Chapter 12: Striking at the Snake’s Weakest Point

Wu trembled with anger at Ye Chen’s words; such arrogance was simply unbearable. Yet Wu truly did not dare to act out. In the end, it all came down to a difference in strength. Wu could not possibly ignore the life and death of the tribe. One could say that Wu had resolved to bind the tribe’s fate with the totem’s, believing there was still hope, not intending to drive the tribe to utter ruin.

But now, Wu dared not gamble. Though furious inside, Wu had no choice but to untie those binding ropes one by one. The ropes had been placed by Wu’s own hands, yet untying them now felt like a denial of his own chosen path—an agony beyond words.

Had I known it would come to this, it would have been better never to use those ropes. Back then, I had the courage, but now, calm has replaced all fighting spirit. Wu seemed like a rooster defeated in battle.

“Perhaps Lingdie’s words did have a negative effect on me,” Wu muttered to himself. Lingzhu’s indifference when the chieftain was executed still troubled him deeply.

“This is exactly what Lingdie wanted to see. No, I mustn’t let her have her way.” Forcing himself to rally, Wu refused to give in to despair. Inwardly, Ye Chen chuckled—it seemed the impact had indeed been made, which was a good thing.

Suddenly, a hum echoed—a phantom of Lingzhu slipped stealthily into the Void Realm.

This was unexpected; Lingzhu, who had remained quiet all this time, now made a sudden move.

“So, Lingzhu has been watching me all along, waiting for a chance to strike,” Ye Chen thought, showing not the slightest fear. After all, the Void Realm was his own domain.

Ye Chen’s power clashed with the phantom, gradually forcing Lingzhu back. To think Lingzhu could simply invade the heart of the enemy was pure delusion. Ye Chen found it amusing—Lingzhu was far too naive. Honestly, were it not for his current lack of strength, Ye Chen would welcome Lingzhu’s incursion into the Void Realm.

But now, the foundation of the Void Realm was far too shallow—it could not withstand much turbulence.

The phantom was steadily pushed back, as if at any moment it would be expelled entirely, a candle flickering in a storm, its flame twisted and scattered, on the verge of extinction—when suddenly, it flared brightly, like a star blazing in the night sky, a torch held high, burning long in the realm of dreams.

Across the entire Void Realm, crimson flames spread, transforming the sky into a domain of fire. The world trembled, cracks splitting the heavens and the earth. The Void Realm, already fragile, seemed on the verge of being torn asunder.

Ye Chen’s expression shifted, his mood darkening. He had underestimated Lingzhu, who had yet to show her true strength. Now, with her power fully unleashed, Ye Chen struggled to hold his ground. He was furious—he had been caught off guard by Lingzhu’s counterattack.

Incense-fueled will and faith surged wildly into the Void Realm. Ye Chen could not retreat; he would fight Lingzhu to the end. Since this only consumed incense power, who was afraid of whom? He snorted coldly to himself, determined to hold out to the last. This may have been bravado, but in the short term, he did not fear Lingzhu’s assault.

No matter what, the flesh was in the pot. Though their duel battered the Void Realm, as long as it survived, its foundation would only strengthen in the aftermath.

All things considered, it was not a loss—not at all.

Yet even so, Ye Chen’s heart ached to see the incense power so wantonly spent. Its uses were tremendous—how could it be squandered like this? If all of it was drained here, it would be a terrible waste.

“Lingzhu saw my spirit was wounded and seized the opportunity,” he thought grimly. Lingzhu knew how to strike at the vital point. Ye Chen had divided a part of his soul and merged it with the chieftain’s flesh, taking the chieftain’s place. In the long run, this held great advantages.

At the very least, Ye Chen could participate directly in many matters, instead of merely watching from the sidelines.

But now, this put him in a crisis. In terms of strength, he and Lingzhu were evenly matched; neither could swiftly eliminate the other. Yet with incense power draining away and his soul wounded, Ye Chen might not manage to plant his influence in the tribe or seize the initiative.

Previously, with Lingzhu lying low, Ye Chen could slowly root out her influence in the tribe. As her presence waned, his own power would grow, giving him confidence to deal with her. But Lingzhu was no fool and would not sit idly by.

“My soul and the chieftain’s flesh have completely fused, all barriers dissolved, thanks to incense power. But with gain comes loss; if I want to withdraw that part of my soul and make myself whole again, it won’t be easy.”

“Lingzhu is truly cunning—she waited until my soul had fully merged with the chieftain’s body before making her move. Had she attacked earlier, I wouldn’t be so trapped now.”

A cold shiver passed through Ye Chen’s heart; he was even more wary of Lingzhu now. It wasn’t that he was in mortal danger—if necessary, he could forcibly extract his soul fragment from the chieftain’s body.

But such an action would severely damage the chieftain’s flesh, making it nearly impossible to merge his soul again in the future. The reason was simple: a body naturally rejects foreign souls, but incense power, like a universal balm, could suppress this rejection through its miraculous effects.

But suppression was not elimination. Accepting a foreign soul was already a strain on the body—if the soul then tried to leave, heedless of the harm caused, returning would become unwelcome, even impossible.

The rejection would only intensify, unless Ye Chen was willing to spend even more incense power. Otherwise, there was no way he could claim the chieftain’s body again.

Wouldn’t that make all his effort for nothing? Becoming the villain, harming the chieftain, and gaining nothing in the end.

Ye Chen glared darkly at Lingzhu’s phantom, vexed by the predicament she had caused. He was genuinely hesitating.

“The chieftain’s body is indispensable to me; it’s the key to my future moves. Without it, I’d be locked in endless infighting with Lingzhu.”

“But although Lingzhu has caused me trouble, I can’t focus solely on her. She is but a minor threat—not fatal. The real priority is to strengthen the feeble Bamboo Tribe, to help it grow and gain the power to survive; that is what truly matters.”

Ye Chen refused to let the current situation blind him—he remained calm and clear-headed.

“The problem must be solved. Lingzhu chose her moment well, forcing me into a dilemma.”

“Now I finally understand why the Bamboo Tribe, so weak, has managed to survive for so long.”

In this world, tribes rise and fall constantly, as common as grass that never survives more than a season; the cycles of decay and renewal are the law of nature.

As quietly as they come, so must they go—unless a tribe grows strong enough to become a regional power, the smallest storm could wipe it out in an instant.

“Lingzhu is shrewd. At her peak, the Bamboo Tribe may have had boundless prospects.”

But Ye Chen did not dwell on it. He could not abandon the chieftain’s body, so his path was clear.

“This round, I’ll admit, you have won.”

Ye Chen did not feel discouraged. No matter what, he still held the upper hand over Lingzhu.

“At worst, Lingzhu can occupy a corner of my Void Realm. It poses a hidden risk, but it’s not something that can’t be dealt with in the future.”

If Ye Chen were willing to abandon the chieftain’s body and withdraw his soul fragment to restore his spirit, driving Lingzhu’s phantom from the Void Realm would not be difficult.

The strength of his soul was directly tied to his power. A weakened soul was a major flaw; incense power could compensate, but Ye Chen had no overwhelming advantage in that regard.