"The Ninth Prince encountered danger only because he was protecting those commoners! Damn it! Why couldn’t those commoners just stay far away? If anything happens to His Highness, I swear I’ll personally tear apart those wretched fools!"

A military officer’s eyes were red with fury. In his view, Ye Luo’s life carried far more value than all those commoners combined. Yet, ironically, it was precisely Ye Luo’s compassion for the common people that had initially won his admiration and loyalty.

Of course, two others were also witnessing this scene—one was the Emperor of Great Tang, and the other was Li Long, leader of the independent Border Guard regiment.

At this moment, though situated in different locations, the two were closely connected and fixated on Ye Luo.

"Your Majesty, this situation seems to have taken an unexpected turn!"

"Sigh, indeed. The fact that Ye Luo has garnered such immense popularity—I can’t tell if this is a blessing or a curse!"

"No, Your Majesty, I was referring to the precarious position Ye Luo is currently in. You must understand, we invested so much in him—not so he could perish in this place. He has a duty to fulfill, and he is also our most critical piece in the assault on the Da Yue Empire. He must not fall here!"

Evidently, the Emperor of Great Tang had misunderstood Li Long’s words. For the Emperor, Ye Luo’s widespread acknowledgment and support from the common people evoked a sense of unease.

Regardless of how well he treated Ye Luo before, it was solely because Ye Luo was viewed as a pawn, destined for a sacrificial end. The Emperor had never believed that Ye Luo—a prince with no foundation or lineage, reliant solely on royal favor—could stir up any significant waves.

But now, things had seemingly spiraled beyond his control. Ye Luo, relying on his own actions, had amassed considerable public support!

In this moment, the Emperor of Great Tang even entertained a wish that Ye Luo might as well be devoured by the Demon Spirit!

As for Li Long, though his thoughts diverged from the Emperor’s, he too valued Ye Luo not for who he was, but for his utility.

This effort by the Border Guards meant Ye Luo should meet his end in the Demon Clan’s territory or during the mission itself, not perish within the Great Tang Empire before the mission had even started. Such an outcome would be an immense waste in Li Long’s eyes!

Each of them held their own private opinions, yet they shared a mutual dissatisfaction with Ye Luo’s actions today.

From their perspective, even Ye Luo’s death should be determined by their will!

...

Time passed as the crowd worked together tirelessly, refusing to relent. Since Ye Luo’s body had not been found, they would not abandon their efforts.

Meanwhile, much of the blood-tainted fog within the Demon Spirit’s body had been gradually cleared, and some sections even turned transparent. Strangely enough, this transparent mist didn’t condense back but drifted aimlessly instead!

Yet despite this, the Demon Spirit had not given up on devouring Ye Luo. Although the foul blood fog was steadily diminishing, the area around Ye Luo was thickening with increasingly concentrated blood fog.

At this moment, Ye Luo had lost mobility and could only rely on the Seven-colored Power to shield himself. This situation was deeply frustrating for him, but he had no choice!

As time passed, with the surrounding attackers giving their all, the blood fog within the Demon Spirit’s body diminished rapidly. At the same time, Ye Luo began to sense a peculiar energy fluctuation!

At first, the sensation was so faint that Ye Luo thought it might be an illusion.

But when the feeling arose a second time, Ye Luo was astonished to discover that it was the Seven-colored Power—actively launching a counterattack!

Indeed!

The Seven-colored Power, which had always been protecting Ye Luo from the contamination of the blood fog, was now making its move offensively!

However, there was something different this time—the Seven-colored Power exhibited a new and unique aspect.

Ye Luo understood that the Seven-colored Power had the remarkable ability to seamlessly merge with any form of energy. Not only did it harmonize energies effectively, but it also neutralized them. When any energy entered Ye Luo’s body and lingered for a sufficient duration, the Seven-colored Power would disintegrate, absorb, and transform it into Ye Luo’s own strength.

And now, amongst Ye Luo’s dozens of Qi Cyclones, weren’t several hidden traces of special energies as well?

Presently, just like before, the Seven-colored Power was dissolving the Demon Spirit’s power. This time, however, it wasn’t merely protecting Ye Luo—it was actively luring the Demon Spirit’s power into his body!

Then progressively refining it.

Initially, the refining process was slow, and the Seven-colored Power only drew in small amounts of the Demon Spirit’s energy. But as the blood fog diminished, the refinement sped up dramatically!

While these changes piqued Ye Luo’s curiosity, what truly stunned him was the presence of an exceptionally pure and mysterious spiritual energy coalescing nearby!

From the moment the Seven-colored Power began its counterattack, this spiritual energy had been condensing steadily. The reason the Seven-colored Power seemed extraordinary this time stemmed from its subtle infusion into the spiritual energy, which, in turn, was feeding back into Ye Luo’s body.

This spiritual energy was undoubtedly the most peculiar and attention-grabbing phenomenon for Ye Luo!

What was it?

Could this be another attack method of the Demon Spirit?

Or was it something entirely different?

Ye Luo didn’t know. Perhaps no one did.

Because as the blood fog dissipated further, the spiritual energy finally took on a tangible form.

A tiny figure the size of a palm!

Yes, a human-like figure, with two pairs of wings—but undeniably humanoid in outline!

Though small, its form was unmistakable!

Ye Luo was deeply puzzled. This scene was unfolding within the Demon Spirit’s body—yet why would there be a human-like figure?

Perhaps it wasn’t truly human, but its silhouette was undoubtedly human-like!

What on earth was happening?

Unfortunately, no one could answer Ye Luo’s bewilderment.

"Master, this might be an Elf! Similar to us Artifact Spirits!"

Suddenly, Xiao Ling’s voice rang out!

Since Xiao Ba had been severely injured, Xiao Ling had rarely spoken. But this time, he proactively addressed Ye Luo!

"An Elf?"

Ye Luo was slightly taken aback. What was this?

"Master, we Artifact Spirits are born of heaven and earth, inhabiting weapons and magical treasures to enhance their powers while providing certain unique abilities. Elves are similar, but they are born within realms of spiritual energy, with no fixed patterns of emergence—they can materialize anywhere, but not necessarily everywhere!"

"Moreover, Master, Elves generally possess distinct abilities, and they are typically akin to immortal beings!"

Immortality?

Suddenly, Ye Luo’s eyes gleamed. The concept of immortality wasn’t something to be taken lightly—after all, isn’t immortality the underlying pursuit for many who undergo cultivation?