Chapter 491: I Won't Let You Be Bullied Anymore

Right now, his Divine Soul was nearly depleted; in fact, his entire Divine Soul was severely damaged.

The moment he even thought of using his Divine Soul, a tide of weakness and pain would wash over him.

Besides, he didn't have a single shred of Divine Soul power left. Even if he could withstand the pain, he had nothing to use.

"What a shame."

Ye Chen sighed softly.

'If I could just summon the Realm Spirit, things would be so much easier.'

After all, he could borrow the Realm Spirit's power to command his Profound Armor Combat Puppets and other assets.

Even with his Divine Soul severely damaged, he would still possess the means to protect himself.

He wouldn't be as he was now—so frail that any random enemy could take his life.

Of course, Ye Chen wasn't completely powerless.

In fact, apart from his Spiritual Power and Divine Soul, he could still rely on his physical strength.

This had nothing to do with Spiritual Power or his Divine Soul; it just required him to throw a punch like an ordinary person.

An ordinary person injured to this extent would be half-dead.

But Ye Chen was different.

He cultivated the True Dragon Jade Emperor Scripture. Even though his internal injuries were severe and left him with little usable strength…

…his physical constitution was on another level!

He was still very weak, and his body was riddled with injuries that needed to heal.

But after two months of recuperation, he had recovered slightly.

At the very least, dealing with a common Bone Forging Realm Cultivator would be no problem at all!

Cultivators in the Bone Forging Realm focused primarily on physical training and couldn't yet truly absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to refine their bodies.

Only upon reaching the Blood Coagulation Realm could one use Spiritual Power in combat.

'If I can't handle a Blood Coagulation Realm expert, can't I at least handle someone in the Bone Forging Realm?'

When it came to pure physical strength, he had never feared anyone!

"I'll just have to take it one step at a time…"

Ye Chen shook his head helplessly.

He dragged his heavy body and slowly made his way into the courtyard.

Through the main gate, he could see people bustling about outside.

Among them were servants, but also many members of the Vermilion Bird Tribe!

He had to admit, the Vermilion Bird Tribe's decline was painful to witness. Most of their able-bodied young adults were only at the Third to Sixth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm.

This was simply unimaginable.

Ye Chen had traveled all the way from Lei Province, fighting his way to Dongxuan Province—the pinnacle of the eastern Cultivation Realm. There, he had swept aside all foes and stood peerless!

He had even met top-tier geniuses from the Central Province, like Li Jianyin, the current Saint Heir of the Heaven-Reaching Sword Institute, and Princess Changyue, the most outstanding prodigy of the Great Hong royal family!

As his strength had grown, so too had his horizons. He had witnessed countless peerless prodigies.

From his current perspective, the Vermilion Bird Tribe was so weak it defied description.

'So, with my current abilities, I should have what it takes to protect myself within the Vermilion Bird Tribe?'

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. 'That's good news!'

After all, as Lin Qiyun's husband, his situation in the Vermilion Bird Tribe was precarious.

If someone tried to make trouble for him, he could at least put up a fight and not be completely at their mercy!

'Although I can suppress cultivators of the Bone Forging Realm, that's clearly far from enough!'

'Only when I've recovered enough to sweep aside Blood Coagulation Realm cultivators can I truly protect Lin Qiyun and help her seize control of the Vermilion Bird Tribe from Lin Ruowei.'

Ye Chen mused.

In the end, Ye Chen didn't leave the courtyard.

He simply soaked up some sun for a while before returning to his room.

In his current condition, leaving the courtyard rashly might bring trouble to Lin Qiyun.

And he didn't yet have the power to protect her!

It was best to avoid trouble whenever possible.

'If only Chi Ming were here.'

'With Chi Ming around, I could just sweep aside any enemy, no matter who they are.'

'Even in the Black Triangle Region, we could handle the five great tribes and four great families—all except the Xuanwu Tribe, which is best not to provoke!'

Ye Chen let out a long sigh.

He lay on the bed, his mind wandering far away.

He couldn't cultivate anyway, so all he could do now was let his mind drift.

He'd try to sense the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi again once his injuries had recovered a bit more. Trying now would be too much of a strain.

'Am I really going to have to recover here for half a year? Or a whole year?'

He couldn't afford to wait that long.

Drifting in a daze, Ye Chen fell asleep again.

But his mind didn't stop, continuing to mull over various matters.

The Xuanwu Tribe had managed to stand strong and become a regional hegemon.

So why had the Vermilion Bird Tribe declined to this extent?

And were there other tribes that drew their power from divine beast totems?

…

An unknown amount of time passed before Ye Chen slowly awoke.

The very first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was a gentle, beautiful face.

"Husband, you're awake," Lin Qiyun said softly, a gentle look on her face. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes," Ye Chen nodded.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words, facing this wife who had practically fallen into his lap.

"That's wonderful."

"After another two months of rest, you should be back to normal."

Lin Qiyun smiled.

"…Thank you."

Ye Chen said suddenly.

He slipped his hand out from under the blanket she had placed over him.

Then, he slowly took her small, delicate hand in his.

Lin Qiyun froze, a blush creeping onto her lovely face.

She instinctively tried to pull away but quickly gave up, letting Ye Chen hold her hand.

Her delicate body remained a bit stiff, however, her heart thumping in a restless flutter.

Seeing her shy, adorable appearance, Ye Chen couldn't help but smile.

Although they had been married for two months…

…Ye Chen had been comatose for most of that time. Even when he occasionally awoke, he was barely conscious.

This was likely the first time he had ever initiated physical contact with her.

No wonder she was so flustered and shy.

"We are husband and wife. There's no need to thank me. That would make us seem like strangers," Lin Qiyun said softly.

Ye Chen smiled and didn't speak.

He just held her hand gently, feeling its warmth and taking in her faint, sweet scent.

Although he was fated not to belong here…

…her two months of dedicated care had moved him deeply.

He decided that for the duration of his stay in the Vermilion Bird Tribe, he would do his best to play the role of "husband."

Ye Chen looked at Lin Qiyun.

Lin Qiyun kept her head lowered, the tips of her ears bright red.

Ye Chen made a silent vow.

'From now on, I won't let anyone bully you ever again!'