Alert! The Dragon Lord has emerged from seclusion!

"A sudden improvement?" Lin Chen frowned slightly. "The timing is very subtle. It coincides with the period when the Netherworld Sect's activities intensified."

"You mean, the Chu family may have been infiltrated, or some kind of change has occurred in Chu Ling'er?" Shen Qingqiu asked.

"Uncertain, but we must be vigilant." Lin Chen put away the marriage certificate and glanced at Ye Qingcheng, who was meditating with her eyes closed in the back row. "Moreover, before we officially make contact with the Chu family, we must first resolve Qingcheng's issue."

"Her heart-binding spell cannot be delayed any longer."

Shen Qingqiu nodded, took out several small jade bottles from his medicine box, and began to dispense the medicine.

Her fingers were fair and slender, her movements precise and steady, and the dosage of each medicinal herb was accurate to the last detail.

At the same time, she took out the three precious leaves of the Pure Heart Glass Grass and carefully ground them in a specially made jade cup.

"The Pure Heart Glazed Herbal Essence, combined with my Shen family's secret 'Soul Purifying Powder,' is the best formula to break the Heart-Locking Curse and other insidious spells." Shen Qingqiu analyzed calmly as he performed the procedure.

"But the process will be extremely painful, requiring the practitioner to protect their heart meridian with their pure Yang energy while guiding the medicinal power to impact the incantation seal."

"Qingcheng, are you ready?"

Ye Qingcheng slowly opened her eyes, a defiant smile playing on her lips: "Does it hurt more than crashing into a mountain while flying in a wingsuit?"

Shen Qingqiu glanced at her and said calmly, "Different types of pain cannot be compared. But if one's will weakens even slightly, all previous efforts may be in vain, or even the heart meridian may shatter."

"Then let's do it." Ye Qingcheng sat up straight, her eyes resolute. "I, Ye Qingcheng, am least afraid of pain and death."

Lin Chen nodded: "There's a rest area three kilometers ahead. Ling Feng, let's stop there and find a secluded corner to detoxify Qingcheng."

"Yes, my lord."

However, just as the SUV turned into the rest area passage, something unexpected happened!

The few cars that were originally parked in the rest area suddenly turned on their headlights all at once, and the blinding high beams locked onto the off-road vehicles like searchlights!

At the same time, strange dark red patterns appeared on the ground, and the patterns quickly spread and intertwined, forming a huge array that enveloped the entire rest area!

The air suddenly became thick and cold, and faint, mournful wails could be heard.

"It's the 'Soul Binding Array'!" Ling Feng's expression changed, and he jerked the steering wheel to try to reverse, but the wheels seemed to sink into the mud, and the speed dropped sharply.

"They've set up an ambush here!" Shen Qingqiu quickly stuffed the prepared medicine and Qingxin Liuli grass juice into his pocket, and now he had several poisoned silver needles in his hand.

Lin Chenyang activated his spiritual eye and saw dozens of semi-transparent vengeful spirits emerging from the ground within the array's range, baring their fangs and claws as they lunged at the off-road vehicle.

These vengeful spirits, brimming with resentment, were clearly spirits created by someone.

"It's at least the work of a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. The core of the formation is under that gray van in the northwest corner!" Lin Chen judged instantly.

Before he finished speaking, three dark figures rushed out from different directions at great speed; they were all cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining!

Each of them held a black soul banner, and with each wave, more vengeful spirits were summoned.

"We can't be trapped in the car!" Lin Chen made a decisive decision. "Ling Feng, you protect Miss Shen and Miss Ye, and try to use the Ice Guards' combined attack technique to break through the northwest corner of the formation! I'll deal with those three flag bearers!"

"My lord, be careful!" Ling Feng shouted into the communicator without hesitation, "Ice Guards, form the Mystic Ice Cone Formation! Target the northwest corner! Break the formation!"

From the shadows outside the car, six ice guards who had been secretly following suddenly appeared, bursting forth with icy energy that transformed into a giant ice spike, which slammed into the northwest corner of the formation!

Boom! The array's light barrier shook violently.

Lin Chen pushed open the car door and got out. His Nine Yang True Qi burst outwards, and the blazing golden disc player exuded a chilling aura. The approaching vengeful spirits melted away like snow.

Three men in black robes simultaneously shook their soul banners, and the Yin energy coalesced into a giant ghost claw that slashed down at Lin Chen's head!

"You demons and monsters, how dare you act so arrogantly?" Lin Chen's eyes were icy cold as he pointed his fingers like a sword. "Nine Yang True Fire, annihilate evil and vanquish demons—swiftly!"

A condensed golden line of fire shot out and instantly pierced the center of the ghost claw!

The demon claw exploded with a deafening roar!

The three men in black robes suffered a backlash and staggered backward with muffled groans.

Lin Chen seized the opportunity, his figure as fast as lightning, using the Nine Yang Soaring Dragon Step to its fullest extent, instantly closing in on the black-robed man on the left and sending him flying with a punch.

The other two were both shocked and furious. They bit their tongues and spat their blood onto the soul banner. Their auras briefly connected, and they showed signs of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. They transformed into a black whirlwind and swept over!

Just then, a strange medicinal fragrance wafted in on the wind.

The fragrance was so elegant and tranquil that it caused the black whirlwind to slow down slightly.

It was Shen Qingqiu! She had gotten out of the carriage sometime earlier, carrying a jade incense burner the size of a palm in her hand.

The smoke from the furnace curled upwards, actively coiling around the vengeful spirits in the black whirlwind.

When the vengeful spirit touched the green smoke, the ferocity in its eyes seemed to be soothed, and its attack became hesitant.

"Soul-soothing incense?" A man in black robes exclaimed in surprise and anger.

Shen Qingqiu's face paled slightly, but his eyes remained calm: "Wraiths are still souls, and they too have spirits. Your torment has caused them pain; my medicinal fragrance will give them a moment of peace."

It was this moment of peace and hesitation that gave Lin Chen the perfect opportunity!

His Nine Yang True Qi surged within him, and with his hands clasped together, a ball of light interwoven with golden-red and pale green (the residual medicinal power of Shen Qingqiu) quickly took shape.

"Yin and Yang in harmony, pure crystal fire—go!"

The ball of light left his hand, locking onto the core of the black whirlwind.

The two tried to dodge, but were horrified to find that the space around them seemed to be imprisoned by an invisible force.

boom!!!

The moment the ball of light entered the whirlwind, it suddenly expanded and exploded!

Blinding white light and golden-red flames silently bloomed and spread.

The black whirlwind was instantly purified and evaporated, as if it had encountered its nemesis.

The two men in black robes turned to ashes in the light.

In the northwest corner of the formation, the black array plate shattered with a "crack".

Break the Soul Binding Array!

Ling Feng and the Ice Guards quickly checked their surroundings and confirmed that there were no other ambushes.

Shen Qingqiu put away the incense burner, staggered slightly, and took a pill to recover.

"The ambush set up by someone is very cautious; they haven't shown themselves yet." Lin Chen looked in the direction where the array plate shattered. "It seems they were just stalling or testing the waters."

He returned to the car and looked at Ye Qingcheng and Shen Qingqiu: "We can't stay here any longer, but Qingcheng's poison can't be delayed any longer. Ling Feng, find a completely safe place nearby where we won't be disturbed, and we'll detoxify her immediately!"

"Yes! There is a temporary safe house that our Ice Guard set up earlier, about 30 miles to the north. It is very well hidden."

"Go there! Hurry up!"

The safe house is located underground in an abandoned forest.

The facilities were simple but well-hidden, and there was a simple isolation formation set up in advance by the Ice Guards.

Inside the room, Ye Qingcheng sat cross-legged on the only cushion.

He wore only a thin vest on his upper body, revealing a faint, eerie black spider-like curse mark on his chest—the Heart-Locking Curse.