Chapter 2053: Dragon's Blood
The spatial tremors grew weaker and weaker, gradually leaving only the churning of the ground beneath them.
The roars of the Abyss Qilin God and the clashes of the two Divine Extreme-level forces were also growing more distant. Yun Che still did not dare to slow his pace for even a single breath; each moment was a desperate gamble for survival.
With a heavy thud, Yun Che was once again knocked to the ground. He clutched Hua Caili tightly, rolling for a long time... This time, he couldn't immediately get up. Instead, he gasped for air several times, followed by the sound of what seemed like teeth grinding. He forced himself to his feet once more, carefully shielding Hua Caili again, and continued charging forward.
His breathing was completely irregular, his steps chaotic and stumbling, but no matter what, he refused to stop.
Hua Caili had never known that a person could bear so many injuries, lose so much blood... yet still hold her so tightly, still never allow another scratch to mar her body.
Every wound on his body did not come from the Abyss Qilin God, but from... protecting the life that still flowed within her at this very moment.
She rarely accepted favors from others, but at this moment, she clearly understood that this was no longer merely the grace of saving a life at the cost of one's own.
It was also at this moment that she personally witnessed what her aunt had spoken of: a profound affection that transcends life itself, and an obsession that overrides all will.
Words she had once been unable to comprehend now manifested so vividly before her eyes, upon her very body.
After who knows how long, the trembling of the ground also began to rapidly diminish. Yun Che still refused to stop... until he could no longer feel the tremors of power or hear the roars of the Abyss Qilin God, only the still-muffled rumble of distant force.
The crisis was over. The breath of sheer willpower that had been sustaining him seemed to drain away in an instant. Yun Che's pace suddenly slowed, and then he dropped heavily to his knees, his head hitting the ground. His entire body convulsed and trembled, and for a long time, he did not rise.
Only his arm, still holding Hua Caili tightly, remained tense, refusing to relax even a fraction.
Hua Caili's senses were already exceptionally weak, but the thunderous pounding of Yun Che's heart reached her ears and soul with crystal clarity.
Her fingers lifted bit by bit, brushing through his hair, finally gently touching his cheek, which was covered in a mix of blood and sweat.
This light touch seemed to instantly awaken Yun Che's briefly scattered consciousness. He steadied his breathing, reached out to grasp Hua Caili's jade-like wrist, which was threatening to fall limp at any moment, and the words that came from his mouth were still words of comfort: "It's... okay now..."
He propped himself up shakily, his other hand gently and carefully covering her heart. A trace of pure, flawless Light Profound Radiance flickered with difficulty and perseverance, healing the wounds across Hua Caili's body.
Hua Caili parted her lips, letting out a weak, pleading voice: "Save... yourself..."
Yun Che's movements did not change. He adjusted his breathing, making his voice as gentle as possible: "The moment I saw you injured... I was certain that your life... is more important than my own... Saving you... is saving myself..."
Her soul felt as if struck by something heavy, her whole body trembling violently along with it. Hua Caili's lips opened and closed, unable to form words through her sobs.
Li Suo: (;￢＿￢)...
...
The vicious battle between the Abyss Qilin God and Hua Qingying continued, but it was now mostly the Abyss Qilin God attacking in fury while Hua Qingying half-defended and half-guided.
Now that its rage was completely locked onto her, the speed at which she lured it away even greatly exceeded the speed at which Yun Che had fled.
Yun Che's appearance had been a glimmer of light in Hua Qingying's despair... but, that was all it was, a glimmer.
She knew all too well the extent of the injuries the Abyss Qilin God's attack, which had been aimed at Hua Caili, would inflict upon her. For Yun Che to escape while protecting her seemed almost impossible.
While desperately restraining the Abyss Qilin God, her perception remained locked onto Yun Che and Hua Caili.
The two were like floating leaves in a rage, like drifting willow catkins in a sandstorm. They could be swallowed up at any moment, yet they tenaciously moved farther and farther away.
Yun Che's aura continued to weaken, yet Hua Caili's faint, thread-like aura never dissipated.
Until the two finally left her range of perception and truly escaped the danger... Hua Caili's aura remained exactly as before, almost completely undiminished.
The moment their auras faded from her perception, a faint watery trace clearly flickered in the eyes of the Sword Immortal, known throughout the world for her decisive and emotionless heart.
Because it was like a divine miracle.
The one who performed this miracle was not her, but Yun Che.
She had witnessed with her own eyes Yun Che using all his power to protect Hua Caili. And this result proved that every subsequent move Yun Che made was with all his strength... no, it should be said with his very life, protecting her.
No hesitation, no distraction. All of Hua Qingying's worry, fear, and concern vanished in an instant, replaced by extreme cold and killing intent.
Her gaze turned into a sword, and the Absolute Immortal Sword in her hand shimmered with divine light, emitting a clear ringing.
She slowly raised her eyes, her jade fingers covering the sword. Her body, heart, soul, will, and sword merged seamlessly at this moment. The original jade-colored sword aura miraculously transformed into a dazzling purple glow, as beautiful as an immortal illusion.
The Abyss Qilin God's movements halted, its massive body continuously being cut by the intangible, silent sword intent, leaving deep and shallow sword marks.
"Beast, die!"
The immortal sound pierced the soul as she swung her sword down.
Instantly, heaven and earth lost their color, and ten thousand miles fell silent.
...
The Light Profound Radiance was exceptionally weak, yet it brought an increasingly clear warmth to Hua Caili, followed by a pain she had long since forgotten.
She knew she had completely escaped the shadow of death.
Feeling Hua Caili's life force revive, Yun Che's mind relaxed, and he could no longer hold on. The Light Profound Radiance in his palm extinguished, and he half-collapsed to the ground.
After a few breaths, he slowly straightened up again, his face filled with a joy so intense it seemed ready to solidify: "Great... I told you... we'd be fine..."
His face was crisscrossed with crimson blood. The parts not stained by blood were pale as paper from excessive blood loss. It was originally hideous and terrifying, but Hua Caili's gaze was fixed on it, unwilling to look away for even an instant.
At that moment, the surrounding space suddenly fell into complete silence, as if the world had lost its sound.
The eternally dim Mist Sea was bathed in a dreamlike, enchanting purple glow.
Yun Che instinctively looked up toward the north.
In an instant, his pupils constricted.
A glaring purple scar was cut across the northern sky.
Looking from afar, the entire vast Mist Sea seemed to be split in two by this single purple scar.
In Yun Che's sight... in the sight of countless Mist Sea profound practitioners, the purple scar that broke the Mist Sea did not disappear for a long time, as if it were to be eternally etched into the sky of the Mist Sea, proclaiming the ultimate sword might and fury of the Sword Immortal.
Yun Che slowly withdrew his gaze, a shiver running across his scalp.
This woman... is so terrifying...
Could the Abyss Qilin God have been...
No, no... The Abyss Qilin God was at the True God level before being devoured by Yuan Chen. Even though its power has degraded, its body retains the True God's divine foundation, making it incomparably strong. Even if a real True God descended, destroying it would be no easy task.
If it suffered severe damage, it would recover quickly within the Abyss.
With this thought, he felt relieved.
But calamity refused to give him a moment to breathe. Behind Yun Che, two faint glimmers of dark light suddenly appeared, like ghostly souls.
It was the abyssal pupils of an Abyss Beast.
It had already closed in to within ten paces, yet Yun Che was completely unaware.
"Sir... Yun..." Hua Caili murmured weakly.
At the same instant, the Abyss Beast roared and lunged straight at Yun Che's back.
It was a wolf-shaped Abyss Beast at the early Divine Lord realm, the most common type in the Mist Sea. Normally, it would pose no threat to Yun Che and Hua Caili, but at this moment, it had undoubtedly become a terrifying nightmare capable of driving them back to the brink of death.
Yun Che, utterly exhausted, had severely weakened spiritual senses and power. The moment he sensed the approaching danger, he desperately twisted his body, but it was far too late.
As the shadow and the aura of the nightmare suddenly closed in, the Abyssal Giant Wolf's black-lighted fangs sank deeply into his head.
Yun Che let out a low groan of pain. His hand shot back like lightning, precisely clamping onto the Abyssal Giant Wolf's neck. His fingers pierced flesh and bone, and with a burst of residual strength, he forcefully tore it from his head and flung it into the distance.
Without sparing a glance at the giant wolf, he rushed back to Hua Caili, lifted her again, and held her firmly to his chest as before.
His remaining strength was pitifully weak; the blow he had just struck couldn't even kill an Abyssal Giant Wolf that shouldn't have been worthy of his notice.
By the time Yun Che had picked up Hua Caili, the Abyssal Giant Wolf had already risen again. Blood and wounds fueled its frenzy. The moment it stood, it pounced instantly, its bloodstained wolf claws flashing with piercing cold light.
Yun Che's body swayed, and he stepped back. But as he raised his head, a ferocity even more savage than the giant wolf's flickered in his eyes.
A faint red light flashed, and the Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword appeared. He held the sword in one hand, let out a low roar, and the blade traced a twisted arc as it came crashing down heavily onto the giant wolf.
Bang!
With the clash of forces, the Abyssal Giant Wolf was knocked flying through the air, while Yun Che staggered backward. At that moment, a gust of sinister wind burst out from the left, charging straight at him.
Another Abyssal Giant Wolf. Its target was none other than Hua Caili's position. Its two icy-cold claws rapidly enlarged in her pupils.
Amidst his stumbling retreat, Yun Che twisted his body in an extremely contorted posture, using his back to meet the Abyssal Wolf's claws.
Puff!
The sound of claws piercing flesh traveled through Yun Che's chest, reaching Hua Caili's ears with devastating clarity.
And stabbing deep into the very depths of her soul.
"Hah... ah!!"
The searing pain seemed to ignite a primal ferocity within Yun Che. He let out a savage roar like a furious demon. His severely wounded and depleted body suddenly erupted with a surge of power from some unknown source. The returning Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword crashed heavily onto the giant wolf, snapping its body mid-air and splattering black-red blood everywhere.
The icy blood of the Abyss Beast rained down upon her, but Hua Caili seemed completely oblivious. She pressed her body, her very life, tightly against Yun Che's chest.
Your life is more important than mine...
What absurd words... and yet he was truly putting them into practice with his very life.
Another hoarse roar, and the other Abyssal Giant Wolf was shattered by the Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword.
Clang!
The Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword fell heavily to the ground. Yun Che shook violently, and finally collapsed back onto his knees. But his arm still held Hua Caili tightly, preventing her back from touching the ground stained with Abyss blood.
For a long time, no sound had come from the north.
The battle between Hua Qingying and the Abyss Qilin God had ended.
That purple scar was the Sword Immortal's furious outburst. Worried about Hua Caili's safety, she would break away from the Abyss Qilin God as soon as they were safe, and then find them.
"It's okay, it's okay..."
He suppressed his heavy gasps, forcing out words to prove to Hua Caili that he was still alive: "That senior... will find us soon... and then we can..."
Aooo—
A terrifying abyssal beast roar, right in front of them.
Yun Che's voice cut off abruptly. Both he and Hua Caili instantly recognized it—it was clearly the roar of a mutated abyssal dragon!
He slowly turned his head, and a massive shadow descended upon them at that moment.
It was a dragon shadow over ten zhang tall. Its body was a dark cyan, taking the form of a horned dragon. Though not an enormous dragon body, it radiated an aura comparable to a thousand nightmares.
Because it was clearly the abyssal dragon might of the Divine Annihilation realm.
Even at his peak, Yun Che would have a hard fight against this Divine Annihilation Horned Dragon, let alone now.
Hua Caili's pupils lost their focus. Accompanying this aura was utter, hopeless darkness.
Finally, it has...
But I've dragged him down with me...
The arm holding her tightened slightly, and then came a gentle, fearless voice: "Don't be afraid..."
Still those two simple words, the same ones he had used countless times to protect her with his life: "It's just a Divine Annihilation Horned Dragon... As long as we're not dead, we must never give up!"
These simple, unadorned words, filled only with resolve, embedded themselves deeply in Hua Caili's heart.
They would influence her for the rest of this life, and this very existence.
With the most primal urge to destroy, the shadow of the Divine Annihilation Horned Dragon came crashing down like a mountain collapsing from the sky. The mere pressure of its approaching abyssal dragon might was almost enough to crush their bodies into dust.
Yun Che gritted his teeth and looked up, a flash of blue light suddenly appearing in his eyes.
ROAR——————
A dragon shadow reappeared, emitting a heaven-shaking dragon roar that was far more soul-shaking than that of the Abyss Horned Dragon.
The Dragon God is the foremost of all dragons, and the Dragon God's Soul is the supreme soul of the dragon clan. Even devoured by the Abyss, the very bones and blood of these creatures still hold a deep reverence for the Dragon God.
Under the Dragon's roar, the Abyss Horned Dragon's abyssal pupils instantly lost their color. Its airborne dragon body went completely out of control and plummeted from the sky. The terrifying Divine Annihilation dragon might, like a bursting dam, wildly collapsed and dispersed.
The Dragon's roar shook the air, causing Hua Qingying, who was searching, to instantly turn and transform into a streak of sword light, charging directly towards the source of the roar.
Poom! Crash!
The Abyss Horned Dragon slammed heavily into the ground. Yun Che, who had been waiting, released Hua Caili at that moment. With a furious roar, he grabbed the Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword and drove it viciously into the Abyss Horned Dragon's neck.
BANG!!
Whether it was due to the collapse of the Abyss Horned Dragon's power under the shattered soul, or perhaps another miraculous burst of power from Yun Che's indomitable will, a mountain-splitting explosion sounded. The Abyss Horned Dragon's neck was pierced through, deeply impaled.
From the shattered neck, a torrent of pitch-black dragon blood sprayed into the sky, raining down upon Yun Che and Hua Caili like a storm.
And at that exact moment, a sinister light flashed deep within Yun Che's eyes, a light no one else could perceive.
A red bottle materialized silently in his palm. As it shattered, two streams of crimson dragon blood escaped.
It was the Horned Dragon Blood that Mu Xuanyin (Chi Wuyue) had given him back in the Yin Xue Realm.
[For those who have forgotten the origin of the Horned Dragon Blood, please refer back to Chapter 1018.]
The two streams of un-tainted Horned Dragon Blood merged into the rain of dragon blood, while another stream was guided into the wound of the Abyss Horned Dragon.
An abyssal Horned Dragon has its blood tainted by the Abyss, its quality greatly diminished.
But the completely pure Horned Dragon Blood he had always carried with him was enough to seal away all uncertainty.
ROAR!!
The Abyss Horned Dragon, having shaken off the soul collapse, let out a furious roar. The terrifying dragon might it unleashed sent Yun Che flying heavily.
But before it could rise, a flowing light, like the radiance of the moon, fell from the sky, piercing its dragon body like a piece of cloth.