The Bodyguard King’s CEO Wife Chapter 1548: Restoration of Inner Strength

"Where am I?" Ye Shikai slowly opened his eyes. Everything around him was a blinding white. Shielding his vision with a hand, it took a considerable time for his eyes to adjust to the intense light before he could slowly rise from the ground.

"What is this?" Ye Shikai looked down, a jolt of alarm striking his heart. Even the very 'ground' beneath him was an expanse of white, giving the sensation of walking on clouds, perpetually on the verge of 'falling through'.

He paced back and forth, but the surroundings seemed to stretch on infinitely. Perhaps, he mused, he was no longer in the mortal realm.

"Could it be... I'm dead?" Ye Shikai’s thoughts raced, a wave of shock washing over him.

"Of course not, you are not dead." Suddenly, a voice resonated from behind him. Ye Shikai whipped his head around abruptly, finding a man dressed in a robe reminiscent of a wizard's standing before him. A hood obscured his forehead and eyes; Ye Shikai could only discern his mouth, but the facial contours suggested a middle-aged man.

"Who are you?" Ye Shikai inquired.

"Has it been so long that you no longer recognize my voice?" The hooded man let out a cold chuckle. Ye Shikai searched his memories, certain he had never met this individual—yet, this voice... it was...

"Sword Soul."

"It seems you haven't forgotten me. Having transitioned to this era, your past memories will inevitably fade. In another two months, you might forget me entirely; within a year, you may even forget your origins," Sword Soul stated indifferently.

"It truly is you." Ye Shikai was so overcome with excitement that he nearly cried out. After such a long separation, he had finally re-established contact with Sword Soul.

"But why do you appear this way?" Ye Shikai asked, his curiosity piqued. This was his first time witnessing Sword Soul's 'form'; previously, Sword Soul had only existed within his mind.

"This is my natural appearance. Before, I simply resided within your mind as a spiritual entity. Now that you have arrived here, we can finally meet in person."

"What, arrived... arrived here? Could it be that I too am..."

"That's correct, you are now a spiritual entity as well. In the terms of Huaxia, you are a soul."

Upon hearing this, Ye Shikai felt as though he might faint. He was now a 'soul'? Could this mean he had truly met his end?

"What?" Bowing his head, Ye Shikai examined his own body. Indeed, all the injuries sustained in the recent battle had vanished. Not a single wound could be found, not a trace of blood, and even his shattered armor was miraculously intact.

It’s finished.

Ye Shikai instantly crumpled to the ground, his eyes vacant.

"Do not despair. You were gravely injured in the fierce battle and subsequently fell into the meteorite crater. You are merely in a coma, with your life's breath hanging by a thread."

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Ye Shikai shot his head up in a surge of anger, nearly throwing a punch. So, he hadn't actually died after all.

"Wait, if I'm not dead, then why am I here?" Ye Shikai questioned.

"Are you not curious as to why you are able to meet me?" Sword Soul sidestepped his question, redirecting the conversation.

"Why?" Ye Shikai murmured. He had lost contact with Sword Soul after Chen Yuxin destroyed his Dantian, stripping him of his Inner Strength. Sword Soul's ability to communicate with him had been dependent on that Inner Strength.

Now that he was conversing with Sword Soul once more, it implied...

His Inner Strength had been restored.

Ye Shikai circulated the internal energy within him. As expected, Inner Strength surged forth from his Dantian, coursing through him with revitalizing power. This sensation felt incredibly familiar.

A damaged Dantian was tantamount to being crippled for a cultivator. Although Dugu Tianke had previously mentioned a method for Dantian repair, the necessary conditions were not met. Ye Shikai was bewildered as to how his Dantian had been 'mysteriously' mended.

"Sword Soul, what exactly is happening?"

"You engaged in an intense battle and, heavily wounded, plummeted into this meteorite crater. Without Inner Strength, you would certainly have perished. However, this meteor pulsates with immense energy. Fortunately, you were saved by it."

"So, the energy from this meteor repaired my Dantian?" Ye Shikai was profoundly astonished. It seemed utterly unbelievable. He hadn't sensed any energy whatsoever when he had approached the meteor.

"That is essentially correct. Though it may seem strange, it appears you share a fated connection with this meteor," Sword Soul quipped.

"If I hadn't intervened to save those people, I wouldn't have encountered this meteor, and consequently, my Dantian wouldn't have been healed," Ye Shikai reflected, a complex swirl of emotions filling him. This was not merely a bizarre turn of fate but a blessing in disguise. However... his fallen comrades had not been afforded such fortunate circumstances.

"Precisely."

"But if I survived, how did I end up as a spiritual body?"

"You remain in a comatose state. Nevertheless, with your Inner Strength now restored, regardless of the severity of your physical injuries, recovery will be rapid. I surmise you will awaken quite soon," Sword Soul stated, stepping closer to Ye Shikai.

Ye Shikai tilted his head, gazing at the enigmatic, hooded figure before him. An instinctual urge rose within him to tug at Sword Soul’s hood, to reveal the face hidden beneath.

Clap.

Suddenly, Sword Soul’s hand clamped onto Ye Shikai’s wrist. Before Ye Shikai could even process what was happening, a disorienting wave washed over him, and he promptly collapsed, consciousness fading to black.

...

When his eyes fluttered open once more, Ye Shikai found himself confronted by a phalanx of Qin soldiers. A dull ache throbbed in his head, but the realization of his awareness quickly settled in. A quick glance to the side revealed the meteor, the stark inscription “The Emperor’s death divided the land” emblazoned upon it, clearly visible.

“Gen… General Ye is not dead.” A soldier’s startled cry pierced the air. He recoiled several steps, as if beholding a specter. Ye Shikai, his mind no longer fogged, swiftly retrieved his sword and unleashed a swing.

Boom.

A surge of potent Inner Strength manifested as Sword Qi, propelling several soldiers backward in a chaotic heap.

“A ghost!”

“Run!”

The surrounding soldiers were utterly petrified by Ye Shikai’s abrupt “resurrection” and the overwhelming might he displayed, their minds reeling from the shock.

After all, how could any ordinary human casually send several burly men flying?

Ye Shikai’s fearsome reputation was already well-established among the armies of both counties. Now, coupled with his sudden reappearance, none dared to draw near. In the eyes of these ancient individuals, unfamiliar with modern science, Ye Shikai was surely possessed by an “evil spirit” or a vengeful phantom returned from the afterlife.

“Why are you all just standing there? Move it!” Sword Soul’s voice resonated within Ye Shikai’s mind, jolting him back to the present. He cast a glance at his Storage Ring, channeled his Inner Strength, and drew forth the Fire Element.

“Look, General Ye’s hand… it’s alight.”

“It’s a ghost; it has to be a ghost.”