Chapter 80 Sacrifice and Choice: Tempering the Soul on the Perilous Path

Under the vast expanse of the sky, the land of the Spiritual Domain has already become a terrifying battlefield of slaughter, more tragic than anything imaginable. The raging flames of war run wild, as if they want to burn the whole world to the ground. The billowing smoke is like a thick curtain, spreading across the sky and filling every inch of space with a pungent smell that lingers for a long time, like a mournful song woven from death and despair. Bloodshed and death blend together, forming a haze that, like an invisible giant, crushes all the former vitality and peace, deeply planting fear and despair in the souls of every living being, immersing this land in endless sorrow.

In this thrilling and extremely tragic battle, Lin Yu is like a solitary reef in the vast ocean, standing proudly amidst the tempestuous waves of slaughter. His eyes are bloodshot, yet still as resolute as steel. He stares fixedly at the battlefield and witnesses one by one his close friends who are as dear as family and his comrades who have stood by him through life and death fall down heroically beside him. Their once youthful and vibrant faces are now mercilessly distorted and ravaged by pain and despair. Their eyes, which once sparkled with the light of hope and courage, bright and firm, gradually dimmed. The flames of life flicker weakly like dying candles in the wind and are finally completely swallowed up by the darkness, leaving only cold and stiff corpses that silently tell of the ferocity and cruelty of war, as if they are silent condemnations or sorrowful laments.

Every shrill cry filled with pain and every feeble collapse to the ground is like a heavy hammer slamming hard on Lin Yu's heart, blow after blow, mercilessly crashing against the defenses of his heart. In an instant, boundless grief and anger surge wildly in his chest like a surging tide, as if they are about to break through the dam of reason and completely drown his mind, dragging him into the abyss of despair. The warm scenes of practicing together and fighting side by side in the past flash repeatedly in his mind like an endless carousel. Those former laughter and the solemn and resounding vows of sharing life and death have now turned into extremely sharp thorns that pierce deeply into his heart. The pain is like a snake slithering around, spreading throughout his body, penetrating deep into his bones, and making his heart ache unbearably.

And that anger is like a blazing fire that burns the soul with intense heat, leaping and burning wildly in the depths of his soul, mercilessly scorching every nerve of his. It makes his body tremble involuntarily, as if it is a tangible manifestation of his anger. He hates the cruel and inhumane evil forces to the core and wishes he could immediately eradicate them, an eye for an eye and a life for a life, to avenge this deep blood feud. He also hates his own powerlessness and insignificance. As the lighthouse of hope and the mainstay that everyone relies on, he is unable to protect those around him in this troubled world, allowing them to be brutally massacred and pushed to the brink of despair. However, Lin Yu is no ordinary person. He knows that at this critical moment of life and death, even the slightest loss of emotional control may be like that insignificant sound that triggers an avalanche, causing a chain reaction and ultimately leading to an irreversible disaster that shatters all hopes.

So, he grits his teeth so tightly that they creak, as if he wants to crush and swallow this endless pain and anger and bury them deep in his heart. His hands clench into fists, and his knuckles turn white from excessive force. His nails dig deeply into his palms, and red blood slowly seeps out through his fingers. But he seems not to notice, ignoring the pain in his body. With his strong will as tough as steel and indomitable, he desperately suppresses the surging emotions in his heart like a raging storm and tries his best to restore the clarity and calmness in his eyes as before. Because he deeply understands that in this desperate situation, only by remaining calm can he find a faint glimmer of hope in the dark abyss, and only with his sharp eagle-like insight can he capture the flaws and weaknesses of the evil forces, and then find an effective strategy to defeat the enemy and turn the tide of the situation, to prop up the collapsing building.

Time is like a cold and merciless river flowing on. It passes slowly amidst the fierce fighting and deafening shouts, but the situation of the battle becomes more and more chaotic and confusing, like a mysterious maze shrouded in thick fog, making it difficult to fathom the truth and predict its direction. With his extraordinary perception and rich and valuable combat experience, Lin Yu keenly aware of that the evil forces on the battlefield are quietly undergoing some subtle and extremely dangerous changes. They are no longer attacking blindly and chaotically as before, running around without any pattern. Instead, they are like a group of hungry wolves that have smelled the scent of blood. They begin to converge and contract methodically towards a specific direction, taking eerie, firm, and decisive steps as they close in on their intended prey step by step. Greed, ferocity, and cunning shine in their eyes, as if they are plotting a deadly hunt.

This abnormal movement sets off alarm bells in Lin Yu's heart, as if an invisible hand has tightly grasped his heart, making his breath catch. His brows furrow tightly in an instant, deeply wrinkling into a character like "Chuan". There is a look of great solemnity and deep doubt in his eyes, as if his gaze can penetrate this chaotic and smoky battlefield and see through the earth-shattering conspiracy hidden behind the evil forces. After a period of intense, meticulous, and flawless thinking, a terrifying idea gradually becomes clear in his heart, like a sharp lightning bolt flashing through the darkness, instantly illuminating the most worrying and fearful corner of his heart - the actions of the evil forces this time are by no means accidental. They must have carefully planned a more massive, more deadly conspiracy that is enough to plunge the Spiritual Domain into an irreversible situation. And once this conspiracy succeeds, the Spiritual Domain will surely face destruction and fall into endless darkness and silence, with all hopes dashed.

Following the direction in which the evil forces are moving, Lin Yu's gaze is like an irresistible arrow that pierces through the layers of lingering flames of war and the thick and dense fog. Finally, it stops at the core of the Spiritual Domain - the Spiritual Source Land. That is the foundation of the Spiritual Domain, the source of the spiritual power of this world, like a dazzling but fragile heart that continuously releases powerful spiritual power, maintaining all the vitality and prosperity of the Spiritual Domain. It is the fundamental guarantee for the growth of all things and the reproduction of living beings in the Spiritual Domain, the soul and lifeblood of this land. Once the Spiritual Source Land is breached by the evil forces and loses the nourishment and support of spiritual power, the Spiritual Domain will surely fall into endless darkness and silence in an instant, like a body without a soul, completely falling under the iron heel of evil, with no chance of recovery.

Thinking of this, a layer of fine cold sweat seeps out on Lin Yu's back. The sweat slowly slides down his spine, but he seems not to notice it, immersed in deep worry about the situation. He clearly realizes that the situation he is facing has become extremely severe, as if he is standing on the edge of a crumbling cliff, and with the slightest carelessness, he will stumble and fall into the abyss, shattered to pieces and with all hopes gone.

At this moment, Lin Yu is like a lonely traveler standing at the crossroads of fate, facing an extremely difficult and almost impossible-to-decide desperate situation. On the one hand, the frontal battle on the battlefield has already entered a life-and-death struggle in the heat of the moment. The perseverance and fighting of every cultivator are like solid and reliable barriers, which are of vital importance and indispensable. They have built a defensive line against evil with their own flesh and blood and tenacious will. If he chooses to leave at this moment, it will undoubtedly bring heavy pressure on his comrades who are fighting heroically and sacrificing their lives on the front line, as if pulling away the solid support behind them. It may even cause the defensive line to collapse instantly, dragging more people into the endless abyss of danger and death, with no way out.

On the other hand, the crisis in the Spiritual Source Land is like the Sword of Damocles hanging above his head, which may fall at any moment and bring about a devastating disaster. Once the conspiracy of the evil forces succeeds, all the previous resistance efforts will be in vain, all the sacrifices will be for nothing, and the Spiritual Domain and the Cultivation World will fall into eternal darkness and despair, with no more vitality or hope.

Should he continue to stay on this bloody battlefield, engage in a life-and-death struggle with the enemy, and use his power to hold up a sky of hope for his comrades, becoming their spiritual pillar and solid backing? Or should he resolutely lead an elite team, fear no hardships and dangers, not be afraid of life and death, go deep behind enemy lines, and head to the Spiritual Source Land to stop the conspiracy of the evil forces and protect the foundation and lifeblood of the Spiritual Domain? These two choices are like the two ends of a balance, constantly swaying 

and struggling in Lin Yu's heart. Each choice is related to the life and death of countless living beings and bears an unbearable weight, like a towering mountain pressing down on his heart, making him almost suffocate.

Lin Yu's heart is caught in a fierce struggle and a painful choice, as if there are two voices constantly arguing and pulling at his ears, each holding its own opinion and refusing to give in. His gaze shifts back and forth between his comrades who are fighting heroically and sacrificing their lives on the battlefield and the direction of the Spiritual Source Land, hesitant, as if he has fallen into a confused quagmire and cannot extricate himself. The shouts and roars of his comrades still seem to echo in his ears, deafeningly loud, full of unyielding fighting spirit and tenacious perseverance. And the safety of the Spiritual Source Land is like an extremely heavy and immovable boulder, pressing hard on his heart, making him worry so much that he can hardly breathe.

Time seems to stand still at this moment. Every passing second becomes extremely slow, like a painful torment. Every moment is testing his will and determination. But in the end, after a painful, difficult, and unforgettable weighing of the situation, a resolute light flashes in Lin Yu's eyes, like a dazzling meteor streaking across the night sky, brief but bright, illuminating his path forward. He decides to step forward bravely, regardless of his own safety, and resolutely embark on this path full of thorns and dangers, venturing to the Spiritual Source Land. He knows that the road ahead will surely be full of thorns and dangers, like stepping into an unknown dark abyss, with an uncertain future. He may even never return, getting lost forever in the endless danger and darkness, accompanied by death.

But for the sake of protecting the Spiritual Domain, the land he yearns for deeply, and for the sake of protecting the countless living beings in the Cultivation World, he is willing to put his own life on the line and is willing to pay any price, even if it means perishing together with the evil forces. In his heart, there is a belief as firm as a rock and as stable as Mount Tai, like a towering mountain, unshakable - as long as he can protect this land and its living beings, even if he sacrifices himself, he will have no regrets and can rest in peace with a smile.

At the moment of making the decision, Lin Yu seems to have suddenly removed all the burdens in his heart, yet also as if he has instantly shouldered the weight of the whole world. He takes a deep breath, and that breath seems to contain all his courage and determination, his oath to fight a desperate battle with no way back. He looks around, and there is a look of firmness and determination in his eyes, like a fearless warrior about to set out on a journey, exuding an aura of resoluteness and courage, fearless and moving forward bravely.

He begins to quickly and decisively gather the most elite and reliable cultivators around him. These cultivators are all the elite backbones he has carefully selected and trained on a daily basis. Each of them possesses extraordinary strength and an unwavering belief. The moment their eyes meet, it is as if an invisible force is being transmitted between them, which is a deep trust, a wordless tacit understanding, and a steel-like determination to sacrifice everything to protect their homeland. In 

this way, a suicide squad is quickly formed under Lin Yu's leadership. Their figures appear particularly resolute and strong in the light of the flames of war. The eyes of every team member also burn with a firm and passionate fire, which seems to be able to dispel all darkness and fear, illuminate their path forward, and give them courage and strength, making them the last ray of hope for the Spiritual Domain in this dark moment.

They understand the danger of this journey, like travelers groping in the dark, with an uncertain future and unpredictable life and death. But no one flinches, and no one is afraid. They are willing to follow Lin Yu, like moths to a flame, without hesitation embarking on this path of redemption full of unknowns and dangers. For the last glimmer of hope of the Spiritual Domain and for that faint dawn, they move forward bravely. Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, they will never turn back, using their blood and lives to compose a magnificent hymn of heroes.