Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

As Lin Yi began to relax, a strong physiological response instantly overwhelmed his body.

He squatted down uncontrollably, feeling all the strength drain from his body in an instant.

If he could see inwards, he would clearly "see" that the origin of his soul was no longer as perfect and clear as before. Its surface was covered with spiderweb-like cracks of varying depths, like a precious porcelain piece that had been roughly repaired and could shatter completely at any moment.

This is the price one must pay for forcibly activating the [Soul Suppression] talent.

This ability, which involves the very essence of the soul, has extremely strict restrictions on its use.

Under normal circumstances, using it once a day is the limit; twice will lead to overload, accompanied by persistent dizziness and lethargy, which are only the mildest symptoms.

Lin Yi used it four times in less than 24 hours.

The fact that his soul did not disintegrate or collapse on the spot proves that his essential resilience and profound foundation far surpass that of ordinary people, reaching a level that is beyond comprehension.

If it weren't for the time he had to rest before the battle with Azathoth, allowing his soul some respite.

Otherwise, if Lin Yi had used [Soul Suppression] four times in one day, his soul would not have been covered in cracks, but would have been irreversibly shattered.

Just then, a pair of hands, cool to the touch yet remarkably steady, gently pressed against his temples.

The sorrowful woman appeared behind Lin Yi at some point. She carefully adjusted her position so that Lin Yi's head could comfortably rest on her legs, and began to apply just the right amount of pressure with her fingertips, gently and precisely pressing the acupoints that were throbbing with pain.

It must be admitted that, despite the fact that the Sorrowful Woman is essentially a doll, her massage technique is surprisingly exquisite.

Her movements were steady like a machine, as if every bit of force had been meticulously calculated, yet the touch was remarkably gentle.

Under this continuous and rhythmic pressure, the sharp pain in Lin Yi's mind, which felt like a million needles piercing him at the same time, was actually soothed and eased little by little.

As Lin Yi's nerves gradually relaxed, a heavy sense of fatigue surged up like a tide, engulfing his last vestiges of consciousness.

Unable to resist this physiological self-protection mechanism, he remained in this dependent position and fell into a deep sleep on the grieving woman's lap.

However, his brows were still slightly furrowed, as if he could still feel the hidden pain deep in his soul even in his sleep.

About an hour later, Lin Yi felt something soft and feathery gently patting his cheek.

The force was very light, yet it gradually roused him from his deep sleep.

Lin Yi struggled to open his eyelids, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. His blurry vision gradually focused, and he saw Baha's close-up bird head, which was continuously flapping his face with the edge of its wings.

Seeing that Lin Yi had woken up, Baha nodded its black beak toward the campfire not far away.

A rich, enticing aroma of food, carrying the scents of grease, caramel, and spices, wafted over from that direction and entered his nostrils.

Almost at the same time he smelled the aroma, Lin Yi's empty stomach rumbled loudly, awakening a strong sense of hunger.

Baha let out a low howl, signaling Bubuwang beside him to come and help. They both knew how serious the aftereffects of soul overload were.

Lin Yi was able to stand firm during the series of battles only because of his willpower and the adrenaline secreted by his body in critical moments.

Now that his mind is relaxed, all the negative effects of the pressure on his body burst forth like a flood, making it extremely difficult for Lin Yi to even move his limbs on his own.

Lin Yi tried to bend his knees, and sure enough, a sharp pain, as if muscle fibers were being torn apart and bones were rubbing against each other, instantly shot from his legs to his brain, making him gasp and the cold sweat that had just dried on his forehead seeped out again.

Fortunately, Amu had already come over. Compared to Amu's towering figure, Lin Yi looked exceptionally small.

Am bent down, her movements not exactly gentle, and scooped Lin Yi up from the ground, easily placing him on her back before walking toward the campfire.

Arriving at the campfire, the orange-red flames dispelled the chill of the night and illuminated everyone's faces.

Lin Yi noticed that Mei Huan's condition had improved significantly. Although the skin on the right side of her body still appeared somewhat strangely sallow, contrasting with the healthy wheat color on the left side, it was at least no longer the terrifying appearance that resembled the bark of an ancient tree.

On the other side of the campfire, Laurent, Gus, and Dawn, three immortal wizards, sat together, devouring the food Xia had prepared with a speed that could be described as unrestrained and even somewhat long-lost eagerness.

If their table manners were displayed at a banquet in peacetime, they would be enough to make any etiquette teacher faint.

But this doesn't excuse their loss of composure. The wizarding world has long been corrupted and polluted by the power of the ancient gods. The entire ecosystem has already suffered devastating damage, and the output of unpolluted resources has plummeted by more than 95%. Fields are barren, livestock have mutated, and clean water has become a luxury.

In such an extremely harsh and resource-scarce environment, it is already difficult to maintain basic survival, avoid starvation, or be alienated by consuming contaminated food.

Such delicious food, which not only looks and smells wonderful but also contains gentle and pure energy that can nourish the body and even slightly soothe the spirit, is something that exists only in distant memories or ancient legends for them, a gift that can only be enjoyed during the golden age of civilization.

Moreover, during the long millennium of self-imprisonment at the top of the Wizarding Guild, in order to slow down the rate at which they were eroded, the three of them spent most of their time in a semi-dormant state, relying on directly absorbing energy to sustain their lives, and almost forgot the true taste and satisfaction of normal food.

At this moment, their taste buds and dormant memories were simultaneously awakened by this familiar yet unfamiliar deliciousness. The sense of deprivation that had been suppressed for thousands of years erupted instantly, inevitably leading to some loss of control. It was as if the three of them wanted to make up for the lost time through this meal.

The sorrowful woman ignored the three wizards' gluttonous expressions, focusing all her attention on Lin Yi.

She picked up a bowl of warm liquid food that had been prepared beforehand and kept warm over a low flame. The porridge-like food was cooked until very tender, and it seemed to contain finely chopped minced meat and some kind of fragrant plant root.

She scooped up a spoonful with a small spoon, carefully blew on it to make sure the temperature was right, and then patiently fed it to Lin Yi, one small spoonful at a time.

Her eyes, which were always filled with emptiness and sadness, now only reflected Lin Yi's pale and tired face.

If we were to quantify the Sorrowful Daughter's favorability towards everyone present using data, then the three immortal wizards, Laurent, Dawn, and Gus, would probably only hover around fifty, existing in a delicate relationship between acquaintances and collaborators, far from being intimate or trusting.

Based on their shared combat experience, Su Xiao and Xia's favorability rating could reach 80 points, making them trustworthy partners who can fight side by side.

Lin Yi's favorability rating has undoubtedly broken through the 95-point mark, reaching an extremely high level of intimacy and trust.

The key turning point was when Lin Yi handed over the Heart of Hope, which carried Nia's last will and hope, to her.

In the heart of the sorrowful woman, who has merged with parts of Nia's essence, emotions, and fragments of memory, Lin Yi's priority and importance have far surpassed those of the nominal creator, Dawn, let alone anyone else.

This is an emotional connection that transcends the relationship between creator and creation, and is far more complex and profound. At this moment, Xia, the creator of this feast, has a complex expression that is a mixture of satisfaction and "pain" as she watches everyone devour her masterpiece, while she can only sip a glass of water, having already put down her bowl and chopsticks.

The reason was simple: the rare ingredients that Laurent later generously provided were of such high quality that Xia's dishes, cooked with all her might, had an exceptionally powerful effect.

With each bite she took, the notification sounds from the Paradise of Reincarnation rang out in her mind like a machine gun. The numbers on her personal attribute panel, such as strength, agility, and physique, skyrocketed as if she were on a rocket. This visible speed of becoming stronger was enough to drive any contractor crazy.

However, the crazy increase in attribute values ​​did not bring only pure joy.

Soon, Xia felt an indescribable "fullness," not from the physical filling of her stomach, but from every cell in her body. It was as if her body was being forcibly infused with an excessively large and pure energy, and her body was aching slightly, having reached the limit of what she could bear in a short time.

This method of rapidly increasing attributes in a short period of time, without the protection of the attribute enhancement chamber in the non-reincarnation paradise, carries enormous risks.

Without the guidance, buffering, and stabilization of the Paradise's power, the body is extremely prone to genetic instability or even collapse due to its inability to adapt to the sudden surge in power, or to uncontrollable alienation.

Xia Ke had no intention of turning herself into some kind of bizarre monster just for a few attribute points.

She could only suppress her craving for the food, watching others enjoy it with longing, secretly regretting that her basic abilities were insufficient to enjoy this "sweet burden".

In contrast, these potent dishes have a much milder effect on beings like Lin Yi and Su Xiao, whose life levels and basic attributes are already extremely high.

Its main effects are to quickly replenish consumed vitality, accelerate energy recovery, and provide some temporary attribute buffs with limited duration.

With Xia's current culinary skills and ability to handle such high-level ingredients, it's impossible to directly improve one's true attributes using it.

After eating a few bites of food fed by the Sorrowful Daughter, Lin Yi did feel some relief from the stinging pain originating from the depths of his soul.

Summer food is more like a gentle and comprehensive nourishment. Its effects are not as strong and direct as medicine. It focuses more on stimulating the body's own repair mechanisms, which is more suitable for Lin Yi's current state of needing gentle nourishment and soothing.

After barely finishing two small bowls of food, Lin Yi felt a slight return of warmth and strength to his body. He then tried to mobilize the power of the abyss again, intending to cast a skill on himself to promote recovery.

However, as the power of the abyss began to flow along Lin Yi's body, a sharp pain shot through the cracks in his soul's origin, causing Lin Yi's face to turn pale instantly, forcing him to immediately abandon the attempt.

He is now so fragile that he can barely maintain even the bare minimum of his own energy cycle.

After everyone finished their meal and their bodies and minds had recovered to some extent, Su Xiao glanced at the time on his wrist. There was still a considerable amount of time before the ten-hour buffer period, during which the Samsara Paradise warned that it was safe to enter the core area of ​​Aisenla, ended.

He turned to Xia, indicating that she should use her temporarily acquired [Spirit Eye] ability to conduct a remote reconnaissance of the "Foundation of Demon Forging" in the distant city of Eisenla, in order to obtain as much information as possible.

“The Foundation of Demon Forging is over there,” Xia said, pointing confidently in the direction of Eisenra. Then she tilted her head slightly, as if searching for a more accurate word to describe it. “To be precise, it feels more like a massive bronze gate standing directly on the earth, its doors covered with… many…”

Her words abruptly stopped, her eyes tightly closed, clearly indicating that she was fully activating the [Spirit Eye] ability, extending her perception to the area shrouded in darkness.

Xia's face turned deathly pale almost instantly, her fingers holding the water glass trembled slightly, and her body tensed involuntarily.

"What do you see?" Su Xiao snapped her fingers crisply in front of Xia's eyes, trying to pull her back to reality from her overly immersive and terrifying perception.

Xia suddenly opened her eyes, a trace of lingering fear still present in the depths of her pupils. She took several deep breaths to barely suppress her violent heartbeat, her voice trembling slightly: "Indescribable... terror and malice."

Her gaze was somewhat unfocused, not because of fear, but because she was struck by a thought that seemed to transcend space.

This feeling is similar to being subjected to an extremely high-level mental curse or debuff.

After sitting quietly for a few minutes to recover, Xia's wildly beating heart gradually calmed down, and his eyes regained their clarity.

She rubbed her still slightly throbbing temples and said, "The things carved on the bronze door are all very...strange in shape, and it's hard to describe them accurately with ordinary language. Let me draw them for you."

She seemed quite confident in her drawing skills, and as she spoke, she took out a sketchbook and pencil from her storage space, the pencil twirling skillfully in her slender and nimble fingers.

A few minutes later, Su Xiao took the A4 paper that Xia handed him. When his gaze fell on the "artwork" on the paper, his brows furrowed involuntarily on his usually calm face.

He looked up at Xia, his gaze questioning, his tone confirming, "On the bronze door... there's a bunch of potatoes carved on it?"

"Cough cough cough..." Baha and Bubuwang, who were standing nearby, could no longer contain their curiosity and leaned over at the same time, their eyes falling on the A4 paper.

With just one glance, the bird and the dog exchanged a knowing look, both seeing the same answer in each other's eyes—the pencil sketch on the paper was indeed a dozen or so oddly shaped, differently sized potatoes, all showing obvious signs of sprouting.

“Look closely, try to understand my painting. That’s not a potato.” Soul painter Xia picked up her glass of iced tea, took a small sip, and seemed somewhat dissatisfied that her artwork was being so blatantly misunderstood. She earnestly corrected the error.

Su Xiao silently turned her gaze back to the A4 paper in her hand, deciding to treat this "abstract intelligence" with a more rigorous attitude.

He focused his mind, eliminating the interference of his first impression, and observed more carefully every line, irregular outline, and messy short lines representing "sprouting" on the A4 paper.

It must be said that when Su Xiao abandoned the preconceived notion of "potato" and truly concentrated on "feeling" it, he actually managed to discern some hidden patterns from the jumbled lines.

One of the "potatoes," which was slightly long and twisted, was covered with protruding "sprouting" marks all over its body. The tip of one of the thicker "sprouts" seemed to be pierced by a thinner, vertical short line, which looked like a small toothpick stuck in it.

This unique feature... upon closer inspection, its twisted posture, vaguely resembles the eerie figure of the Dominator Sothos, whom they had just jointly killed.

With this crucial clue as a breakthrough, Su Xiao's gaze immediately sharpened, quickly sweeping over another "potato" on the paper that was larger, with more dense and wild "sprouts".

If we interpret those unrestrained, twisted, and coiled "buds" as countless wriggling and waving tentacles, then this overall image seems to correspond precisely to the impressive physical characteristics of the Black Goat Shub.

With his deep memory and understanding of the enemies he had just fought and eliminated, Su Xiao quickly identified the patterns corresponding to the Dominator Sothos, the Black Goat Shub, and the Dark Source Azathos from the group of "sprouting potatoes" of various shapes.

“That’s right, those are the ones.” After hearing Su Xiao’s question, Xia saw the knowing look in Su Xiao’s eyes and nodded affirmatively.

After confirming the true meaning behind Xia Na's abstract paintings, Su Xiao felt a great weight lifted from his heart.

The bronze door is engraved with the image of an ancient god that they have completely destroyed, which is hardly good news, as it clearly indicates that this door has a very deep connection with the ancient god system of this world, and may even be one of the core manifestations of its power.

But conversely, this is not the worst news either—at least it strongly suggests that even if the bronze door were to be completely opened by the Sphinx's madness, what would emerge from behind it would most likely still be beings or derivatives of power associated with known ancient gods.

This rules out the possibility of the appearance of terrifying creatures from outside the world, such as those from the void, the abyss, or the hell, which are even more bizarre or completely beyond the measure of common sense. (End of Chapter)