spoke, voice weak but commanding.

“Enough… arguing. I will not flee. The shadow laws… I will master them. Use them to strengthen myself. But… stay vigilant. Trust is earned through survival now.”

The women fell into uneasy silence, continuing to tend his wounds with gentle but worried hands. The harem remained fractured, their thoughts consumed entirely by his condition and the dangerous path ahead.

Lin Xiao closed his eyes, enduring the soul corrosion and new injuries. The Divine Realm had become truly merciless.

But the Eternal Grind refused to stop.

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