Inside the Five Elements Heavenly Palace. Despicable Donkey sat cross-legged in the Wood Elemental Realm, silently meditating to recover his strength. The fusion secret art he had used earlier had drained him deeply. Even during Ling Feng's battle with the Silver Serpent Enchantress, he had been too exhausted to lend a hand. Suddenly, the teleportation portal flared to life. A figure wrapped in raging flames crashed violently to the ground. "Oh shit, Ling Feng! What happened to you?" Despicable Donkey's eyelids twitched. Ling Feng struggled to his feet, his face flushed with pain. "I... I got hit by that woman's Charm Rule..." Taking a deep breath, Ling Feng sat down cross-legged. The Charm Rule was not a poison, but it was harder to purge than any toxin. Even the Vermilion-Eyed Ice Silkworm could not dispel the surge of bloodline excitement it caused. However, just before retreating into the Five Elements Heavenly Palace, Ling Feng discovered something. Although medicine was useless against the Silver Serpent Enchantress's rule power, his Devouring Flame could burn away even power rooted in rules. To purge it from his body, though, he had to set himself on fire. Under normal circumstances, Ling Feng could control the Devouring Flame by forming a thin barrier of elemental force between the fire and his body. Now, he had to remove that protection and drive the flames directly into his internal organs. The pain of being burned from within was as excruciating as a Heavenly Dao lightning tribulation. "No kidding... that's what a rule-based power is." Despicable Donkey winced. Ling Feng was now completely engulfed in fire, and even he didn't dare approach. "It's fine. I've already... found a way... to break through it." Ling Feng trembled as he spoke. Every word cost him tremendous effort. He bitterly blamed himself for being too careless. If not for that woman's spell, he would have already taken her life. Worse, the backlash from Chaotic Rebirth was now catching up to him. His strength was fading fast. He had dropped from the second level of the Spiritual Element Realm to the first and looked ready to fall out of the realm altogether. His soul manifestation had not disappeared yet, but its presence had grown faint. Ling Feng had not realized just how steep the cost of Chaotic Rebirth truly was. At the early stage of the Spiritual Element Realm, he had briefly wielded the power of a mid-tier demon emperor. That kind of surge naturally does not come out of thin air. First, it consumed a hundred years of life essence. Second, it caused a full realm regression! Once his cultivation stabilized, he would drop from the second level of the Spiritual Element Realm all the way down to the peak of the Transformation Realm, or possibly even lower. (Author's note: Chaotic Rebirth ignores realm levels. Even someone at the ninth level of the Spiritual Element Realm would fall to the Transformation Realm. That is why using it early in a new realm is less punishing.) The first time Ling Feng had triggered Chaotic Rebirth, it happened by accident. The reclusive master Kong, hidden inside the Ancient Cave of Time, had paid the price for him. That was partly because Ling Feng still could not control the Asura's Eye, and partly to stop him from relying on the technique too easily. Kong had sealed the Chaotic Seed inside him to prevent future harm. Now, Ling Feng had chosen to unseal it and wield its power once more. And the cost had come due. His life essence was draining rapidly. His body aged, his aura weakened. Fortunately, Zifeng noticed the problem in time and injected stored life essence into Ling Feng to restore his vitality. Even so, his cultivation plummeted, and the burning agony of the Devouring Flame nearly broke him. "Kid, your aura's crashing. Your cultivation's collapsing fast!" Despicable Donkey stared at him in alarm. "It's the price of the technique I used to fight the Silver Serpent Enchantress. I have no choice!" Ling Feng gritted his teeth. A wild idea suddenly crossed his mind. The Supreme Lotus Seed! At this point, there was only one option left. He would refine the Supreme Lotus Seed and break into the Spiritual Element Realm once again. Maybe he would even surpass it! Despicable Donkey saw the look in his eyes and instantly understood. Ling Feng was going to refine the seed. Despicable Donkey let out a long breath. "That thing isn't an ordinary treasure. Let this divine beast help you." He knew he wouldn't get anything from this trip. But with Ling Feng in such a state, how could he ask for half the seed? "Thanks, Despicable Donkey." Ling Feng gave him a deep look. This fella was unreliable most of the time, but when it truly mattered, he always came through. Under the searing heat of the third-phase Devouring Flame, the Charm Rule inside Ling Feng gradually dissolved. He spat out a mouthful of black blood, finally expelling the last of the Charm Rule's influence at the cost of nearly all his strength. His cultivation dropped to the sixth level of the Transformation Realm, where it finally stabilized. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow, swallowed a few medicinal pills to restore his energy, and removed the elemental force surrounding the Supreme Lotus Seed. During the earlier battle, his body had already absorbed some of the seed's power through Chaotic Rebirth. Without it, he might not have been able to overpower that mid-tier demon emperor. Now that the seal was fully lifted, the pure and violent energy of the Supreme Lotus Seed surged into his limbs and bones. Ling Feng felt like his body was about to explode. Even breathing became difficult. He let out a roar like a wounded beast. Blood gushed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The ferocious energy pouring into him nearly tore him apart. Despicable Donkey stepped forward and placed a hoof on Ling Feng's forehead. Though a demon beast, he was still an emperor level expert. He managed to steady the violent energy before it could destroy Ling Feng from within. At the same time, he absorbed a portion of the overflow for himself. It helped lighten Ling Feng's burden and let him benefit a little as well. With his help, Ling Feng finally managed to catch his breath. The power of the Supreme Lotus Seed roared through his body like an erupting volcano. And with that power, his cultivation realm began to rise again!