Chapter 567: Leaving Again (3k)
As the energy shield cracked, the interior environment was fully exposed to the audience, emanating a bone-chilling cold.
Everyone felt as though they were rinsing their arms under a faucet on the winter solstice. It was important to note that as Snow Demons, they wouldn’t feel that way; even temperatures unbearable for humans were merely trivial to them.
There could only be one explanation for this feeling – the cold inside was not merely atmospheric, but perhaps the very air was imbued with the aura of rules and domains.
This made it even harder for them to imagine the situation within. Suddenly, the light in the sky seemed to scatter once more, and the bewildered citizens looked up.
Elder Shuangkong of the Great Clan narrowed her eyes, fiddling with a Tarot card, and murmured with a slight hint of astonishment, “That… the cloaked figure’s aura seems to have weakened, only feeling like a demigod.”
“Did that Blood Clan really win?” Upon hearing this, the surrounding elders were taken aback, then looked up, their eyes filled with shock.
“Both are in a state of exhaustion; it’s all about perseverance…”
Shuangkong shook her head slightly, but her eyes held a hint of anticipation. She actually hoped for the descendant of Ye to win, at least in terms of legitimacy, it would be justifiable.
“Cough cough…”
High in the sky, thousands of meters above, Lin’s body swayed like a catkin in the wind, without any support. She tightly gripped an Ice Crystal Longbow, her gaze fixed on the equally weakened Su Jiu opposite her. She coughed twice and chuckled self-deprecatingly, “Hehe, you took that old thing’s feather early on, waiting for this moment, right? All those words that night were also hypocritical…”
“I also have a reason I cannot lose. If I lose… many people will die.”
Her scythe had vanished, and Su Jiu, breathing heavily, with a hoarse voice, explained, holding the loquat branch which also glowed with a golden light, the latent Dream of Blossoms.
Healing required energy, but her body was already depleted. It would be better to go all out with her last bit of strength!
Under everyone’s gaze, a white flash suddenly ignited, and Su Jiu’s figure disappeared from the spot, leaving only the whistling sound of the wind being cleaved.
Seeing this, Lin’s eyes narrowed as if realizing something, and she abruptly turned, raising the Ice Crystal Longbow to strike. A sword shadow suddenly appeared in the previously empty space.
The Ice Crystal Longbow and the loquat branch collided with a crisp clack, but how could Lin, with her strength sealed, be Su Jiu’s match…
“Pfft!”
Lin felt a massive force surge through her arm, and the ice bow instantly shattered. Her pretty face turned pale, and she couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
Clutching her chest, Lin suppressed the pain within her body. Just as she was about to teleport away, she looked up, her pupils contracting sharply. Su Jiu had already appeared before her, holding the charged loquat branch!
Their eyes met in the air. Lin gritted her teeth and swung her hand at Su Jiu, her foot treading on the air as she moved backward. Immediately, dense ice crystals appeared on her body once more, piercing towards Su Jiu from all directions.
She knew that Su Jiu didn’t have much strength left, and if she could wear her down, she could win the match and take it all!
As the ice shards were about to be fired, a similar cloaked figure appeared behind Lin like a ghost. Red butterflies swirled around her, emanating a faint blood essence with a strangely sweet scent.
Then, she lowered her head and looked down at the struggling Lin, speaking softly,
“Miss Lin, you can rest now.”
Hearing the slightly sweet voice, Lin’s heart trembled. She only then remembered that Su Jiu was a half-demon mixed with humans, and that she could summon beast pets!
Moreover, the aura of that beast pet behind her was nearly complete and was also a demigod-level expert, while her close-combat skills were utterly abysmal…
She had lost.
Without turning around, she looked at the girl not far away holding the loquat branch. She dispelled the ice shards. As if meeting for the first time, they suddenly let out a bitter laugh, “You win…”
“I have no background, no support, I can only rely on my own hands to reach others’ starting point. Now, there’s no chance…”
Listening to Lin’s words, Su Jiu’s mind once again flashed with her previous actions. Her gaze deepened, and she voiced the thought she had always wanted to express: “Then, would you be willing to follow me? I might have a way to help you recover, and the seal brought by that feather can also be broken.”
She had always been thinking about Lin making weapons for her.
Lin looked at Su Jiu with a hint of amusement. After a moment of silence, she slowly shook her head, her eyes carrying a trace of coldness, and said lightly, “I admit you won, and I consider you a hero, but this victory was ultimately not honorable.”
“Hehe… but losing is fate, you have to accept it.”
With that, Lin closed her eyes slightly, as if deflated. Losing her support, her arms dropped, and her body, like a remnant of catkins in the wind, succumbed to the cold wind, helplessly falling towards the ground.
Watching her fall, Su Jiu gave a wry smile. It seemed her plan had gone awry again. After taking a shallow breath, she lunged towards the black shadow.
“If not this time, then next time.”
As if by magic, she pulled Lin into her embrace. Su Jiu felt the resilience of her waist, her gaze swept over her rather demonic face, and she smiled.
Lin slowly opened her eyes, her light purple eyes carrying a flicker of confusion. She didn’t know how to proceed. The feather seemed to have completely sealed her cultivation, and it would take at least several months to figure out how to break it.
Now, with this demigod-level strength, she would probably only survive by fleeing to other lands…
“Next time…”
Ha, easy for her to say.
If her true form were revealed, the news of her participating in the competition here would inevitably leak everywhere, attracting the attention of the inspectors. Her current strength couldn’t harm those inspectors at all.
Under everyone’s gaze, the two of them lightly landed on the ground. The arena erupted with enthusiastic and excited cheers, as if celebrating Su Jiu’s victory.
Sensing the lively atmosphere, Lin pushed Su Jiu away and managed to stand up with some difficulty. In a slightly hoarse, low voice filled with strong unwillingness, she said, “Go and welcome the victory that belongs to you. If we’re fated, let’s not meet again.”
“Really unlucky. Originally, I just wanted essence blood to purify my bloodline, but now, hehe…”
Su Jiu frowned slightly and said softly, “I can provide you with some…”
“Hehe, we’ll meet again if fate allows.”
She smiled again, and Lin staggered as she walked off the stage. Though her steps were slow, her back remained straight, as if possessing an inherent maiden’s pride.
“Where are you going? You’re injured, and isn’t there another alchemy competition tomorrow?”
Looking at the receding figure, Su Jiu couldn’t help but call out. She didn’t understand Lin’s state of mind, nor why she refused her.
“The cat is coming. Where else would a mouse that has lost its cultivation hide but in its dark nest?”
Lin paused, looked up at the sky, and smiled. At least the inspectors hadn’t arrived yet; she still had time to escape…
Should she go to Dragon Country, or Shepherd Country?
Or perhaps travel further south to see the different cherry blossom scenery?
“Catch! Don’t become a corpse.”
As she was lost in thought, a spatial storage bag was suddenly thrown over, landing on her head with a “plop.” She caught it with her hand and looked inside…
She found several vials of purple healing potions. When she looked back at Su Jiu’s figure, she could no longer see her; the enthusiastic audience had blocked her from view.
“In the Cherry Blossom Country, there are legends of Tengu essence blood circulating among the folk. I wonder if they’re true…”
She smiled, used her fingernail to pry open the purple vial, and drank it in one gulp. She then staggered away, her lonely figure casting a lengthening shadow under the sunset clouds.
She didn’t actually hate Su Jiu for winning with various tricks. After all, if she were in Su Jiu’s position, she might have used even more extreme methods.
Lin could only sigh at the twists and turns of fate, how it played with people.
…
On a certain mountaintop.
“She won.”
Aman stood on the tallest cedar tree, gazing afar. His eyes seemed to see through illusion, and he occasionally nibbled on a pine nut.
“King, are you really planning to leave here with this Blood Clan? But she doesn’t seem to want you as a beast pet,” a white-browed ape asked in a low voice from behind him. The wisdom in their eyes was vastly different from that of the simple-minded and strong-limbed bloodthirsty beasts.
“If not a beast pet, then not a subordinate?”
Aman’s fat face showed a look of disdain. He patted his own flesh and mused,
“It’s time to go out and see. Staying here my whole life will likely mean I’ll always be stuck at the initial stage of Battle God.”
That night.
Looking at the Ancient Imperial Capital in the distance, a tall figure rushed in. This was Nami, who had been separated from Su Jiu for many days. A hint of anxiety showed on her face.
She had heard that Su Jiu had appeared here and had rushed over from an old friend of her master. However, on the way, she heard that Su Jiu had clashed with Frost Sky Vulture, which made her even more anxious…
