Chapter 1081: Blood Oath
The Wood Spirit Secret Ground was bleak, with a desolate wind howling.
Yun Che gathered the remains of all the Wood Spirits together. He Lin knelt there, bidding them farewell one by one in solitude. Then, with a gentle push of Yun Che's arm, they were buried deep in this land that had once belonged only to them.
Although it was not his intention, nor his wish, he was the main cause of this tragedy. Yun Che's guilt was beyond words. He took a deep breath, knelt on both knees, and kowtowed nine times heavily.
Reaching out his hand, in his palm lay the bracelet strung with various flower and grass seeds. It not only emitted the aura of nature and the spiritual energy of the Wood Spirits but also contained the budding heart of a young girl.
He parted the soil with his hand and carefully buried the bracelet. Lifting his head, Yun Che's sea of consciousness was filled with the clear gaze of that Wood Spirit girl and her voice, so pure that even the breeze wouldn't dare to scatter it. He said softly, "Qinghe, I, the demon who brought calamity to your clan, am not worthy of accepting such a beautiful gift from you. May your next life... be treated kindly by fate."
He Lin had been kneeling there all along, but from beginning to end, he hadn't shed a single tear, nor even shown overly strong emotional fluctuations. This made Yun Che feel increasingly oppressed and uneasy.
"He Lin," Yun Che patted his shoulder, "From now on, stay by my side. I'll help you find another place that's safe enough. You mentioned before wanting to take me as your master. Although I don't think I can be a proper master, if you still insist, I won't refuse anymore."
His pursuits and circumstances made it absolutely unsuitable to have a disciple who would be a major tie to him—especially one who was a royal Wood Spirit that could bring great disaster at any time. But... an unprecedented immense guilt made it impossible for him to abandon He Lin.
He Lin wasn't excited by this, nor did he nod or shake his head. He turned his face toward Yun Che and gave a very light, faint smile... His gaze was still clear as crystal, penetrating straight to the heart, but it carried a sorrow that absolutely shouldn't belong to someone his age.
"Brother Yun Che," he said with a smile, "Your life force has suffered some loss for a certain reason... It should have been a very short time ago, right?"
Yun Che was startled, then slowly nodded.
Against the ancient horned dragon, he had forcefully executed "Moon-Recalling Star-Return." This power that defied laws, defied reason, and also defied the Heavenly Dao came at the cost of permanent life force depletion!
That feeling of life being forcibly severed was an indescribable, unbearable pain. Although the pain was brief, even recalling it now made his soul tremble slightly. Accompanying this severance pain was another vague premonition... If he continued to use Moon-Recalling Star-Return in the future, given his current vitality, at most four or five times, he would die directly from depleted life force.
"Just as I thought," He Lin still smiled, "We Wood Spirits have a special sensitivity to life aura. Actually, the first time I saw Brother Yun Che, I sensed it—a very severe loss of life. If it's not repaired in time, you'll live many fewer years. Someone as good as Brother Yun Che should live a very, very long time for it to be fair."
"...Don't worry, I'll find a way." Yun Che said casually, then cautiously scanned the surroundings and said, "He Lin, let's leave here first. I just killed their people; that sect called the Black Soul Divine Sect must have already noticed. Soon, more evil people will come here."
"Rest assured, unless I die, I won't let anyone hurt you anymore." Yun Che said with absolute firmness.
"Thank you, Brother Yun Che. Having you say that makes me really happy." He Lin's smile deepened, and a hint of unusual radiance appeared in his eyes as he gazed at Yun Che: "I used to think fate was very cruel, but to meet you at the end of my life—surely, the God of Nature is watching over me."
Yun Che shook his head, his heart filled with mixed emotions, but then suddenly jolted...
The "end of my life"!?
And at that instant, he suddenly felt He Lin's life force drain away at an alarming speed, like a punctured ball. His face still carried a smile, but his frail body slowly began to fall backward.
"He Lin!!"
Yun Che was horrified. He lunged forward in panic to support him... His body was completely limp, his temperature slowly dropping, while his life force continued to drain wildly.
"What... what's going on?" Yun Che's eyes widened, then suddenly thought of something and shouted in alarm, "You... you destroyed your own Wood Spirit Pearl?!"
"He Lin!" Yun Che roared, desperately gathering the world's spiritual energy with both hands, but as soon as this spiritual energy entered He Lin's body, it immediately leaked out again: "He Lin! What... what are you doing! Why would you do this?"
How could this be!? Why would it be like this...
I should have noticed something was wrong!
"Brother Yun Che..." He Lin's voice grew weak as he looked at Yun Che and said softly, "I knew you wouldn't abandon me. But how could I... Uncle Qingmu was right—Brother Yun Che will one day become a great person. You're also my lifesaver. How could I... become your burden..."
Yun Che felt as if his soul had been struck by a heavy hammer. His entire body trembled violently as he roared, "What burden! How could you ever be my burden! You... didn't you want to take me as your master, to become as strong as me to protect your people! Get better quickly... you'll definitely recover! There must be a way!!"
Yun Che panted heavily, activating the Great Dao Pagoda Art to its absolute limit, but... He Lin's body only showed life force draining away at a pace that drove Yun Che to near despair.
No... there must be a way!
Quick, think of a way to save him!!
I was the one who caused the deaths of all the people around him. He should resent me, hate me, even want to kill me—that would all be justified! But why is it like this!!
All the other Wood Spirits here have already died because of me. How can I let He Lin also...
"Brother Yun Che... can you grant me a selfish request?" He Lin murmured softly.
"Speak... no matter what request, I will agree to it." Yun Che refused to give up, channeling the Desolate God's Power and roaring without hesitation.
"Please... find my sister for me..."
"Good!" Yun Che nodded, his voice trembling with every word: "I will find her... I will definitely reunite you siblings!"
He Lin weakly shook his head: "I know my request is too much, too selfish... but I... have no choice... really no other choice..."
Tears finally poured out wildly at this moment, falling onto Yun Che's body. A profound pain and sorrow instantly spread throughout his whole being. He Lin's words were also now tear-laden: "I am the last royal Wood Spirit of my clan, carrying the last hope of my people... but I am so useless... I couldn't protect my sister, couldn't protect my people... I couldn't do anything... Even if I continued to live on, I would only harm Brother Yun Che, who is truly good to me... Useless me... I can't find my sister, and even less can I protect her... so I can only selfishly ask Brother Yun Che..."
"Don't say anymore." Yun Che's chest was too heavy to breathe. He said hoarsely, "Rest assured, even if I have to traverse the entire Divine Realm, I will definitely find your sister! I will protect her... whoever wants to harm her, I will kill them! Even if I have to risk my life, I will never let her suffer any harm! I swear... I swear!!"
Tears-filled eyes trembled violently. He Lin slowly raised his arm: "Thank you, Brother Yun Che. This is the only thing... I can... give you in return..."
The tightly clenched hand slowly opened, and a pure emerald light instantly pierced through Yun Che's eyes and into his very soul.
A Wood Spirit Pearl...
This Wood Spirit Pearl was half the size of the one Yun Che had just obtained, but beneath its spiritual energy and radiance, Yun Che felt as if he had suddenly been transported to another world. His eyes, his body, even his soul seemed to be gently and slowly washed by pure flowing water.
Beneath the reflection of the emerald spiritual light, Yun Che was frozen in place.
This was He Lin's Wood Spirit Pearl.
It was not an ordinary Wood Spirit Pearl. It was a royal Wood Spirit Pearl... something that even beings like the Brahma Emperor God Realm dreamed of possessing.
And it was something even the Brahma Emperor God Realm wouldn't dare to hope for, something that had never truly appeared in the entire history of the Divine Realm... a perfect royal Wood Spirit Pearl!
"Although... I'm very useless... my Wood Spirit Pearl... is a remarkable thing." He held his Wood Spirit Pearl and slowly moved it toward Yun Che's chest: "It can grant Brother Yun Che fifty thousand years of lifespan, as well as the unique abilities of us Wood Spirits..."
Fifty thousand years of lifespan!?
Within the Chaos, the humans who could possess fifty thousand years of lifespan were probably none other than the supreme Divine Lords!
"When I was very young... my parents said... my Wood Spirit Pearl was special, a 'seed of miracles.' I hope that one day... it can truly... bring Brother Yun Che the power of miracles..."
The emerald light slowly approached. Yun Che, who had been in a prolonged daze amidst the strange aura, finally awoke as if from a dream and roared urgently: "He Lin! I don't need your Wood Spirit Pearl! Take it back immediately—ah!"
The Wood Spirit Pearl touched Yun Che's chest... then, like a water droplet gently falling onto the still surface of a lake, it silently merged into Yun Che's body...
Even though it was a foreign object, Yun Che's body showed not the slightest trace of rejection!
A streak of emerald light then radiated from Yun Che's heart center, rapidly spreading over his entire body. In an instant, streams of pure, incomparably vast life force rapidly sprouted and flowed through every corner of his being...
The pale little hand slowly fell. Sensing the transformation in Yun Che's life aura, He Lin's small face showed a contented, gentle smile. His eyes also slowly closed at that moment...
"Father... Mother... Lin'er can finally... see you again..."
His voice slowly faded away, and his final life force vanished completely with the passing of a cruel, gentle breeze...
"He... Lin..."
Yun Che let out the most parched sound of his life, slowly sinking to his knees.
Clang—
A lightness suddenly came over his arms. The He Lin in his embrace shone with emerald light, then, like light snow scattered by the wind, transformed into countless green light stars dancing through the air, falling toward the land that buried the departed Wood Spirits.
Instantly, clumps of emerald grass broke through the soil, growing rapidly, soon blanketing the area in lush green. Then, a hundred flowers bloomed, covering the entire land where the Wood Spirits slept in peace.
Perhaps this was He Lin's final protection for his people.
"..." Yun Che stood as still as an ice sculpture, kneeling motionless until the still-growing emerald grass and blooming flowers covered his body.
Boom!!
He punched his own chest with a fierce blow, spitting out a large mouthful of blood. His arms propped him up on the ground, but he suddenly lifted his head, blood staining the corners of his mouth. His eyes, however, shone with a hatred as fierce as that of a Yama from the Abyss.
"Soul... Sect..."
"If I don't bathe your entire sect in blood... I, Yun Che... swear I am no longer human!!"